Gamalpar and Vinnerva:

His health was fading him the whole book, from the moment we see him, we know something is wrong. through the book it just gets worst, and he starts to lose faith in himself, but they wont let him fall behind, and eventually end up carrying him. But the number one thing on his list was to protect Vinnerva. His health gets to a point where he can no longer do anything, but fade away, and die. In response, he leaves everything to Chakas, including Vinnerva as his mate for life, (she never quite agrees, but hints that she likes him) for him to protect with his life as the old man's dying wish. But even through all that, the old man did not let it get him down, he continued with his witty jokes, and joyful comments, keeping up the small morale of those around him. He will be missed as one of my favorite Characters of all time.

With Vinnerva we truly see what its like for a person to touch the brink of insanity and make it back alive. In the beginning we see this sweet girl, who wants nothing more than to save Chakas and Gamalpar. So she helps the two on the epic voyage across the ring, along the way, her Geae activates, a beacon, drawing her to the Palace of pain. To put how this must of felt for her into perspective, imagine not being able to breath, when air was right there in front of you, but no matter how much you choked, you didn't die, but nothing would stop your suffering but to take a breath. That is what it felt like for her, so she was slowly driven to insanity where the two men could not leave her alone, but when they reached the Village, she was no longer affected by it, and returns to her normal happy self. All seems happy for her, until then, right as she starts to feel joy, here Grandfather dies, with nothing she could do. so she entered despair, and for the rest of the book she doesn't really change at all.