Nickel Drekker

*You are right here in your story. Don't skip ahead.*
Massie Burnson, *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*, p. 32
**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR *PRINCE LANDER & THE DRAGON WAR* ARE AHEAD; CAUTION IS ADVISED.**

## Association information

### Also known as

Nick (by Winnie)
Nicky Drekker (by Chief Heckle)

## Book information

### Appears

*Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

**Nickel Drekker**: I only ordered myself, Yer Highness-ness.

—"Prince Lander and the Dragon War", pg. 19 |  | ”

**N****ickel Drekker** was young rabbit buck and member of the Drekkers during the Dragon War.

## Biography

### *Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

**Nickel Drekker**: I will, to be sure, my good prince and lord. But if ye will indulge me, just one last question. Did ye spot them two archers in yon high nests ahead?

—"Prince Lander and the Dragon War", pg. 19 |  | ”

Nickel followed Prince Lander on his mission to rescue the oathbreakers' children from the dragons. At first, Lander was not pleased at having Nickel along, as he wanted to complete his mission alone. But Nickel proved himself by pointing out a trap laid for Lander, and presumably saving Lander's life, after which Lander allows Nickel to come along. Nickel then revealed that his sister Winnie and their band were also following Prince Lander, and when Lander insisted that Nickel tell them to go, Nickel stated that Winnie is very headstrong. Prince Lander tried to send them back, but Winnie informed him that Nickel would have schemes to help with the mission.

Lander begrudgingly allowed them to tag along and chooses Nickel's best scheme to rescue the children: creating soldiers made of snow as decoys, and using the echoes of their shouts to set the oathbreakers against the snow rabbits. By the time they have realized the deception, Lander and the Drekkers had begun their escape with the children. The group successfully escaped with the aid of reinforcements from Lener's Crossroads. Later, Nickel came to see Lander in his sister's stead to report on the status of the Grimble younglings.

When Prince Lander and Prince Lemual went the Drekker camp to try to change them to their side, Lemual was challenged to a game of fling-a-ding by Haldorn, a formidable Drekker athlete. Lander attempted to break up the contest, but Nickel warned him that doing so would lose him the good will of the Drekkers. Nickel joined Lander and Winnie in observing the contest, and were awestruck when Lemual managed to defeat Haldorn through some clever exploitation of the rules. When Lord Grimble calls for a peace summit and Whitson expected treachery, Lander recommended that they seek Nickel's counsel to counter Grimble's deceit.

Nickel predicted that Grimble would send a strike force to attack Lener's Crossroads and make them eager to seek peace. Nickel's prediction proved correct, and when the oathbreakers attacked he was ordered to remain with King Whitson. However, Whitson soon sent him to aid Lander in the battle, and Nickel arrived just in time to save Lander's life from an arrow. Joining Lander's impromptu unit, the Mighty Reds, which was then renamed the Tricky Reds in view of his presence, Nickel proved an effective combatant. His devastating use of the sling prompted Captain Forne, the enemy commander, to have archers target the young Drekker, and Forne even engaged Nickel himself briefly.

After the battle, Nickel founds Lander and informed him that the gate had been repaired and the enemy was gone. At the reconvened king's council, Nickel proposed using a small boat with a secret compartment built by Winnie, where Lander could hide. Nickel was among the rabbits who stood in readiness on the shores of the river as the supposed summit was taking place. He subsequently joined in the Battle of Barren Point, and his sling once again proved a formidable impediment to the enemy forces.

In the final battle against the dragons, Nickel was given the role of a scalebreaker and, unfortunately for Nickel, the dragons eventually identified him immediately as a serious threat and ten dragons advanced upon him. King Lander leaped in with the starsword and saves Nickel, who got up and continues to fight. Nickel joined Riley Nocks in protecting Lander until the battle was won.

## Personality and traits

Nickel was described as "a little mouthy and in trouble often", but praised for his "uncanny ability with a sling" and his impressive schemes. Nickel was a member of the Drekkers, who were often undervalued by others, but Nickel becomes someone that Lander turns to often, after saving his life numerous times and contributing schemes to help Lander against the oathbreakers. Nickel was very headstrong and outspoken.

## Trivia

* The name Nickel is derived from Nicholas.