Markuss must adapt to a new life living with his granny in the countryside. After Emīlija – a neighbor’s daughter – throws some contemptuous remarks about the boy’s father, the boy decides to teach her a cruel lesson. This has severely negative consequences which resonate throughout the village. The only person Markuss can relate to is an old sailor living in the nearby woods. They inspire each other and keep each other’s secrets. It is only through an accidental turn of events that Emīlija’s mother’s intended sanctions against Markuss and the boy’s reputation in the eyes of the inhabitants of the village radically change.