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@steadythora
I. bio
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You stand on a quiet hill beneath a full moon. Birds sing. A gentle wind stirs tall grass. It feels real. Like you were meant to be here.
You hear laughter. Friends. Althea. Aurea. Freydis.
You reach for them…but your hand shatters into ash.
The world fractures, turning to blight before your eyes. The trees blacken. The sky splits. The hill becomes a cliff, and a dragon coils beneath it like a silver serpent, eyes glowing from beneath the crumbling dream.
“You were promised a home.” “And what did they give you?” “They built their safety on your bones.” The cliff edge crumbles. A dragon awaits, mouth open, not to consume, but to welcome. “I offer you peace, Legionnaire. A different kind. Quieter. Deeper.”
Please write a response to this and post it by June 16th on the dash and link it in the writing submissions channel.
closed starter for @steadythora location: the middle of the ocean note: uwu
The grueling pain he saw Afshin go through was enough for Eldar to try and take the pain for himself. Ever since they had gotten to this place, to Lysara, he had experienced more pain than he was ever used to. His body had always adapted, always tried to mend itself from any bruising or beatings he may have to experience. They had forced him to do the exact opposite. It was always hard to unlearn something that he had been doing all his life. Every time he got hit, he subconsciously absorbed the blow. It didn't take a thought. It was merely a kneejerk reaction.
When the Kossith had been forced back and they were free from their chains, Eldar had taken the opportunity to keep the reins. From what Afshin had experienced, he was sure that the prince was more than willing to keep it that way for the time being. More than anything though, he wanted to make sure that Thora was okay. He had only really seen her in passing. Or, well, Afshin had and told him about it. The point remained thought hat he wanted to be around her more than anything right now. So, when he saw her, he couldn't have moved towards her fast enough.
"Thora," he breathed out as he almost wrapped his arms around her. He stopped himself as soon as his arms lifted though. "Are you okay?"
Thora knew the importance of action, but she also appreciated her capacity for forethought now. She had rushed ahead when the Kossith first appeared outside of Haven and she had gotten herself captured. She would not make the same misstep again. Thora didn't start exploring or planning immediately when her chains were removed, instead she centered herself. All her pain, all her loss, and all her feelings of inadequacy following having her personhood stripped in the worst way was given to the flame in her mind. She became one with the void again, a clearheaded warrior capable of breaking through the insurmountable obstacle of her capture. When liberation came, Thora moved with clear and unbridled intention. The Kossith could take her braid and her sword, but she would not let them have any more parts of her. She refused. She took what makeshift weapons she could get her hands on before her exodus from the Kossith ship. Thora was prepared to go, but she felt his weave before her eyes recognized his approach. There was a sharp breath as his arms raised. Thora's shoulders tightened slightly, weeks of captivity having shed what quiet parts of her had come to relax at his proximity. One more thing the Kossith took. She couldn't even raise her eyes to look into his. "No, of course not," she responded with a sharp, sardonic, bark of a laugh and a curled lip. "But I'm alive and I can still fight if I have to. For now, that has to be enough." Thora flexed her battered knuckles a few times before reaching out to touch Eldar, but like him she never made contact either. She probably would've laughed at the ridiculousness if seeing him again wasn't so difficult. "I'm sorry I failed you, Eldar. But if I can get you back in one piece, that'll be a step toward making things right."
who?: @vuldak-juneau where?: ??? when?: post dreadnought
"Never thought I'd find you in this mess. Sorry that you're here, but given our circumstances being alone would be worse," she said relieved, offering one of the metal bars she'd loosened while on the ship to Juneau. These weren't formal weapons, but they'd have to do until they got their hands on something better. "Are you good? Because freedom is not the same as safety. I don't want to be collared ever again." For all her composure, Thora was rocked by her entire experience in the Kossith's custody. She didn't have much to offer by the way of introductions and her guard was up. Too much had been taken for her to accept that they were simply safe. Thora knew that while they shouldn't act with haste they had no moments to waste since the feeling of impending danger still blanketed her. "I won't expect you to fight if we need to, but I won't abandon you. Not now that we're out."
