Hawk and Elizabeth Spencer struggle to survive and raise their family on the Tennessee frontier. Hawk also brings his son Jacob to live with them at the Watauga Settlement, but Jacob resents the strong bond between Hawk and his stepbrother Andrew. Things are complicated between the stepbrothers when they are both drawn to the same girl.

As a part of a villain's vengeful plot against Hawk and his family, men disguised as Cherokees attack the settlement, injuring some settlers and taking Hawk's daughter captive. The settlers want to attack the Cherokees, but Hawk discovers the plot and must race to keep a war from raging across the frontier.