In seventh century Northumbria life can be short and death can be violent. Raiders from the sea are terrorising villages along the coast and the king is too concerned with politics and war to worry about the welfare of his people. These pirates will take your possessions, your woman and your life. Bryn is a Briton. He is a slave owned by Theomund the head of the Anglo Saxon village of Baringham. When the pirates come they kill Theomund and many other men from the village and they take many of the village women including Ingrid the woman that Bryn loves. Bryn decides that something must be done to rescue Ingrid but he is from the lowest strata of society so who will he find that will help him?