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@steadythora Location: Caer Glas Notes: IF you wanna wait this can be after The Road quest uwu
Thora's blade was marked with a heron, and Hakon had only seen a few in his time. Getting out of Avalon and into Taravell had been a whole thing, and perhaps he should've gotten out more, but still, they shared something that was more than just a skill with a blade. They were both half of one world, half of another. Hakon holds out his blade, the runic markings from Iskaldrik engraved upon its hilt. "I was born in Iskaldrik. But the last time I went there, it had changed too much for me to want to stay. My father was from Avalon, my other from Iskaldrik." He placed his sword down now, "Was Avalon never a journey you wished to take?"
"I hadn't thought about Avalon until recently. My parents—the ones who adopted me—hated magic. Talking to them about other realms filled with elvhen was never an option." Hakon wasn't a blademaster, but that distinction didn't matter much to her. Thora felt empowered to share the way of the sword with anyone who wielded a blade. She owed it to herself, her future, her heritage as a swordswoman, and to Oswin. Thora had hoped there were some secrets she had that would benefit him despite his many decades on her, so naturally, Hakon's questions were a bit disarming. "I'd wager my situation was similar. A parent from Iskaldrik and one from Avalon. Or maybe they were silver already. Who knows, why bother wondering now?" she waffled a bit before huffing, realizing that she was beating around the bush with her response. How did she explain that she missed it despite technically never having felt it? "Before, it seemed like a wasted effort. Now? It's more like a lost dream."
Althea studied Thora with the sharp gaze of a woman who had seen hesitation turn to ruin more times than she cared to count. The flickering torchlight cast long shadows across the stone walls, the scent of myrrh and burning cedar thick in the air. There would always be moments, the moment, when a blade either found its edge or dulled from disuse.
“Fine words, but finer have been spun and wilted just the same. Doubt is the first step to surrendering to the Shadow,” she said at last, her voice smooth as still water. Althea tipped the other's chin up, the Dark did not care for want or ambition. The legionnaires all felt it in their bones... The Dark One grew more powerful every day and his suffocating army would fall on them sooner or later. They all needed to make the most of the time they had, they all needed to be ready. Althea included. "For now, hold your head high- and do try to stand up straighter. Shoulders back, head high. Remember, my dear, the world is watching."
If doubt was the first step, then Thora's task was never taking it. She needed to be assured of herself and her skills, especially when facing unfamiliar forces. Just as she would lunge into battle against an opponent she had yet to study fully, she could not hesitate if she had to face a witch, an elvhen, or any of the other beings of great power who lived openly here in Lysara. If she were to ever be able to face the Aetherians again, Thora needed to be able to handle anything. "I'm not used to being noticed. In fact, I used to prefer not to be. But I do recognize that was a weakness. I won't hide again, not from myself or the worst of what being a legionnaire will throw at me. I'll conquer every tool I have until I'm the strongest blade the Legion can send into battle." As instructed, Thora did hold her head high and stood a little straighter. Sometimes, the support of someone admirable was enough to make all the difference. Dark battles were coming ahead, and hard choices would need to be made, but Thora had been growing since she began trekking from her lost home to this place and she would continue to grow still. She just needed to trust her gut and remain steady on her path. "When they watch now, they'll see a warrior who doesn’t yield or give up. I'll be the sword that cuts through the Dark, no matter what form the Dark may take."
“What is your honour if it is based on your pride? You don’t deserve to wear our armour if that is your attitude.” If she didn’t want her stew anymore that was up to her because she wasn't getting anything else from the kitchen tonight. “If pride would make me conduct myself as a self righteous prick who thinks they are better than everyone else, that because they have a title they should die differently, then I shall see it gone. It is clear we stand for different versions of what a blademaster is. I want no part in what you represent because you disgust me.” Jon loved his country just like she did, but she helped out for selfish reasons that were currently on display. As she spoke about what he did or didn’t do his grip tightened around the pots handled, his eyes turned to what looked like red gems as his temper was reaching a high. There was a crumpling sound as the metal in his grip was being compressed in a way which would leave the handles in such a way that the pot would need new ones “Do not speak of what you know little about!” His eyes began to budge out of his skull as they grew in a way to resemble a fly.
