Gavin Muriens

**Ser Gavin Muriens** is one of the most skilled knights in Alba and the younger brother of the Red Knight. Gavin is the son of Ghause Muriens, the Duchess of Westwall, and the older brother of Aneas. He is known to his peers as Hard Hands for his well-known feat of killing a creature of the Wild with a single blow of his fist, and the Green Knight after his relationship with the Red Knight is revealed. After the death of his parents he inherits Ticondonaga and the title of the Earl of Westwall, and becomes known as the Green Earl. While at the Harndon Palace he meets and falls in love with Lady Mary, who he later becomes engaged to.

## Appearance and Personality

Gavin is initially introduced as a boastful young braggart. He is seen in the court of the king entertaining ladies and basking in his past glory of having defeated a creature of the Wild with his bare hands.

However, although he has some arrogance due to his noble upbringing, Gavin struggles with massive guilt borne from a genuine desire to do the right thing. He can be reckless, driven by his guilt from having killed his brother's tutor, as well as his own squire when Jean de Vrailly challenged him. For a while, he also assumed that he was the reason for his brother Gabriel's death and was wrecked by the guilt of that as well.

Despite his human flaws and mistakes, Gavin is a young knight who desires to do what is right and lives by a code of honour.

## Name

In the earlier books of the series Gavin is called Gawain or Gawin. However throughout most of the series his name is Gavin.

## History

Gavin is sent south by his father win a bride at court, and raise the family in the estimation of the King.

### The Red Knight

Gavin Muriens lives an enjoyable life in Harndon Palace, spending his days flirting with the ladies of court and boasting, rather than practicing in the tilt yard. One day he makes an overly flippant comment to the King, and is banished from court until he demonstrates his valour in the Wild.

Gavin and his two squires head north from Harndon, brooding on his plight. In Lorica, they rest for the night in an inn and are give the best room in the inn by the innkeeper. However, they are disturbed before dinner by a group of fully armoured foreign knights arguing with the innkeeper; the leader, Jean de Vrailly, insists on being given Gavin's room. Gavin, unarmoured and with only his riding sword, is goaded into fighting the foreign knight. Gavin fights well, but is outmatch in sword and armour. An attack results in Gavin getting entangled with his squire, but the foreign knight presses on, killing his squire, and forcing Gavin into submission.

In the morning, Gavin is packed onto a cart by de Vrailly who intends to lay him before the King to demonstrate the inferiority of Alban knights. Soon they meet the Earl of Towbray as arranged, who is outraged to see Gavin a prisoner. He insists that Gavin is released, and forces Jean de Vrailly into a grudging apology.

Gavin travels north in despair at the loss of his honour. He encounters Gerald Random's merchant convoy, and eventually agrees to join them.

While traveling with Random's convoy, they are attacked over the course of the route by different bands of the Wild. Gavin, despondent and depressed, recklessly throws himself at the creatures of the Wild. He is determined to die, and decides that dying in battle is as good a way to die as any and would help him to regain some honour. He is mortally wounded in a fight against a daemon. However, after the battle Harmodius, the king's magus, happens to cross paths with Random's convoy and joins them. He harnesses the power of a creature of the Wild in order to heal Gavin. Gavin is restored to health, but his wounds have healed into scales rather than human skin. He also have flashes of a different creature's thoughts when he speaks, sometimes bemoaning how he *"used to be so beautiful".*

As the convoy continues towards Lissen Carak, another band of creatures attack them. This time, most of the convoy is wiped out and Gavin makes what he thinks is his final stand at the river. However, the Red Knight and his fighters reach the battle in time to wipe out the remaining creatures and save the remainder of Random's convoy. Gavin hears the Red Knight's voice and recognizes him before passing out.

In Lissen Carak, Gavin wakes up in the hospital wing to find the captain standing beside his bed. He recognizes the captain as Gabriel Muriens, his brother whom he thought dead and whom he thought he'd killed. The brothers catch up and make an uneasy reconciliation, unable to fully let go of all their past baggage.