After a cavalry group is massacred by the Cheyenne, only two survivors remain: Honus (Peter Strauss), a naive private devoted to his duty, and Cresta (Candice Bergen), a young woman sympathetic to the Cheyenne people and distrusting of the US government.
As they travel to reach the safety of the base camp, Honus is torn between his growing affection for Cresta, and his disgust for her anti-American stance. It is only when they are witness to the horrible massacre of the Cheyenne village that Honus' firmly held beliefs are truly shaken.