When the soldiers arrive, the entire village were herded into the square trembling in fear. The rifles hung on the soldiers ready to enter the action. Young Laney held tightly to her little brother while her sister and older brother stood nearby. No one could know the lives of the Cherokee nation was being changed forever as they left their valley. As the march began, Laney understood the dangers they faced. Escape seemed impossible, but Laney's parents had a plan to save themselves and the future of their people. Unable to trust their white neighbors, they had only the mountain and their wits to survive the harsh winter and make a new home for themselves.