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"So much in life dependeth upon a good harkening. Remember that, and beware."Ollister B. Pembrick

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Wingfeather Saga!

This page is about the book version of this character.
You may be looking for the series version.



Artham P. Wingfeather (AR-thum[1]) is the Throne Warden of the royal family of Anniera during the late Fourth Epoch. It was said that he shone with Eremund's Fire,[2] and was much renowned for his swordsmanship, bravery, and protection of the kingdom of Anniera.

History[]

Early life[]

Artham Wingfeather was born to High King and Queen Jru and Madia Wingfeather in Castle Rysen, Anniera at some time around the year 4/415. He was the elder brother and Throne Warden to Esben Wingfeather, who was the second to last High King of Anniera in the Fourth Epoch.

Great War[]

In 4/442, Gnag the Nameless and his army, the Fangs of Dang, attacked and destroyed the Shining Isle of Anniera. Esben told Artham to escape from the Castle Rysen with Queen Nia Wingfeather, Podo Helmer, Wendolyn Helmer, and the three Wingfeather children—Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli Wingfeather. Artham did so and helped the family escape on a ship to Skree where they would live in the Igiby Cottage in Glipwood Township, Podo's place of birth (though Leeli's leg was mangled by a Fang and Wendolyn perished in the process).

After that, he attempted to return to Esben, but they were both captured by Gnag's forces and taken to Castle Throg, where, upon refusing the Stonekeeper's offer to transform them into Fangs, they were placed in the Deeps of Throg. The brothers resisted the urge to sing the Song of the Ancient Stones for a long time, but Esben gave in, sang the song, and was turned into a bear. Artham, having failed in his lifelong mission as a Throne Warden to protect his brother, began to sing the song but changed his mind in the process, which drove him insane and halfway transformed him into a bird (Artham's hands became talons and his hair became white). He escaped from the Deeps into the Blackwood, but the memory of leaving Esben continued to contribute to his madness. While in the Blackwood, he found the First Well, and took some of its water with him in hope to heal Esben.

Artham managed to travel to Glipwood, where Nia and Podo were living with the three Wingfeather children (who had no idea of their true heritage at the time), to protect them from anything he could since he had already failed Esben. Nia and Podo barely recognized him, and Artham stayed away from them, living in a treehouse in Glipwood Forest, for years due to his insanity. He knitted socks to hide his talons, and due to this became known as "Peet the Sock Man" by the villagers.

He appears in every book in the series, but plays a larger part in the first book than in the others, though he is still a crucial character in the latter part of the series.

Wingfeather War[]

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness[]

Artham, or Peet the Sock Man (mostly shortened to Peet) as he is known throughout almost the entire book, is first seen by the Igiby children near the jail, doing a dance while chanting. According to Janner, the Blaggus boys (the sons of the Mayor of Glipwood) had seen Peet riding a toothy cow near the edge of the forest; Peet had probably not ridden one of the cows, but did live in the forest as the children thought.

Peet appears again when Leeli is kidnapped from behind Books and Crannies and attacked by Slarb the Fang in the forest, when he knocks Slarb into unconsciousness to save Leeli; Peet then takes Leeli to his treehouse. Podo later finds the treehouse and returns with Leeli to the Igiby cottage.

Peet is next seen running away from the village after Podo finds him in an alleyway and hits him, and the Igiby children follow him. They find their way into Glipwood Forest and eventually come across a ladder that can be used to access a bridge high in the trees, which is what Peet used to get to his treehouse. The children stay with Peet for awhile, and attempt to talk to him, which was complicated by Peet's habit of mixing up the starts of words, and his incorrect uses of the children's names (though they weren't entirely incorrect, since Peet sometimes would say 'Wingiby' or 'Iggyfeather', which is a cross between their real last names and the last name they thought they had. He also asked them if Igiby was really their real name, foreshadowing later parts of the book). The children leave to find the Igiby cottage aflame.

The Igibys and Podo next meet Peet shortly after the burning of their cottage and their capture; when they are about to be taken inside the Black Carriage, Peet appears and, killing the Fangs around him, rescues the family. They go inside Books and Crannies to take refuge with the proprietor, Oskar N. Reteep. Podo prevents Peet from following them inside and kicks him out. They are found out, however, by ridgerunner Zouzab Koit, who is a spy for Gnag and was placed in Glipwood. As the Igibys and Podo are struggling to escape from the Fangs yet again, Peet, riding on the back of a newly restored and enlarged Nugget (Leeli's dog), attacks some the remaining Fangs. After the Fangs' defeat, Podo, Peet, Nugget, and the Igibys travel to Anklejelly Manor, where Peet and Nugget attempt to make a last stand to hold off the other Fangs. Podo is mortally wounded by a spear of a Fang inside the manor (one of many who were chasing them inside). After Peet tells Nia why Nugget returned, he travels to his tree house to grab a flask containing some of the water from the first well. He then returns to the Igibys and heals Podo with the water. The Igibys, Podo, and Peet then escape from the manor once daylight arrives. They go to Peet's treehouse, where the Igiby children finally learn the truth about themselves.

Trivia[]

  • Andrew mentioned that Artham's physical appearance was inspired by Henry Ian Cusick's character in Lost [3].
  • His character is vividly described in a poem written by Alma Rainwater:

All children of the Shining Isle, rejoice!
 A hero strides the field, the hill, the sand
With raven hair and shining blade in hand.
The wicked quake when lifts the Warden's voice!


So fleet his mount and fierce his mighty band!
So fair his word and fine his happy roar
That breezes o'er the Isle from peak to shore!
So tender burns his love for king and land!

Gallery[]

References[]

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