The story takes place in 1946. After the Civil War, somewhere in the heart of Spain, there is only despair, poverty and exiles. There is a boy who keeps running away and finds a hiding place in a ditch. After the search party leaves, he faces a plain full of dangers and drought. Fortunately, he meets a shepherd on his way across the plain, and the two eventually choose to travel together. Along the way, they have to deal with hunger and lack of water, and avoid people sent by the foreman to find the boy. The shepherd becomes the boy's mentor: he explains his profession and his understanding of life. Over time, the shepherd also knows what kind of fear the boy wants to escape from.