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Unlike Kira and Thomas, Matt has no particular skills that the Council of Guardians would consider worth capturing, but his kindness, generosity, and openness give him immeasurable value not only to Kira but also to Gathering Blue’s narrative. Because so many of Gathering Blue’s characters are highly skilled artists, it is important to show that Kira’s worldview is flexible enough to allow for an appreciation of less concrete talents and strengths, and Matt is the perfect embodiment of that. In Chapter 17, Kira makes the explicit comparison between Matt’s ability to make people smile and laugh and Jo’s beautiful singing, proving that she intrinsically understands the diverse and often intangible strengths that different people can bring to a community. This appreciation goes both ways, as Matt recognizes that Kira has different patterns of thinking that he chooses to support and adopt as his own. When Matt brings Kira the woad and blue cloth, he is taking an active role in supporting her creativity. Despite having an abusive mother and absent father, Matt recognizes how important it will be for Kira to meet Christopher, the father she never had a chance to know.
Matt’s relationship with his dog, Branch, mirrors the relationship between Kira and her mother. Just as Katrina saved Kira from being sent into the Field of Leaving to die as an infant, Matt rescued Branch from certain death after he was injured by a donkey cart. This act of kindness sets Matt apart from other villagers, who lack the compassion to help others heal. The bond he forms with Branch, and the importance he places on their relationship, also reveals the depth of Matt’s emotional capacity. This is all the more surprising after Kira meets Matt’s uncaring mother and experiences the world of the Fen, which thrives on transactional rather than deep interpersonal relationships. Kira recognizes Matt’s commitment to Branch as a living example of love, companionship, and appreciation that transcends physical ability and the so-called usefulness that the village prioritizes in its inhabitants.
