Lisbeth wasn't quite able to follow Phoebe's story...a housewife, then a mother, then a demigoddess, then a Madame? She shook her head, sure there was a lote more to those stories than they had time to go into today.
"I've made offerings to the Gods," she replied, speaking softly so she wouldn't spook the rabbit again. "None have ever deemed me worthy of a response. So I do what I can to look to their signs in the world. To be guided by their wisdom if not by their words."
She met the other woman's eyes. "My father was a soldier. He taught me about honor. Duty. ...Sacrifice." Her eyes misted up for a moment, but she pressed on.
"If the Gods have some other plan for me, I've seen no sign of it. If Mort were to come before me now, today, and tell me that I wasn't meant to die in the war, that he would take me later, when my time was right, then I'd resign my commission right away. But he doesn't answer."
She lowered her head. "So instead I pray...to Vi to protect my life during the coming conflict, and to Mort to guide me peacefully if he decides that this is my time."
She raised her head again, sniffling a bit. She wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve. "That's all any of us can do. It's precious few who get to speak to the Gods themselves. As for me, I ask for guidance, try to read the signs they might send me, and do my best to decide what course I think they mean for me. And my whole life has pointed to this." She touched the bow over her shoulder. "I'm good at it. The best in my squad. I understand honor. I understand duty. Soon I'll understand fighting, and blood, and death."
She looked Phoebe over appraisingly. "And I have to believe that the Gods would put someone like me on this path, to fight, to protect the people, in order to ensure that people like your son get to have their purpose after peace is found again."
"I've made offerings to the Gods," she replied, speaking softly so she wouldn't spook the rabbit again. "None have ever deemed me worthy of a response. So I do what I can to look to their signs in the world. To be guided by their wisdom if not by their words."
She met the other woman's eyes. "My father was a soldier. He taught me about honor. Duty. ...Sacrifice." Her eyes misted up for a moment, but she pressed on.
"If the Gods have some other plan for me, I've seen no sign of it. If Mort were to come before me now, today, and tell me that I wasn't meant to die in the war, that he would take me later, when my time was right, then I'd resign my commission right away. But he doesn't answer."
She lowered her head. "So instead I pray...to Vi to protect my life during the coming conflict, and to Mort to guide me peacefully if he decides that this is my time."
She raised her head again, sniffling a bit. She wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve. "That's all any of us can do. It's precious few who get to speak to the Gods themselves. As for me, I ask for guidance, try to read the signs they might send me, and do my best to decide what course I think they mean for me. And my whole life has pointed to this." She touched the bow over her shoulder. "I'm good at it. The best in my squad. I understand honor. I understand duty. Soon I'll understand fighting, and blood, and death."
She looked Phoebe over appraisingly. "And I have to believe that the Gods would put someone like me on this path, to fight, to protect the people, in order to ensure that people like your son get to have their purpose after peace is found again."
