At the far western edge of the Great Plains, where the prairie meets the mountains, flows the South Platte, drawing farmers, traders, and trappers to land long held sacred by two proud tribes. As the pioneers stake claims beside the pure waters of the river, conflicts threaten to explode into war. Men and women on both sides fight to protect their families, fortunes, and future.

Frontiersman Davey Longsworth must choose between love and friendship. Homesteader Jan Van Nelle must decide if land or human life has the higher value, and Pauline Stewart, a bond-servant, seeks freedom and finds it among the Arapaho people. It is a time of promise and turmoil along the banks of the South Platte.