Annora guides Wilkin in slicing into a dead animal's flesh, training him in how to cut into flesh. Many other sliced-up animals litter the nearby area. Elsewhere, a sculptor shows his apprentice how to properly carve a marble effigy of the deceased Baron.

Sitting in her chambers, Lady Love declares that her mourning time is over and asks Isabel to fetch her something more colorful.

Milus picks up a small doll-like twig figure form a chest and clutches it, crying softly. In his box of things we also spot a tribute to the deceased Baron.

Wilkin and Annora discuss how he has no knowledge of how she knows all the remedies of the bodes. Wilkin asks her what she knows of his past life, his secrets. Annora gives him her hand in answer and he takes it. We fall into a flashback, as do Annora and Wilkin.

In the flashback, we see Wilkin as a young boy adeptly fighting off others, looking to an older man for his approval.

Wilkin recounts to Annora how he was left with monks by a young woman who told them that young Wilkin was fatherless. He asks Annora whether that woman was his mother. She confirms that it was his mother and tells him that she is dead now.

Later, away from Wilkin, the Dark Mute asks Annora how "the boy" is. She replies that he is lost and full of doubt. He replies that they too, were once lost and full of doubt as well. Annora affirms.

A young man reports to an assembled group of rebels in the woods that a group of knights are coming through. He admonishes his younger sister Nia for wearing rebel warrior face paint and says that she is to stay back and keep watch only. She ignores him and follows them anyway, unseen.

Wilkin and Toran prepare to head back to the castle before their absence is noticed, leaving their village brethren behind. They discuss with their fellow village farmers that they are making progress on uncovering who the knights are who slaughtered their families. Wilkin mentions that the site of Leon, the man with Petra's cross around his neck, torments him, and that he can hardly hold back from killing him.

The young man on horseback and his fellow rebels attack several approaching knights. Nia gets cornered by two of the knights after she causes their horse to pull away their carriage. The carriage carries the effigy of the Baron. The effigy breaks.

In the Executioner's cottage, Jessamy greets a returning Wilkin, repeatedly and insistently referring to him as her husband. He implores her to not continue the farce when it is just the two of them alone, but Jessamy turns a deaf ear continues to call him her husband and not acknowledge the ruse.

They are interrupted when Leon and his men knock at the door and call Wilkin away, saying his services as the Punisher are needed.

Lady Love sits in the chapel in silence, with the priest there as well. Father Ruskin mentions her change out of mourning dress. Lady Love reports to him that she has been called away to see the King. She believes that it is to discuss how they will govern, now that the Baron is dead, while the priest suggests it is perhaps to offer his condolences. He asserts that God has a plan for Lady Love.

Milus interrupts them, reporting to Lady Love the attack on the knights who were transporting the effigy of her husband. He hands her the chipped off nose of her husband's effigy. They tell her that they captured one of the rebels, a girl (Nia). Lady Love downplays the attack, calling it children fooling and insists on speaking with the girl before they cause violence to her.

Annora and the farmers come across a grossly mutilated body. Annora seems intrigued by it, noting that it wasn't done by wolves.

Wilkin as the executioner reports to the dungeon, where Leon and the other men give him suggestions for the torture he is to perform. Luca is there and offers him assistance. Toran looks at him aghast. Wilkin walks over to a chained-up Nia, imploring her to tell the truth as they are forcing him to torture her and that they will get the truth either way. Toran mentions that Wilkin has no choice.

Milus encounters Leon, who reports that the Executioner is working on Nia. They report to Leon that the girl is not to be harmed, per the Baronness' command, but they suddenly hear Nia's scream indicating that the torture has begun. Milus notices a flirtatious young girl and Leon explains that she is a twin, and that the twins, a baker, six horses, and various other gifts were given as a condolence gift by the King.

Lady Love arrives to speak with Nia. She asks her for the truth of whether it was a true rebellion and notices her injured hand, the result of Wilkin's torture. Nia says that "Byth Encil will take back our country." Based on Nia's appearance, Lady Love guesses that the girl is from a certain fishing village. Milus tells her he is impressed with her cleverness. Lady Love decides that she and a band of men, including "Sir Gawain" (Wilkin) and Father Ruskin, will go to Nia's family and that if the family can make recompense for the rebels' actions, they'll spare the girl.

Annora works on the flesh of the mutilated, dead man. She then pulls a large black snake from his mouth and begins chanting over him before stabbing the hissing snake.

A fishing villager reports to the young man who had been on horseback and an older woman, Dafina, that nobles have arrived asking after the family of a girl who had been captured. He reports that it must be Nia. Dafina smacks her son, who insists he didn't know that Nia had been captured. The mother of the young man and Nia asks the man on horseback to fetch the Wolf.

Lady Love offers a fair trade to the fishing woman, saying they'll spare Nia's life in exchange for something. She asks to meet the leader of the rebel cause, the Wolf. Nia's mother denies knowing the Wolf. Lady Love asks whether she is willing to sacrifice her daughter. The old woman insults Lady Love, reminding her that she was the daughter of a beloved Welsh lord who fell in bed with the enemy. Lady Love tells her that she only wants to stop the bloodshed of "her people," noting that she doesn't understand the woman's hatred of her and that the woman clearly doesn't know her love of the people.

As they turn to leave, Wilkin suggests that they speak with Nia's brother to see what he knows. Milus insults the idea but Lady Love agrees and tells Wilkin to go spek with him.

