Bebbanburg, Northumbria; As a child in the year 866, Osbert is the 10-year-old second son of English Ealdorman Uhtred, Lord of Bebbanburg in the Kingdom of Northumbria. Whilst exploring with his father outside the Bebbanburg gates, Osbert spots Viking long ships off the coast. At this point in time, the Danes have already raided English cities and monasteries, so Lord Uhtred quickly retreats to the Bebbanburg fortress to raise the alarm. He dispatches his first son, also named Uhtred, to scout the long ships.
Not long after, Earl Ragnar returns, riding Uhtred's horse to the gates of Bebbanburg, only to toss the bloodied head of the younger Uhtred. As a result, Osbert becomes the new Uhtred and is baptised for the second time in front of the common folk so that they may recognise him as the new heir of Bebbanburg.
Lord Uhtred and his army set off to take the fight to the Danes. Uhtred secretly follows behind, and luckily as well, for his uncle, Ælfric, has already given instructions to kill him to seize lordship of Bebbanburg for himself.
Danish and Northumbrian forces meet on the battlefield. Lord Uhtred leads the offensive attack as the Danes wait patiently. The English forces rush downhill but their blows are rendered useless by the ever-effective Danish shield wall. The second half of the Danish army comes out of hiding to close in on the English from behind, trapping them between two shield walls. The English are slaughtered and Lord Uhtred is killed. Uhtred then rushes the battlefield in a futile attempt to kill a Dane, and is instead captured as a slave along with a young Saxon girl named Brida. ("Episode 1.1")
Ragnar's Hall, Northumbria; Whilst in the Danish longhall that night during celebrations, Uhtred is treated with kindness by Ravn, the blind father of Earl Ragnar.
Northumbrian woods; When Ælfric, Uhtred's uncle, learns that he is still alive, a meeting is arranged to ransom him back to Bebbanburg. Father Beocca warns him of his uncle's treachery and Uhtred is purchased by Ragnar to live with his family as a slave. Ragnar treats Uhtred and Brida with kindness, as if they were his own children.
Northumbrian woods; One day while playing in the woods with Brida and Thyra, they encounter Sven, the son of Ragnar's ship master, Kjartan. Sven rips open Thyra's dress, leaving her half naked and afraid as Uhtred rushes to her rescue, knocking Sven to the ground. Uhtred is almost punished by Ragnar for starting a fight until he learns the truth of what happened. Ragnar then makes a visit to Kjartan's house to punish Sven by blinding him in one eye and banishing Kjartan from his lands. Later that night, Ragnar gives Uhtred a necklace of Thor's hammer, letting him know that he is proud of him.
Ragnar's Lands, Northumbria; After a timeskip of several years, Uhtred is grown up. He has a close relationship with his Danish family and is encouraged by Ragnar to marry Brida. That night he goes to Brida in the woods to make love to her.
However, it is that same night, the eve of Thyra's wedding, that Kjartan and his men, now allied with Ælfric, have come to exact his revenge on Ragnar. Ragnar's hall is lit on fire, trapping Ravn and Sigrid within. Those who were able to escape are slaughtered by Danes waiting outside. Uhtred and Brida arrive from their spot in the woods just as Earl Ragnar valiantly attempts to kill as many as he can before burning to death. The next morning, Uhtred and Brida look on helplessly in the smouldering aftermath of the murder scene as Kjartan and his men search for Ragnar's wealth. Bloodthirsty, Uhtred sees Ælfric's right hand man, Scallion, and sneaks in to murder him. Thyra, who was captured by Sven, sees Uhtred but is too scared to call out for help. She is carted away with Kjartan and Sven.
Bebbanburg, Northumbria; Uhtred rides to Bebbanburg with Scallion's head and tosses it at the gates just as Earl Ragnar did years before. He declares that Bebbanburg belongs to him and he will take it back. He and Brida ride away from the fortress as his furious uncle orders his men to mount horses and chase them down.
Northumbria; Uhtred and Brida flee on horseback from Bebbanburg as Ælfric and his men chase them down. Using a tree branch to cover his tracks, Uhtred shakes Ælfric off in the forest. Uhtred and Brida decide to travel south to look for Ubba. They wish to join forces with Ubba and his army to revenge Ragnar and take back Bebbanburg. They travel to a small Saxon village whose inhabitants have been slain. The sole survivor attempts to shoot them with arrows before Brida hurls her axe into his back. The dying Saxon informs them that it was Danes who murdered his village, as punishment for a rebel Saxon slave who rose up and murdered his Danish master. When Brida demands the name of this alleged "rebel Saxon slave", he says it was Uhtred. Brida declares it would have been better to stay under the radar, let everyone think he was dead, and reclaim Bebbanburg at a later time. Now they have a second story to contend with, one that she thinks Ubba will side with over the truth. They decide to still search out Ubba and plead their case.
