Merriman Lyon

Character Analysis

Will's mentor, Merriman Lyon, was the very first Old One. He's been around for all of time—before there were iPhones or Twitter; heck, even before indoor plumbing. (Ew.) This guy's been in every single century, so he knows a thing or two. Which is good, because Will has a thing or two to learn.

Mysterious Mentor

When Will first meets Merriman, he's not sure what to make of the guy. Check it out:

Images leapt at him; he saw a silver unicorn, a field of red roses, a glowing golden sun. Above his head the high vaulted beams of the roof arched up into shadow; other shadows masked the far end of the room. He moved dreamily a few paces forward […] On either side of the fireplace two figures stood waiting for him: an old lady leaning on a stick, and a tall man. (3.5)

This is about as confusing a scenario as we can facing. Will's walked through a giant door he found in the woods and into this scene, complete with roses, the sun, a unicorn, and two random people. Huh? When the tall man (a.k.a. Merriman) starts talking to Will, it doesn't get any better. Along with the Lady, Merriman explains Will's destiny as an Old One—but he doesn't seem interested in answering any of Will's billion questions. In fact, he tells the kid lad he'll learn everything in due time. Um, okay—way to drop a bomb and then just leave it there, Merriman.

Still Waters Run Deep

If Merriman seems standoffish, it's probably because he's been burned before. Thanks to the Old Ones and their time-traveling, Will gets to witness Hawkin betraying Merriman way back in the day:

"But still he is only a man," said Merriman, and his voice was rough and the pain back deep in his face. "And he loves as a man, requiring proof of love in return. My mistake was in ignoring the risk that this might be so." (7.74)

Aw, poor Merriman. That "pain" lets us know that being betrayed by Hawkin (when Hawkin went to the Dark) was a doozy for this guy. He did risk Hawkin's life for a mission, so it's not like Hawkin just betrayed him out of nowhere, but Merriman thought his friend would understand the risk. It's clear Merriman cares deeply for Hawkin, otherwise this betrayal wouldn't still hurt. As it turns out, then, our resident mentor is more emotional than he seems. Here we glimpse his softer side.

No More Questions

Eventually Will collects all the Signs and helps defeat the Dark, with Merriman's directions. The guy might be a little cold around the edges, but he's a great mentor to young Will, giving him the tools he needs to defeat the Rider, and encouraging him along the way, even if things get a little cryptic at times.

In the end Merriman tells Will that the Dark is defeated—but Will still has a bunch of questions about what this means for the future. This is when Merriman gives him the following piece of advice:

"Come now, these are small things. I know all the questions. You will have all of the answers, when you are once at home, and in any case really you know them already." (13.74)

Huh? Will already has all the answers—his brain is so amazing that if he stops and thinks about things, he'll figure out whatever he needs to know. So while Will's journey has been about stepping into his role as Sign-Seeker, Merriman's has been about helping Will connect with his identity as an Old One and harness his power. Now that Will has done just this, Merriman is ready to step back a bit, to let the boy see what he can do on his own, just like the good mentor that he is.