The Dragons of Archenfield is set in England just after the Norman Conquest, during the reign of William the Conqueror. The frontier zone of Archenfield in Herefordshire is a no-man's-land which acts as a bulwark between Norman-controlled English soil and the Welsh border. Soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret arrive in Hereford for what looks like one of their more straightforward assignments from the crown, to settle conflicting claims to land in Archenfield. Ralph and Gervase are shocked to discover the murder of a principal witness, a wealthy landowner who was burned alive in his own home. No clues remain except an enigmatic red dragon, cut into the turf in front of the house. Documents essential to settling the land claim, including the landowner's will, are thought to have been destroyed in the blaze. While attempting to settle the disputing land claims, Bret and Delchard are drawn into the hunt for a killer who has more than riches and wealth on his mind. Their mere presence in Archenfield stirs up murderous hatred and sets into motion a deadly feud between two lords who will settle for nothing less than the death of the other.