Wilkin and Toran taunt Nia's brother with talk of the horrible things that will happen to Nia if he doesn't talk. Wilkin tells the brother that if they give the Baroness any intel on rebel movements, it will save Nia's life. The brother eventually agrees, after Wilkin agrees to say that the intel game from some other village. The brother points them towards a smoke hovel that stores the rebels' weaponry.

Wilkin and Toran discuss how to deal with the fact that they are effectively betraying their own people. Wilkin tells Toran to get word to Gruffudd (the Wolf) that the raid is coming and they will arrange for the replacement of the weapons.

Calo reports to Annora that he caught their fish. She mocks the large amount of fish he caught/his large appetite, noting that they will need far more wood than they currently have to cook all that fish.

Berber the Moor prays in solitude, as Annora approaches him. He stops when he notices her approach. She tells him that Calo returned with their food and will require a week's worth of wood to cook it. Berber expresses fear that Annora will tell the others of his praying and his Muslin faith, noting that it will be seen as sacrilegious. She insists that his faith is his own concern. Berber also notes that Annora's faith leans towards paganism. Annora quotes the Quran to Berber.

A rebel trap brings the Baroness and her band of nobles to a halt. Wilkin gets the Baroness away to safety, along with Toran and Father Ruskin. They all fight off the rebels, including Father Ruskin, though Toran and Wilkin are hesitant to harm the rebels, though Toran ends up needing to kill one to save Leon.

Milus reports to Lady Love that none of the knights were fatally injured and they set off.

Isabel admonishes Lady Love for the risk she took, while serving her dinner. The Baroness teases her for acting like her mother.

Milus interrupts, telling Lady Love that they found the rebel's weapons. Lady Love expresses gladness that they can now allow the girl to live. Milus expresses doubt about allowing that, after the rebel attack. Milus warns Lady Love about her request to meet the Wolf and warns that the King is considering the fate of Ventrishire at this time and she should not do anything that would cause him to expect her of rebel-sympathy. Lady Love shuts down Milus' concerns.

Wilkin sits in the chapel, where he is approached by Ruskin who offers a listening ear. Wilkin turns him down, bringing up Ruskin's awesome fighting skills in the battle against the rebels. Ruskin notes that everyone has a past.

Lady Love joins Wilkin in the chapel and the priest leaves them. Lady Love complements Wilkin's surprisingly refined swordsmanship in the fight against the rebels. She comments that "Gawain" is a mystery to her, and he echoes that he is also a mystery to himself. Lady Love hands Wilkin her decision on Nia's fate, a judgment she tells him was forced by obligation. Wilkin sighs heavily, realizing he will need to harm Nia thanks to this edict.

After Lady Love leaves, Wilkin sees a vision of his dead wife Petra, asking if she shows herself to help or haunt him. She tells him that he must decide. He apologizes to her. She tells him that she was brought to her end at the right time for the right reason. She gives him advice, saying that what is right is just in his grasp. She vanishes. Wilkin paces anxiously in torment over what to do. He crumples Lady Love's judgment and it turns into a snake before his eyes that wraps itself around Wilkin's throat, beginning to strangle and attack him.

He snaps out of the vision to see the snake is gone. Wilkin immediately goes to confront Annora, asking her if she sees his demons as well as his angels. She tells him that everyone makes their own demons. He shows her the edict ordering Nia's punishment.

Annora tells Wilkin that his brothers (the farmers) need him. Calo, Berber and Toran explain that they have not located Ash and found his animal skin. They all fear the worse until Ash and his sheep nonchalantly return to camp.

Annora secretly hands Wilkin a potion, instructing him to give it to Nia an hour before she "meets her fate" in order to ease her pain.

Wilkin hands Nia a potion to drink and he convinces her to drink it. Milus admonishes Wilkin for directly offering Lady Love an opinion on how to handle the situation with Nia's brother. Milus tells him that Wilkin reports to him. Wilkin counters that he reports to the Baroness. Milus reveals that he knows Wilkin's true identity, telling him that while Gawain Maddox reports to the Baroness, Wilkin Brattle reports to him. Wilkin points out that Milus keeping his secret (acting as a co-conspirator) could also harm Milus. Milus responds by threatening the lives of Toran and Gawain's family. Luca arrives and tells his "father" that it is time for the punishment of Nia.

Nia is chained to the ground, seeming very out of it, and Luca hands Wilkin his sword. Wilkin cuts off Nia's nose only, and Toran quickly stanches the bleeding. Wilkin retrieves the nose from the ground. Milus bristles. 

The Dark Mute works on the dead snake for Annora. Annora takes the snake and thanks him. She takes the snake and hangs it among many other snakes, crossing herself briefly.

Milus has sex with the twins, while playing with/holding the little wicker doll thing from earlier and staring at it.

Lady Love calls Isabel in to retrieve her uneaten dinner and then dismisses her servant for the evening, clearly lost in contemplation. Lady Love opens a book to reveal the Baron's effigy's nose.

Wilkin and Toran converse with the other knights. When the other knights leave, Wilkin and Toran discuss how Sir Norton has finally outed himself as another guilty party, one of the knights who ransacked and murdered their people. They wonder how long it will take the other 3 potentially guilty parties to confirm their guilt. 

Toran asks for Wilkin's oath that the reeve will live and Wilkin gives it. When Toran walks away, Wilkin watches Leon have Petra's cross fondled by a lady and notes that "this devil will die."