A young hedgehog maid visits Redwall Abbey and sings a half-remembered song recounting the adventures of a warrior called Luke. This chance meeting begins a tale of two quests: that of a son to find his father and that of a father to avenge the murder of his beloved wife. The son is Martin the Warrior, founder of Redwall, who sets forth from the Abbey seeking the truth about the father he barely knew. His journey takes him home to the northland shore, meeting friends and enemies, old and new, and leading him to an extraordinary shipwreck. The wreck, the Arfship, is home to three ancient veteran warriors who have in their possession a dusty old volume. Inside is the story of Martin's early life and the dramatic account of his father Luke's pursuit of his hated enemy, the pirate stoat, Vilu Daskar.