Fifteen year-old son of the duke's master armorer, shows a great deal of talent for his father's craft, but he longs for adventure and the glory of battle. His father forbids him to go to war, but when Lorenzo learns of an attack planned against the duke, he and his beloved warhorse, Scoppio, are suddenly plunged into the midst of a fierce conflict between two rival cities. What Lorenzo experiences will forever change the way he feels about the world-and his place in it.