Mary, commonly called Molly, is a twelve-year-old girl with pale yellow hair. Before her capture, she lives in a Pennsylvania farming settlement and vastly prefers being outdoors to doing indoor household chores. After a raiding party attacks her home, she is taken captive and marched into the wilderness. She is forced into an unfamiliar environment where she must learn a new language and navigate a vastly different culture.

Josiah is a young English captive originally from Virginia. After surviving a brutal initiation ritual, he is adopted into a Seneca household and given the name Running Deer. He remains highly distrustful of his captors and openly criticizes their lifestyle and resource management. He refuses to wear the traditional clothing made for him, preferring his worn English garments.

Shagbark is an older Seneca man who travels with the group that raids Marsh Creek Hollow. He acts as a steadying presence, sometimes intervening to protect captives from violence during the journey. He is a skilled craftsman who values traditional methods of making bows, arrows, and canoes.

Little Turtle is a young Seneca boy who extends the first offer of friendship to Mary. He works to ease her distress by teaching her his language and showing her around the village. As he matures, he earns the name Turkey Feather by demonstrating his capability with a bow and arrow.

Shining Star is a beautiful Seneca woman who claims Mary from the fort. She takes a gentle, thoughtful approach to integrating her captive into the household. She avoids direct lectures, preferring to teach cultural norms by calmly explaining the traditional practices involving her infant son.

Squirrel Woman is a stern, plain-featured Seneca woman who expects immediate obedience. She relies on physical force, such as kicking or shaking, to teach language and discipline. She shows little interest in preserving traditional earthen crafts, preferring the convenience of traded brass kettles.

Earth Woman is a highly respected elder known for her knowledge of the forest and natural remedies. Having lost many relatives to war, she maintains a quiet lodge. She actively works to keep traditional arts alive, teaching younger generations how to harvest materials and fire clay pots.

Thomas is Mary's father, a boastful farmer living in Pennsylvania. He refuses to take rumors of war seriously, insisting that he will simply plant his corn rather than flee to safety. He possesses a deep affection for his children, but his stubborn pride prevents the family from escaping the incoming raid.

Jane is Mary's mother, a pioneer woman worn down by daily labor and the constant threat of frontier violence. She senses danger approaching but holds no power to overrule her husband's decisions. When the raid occurs, she replaces her anxiety with a calm focus, ensuring she delivers vital final instructions to her daughter.

Fallenash is an older white trader who operates across cultural lines during the French and Indian War. He frequently visits Indigenous villages to exchange goods like beads and cloth. Having a transracial family of his own, he views Seneca society favorably and encourages captives to recognize the benefits of their new environment.

Red Bird is the respected matriarch of the household where Mary is placed. She manages daily operations and enforces social rules quietly but firmly. She strongly opposes violent discipline, believing that natural consequences and calm enforcement are the proper ways to correct behavior.

Blue Jay is an infant growing up in Red Bird's lodge. He spends his days secured to a traditional board, placed safely in the fields while the women work. He serves as an anchor for the household's daily routines and a subject for teaching cultural child-rearing practices.

Beaver Girl is a Seneca youth who serves as an example of an ideal young woman in the community. She possesses strong skills in traditional crafts and works diligently alongside her elders. She offers unhesitating friendship to newcomers.

Captain Morgan is an English officer who arrives in the village representing British interests. He tracks the military advances across the territory and takes an active interest in the fate of English captives. He possesses a rigid view of cultural boundaries and views the local tribes solely as enemies.

Chief Burning Sky is the respected leader of Genesee Town. He governs with a formal authority and deeply considers the future of his people. He worries openly about how the influx of European trade goods—especially alcohol—is eroding the self-sufficiency of the village.

Gray Wolf is Red Bird's son, a man who increasingly favors European trade goods over his own culture's traditions. He actively seeks out alcohol and desires a European-style suit, making him willing to exploit captives for profit to fund his purchases.

Davy is a young boy taken captive during the violent attack on the settlement. He struggles to cope with the reality of his captivity and frequently experiences panic on the trail, relying on others to convince him that escape is impossible.

Chet is a neighbor from Marsh Creek Hollow who tracks the violence spreading through the region. He attempts to rally his neighbors to flee the impending danger, bringing his family to the Jemison property for temporary shelter while his horse recovers.

Betsey is Mary's older sister. During the grueling march following their capture, she struggles under the physical toll of exhaustion, eventually dropping her younger brother because she can no longer carry the weight.

Matthew is Mary's three-year-old brother. Due to his young age, he is incapable of keeping up with the rapid pace of the raiding party and must be carried by his older sisters to avoid being left behind.

Nicholas is a twenty-year-old white captive brought in by a secondary group of Indigenous men. Despite his age and size, he is profoundly traumatized by the suddenness of his capture while he was out hunting squirrels.

Chief Standing Pine is a leader in Seneca Town. He holds a firm grasp on the political realities of the surrounding conflict, balancing the emotional requests of his villagers with the defensive needs of his people against encroaching settlers.

Bear Woman is a respected figure in Seneca Town who directs the agricultural efforts of the community. She guides the women in planting and maintaining their crucial food supply while passing down beliefs about weather and growth.