Things changed. Konrad didn't realize how much until his hand was around her wrist. No, that was inaccurate. It was long after that. When he'd looked back and shook his head, frowning into the campfire and wonder how the hells it had happened.
It started with laughter. From him. A snort of it so alien and abrupt that even he looked surprised after hearing it. "Horse petchers". Had this woman been following him around? Clearly not, but Konrad sneaked a glance at the woman as she spoke, an ember of approval in his seaweed eyes. Especially when she made her excuses, and he snorted right back.
"A'course you weren't..."
"How should I..."
"Hey, yer the weapons es'pert," he said, more mirth in his voice than scorn as he gestured to the post. "Sure but y'can show me a thing 'er two."
Of course she wouldn't. She would fail, just like he had. But Konrad was enjoying the show... especially when she went through the same grips and holds as he had, trying to remember the times he'd seen Three Eyes and others like him using such blades. Then she settled into her stance and Konrad nodded a touch.
Shoulders square to target. Good guess.
Not good enough to score her a hit on the post, though. It was her release, he could tell. Just a little bit too low, so instead of the wood it smacked into the dirt instead, but did she care? Did she curse or stomp her feet? Did she glare at him for embarrassing her?
No. She laughed. She laughed and the damn thing was infectious as pox.
Second shot. New stance, a trifle different... and yes, she tried to release later. When her arm was straight, guiding the spinning glade right into the target. But it was still off, still weak instead of stiff and confident... although the mud got a good stabbing out of the throw, instead of a bruising from the handle.
"See that! That was better!"
Konrad blinked at the bouncing, vivid little ball of enjoyment as she celebrated her victory. Arms crossed, eyes confused, he couldn't stop it. Didn't even know he was smiling until the ruined side of his face was aching. By that time he was watching her fetch the knife and then it was back in his hand, and-
He tried to look for some... manipulation, behind her smile. That was usually the reason behind that expression directed his way. It was never a real, honest thing. People didn't smile at Konrad, unless they stood to gain something.
"Here. You show now."
Pavi. She was speaking Pavi. The effort it took to dredge his memory for the translation was enough to snap him out of his confusion, another state that Konrad didn't enjoy. He looked down and then up at her and...
Well, what else did he have planned?
"A'right... a'right." He cleared his throat and slid the blade of the knife around his fingers until he was holding it just so. "See that? Thumb an' two fingers, by the blade. Tight, but light, y'know? Tight enough so you can aim it-" he stood before the target, square-on like she been, and extended his arm from behind his ear to straight ahead of him "-but light enough that when you let go-"
Please don't cock this up.
The gods listened, or maybe he really was just making progress. The second time was a proper throw, arm whipping forward and blade escaping his fingers just as his arm straightened-
THUNK
-well, not where he was aiming, for sure, but at least it was in the pole. Around crotch-level. Konra scratched behind his neck and his mouth twisted into something like a childish smirk as he looked at Sloane.
"Aye, well... that'd still stop the bastard, wun't it? Cum'ere."
Bells later, sat before that campfire, Konrad had mused on what possessed him. Probably nothing that another man would have mused over, worried over, questioned or puzzled over. But that wasn't him. He'd look down at his callused hands and remember how-
Her wrist was soft. Warm. But he wasn't thinking about that. Not consciously, anyway. He wanted to show her how to throw properly. One hand closed around her wrist, and the other placed the knife in her hand. Then he slid to her side and pulled her arm up, next to her head... straightened it so that the the blade was extended with her limb, pointed at the arrow she'd fired into the post.
"That an' y'just gotta keep practicing," he said with a sigh, that of a man who'd only improved through constant, grinding repetition. It wasn't fancy or heroic or even interesting, but it worked. "C'mon, try it again. Promise I won't laugh."
Konrad never winked at people. Not ever. Especially not pretty girls. What was the point?
Nope. Not ever.
