In the 1480s, twin sister healers in a remote village in the mountainous Barbagia region of Sardinia encounter a heretic-obsessed Spanish priest. Antonio Albondiga is sent to Sardinia after mishaps in his homeland, and is eventually banished to the village of Orune. Half the villagers -- including Sarda and Shardana -- follow a pre-Christian religion, while the other half observe a makeshift version of Catholicism and paganism. Hate holds the priest's heart hostage, and he scorns Sarda and Shardana's adherence to ancient ways. Despite their suspicions, the healers and their village attempt not only to accept the stranger but to transform him.