Character Analysis
If we've learned anything from The Wild Children, it's that you can't judge a book by its cover. After all, if Alex judged Peter by his disheveled clothing and street-smart attitude, he would miss out on one of the most loyal and good-hearted dudes on planet earth.
A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing
At first, Alex is unable to look past Peter's appearance—it's quite frightening to a nerdy fellow like Alex, and all he can focus on during their first meeting is the way that Peter's "rag-wrapped feet protruded from the holes in outsize boots, the leather in shreds" (3.37). This isn't too surprising, as Alex has had bad experiences with other homeless kids in the past. Regardless, Alex is now one of those homeless kids himself, so he'll need to figure out a way to get past his fear of the rough-and-tumble kids who run the streets of Moscow.
Luckily, it isn't long before Alex's preconceptions are shattered like fine china. Although Peter might look tough (and he is), he's actually a big softie on the inside. For example, he takes a very active role in managing his band of thieves, prohibiting them from doing shady stuff like drinking booze and selling drugs. This is inspired by Peter's relationship with Jacob, a baker who saved him from the streets and "'was the only person who had ever been good to [him] after [his] mother died'" (5.63). Instead of abusing his power over the boys in his group, Peter tries to save their lives just like Jacob saved his. Aw.
Fishing for Fun and Profit
Unfortunately, he can't save everyone. In particular, Peter is devastated by the death of Miska—in fact, he's so angry about it that he straight-up kills the guy who murdered Miska, breaking his own rule numero uno (no murder) in the process. Although Peter is by no means proud of this impulsive decision, he knows that he can't live with himself if he lets Miska's killer walk away scot-free. Still, it's a decision that haunts him—Alex can tell that Peter is now feeling "the way [Alex] felt the day [he] ran to Katriana, not knowing what to do" (11.2).
Luckily, Peter isn't going through this alone; he's supported by all of the boys whose lives he saved. Alex really steps up to the plate here, telling Peter about his plan to escape to Finland and inviting him and the crew along for the ride.
Peter's not quite ready to leave his homeland, though, so while he journeys to Finland with his band of misfits, he abruptly decides to head back to the Soviet Union as they approach Finland, telling Alex that he wants to go "back to Moscow and get some more children" (13.85) to smuggle out of the country. This is actually quite fitting. After all, Peter has spent his whole life giving second chances to kids with no hope for the future, so this is simply a much bigger version of the thing he's always done—saving lives.