Book excerpt: ‡a"The ancient Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux has had a vision of his death. As he walks the Northwoods in solitude, he tries to prepare himself peacefully for the end of his long life. But peace is destined to elude him as hunters enter the woods seeking a woman named Dolores Morriseau, a stranger who had come to Henry for shelter and the gift of his wisdom. Meloux guides this stranger and his great niece, Cork O'Connor's wife, to safety deep inside the Boundary Waters, his home for more than a century. On the last journey he may ever take into this beloved land, Meloux must do his best to outwit the deadly mercenaries who follow. Meanwhile, in Aurora, Cork works feverishly to identify the hunters and the reason for their relentless pursuit, but he has little to go on. In desperation, Cork begins tracking the killers, but his own skills in the wild are severely tested by a late season snowstorm. He knows only too well that with each passing hour time is running out. His fiercest enemy in this deadly game of cat and mouse may be his own deep self-doubt about his ability to save those he loves"--Dust jacket flap.