[sophie is sitting on her bed in her room, which means that behind her the walls are painted with a mural that looks like the silhouettes of trees in the last bits of twilight. she's a little thing, more hair than girl, and her voice is low and even and calm.]

It occurred to me, in the midst of a conversation I was having with a friend, that most of the Travellers here now likely weren't here when all of this started. Or, rather, when it came to a head the first time, as none of us were here when it started. We've plenty of reason not to trust the gods entirely, but that doesn't mean that the war isn't real or that the threat isn't true.

[she gives a little shrug. gods. what can you do?]

It was over a year ago now, the first Ragnarok, at least as the seasons pass in Asgard. It may have been a prophesied battle, but we weren't prepared, not really. By the end, we were hungry, exhausted, injured. Many died and our enemies were still strong. Asgard should have fallen.

It didn't. Not because of anything we did, but because of Freyr, who sacrificed himself and wiped out a great many of the invading forces, and drove the rest to retreat. You can still see the mark of it out beyond the wall.

Before that, I wasn't sure this was real. I wasn't sure I believed, because it's a rather unbelievable story, isn't it? That those people in the castle are gods and we've been spirited away to the mother of all worlds, that this place, this rather unextraordinary place, as places go, is the root of all things. But then I watched a god die, and that changes things. When someone who believes that they will live more or less forever, who would never grow old or wither away, when someone like that decides to die to try to save something, we should all pause for a moment. We should pause and wonder if there's any greater show of fear in the world than that, and wonder what makes gods afraid.

[she sets her chin on her hand.]

In any case, I've seen a great deal of doubt, and it's understandable. I thought it might help if those of us who have been here the longest might speak about what we've seen. This is a war, it has been here, and it's coming back. And if what we've been through recently is any indication, it will only be worse the second time.

If anyone has questions, I'll answer them as best I can, and welcome others to do so as well.