Slanter

Slanter is a character in The Wishsong of Shannara and the graphic novel Dark Wraith of Shannara. He is a Gnome Tracker who looks out only for himself and does what is needed to stay alive. He was tasked with tracking the Druid Allanon, which led him to Jair Ohmsford.

Biography

Slanter left the Eastland at a young age, learning the skills of tracking from an old Borderman. He has traveled through all of the Four Lands at one time or another, and as such is more worldly compared to the rest of the relatively reclusive Eastland Gnomes. He tracked for the Mord Wraiths simply because it was the smartest thing to do, and not because he particularly enjoyed it.

The Mord Wraiths tasked Slanter with tracking the Druid Allanon. Slanter followed the Druid's trail to Shady Vale, where he had an encounter with Jair Ohmsford. When he questioned Jair about Allanon's whereabouts and threatened the Valeman, Jair attacked him with the wishsong. Jair distracted Slanter by creating an illusion of snakes wrapping around the Gnome's body, and Jair swung a tree branch from an old maple at Slanter to render him unconscious. Jair fled Shady Vale, heading toward the Highlands of Leah.

However, Slanter's tracking skills allowed him to find Jair easily, and he captured the boy and turned him over to Spilk, the Sedt in charge of the Gnome patrol tracking Allanon. Later, while Jair was being rescued from the patrol by the Weapons Master Garet Jax, Slanter defended Jair against a fellow Gnome, and then went with Garet and Jair on Jair's quest to save his sister, Brin Ohmsford.

Slanter followed Jair and the Weapons Master to Culhaven, capital of the Dwarves, despite the deep enmity between Dwarves and Gnomes. From there he followed the company Jair had assembled in Culhaven to Graymark, the citadel of the Mord Wraiths, though he did so unwillingly and with no small amount of complaint.

Despite his protests, Slanter proved a valuable ally to the company, and he developed a strong bond with the Valeman, ultimately saving Jair's life numerous times. Indeed, Slanter was the only one of Jair's companions from Culhaven to survive the journey into the deep Eastland to save Brin and heal the Silver River, and he promised Jair at their farewell that they would meet again.

About three years later, Jair seeks Slanter out in the Gnome village of Quorin Abbas, located at the edge of the Wolfsktaag Mountains. The Valeman sought out Slanter in the hopes that the Tracker would assist him in tracking down Cogline and Kimber Boh, who had been abducted by Mwellrets serving the Croton Witch.

Slanter initially refuses, but after persistent pleading from Jair relents and offers to think about it over some more drinks. The next morning, he promises to lead Jair to the entrance of a passage through the Wolfsktaag that takes travelers quickly to Darklin Reach and Hearthstone, but warns that Jair will have to traverse the passage on his own. However, once they arrive at the passage in question Slanter continues on horseback, leading Jair in without a word. Jair smiles, following the Tracker.

Slanter and Jair find Cogline and Kimber Boh's cottage ransacked when they reach Hearthstone, with no one there to greet them except Whisper. Jair, realizing that Whisper wants to lead them somewhere, convinces Slanter that they should follow the moor cat to see what he knows. Despite Slanter's misgivings, they follow Whisper through the passes below Toffer Ridge and into Olden Moor, where the Werebeasts are.