Erak's Ransom characters

First appears in chapter 3

Halt's apprentice, approaching the end of his Ranger training. Will is a gifted archer and tracker but has spent far less time in deserts than in Araluen's forests, making Arrida a demanding test of how well he can adapt his skills.

First appears in chapter 3

Will's Ranger mentor and one of King Duncan's most trusted agents. Halt has experience of foreign campaigns and remains calm when heat, distance and unfamiliar customs make the rescue more complicated than a simple ransom exchange.

First appears in chapter 3

A young knight and Will's closest friend. Horace is already an exceptional swordsman, direct and dependable, though the Arridan desert demands endurance and judgement as much as skill in combat.

Also known as Evanlyn

First appears in chapter 4

King Duncan's daughter and heir, known to her friends by the name Evanlyn during their captivity in Skandia. Cassandra insists on representing Araluen in the negotiations for Erak, combining royal authority with first-hand knowledge of the man they are trying to save.

First appears in chapter 4

A former apprentice of Halt and now an experienced Ranger. Gilan is an expert swordsman as well as an archer and joins the royal party sent to carry Erak's ransom into Arrida.

Appears from the start

The Oberjarl of Skandia and an old ally of Will's group. Restless with the duties of ruling, Erak returns to raiding and is captured in Arrida, leaving his former enemies in Araluen as his best hope of a negotiated release.

First appears in chapter 2

Erak's loyal second in command. Svengal escapes the failed raid and carries the request for ransom to Araluen, trusting the alliance formed during the Temujai war.

First appears in chapter 3

The ruler of Araluen and Cassandra's father. Duncan agrees that honour and the Skandian alliance require a serious effort to recover Erak, even though sending his daughter with the ransom adds personal risk to the mission.

First appears in chapter 13

A senior Arridi commander who becomes the Araluens' principal local guide and ally. Selethen understands desert warfare, tribal politics and the protocols surrounding the ransom far better than the visitors do.

First appears in chapter 15

An Arridi official involved in the custody and exchange of Erak. Yusal presents himself as part of the authority responsible for carrying out the ransom agreement.

First appears in chapter 18

Will's Ranger horse and closest working partner. Tug's intelligence and training are especially important in country where the party's survival depends on finding routes, water and one another across open desert.

First appears in chapter 24

Fierce desert nomads whose warriors prey on travellers and exploit the disorder surrounding Erak's ransom. They know the water sources and wastes of Arrida and are dangerous opponents far from settled roads.

First appears in chapter 36

A desert people with deep knowledge of the country beyond the Arridi settlements. Their hospitality and horsemanship offer a different face of desert life from the raiders pursuing the ransom party.