| “ | Picket couldn't keep from smiling, and Weezie laughed hard. How had she made him laugh in this dark, forsaken place? She was, he thought, very special. | ” |
— Narrator, Ember Rising, p. 288
|
Louise “Weezie” Longtreader is the daughter of Airen and Snoden, the sister of Layra, and the niece of Helmer. After the War for All Natalia she became the wife of Picket Longtreader, with whom she had several children, including Jo Longtreader.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Louise was born one of a set of twins, the other being her sister Layra; the pair grew up on their family's farm in First Warren. During the Afterterrors, Louise's father Snoden was killed by the regime under Morbin Blackhawk.
Later, her sister Layra was taken and put to death by Daggler. This tragedy broke the heart of Airen, while Louise became resigned to a hard existence.
Ember Rising[]
When Helmer and Picket Longtreader arrived at Airen and Louise's home in First Warren, Louise confronted them with a bow and arrows. She was initially doubtful as to Helmer's claim to being her uncle, but was convinced when he shared an account of a past adventure with her father. She allowed him inside, and remained outside conversing with Picket.
When the two overheard Helmer weeping at Airen’s sad state, Weezie explained what had become of her sister to Picket. The two went on a walk, leaving Helmer to console his sister while Louise made Picket aware of the challenges they faced. Though she demonstrated a fatalistic acceptance of her situation, her desire to join the resistance grew as she became better acquainted with Picket. The pair were then ambushed by a group of black-clad rabbits, whom they mistook for the villainous Black Band
While being marched off, Picket staged an escape, and briefly freed himself and Weezie before they were both recaptured. The pair were led to a cell, where they managed to continue bonding despite their apparently dire situation. They were then taken, to their surprise, to the Citadel of Dreams. Louise was a tiny bit more trusting than Picket, who cautioned her against their new acquaintances and their leader, Captain Moonlight.
When Moonlight’s lieutenant, Whitbie, reported that Helmer and Airen were in danger of being taken by Daggler’s forces, both Weezie and Picket insisted on joining a rescue mission. During the mission, Moonlight questioned Weezie’s skill as an archer, and she informed Picket that an earlier shot that had missed him and Helmer had been aimed at his head. Weezie took over as guide for the resistance fighters, allowing them to get into position for an ambush. Weezie joined Whit in seeing Airen safely away from the conflict.
Weezie happily embraced Picket upon being reunited with him in the Citadel of Dreams. The pair joined their new allies in celebrating that night before retiring to bed. The morning after, Weezie and her mother joined Pocket and Helmer at breakfast, which included much good-natured teasing aimed mostly at Helmer. On Victory Day, Weezie joined in the Battle for First Warren, helping destroy the statue of Morbin atop one of the Seven Standing Stones. She then assisted in the evacuation of younglings and other civilians.
Weezie later came to Picket’s hospital bed after the battle, enjoying yet another reunion with him. The pair headed out into the city square for Emma’s address to the city, and despite Weezie’s misgivings the pair were allowed to take a seat atop one of the Standing Stones. As they ascended, both expressed feelings of longing for their absent sisters. Weezie and Picket looked on as Emma spoke, before joining in with the song of the Resistance.
Ember's End[]
| “ | Weezie: I'm a servant here-here at the end. And I don't mind. I have my bow handy for when they come. Until then, I'm a servant. My armor is this apron. It's not very glorious, but it keeps me working the farm-though the farm's never been so shabby-and feeding folks who need it.
|
” |
Picket was sent to Weezie's farm to recover from his injuries after the battle, allowing the pair and Airen to spend some days together. Eventually, however, Picket was recalled to duty, and Weezie brought him the message just as he finished making a starstick using ribbon taken from Weezie. After bidding farewell to Airen, who reminisced briefly regarding Helmer's own long ago departure to a war that never truly ended, the pair walked to the palace, with Weezie taking Picket's arm despite his not requiring her support. Weezie graciously departed when Lieutenant Warken forbade her entrance to Emma's council, and informed Picket that she would be waiting for him at the standing stones.
However, during the meeting, Emma's council learned of an imminent attack by the Terralain army, which forced the Fowlers to accompany Emma to meet with their leaders. Weezie came to see Picket and her uncle Helmer off, also bidding farewell to the princess before departing. She then went to her work as a server under the direction of Captain Moonlight, now a quartermaster, and was present upon Picket's return from the meeting with the Terralains and the attack on Harbone Citadel. Weezie was annoyed when Moonlight called on her for help, being occupied with her own tasks, until she realized that Picket had returned. Grabbing a tray of food, she joined him in riding on a cart back to the palace, and the pair spoke of the disaster at Harbone, the threat of the Terralains, and the news of Heather's supposed death.
Weezie spoke briefly of her own small role, including her readiness to use her bow if it became necessary and her continued work on the farm. She also encouraged the exhausted and discouraged Picket to keep up the fight with hope for what would come after. On the day of the Siege of First Warren, Moonlight approached Picket upon his arrival at the city's main gate and noted that he believed Weezie had observed, and been impressed by, Picket's arrival by glider pack. Picket then asked Moonlight, whose staff were being ordered to fallback positions, to take care of Weezie for him, as he felt he would be unable to bear her loss on top of everything else.
Despite the grueling losses of the final battle, which included Helmer's death, Weezie survived and would go on to marry a battle-scarred Picket. By the time of the first Feast of the Mending a year later, the pair were expecting their first child, with Weezie's pregnancy being in evidence as she and Picket walked forward to take their places at a table set aside for Picket, his family, and closest friends. The pair were gifted the farm as a wedding present, and would go on to raise several children there, including a son named Jo. Weezie came to be on good terms with their new neighbors, Maggie and Edward Weaver, as well as with her in-laws, which included King Smalden Joveson and his wife, Heather, who had survived the attempt on her life.
