Prue is a twelve-year-old girl with dark bobbed hair who spends her free time sketching birds and looking after her baby brother, Mac. When crows abduct him, she immediately packs an emergency kit, hitches his red Radio Flyer wagon to her bicycle, and pedals straight toward the forest boundary. She applies practical logic to magical problems and stubbornly refuses to turn back without her sibling.

Curtis is a twelve-year-old boy who attends the same school as Prue. He wears wire-rimmed glasses, has curly black hair that resembles steel wool, and spends his time drawing superheroes. Treated as an awkward outcast by his peers in Portland, he follows Prue across the bridge into the woods, desperately hoping to find a place where he fits in.

Alexandra rules an underground military base in the woods. She wears her copper-red hair in braids decorated with mottled eagle feathers. Exiled from the neighboring town of South Wood following family tragedies, she now commands a disciplined army of talking coyotes. She treats newcomers with warm flattery, offering sympathetic conversation to those who feel rejected.

Brendan leads a rough group of thieves who live deep in the forest. He has curly red hair, a thick beard, and wears a dirty officer's coat. He carries a large saber at his hip and orchestrates ambushes against wealthy travelers on the woodland roads. Despite his criminal profession, he values bravery and loyalty among his crew.

Richard is an elderly man with pale, weathered skin and thick, wiry eyebrows. He drives a rusted red cargo van to deliver mail and supplies across the various territories of the forest. He carries a shotgun for protection but quickly shows a kind heart to those in trouble, bending local rules to provide assistance.

Iphigenia leads a peaceful, agrarian community in the northern forest. She is an ancient woman with deep wrinkles and long, silvery hair that resembles strands of wire. She practices quiet meditation and understands the secret languages of the forest flora, serving as a mediator between different factions.

Lars Svik governs South Wood from a large, imposing mansion. He is a minor bureaucrat who wears wrinkled suits and sweats visibly under pressure. He depends entirely on a loud staff of cronies to maintain his shaky political control over the mercantile town, favoring endless paperwork over direct action.

Owl Rex acts as the crown prince of a region populated entirely by birds. He attempts to negotiate peace between the surrounding territories while maintaining his own land's neutrality. He pays close attention to political rumors and operates quietly behind the scenes to protect innocent bystanders from corrupt officials.

Mac is Prue's baby brother. He wears a soggy blanket and rides in his wagon during family errands in Portland. A large flock of crows plucks him from the wagon, acting as the central catalyst for the story's events.

Prue's father lives in Portland, Oregon. He keeps a mysterious box of rune stones hidden in the house and harbors a heavy secret regarding a magical bargain he and his wife struck years before their children were born.

Maksim works as an aide-de-camp in the coyote military forces. He takes his uniform and duties seriously, ensuring that guests are properly dressed and prepared to meet their commanding officers.

The General is a large eagle who manages a crucial border checkpoint. He controls access between the bird territories and the rest of the forest, reviewing travel papers and questioning suspicious vehicles to prevent border incursions.

Enver is a small sparrow living in South Wood. He stays alert to his surroundings and knows the hidden paths and tunnel systems beneath the town's busy streets, offering guidance to those evading the authorities.

Septimus is a rat who lives in the dark, underground root systems of the forest. He scurries quietly through the shadows and pays close attention to the conversations of the soldiers and prisoners around him.

Penny works as a maid in the South Wood governor's mansion. She talks quickly and knows the layout of the massive building perfectly, including forgotten maintenance tunnels that lead out into the nearby woods.

Grigor is the deceased former ruler of South Wood. His tragic death in the past created a massive political vacuum that allowed his minor nephew to take power, completely altering the local government and resulting in his wife's exile.