"Fortunately, whether or not I'm fit to wear this armor or sport my heron-marked blade isn't up to you. If I let some man tell me what I deserve or what I should represent, I'd never have gotten anywhere." As it turned out, he was no different than any other Guild member quipping about how her sword was too big for her, or her father who protested her desire to fight to the point of estrangement. Even as he angered visibly in front of her, crushing metal as if it were nothing, eyes bulging in a rather monstrous way that she had never encountered, and weighing down the air with a presence that sent chills down her spine, Thora did not back down. "I know battle, I know darkspawn, and I know blademasters. Your disgust is a compliment because the approval of a disgrace is worse than worthless, it's an insult. Pride is the basis of honor. If you can't face your own actions with a head held high, live every moment without regret, then you're wasting yourself. Especially as a legionnaire. I am real fucking self-righteous, and rightfully so. Maybe my refusal to abandon my pride is why I survived my Joining to continue following the way of the blade. Maybe your quickness to abandon yours is why you survived your Joining to make my soup." Soup that she no longer had any interest in. Knowing true hunger was the only reason Thora didn't flip the bowl to add insult to injury. While she starved in the Lostlands defending the refugees, he must've been safe here in Caer Glas Keep tending to pots and pans. Intimidating as he may have been, Thora had faced down worse with just as much conviction.
There was a part of her that wanted to accept Thora's help. The woman didn't need to offer any assistance at all, but she had. They were in this together, weren't they? They had become legionnaires together along with Althea. They had fought a battle together that brought them closer than they ever could have been without it. Contrary to what she would have said outwardly, she trusted the blademaster with every fiber of her being. Not because she had to, but because she wanted to. Because Thora had given her no reason not to trust her.
"Haven is always the priority." This place had taken her in when she felt like she had nowhere else to go. They had accepted an exile branded with murder without second thought. Aradia would always give her life for the place just as she would have done the same for the Tower. Her loyalty would always run deep for those she cared for and that extended to Haven and now the Legion of the Dead. It even extended to those few within the Tower that she had fought with for so long. Istar. Leander. She looked at Thora. "Thank you, Thora. I would apologize for how I've reacted to your offering, but I'm sure you understand better than most how difficult it is to accept help when you don't think you should have it." She thought of the other legionnaire's direwolf. "I'm just glad to know you would have my back just as I would have yours. And Kari's."
Thora knew what it meant to prove oneself even when there wasn't anyone watching. Strength was relative and it came from within, so having too many dependencies often felt like weakness. She got it, and struggled with such feelings herself. Without Kari by her side, Thora would feel incomplete, a fact that was often thrown her way to goad her into fighting on her own two feet instead of atop the back of her companion mount. "Caring for people, genuinely caring about them beyond duty or purpose, it's tough. Sets you up for pain and disappointment when you can't always save them. It's tricky and I'm not always the best at expressing myself outside of a sword fight. But … I'm glad you know where I stand." And that was the best she could do for Aradia. No, the witch didn't need her, that much she had proven already. At least now she knew unequivocally that Thora and Kari were allies, so she added, "I don't want to hold anything back. Our lives are too short." Since the Joining, Thora had thought a lot about all that remained unsaid between her and those she cared for. She wasn't the conversationalist type, but she did make a concerted effort to be more forthcoming with her deeper feelings as sour as doing so tasted in her mouth. "I'm settling in here, and will likely die in this country. I haven't traveled further east than Eterna, so Haven is the closest thing to a steady place I have. Pretty much everything I care about is here. So long as I'm watching the Wall with you, Aventia won't be repeated here. For that, you can count on me and Kari too."

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As expected, Kari gave him a huff immediately. Eldar never expected anything less from the direwolf considering who her companion was. Or maybe she just despised the thought of Thora actually liking someone that she found insufferable. Then again, the elvhen wasn't even sure if she liked him that much. Or as much as he liked her at least. Saying those words out loud was not something he was ever going to expect from her so he had given up on that a long time ago. The best thing he could do was just stay around as she had requested. The last thing he needed was for her to think that he was going to just disappear again. They had gotten everything out in the open so now communication was going to be easier. He hoped there were still threats on the table though or else this just wouldn't have the same appeal.
It didn't take much for him to lean even closer as she leaned closer herself. His voice was low as he gave her a response she very well should have expected making a statement such as that one. "So I should let this job go south then?" He wouldn't, but he just couldn't help himself from making that comment. Maybe she'd try and stab him or something from that alone. It wouldn't do anything but it was really the thought that counted when it came to Thora stabbing him. Or attempting to mutilate him in any way. "Partner in just this?" He didn't wait for a response before he continued. "How distracting would you like me to be?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Or we can fight, too."
