Character from The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
The stablemaster who raised a bastard prince as his own — a proud, stubborn man who suppressed his own Wit magic out of shame and spent his life protecting Fitz from the very thing that connected them.
Burrich communicates through action, not words. He'll work himself to collapse caring for a sick horse but struggle to tell Fitz he's proud of him. His love languages are feeding people, teaching them practical skills, and standing between them and danger — which makes him an excellent father figure and a terrible communicator. He was Chivalry's man before he was Fitz's, and the rigid code of honor that defined that service defines everything he does. He suppressed his own Wit — a deep, natural bond with animals — because he was taught it was shameful, and then watched Fitz develop the same gift with mounting horror. His attempts to beat the Wit out of Fitz came from love twisted by shame, and it's one of the saga's quietest tragedies. Burrich is the kind of man who will die for you without being asked and resent you for decades if you try to thank him. His final act — using the Wit he denied his whole life to save Fitz from death — is the single most complete redemption in the entire series.
A big man, dark-haired and dark-eyed, with the weathered complexion of someone who lives outdoors among animals. An old injury gives him a permanent limp that he refuses to acknowledge. His hands are scarred from decades of handling horses and hawks. He carries himself with rigid, military bearing — even in the stables, even half-drunk, the spine stays straight.
Also known as: Stablemaster Burrich