So I've developed a sneaking suspicion regarding some potential symbolism within the Green Ember series, and thought I'd share it here. In some Judeo-Christian traditions, certain numbers have significance, and among these are two in particular that I wish to discuss: 6 and 7.

In various traditions, the number 6 is held to represent anything from man's incompleteness without God to being a downright symbol of evil. Possible examples in the Green Ember include:

• The Lords of Prey are literally led by a group named "The Six". Interestingly, though this group had a total of seven members over the course of the series-with one dying and being replaced-only six of those seven have been given actual names. Of course, one of those names is just "-son" tacked onto his dad's name, but it's something.

• The Lords of Prey established six districts in the slave city of Akolan, and the Sixth is known for being the home of their privileged collaborators.

• On another interesting note-though I suspect this was a coincidence and not planned-only six of the wolf characters in the series have been given proper names: Bant, Blenk, Farlock, Flox, Garlacks, and Redeye. The First Fowler's Black Stripe doesn't really count, as it's a moniker Jo Shanks developed based on his appearance and not used by any characters who would be aware of his actual name.

By contrast, the number 7 is often seen as a symbol of perfection, holiness, or at the very least indicative of goodness. The Green Ember series potentially reflects this in the following:

• The Council of Seven Ambassadors, whose efforts to establish peace in Natalia only failed when their leader, Garten Longtreader, betrayed them, thus reducing their number from seven to six.

• The Seven Standing Stones, which Flint and Faye crossed as they Leaped from Immovable Mountain to Blue Moss Hills. Monuments to these stones play significant roles in the plots of every main series book except for The Green Ember, and the First Warren set are notably defiled with statues of the Six and Garten Longtreader.

• Akolan's Seventh District, the only one not established by the Preylord regime, constitutes the city's resistance against the tyranny of Morbin Blackhawk.

• As of The First Fowler, there are seven named secret citadels: Blackstone, Chelmsford, Cloud Mountain, Halfwind, Harbone, Kingston, and Vandalia. You could probably count the Seventh District and the Citadel of Dreams as well, but there are two reasons I didn't. First, neither of these were part of the coalition of secret citadels formed after King Jupiter's fall in anything but spirit; no contact took place between them. Second, they were led by the various Tunnelers and Captain Moonlight, respectively, rather than by a designated citadel lord.

• As of Ember's End, we know that King Jupiter was served by Seven Lord Captains: Perkin One-Eye, Fesselhorn, Gome the Agile, Harlan Seer, Pickwand, Stam the Stout, and Helmer the Black (#LastLordCaptain #BestLordCaptain).

• The starsword and several other important relics were secreted in Forbidden Island, the centermost of seven islands in Lake Merle. Of course, that's about the only thing you could consider holy or good about a place that's also home to the Dragon Tomb.

• This may also be a coincidence, but by the end of the series rabbitkind has had seven kings who have been given proper names: Flint, Gerrard, Whitson, Lander, Walter, Jupiter, and Smalden. Of course we know of the existence of others, including Walter's father, but those are the only ones to have been named thus far.

Just a little something I noticed. Could be pure speculation on my part, but might be fun to ask S.D. Smith about if anyone ever has the chance and there aren't more interesting questions to put to him.