In an ancient and mystical time, fourteen-year-old Dane joins forces with his rival, Jarl the Fair, to retrieve the Shield of Odin and Astrid, the girl they love, from the tyrant Thidrick, fulfilling a destiny long foretold.

In the fortress of King Eldred the Moody, Dane the Defiant receives honors and a magical rune sword that belonged to his father, but he also finds treachery that sends him and his friends on a quest to retrieve the sword from a thief who hopes it will lead to a fabled treasure.