In 3500 BC, a killing drought forces Morven and her tribe to roam the steppes of Kazakhstan, struggling to survive. Fiercely independent and never quite feeling she belongs, Morven feels a greater kinship to animals than her own people. Despite ridicule, she befriends a herd of wild horses. She learns to ride and shows her clan the horses are not just a food source, but they can also help them survive. But it is not just Morven's people who are changed by knowledge. A brash young man from another tribe also learns from Morven. His goals, however, are not just to survive, but to conquer. Morven must learn to accept responsibility for the terrible changes she set in motion, and become a leader amongst her people, or they will die.