Vikingland, the 9th Century. On a beach, a witch reads the future to Karan (Elisa Pichelli) and her young son, Moki (Luciano Polletin). Karan is the wife of King Arald (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart), who is thought to have been killed at sea. It is Karan's hope that her husband will return to rescue them from the clutches of the evil Aghen (Fausto Tozzi) a local warlord who wishes to marry her. The witch assures Karan that Arald will return, but she also warns Karan that Aghen is near and that he has every intention of marrying her to assume the kinghsip before killing her and Moki. Their only hope is to run away and live in seculsion until he king returns.As the witch predicts, Aghen returns. Together with his band of thugs, Aghen spreads fear throughout the village the kills anybody who apposed him, He is infuriated that Karan has fled, and goes to the old witch to find out where she is hiding. The old woman refuses to assist him, and also warns that a man is approaching whi will put an end to his reign of terror. Aghen laughts this off, and sends some his men to find Karan.Meanwhile, a rugged drifter named Helmut (Cameron Mitchell) is riding though the forest on horseback and stops at a cabin to ask for some food. The cabin is Karan's new hiding place. She sends him off, as she fears he might be connected with Aghen. But Moki recognizes the mans benevolent nature and persuades him to stay. At a nearby stream, Helmut catches some fish and as he sits down to each, he hears screaming from the cottage. Two of Aghen's men have arrived and are trying to abduct Karan and Moki, but Helmut comes to their rescue. Using his signature knifes, he kills both intruders and offers to clean up the mess they have made. Karan and Moki both feel drawn to him, and so Helmut is allowed to stay.Over the next few days, Helmut acts as a substitute father for Moki, and teaches him how to fish and throw knifes. Karan grows to be very fond of Helmut, but worries that, if her husband should return, he might take offence that a stranger has taken in on their lives. Helmut confesses that he is very interested in Karan, and encourages her to explain why she is living in exile. She reveals her true identity of being a princess, and Helmut is visibly shaken. Karan then tells of how, on her wedding day, Aghen incited the wrath of Rurik, an opposing monarch, by killing his wife and child. The king, who had hoped to make an alliance with Rurik, was enraged by this and orders Aghen to leave the village for good. Neverthless, Rurik struck back that same night by slaughtering many of the villagers, including the king, and raping Karan. With the death of the king, Arald took his place and swore vengance or Rurik. At the end of her story, Karan is overcome with emotion and flees from the room. Left alone, Helmut thinks to himself. He now realizes why Karan looks familiar to him. Helmut is actually Rurik, who is traveling incognito. Following his attack on the village, he lost the respect of his people and gave up his title for a life of wondering. The only reason why Karan does not recognize him is that she has only met him that fateful night, and he was wearing a mask. Although his identity is safe, Helmut/Rurik is wracked with guilt and wonders if he could actually be Moki's real father.The following day, Helmut discovers that Aghen has returned. Helmut goes to the village to find him, but while he waits at the local inn, he sees Moki looking in at him thought the window. He leaves to take the boy home, and tells Aghens men that he will return later that evening. They catch sight of a tattoo on his arm depicting a man holding the sun on his shoulders. When Aghen is informed about it, he becomes panic-stricken for he knows that only Rurik bears such a mark. Helmut/Rurik eventually confronts his enemy, promising to tear his heart out, but Aghen escapes unharmed.The next morning, King Arald and his men return from their long voyage at sea. It has taken them five years to get back home, leading everybody to think them dead, but now that they have arrived, Arald is anxious to settle the score with Rurik. When Arald catches Helmut/Rurik at the inn, he challenges him to a swordfight. Rurik backs down, and even when Arald starts attacking him, he refuses to fight back. The scene is interrupted by the arrival of Karan who tells them that Moki has been kidnapped by Aghen. Rurik breaks away from the fight and runs to the boy's aid, with a vengeful Arald close behind.Rurik and Arald reluctantly join forces to track Aghen to a cave near the beach. Rurik appears out of the shadows, and throws a knife at Aghen, which hits him right in the heart killing him at last. With Arald reunited with his family, and his vendetta against Aghen settled, Rurik quietly leaves and rides off into the sunset at the beach.