Here, I would like to address Small’s apparent “death”. The first mention of it is in a shocking scene where Uncle Wilfred is seriously injured in the snow, and tells Picket, Heather, and Perkison that he witnessed Smalls getting “run through and carried off, limp as a string” in the battle. Heather goes into shock and the others stand there doing nothing while he’s bleeding out in the snow.

Now, of course, you would assume Smalls is dead, especially after another witness claims the same thing later. But, there’s a catch. It doesn’t specify exactly where he was run through. In the stomach? In the leg? But it would have to be in a place where they think that it would be lethal. Now, let’s step back and look at another place where someone was stabbed. That’s right, Heather when her Evil Uncle stabbed her in the middle (Note that it specifically says “middle” in the book) and kicks her into the Dragon tombs. (How we know it’s the Dragon Tombs will be discussed in another theory). Now, when it says Middle, I think of the place below your rib cage. Just like Heather, if Smalls had been run through there, it wouldn’t be lethal for him, and he could survive.

The rib cage holds very important organs, like the Lungs and the Heart. If a lung had been punctured, then the wound would cause it to collapse, and Smalls would not have enough oxygen, resulting in irreversible brain damage in a quarter of an hour, and death soon after. The Heart, well, explains itself.

Stomach is out of the question. If it had punctured the organ, then the stomach acid would burn away at tissue very quickly, and anywhere in the intestines would require intensive and delicate stitching right away for him to survive, which the medics in the story are apparently not familiar with.

Straight in the middle, which would be right below the Rib Cage, would make his chance of survival a little more probable. If the blade somehow managed to not hit his esophagus, then pretty much the only organ standing in the way is the Liver, which is actually something that can maintain functionality even if part of it is removed.

However, there is more to think about than just what organs are hit.

We also have to keep in mind the condition of the blade in which he was wounded with. if it was a dull blade there is more risk for infection as the blade mutilates and twists the insides, causing not as much blood to come out, but making a wider slice in the flesh, and possibility of internal bleeding. if it was a sharp blade then there is a bigger chance of bleeding to death as it severs a clean wide cut of the blood vessels, a perfect blade sized hole with no jagged edges where the blood vessels were rather torn and mutilated then severed. the blades the raptors use have been used on many other victims before, no doubt, so whatever diseases and germs (not to mention guts) are on the weapon will be transferred to Small’s insides, increasing chance of infection. while a dull blade might prolong Small’s life long enough to be saved, (since there will be less bleeding) it decreases his chance of life in the long-term as the infection could kill him. bleeding out would make a quicker death.

If a major wound is left out to bleed for too long, then he would develop shock, and a person who is in shock for a long time is certain to die. And if the spine is hit, it could cause spinal trauma, leading to complete paralysis in the lower section of his body. Smalls wouldn’t exactly be the best king if he led his troops to battle in a wheelchair being pushed by his wife. (Smalls X Heather ya’ll)

But, don’t despair, there is hope for your long-eared friend. A Heart of Hope. (wink wink) Let’s suppose all those terrible things don’t happen, and instead of Smalls dying, he’s in a light coma. After being thrown in the Tombs, he may have awoken a few times. In the description of the Tombs, it says that there is plant life; wet vines hanging from the ceiling, and moss on the ground. Moss is known to mainly grow under constant moisture, so that would mean there is most likely moisture around or even a water source. Smalls could’ve gathered water from that, and as long as he has water, he has a really good chance of survival. We could even try to go as far to assume that some of the vegetation could be edible, and Smalls could’ve lived off of that for the week he was down there.

Now let’s consider his still, death-like appearance when Heather finds him. If he were seriously injured, then he would be much too weak to move far, and using up all the water and disgusting mouthfuls of moss all around him, he would be further weakened and slip into a deeper coma. Rabbits can only go for 2 days without water, and 4 days without food, but since the rabbits in this story are approximately 150% larger than the average rabbit, then we can assume that their capabilities are magnified by that amount. Then that would leave us with 5 days max without water and 10 days without food. Considering the moisture of the place, it would be possible for Smalls to ingest some and soak up lots through his skin, therefore lengthening the time he has without water for a little bit.

It’s also important to note that Heather has a dream in the third book about her in “that dark place” having a conversation with “someone familiar”.

“She was in a dank, dark cavern like so many times before. But this time she was talking with someone in the dim, slick bottom. She carried on in conversation, one that pleased her, but all the while a voice in her head said over and over ‘unsettle the foundations! Unsettle the foundations!”

It could be possible that that conversation that pleases her is one she is having with Smalls, and that could be used as good, solid proof that he is alive considering that Heather has prophetic dreams. Something to chew on.

So to wrap it up, Is Smalls Alive? Under certain special circumstances, yes, it is possible. However, the real question we should be asking is: Will Smalls Survive? If he really is in a coma and Heather just found him while she’s still injured, I doubt that she has the medical supplies necessary to keep him alive. Or does she? I will discuss that in another Green Ember theory, specifically focusing on the possible "power" of the Green Ember.