Josh waits anxiously while the Netah council decides his fate. Will he be accepted as a member of their Netah elk community even though he is a halfling? His ties to the human world, along with his outlaw Netah father, have shrouded Josh in suspicion. With the council's approval, he makes a hesitant entry into the community, and marvels at the amazing technology that has allowed the shapeshifters to live in harmony with nature, and away from prying human eyes. But everything is so different from his former life and Josh wonders how he can fit in. He has so much to learn about how to live as a Netah, and very few of his housemates seem willing to share their knowledge with him. Luckily, he finds a few friends who are brave enough to support him on his journey, and they warn him that his father appears intent on making contact with Josh. As he learns about the Netah ways and what role he can play in his new world, he can't stop thinking about the missing piece of the puzzle in his life, his birth father. Josh is torn by the need to know about his roots, and the dangerous killer his father appears to be.