"Trusting me," he said, then jerked his chin at the target. "You go," he said, notching a fresh arrow into his bow and getting into the sideways stance he'd seen her use. "I go."
It started with laughter. From him. A snort of it so alien and abrupt that even he looked surprised after hearing it. "Horse petchers". Had this woman been following him around? Clearly not, but Konrad sneaked a glance at the woman as she spoke, an ember of approval in his seaweed eyes. Especially when she made her excuses, and he snorted right back.
"A'course you weren't..."
"How should I..."
"Hey, yer the weapons es'pert," he said, more mirth in his voice than scorn as he gestured to the post. "Sure but y'can show me a thing 'er two."
Of course she wouldn't. She would fail, just like he had. But Konrad was enjoying the show... especially when she went through the same grips and holds as he had, trying to remember the times he'd seen Three Eyes and others like him using such blades. Then she settled into her stance and Konrad nodded a touch.
Shoulders square to target. Good guess.
Not good enough to score her a hit on the post, though. It was her release, he could tell. Just a little bit too low, so instead of the wood it smacked into the dirt instead, but did she care? Did she curse or stomp her feet? Did she glare at him for embarrassing her?
No. She laughed. She laughed and the damn thing was infectious as pox.
Second shot. New stance, a trifle different... and yes, she tried to release later. When her arm was straight, guiding the spinning glade right into the target. But it was still off, still weak instead of stiff and confident... although the mud got a good stabbing out of the throw, instead of a bruising from the handle.
"See that! That was better!"
Konrad blinked at the bouncing, vivid little ball of enjoyment as she celebrated her victory. Arms crossed, eyes confused, he couldn't stop it. Didn't even know he was smiling until the ruined side of his face was aching. By that time he was watching her fetch the knife and then it was back in his hand, and-
He tried to look for some... manipulation, behind her smile. That was usually the reason behind that expression directed his way. It was never a real, honest thing. People didn't smile at Konrad, unless they stood to gain something.
"Here. You show now."
Pavi. She was speaking Pavi. The effort it took to dredge his memory for the translation was enough to snap him out of his confusion, another state that Konrad didn't enjoy. He looked down and then up at her and...
Well, what else did he have planned?
"A'right... a'right." He cleared his throat and slid the blade of the knife around his fingers until he was holding it just so. "See that? Thumb an' two fingers, by the blade. Tight, but light, y'know? Tight enough so you can aim it-" he stood before the target, square-on like she been, and extended his arm from behind his ear to straight ahead of him "-but light enough that when you let go-"
Please don't cock this up.
The gods listened, or maybe he really was just making progress. The second time was a proper throw, arm whipping forward and blade escaping his fingers just as his arm straightened-
THUNK
-well, not where he was aiming, for sure, but at least it was in the pole. Around crotch-level. Konra scratched behind his neck and his mouth twisted into something like a childish smirk as he looked at Sloane.
"Aye, well... that'd still stop the bastard, wun't it? Cum'ere."
Bells later, sat before that campfire, Konrad had mused on what possessed him. Probably nothing that another man would have mused over, worried over, questioned or puzzled over. But that wasn't him. He'd look down at his callused hands and remember how-
Her wrist was soft. Warm. But he wasn't thinking about that. Not consciously, anyway. He wanted to show her how to throw properly. One hand closed around her wrist, and the other placed the knife in her hand. Then he slid to her side and pulled her arm up, next to her head... straightened it so that the the blade was extended with her limb, pointed at the arrow she'd fired into the post.
"That an' y'just gotta keep practicing," he said with a sigh, that of a man who'd only improved through constant, grinding repetition. It wasn't fancy or heroic or even interesting, but it worked. "C'mon, try it again. Promise I won't laugh."
Konrad never winked at people. Not ever. Especially not pretty girls. What was the point?
Nope. Not ever.
"Trusting me," he said, then jerked his chin at the target. "You go," he said, notching a fresh arrow into his bow and getting into the sideways stance he'd seen her use. "I go."
