Bramble

Origins

Bramble was once a warden of the Northern Pines — one of the ancient bear clans sworn to protect the great forest from the encroachment of the Salt Roads and those who built their empires along them. For decades he kept the boundary markers, settled disputes between the woodfolk, and enforced the old laws with a steady paw.

Exactly what led to his exile is a matter Bramble will not speak of plainly. Those who press him are met with a long silence, a slow exhale, and a change of subject. Rumours vary: some say he refused an order. Others say he gave one he should not have. The wardens who remain in the Northern Pines do not speak his name.

Personality

Despite his exile and the weight he carries, Bramble is not a bitter creature. He is slow to anger but immovable once roused. He has a particular fondness for hot food, dry shelter, and a fair fight — and a particular intolerance for cruelty, small or large.

He has the manner of someone who once held great responsibility and has not entirely put it down. He keeps watch at night when he thinks others are sleeping. He notices things. He carries a worn leather satchel that is always better-stocked than it appears.

His relationship with his travelling companion is one of the book's quiet centres: he grumbles constantly, and helps constantly, and neither of them talk about it much.

Role in the Story

Bramble enters the story on the Salt Roads, moving south — or, as he puts it, moving away from north. He does not intend to become involved in the events unfolding around the city of Makor. He becomes very involved.

His arc in The Rise of the Rats is one of reluctant purpose: the slow discovery that exile does not free you from who you are, and that the old duties have a way of finding you even when you have stopped looking for them.