Grub

Grub was the adopted name of an orphan boy adoptedHouse of Chains, Dramatis Personae by Captain Keneb from among the survivors of the Chain of Dogs. He was placed in Keneb's care by another survivor, Duiker, the Imperial Historian,House of Chains, Chapter 8, SFBC p.317 and raised by Keneb in the company of the Malaz 14th Army. 
He was a toddler with a tangled shock of blond hair and a deeply tanned, cherubic face. His face was often smeared with dirt.House of Chains, Chapter 22
Grub was unaccountably attuned to the mystical aspects of the world, though he had not been trained as a mage. 
== In House of Chains ==
Grub first appeared as a dire omen before Adjunct Tavore Paran and the 8th Legion in Aren as the Malaz 14th Army readied to march against the Army of the Whirlwind in Raraku. As the Adjunct reviewed her troops, the boy slipped the supervision of his nurse to stand in Tavore's footsteps carrying a human bone in his hand. The troops were shocked into silence.House of Chains, Chapter 8, US SFBC p.317-318
It was up to Fiddler and the other veterans to turn the omen to their advantage by making the bones a symbol of the army and a portion of their uniforms.House of Chains, Chapter 8, US SFBC p.318-320/341-342
By the time the army reached the Whirlwind encircling Raraku, Fist Gamet had decided to end his life for fatal mistakes made during an engagement against Leoman's desert warriors. Before he could walk into the Whirlwind's fury, he was unaccountably intercepted by Grub. The child told Gamet that he spent too much time thinking about things there was no point in thinking about. Then he said Keneb was looking for Gamet and went to tell his father he found him. When Keneb found Gamet soon after, Keneb told the Fist he had not seen the boy and had never heard him speak before.House of Chains, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.716-719
Gamet saw Grub again on the eve of the Battle of Raraku. The boy woke Nil and Nether to observe the spirits of the dead gathering on the battlefield. Then the boy told Gamet to join the cavalry forming on the battlefield's centre.House of Chains, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.799 After Gamet and the spirits of the dead attacked and destroyed the opposing Dogslayers, it was revealed that Gamet had died in his sleep back in camp.House of Chains, Chapter 26, US SFBC p.832 
According to the Epigraph for Chapter 19 in House of Chains, Grub eventually became the First Sword of the Late Empire period.
== In The Bonehunters ==
Sinn was frequently found accompanying him. He was also accompanied by the Hengese lap dog, Roach, and Wickan cattle-dog, Bent. Sinn, whom many assumed to be either mute or dumb, did speak to Grub, however, normally only when out of earshot of others.
Adjunct Tavore Paran used Grub as a messenger to call impromptu staff meetings.The Bonehunters, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.122 When Quick Ben spoke the boy's name he made a warding gesture and indicated to Fiddler that there was more to Grub than he appeared.The Bonehunters, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.102
A few days after the 14th Army had been resupplied with troops, Grub gave Keneb some of his cryptic answers, amongst them saying that 'she is our last hope' but not naming 'she'.The Bonehunters, Chapter 5, UK MMPB p.239/240 
Keneb thought of Grub's comments as a 'disordered host of peculiar observations'. Amongst those observations, Grub seemed to hint at glory or maybe infamy to come for Temul, in whose company the boy was often found.The Bonehunters, Chapter 6, UK MMPB p.288 
When Sinn managed to make a firebreak for the soldiers trapped in Y'Ghatan, Grub told the Adjunct exactly how many were coming through, even as they appeared in the distance.The Bonehunters, Chapter 8, UK MMPB p.389 
After the fall of Y'Ghatan, Grub again gave Keneb cryptic clues, seemingly displaying knowledge of the soldiers tunneling beneath the city as well as other things to come.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, UK MMPB p.419
Grub told Keneb to delay the boarding of the ships by one day as otherwise they would all die two days after leaving the Sepik Island. Amongst other things, Grub also said that he found a bone whistle and would keep it for him who would want it back.The Bonehunters, Chapter 16, UK MMPB p.777/778 Keneb admitted to Tavore that he caused the delay on Grub's advice just as the survivors who tunneled their way out of Y'Ghatan arrived down the road.The Bonehunters, Chapter 16, UK MMPB p.815 