It was nice to finally let that wall down around Eldar. He knew her, barbs and all, so finally being comfortable to be honest was … nice. Even in high-intensity situations as a job, it helped Thora stay grounded to know that despite sharing his time with a person who was still a mystery to her, he showed time and time again through actions what his priorities were. To Thora, Eldar was the real soul in his body, whatever human he wanted to protect could fuck right off. Eldar was exactly who she needed him to be all on his own. That's why she gave him the courtesy of showing her feelings through actions as well. What did she think of all his teasing and goading? The implication that he stood to gain no matter the outcome of the job? One hand slid up his chest and around his neck until her nails were threading into the hair at the base of his skull. They harshly pulled as she syphoned magic from him just to shoot it back into his side with her other fist. "As charmed as I am by you, you're only half as charming as you think you are. Remember that before you start acting stupid again," she says, gut-punching him as a follow-up just for good measure. "Don't even joke about that. I need the money. It's not like you ever pay for drinks," Thora chides with a smile, holding Eldar close for a moment longer before finally giving him some space. It was equally annoying and satisfying that his body turned to steel when she got like that. "You're too distracting for your own good though, and most strangers can't tell how irritating you actually are until you're a few sentences in. If you can distract me for a few seconds, you can distract anyone. So that's our strategy. Run your mouth, and before he gets wise, I'll have pinned." Thora turns her back to Eldar, only looking at him over her shoulder while still keeping her voice soft. "I'll do the heavy lifting, so I doubt we'll need your strength. Just your tongue. This way, I'll have more than enough energy to keep you in check on our return trip."
Blademaster had been a title he had earned, one that for many years of his life gave him pride. But Jon had never held himself above anyone else, the title would denote aptitude with a blade but there is no accounting for a blademaster personality. Maybe there should be, because she was leaving a sour taste in his mouth. “This armour means you might die in piss and shit coated battlefield defending those who will never remember your name. It means that if you are lucky enough to hear the call you can be sent off with compassion. Do not sully the title of blademaster and legionary with your childish notions of what you think is honor. What you describe is not honour but vanity.” Jon was normally so kind and gentle but this woman had struck a nerve thinking she was better than everyone else. The more she prattled on about her dying without honour the more the demon inside bubbled with rage.
"If dying in piss and shit as fodder for the Dark is your idea of honor, then yeah the black armor fits you way better than it fits me. I'll sully mine until the day I die," she says, scoffing as she pushes the bowl of stew away. Suddenly, she lost her appetite. "What I have is pride. Yeah, pride, the very pride I staked everything on to earn my mark, to risk life and limb to protect all the Iskarans that made it here, and to fight every peril that wanted to rip Iskaldrik away from us. I faced every challenge, I shed blood, sweat and tears, just like I vowed to do. Where's your pride? Left behind in the muck somewhere? Rotting in some darkspawn's piss and shit?" With her hands pressed against the table, Thora rose to her feet looking at the other blademaster as if he weren't towering over her. "Childish? Vain? That's rich coming from a blademaster holed up in Lysara while I fought with every other brave soul at Nornwatch Keep. On the King's Road, all through the Lostlands and right up to the end when we arrived, I never wavered. I upheld my oaths with every breath. If I had died, I would've died with my head held high. Can you say the same if some darkspawn stabs you in the back while you clutch your soup ladle?"
Thora answered predictably. A faiman trapped in a nation that hated her for merely existing; her story had been retold countless times over. Every citizen of Lysara knew the fate of those born with magic in Iskaldrik, rumors and stories were rampant but the truth was far more gruesome. Althea didn't involve herself with efforts across the border, her pursuits were both academic in nature and for her own personal gain. She wanted power, enough power that something so trivial as a mine couldn't frighten her.
"Fortunately in Lysara assumptions are rarely made regarding what a woman can or cannot wield." Althea took a step in and brushed some of Thora's hair behind her ear, "And your hair looks far better up than down." She understood a great deal of what it meant to be afraid, everything about the witch was crafted and it was only in giving in that Althea had come into herself. A thing did not have to be perfect to be beautiful, and magic could be found in the most unexpected sources. "You're turning the page, you can't change where you're from but you can control where you're going."
