People/Characters Vallon

A Frankish knight who escaped captivity in the Middle East, only to find his wife in bed with the nephew of a duke. He killed them, then fled.

He meets up with Hero, a Sicilian physician in training, and his dying master. As an act of penance, he agrees to take on the task of traveling to the home of a captive Norman knight to arrange for his ransom. This turns into a lengthy quest.