Will and his father live a simple and pastoral life in the mountains, unconcerned with the goings-on of the neighboring lowlands. When Will's father is killed by a dragon, Will must journey down the mountain and use a mysterious family connection from years earlier to start squiring for Sterling, a once-wealthy land owner and knight. Unwelcomed for his backward, mountain ways, Will is put to work on the struggling farm. He soon befriends Sterling's headstrong daughter Kate, and the two of them begin working together to uncover the secrets of their families' connection and to prepare Will for his final battle with the dragon, in which he will avenge his father's death and prove himself a man.