A warrior of the Varangian Guard returns to his homeland after a long time, but nothing is as it once was. A storm sends Björn to a foreign coast and he is not received as a friend. Weakened, he resigns himself to his fate for the time being, but is already secretly planning his escape. But suddenly the settlement is in danger, will he use his chance and escape, or have the gods determined a different fate for him. "The Shieldmaid" is the first volume of a three part Viking story. Volume 2 is "The Journey of Björn" a prequel to volume 1 and the conclusion is volume 3 "The End of an Era". The stories are self-contained and are based on the historical events of the time.