Based on the short story Hailak and other works by Wacław Sieroszewski, the plot follows Khabdzhiy and Keremes, a poor Yakut couple struggling to survive after the death of their second child. When a Russian political prisoner, Konstantin, is sent to their home by the local ruler, their worlds collide. Despite their differences, the household must unite against the relentless wild, and over time Konstantin asserts himself as the master of the house, altering their lives forever.