East Anglia; Uhtred and Brida finally arrive in East Anglia. The only way to get Ubba to hear them out is to kidnap his sorcerer, Storri, and hold him ransom. They sneak in by Uhtred pretending to be a Dane foot solider and Brida his hostage. Brida takes Storri away to the woods, with the intention of killing him if Uhtred doesn't return.
Meanwhile, Uhtred waits for Ubba's return, who enters the hall with Guthrum. King Edmund lies beaten and bloody in the middle of the church. Uhtred makes his presence known and tries to explain the truth behind the death of Earl Ragnar, much to the displeasure of Ubba. Barred in, Uhtred stands by as Ubba and Guthrum deal with King Edmund, toying with his Christian ideals by seeing if God would save him if they shot him full of arrows like Saint Sebastian. King Edmund does not survive and they turn their attention back to Uhtred. Ubba does not hear his pleas and wants to kill Uhtred, but immediately calls a halt when he learns Uhtred has kidnapped Storri. Uhtred is released in return for the sorcerer as Ubba swears to kill him one day.
Uhtred goes back to the woods where Brida hides with Storri, who is flung naked, bound, and gagged over a horse with a stick up his arse. As promised, they release him. Brida wants to go to Young Ragnar who is in Irland. But Uhtred has come to the reality of their situation: they are no longer accepted as Danes. They will go to Wessex instead, hoping to be accepted as Saxons.
Oxford, Mercia; Stopping in Oxford, Uhtred has a longsword made, with the amber his birth father gave to him welded into the hilt. They flee Oxford when men hired by Ubba come to kill them.
Winchester, Wessex; Uhtred and Brida arrive in Winchester, where Uhtred is happily reunited with Father Beocca, who takes them to see Alfred for the first time. Alfred is rather reserved in his opinions of the two newcomers, distrusting all pagans (and especially Danes) by nature. In Alfred's hall are thousands of scrolls, in which he writes down the comings and goings and happenings of all friends and enemies that his spies have managed to gather. He tells Uhtred of the importance of the written word not only for documentation but also for legacy. It is his hope that one day, all kingdoms in England will be united as one, under one God.
After Alfred goes off to prayer, Father Beocca reveals to Uhtred that he has kept the land charter papers of Bebbanburg safe and shown them to Alfred so that Alfred is aware Uhtred is the Ealdorman of Bebbanburg by right. Motivated by this, Uhtred decides to help Alfred by going into Readingham as a spy to gain knowledge of any foreseeable Danish military plans to gain his trust as an Ealdorman. He reports back to the witan that the Danes, led by Guthrum, plan to attack--and soon. The rest of the witan, Lord Odda the Younger especially, is hesitant to trust him, but Æthelred and Alfred decide to follow his advice and march the Wessex army to Ashes Hill. Alfred, still mistrusting of his two guests, imprisons Uhtred and Brida.
Winchester, Wessex; Following the Battle of Ashdown, the Wessex army have claimed a victory but King Æthelred has been gravely injured by an axe blow.
Uhtred and Brida remain locked in a prison cell at the behest of Alfred. Uhtred is determined to use the Saxons to his personal advantage, but Brida is adamant in her refusal of the Saxon way.
Later, after being released from imprisonment, Uhtred and Brida are less than pleased and demand some sort of repayment for their tip offs. But Alfred has bigger plans in mind. He gifts Uhtred with a Saxon mail coat and helmet and promises him a Saxon marriage which will entitle him to Wessex lands and therefore an Ealdorman title. It is his goal to use Uhtred's Danish knowledge and sword for a service term of one year to take back English lands from his enemies, whilst dangling the deliverance of Bebbanburg over his head. Brida tries to convince Uhtred that their fate lies elsewhere than Wessex, but he has already taken a step towards pledging allegiance to Alfred by agreeing to attend the post-battle negotiations.
Wessex; At the peace talk, Danish Earls Ubba and Guthrum arrive. They are surprised to see Uhtred standing with the Saxons. Guthrum demands payment in land, silver, grain, and livestock for peace whilst Ubba would simply appreciate Uhtred's head.
But Alfred, newly anointed as king, is firm in his decision to not give up any more land. He demands the heathen Danes return to London and confine themselves to Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumbria. A compromise is agreed upon and later that night in the English camp, Alfred and his witan begin their long term plan to defeat the Danes in the years ahead. The next day, Uhtred finds Brida in the woods by herself, suffering from a painful miscarriage. Uhtred buries the remains. Uhtred also begins military training with Alfred's men by teaching them the shield wall while a mysterious hooded figure watches from the trees.
