War is looming in the East and when Tate and his son Sean meet with General Harney, commanding officer of Fort Laramie, each is tasked with special duties. Tate must scout and guide for the General and his troops as they leave the frontier to join the calamity in St. Louis. Sean is asked to be prepared to scout for the troops that remain and the new commanders that will be sent into the land of the restless Sioux. But first, the young scout, who knows the mountains, must learn about the country and people of the plains.
After meeting with the chiefs of the Brulé, he travels with his new friend, White Fox, to meet with the Miniconjou. But an encounter with the warring Crow, intent on revenge against the Ogalala, results in his friend taken captive. Sean is the only hope for her safe return, but he must also do what he can to keep the Lakota from all-out war against a depleted force holding Fort Laramie.
Muleskinners determined to make it to the goldfields of Colorado, crooked bankers and suppliers, and young warriors wanting to gain honors in battle, all come together to challenge the young scout in his first endeavor to bring peace to the prairie.