Grub appeared towards the end, during the clash in Malaz City, to inform Lostara that she was needed.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, UK MMPB p.1136/1137/ He led her to Pearl who was by then suffering a long drawn-out death, and persuaded her to kill him out of mercy, whilst at the same time, judiciously not telling her who killed Pearl, so that she would not seek revenge.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, UK MMPB p.1159 Grub then led her to watch as the Eres'al left the body of the dead T'amber, telling Lostara that she must never tell Tavore about this and agreeing that this and the secret about Tavore's sister were the only ones which she had to keep. He then asked her to join the Bonehunters and help Tavore.The Bonehunters, Chapter 22, UK MMPB p.1160/1161
==In Reaper's Gale==
The Bonehunters followed the Tiste Edur fleet that ravaged Sepik across the sea back to Lether to invade the Letherii Empire. The army would have quickly dissolved without funds to pay the soldiers, but Grub somehow learned that Banaschar held the accumulated stolen wealth of D'rek's faithful and passed the information on to Lostara Yil. Grub spent much of the ocean voyage climbing the rigging of the Froth Wolf with his Nacht companions, Mape, Pule, and Rind, with whom he was able to communicate in someway.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.354-357 He informed Lostara Yil that "the world is drowning."Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.359
Fist Keneb's marines were spread in isolated pairs of squads across thirty leagues of coast. The marines moved forward into the Letherii countryside towards Letheras, the capital, with orders to kill Edur by night and stir the occupied Letherii into rebellion. Keneb followed in their wake with six squads of marines, while Faradan Sort and Beak attempted to keep lines of communication open between both groups.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.363-364Reaper's Gale, Chapter 13, US HC p.361-365 Contrary to the Adjunct's expectations, the Letherii soldiers did not use the Malazan invasion to turn against their Edur occupiers.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 14, US HC p.410Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.481 Instead the marines saw intense action, and as they neared Letheras fighting became more desperate and their munition supplies dwindled.
The Malazan fleet bearing the Adjunct and the Bonehunters' main force sailed up the Lether River towards Letheras.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.693-694 Some among the Bonehunters thought Keneb's troops had been sent to their doom,Reaper's Gale, Chapter 14, US HC p.410-411 and their fears seemed to be proved true. As they made landfall outside the city, those on the fleet saw a massive release of enemy sorcery near Fist Keneb's reported position near the city walls. Grub watched with Sinn on the Froth Wolf's foredeck, and begun dancing about the deck talking of candles. Lostara Yil thought him addled, but Adjunct Tavore had confidence that "Grub does not behave like a child who has lost a father."Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.752-753/755 Somehow Grub knew of Beak's sacrifice that had saved Fist Keneb and his soldiers.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.686-696 The Bonehunters defeated the Letherii Imperial Brigade and the city fell.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 24, US HC p.748-752/812
== In Dust of Dreams ==
He and Sinn followed Bent and Roach into the dying Azath Tower in Letheras and disappeared into a Warren for a time, only to reappear at a crucial point in the battle between the K'Chain Nah'ruk and the K'Chain Che'Malle. Their intervention turned the battle in favour of the K'Chain Che'Malle.
== In The Crippled God ==
Whilst riding with the K'Chain Che'Malle towards the Bonehunters, Grub asked Sinn to reach out with her mind to the Adjunct. Sinn told him that the barrier of the Otataral sword would not let 'them' in. This seemed to indicate that at this point Grub was able to use magic intentionally.The Crippled God, Chapter 3, UK HC p.72 He finally parted company with Sinn and ultimately took command of the Letherii troops in battle against the Kolansii.
==Speculations==
It has been speculated that Grub's three friends from Fiddler's Deck of Dragons reading in The Bonehunters were the three Nachts: Mape, Pule, and Rind.
==Notes and references==
Category:Bonehunters
Category:Malazans
Category:Males
Category:Seven Cities natives
es:Larva