Messenger: Chapter Thirteen Summary & Analysis

Matty used to be a brash and swaggering boy. His mother didn't want him, so Matty spent time with a gang of dirty boys and learned to steal. However, there was also a gentle side to him. He befriended his dog and eventually, Kira. Kira taught him to bathe and showed him he could be better. Matty spent his time wandering through Forest and once, found his way to Village and to Seer. He led Seer back to Kira, keeping Seer from the men who thought they'd killed him, and then led Seer back to Village and assured him that Kira had no real reason to stay in her settlement. He explained that "they" only keep her because she can dye and weave; if she didn't have those skills, they'd kill her. Matty noticed that Forest warned Seer as they walked.

In the present, Matty tumbles out of Forest and feels almost blinded by the sunlight. Frolic snuffles around Matty as Matty thinks that Forest has kicked him out. Looking through the trees, he knows that the return journey with Kira will be his last trip. Matty calculates how many days he has and thinks that he doesn't have time to look up his old friends or his brother. He needs to rest, collect food, and return to Village promptly.

Matty admires Kira's large garden and wishes he knew what some of the flowers are called so he could tell Jean about them. Kira appears in the door and greets Matty happily. She embraces him, and Matty feels ready to cry. Kira looks Matty over, and comments that he's almost a man. He brags that he can read Shakespeare. When Kira says that she can too, Matty knows things have changed here—girls used to not be allowed to learn. He follows Kira inside and as she dishes up soup, he looks around at her dried herbs and colorful thread. He also watches the way that Kira walks and moves as she fills a bowl of water for Frolic and puts it on the ground. Her right leg is shorter and drags behind her.

Kira sits with Matty, offers him bread, and then talks about how sweet Frolic is. Matty is lost in thought about healing Frolic and Frolic's mother. He looks again at Kira's leg and thinks that if her leg were straight, they could travel faster. He thinks of how tired he was after healing Frolic and reasons that it would take him a few hours to recover. Kira calls him back from his reverie and points to Frolic, asleep on a pile of yarn. She suggests that Matty sleep while she works in the garden. Matty lies on the sofa and watches her drag her foot while she collects her garden tools. He thinks he must fix her.