Realm Breaker

The expression “with me” is a recurring symbol that becomes a key indicator of Andry’s character growth and emotional state. Initially, the expression has a military connotation when Sir Grandel and other members of the Lionguard use it as a battle cry. In the training yards, where Andry has heard it most often, the expression has a more encouraging meaning, such as “keep up, be strong, push harder” (20). However, during the massacre at the temple, the meaning takes on an urgent note of survival and is used as a rallying cry urging the survivors to escape. This phrase intensifies Andry’s despair as he witnesses all the knights and Elders dying around him—including Sir Grandel, who commands him to run away. Because no one aside from Andry and Dom escape, the expression became a haunting representation of Andry’s failure to save his comrades and his own knight.

As both Andry and Dom struggle with their grief, the expression becomes a bridge between them, and they decide to lean on one another for support. Later, when Andry is put into another dangerous situation with the sea serpent and Dom is about to die, the expression becomes a symbol of Andry’s redemption, and the call is one again used as a battle cry for him and the Companions.