Hugo is the lord's nephew, a young man raised with both wealth and the threat of physical abuse. He faces strict demands from his uncle to prove his manhood through a terrifying boar hunt. While he succeeds in killing the beast, the violence of the encounter leaves a lasting trauma. He demonstrates kindness toward a local blacksmith's daughter when he seeks help for his horse.

Taggot is the blacksmith's daughter, a large, physically capable girl who believes she is too unattractive to marry. She possesses great skill with horses, easily quieting nervous animals and removing stones from their hooves. Her quiet life changes briefly when she meets the lord's nephew and receives an unexpected romantic gesture.

Will is a diligent plowboy who works the scattered fields of the manor. He carries the heavy responsibility of providing for his mother and sisters following his father's death four years prior. He respects his father's memory deeply, recalling both their exhausting labor and the risk his father took to feed them by illegally hunting a hare.

Alice is a young shepherdess who views the animals in her care as kin. Orphaned by her mother early in life, she relies entirely on the flock for sustenance and purpose. When her favorite sheep suffers complications during birth, Alice uses song and constant physical presence to help the animal survive the night.

Thomas is the son of the lord's physician, currently learning the medical trade. He adopts a highly pragmatic, self-serving approach to healing that focuses more on securing payment than curing disease. Following his father's advice, he intentionally overstates the severity of illnesses to manage patient expectations and avoid blame for deaths.

Constance is a pilgrim who travels to Saint Winifred's well. Born with a physical disability that causes her community to scorn her, she looks to divine intervention for relief from her difficult life. She draws strength from the story of the saint's martyrdom and resurrection, maintaining total faith in a miraculous healing.

Mogg is a villein's daughter who carries a heavy burden of domestic labor. She feels a complex mixture of relief and guilt regarding her abusive father's death. Highly protective of her family, she actively participates in a scheme to hide their best cow from the lord, ensuring they retain their most valuable asset.

Otho is the miller's son, a boy deeply aware of the village's animosity toward his family. He knows his father cheats hungry customers by mixing chalk into their flour, and he accepts that he must eventually do the same to survive. This isolation breeds a cynical, philosophical view of human nature.

Jack is a village boy with an intellectual disability, often targeted by bullies and previously abused by his father. Despite the cruelty of his environment, he takes quiet pride in his ability to milk cows and gather eggs. He possesses immense empathy, breaking social barriers to tend to the injuries of the widely despised miller's son.

Simon is a knight's son who spends his youth dreaming of riding into religious wars and upholding the ideals of chivalry. His ambitions shatter when he learns his family estate is bankrupt, forcing him to abandon his military dreams and prepare for a tedious life as a monk.

Edgar is the falconer's son, a patient boy who spends sleepless nights training hunting birds for the lord's bankrupt estate. Knowing the estate's heir will neglect the sparrowhawk he raised, Edgar decides to release the bird into the wild, fully accepting the severe physical punishment that will follow his disobedience.

Isobel is the wealthy daughter of the local lord. She enjoys a life of privilege but feels confused and hurt by the sudden, unprovoked hostility of the peasants. When someone throws mud at her in the street, she demonstrates an unexpected sense of justice by refusing to report the incident, knowing her father would punish the innocent alongside the guilty.

Barbary is a commoner burdened with heavy domestic chores and the care of her stepmother's unruly twins. Exhausted and dreading the arrival of another sibling, she acts out of spontaneous jealousy when she sees the pristine, servant-attended Isobel. She quickly regrets her action, realizing that childbirth and hardship unite women across class lines.

Jacob is the son of a Jewish moneylender, living in a society that frequently scapegoats and attacks his community. He expects violence from his Christian peers and mentally prepares himself not to flinch when a merchant's daughter picks up a stone. Instead of a fight, he experiences a brief, transformative moment of childhood play.

Petronella is a merchant's daughter who routinely participates in the village's persecution of the local Jewish population. When she encounters Jacob alone, she initially prepares to throw a stone at him but decides to skip it across the water instead. She abandons her prejudice for a short time to share a game of skipping stones.

Lowdy is the varlet's daughter, responsible for managing the household since her mother died in childbirth. She helps care for the lord's hunting dogs and approaches the squalor of her living conditions with a dry sense of humor. Her inherent kindness shows when she feeds a starving runaway directly from her hands.

Pask is a runaway orphan seeking a new life in the town. Driven by the memory of his father's miserable existence, he endures cold and starvation in pursuit of the "year and a day" residency required to become a free man. He harbors deep gratitude for the kennel girl who saved him during a snowstorm.

Piers is a lonely, orphaned apprentice who spends years stoking furnaces and pumping bellows before earning a chance to blow glass. He is a perfectionist, pushing himself to succeed and feeling crushed when his first attempts result in lopsided work. He eventually earns the rare praise of his master.

Mariot is the older daughter of the local glassblower. She is observant, timid, and highly self-conscious about her lack of courage. Recognizing the skill and loneliness of her father's apprentice, she listens to her conscience, deciding she must be kind to him and accepting the probability of their future marriage.

Maud is the younger, highly assertive daughter of the glassblower. She possesses a cruel streak and operates under the naive assumption that everyone shares her prejudices. Horrified by the prospect that her sister might marry the apprentice to keep the business in the family, Maud resolves to sabotage the arrangement.

Nelly is an eel-catcher who views life with resilient optimism. She narrowly survived infancy when her impoverished father attempted to drown her, clinging to the bucket until he relented. Now employed and well-fed, she takes great pride in her swimming abilities and enjoys verbally sparring with the local tanner's apprentice.

Drogo is a hardworking apprentice who turns animal hides into leather. He grew up as a butcher's son and remains unbothered by the messy, noxious elements of his trade, preferring the steady income it provides. He grows defensive when villagers mock him, directing particular frustration toward the teasing eel-catcher.

Giles is a young grifter who travels from town to town executing elaborate cons. He fakes severe foot injuries, collapses in the street, and waits for his father to arrive selling fraudulent religious relics. He views his deceptive performances as an art form, feeling only the slightest twinge of guilt as he takes money from gullible villagers.