"Remember that scent, Ahmek!" his mother had said. "For that is the scent of human." She said it so gravely that he knew that it was one of the Greater Lessons, a greater lesson than stripping bark from twigs, a greater lesson than squeezing water from your fur, a lesson as great as holding your breath, as great as...diving.

This is the story of Ahmek, a young beaver, going about the business of living in his natural habitat. Through his eyes, we see a man, an artist painting the wilderness. Slowly, cautiously, Ahmek and the man establish a rapport, only to have it shattered when poachers destroy the beaver dam and threaten Ahmek's life.

In a desperate escape, Ahmek sets out alone on his life's great adventure. He meets a charming cast of characters, his life true love, and he does find happiness. But there is always that feeling that one day he should return. When he does, he becomes part of a significant mystery that to this day has never been solved.