I saw a listicle on Twitter last week that celebrates female warriors and Hermione Granger was on it. I love the fact that you can be a warrior in school cardigan and kilt (my garb of choice for years); the only difference being that I would be pointing a pen rather than a wand. Then on Sunday, this from Ursula le Guin, reviewing Salman Rushdie's latest in the Guardian: "Dunia is a mammal all right, but her loving heart ... can't keep me from suspecting that - like so many other kick-ass, weapon-wielding warrior women - she's a man in drag."
I felt the same. We have our own strengths, don't we? Not least of endurance. Besides, could an average, modern man wield a broadsword? I couldn't lift one. So I was pleased in my research to find that in Viking society women were equals, with similar and complementary skill sets, to the men, which may explain why Iceland and most Scandanavian countries lead in equality. Then I brought the Norse myths of the fylgjar into the story, giving them to Vallas, who can also harness other forces. Although in Bera's case, with no one to guide her, harness isn't quite the word!