A.D. 196. Brude, a young pictish warrior, leaves his home in the village of Broch Tava to join a raid on the Roman province beyond the wall. Captured after a disastrous battle, only his dreams of home and the childhood sweetheart he left behind allow him to survive life as a slave. Trained as a gladiator, he eventually wins his freedom and returns home after an absence of thirteen years. There, he discovers that much has changed and life in Broch...