A while ago, Skye, one of the main characters from my Wunderwood series, joined author Kyra Halland for an interview. See that here.
Today I’d like to welcome another character from the series, Aspen Bryony. (Spoiler alert! If you haven’t read either of the Wunderwood books yet, this interview contains spoilers!)
Thanks for joining us today, Aspen. We’re looking forward to getting to know you a little better.
Thanks for having me.
So tell us, Aspen, how old are you?
Seventeen.
Can you tell us a little bit about your family? What do you like and not like about them?
I’m the only child of Rose and Quince Bryony. I love them. I have to. I mean, they’re my parents! (He laughs, then sighs.) But the thing that I like about them happens to also be the thing that I don’t like. They’re protective, like any parents, I guess. Maybe too much. When I joined Thornton Crow’s HOPs (that’s ‘Hoarders of Power’ if you didn’t know), I was prepared for them to be disappointed and ashamed. And angry. I knew there was a big chance they’d never even speak to me again. The thing is, I’m not really a HOP. I just need the HOPs to think I’m one of them. But I never expected my parents to join Thornton’s ranks, too. They did it to protect me. (He locks his eyes on mine.) I know they did! It’s the only explanation that makes any sense. (He shrugs his shoulders.) Luckily, Thornton is currently unconscious, thanks to Miranda Moon’s bold move last year. And his minions aren’t carrying out any of their plans without his say-so. But I worry for what happens when he wakes up. I know there’s a battle raging while he sleeps. A battle between the good and evil in him. It’s just hard to imagine there’s anywhere near enough good to defeat the evil…
I hope you’re wrong about that. I guess time will tell. I understand some Wunderwoodians have special abilities, beyond being magicians. Do you have a special Gift?
Yes, I’m what’s called a Harkener. Whenever I touch anything, I hear words that have been spoken near those objects, whether the words were uttered recently or in the distant past. So sometimes the “chatter”, as I call it, can be deafening. Especially if the object is near where a lot of talking happens, like a desk in a classroom, or a seat at the Pavilion. (His face darkens, as if a memory distracts him for a moment.) It happens when I touch people, too. But that’s different. It’s more like feelings, emotions, thoughts that are at the front of someone’s mind. (He shakes his head, his golden hair falling slightly over one eye.) But it’s not like I can hear every thought they ever had or anything. That would be… (He shudders at the thought).
What’s your favorite thing to do?
That’s easy. Ride through the forest on Comet, my Great Wolf. (He scowls before looking down at his fingernails, which he picks at for a moment before lifting his eyes to mine again.) Even after I joined the HOPs, he still didn’t mind coming to get me from the meetings and taking me home. I guess he figured that while Thornton was locked up behind four stone walls, the HOPs weren’t bold enough to do any real harm. (He chuckles.) And he was right. The meetings were mostly for show, to prove to Thornton that they were still loyal to him, in case he ever was released, though the chances of that were slim. But after the unthinkable happened and Thornton was released last year (and not because he’d changed his ways either), he picked up right where he left off before he was banished. After that Comet couldn’t be a part of anything that had to do with Thornton or the HOPs. Including taking me anywhere.
What’s your greatest fear?
(He lowers his eyes again.) That nobody will ever learn that I’m not really a HOP.
What is your most treasured possession?
My Altawood whistle.
When you walk into a room, what do you notice first?
All the surfaces that I might Harken from… and how to avoid Harkening from them if that’s what I’d prefer. And it usually is.
What are you most proud of in your life?
That I joined the HOPs. After what I’ve Harkened about the past, you know, like things that happened in Mindala’s time, the destruction and death, all in the name of using the Blue Magic… I guess I just felt I had to stop it from happening again. The best way I could think of doing that was to be one of the HOPs. To know what they’re going to do before they do it.
What makes you saddest about your life?
(Another sigh.) That I joined the HOPs. Even though it’s for the right reasons, I know it hurt my parents. And… well, I know it’s selfish but I hope nothing happens to me before they can learn the truth about me.
What do you hope will happen in the future? Besides everyone learning that you were never a true HOP?
(A small, wistful smile graces his face.) I hope my Harkenings will be useful, not just to me but to everyone. I mean, why else was I given this Gift? (A blush blooms on his cheeks.) And I hope Miranda Moon returns. She just seems to be… one of us. Like she’s a part of Wunderwood. Like she always has been.
Thanks again for joining us today, Aspen! And for all of you, be sure to join Aspen, Miranda, Marcus, and all the others on their adventures in Wunderwood (The Tree of Mindala and The Triad of the Tree)!
