A banished Arab courtier (Antonio Banderas) joins a fearless band of twelve Norse warriors in a quest to rid their homeland of fierce monsters whose very name they fear to mention. After much disdain and ridicule, he begins to assimilate himself into their party, picking up bits of their culture as he goes. In the process, he must learn to speak, think and fight like a "North man" without losing track of who he is and where he comes from. His greatest task may be to win the trust of their leader, Buliwyf (Vladimir Kulich). As the mystery unravels, all of the warriors learn more and more about their adversaries... and about themselves.