Who is Ryker in the novel, The Grace Year?

Ryker is a young man with long, black curly hair, who works as a poacher. Tierney runs into Ryker several times throughout the novel before she actually meets him, and while she expects him to attack her, he never does. When Tierney finally does come face to face with Ryker, he reveals that he promised her father he would not harm her as thanks for saving his best friend Anders’ life. Because of Ryker, Tierney survives the axe wound she receives from Kiersten.