It is autumn. The year is 880, two years after King Alfred's famous victory over the great heathen army at Edington, which had been led by Jarl Guthrum. Until the formal peace treaty is ratified, there remains an uneasy peace between what remains of Mercia and the Saxon Christian kingdom of Wessex and the northeastern part of Mercia and East Anglia, now known as the Danelaw. It is ruled by Guthrum who, on becoming a Christian, is now known as King Æthelstan. Constant raiding and fighting along the unratified borders has left England in turmoil, even with the uneasy peace between Alfred's Wessex and Guthrum's Danelaw. Raiding by Norse Vikings is still continuing all along the coast of Wessex, and King Alfred has started to protect his kingdom by building fortified buhrs across his lands and building his own navy. Wulfric has survived a terrible battle, along with his friend Alrik and their companions, which was fought against Lord Ragnarson and his invading army, which was defeated at great cost, close to the estuary of the River Afen in Wessex. Bruised and battered, Wulfric visits the battlefield the following day in search of Ragnarson's mighty war axe where he is confronted by Lord Cenric, whom he slays in single combat among the corpse-covered dunes in a magnificent display of skill and with Ragnarson's own axe, a breið-øx. His victory over Lord Cenric has now added considerably to his growing reputation. A few months later, Wulfric married Alrik's sister, the Norse shield maiden and völva, Freyja, who has remained behind at Kelton Hall while Wulfric leaves upon his quest for vengeance. He is on his way to Norvegr in his new longship, Harrvaldr, and accompanied by his friend Alrik and their companions and warriors. Alrik's longship, Svanr, has been separated from Harrvaldr in a terrible storm and Wulfric is worried about Alrik and his crew as he continues on his way to Holmslatr in Norvegr. He finds himself once more in the midst of battle and fighting for his life against an Úlfhéðnar, one of the legendary beserkers. It is just the beginning of another ordeal-filled adventure, which takes the young Saxon lord from the cold fjords of Norvegr to the far north of Breoton, to Norþanhymbra and to the aid of Mæg Gréll and his daughter Morgána, who are leading a deadly revolt against the Danes!