El Borak leads the Afridi tribe in a war against the Orakzai and their chief Afdal Khan in early twentieth century Afghanistan. The war brings in British agents from across the border and has Russian influence in the region behind it. The story begins with El Borak climbing a cliff-face to escape pursuit. Afdal Khan, the chief of the Orakzai, had invited the Afridis and their ally El Borak to a feast before swiftly attacking and slaughtering the chiefs of the other tribe. El Borak was the only survivor.