Axl

Axl, an elderly man, is Beatrice's husband and one of the novel's protagonists. He is also a Briton. He and his wife live on the outskirts of their warren, away from the communal fire that keeps everyone else warm. The couple lives in the dark at night because the warren's council has deprived the couple of a candle out of fear that they will knock if over and start a fire.

His interaction with his equally elderly wife shows him to be kind, gentle, and loving, but still having a form of authority. He is also logical and reasonable. At the beginning of the novel, he lets his wife sleep even though he's eager to tell her about his decision -- to now look for their son. He agrees with her when she suggests that she should first talk to the guards when they go to the Saxon...