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Loraine tries not to fidget as she stands with the other teens in the courtyard of the Shield church. Aside from a few parents, she's the tallest one there, and probably the most poorly dressed. Old anger tries to flare, but she squashes it with practiced ease. The orphanage doesn't get many clothes donations fit for minotaurs, and the ones that can even pretend to fit her are either for people much wider, making them look oversized, or for people shorter, leaving her stomach and limbs more exposed than she might prefer.

At least she has her fur to help keep her warm. She tries to stand tall under the looks of the others, reminding herself that not nearly as many are looking at her as it feels like. She's not the only one here nervous about possibly being chosen.

Does she really think she has what it takes to become a paladin?

The doubt echoes in her head as the doors open, and a paladin walks in to address everyone. Her speech is short and to the point, carrying the sort of direct honesty that says she respects everyone here too much to honey her words. And she wants everyone to understand what it means to be a paladin.

To be the shield, to take the hits, to be on the front line and protect those who can't protect themselves. It's everything she wants to be. At the orphanage, her reputation is... complicated. Even with how skinny she is, she's still stronger than the others, and even stronger than a few of the nuns and priests. But as an orphan, she sees more than they do... or maybe she's just more allowed to interfere with her fellow orphans than the adults are.

Either way, she's been in more than her fair share of fights, bullying bullies and showing them how fun it is when might making right makes them wrong, usually with a new bloody nose. The younger ones tend to look at her as a protector, while the older ones look at her as someone to avoid at all costs.

It... was oddly lonely at the orphanage for her, even with the adults doing what they could to help support her. But now, here, she has a chance to do some protecting without being outcast for it.

When Paladin Hellan tells everyone to step back if they're not sure, Loraine almost does. She doesn't feel worthy of reaching so high. But the paladin had looked at her the same way she looked at anyone else here. If she isn't going to tell someone to step away... Loraine has to try.

She follows Paladin Hellan, noticing two elves on her far side, and a curious owlkin boy beside her. He looks at everything like he wants to know how it works, but at least he can keep his curiosity behind his shut beak. A lot of the younger orphans endlessly spout questions without even waiting for answers, so the quiet curiosity is a welcome relief.

Paladin Hellan lines them up and demonstrates a skill, and Loraine's wandering thoughts are brought to heel as she feels the purpose drape over her. She lowers her stance, even as she feels the owlkin lad raise his, their borrowed shields from the paladin's power quietly whispering improvements to their formation. Next time, she should stand with one of the elves beside her. She doesn't blame the owlkin, but she's pretty sure he also thinks the wall would be a lot more stable if the tallest member wasn't directly next to the shortest.

The shields wink out, and seem to take her energy with them, and she's not the only one breathing hard, nor the only one eager to do that again. Her fellows all look as determined as she feels, and once Paladin Hellan dismisses them, they head for the cafeteria as a group.

Her fellows.

She almost stumbles at the realization. Even the one that looks clearly like a noble isn't looking down at her. She's seen more than a few manage that even when having to look up at her to make sure she knows she's being looked down on. She wants to talk to them all, learn who they are, but her stomach isn't the only one growling. Maybe they can talk over some food... or maybe after. If they're all as hungry as her, they'll probably be too busy eating to say much.

She can't help but smile as she walks with them. The paladin training is already a lot less lonely than the orphanage was.