The River Has Roots

Ysabel is the second of the dual protagonists. She is two years younger than Esther, was born in summer, and has blonde hair as “bright as kings’ coins” (8). She loves to laugh but is shy. She prefers the flute and murder ballads and likes men and their attention. Unlike Esther, she has been wary of Arcadia and the Modal Lands since they became lost there, preferring to stay closer to the town and showing little interest in strange adventures.

Like Esther’s, Ysabel’s narrative role and characterization contrast with those of the younger sister in the murder ballad. She is neither the victim nor the jealous murderer, though she does somewhat envy the attention that Pollard pays to Esther. Instead, she serves as Esther’s supporter and confidante. She also helps Esther reveal Pollard as the murderer and even devises a suitable punishment for him. 

Just as Esther changes over the course of the novella, so too does Ysabel. For Ysabel, this change entails maturing to the point that she can release Esther from the childhood promise that holds Esther back from happiness with Rin. Ysabel’s change contributes to the theme of sisterhood and familial bonds, as she comes to understand that loving her sister and wishing the best for her mean that she must allow Esther to change and grow. Her own change and growth make her brave enough to walk into Arcadia in the conclusion to visit Esther with her young child.

Rin is an Arcadian from the land of Faerie and Esther’s secret lover. Rin is a nonbinary character who uses “they”/“them” pronouns and can shapeshift into any form they want. This includes a variety of human-like appearances (both male and female), animals like an owl, and even weather events like storms and snow. Rin is not their full or accurate name, as their real name is impossible for Esther to remember or pronounce—a detail that underscores Rin’s otherworldly nature.

As an Arcadian, Rin is governed by strict rules of grammar such that they cannot hear Esther singing without repaying in kind. Arcadians themselves do not sing, though Rin plays musical instruments, most notably a harp that they try to give to Esther on their third meeting. This is likely why Esther requests to be turned into a harp to warn her sister about Pollard. Though Rin fears the human world, calling it “cold and piercing” (48), they at one point agree to live there for Esther’s sake, demonstrating their own selflessness and highlighting the power of love to inspire bravery and cross divides.

Pollard is a human and a gentleman farmer who owns land neighboring the Hawthorns in Thistleford. He is a secondary character and the antagonist of the narrative. He courts Esther out of a desire to unite his lands with the Hawthorns’, which he believes will be an enormously profitable venture. He is obsequious and overly gallant in his attentions to both sisters in a way that is false and ingratiating. In reality, he is arrogant, believing that he knows better than others, even about the Hawthorns’ willow harvesting business. He showers Esther with gifts that she finds uncomfortable in an attempt to forge a bond or establish a kind of obligation between them. He is also immensely jealous, violent, and conniving, as proven when he murders Esther and switches his plans to marry Ysabel instead. 

Because of the grammar magic in the River Liss, Pollard’s hands change to fish scales when he drowns Esther, which helps prove his guilt. When caught, his punishment is being forced to drink from the river and turning into a willow tree to be coppiced and harvested by the Hawthorns. Pollard’s characterization and his ultimate fate contribute significantly to the theme of Resistance to Patriarchal Oppression, as the sisters expose his true, violent nature through solidarity and the power of language.