In 1188, young Alan Dale is caught stealing and flees the law into Sherwood Forest. There he is taken into the company of Robert Odo, Earl of Locksley, the feared outlaw later remembered as Robin Hood. Robin’s protection offers food, training and a place in a powerful brotherhood, but it also subjects Alan to a leader who treats robbery and murder as practical instruments.
Alan learns archery, combat and the politics of outlaw life while becoming useful as a musician and observer. Rival gangs, sheriffs and noble enemies threaten the band, and Alan discovers that loyalty to Robin can be as dangerous as betraying him. The novel recasts the legend through an older Alan’s account of the criminal lord who became his mentor.