Ellie Meadows

Ellie [Center] on the cover of the first book, Sparrow Rising.

**SPOILER ALERT! This article will spoil every book in this series. If you wish to stay unspoiled, it would be best if you left now**

Ellidee Meadows, commonly known as Ellie, is one of the protagonists and PoVs of Skyborn along with Nox and Prince Corion. She is a Sparrow from her Clan's Seat, Linden.

# Appearance

Like the rest of her Clan, Ellie's Sparrow wings are stubby and elliptical with a broad shape and brown, white, and copper feathers with dark flecks. These wings are optimal for quick takeoffs and maneuverability, however they are less suited for distance and speed. She has copper hair that matches her wings, a pale complexion, and freckles on her cheeks. As of Phoenix Flight, she also has a burn scarred over one of her arms.

# Personality

Ellie is determined, optimistic, and lively. As seen when many told her she'd never be a Goldwing, she doesn't let people discourage her from her goals. Ellie can sometimes be pushy, like when she separated the group to cover more area, and pushed and prodded everyone around her for a prophecy that may or may not be true.

However, she is able to see the best in people, like Nox, when even he didn't see any good in himself.

# History

## Early Life

Not much is known about Ellie's early life aside from the fact that her mother had given her a copy of the book *The King's Ladder*, instead of the usual Sparrow folk stories and histories, a choice that she was ridiculed for.

### Death of Parents

One day when Ellie was young, her parents were killed by a gargol, leaving her an orphan. Ellie herself was spared the same fate when a Goldwing Knight, who later became Sir Aglassine saved her. That night, when she was crying, grieving for her parents, she asked Sir Aglassine if she could become a Goldwing, wanting to help people as she did. In response, Aglassine sadly smiled and told her that if she worked hard, followed the king's rules, and never gave up, she could be anything. This event is what sparked Ellie's fervent desire to become a Goldwing.

## Sparrow Rising

Ellie is waiting for the Goldwing Trials to begin with the rest of the orphans from Mother Rosmarie's Orphanage. Mother Rosmarie is fanning herself with a spatula and chatting with the town doctor, poking the children who fidget too much. Ellie had already been poked three times and they'd been there for less than half an hour.

When the Trials start and Ellie's best friend, Zain, volunteers and Ellie cheers for him. She then watches on as Tauna, Laida, Lowen, and Ordo enter as well. Ellie then volunteers herself, shocking everyone. Mother Rosmarie tries to grab her, but Mayor Davina blows the airhorn to start the race, preventing Mother Rosmarie from capturing Ellie.
Ellie sets off with the other contestants, but one of her competetors, Ordo, attacks her when no one is looking, forcing her to land. As she pounds the ground in frustration, she hears a weak voice calling out for help. She follows it, finding a Crow boy around her age with an arrow in his shoulder. She intially tries to go get an adult for help, but she is stopped by the Crow boy, named Nox Hatcher, who tells her that no one can know that he's here.

Ellie, having apprenticed to Healer Vera the summer prior, snags some supplies from the doctor's house to treat Nox's wound. When she comes back and applies a poultice to Nox's shoulder, he tells her about the wild card option, where the first twenty to enter may participate in the Race of Ascension, regardless of their placing in the Trials.

When Ellie returns to Linden, Mother Rosmarie informs her that she'll be 'heading south', which meant she was going to be taken to the Moorly House, where children had their wings clipped and only got to see the sky through small windows. Ellie, not wanting to go, grabs the pack she had prepared in case she had won the Trials, but Mother Rosmarie hadn't let her go to the Race. She adds her copy of *The King's Ladder*, a knife that Zain had gifted her, and Aglassine's Goldwing Path. Ellie then slips out the window, heading toward where Nox had promised to meet her.

Nox, having not gone to where they promised to meet, is in Bluebriar forest, the complete opposite direction where they agreed to meet up. Ellie tracks him down by following the broken sunflower trail from where they met to the forest, where he surprises her by jumping out of a tree. She delivers Nox some food and he tells her to go home. Ellie, quite obviously not wanting to go back, asked Nox to help her get to Thelantis, where the Race would take place, as he helped her. After a bit of arguing, he agrees to let her help him with his mission in exchange for taking her to Thelantis, under two conditions:
1. Nox was in charge.
2. Ellie had to stay quiet and out of Nox's way.
Naturally, Ellie immediately ignored condition number two. On the way to Mossy Dell, the next town over, she asked Nox dozens of questions. Nox had answered each one with sullen grunts until she eventually gave up.
When they arrived at Mossy Dell, Ellie wanted to go through the town in plain sight, but Nox convinced her to stay to the sides and out of sight. They find Nox's crew in a bush with a half-eaten blackberry pie between them, and Ellie meets Gussie and Twig.

## Call of the Crow

Ellie is sparring against her friend Charlo, a member of the Restless Order. He bonks her on the head with his lockstave, the Restless Order's main tool, and then he takes a break to eat. She rolls her eyes at him and continues sparring by herself.

## Phoenix Flight

Ellie is at the beach with Twig and the newly resurrected Nox.

# Quotes

> "You know what I think? (...) I think you're still just the thief I found half dead in the sunflowers saying that the only thing that matters is looking out for yourself. *Listen to your wings, not your heart.* Isn't that what you used to say? But you know what *looking out for yourself* really means? It means that you're so scared of getting hurt that all you do is run and hide and turn your back on the people who need you. It means you're a coward."
>
> Ellie to Nox, Call of the Crow

> "I want... (...) I want a different world. One where kings care about their people, and where rules are made to help people rise, not to keep them pressed down. I want a world where gargols don't hunt us and we can fly free in any skies. I want... something better."
>
> Ellie to Zain about what she wants, Sparrow Rising

> "Ellie (...) *you* were the reason the southern Clans showed up. The reason the Sparrows stood up against the king. You were the reason Corion turned against his father, and the reason the Restless Order was here to help. (...) Icara told me your Clan's legacy was planting seeds. Whatever they planted grew. And you've been planting seeds for months, Ellie- in the southern jungles, with the Restless Order, among the Sparrows, the whole of the Clandoms... in *me*. And when the time came, all those seeds sprouted. You think all these people came together at the right time just by chance? (...) It was you Ellie. It was all you."
>
> Nox to Ellie about her Clan's Legacy, Phoenix Flight