Eric has been looking after Matie ever since the young man came to live amongst the Black Gods. But from the moment they first met on the street, Eric has been able to see through Matie’s hard exterior. There is something broken inside the boy, Eric thinks. And now that he has spent some time with him, he is sure that he is correct. It’s not something that the boy will be open to talking about for a long while, but in the meantime, Eric wants to make sure to be sensitive to his wounds. Eric’s deeply perceptive mind is how he knows that trust will be an issue he will have to work out with Matie over the next few weeks. The boy clearly has a hard time letting his guard down and believing the things that are told to him, no matter how simple they may be. This is a trait of many of the boys who come to the Black Gods seeking guidance. They have been betrayed in the past, left behind, abandoned, and the scars of that show through in the form of trust issues.