Equus, home planet of an advanced race of horses, has basked in five hundred years of peace and prosperity, but war is coming. Interplanetary trade agreements promise to lead Equus to greater riches and advancement but some breeds do not see the forthcoming commerce as a welcome enterprise. The winds whisper of turmoil, of old hates and grudges renewed, of a cavalry secretly training behind closed borders, of death and destruction.

Zephyros Thracis, youngest colt of a prominent stable is coming of age in these tumultuous times. He dreams of becoming a knight, protecting the ideals which are the foundations of Equine society. But his journey to knighthood sends him down a road filled with danger, disillusion, and political intrigue, ultimately leading him to the last place on all Equus where a young stallion would be welcome.