i will endure the night for the promise of light
”People get caught up in the idea that age alone brings wisdom, especially if they are the ones with age. It is an unfortunate place to be, and an even more unfortunate standpoint to defend. I am sure there are a lot of people eating their own words now.” It was idiotic to turn a blind eye to the contributions that Flora had made (just as it was to turn from Hadama’s). ”In Halo, we used to go through Wardens like the changing of seasons.” Truly, it wasn’t until just before the second war that they had Wardens last more than a year — and there wasn’t always as many living there as there are now. ”We’ve had young leaders and old leaders and all sorts in between. All I can say is that the best of them were the ones that could listen to their people, lean into the values of the traditions around them while also bringing innovation that brought success.” That success was measured more recently. When the heralds were trapped beneath the barrier in the Hollowed Grounds, Halo was a place to be survived rather than a place where one could thrive. Perhaps that was why they went through leaders as fast as they did in his experience — dragons and frost giants and cannibals aside.
”I’m sorry you had to go through that. With your brother, and with Torchline using it against you.” Noah could remember when Hotaru told him of being pregnant and the pride and joy in her eyes, laced and mingled with the fear of losing her children just as she had before. The strength it took for the Valkyrie to bring new life into the world was one of the bravest things Noah had ever seen after the tragedy of losing the children she had in her previous world. ”I know, too, it takes a lot of strength to stand up in that kind of grief and decide you’re going to do the best you can with the life you’ve been given.” He would never forget Hotaru after Enzo’s death. He, like many others around her, helped her pick up the pieces of herself and become some semblance of whole once again. Noah wondered who did that for Flora — or if she had been unfortunate to have to do it all herself.
Noah too understood her point about Halo, and it made him chuckle again in kind. ”I think Halovians share that sentiment about Torchline’s heat.” The lack of clothes was one thing (Torchline was the first place Noah had seen a woman’s midriff that wasn’t already naked in his bed, after all), but the unbearable heat was a lot for those used to the frigid arctic to get used to. He didn’t know many people (though there were some) who could spend more than a day or so outside their own climate.
”I’m sorry you had to go through that. With your brother, and with Torchline using it against you.” Noah could remember when Hotaru told him of being pregnant and the pride and joy in her eyes, laced and mingled with the fear of losing her children just as she had before. The strength it took for the Valkyrie to bring new life into the world was one of the bravest things Noah had ever seen after the tragedy of losing the children she had in her previous world. ”I know, too, it takes a lot of strength to stand up in that kind of grief and decide you’re going to do the best you can with the life you’ve been given.” He would never forget Hotaru after Enzo’s death. He, like many others around her, helped her pick up the pieces of herself and become some semblance of whole once again. Noah wondered who did that for Flora — or if she had been unfortunate to have to do it all herself.
Noah too understood her point about Halo, and it made him chuckle again in kind. ”I think Halovians share that sentiment about Torchline’s heat.” The lack of clothes was one thing (Torchline was the first place Noah had seen a woman’s midriff that wasn’t already naked in his bed, after all), but the unbearable heat was a lot for those used to the frigid arctic to get used to. He didn’t know many people (though there were some) who could spend more than a day or so outside their own climate.
THE F O R S A K E N
