"Eat."
Lavinia ordered as she offered a soup made of ordinary rations to Vandra.
Vandra blinked in surprise—
"I—"
She tried to say sothing, to explain how this was her way to punish herself and she couldn’t possibly—
"That wasn’t a request."
Lavinia spoke calmly, her eyes never leaving her.
Vandra hesitated, she looked like she was still trying to co up with sothing, but Lavinia’s gaze was too overbearing for her to think properly.
In the end, she took the bowl.
"You are exhausted."
Lavinia comnted as she saw how her hands were shaking.
"It seems I have let myself go.
A day without food didn’t use to wear out like that."
Vandra answered with a wry smile.
"That is a good thing.
It ans your body now understands what it requires and demands it."
"A demanding body isn’t a good thing."
Vandra countered.
"That is untrue.
A body that doesn’t demand shuts itself down until it can no longer take it.
Only a body that understands how to demand what is needed will be able to survive what is coming."
Lavinia answered, then she looked at the bowl again and—
"Now eat."
Vandra stayed silent, then, she started eating, her eyes lowering in sha as if accepting comfort she didn’t deserve.
When Kael saw her chew with trembling fingers, he felt... disgusted.
This woman was breaking herself for him, for... the idea of him and he hated every second of it.
Lavinia, on the other hand, waited patiently till Vandra was done and then—
"I want your help."
She demanded.
"Yes."
Vandra nodded at once without a shred of hesitation in her eyes. Vandra was no fool, at this point, she too, could see that Kael didn’t want anything to do with anything she was doing, if it was under his control, he would have put a stop to this altogether—
But he didn’t.
And if there was one person who could make Kael do sothing he didn’t want—
It was Lavinia Dragonborn.
She was behind it all.
So when Lavinia wanted sothing, Vandra understood how important it was and since it was all for the betternt of people she cared about—
She would follow it without hesitation.
"You work at Weaver’s Hearth, correct?"
"Yes."
Vandra nodded.
"You will not go there anymore."
Lavinia comnted.
Vandra stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.
"From this point onwards, your role will be to... manage people."
"Manage... people?"
Vandra frowned.
And Lavinia nodded.
"Yes.
Manage the people.
Manage the faith.
Push it.
Organize it.
Expand it."
Kael’s expression turned darker, he could see where this was going.
It was ti.
Lavinia had been preparing this for a long ti, at first, it was only the beginning, so she couldn’t exactly use it, but now it was different.
Now, it was possible.
And just as he was expecting—
"The Dawn of the Dragon is already more united than the rest. Velmourn and Stonefang inside it are closer than soldiers who have trained together."
Vandra’s eyes flickered at those words, as if she too, could see the direction Lavinia was pointing at and loved every second of it.
"Yes."
She nodded.
"Faith brings people together faster than most training in the World."
Lavinia nodded at those words.
"We will use that Unity as an example."
She then looked at Vandra and—
"Now that the new tribes are here, use that Unity, show the Tribes the things that can be achieved through Unity and...
Start recruiting them.
The Army may hold the Frontlines for now—
But I expect the Dawn of the Dragon to beco the backbone as soon as possible."
Kael didn’t know what to say.
These were tis of War.
An Ergency Situation, this wasn’t the ti to have a moral outlook on things.
He didn’t like how quickly a fake Faith was spreading?
It did not matter.
Because right now, that Faith was the only thing that was working as intended and they needed to use it as efficiently as they could.
"Your job is to make others follow that example."
Lavinia stared at Vandra. Vandra swallowed her food and nodded again, this ti, she seed even more confident.
"I can do it."
Lavinia nodded, Vandra bowed her head, then, after about a few seconds—
"But I will need the language notes."
"The notes?"
Lavinia blinked.
"All of them,"
Vandra said, eyes bright.
"Stonefang. Borealis. Riwood. Emberfolk. Every tribe you have brought."
"You want to learn... every language...?"
Lavinia seed surprised.
"Yes."
Vandra nodded without any change in her expression.
"Why?"
Lavinia frowned and Vandra’s answer ca instantly.
"Because if I speak their words, they will listen faster."
"Would you be able to do it?"
Lavinia studied her face and asked.
Learning a language wasn’t easy, only mages had the ability to learn different languages in a matter of days, not normal humans.
Vandra wasn’t a Mage.
Not that she seed to care.
"If that is what I am required to do.
I will."
She nodded confidently.
Lavinia smiled in approval.
"Good."
She praised.
Kael looked at the two won and didn’t know what he was supposed to feel.
Gratitude?
Because what they were doing would save more than a few lives.
Or...
Should he be uneasy?
Because this went against his instincts, sothing in him told him this was getting out of control and he wanted to put a stop to this.
He also felt anger because he never exactly asked for anything.
Or...
Would it be helplessness because... there weren’t exactly many things he could do to stop whatever was happening.
And as Kael thought of all this, Lavinia and Vandra turned towards him, Lavinia looked at him with a aningful look on her face. Kael looked back, knowing exactly what she wanted and he...
He sighed inwardly before he looked at Vandra and—
"Thank you for everything you are doing."
"Thank you."
Vandra lowered her head.
"But you are not allowed to punish yourself, a perpetrator isn’t allowed to punish himself for a cri he committed.
You aren’t the exception.
Is that clear?"
"Yes."
Vandra nodded.
"So eat well."
Kael nodded.
"I can’t have you passing out due to lack of energy."
"I am stronger than you think."
"Beco even stronger."
Kael answered before he turned around and—
"Now leave.
I do not want tomorrow’s reports to ntion that you stayed here for another extra second."
"As you command."
Vandra nodded, Kael and Lavinia walked away, she watched them leave, then, she excused herself as well.
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