The Third was the young, overweight, ugly, taciturn, and unmotivated wizard from Aloe who was apprenticed to both One-Eye and Goblin during the Black Company's time in that city (Port of Shadows). Though he was "talented in the extreme" and literate in Aloen, he never explored his potential, and he showed minimal investment in Company developments. He called himself "the Third" because he used the same cover name as both his father and grandfather used, but Croaker the Company Annalist did not disclose what that cover name was.
Port of Shadows[]
The Third featured in all three of the short stories that would be incorporated into the novel Port of Shadows as chapters 3, 6, and 9, and also in some subsequent events.
"Tides Elba"[]
- Main article: Tides Elba
The Third notified Croaker that One-Eye would be proceeding in an unsanctioned raid to kidnap Tides Elba from the Aloen temple of Occupoa. When Croaker went to confront One-Eye, the Third departed, completely uninterested in the situation or weighing in. Later, before the officially-sanctioned mission is underway, the Captain orders both One-Eye and the Third away to a place called Utbank parish, ostensibly so that they could not endanger the mission by attempting to run a con. They are retrieved and flown back to the Company's compound by the Limper on his flying carpet.
"Smelling Danger"[]
- Main article: Smelling Danger
The Third accompanies One-Eye on yet another livestock census. This is busywork from the Captain apparently as punishment for his reckless behavior during "recent events". One-Eye derelicts his duties, which is his typical behavior, but the Third realizes that One-Eye is not complaining about the lack of women or booze or gambling. Instead, strangely, One-Eye is complaining only about being away from the Company's headquarters. When the Third questions him why, One-Eye is confused and cannot explain himself. They are caught in a devastating downpour of hailstones, and the Third is injured. One-Eye slashes his wrists, erases his memory, leaves him with a local pig farmer, and returns to the Company alone.
When the Third is brought to Croaker's infirmary on a stretcher for medical attention, he is unresponsive. The slash wounds on his wrists are not deep, but Croaker and the others assume it was attempted suicide. The Captain orders that the Third be awakened for questioning. Croaker uses smelling salts to wake him up, and Goblin questions his apprentice about One-Eye's recent behavior. The Third states that he did not attempt to kill himself, and cannot explain his wrist wounds. Croaker realizes that One-Eye must have done it: just another example of a string of One-Eye's recent inexplicable behavior. The Third's injuries are serious enough for him to remain behind and convalesce while the rest of the Company counterattacks a Rebel operative named Cannon Shear. It would soon be revealed that One-Eye was not responsible for his actions, including his assault on the Third, as he was under the influence of the Limper's malevolent sorcery.
"Bone Candy"[]
- Main article: Bone Candy
One-Eye, one of the Third's mentors, goes into hiding after Two Dead and Buzz (two of Whisper's high-ranking sorcerers) arrive in Aloe. The Third stays with One-Eye in his derelict shack and even attempts to steal food for both of them from the Company's foodstuffs. Otto finds the Third with a large quantity of bacon, and the Captain has the young wizard shackled for thievery. At Croaker's clinic, Silent puts Two Dead into a healing coma after he is attacked by beetles from an infested chinkami.
After Silent disappears, Croaker attempts to awaken Two Dead to get his permission to amputate his arm, but medicine cannot undo Silent's wizardry. Croaker and the Captain bring the Third back into the clinic to help. After warning them that Two Dead might be hysterical with the pain, he brings the man out of the magic coma. When Croaker realizes that amputation is necessary, the Third sincerely apologizes in advance to Two Dead, readily admitting that he has no experience with medical sorcery. While Croaker performs the operation, the Third is disgusted by the blood and gore. But Croaker gets him talking, and he mentions that Goblin and One-Eye disappeared only to get the full story about both Two Dead and Buzz. After the successful amputation, the Captain has Otto and his subordinates follow the Third to One-Eye's hiding place.
Subsequent events[]
After the powerful new Taken sorceress Mischievous Rain removed the Limper's malicious sorceries of control from One-Eye, she interviewed most of the other Company wizards, including the Third. It was discovered that the Limper had not attempted to control the Third, with Croaker guessing the Limper "had seen that he was not wicked enough to be used for anything freaky". As a result, the young wizard was "humiliated because he was considered a lightweight".
Toward the end of the Company's time in Aloe, Croaker put the Third to work making copies of his Annals.
When a mysterious sorcery-related mass amnesia struck the Company, the Third was impacted like virtually everyone else in the region. He and many others asked Croaker to make sense of their wiped memories, but to no avail.
The Third is not mentioned in the available Annals after Port of Shadows, so his fate is unknown. It it possible he remained in Aloe after the Company departed, like Croaker's apprentice physician Edmous Black stated he would. Like all other brothers mentioned prior to the Battle of the Barrowland who were not among the only 10 Company survivors of that battle many years later, he must be either deceased, missing, discharged, or possibly even a deserter by the end of The White Rose.