Mustafa ibn Muhammad

Mustafa is the main character of the book. He’s a Moor that is forced to sell himself into slavery in order to take care of his family. Before that, Mustafa had been a successful merchant. When his city came under siege many lost their jobs, including Mustafa. Mustafa feels it was his greed as a merchant that led to him being forced to sell himself into slavery, since he had gotten so greedy he had sold slaves of his own. Mustafa cares greatly about his family and constantly thinks back to them and wishes for the freedom to return to his home.

As a slave, Mustafa is very quiet and obedient. As things continue to get worse for the expedition he comes into his own. Everyone becomes an equal in his eyes and he steps up to learn more about the Indians and negotiate between...