After seeing his picture and its significance, I wanted to share my journey with him so far. It wasn't a coincidence, you see. Most of you know I own, ride and compete with my Friesian Aramis. The horse in the photo above is a Friesian, a winged one at that. At first, I thought he should be named Aramis, after my own horse. But he quickly corrected me and shared that his name is Mathias. Some of you are probably shaking your heads right now and calling me crazy. Probably. But I firmly believe in a hypothesis that William Faulkner set forth about his own writing. He said, "It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does."
So it has been with all my characters - from Luke to Snow Blood, Ashlundt and Sara to Brogio and Selene or Tim and Corky to Kane and Scrawny.They take on a life of their own.
Because I am introducing a new character in Snow Blood Season 3 called Seth, it only seems fitting that Mathias join Seth in Season 4. What you won't know in Season 3 is that Seth is much more than he appears to be. Once his true nature is revealed in Season 4, Mathias will become Seth's natural companion. Or, at least, that is what Mathias has revealed to me so far.
He's a winged horse, like Pegasus, but unlike the mythological horse, Mathias' nature and origin will be unclear at first. As the story progresses, readers will come to know much about him. He is a teacher, like all horses. He is a companion and adviser, like horses. He is dedicated and willing to work hard. You don't think so? I've told you before. My horses have taught me patience, persistence, strength and how and when to use it. They've taught me to live in the moment, to seize the day, and to be demanding when necessary always followed by kindness. They have further development my sense of responsibility. Mathias will show us all how to be more honest with our friends. I know that I can never fake it with my own horse. He always knows what's going on with me. Oh, one more important thing. Horses have taught me how to be gentle and to move slowly around them so as not to startle them. A nice thing to do for people as well, don't you think?
Mathias embodies all these teaching abilities and more. How exactly he fits into the total story line he hasn't revealed yet. But, he will. Like I said, I'll need to follow him around for awhile to get his entire story.
So those are my thoughts this morning. You probably wouldn't want to live inside my head, because that kind of stuff is always going on! But, if you love to write, you'll probably get it all. If you love to read, you'll probably get it too.
Til Next Time,
Carol