For nearly three years, Thorgrim Night Wolf has fought his way across Ireland, Engla-land, and Frisia, seeking riches and battling to keep him and his men alive. Through all that hardship, his foremost thought has been to return to his farm in Norway and to give up the life of a raider. With word that his eldest son Odd is fighting for his life against King Halfdan the Black, Thorgrim is more desperate than ever to return home. With Norway just beyond the horizon, Thorgrim, Harald, and the rest must still contest every mile, thanks to the Norns who weave men's fates, and the many enemies who lie in wait.

For Odd, too, fate has nearly run its course. Determined to finally crush him and the rebellion he's led, and frightened by rumors of the Night Wolf's return, King Halfdan has gathered his kingdom's best warriors. Now, he vows to lead them into battle, to destroy Odd, crush Thorgrim, and settle the matter of the kingdom's rule in one last fight to the death.