About The Characters: Meet The Minor Players In “The Wall Of Night” Series — Meet Madder
The About The Characters post series focuses on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series, in large part because:
“I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”
~ from my Legend Award Finalist’s Interview, 2013
Initially, the series focused exclusively on characters from The Heir of Night, but now I’m continuing on with minor characters from both The Gathering Of The Lost and Daughter of Blood — in alphabetical order, by name, of course!
Last time, we finally exited “L” for “M” and in the spirit of my Heroes series on the Supernatural Underground, today’s character, Madder, is nonhuman. I’m not entirely entirely sure he’s a hero, but he’s definitely a “warrior.”
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Madder: an Emerian destrier, raised and trained by the squire, Jarna; later gifted to Kalan.
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Carick nodded, looking around the forge and then back to the horse, which was a tall, red roan destrier, bred to carry the weight of its own armor, as well as that of a knight, into battle. “Is this a great horse? The breed for which Emer is famous?”
“The finest in all Emer,” said Hamar. “But that’s because Jarna trained him.” He grinned at the lad holding the horse, and Carick, looking more closely, realized that the boy was in fact the girl squire who had formed part of his escort to Normarch.
“Hello,” he said, and the girl nodded back. “Did you really train him? What’s his name?”
For a long moment, Carick thought Jarna was not going to answer, but then she met his eyes, a quick shy look. “Madder,” she said finally. “It’s another way of saying ‘red.’”
~ from © The Gathering of The Lost, The Wall Of Night Book Two – Chapter 13, Normarch
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Shadows leapt and Madder screamed, not in terror, but a warhorse’s cry of defiance and rage. That warcry would rouse the dead let alone the ship, Kalan thought, catapulting down the ladder as Tawrin backed away from Madder’s stall. The destrier half reared, his hooves striking at the wooden barrier between them before he lunged forward, his ears well back and his teeth snapping at the Sword warrior.
~ from © Daughter Of Blood: The Wall of Night Book Three — Chapter 10, Ship’s Business