1511. Two young friends of a tiny race, Frother and Horrock, watch humans fight for the dominance of Malacca, the trading city of the east. Soon they will be separated; Frother going to a faraway prestigious school and Horrock going on a one-way voyage somewhere to the unknown south.

This is the tale of Frother as he spends many years attempting to find his friend. His travels take him from Malacca to Europe to the southern ocean. Amongst searching for human's maps, swordplay, fighting his King's enemies, being shipwrecked, and with the help of birds, will he ever find his friend?

Whilst rich in history, this tale does not take itself too seriously. And as mentioned, it has birds ... plenty of birds; large birds, small birds, birds you can communicate with.