It was 1816 and mighty hard for a sixteen years old man to reconcile himself to having no family. Pa was somewhere in the mountains trapping beaver and Ma had just died. As far as Lew Wilson knew there were no other relatives; nothing left for him to do but go west looking for Pa. If Lew had known what troubles and trials awaited him, maybe he'd just have stayed put, hitched up the oxen and started to plow. Henry, a black runaway slave, the same age as Lew, longs for revenge against the devils who cut out his tongue, whipped him unmercifully and left him for dead. The two young men are launched into an extensive training program, designed to prepare them for dangers in the western wilderness, by a mysterious woman who demands nothing except complete dedication. Over three years time they grow into strong competent fighters, equipped with skills far beyond average western adventurers. When these two meet and become fast friends, the fur flies and they make their own adventures before riding into the west to find their destiny.