The story of The Horse Painters revolves around the adventures of two cave-dwelling bothers, Umalik and Aku. Their sister, Aariak had been a gifted painter of animals - a gift believed to draw animals to the family in order to be hunted and provide vital food. The jealousy of Uirngut, another young boy, leads him to murder Aariak, believing that he will acquire her talent. As Aariak is only person in the family with the gift, her killer must be caught and killed in order to bring the soul of the Horse Painter back to the family and save them from starvation. Umalik vows to avenge his sister’s death, despite the knowledge of danger on the hunt. With his pet wolf accompanying him and his younger brother Aku, the journey takes them through perils of the wild, dangers of other humans and the conditions of the ice age weather as they track down Uirngut.