Main Characters
Will
Will, the protagonist of this novel, is just a short and skinny fifteen year-old boy whose father and mother died before he got to know them. The only information that he knows about his parents is that his father had died in the Battle of Hackam Heath, when Morgarath was defeated, and his mother had died giving birth to him. Ever since he was a baby, he has been raised as a castle ward in Castle Redmond with other orphans. The four other ward members, Alyss, Jennifer, Horace, and George, are about the same age as Will.
Horace Altman
Horace Altman, another important character in the book, is Will's fellow ward mate. He is also an orphan, but unlike Will, Horace is strong, big for his age, and a natural athlete. At first, Will and Horace always fought and argued, but after they experience a life threatening event, the two form a very special bond and they become best friends (Described on the "Will vs. Horace" page).
Halt O'Carrick
Halt, an extremely high qualified Ranger and Will's mentor, seems to be quite grim and unfriendly due to his lack of sociality, but truthfully, even Halt has a soft side when it comes to the people that he cares about. Later in the book, it is revealed that Halt had led a large force of Araluen cavalry through a secret ford and ambushed Morgarath's army at the Battle of Hackham Heath (the battle in which Morgarath was forced to retreat to the Mountains of Rain and Night).
Gilan
Gilan, Halt's former apprentice, is the Ranger of Meric Fief. Even though Gilan's father was a knight, and he could have gone to Battleschool (a popular choice for every boy), Gilan joined the Rangers. However, Gilan can also use a sword, because he had been training for some years before he joined the Rangers. Gilan accompanies Will and Halt on the way to the Ruins of Gorlan, but he leaves before they reach the ruins
Tug
Tug is Will's Ranger Horse. Although Tug is a bit on the small side, he is very strong, and he runs really quickly. Tug's spoken command is "Do you mind?" At first, when Will first met Tug, Will made the mistake of instantly getting on the horse's back and telling it to get up. Moments later, Tug jumps straight into the air, immediately throwing Will onto the grass. However, once Will speaks the command in Tug's ear, Tug recognizes Will as his master.
Other characters mentioned
Old Bob
Old Bob raises the Ranger horses so that the Ranger's can use them. In the beginning of the book, Halt brings Will there so Will can get a horse. Ranger Horses are practically a "breed apart" from normal horses. Although they may seem like shaggy ponies, the horses run really quickly, and only Rangers can ride them because each horse is given a command, and once the command is spoken into the horse's ear, the horse will allow the person to ride the horse. Once given the command, the horse will always recognize its master's voice.
King Duncan
King Duncan is the King of Araluen. At first, Halt suspects that King Duncan might be targeted by the antagonists.
Bryn, Alda, and Jerome
These three boys were second-year cadets in Battleschool who constantly bullied Horace because he was new in Battleschool. Later in the book, Halt helps Horace stop the three boys, thus, after being notified by Halt, Sir Rodney banishes the boys for a while.
The other ward members (George, Alyss, and Jennifer)
George Carter, Alyss Mainwaring, and Jennifer Dalby, are all Will and Horace's wardmates. George is accepted into Scribeschool, Alyss is accepted as a diplomat, and Jennifer, also known as Jenny, becomes a cook.
Baron Arald
As the Baron of Redmont Fief, he acts as a judge, and people bring their complaints to him so he can settle them. He is one of the oldest and most trusted allies of King Duncan, the King of Araluen. Also, when Halt asks Baron Arald to let Will be his apprentice, the Baron accepts Halt's wish.
The Craftmasters
The Craftmasters teach boys and girls different crafts to help the fief. In Castle Redmont, the main Craftmasters are Sir Rodney (the head of the Battleschool), Ulf (the Horsemaster), Lady Pauline (the head of the Diplomatic Service), Nigel, the Scribemaster, and Master Chubb, the castle cook.