Einar's village is attacked by English raiders after his father's death, and his family is slaughtered; he's taken captive and sold into slavery in Denmark. There, he's purchased by Ketil, a relatively kind owner who promises Einar can buy his freedom by working in the fields. Einar forms a partnership with Thorfinn, another slave who's struggling to survive, as they work towards their shared goal of redemption and freedom in a world that seems determined to keep them down.