Riley is shipped with a bunch of Terrans to Arro, a world with a compatible population and a bond house. After getting the assessor to lower compatibility numbers, she gets an offer to be a lady's companion, except the lady has wings and is related to the Overseer of Arro. No pressure.

Living as Ranna's companion is fun. They travel, go to shows, share crafts, and spend five years with minimal disruption, until a night at the theatre ends with Riley being drugged and hauled off-world.

Ranna's father is the overseer of the planet, and when the Terran he is about to contract to is taken off-world, he gets his ship in pursuit. His lost companion will not be out of his grasp for long. He has a future in mind for her, and locating her is the first step.