There comes a time in every dwarf’s life when adulthood calls. For most, it is simple — travel to the sacred glen to choose a mate. For Vala, she must marry well or live the rest of her life as a spinster, slogging on her parents’ farm. One embitters her self, the other will devastate her family.

Vala and her friends must join this migration, where she will mix and mingle with eligible suitors from the surrounding villages. Most matches happen quickly so arriving first is the only way to make a valuable first impression.

Then she learns the rich girls are taking their horses, ensuring a speedy arrival. The only way to get ahead of them is to leave the well-known path and journey into the forest.

The unexplored woodlands is a harsh place for dwarves. And leaving the migration is dangerous — doing just that claimed the life of her friend last year.

Vala has a choice to make: Is a free destiny worth the risk to herself and her friends or does she accept her fate?