In the fall of 1945, former front-line soldier Umar Badalov makes his way into a deserted village. He honestly fulfilled his military duty, now he has been commissioned and here he is in his village. Autumn dying nature and a devastated village, painted with tragedy, in which he did not meet a soul, except for one dead dog.

North Caucasus, XIX century. Abrek-Ossetian Jigo learns that only two men remain in his family — he and his nephew Akhsar. The highlander decides to take revenge on the Dudarov’s family, whose representative killed his brother. However, the difficult financial situation forces Jigo to go to Mozdok, where he is going to exchange cheese for grain with his kunak, the Terek Cossack Stepan. He loads the cart and, together with his nephew, goes to the Russian fortress.