#kayvan

natasia demetriou as nadja of antipaxos

Hm, let's see. They are introduced in Book 9. Isfan picks them up on a snowy trail while travelling through Turk. It seems their parents must have died and that's why they were running around. He feeds them lamb and wheat porridge (see: haleem) and if he doesn't have time to cook while on the road, he chews pieces of meat for them to eat (I assume dried meat that he's softening for them).

(I always found it interesting that this section mentions Isfan survived when he was abandoned in the mountains by relying on the milk of wild wolves. I like that detail, but this is from the Chinese version and I feel like I should check the Japanese to see whether it also specifies that the wolves actually suckled him. Both versions make earlier mention of the wolves having left a hare nearby when Shapur finds Isfan, with no mention of milk in that scene. I wonder if this is a detail that Tanaka added later?)

Anyway, back to the wolf pups.

The one with reddish fur is named Bahram (Mars) and the one with darker fur around its right eye is named Kayvan (Saturn). They ride in a sack hung from his saddle (and he even goes into battle with them there). They regard Isfan as their saviour and seem protective of him when they sense any threat. As they get older, they prove their worth in battle, too. Sadly, in Book 12 Bahram is killed by Ilterish when he jumps in front of Isfan to save his life. This part is so sad! Especially as it mirrors Isfan's loss of his own brother. Kayvan survives to the end of the series but it's not mentioned what happens to him after the final battle, and his final scene is even fucking sadder than the one I just mentioned.

They feature in a few novel illustrations so I'll include those here, too. (There may be more that I've missed or don't have access to.)

Frontispiece from Book 10, by Yamada Akihiro. The two wolves are visible on either side of Isfan as he fights bird-faced beasts.

From Book 11, illustration by Shinobu Tanno. One of the wolves taking on a four-eyed dog.

Santa Guiscard prompt #4/24

@ryukoishida Gieve isn’t getting that drink.

- Santa Guiscard

natasia demetriou as nadja of antipaxos

natasia demetriou as nadja of antipaxos

natasia demetriou as nadja of antipaxos