Kaidu is on his way to the great city of Daidu, capital of the Dao empire. Having lived with his tribal chief mother out on the wide plains, he is astonished to see the sheer size of the city. Ready to join the Dao military, Kaidu is looking forward to meeting his father, General Andren, for the first time. An advisor to the General of All Blades, leader of the Dao, Andren hopes to convince the general to agree to share power in the city with the other clans from the plains, to ensure that Daidu remains at peace.
Only the Dao name the city Daidu. Conquerors before them have given it different names, but the residents refer to it as the Nameless city, and themselves as the Named people. The city is often conquered, for it sits at the base of the Hole in the Sky, a large tunnel that has been carved through mountains to reach the ocean on the other side. Whomever controls the city controls the trade between the hinterland and the nations beyond the sea.
While walking the streets with his general father, Kaidu meets Rat, a street urchin. When he returns the next day to purchase more delicious treats, he sees her again, but this time she steals his knife. He gives chase, and, to her amazement, manages to catch her and retrieve his knive even though she traveled on the many roofs of the city and even jumped over a canal. Rat asks for a rematch, and soon the two of them become unlikely friends as she tries to teach Kaidu how to run like her.
As they spend time together and get in trouble, Rat stumbles upon a conspiracy aimed at assassinating the General and forcing the Dao out of the Nameless City. Only she and Kaidu can stop the attempt, but no one believes them. Can two friends overcome the obstacles in their path so they can warn the General before it is too late?
The story continues in The Stone Heart.
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