Living under constant threat from murdering Vikings, the Northumbrian Anglo-Saxon community and the monks at the Benedictine Abbey discover that the real threat to their existence lurks within the gate. Half-bred Saxon and Dane, Cynwulf lives apart in a dwelling made from a salvaged Viking ship, a misfit in the community. Life is hard in 8th century England, but Cynwulf dreams of living it with the fair Haeddi. But he has rivals determined to bar him from the union. All hope seems lost for Cynwulf when his battleaxe is found in the skull of a prominent member of the Anglo-Saxon Mead Hall. With the aid of Godwine, the mangled monk, Cynwulf must clear his name or face the vengeance of the community.