Five years have passed since Drizzt began his vigil atop Kelvin's Cairn, overlooking the settlements of Ten-Towns in the midst of Icewind Dale. He has been accepted by Bruenor, and friendship with the dwarf and his human foster-daughter Cattie-Brie has been growing steadily. New doors have opened to Drizzt, allowing him to walk freely among the citizens of Ten-Towns.

When a murderous but inept young wizard's apprentice gains possession of the Crystal Shard, he begins to enslave local clans of goblins and giants in the Dale. Adding to the local problems, the barbarian tribes north of the Rheged Glacier are led by their Chief Clan Chief Heafstagg to attack all ten of the Ten-Towns settlements. With the help of Regis and his ruby pendant, Bruenor and Drizzt are able to convince the ten spokesmen of Ten-Towns to gather their forces together in preparation for an attack.

After successfully repelling the barbarian onslaught, Bruenor takes a teenage barbarian boy as an indentured servant. He sets the boy, Wulfgar, to the forge and teaches him the trade. But it is not blades that will be forged, it is the boy himself, and his relationship with his new master. This relationship leads Bruenor to undertake his greatest creation, the forging of the great battlehammer Aegis-Fang.

Just as things are looking up, Drizzt discovers the presence of the Crystal Shard in the Dale.