In the year 1203, nine companions set out on a great pilgrimage. The journey--on foot, on horseback and by sea--is fraught with danger. Not all of them will come home. Among them is Gatty, whose whole life has been spent working in the fields. Her curiosity and reckless impulsiveness land her in danger, yet she is transformed by her experiences and by her exposure to new people and new ideas. How can she go back to her old life in the Welsh Marshes after this?