Ghosts
From The World of Shannara
The Ghosts are a group and family of street kids that was started and formed by Hawk in 2087 in the former city of Seattle. They become the nucleus of the family and group of children that are saved by Hawk from the final cataclysm that destroys the world. They strongly consider themselves a family, each having lost any family they had previously.
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The Ghosts
Hawk collected most of the various children that became the Ghosts except for Candle, whom Owl found.
- Hawk - The leader and father of the family. He is the one with a vision of the future that provides hope.[1]
- Owl - Is the wise one of the family and the eldest.[1] She is considered by all the mother of the family.
- Tessa - She introduces Hawk to Owl, and eventually becomes his wife.
- Squirrel - A young boy who remains sick for most of the story.
- River - River is one of the young girls whose grandfather is the Weatherman.
- Cheney - A large dog who is stand-offish but clearly belongs to Hawk. Used to protect their home, and track others when necessary.
- Mouse - A little girl killed by Croaks before the start of the story.
- Heron - An older boy, who had died in a fall prior to the start of Armageddon's Children.
Home
The Ghosts lived underground in the former city of Seattle. Owl had read about the history of the old city in one of her books. A long time ago old Seattle had burned and the people had buried the old city, building a new one on top of it. At some point old parts were excavated for underground tours, but being forgotten once again in the wake of the Great Wars. He found it five years previous when he first came to Seattle exploring the ruins of Pioneer Square after arriving in the city.[2] No other street kid gangs had discovered it or laid claim to it, so Hawk intend on not living in a compound claimed it for the new family he was going to start. [3]
History
Hawk believed strongly that the past was of no significance belonging to the grown-ups who had destroyed it. The the future was all that mattered and belong to the kids.[3] He decided on the name Ghosts because "they haunt the ruins of the civilization their parent had destroyed."[4]
The Ghosts reinvent their lives in more ways than not. Hawk gives everyone their name. He tosses away their old names and supplies them with their new ones, with their new names reflecting their temperament and character. He believed that they were all starting over and none should have to carry the past with them into the future.[4] Owl set the rules for eating, sleeping and bathing. Hawk assigned chores. Routine kept them focused on staying alive. They did not celebrate holidays, though they did celebrate birthdays. For those who could not remember them, Owl just assigned them a birthday. Keeping track of all of the them on a makeshift calendar she had drawn on the wall. She didn't even know what day or year it was.[5]
When Hawk is still new to the city, during one of his evening meetings with Tessa she surprises him one night in bringing Owl, then known as Margaret. Hawk is only fourteen at the time living alone in the underground, while Margaret is eighteen and can no longer live in Safeco Field Compound. Margaret relates that she is dying in there, needing air, space and freedom. Tessa forces Hawk to tell her his vision, so he speaks that he has dreamed a dream of gathering other children to take them from the city to a safer place. She immediately believes him, saying that he will be the father of the family and she the mother. She no longer has any dreams or hope and wants both. Hawk is hesitant since he cannot be there to protect her, but she says she would rather live a life that matters, than a life that is safe. In the end he takes Margaret with him and the Ghosts start.
River was discovered by Sparrow when she was foraging for food down by the piers and brought her home.[6]
References
- ^ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Brooks, Terry (2006). Armageddon's Children pp. 23
- ^ Brooks, Terry (2006). Armageddon's Children pp. 19
- ^ 3.0 3.1 Brooks, Terry (2006). Armageddon's Children pp. 62
- ^ 4.0 4.1 Brooks, Terry (2006). Armageddon's Children pp. 17
- ^ Brooks, Terry (2006). Armageddon's Children pp. 88
- ^ Brooks, Terry (2006). Armageddon's Children pp. 21
