The Emperor's nephew, commander of the rearguard, and the strongest knight of the Franks who has not lost once in seven years. The foul-mouthed outbursts of his reckless youth have faded, replaced by talk of honor, God, and fair France. But Guest knows: once the curses start flying from his mouth again, there is no stopping him. "Just over the pass is France. When we reach Aachen, I shall wed Aude. Show me a smile then, Guest."

Archbishop of Reims. A clergyman whose sword is faster than his prayers and whose curses come before his blessings. The Frankish soldiers call him "The Armed Donkey," yet it is always he who holds the hands of the dying until the end. Whenever Roland and Guest argue, he thrusts his horse between them and bellows. "By Saint Remi! I'd rather face a hundred Saracens than watch you two bicker."

Uncle to Olivier and Aude, the old Lord of Vienne. That stubborn man who barred his gates against the Emperor seven years ago now carries a sword under that same Emperor's banner. Though over seventy, his back has never bent, and he ignores any suggestion to go back and rest. "By Saint Maurice, if I back out of this pass, the people of Vienne will mock me."

Roland's vassal. If he speaks ten words in a day, it is a talkative one. His loyalty is as deep as the scar across his face; if Roland tells him to go, he will climb any cliff. This morning, he went out to scout the heights in silence.

The two loudest knights in the rearguard. When one starts a joke, the other finishes it; when one falls, the other laughs while helping him up. Their dream is to one day become knights like Roland and Guest. "How many pigs will you slaughter for the wedding feast?" "You'll need at least ten."

King of Zaragoza. A man who lost the castles of Spain one by one over seven years until only one last city remained. There is much talk of him in the Frankish camp. They say he once came with olive branches only to behead two of the Emperor's envoys, and that he whets his blade behind a face that sues for peace with a smile. Yet this time, he knelt submissively. Roland said he didn't like the look of it at all.

Marsile's uncle, said to have come from across the sea to the south. No one calls him by his real name; they simply say "The Caliph." Though he has fought many wars, rumors say he has never crossed blades in a frontal assault. Those who survived fighting him all said the same: they never knew he was behind them until it was too late.

Marsile's nephew. According to prisoners from Zaragoza, he is a young prince desperate to catch his uncle's eye by winning glory. He supposedly boasted that he would collect the heads of the Frankish knights and hang them on the walls of Zaragoza. Roland laughed heartily upon hearing this. "I hope the lad's voice is as loud as his swordplay."

A Saracen knight. A man so handsome that the women of Seville are said to open their windows when he passes. The Frankish knights have heard his name several times during the seven years of war. It is said he did not kill prisoners wantonly and never stabbed a fallen foe in the back. Though an enemy, he is the only Saracen Roland has expressed a desire to cross blades with.