Colt Hawkridge thought he was content with his life on the frontier, wrangling drakes and working the ranch. Good, honest work, even if a body risks getting mauled. But when he tracks down a runaway drake calf to the edge of the Hawkridge Mountains, he discovers a danger that threatens everyone he knows, and makes an ally who seems intent on throwing him into dangerous situations for the fun of it. With the help of a half-goblin slave girl and a sickly mage, and armed with an orewood sword housing the spirit of a dryad, Colt must escape an underground labyrinth, rescue a bunch of slaves, and save Drake Iron ranch from a horde of goblin raiders.