Despite the momentum carried upon the initial siege of Shaaq-Turnaal, the Ostmark theatre has settled into a period of waiting. Soldiers intermingle amongst themselves, theorizing upon the next moves which the Lieutenant-General Typhonus has planned or if his Imperial Holiness will take matters into his own hands. Within a day following the siege the remaining forces of the Ironwolf Legion land at Farah'deen and within moments upon arrival, develop a presence at the main camp with the rest of the Ostmark.
These are many of the same men whom he had trained with initially in Nordskag. Many of them veterans of skirmishes all too familiar to warfare. Bred for it. Bled in it and morphed to be efficient no matter the obstacle. Still, some had never seen a large scale war in their lives. Among these was Carthas Norrvakt. Until this point it was small raiding parties on Northerne villages and various works other works including but not limited to bounty hunting and assassination. However, despite these disadvantages the sadist had done well enough at the siege. Though now, in the waiting, he reverts to his old tendencies.
The Norrvakt had always been a distant one, isolating himself away from others. In the past, as Nicolas d'Eluise, the isolation was natural and easy to adjust into. Being employed as a surgeon for a majority of his adult life, Nicolas found his practice to be a truly blissful existence. Free from thought, feeling, care. Emotionless and efficient. Now things have changed. He can no longer practice. His hands are damaged to the point that they have lost the precision once dedicated to memory, a seventh sense to the Ithanian. Now all that remains is... nothing. To fill the time which exists, Carthas has been developing his body to suit his new reality. A life of perpetual warfare, not ceasing. The trouble which this has caused is the loneliness. A time to be with ones self and think. And the more he thought, the more he feared. Not a fear of death, no. A fear of love. He had devoted the most recent parts of his life to separate himself from his sister. Convincing himself that all he has done is by means of spiting Madeleine d'Eluise. However, all he has done is deceive himself. Truth be told, Nicolas d'Eluise is not gone. He still loves his sister. More so than his nieces, more so than his Norrvakt family, even more so than himself. She is the only one he loves.
Ever since he was a boy, Nicolas d'Eluise wanted nothing but to be loved by his sister. But time and again he fails. Failure after failure befell the male d'Eluise. With each failure came another lecture by his beloved sister. With each lecture, more self hate. Eventually Nicolas learned to transfer this hatred back towards his sister, resulting him to be where he is today. Nothing more than a monster. No family, no one willing to die for him. The sadistic, heretical, asexual, gender fluid, isolated eunuch Carthas Norrvakt. And after all this separation, after all this success, the hatred has ceased. Now all that remains is loneliness.
Carthas Norrvakt steps into the main tent of the Ironwolf Legion. He sets himself up at one of the desks located at the corner of the "room". A stray strand of sunlight shines through the top of the canvas upon the parchment, which the Norrvakt begins to write on.
To my dearest sister,
I am so truly sorry. I am sorry for the misdeeds I have done. For the wrong and the destruction I have attempted against our family. I do not ask to return. All I ask is to be your brother once more. You are my sister. No matter where I go, no matter what I do, nothing will ever change that. I love y--
Tears fall from his eyes as he ceases writing. Without hesitation, the man slowly rises from his seat, letter in hand. He moves to the nearest fire, casting the page in. With that Carthas Norrvakt heads to a training tent to work on his physique. Isolated again with his mind.To my dearest sister,
I am so truly sorry. I am sorry for the misdeeds I have done. For the wrong and the destruction I have attempted against our family. I do not ask to return. All I ask is to be your brother once more. You are my sister. No matter where I go, no matter what I do, nothing will ever change that. I love y--
