A lame youth of fifteen had little hope of becoming a thane or knight in King Edwin's English court.

However in 625, Beorn, son of the king's smith, served under the heroic Norse hunter Bjarki—later called Beowulf—and earned his chance for thaneship.

When crippled Beorn challenged Bjarki as he landed with his men on Northumbria's shore, he found himself involved in adventures he had never dreamed of. Chosen by Bjarki as an apprentice thane despite his lameness, Beorn took part in the slaying of Grendel, the fierce monster that ravaged King Edwin's court, and then helped to uncover a pagan plot against the king. In the process, Beorn had his own conflict to resolve—whether to follow the queen and eventually the king as they accepted the teaching of the great Roman priest Paulinus, and become a Christian—or continue to worship the pagan gods of his hero, Bjarki.

This is a vivid, action-filled story of one of the most exciting periods in early British history. 

From the dust jacket