Winter 1876. After the Battle of Little Bighorn and the victory over General Custer, the Cheyenne have retreated to their winter camps as usual. Moekaé, a young woman, is also looking forward to the tranquility of winter. However, one morning, when bullets strike her tipi, she begins a desperate flight. After fierce battles, the Cheyenne are eventually captured and deported to Indian Territory. There, the people suffer under terrible conditions. They are not accustomed to the climate, and the supplied food is barely enough to alleviate their worst hunger. Determined, Moekaé sets out to return to her ancestral homeland in the north. In the midst of winter, the Cheyenne are so weakened that part of the group ultimately surrenders at Fort Robinson after a harrowing journey. There, the situation worsens.