The ogre has returned. In hope of stopping his attacks on the town’s livestock, the villagers choose to send Aliya to him as a sacrifice. Grunagg the ogre lives a mostly peaceful, quiet life in his cave—until a human he never asked for is dropped on his doorstep. Grunagg wants nothing to do with her, but when Aliya finds herself at the mercy of a bear, he feels duty-bound to save her. Now he has a responsibility to help her recover from her wounds, and teach her to survive on her own so they can finally part ways. But by the time she’s trained well enough to leave, will they want to say goodbye?