Nicholas has one of the most complicated places in Dorothy's original group. His strength makes him useful almost immediately. He can deal with physical threats that would be a…

Nicholas has one of the most complicated places in Dorothy's original group. His strength makes him useful almost immediately. He can deal with physical threats that would be a much bigger problem for the others. But underneath that metal body is somebody whose life has been taken away from him, and that gives the witches something to exploit. He was a human woodsman before Lynessa transformed him. His relationship with Thora is central to that history. They wanted to be together, and Lynessa's punishment left him trapped in the form the others encounter. The cruelty is very personal. His body has been changed, but his attachment to Thora and his desire to get his life back are still there. That doesn't excuse what he does. He turns against the people who have accepted him into the group. King Jarl is killed, and Nicholas hands the scepter over to Lynessa. His willingness to believe he can recover what he lost puts everyone else in danger. There is something especially uncomfortable about that situation because the person responsible for his suffering still has influence over him. He knows what Lynessa is capable of. He has already lived through it. Yet the possibility of undoing that punishment gives her side a way back into his decisions. So when I include the Tin Woodsman with Dorothy's original companions, that betrayal is part of the discussion. He belongs to the journey, but he also helps explain why being useful to the group and being trustworthy are two very different things.