Detan Honding and his best friend Tibs turn up on the streets of the desert city of Aransa with a dire problem: they have forgotten to get Detan's aunt a birthday present. It wouldn't be such a big deal, but his aunt is the matriarch of the family and controls his purse strings. She's cut him off, and his counterfeit coin will only get him so far. Desperate to get back in his aunt's good graces, Detan seeks a gift that money can't buy, but sharp wits just might be able to steal away. He sets his sights on the well-to-do family Erst, but little does he know the daughter of the household has found a perfect tool in Detan for her own plans.