Windy Meadow is a small village that has never been rich or famous, but it has something more valuable than either: peace. Three young people are on the edge of choices that will define the rest of their lives, and all three would prefer more time before they have to make them. Vena, the village's best huntress, weighs family against a lucrative offer from a distant merchant guild. Fabel wants to be a famous bard, but a rough past keeps complicating the path. Iudicia, a talented herbalist and lifelong outsider, is being pushed toward a marriage she does not want — but the only alternative she can see is a life alone.