Garret, the Warden …
A veteran soldier in Denion’s army, Garret was appointed by King Yulin as the Sergeant Warden over his oldest son and heir, Prince Galin. Possessed of a soldier’s single-mindedness and his own practical nature, Garret was a strong influence in the prince’s life.
We know by ‘old man’ Patrin’s diary entries that Garret had a son named Tellen, who drowned sometime after his passing. His grandson, Hefft, fell into Patrin’s care and left with him on his final mission, but was later abandoned in Portis Doha because Patrin didn’t believe he was strong enough to face the challenges ahead. Though, it is possible that Patrin did this in consideration of Hefft’s young son, whom was traveling with them and hadn’t fared well on the long journey south through the Grandwood.
Garret appears to be have been a simple soldier, with nothing notable beyond his skill as a swordsman. It is not know why King Yulin specifically chose him to be Galin’s guardian, but there is some speculation that they were former acquaintances. Because of his age it is possible that Garret was involved in the Second Boar War, but we do not know the dates of his service and in his diary Patrin never provides much detail on Garret’s life prior to meeting him.
During younger Prince Halin’s bid for the throne Garret proved his loyalty to be incorruptible. He was with Galin during the entirety of his exile, and remained with him once they returned in secret to Denion and became a conspirator to place him back on the throne. We have Patrin’s diary notes showing that he was trained by Garret in swordsmanship, and while it’s never implicitly stated it seems obvious that he trained Xadik and others that Galin found useful. He is also a skilled woodsman, often teaching Patrin about surviving in the wilderness.
Author’s note: I’ve always seen Garret as being more moral than Galin, but his devotion to the prince and his loyalty to the now dead King Yulin will always win over his better judgement.
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Xadik, the farmer …
Not much is know about Xadik’s life prior to Greater Things than Thou. He was the son of a poor farmer, and while Patrin’s narration is never precise his family farm was somewhere on the north side of the Grandwood, probably near Woodpoint. It’s not certain when he became part of Galin’s network of agents in Northern Denion, but it’s reasonable to assume he was recruited prior to Garret’s rescue of Patrin at Emondford. We know that he was at Idra’s home in the Grandwood previous to Patrin’s stay.
WHITEFIELD
Xadik’s first appearance is in Whitefield, where Patrin meets him on Elsina’s estate. His cybernetic package makes him incredibly strong and durable and Galin has sent him to be Patrin’s ’secondman’, or shieldman, for the final portion of his mission. He was present with Patrin at Brenit, and at the palace wall.
THE TOWER
As there was no reasonable way for Serin to include Xadik in Patrin’s summons to the tower his role was relegated to ensuring that Patrin would be able to escape from the palace, and continue on out of the city. This proved disastrous.
Patrin, faced with the Sentinels, the sixteen traditional guardsmen of the King, was sorely pressed to complete his mission. In a desperate attempt to ensure Patrin’s survival, Xadik single-handedly withstood Asaul and his men at the palace’s sally port.
LIFE LONG FRIENDS …
Xadik was a large part of Patrin’s life in those early years as Galin’s agents in securing the kingdom. Their’s was a friendship that transcended the ‘job’ and in reflection as he writes he laments Xadik’s eventual death. At some point we know that Patrin visits Xadik’s farm, where he finds it long abandoned and fallen to ruin. This maybe the reason he titles the second volume of his story All Things Ruin.
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