#winterscar

The Gnome taught her enough to be effective. 

Once you shoot, move. 

Stay low, stay hidden.

Take the ones out in the open.

Keep at the edges of their formation.

If these people wanted to take after the beasts of the North, wear their fur, hold their weapons, The Templar would hunt them like the beasts they wanted to be. 

"Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice Is also great. And would suffice."

But, if I were to perish thrice; I see those whose hate has sweltered life. When desire drives those cold with might, fire melts their steely ice, and burns through bright. Those who fall victim to the flame, meet their demise on prideful vain. When flame meets ice, there is one price; a world dark, where iron reigns.

I feel better after talking to mother. She agreed with me on a lot of things and we both agreed that Tibs has changed. I remember months ago when Mother, Brei and I went to Northrend to speak with him and he accused us of only helping him for our own ends. He was so cold- angry even, turning on us.

After everything that we'd done, after all the trust we'd extended to him- even when everyone else in the House wanted him dead. Even when he had his man attack my father, still we had stuck with him and suddenly he despised us and we'd only done it for our own gain.

I may be a child, but hurt just as much as the others when his man nearly killed my father. I was there when Sevine came so close to death by his own hand. I've risked my life and pushed my loyalty to him so far, and for what? I wonder now.

Since that night, he's not been the same to me, nor to my house and now to hear him speak like he did to Father. It hurts. Our house has given him so much, Mother, me, Brei, Father, and it's like none of that ever happened. I hope it was only that he was angry that we'd imprisoned one of his men. I sincerely hope that it was, but something is telling me that it's more than that.

What is really sad about this is that Lady Winterscar is caught in the middle. She saved my life. When the warlock had mother under his control, she took me in and kept me safe. She didn't even hesitate. She brought me to her chambers- which I understand no one is ever allowed- and she put her own men on helping mother. They're probably still helping us on this issue.

Every single time we've needed her, she's been there for us.

I'm encouraged though that mother is keen to restore the good will between our houses. Neither of us know what to do about Tibs, but we both feel it better to look forward than to dwell on what has happened and this alone gives me hope.

I've never missed a meeting before. I feel terrible for doing it, but I decided to stay behind and care for mother. It was a reason that no one would question. The truth is that I'm so afraid something bad is going to happen at the meeting. Given the tension between our houses and mother's absence, I smell trouble.

I know this is weakness on my part. If I were the head of the house like Mother, I'd be expected to be there and to weather whatever happened. If I were older, maybe I could, but I just can't bear the thought of everything continuing to spiral out of control, or worse. I don't think I can stand to watch it all unravel.

Tensions in the house are nearing a flashpoint. Everyone seems to have their swords ready and it's all rallying around our pride- a pride in our house that I share. I'll admit that it feels good to seem strong, to have my father standing for our honour, to have the Stroms given the honour of knighthood.

I ask myself at what cost this sense of strength brings though. The loss of an ally, a rift in the House of Nobles. Do people think that it was okay to imprison a peon of the rival house because she was disrespectful? Does no one else have an issue with immediately jumping from one individual's disrespect into an entire household?

Tibs was a bear and Lady Winterscar knows it. It may very well be that Tibs has become an a- a jerk. He certainly spoke down to my father and seemed to share the sentiments of the upstart. I imagine right now, the Lady is seriously regretting her union with him- no more than a week into it and already one of their closest allies are up in arms.

Do they not see how much careful work and tending of the Grouss-Haethon relationship that is coming undone? How much time mother has put into building a friendship with them? Do they not care? Lord Winterscar was an ass yes (and there, I said the word), but does no one else see what this is doing to mother's vision for our house?

I find it ironic that people think I was stupid for drinking the Ale, and yet, they do the same thing. This pride that is warming everyone's heart right now comes with a price and the hangover is going to be a b- pain.

I am not certain what to do. Mother is too ill to even get out of bed and Sangyo, backed by my Lord-father has declared that no Winterscar will be allowed in the keep with their weapons intact. I'm afraid. I love my Father and I respect him greatly, but things are already spiraling.

There's so much to be done, so many people to help, so much culture to bring back to the city. The city should be for its people and as Nobles, it is our job to make sure our people flourish- to give them everything they need and want and desire. 

I like to think of it as art, with each event being a swath of another brush, a different shade. The more we do the more our work takes shape. The more life and culture and happiness we bring, the more we create a beauty that is so far beyond ourselves as to be almost magical.

It is one of my goals in life to help orphans become adopted, to give them a second chance like I received, but even this goal is only a small one when you look at everything we can do- and everything our people look up to us to do.

If this fighting escalates further and our houses lose the close friendship that mother has nurtured from the very beginning, then I fear loosing the beauty we're trying to create.

Honor and pride are important concepts in nobility and my Father was legitimately wronged, but we have to figure out how to deal with the slight in a way that stays true to what we've been tasked to do as His Majesty's representatives. We have to find a way.

For as we act now, we set the tone for everything else that comes after.