January, 1809: In the bitter winter, the French are winning the war in Spain, while the British are retreating, with Napoleon's armies in pursuit. Lieutenant Sharpe and his team of riflemen find themselves cut off from the rest of the army and are surrounded by enemy troops. Help comes in the unlikely form of a Spanish cavalry officer who, unknown to Sharpe, plans to lead a suicidal assault on the holy city of Santiago de Compostela against overwhelming French numbers.