Personality and traits[]
Louise is rather outspoken and defensive, traits that stem from her traumatic childhood. Nevertheless, she is kindhearted, and is friendly and comfortable with rabbits she knows well.
Skills and abilities[]
Louise is an archer, though her skills at the time of meeting Picket were less than perfect; a shot aimed at his head ended up flying between him and Helmer instead. Her greatest skill in terms of aiding Picket and Helmer in First Warren was her knowledge of the terrain.
Family trees[]
| Unnamed father | Unnamed mother | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brindle Cove | Unnamed wife | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unnamed ancestors (including Helmer's great -grandfather and father) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Helmer | Wilfred Longtreader | Airen | Snoden (deceased) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Layra | Louise | Picket Longtreader | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 unnamed adopted children | Jo Longtreader | Unnamed children | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unnamed ancestors (possibly including Forsythe Longtreader and Whittle's father) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Garten | Whittle | Sween | Wilfred's first wife | Wilfred | Airen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 unnamed adopted children | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Smalden Joveson | Heather | Picket | Louise | Jacket | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maggie | Hanna | Unnamed children | Jo | Unnamed children | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relationships[]
Snoden and Airen[]
| “ | Louise: It feels wrong, but I want to leave her, Picket. I want to go with you and join your cause.
|
” |
Snoden and Airen were Weezie's father and mother, though Snoden was killed long before Weezie reached maturity. The two were implied to have been close in the time they had together, with Snoden sharing stories of his youth with his daughter. Airen and Weezie also had a loving relationship, though both suffered after the loss of Snoden and Layra. Though troubled by her mother's decline, Weezie would eventually express the desire to leave her in order to join the Cause; this proved unnecessary when the forces of the Cause came to First Warren. Despite having expressed this wish, Weezie was also determined to go along on the mission to rescue her mother from the Black Band.
Layra[]
Layra was Weezie's twin sister, but the pair were separated by the cruel actions of the Black Band. Weezie continued to miss her sister long after Layra had been murdered, and said as much to Picket during the celebration of the retaking of First Warren.
Helmer[]
| “ | Picket: *Grunts*
|
” |
Helmer was Picket's uncle; the pair didn't meet until near the end of Helmer's life, when Louise was near maturity. Weezie was under the impression that Helmer was dead, and thus didn't believe him when Helmer introduced himself as her mother's brother. However, after he expressed sympathy at the news of her father's death and shared a story of an escapade the pair had together as young bucks, she was convinced. The pair quickly bonded in the brief time they had together, with Weezie joining her mother and Picket in good-natured teasing of the older buck. Both quickly became comfortable with embracing one another, and Helmer made a point of introducing Weezie and Airen to Emma. He would later ask Weezie to look after Airen while he and Picket were away on a mission.
Picket Longtreader[]
| “ | Weezie: *Laughing* And here I thought you were some exciting soldier with tales of adventure.
|
” |
Picket and Weezie's relationship had a rather unlikely start, in which she fired an arrow intended to kill him during their first meeting. However, after learning that his companion was her long-lost uncle, Weezie understandably was friendlier to Picket, and the two went on a walk around her family farm while Helmer was taking care of Airen. Picket spoke to Weezie regarding his family and the hope in the Cause and began to break through Weezie's apathetic acceptance of her unfortunate situation. When the pair were abducted by rabbits they believed to be part of the Black Band, Picket did his best to escape with Weezie in tow.
Despite their apparently dire circumstances, Weezie was able to joke around with Picket, impressing him with her natural resilience. When the two were brought to meet Captain Moonlight, Picket acted as the voice of caution, warning Weezie against trusting the first impression of the friendly rabbits. She joined him in insisting on accompanying the mission to rescue Helmer and Airen from the Black Band and embraced him upon his safe return to the Citadel of Dreams. They spent a happy night celebrating with the other resistance members, and later enjoyed a breakfast at which they joked around with-and about-Helmer.
Weezie embraced Picket again when he returned safely from an audience with Winslow and promised to see him again when they both set out on dangerous Victory Day missions. Picket would later complement Weezie's brave work before and during the battle for First Warren. Weezie, for her part, expressed admiration for Picket's heroics. Despite Weezie's misgivings, the pair ascended one of the Seven Standing Stones, and looked on as Emma addressed the city. They each expressed a longing for their absent sisters, taking comfort in each other's presence.
The bond between the two continued to deepen as Picket spent a brief leave at Helmer's farm, with the pair enjoying good-natured teasing of one another prior to Picket's recall to duty. Weezie accompanied Picket during the return journey and promised to wait for him to emerge from a meeting of Emma's council. When it became necessary for Helmer and Picket to join Emma on a mission, Weezie came to see them off and bid Picket farwell. Upon his return from the mission and the disaster at Harbone, Weezie rushed to bring him food and drink and accompanied him in riding to the palace, comforting him in his sorrow over the losses at Harbone and the news of Heather's supposed death.
Just as the final battle was beginning, Moonlight would comment that Weezie had watched Picket's arrival at the city gate and seemed impressed by his landing; Picket responded by asking Moonlight to take care of Weezie during the coming battle. After Picket emerged from a coma resulting from his injuries in the battle, he and Weezie were married and settled together on her family farm. They would go on to have several children.
Trivia[]
- The name "Louise" is of English, French, and German origin. It means "famous warrior."[1]
Gallery[]
 Take a look at our gallery for Louise Longtreader. |
References[]
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