The next evening, Uhtred and Brida meet with the hooded figure, who turns out to be Young Ragnar. Young Ragnar demands the truth of his father's death. Uhtred, still pained by the event, yields his dagger to Young Ragnar if he would truly believe he could kill their father. Relief washes over Young Ragnar as he rushes in to embrace Uhtred and Brida. They vow revenge on Kjartan, but with a carefully calculated plan. Brida does not hesitate to accompany Ragnar on his ship, but Uhtred reveals he has already sworn his oath to Alfred. Ragnar acknowledges the oath and tells him that he will wait until they can kill Kjartan together. Uhtred watches from a mountain as Ragnar and Brida sail away together. He hopes to see them in a year when his service is done, but as Leofric poignantly asks of him, "who will you be in a year?" Uhtred of Bebbanburg or Uhtred Ragnarsson?
While bathing in a stream, Uhtred is confronted by Odda the Younger, who tries to bribe him to walk away from the arranged marriage Alfred has planned for him. The girl is Mildrith, goddaughter of Odda the Elder. Uhtred has already paid the bride price of 33 pieces of silver and knows that she owns land and will therefore serve his long-term purpose of giving him what he needs to be a respected Ealdorman. In the chapel, Mildrith removes her hood and Uhtred sees her for the first time with a look of pleasant surprise on his face. Uhtred, Mildrith, and Leofric set out to their new home. Uhtred, a little disbelieving that Alfred would gift him such a beautiful bride, begins to ask prodding questions and soon learns that Mildrith's deceased father had promised a tenth of his land's yield to the Church, despite not being able to pay in full for many years. The sum of the current debt is 2,000 shillings, which Alfred could remove but has chosen not to in order to test Uhtred's obedience as an English Ealdorman.
Upon arrival in Lyscombe, Mildrith greets her commonfolk and gifts them the silver from her bride price, of which Uhtred learns she was cheated by almost half. Months pass and Mildrith is now pregnant. She joins Uhtred and Oswald on an overlooking ridge as they patrol their lands, seeing an endless line of Danes crossing through the trees. Uhtred rides with Mildreth and Leofric at once to Winchester to warn Alfred. The peace has been broken and King Guthrum's army marches west towards Wareham. In retaliation, a great Wessex army is raised and sets out to meet them. Uhtred confronts Alfred about the outstanding debt of his deviously arranged marriage. But before Uhtred can begin, Alfred informs him that Ivar the Boneless, brother of Ubba, has been killed in Ireland and Ubba has deserted Guthrum to avenge him. Alfred reveals that his distrust of the Danes stems from their desire for personal gain and pleasure without sacrifice. To Alfred, penance is what separates the good English Christians from the pagan heathens.
Wareham falls at the hands of the Danes, resulting in a talk at the gates between Alfred and Guthrum. Alfred demands the Danes exit Wessex by ship back to East Anglia in one month's time. Ten hostages from each side are exchanged as a condition during the one month peace term. Among the Wessex hostages are Father Selbix, who has been instructed to convert Guthrum to Christianity, and Uhtred, who has been instructed to escape and light beacon signals should word of Ubba's return be heard. That night in Wareham, the reunion between Uhtred, Ragnar, and Brida is joyful as they drink together. Uhtred finally feels at home, but his new Saxon family proves to be another obstacle in his Danish affinity. Albeit tempted to join Ragnar, he is still drawn towards the dream of Bebbanburg despite Alfred's incessant attempts to test his allegiance.
A messenger arrives from Ireland with the news of Ubba's return to England as well as reinforcements from London. Guthrum then orders his men to get rid of the English hostages. All but Uhtred is slain when Ragnar steps in and tells Guthrum that he will have to kill him first if he wants to kill Uhtred. Uhtred is released and lights the signal beacons as Alfred instructed.
At Cynwit Hill, the Saxons set up camp and bide their time on the high ground, waiting for Alfred's reinforcements. Ubba and his men camp below, intending to strike sooner rather than later knowing food and water supply is short on the hill. But at negotiations, Uhtred taunts Ubba and provokes him into thinking the gods are against him for not avenging Ragnar's murder, and in so doing, buys the Saxons a little more time. Uhtred then urges Odda the Elder to strike that night after he sets fire to the long ships while the Danes scurry in disarray. Odda must keep his word and not abandon Uhtred in his one-man mission, despite his son suggesting they flee Cynwit to meet with Alfred and form a larger army.
