Anju
The knife twists at the thought
that I should fall short of the mark
Sohalia barely makes any sense with her broken sentences and crying, and Anju despairs for a moment, terrified she has somehow made this worse when she is the only one around to fix it in the first place. As much as she cares for Sohalia individually, she also represents the health and stability of Stormbreak as their Heart, and she can't separate those two no matter how hard she tries. If she messes this up, it could have long-reaching consequences. that I should fall short of the mark
As she begins to hyperventilate, Riya finally descends from the sky, marching past Anju and curling up on the free side where Tarak is not busy comforting his companion. Her heavy doglike head lands on Sohalia's lap, crooning a sorrowful tune and using pressure therapy and distraction alike to try and help. Anju's shoulders, strained and tense, relax immediately. Riya is far better at this than she is.
"You are worthy. Taking up the mantle is not supposed to be preceded by a test - so long as the people approve, anyone can take the job, right?" That's exactly what had happened with Sohalia as the girl will surely remember. "You don't have to prove your worth from the start. You prove it over time. And you have. You have already done so much to show how dedicated you are." The Abandoned, the training of the Dragoons, even simply making friends with the other leaders as an individual, crafting alliances without ever formalizing them. Reaching for both of Sohalia's hands, Anju squeezes them in her own sword-calloused grip, and looks deeply into her eyes. "Trust in me if not yourself. Come home with me. Everything looks more hopeful in the morning." She suspects that's what Sohalia needs most. Time and rest.
You're frightened by my bite
though it's no harsher than my bark
though it's no harsher than my bark
