That did backfire on her with the swords, however, since she had been "contaminated" in her faith by hanging out with Odin's people and therefor she did waver in her convictions. Or that's how I interpreted it, I could be quite off here.
That's an interesting take, I personally don't agree about her being "contaminated" in her faith, actually she shows multiple times to try to still hold some faith in her god, she even crosses herself in Battle Ground, something which most Catholics don't just do because, it's a testament of where your faith lies. I honestly think that she just made a mistake, she was scared for Harry, she was angry, that's all that happened. And it was ultimately to serve another purpose, for the right person to have the sword, Butters. (which is not who I'd pick but *shrug*). But it all served a purpose.
And it probably extends to Battle Ground, she had to touch bottom by the time of her death, because obviously she had to die in Battle Ground, I think the fact that Sanya and Butters just happened to arrive that night at Macs, where she was, stay and get "convinced" to take her to Harry that night, is testament enough that the White God, was involved in her death. The knights are always where they are supposed to be.
Let's face it. Murphy is going to return as a Valkyrie.
But, Murphy doesn't fit the physical model of a Valkyrie, you say. We don't know for certain how Valkyries are created in the Dresdenverse.
One-eye has Soulfire. It makes things real. It's how he rejoins the Einherjar's spirits to their bodies. (WOJ, Dresden Files podcast, December, 2020) Soulfire makes things real.
So, Odin makes a Valkyrie statuesque body from clay (plenty of examples from various myths), uses Soulfire to make it real, then uses Soulfire again to fuse Murphy's soul with the new body. Bob's your spirit in a skull, new Valkyrie.
This would also give Jim fertile ground to give a couple of appearances of the "new character" that we could go back after the reveal and say "Oh, Jim. You absolute bastard! You were torturing Murphy and Harry didn't know!"
Which is the most Jim-catnip thing, ever. And that's why he will do it.
Oh, that's just so cruel, it's a great idea. But personally, I like cute, blonde, 5 feet nothing Murph with her pert little nose, though.
But also, Odin took her body. She's not buried underground, her corpse is not rotting, they actually took her body, which tells me that it is needed for whatever is going to happen next to her. So, I doubt Odin has to make her a new body. My guess is that maybe she'll just need some physical therapy, like Harry after Demonreach and the failed suicide. I still do think that Battle Ground is Murphy's version of Changes. She's been following a similar path to Harry's.
Oh, and about the body type, well Gard in Aftermath, when she tells Murph that her boss (Vadderung) might be interested in talking to her, she says "
you've even got the hair for it", which means that she has more that one requirement down, the physical aspect of it being the least important one. And most importantly, I think it means means that Valkyries can be "made".
I think maybe it's something that can be offered, maybe it's something that can be obtained. I can imagine that it would make sense that Murph was taken as an Einherjar, but is later offered the opportunity to become a Valkyrie. Of course, there's some challenge, ritual, something that she has to pass, and Murph being Murph of course would take on the challenge, because that woman is not going to wait for eternity to join the fight again, we know her. (also WOJ is that she'd want to survert the rules). We also know that she will want to prove herself. That's how she built up her whole life. It fits her.
Note that the Dr's typically like to leave a cast on broken bones beyond the point that the bones are healed-enough for light-use.
The point of the break will still be very tender (and much more susceptible to being re-broken!) but you can use the limb for most ordinary things.
I was presuming that was the stage Murphy was at, when she took off her own cast.
It is mentioned in Peace Talks that she only had four more days left in the casts when she took them off, so yeah, she was mostly healed, there was nothing miraculous about her taking off the casts when she did and being able to move.
