Nate Rufield

Nate is a rogue fire mage often looked to as the leader amongst the adventurers. He keeps the party safe as is responsible for keeping everyone safe and on task.

## Abilities and Weaknesses

### Abilities

Earth magic, Weapon combat, Hand to hand combat, Theft

## Affiliation

### Position

Member of the Portal Stone Quest, King (book 3)

### Occupation

Advenuturer, Rogue, Treasure hunter, King of Akeela (later book)

## Biography

Nate is first found by Maya while playing an archery game with Tyler. He becomes irritated at Maya's presence and doesn't take to her as Tyler does. To his dismay she keeps coming back. Meanwhile Nate reminds Tyler that they are in the forest for a reason. One day, to allow Tyler to have a moment alone with Maya, Nate wanders off through the woods. He begins shooting arrows aimlessly out of boredom. One such arrow nearly knocks Anna out of a tree, as she had been patrolling. The two make a few quips at each other before Nate realizes that she is not only a witch, but one he's been looking for. He tells her he and Tyler are seeking the portal stone and she is very reluctant to let him join the quest. When the four of them go back to Anna's cottage, it is revealed he is an earth mage and has earth based powers. He uses these to chase the guards away, and drag Anna up Mount Monadnock when she is unconscious. Later, he sits with her as she still sleeps. DJ offers him a tea to give her and although he is reluctant at first, eventually gives it to her, leading to her waking up. He continues using his powers when they are fighting anything. While at Canobie Island he provides Tyler with advice on being with Maya. Once they reach the Pearly sea he expresses his dislike for the tail situation. Unable to use his powers underwater, he relies on his blades. When Anna's necklace looses power, he chases after her trying to reach her before its too late. He manages to free her from the kelp holding her down and takes her limp body out of the water. He manages to get the water out of her system, upset over almost losing her. He then grants her his own necklace and instructs her to swim them out of the cave, saying he can hold his breath. Once they are back on the ship, he calm Anna down as she panics about being able to heal Sophia. His reassurance is enough to give her the extra power she needs and she thanks him. After they bid Charlie goodbye, both Nate and Tyler are expected to stay behind while in the fairy realm. Later that night, he and Anna watch the stars together. Eventually she confesses to having feelings for him, which he already knew. He agrees to give it a try and she curls up to him. The following morning he resumes acting strangely toward her, keeping his distance. At Queen Maureen's ball, him and Anna eventually end up dancing before seeking out the balcony for privacy. She confronts him about his behavior and he assures her that it is not just a game to him. Eventually the two share a kiss. As the group tries to escape after encountering Kevin, Anna gets caught by the guard. Nate moves to help her but she silently tells him not to. He does, however, trip Kevin and his guards as they go. After everyone returned to their rooms, Nate questions Anna about what she did to be so memorable and hated by Kevin. Anna explains she killed two people. Nate reveals he's killed too, and the two discuss how they don't regret taking the lives they have.

### Early Life

Not much is known about Nate's life. It is assumed that him and Tyler have been going around destroying villages and trying to find powerful items. They briefly mention their reason for being in Thieves' forest is because they are in hiding after burning down a village.

## Appearance

Nate is the tallest of the entire group at around 5'11. He is thin but muscular, with fair skin. He has piercing blue eyes and short choppy brown hair which Anna likes to ruffle. His expression is often hard to read as he keeps a very neutral face. His overall stature can also be intimidating considering his sharp features like his jawline and eyes. He is scattered with small scars due to his various battles and archery tag fights with Tyler. He has wide rough hands which often have dirt under the fingernails courtesy of his powers. At some point he has a patch of slightly burned skin on his arm, due to a fight with Tyler. His hair gets shorter as the series goes on, though it eventually becomes more mullet-like. He looks a lot more friendly when he smiles, especially when he's trying to be goofy.

## Personality and Traits

Nate seems like a very detached person, and while emotions aren't his strong suit, he does know how to be helpful. He cares for his companions more than he'll let on and takes pride in being the one that they look to. He views his friends as family when he gets close to them, and works to bring all their skills together in a harmonic balance, utilizing everyone's strong suit. While he isn't the most empathetic type, he knows how to look at things from all sorts of perspectives. He is a natural leader, even though his comfort zone may be more from the shadows. He has high charisma and a heavy amount of sarcasm. Nate is prone to joking around and goofing off which was occasionally irritate those around him. He doesn't always take things strictly and has a very laid-back personality, however he knows when to be serious. He is an excellent planner and very sneaky. He is very perceptive and good with analyzing patterns, he has a knack for spotting discrepancies and irregularities. In other words, it’s a bad idea to lie to him because he can usually tell. Often he is happy to play devil’s advocate in order to keep an interesting discussion humming along. When it comes to being wronged, he is fair and sometimes merciful. He will not, however, tolerate attacks against those he cares about.

## Abilities and Other Skills

* **Earth Magic** - He has a set of skills being an Earth mage. His earth magic allows him to control plants, specifically vines and roots.
* **Weapon combat** - He is shown to be very handy with both bows and blades and uses them in fights alongside his powers.
* **Hand to hand combat** - Having been wandering for a while, he has picked up regular combat skills too.
* **Theft** - Being a rogue, he has the usual skills, which include theft.

## Relationships

### Tyler Rufield (adoptive brother)

Though it is unknown how the two became adoptive brothers, they refer to each other as such. He cares for Tyler and always tries to give him advice. They have very different personalities, with Nate planning ahead and strategizing, while Tyler jumps right into action. This has gotten them into a few troublesome places that Nate had to get them out of. Yet still they travel together, hoping to find a new land full of adventure.

### Anna Silvius (partner)

At first he is intrigued and amused by the witch after she falls onto him, when his arrow nearly kills her. Although he is quick to deny the near-murder, he takes interest upon realizing that she is the witch that they had been looking for. Although most of his actions include teasing her, he does seem to admire her personality. Slowly he becomes more protective of her as they get closer, and eventually (and smugly) tells her how she feels about him. Although originally hesitant towards their new relationship, he assures her that his feelings are in fact, real.

## Quotes

* “Well you’re not an acorn." - Nate, after nearly shooting Anna out of a tree.
* "Well hello," he said attentively, "I've been looking for you."
* "It doesn't take a genius to see we're IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAMN OCEAN! If you find a way to make *fire* and *earth* magic work *underwater*, you let us know."
* "Take it easy would ya? Moron. You had me worried for a moment."
* "Yeah well, don't make it a habit of nearly dying so often. I don't wanna have to keep rescuing you."
* "Maya paused, glancing at them all thoughtfully. 'What if we became pirates?' Nate let out a curt laugh. 'Yeah right, can you imagine?'" - A hint towards the later pirate story
* "Same reason Maya does. To get away. See what else is out there, y'know. Also we're pretty wanted in most kingdoms by now so it's about time we high-tail it out of here." - Nate's reason for wanting the portal stone
* "I don't regret any of the lives I've taken either. We shouldn't. If we are bold enough to take a life, it must mean something. Sometimes, for some people, death is the best thing."

## Gallery

Nate Rufield - Quest for the Portal Stone MoodboardNate Rufield (Quest for the Portal Stone) - Episode Appearance