Ando Pyre

**Ando Pyre** is a character in Book 1. He is a northern soldier and a member of the group **Snow Wolves**, led by Brandon Snow, an group of specialists in service of the North. Unusual for a soldier, Ando is kind and peace-loving, as well as compassionate, especially towards children.

## Backstory

Ando Pyre was born in a village near Winterfell, his family living on Stark land for all his life. His father was once a proud soldier, who was wounded during battle and awarded with a patch of land to live as a farmer. Ando however carried on the Pyre family legacy of being Stark soldiers. He picked up the family sword and showed great skill with it, to the point where Brandon Snow, brother of the King in the North, showed interest in his potential.

Brandon invited Ando to be a part of his newly founded group, the Snow Wolves, an elite group of soldiers in service of King Torrhen Stark himself, serving the North in secret and hunting their enemies down in silence. Ando was excited to be a part of this group and as such, he accepted.

Over the years, he became an integral part of the Snow Wolves, as well as a personal friend of Brandon, who placed a great deal of value on his second-in-command. Their most recent mission led them south, to the city of Oldtown, where they tracked down a man known as Butterfly, who was rumoured to be the mastermind behind a string of brutal murders in the North.

Unfortunately, it was there that Brandon made a mistake. He voiced his goal to find Butterfly to the wrong person, namely the crimelord in disguise himself, Ser Maron Mullendore, whom he trusted as the commander of the city guard. Maron ended up taking the Snow Wolves as his prisoners, but when he failed to get much of their true allegiance out of them, he ends up torturing and killing them one by one.

## Book 1

### Masquerade

Ando is first encountered when Raenna Minsworth and Terroma break into the lower levels of the Hightower dungeons, accompanied by Samuel Harrington. He and Brandon are the only members of the Snow Wolves still alive and in a bad shape when first seen. Raenna frees them and in return, both men pledge their allegiance to Terroma's cause, especially after they learn that the man has to free the young girl Ellena Terys from the clutches of the witch Noelle.

### Valar Morghulis

Ando and Brandon accompany Raenna and Terroma through the Reach, together with Davith Lanser and the Ghiscari slavers Abbas and Bakr, who both owe Terroma a favour. While Brandon is critical and openly hostile of the slavers, Ando tries to treat them with respect and in return, he is also treated a bit better by them. He also bonds with Briar Catelins, whom he usually carries around during the strict march Terroma enforces to reach Noelle and Ellena.

The group as a whole slowly bonds, with Ando pushing Brandon to open up a bit more, though he keeps his officer's secret and their true identity as Northern soldiers, instead keeping up the ruse about them being sellswords.

During the confrontation with Noelle and Marak, Ando remains behind to make sure nothing will happen to Briar, which makes him the only member of the group not to fall victim to Noelle's trap. As such, he is the first by Raenna's side to prevent her from executing the witch. For his troubles, he receives a heavy punch against the nose, as Raenna accidentally breaks it in the process.

### What Is Dead May Never Die

After witnessing Terroma's death, Ando and Brandon accompany Raenna to Raylansfair, where he oversees Briar being reunited with her sister Kersea. He and Brandon remain with Briar and Ellena, while Kersea and Raenna go after Clayton Teryl. As such, they are the first to lead the children out of the city when it becomes clear that staying is too dangerous.

During their escape, Ando and Ellena team up, though they are separated from Brandon and Briar. Together, the two make their way through the city, until they ultimately meet Abbas and Bakr again, now dragging the unconscious Janae and Behara with them. It doesn't take much to realize what they are after and this time, Ando intervenes, trying to stop Abbas despite Ellena's pleas to just flee. Abbas responds by mercilessly cutting his throat, killing him almost instantly.

## Appearance

Ando is a fairly normal looking man from the North, sporting the fair skin that is typical with his people. However, he has unusually red hair, a rarity among the Northerners, as well as prominent sideburns. Visibly a kind and friendly man, he doesn't appear like the strong soldier he is, though he has enough muscles to perform great physical feats. Usually clad in leather, he is armed with a longsword

## Personality

Ando is a very respectful man, treating everyone equal aside from his superiors, whom he is perfectly obedient towards. He has a more ambitious side, but usually makes sure to treat everyone with politeness. It is notable that he does not judge and is willing to even treat known slavers as equals if they prove themselves willing to work for a good cause. In particular, he has a soft spot towards children, with whom he gets along splendidly. Perhaps the only time he can get a more fiery temper is when his morals and integrity are questioned.

## Relationships

### Brandon Snow

Ando and Brandon are life-long friends, having known each other for many years due to Ando's service for the Stark's. He was hand-picked as the second-in-command of the Snow Wolves and has served his leader loyally. However, their bond was stronger than that of a soldier and his commanding officer, they ended up becoming legitimate friends throughout all hardships, fire-forged brothers-in-arms. As such, Brandon is deeply saddened when it becomes obvious that Ando has perished during the Raid on Raylansfair.

### Raenna Minsworth

During the short few days in which Raenna and Ando interact, they get along well, arguably becoming friends along the way. Ando is deeply thankful towards Raenna for freeing him from the dungeons and like Brandon, he has pledged to serve her as a result. He takes this duty seriously, but is also not afraid to intervene when he thinks she goes too far, as shown when he tries to stop her from beating Noelle to death and gets his nose broken in return. He does not hold it against her though and it doesn't put a stain onto their friendship.

### Briar Catelins

After her being freed from Butterfly's prison, Briar spends most of her time with Ando, whom she grows very fond of. He is mostly seen carrying her around whenever she grow too tired to walk and he puts a great deal of concern into her well-being, making sure she gets what she needs and generally treating her like a little sister. Briar in return is shown to be the most fond of him out of the entire group she travels with.

### Ellena Terys

Ando and Ellena don't spend much time together, but during the few hours they spend side by side, they become friends. While Ellena is hardened and generally shocked over Terroma's death, she connects well with Ando, to the point where she ends up trusting him to lead her out of the besieged Raylansfair. She tries to prevent him from confronting Abbas, fearing for his life, and she reacts with shock and grief when witnessing his death.

### Abbas al-Yunkari

Out of Raenna's group, Ando is the only one who even made any effort at all to get along with Abbas, making it a point to treat the man as an equal. In return, Abbas was marginally more friendly towards Ando. This trust he had for the Ghiscari ultimately spelt his undoing though, when he tried to stop the man from taking Janae and Behara as slaves, but failing to take the steps to defend himself as Abbas, revealing his true ruthlessness, simply ends up cutting his throat.