"NOBLE STONE" is about a remarkable warrior, named Athelstan, who was born a few years before the start of the tenth century. His father was a mighty king in southern Britain, and his mother was the daughter of a cattle herdsman. As a youth, Athelstan is sent away to be fostered by relatives, while his younger brothers come to replace him as his father's favored sons and heirs. Athelstan eventually overcomes being marked as illegitimate and leads his country into a major battle against its fiercest enemy, the Viking-bred Northmen. Athelstan defies the odds by, among other things, striving to harden himself against strong bonds of family, friendship and romance. "Athelstan" was a distinguished name that meant "noble-stone."