Merthin Bridger

Merthin is Ralph's brother and the son of Sir Gerald and Maud. He is just a child when he arrives in Kingsbridge with his parents and Ralph. His father is stripped of his land because of unpaid debts, and the family enters a life of near-poverty. Merthin is the older of the brothers but is smaller than Ralph. While Ralph is guaranteed a position as a squire for Earl Roland, Merthin is apprenticed to a ruthless builder, Elfric. Merthin shows a talent for building from his first moments in that trade and he soon becomes better at the craft than Elfric, which leads to a life-long enmity between the two men. While Merthin is impatient with his situation and the fact that Elfric takes credit for himself while holding Merthin back, Merthin is unable to escape the situation until Elfric ends the apprenticeship.

Merthin loves Caris from...