Kel has finally finished her four years as a page and is now a squire. She becomes squired to the commander of the King's Own, Lord Raul. Almost instantly, Keladry is pulled into action as the Own travel across the kingdom to rescue villagers from natural disasters, stop raiders, and hunt down bandits. While fighting a group of bandits, Kel discovers that one of the bandits had stolen a baby griffin. Now, not only must she train with Raul, Kel is stuck with feeding and bathing a temperamental griffin who would rather bite her fingers. As knighthood approaches, several of the warring tribes of Scanran have united under a new, strategic leader and begin to attack the kingdom's border. This book literally kept me at the edge of my seat as the climax grew with every turn of the page.