Bear and Belle

Twenty years after the storm that decimated the earth, handfuls of scattered survivors in the upper Midwest have begun to regroup into two main communities - the peaceful, self-sufficient farmers of Belle Plaine to the north and the violent, heavily-armed raiders of Mankato to the south. Between them, an older, more contemplative Erik keeps to a solitary life in the woods where he has become both myth and legend.

His resolve to live apart from the remains of humanity is tested when he comes across an old friend and finds himself drawn into an impending conflict between the two communities. To prevent a slaughter, Erik agrees to warn the people of Belle Plain of an imminent attack. But Belle Plaine is more than it appears, and the secrets it holds will change his life, his destiny, and the fate of all mankind.