Thora knew her hangups were holding her back now. She was a master swordswoman, but she wasn't the best warrior she could be and she wouldn't be until she could reconcile every facet of herself. Blademaster, legionnaire, refugee, protector of Haven; it was all a lot to digest in such a short amount of time but the one aspect of herself she needed to start with was her elvhen heritage.
Eldar was the only person she thought she would feel comfortable showing her ears to. Her fellow saviors of Lorvine inadvertently found themselves on that list too, but Althea pushing her hair back felt uniquely special in a way. Maybe it was the power, maybe it was something else, but Thora had felt inspired by the magic Zeliha, Aradia, and Althea demonstrated. "This country is a strange place, but I'm getting used to it. And the people too, I guess." Thora never would've encountered someone like Althea in Iskaldrik. A witch so confident in her own magic and place in this world would be the kind of myth those sent to the mines would spin. Yet here she was, looking at Thora as if she was someone worthy of being by her side. Or striving to get there at the very least. "I'll reach the next level. It'll happen here. I'll defend Haven like it's my home, and I'll master my magic so you won't have to lift a finger against the small darkspawn." Althea's magic was in a league of its own, and the admiration she felt for the witch shimmered in her eyes. "I think getting stationed here was the best thing for me. It won't be long before I'm ready to fully accept my new role as legionnaire."
To a degree, the two of them were quite similar. Neither of them could really properly express themselves. Sentiment was something that Aradia had always had difficulty showing others. She always chalked it up to the fact that her and Althea were always at each other’s throats about everything. The two of them showed their love in a different kind of way though. But then there was the other side of her that wanted to be that big sister type to everyone. She wanted people to depend on her because she never felt like she could help or save anyone. One thing that could always be known about her was that she never expected people to notice anything about her. The fact that Thora had noticed something and had gone out of her way to ask her about it had a strange feeling going through her. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it had to have something to do with that warmth that she usually felt whenever Althea gave her even a semblance of a compliment.
“We have something in common. I put my feelings into my fighting, too.” Aradia looked towards the blademaster. She wondered if she could have accomplished such a thing as well. Maybe she could’ve if she hadn’t been stuck in the Tower. Being a bowmaster sounded like something she would have been great at. She was a warrior after all. Maybe in another life though. Her shoulders lifted in a shrug as she turned to face the other woman. “There’s no explanation. It’s just something I have to deal with that I haven’t been able to deal with yet.” Which could only mean bad things for her. She let out a breath and looked away from Thora. “I’m sorry. It’s just…I’ll suffer whatever comes to me because of choices I’ve made. We’ve all made mistakes. This is just my burden to bear.” She paused. “On my own.”
She could be intense, but that intensity served her well in countless battles. Emotions weren't a weakness, they were a strength and they propelled Thora into her rank as a blademaster. The women she traveled with to the blighted temple certainly did not lack passion, and she witnessed Aradia's strength firsthand, as she did the others. That's why Thora was a bit taken aback by the response she received. "Yeah, that is a good thing to have in common. I've never gotten on with the cold, calculating types. Defending Haven together, I think, will be a good thing." She tried to put an emphasis on "together" but really, Thora couldn't fault Aradia one bit for taking a solitary approach to her problems. She could relate because she tended to do the same, another thing they had in common. "There's no arguing with that. A lot has been going on, I've barely had a chance to breathe. I'm not focusing on my deal either," she commented, clutching her fists tightly as she thought about the Aetherians. True, Thora was attempting to shed her hangups about being a legionnaire, but her hatred for the ones who stole her home still burned intensely. That was a good sign. "I won't push you, I probably wouldn't know what to do anyway. But we are the first line of defense against the darkspawn should they make their way to Haven. If you don't find a way to unburden yourself, your suffering will spread. Be careful." Not a full explanation and Thora still lacked the context to understand what Aradia's words meant. Still, she supposed it was enough. "Kari helps me all the time. If a blademaster can get another's help, then anyone can. I'd help you, or try to, if you asked."

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There was no real reason for Eldar to be here. He had many things he could have been doing instead. Unfortunately, or fortunately in his opinion, he usually dropped everything when Thora so much as gave him a look. All she ever had to do was blink in his direction and he was going to bend over backwards for her in a heartbeat. Which was why he was even here helping her retrieve some stolen sword that had nothing to do with him. It was important to her though so he would put as much effort as possible into this. If he could even do that given their current position. One hand on his chest and the other covering his mouth. He was sure he had dreamed about a moment like this before. A brow rose as she spoke and he merely nodded his head at her orders. When her hand dropped, there was a smirk that graced his lips.
