Esmay Suiza and Brun Meager should be friends -- they're both bright, brave, likable and adventurous. But Brun thinks Esmay's a stuck-up prig, and Esmay thinks Brun's a spoiled rich brat. So when Brun falls into the hands of a repressive religious militia movement, Esmay finds herself in disgrace, suspected of conniving in the capture. Meanwhile, Brun will need double her usual supply of good luck to survive.