In The Rise of Nicholas the Noble, before we meet elves and learn of ancient prophecies, before we encounter magical stones and witness epic battles, we meet a boy and his dog. Few characters capture the spirit of the story quite like Barry, a loyal Saint Bernard whose quiet strength may be the key to protecting the magic of Christmas itself.
But Barry wasn’t always a legend.
He began as the runt of the litter, a trembling puppy barely big enough to lift his head, abandoned in an alleyway on Christmas morning. That was the day Nicholas found him, backed against a wall while a group of older boys threw rocks and sticks at him. Nicholas, still just a boy himself, stepped in to stop them. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, he fought as hard as he could, but it was Barry who, despite his tiny size, lunged to protect him.
“He wasn’t bigger than a loaf of bread back then.”
By the end of the scuffle, Nicholas was bruised and bleeding, without the oranges his mother had sent him to buy. But he returned home, clutching a filthy, wide-eyed puppy with paws nearly the size of his head.
From that moment on, they seemed inseparable.
More Than a Pet—A Protector, a Friend, a Legend
Barry didn’t become Nicholas’ closest companion because he was big or strong, though he would grow to be both. Barry became his closest friend because of devotion. His love for Nicholas is the kind that doesn’t waver. Whether resting at Nicholas’ feet or charging into danger without a second thought, Barry is guided by one instinct: to protect the one who once protected him.
By the time Nicholas boards a ship bound for the Arctic, Barry is no longer small. One glance at him, and even seasoned sailors take note.
“Must be good for hunting, a dog of that size.
Bet he could take down a stag.”
Yet this impressive Saint Bernard curls his massive body around Nicholas to keep him warm on cold nights. During their journey onboard the ship from the port in Lycia, Barry’s closeness gives Nicholas strength.
Strength Comes in Many Forms
Barry may not wear armor or wield weapons. But make no mistake, he is a warrior. In The Rise of Nicholas the Noble, Barry takes on icy waters, mythical creatures, and forces much larger than himself, always placing himself between danger and those he loves.
“He was willing to lay down his life for us; now we
will do the same for him…Isn’t that what love does?
Lays down its life for a friend?”
Whether it’s swimming through frigid seas to push Nicholas to safety, leaping into battle when an ancient threat arises, or breaking out of captivity from an evil shapeshifter, Barry courageously jumps into action. But Barry’s strength is more than physical. He provides hope when it seems like no one else can. If Barry is there, there must be a way to win against the darkness.
What Barry Represents
In many ways, Barry reflects the deepest themes of The Rise of Nicholas the Noble: friendship, loyalty, and love that never gives up. His story runs alongside Nicholas, not as a background detail, but as a thread woven tightly into the heart of the story.
Without Barry, Nicholas might never have survived the journey that would shape him into who he’s meant to be. And without Nicholas, Barry would never have become the brave, unforgettable guardian he was always meant to become. And we? Well, we might never have experienced Christmas in quite the same way we do now!
No Spoilers, But… Barry’s Just Getting Started
While we won’t give too much away here, readers can expect Barry to continue racing into big adventure in stories to come. His greatest moments of heroism arrive when it seems all hope is lost, and what he offers in those moments changes history.
Rumors in the Santaverse whisper of a massive Saint Bernard who rescued lost travelers in the Alps, pulled children from ice caves, and appeared whenever hope was nearly lost. Some say he became a legend far beyond the North Pole: a protector of not just one boy, but of all who needed saving.
Meet the other characters of The Rise of Nicholas the Noble and watch the book trailer!