Writing: Returning Characters

Having just finished up the rough draft of Mercy, the third novel in the Novels of Rhynan series, I am now plotting the fourth novel. Tentatively titled Courage, this one is going to feature a lot of old favorite characters, but the chief of them, is my hero, Darnay. Readers have glimpsed him growing up as the series has gone on. So, here are some glimpses of what we have already seen.

My hero, Darnay, first appears in Duty as a precocious five-year-old meeting his new stepmother for the first time. The quote is from Brielle's POV.

    “Darnay, say hello to your new mother.” Anise propelled him forward with a gentle push between his shoulders.
    He obediently bowed and offered me a hand in friendship, the one not clutching the toy sword. His dark eyes clearly communicated his unease.
   I clasped his hand firmly. “I am pleased to meet you, Master Darnay.”
   Darnay squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. “Father said I am to call you mother, but–” He lost his nerve.
   “You can call me Brielle.”
   Profound relief passed behind the boy’s eyes, but like his father, little emotion appeared in his features. I found the boy’s reserve disquieting in many ways. It hinted at the difficulty of his young life. To grow up without a mother and rarely see one’s father appeared to have aged him beyond his seasons. I wanted to hug him. I wondered if he looked like his father when he laughed. Most pressing of all was the desire to show him all the love my parents gave me.
   “Have you eaten this morning?” I took care to address the question to the two children.
   “Not yet. We traveled all night,” Elise offered without emerging from the safety of the woman’s skirts.
   “You didn’t sleep?”
   “We slept in the wagon.” Darnay grimaced.
   I attempted the same thing a few years ago and did not sleep a bit.
   Elise tugged at my mother-in-law’s sleeve. “I’m hungry.”
   “I am too. Come, I will find us all some food.” I smiled at Elise and offered my hand. “There were some lovely smells coming from the kitchen when I passed it.”
   Elise regarded my outstretched hand with suspicion. I immediately regretted offering it.    Doing so had pressed an intimacy she obviously was not comfortable with. Yet, I didn’t feel it was wise to retreat now.
   “She won’t hurt you.”
   Elise looked up at Anise. “How do you know?”
   Anise and I shared a smile. Darnay observed the exchange with a frown. Then he studied me as though measuring my character. My stomach tightened as I recognized Tomas’ habit of weighing people. “I like her face.”

In Honor, he crosses the page a couple times since he knows both the hero, Dentin, and the heroine, Elsa. One thing is true about ten-year-old Darnay, he has definite views on a number of things. The following is from Elsa's point of view: 

   Lord Irvaine opened the door wide. The children greeted me as I entered. Darnay claimed my left hand and began to tell a long story about his riding lesson.  Linora ran up and demanded I pick her up. Lander followed her and twisted his hands in my skirt while asking me repeatedly for Apino, his favorite stuffed horse.
   “Children, please,” Brielle protested. She reached to pick up Linora, but Lord Irvaine intervened. “Give Elsa room to breathe. Uncle Dent gave her a scare.”
   “Uncle Dent!” Darnay turned to survey Lord Dentin in horror. “Never hurt a lady.”
   “Darnay?” Lord Irvaine’s warning tone was all it took to silence Darnay, but the look he exchanged with Lord Dentin made it clear he sided with his son.
   “It was an accident,” Lord Dentin protested.
   Darnay’s crossed arms made it clear he didn’t believe it.

In my just finished novel, the unpublished Mercy, he plays a passing role as he interacts with Willard, the hero. In that one he is only fourteen, but is secure in his place in the world.

   “Willard!” Young Darnay approached from the direction of the house leading a horse. “When did you descend upon us?”
   Even as a lean lad in his teens, the son of the Earl of Irvaine already presented the image of a knight. Tall and lean as his father and as broad of shoulder, he already had a reputation for catching young ladies’ attention, but like his father, he ignored them.
   “I have been in the city a piece already.” I met him midway, and both of us paused. The mount with him nosed my shoulder. I scratched her forelock and rubbed the offered nose.    “Trouble with the family means I will most likely be sleeping and eating here for the foreseeable future if Dentin allows it.”
   “You know he will,” Darnay gave me an assessing look. “Though I would recommend giving your hair a once over before you head in to see him.”
   I lifted my hand to my head and made a half-hearted attempt at straightening my unruly hair knowing full well I would most likely need to wet the whole to make any headway. “I was catching up on lost sleep and didn’t stop to seek out a reflective surface.”
   Darnay’s crooked grin didn’t give me any reassurance that I had improved things. “You should ask Bess for a comb when you go through the kitchen. She always lends me one before I present myself for inspection.”
   “That is because she is sweet on you,” I teased.
   “Hardly.” Darnay rolled his eyes as the horse pulled on the lead to inspect a tuft of grass at our feet. “She has her heart set on someone completely different.” He tugged on the horse to get her moving again. “Don’t forget to ask her,” he called over his shoulder as he left.

I am excited to meet grown up Darnay in Courage as he works with his Uncle Dentin to defend the Queen of Rhynan, the young crown prince, and investigate Lord Warhorne's claims that he found an alternative heir to the throne of Rhynan. 

Do you enjoy series where characters keep reappearing in different books?Which Rhynan character would you like to see reappear somewhere in an upcoming book?

Rachel Rossano loves to talk about writing, books, and movies. Wandering around worlds of her own creation is her favorite pastime, and the housework tends to suffer when she is in the midst of writing a novel. She is happily married to the man who inspires all of her heroes. Together they are adventuring through life with their three kids.
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