Taking inspiration from a grease fire, Uhtred prepares wads of pig fat soaked in oil and sneaks into the Danish camp, successfully setting fire to all their ships. When fleeing, he is spotted by Storri and Ubba challenges him to a man-on-man fight to the death, from which he cannot back down. Both men fight without armour, using only a shield and one weapon. Things do not look good for Uhtred as he's knocked to the ground defenseless, but when Ubba raises his axe to deal the final stroke, Uhtred grabs a nearby shard from his splintered shield and stabs Ubba above the knee. In Ubba's moment of pain, Uhtred reaches for his sword and in one fell movement, slices Ubba's ankles open. Ubba falls forward as Uhtred makes another slice at his neck. Respectful of his opponent as a warrior, Uhtred places the battleaxe in the dying Ubba's right hand and sends him on his way to Valhalla.
The Danes surround Uhtred and are about to kill him, but men suddenly emerge from the shadows and surround Uhtred to form a shield wall. Odda kept his word and the Saxons are able to defeat the Danes. In the aftermath, Lord Odda has been gravely injured and his son rides immediately to Alfred to claim credit for the victory with Ubba's axe as proof. Uhtred is more concerned with going to his wife and son, whom he has not seen since his departure to Wareham as a hostage. Together, they ride to Winchester where Uhtred barges in on Alfred's silent victory prayers, maddened that his efforts at Cynwit have gone unrecognised. Alfred is enraged by Uhtred's continued insolence, and even moreso in the presence of God. He punishes him by forcing him and Æthelwold into penance by grovelling on their hands and knees through the city of Winchester. Uhtred has reached a new level of humiliation under Alfred's service and can no longer hold respect for the Christian religion which, in his eyes, is not able to serve justice the way justice should be served.
Upon returning home to Lyscombe, Uhtred notices Oswald dragging a felled tree to the lumber yard. Suspicious of Oswald pocketing a profit from timber that rightfully belongs to him, Uhtred questions him. Oswald flees, but he's not quick enough and is run down and trampled by Uhtred and his horse. This, along with Uhtred's recently peaked hatred towards the Saxon-Christian way of life, causes irreparable damage between him and his wife.
Uhtred grows further apart from his wife and decides to take Leofric up on his offer of masquerading as plundering Danes in order to loot silver from the neighbouring kingdom of Cornwalum. But Danes have already raided the towns they visit and there is no silver to be found. They are met by Brother Asser on the road and brought in front of King Peredur of Cornwalum, who offers to pay Uhtred and his men to help rid him of fellow Britons that have taken over a nearby fortress. Peredur is a newly-converted Christian with pagan tendencies and calls for his shadow queen, Iseult, to read his fate with Uhtred. Iseult tells him that Uhtred is the chosen one to save them.
Upon approaching the fortress, Uhtred and his men are confronted by Danes, led by Skorpa, the war lord. Skorpa informs Uhtred that there is no silver to be found within the fortress either, they've already ripped it apart. Uhtred realises he has been tricked by Peredur, and so enters into a 50/50 agreement with Skorpa to turn on the Britons in a surprise attack. Skorpa convinces Peredur to tell him where the silver is really hidden by promising to spare his life, but stabs him in the chest once he gets his information, much to Uhtred's disdain. ("Episode 1.6")
Both Danish parties then return to Peredur's hall to unearth the silver hidden beneath his throne. Iseult slyly lets on to Uhtred that she lied to Peredur because she had foreseen Uhtred as the one to free her. Unsurprisingly, Skorpa goes back on his word to Uhtred and threatens to kill Iseult unless him and his men are able to leave with the whole loot. Leofric refuses to lose more men in chasing down Skorpa, but Iseult reveals that there is more silver hidden elsewhere. Uhtred makes a stop in Exeter to see Bishop Alewold regarding the outstanding debt on his and Mildrith's land as well as the wergild he is being summoned to pay for Oswald's murder. He presents the bishop with an Irish relic of a solid silver, as a way to pay off both debts. He then returns home, debt free, but with Iseult in tow, to whom Mildrith does not take a liking. But this no longer matters to Uhtred as he does not see Mildreth (or his son, who was baptised against his wishes) as a lasting part of his future.
Summoned to the witan by Alfred, Uhtred walks blindly into a one-way trial where he is accused of not only raiding and plundering Cornwall by plotting with Skorpa, but also of helping Skorpa burn down the church being built at Cynwit. Leofric is brought in as a prisoner and admits to plundering Cornwall alongside Uhtred as his equal, but Odda is intent on blaming Uhtred. Uhtred refuses to get on his knees to beg forgiveness and Alfred is left with no choice but to sentence him to die. In a desperate attempt to give Uhtred the dignity he deserves as a warrior, Leofric requests a fight to the death instead. Leofric argues that God would be on his side, an argument he knows Alfred can't refuse.