“If I do a good enough distraction, we may not even have to fight him at all.” He leaned forward slightly. “We could test out my distraction tactics right now if you’d like?” It was a question he knew the answer to already, but there was nothing he loved more than seeing her reaction to everything he ever said. Eldar looked away from her to Kari. “You may have to look away.”
It's not like Kari needed any prompting to huff and look away. She did not enjoy seeing Thora like this. Affection? With a man? If they didn’t need to be stealthy, Kari might've actually stuck her muzzle in between them and upchucked her breakfast just to "kill the mood". Thora, however, found herself more readily enjoying Eldar's particular brand of charm since she had some measure of faith he wouldn't bail on her anymore. She'd never admit that, though she did lean in as well, bringing their faces closer and her volume even closer to a whisper. "If this job goes south because you can't control yourself, I'll be pissed and take it out on you," she says, grinning and clearly already distracted. "A fight is more fun, but you are my partner in this. How distracting can you be, Eldar?" Discussing plans in detail was an important part of any mission. If Eldar could help acquire the sword without relying on violence, then it was only appropriate she investigate the how. She could still truthfully deny that being this close to him and putting her hands on him were unnecessary actions. Though Kari was judging them both.
The barbarian had survived through many opposing feats over the years, that which whittled at the fundamentals of one's very self. He endured simply because there was no other option but forward, no other direction but through. He'd lost his family young, trusting and loving folk who doted on their community only to have a monster tear them apart, to watch as their blood ran red through the floorboards they'd built themselves. The beast had left Lothar alive, to watch the massacre, to mock him, and what could have made the strongest person wither in defeat only made Lothar stand taller in the hopes that he'd once day face the very beast.
As each year went on, such motivation didn't evaporate, but Lothar found new ambitions, people to care for even if he prayed not to care for them. Warriors like him, allies he could strive to work alongside and revere; he needn't hunt the beast any longer for each day he woke and stood strong in the face of battle was enough to squash dozens more in opposition to him and his own mantra. Thora understood these values, Thora was these values within her position as a Blademaster and as the faiman lowered her staff, Lothar too withdrew, prowling in a small circle as to catch his own breath.
Sadness eclipsed the drive within her eyes and Lothar simply paused, standing at attention to bow his head, "Hatred isn't the only thing that fuels us, but I'd say it is a powerful motivator. I think... hatred changes... maybe to grief, maybe to passion. If you're afraid that it'll leave you with... nothing," Lothar thought of his own life, how long he'd let hatred fuel him to hunting down the very beast that turned his very world upside down until it transitioned into something that didn't feel so caustic. It hadn't righted a wrong, to let go of the animosity which fueled him, but he'd had new hopes and aspirations to hold onto that didn't feel like a noose round tight around his neck, "-hatred is only the beginning to the power within, but something tells me you've already some idea of this." The barbarian even conjured an empathetic smile, "Not crazy, but mortal, with foolish ideas - much like me. They will get what is coming to them, Thora."
Feeling nothing would be a respite. "Nothing" meant that each and every Aetherian knew the taste of steel and had met their just demise. Thora would embrace feeling nothing if it came after she was finished. And she certainly wasn't done. "Yeah, I think I'd hate myself even more if I let my hatred turn into grief. I'm done grieving, I did more than my fair share of it on the journey over. What I want to do now is take action."
Thora had more passion than she knew what to do with. Her teacher taught her that her emotions were her greatest weapon. While other aspiring sword-wielders in the Guild were taught to conceal to strike true, Thora was taught how to put everything she was feeling into her sword strikes. For people who struggled to accept her severity, it could be difficult for them to understand her heart. But Lothar understood exactly where she was coming from.
"They'll get what's coming to them because I'll deliver it to them. Personally, I won't let this country turn me soft. I won't let myself forget why I keep taking steps forward. I think it was foolish even to question my hatred level. How could mine possibly weaken if they're the reason I can't go home?" The time for sadness for both of them had passed. Instead, she'd focus on keeping them both in fighting strength. It wasn't about being the best in the Guild, it was about being the best to take on the Aetherians. At this point, there were few people Thora would feel comfortable with being at her side when she did more than Lothar. "Again. Are you ready?"