Matthias Tunstall

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Spoiler Alert: The following section contains spoilers about Bloodhound.

Matthias Tunstall, often called Mattes, is Beka Cooper's male dog partner and partner to Clara Goodwin. He is well-known for his good work and is a veteran of over a decade. However, Mattes is easygoing, more so than Beka imagined a famous veteran of the dangerous Lower City to be. Like his partner Goodwin, Tunstall is a good enough guardsman that he could have any position in Corus that he wants, but chooses to stick to the Lower City. Tunstall is good-looking and seems to have a bit of a romantic interest in Lady Sabine, a lady knight of Tortall who occasionally visits a favorite haunt of Tunstall, Goodwin, and Beka. Later he and Lady Sabine become lovers. After Goodwin retires to a deskjob Beka becomes his new permanent partner.

Biography

Matthias Tunstall originates from the eastern hillcountry, where his native language was Hurdik. That's why Goodwin often refers to him jokingly as "hill barbarian".

At some time before or after 231 HE Tunstall had an relationship with Myaral Fane. They wanted different things out of their lives, however, with Tunstall wanting fun. Thus they split up and Mya eventually married while Tunstall is still a bachelor fifteen years later.

Tunstall has been working as a Dog since 226 HE. Seven years later he was partnered with Clara Goodwin. They have worked together ever since. Both work the Evening Watch in the Lower City, reporting to Jane Street kennel. By 246 HE, Tunstall has the position of a Senior Dog. He has been offered promotion to Corporal and could have even been Sergeant but has refused every time because he didn't want the additional writing.

While doing his work Tunstall once fell off a roof. He was chasing a criminal in Prettybone District and had already gotten hold of him, when the criminal threw soot in Tunstall's face. He fell three stories down into a pile of dung.

He first met Lady Sabine when he, Goodwin and Beka got into trouble in the Barrel's Bottom. The two of them meet some times when he is off-duty after that and by May 9, 246 HE they seem to have been to supper together several times. In September the following year they still maintain a romantic relationship, even though Lady Sabine once commented that she likes her single state. About a month after Tunstall and Lady Sabine started seing each other he repainted the doors and shutters of the lodging house he owned and where he lived. He also added new boards on the stairs and railings. He'd probably done so to impress Lady Sabine.

On Midwinter of 246/247 HE Pounce saved Tunstall's live, causing the man to refer to Pounce as hestaka, which means wise-one in Tunstall's native language, in the following months and perhaps even years and also to have great respect for Pounce.

During the Bread Riot on September 8, 247 HE Tunstall had both his legs broken when he went down and people stepped on them. Hansevor Remy carried him out of the crowd and into the shelter of the Jack and Pasty. Afterwards his legs needed weeks to heal, which is partially caused by the compexity of his injuries--his legs are both broken in several places--and partially due to the fact that in his years as a Dog Tunstall had already had enough healings administered to himself that he has gotten somewhat resistant to them.

Physical description

He is about six foot three inches (6'3") tall with long arms and long legs. He has deep brown eyes and a long, curved nose. He wears his hair, which was originally brown but is greying now, cropped short. He also has a short beard and a moustache. Beka compares him to an owl. He is dark-skinned.

Personality and traits

"If her husband comes looking for you, I won't be your second, not after last time. [...] I stood there like an idiot while you made the cove laugh so hard at your jokes he ended up buying all of us breakfast. Some duel that was."

—Goodwin to Tunstall

Tunstall normally is good-humoured which makes him quite the opposite to Goodwin. It would seem as though he sometimes flirts, even when he is on duty as Beka witnesses on her first day with her training Dogs. But Tunstall can also get quite serious. He has the ability of making people leave just with a glance at them. While Lady Sabine herself doesn't care about people making jokes on her behalf because she beds a common Dog Tunstall himself cares very much and is fast at losing his good humour when he hears of it. When he thinks he does so while standing still, again as opposed to Goodwin, and even when he isn't carrying his baton he makes the movements of tapping it.

Tunstall likes to grow miniature roses, which he has learned from a Yamani friend. Beka even comments about him being the best gardener in the Lower City, considering his garden only cosists of window and porch boxes. He also has a great liking of apple-raisin patties, especially those made by Deirdry Noll. Tunstall's favorite color is a pale yellow.

Spoiler Alert: The following section contains spoilers about Mastiff.

Appearances

Tunstall appears both in Terrier and Bloodhound, although he plays a far greater role in the first novel, because he is at home with a broken leg for the most part of the latter. However, he will certainly appear in the last installment of the Provost's Dog trilogy, Mastiff, which has already been confirmed by Tamora Pierce. He is Beka's partner for that novel, so some more about his past might be revealed, especially since they will also come into the eastern hillcountry, where Tunstall is originally from.