Uhtred and Leofric share an ale the night before their duel, admitting respect and friendship for one another. Alfred offers Uhtred one last chance for redemption, but Uhtred refuses to give Iseult up knowing she would be killed should she return to Cornwalum. Alfred, who does not wish to see bloodshed on the feast day of Saint Chad, walks away. Leofric and Uhtred have discarded their weapons at this point, throwing punches at each other, when suddenly the Danes have entered the city walls. Leofric is quick to declare the end of their fight as they flee in the ensuing panic. ("Episode 1.7")
Uhtred, Leofric, and Iseult hide in the rafters of a mill house when Vikings burst in and begin raping a nun. Iseult, unable to look away, hops down from above to stab the Dane and save the nun's life. The group's number is now four, and they must make their way out of the city by pretending to be two Danes and two hostages. They are almost out until Brida recognises Uhtred and confronts him. She is not friendly, but allows them to escape. They make their way to the marshlands when a small party of Danes chases after a group of priests. Uhtred and Leofric fend off the attackers and help everyone escape by boat. The priest they manage to save is none other than Alfred. Uhtred is quick to remind him that like every other kingdom before it, Wessex has fallen and he is now king of nothing. In the safe haven of the Athelney marshes, both Alfred and his infant son, Edward, grow sicker. Alfred reveals to Uhtred that to save Wessex from crumbling at the hands of the Danes, there must be a single, defining battle that will determine the fateful outcome of either nation. To do this, Alfred dispatches his priests in every direction to inform his enemies of his current whereabouts.
Iseult prepares herbal tonics for Alfred's hemorrhoids which work well enough that he can eat meat again. But another way must be found for Edward--a pagan way which Ælswith is not keen on. Iseult predicts the child only has one night left and Alfred, whose fate as a king is tied to fate as a father, is desperate to save him. Iseult warns Uhtred that to save one life, another must be taken. When they awake the next morning, the baby is magically healed. Alfred, overcome with joy, is deaf to Father Beocca's exaltations that their prayers were answered by God. Uhtred excursions and devises a plan: kill all of Skorpa's men who are currently water-bound and force the remainder to join forces with Guthrum, leading to the penultimate battle. They goad Skorpa's men into the deep marshes, letting the wetlands trap them before they attack. In the sunset, they look on at the burning long ships with renewed hope for a Wessex retaliation.
Alfred, Uhtred, Leofric, Iseult, Brother Asser, Hild, and Halig travel towards Odda's estate in Devonshire to start gathering Alfred's army. Avoiding the Roman roads which are filled with Danes, they travel by way of Lyscombe, only to find death and destruction. All the villagers have fled and a small grave is marked outside Uhtred's house with a wooden cross. The stranger's baby that was taken in lieu of Alfred's son was Uhtred's. Iseult is torn for Uhtred and the knowledge she has as a seer. She goes to Uhtred in the woods that night so he may take her virginity, and therefore her sight. Afterwards, Iseult finally reveals what Skorpa had whispered to her in Cornwalum: Thyra lives and is being held by Kjartan in the north.
Odda the Younger, who believes Alfred is dead, tries to make an agreement with Skorpa. But when Uhtred and Leofric, Alfred hidden amongst them, arrive to their estate and rally him to their cause, Odda refuses to believe the king still lives. His father, who has seen Alfred in the crowd, stabs his own son for his traitorous deeds. Uhtred sends Skorpa back on his way to Guthrum, who informs the Viking leader of the Saxon numbers.
The battle commences and the Saxons let the Danes fall upon their shield wall first and then slowly advance, gaining ground. Leofric takes an axe blow to the neck and falls behind. Skorpa, realising they are already at a disadvantage, leaves the battlefield to attack the Saxon camp where he runs down Iseult and returns to the battle, flinging her bloody head at Uhtred. Enraged, Uhtred breaks formation and leaps over the enemy shield wall and begins killing Danes at will. Father Beocca, calling on the might of God, launches his spear towards Uhtred, who swiftly takes it and throws it into Skorpa's chest, knocking him off his horse.
In the aftermath of the battle, Uhtred orders Leofric's grave marked as an Ealdorman and a pyre for Iseult. The Battle of Edington won, Alfred admits that he is indebted to Uhtred, that Wessex is indebted. Peace is secured by Guthrum's conversion to Christianity and also with hostages including Brida and Ragnar. Brida refuses to look at Uhtred but Ragnar remains both his brother and friend. Having saved Wessex, Uhtred's path now leads back north so he can face his past.
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