 On his birthday, Lief's father sends his son, accompanied by a soldier named Barda, to find the lost gems from the Belt and restore them to the belt to defeat the evil shadowlord.The nearest gem, the golden topaz, is to be found in Mid Wood, which is one of three perilous Forests of Silence.While travelling to the forest, Wenns capture them and take them into First Wood as an offering to the predator known as Wennbar.