Shade challenges Chinook to look at the sun so he won't be seen as a runt. This however causes a huge mistake on his part.
When Tree Haven is burnt down from Shade's mistakes, his whole colony is forced to migrate to Hibernaculum early. Shade then got separated from his colony from a thunderstorm where he lands on an island.
After a pigeon is murdered by giant bats, Shade and his Silverwing colony are framed for this and therefore must pass through the birds patrolling the city.
Shade and Marina meet Zephrys, a blind bat in control of the traffics of the migration. They stay with him until Shade's wound completely heals.
Shade and Marina meet two giant bats. Shade formed an alliance with them to fight back the owls and liberate the unjust law placed on them, not knowing that they have other plans for him.
Shade and Marina flees from Goth and Throbb. Then they find Orestes, Brutus' son, stuck in a human trap. After they freed him, Brutus found them and placed them behind bars. Orestes helps free them to fly to the power plant, where Goth and Throbb are waiting for them.
Shade and Marina got attacked by wolves, learning that their leader, Ursa, are in control of them and the forest. They then find Ursa and reason with her to end the wolves' wrath.
Shade and Marina got captured by Goth and Throbb. Shade uses Zephrys' teaching to help them escape from them.
Shade and Marina fly on the mountain, where they find a cabin full of banded bats. They welcome Marina, being also the banded one, and tries to urge her to reject all the non-banded ones. Shade warns the banded bats that Goth and Throbb are coming their way.
Shade and Marina fly to the junkyard to flee from Goth and Throbb, where they are captured by a kingdom of rats run by two kings, Remus and Romulus.
Shade and Marina reassemble with Orestes to continue their migration into the mines, where Goth and Throbb start chasing them. After the mine collapses which trap Shade and Goth, they have to work together to help free each other.
Shade, Marina, and Orestes found Hibernaculum. The colony welcomes Shade and Marina but rejects Orestes, knowing he is the son of the one that burned down Tree Haven. Meanwhile, Goth allied with the wolves to take down Brutus and Shade's colony.
When the wolves and the two giant bats start attacking the owls, Ursa's army and the Silverwings help the owls fight back. As reward for their cooperation, Brutus allows bats to fly in night and day.