Thora is Lynessa's apprentice, and a lot of the work that makes Dorothy's journey dangerous runs through her. Her involvement includes magical creatures and schemes directed at…

Thora is Lynessa's apprentice, and a lot of the work that makes Dorothy's journey dangerous runs through her. Her involvement includes magical creatures and schemes directed at the group, so the heroes are dealing with more than Lynessa personally chasing them from place to place. Her connection to Nicholas is particularly important. They have a history together from before he became the Tin Woodsman. That makes her approach to him much more powerful than an offer from a complete stranger would be. She knows what he wants, and she can speak to the part of his life he is desperate to recover. That relationship gives the betrayal a personal history. Nicholas's hopes haven't appeared out of nowhere. They are connected to someone he loved and to the human life he lost. Thora's position beside Lynessa means those feelings can be used to influence him while he is traveling with Dorothy's group. She is also directly involved with Dorothy's captivity. She has access to her, helps carry out the witches' plans, and participates in the effort to obtain the completed scepter. Being an apprentice doesn't make her an incidental presence. She has responsibilities within the operation and helps move it forward. Thora is a character to keep in view when looking at how the original Oz conflict works. Lynessa can give the orders, but somebody still has to carry out the plans, exploit the openings, and keep the pressure on the people she wants to control.