Hell-bent on controlling their own lives, Ernst von Kohl and Henri Ordeneaux, cousins and students at the University of Leipzig, fight together, side-by-side, protecting each other as they narrowly escape Berlin with their lives. They bring fehdegeist, the German spirit of endurance and constancy with them as they embark upon a long ship ride to Texas, where they are pioneers in a new land. Can their relationship survive the personal trials that await them?

As war rears its ugly head with the Civil War in the United States, the cousins must once again ardently defend their choices. Will Ernst, a leader in the community and opponent of slavery, consent to fight for the freedoms desired by the Confederacy, as he did in his homeland? Will Henri oppose his cousin?