It's September, 1846. Newlyweds Thomas and Katherine Fairfield were headed to the Whitman mission in Oregon Country—commissioned by a New England mission board to help spread God's word to the Natives—when typhoid fever overtook the wagon train. After caring for fellow travelers, Thomas died, and his sick wife was soon abandoned. Barely able to stand, Katherine is determined to fulfill her promise to carry on with her husband's work. She might not be as strong as her mules, but she's just as stubborn. Warned by Natives of settlers spreading deadly contagion and a sick woman left behind, Metis (mixed-blood) trapper Jed West finds Katherine and takes her to his cabin, hoping to save her life. He doesn't see himself as a man who might need some saving himself until he begins to doubt he'll be able to let her go.