A pang of guilt gnawed at Lara's heart. She was an impostor. A soul of a stranger in another's body. Yet, what choice did she have? The blood running through her veins was that of a Norse, and the men before her — proud, strong, and bound by loyalty — believed she was their sister. She had to embrace this new reality and claim her place among them.
However, she wanted to test them. She needed to see if these brothers were worthy of her trust — if they were as formidable as their reputations suggested. Trust wasn't given freely. It had to be earned.
She recounted the rest of the story: their escape, the river crossing, and their accidental entry into Mount Roca, where they met the hermit who sheltered them for two years and became her master. She told them about the human traffickers — Hook, Scarface, Brutus — and the ten men who'd guarded them.