Heart of Ashes

Playing with Knives

Dmitri had shown Evelyn and Ragnar into the training room with an arched brow and many unsaid words, then he'd told then where everything was and left.

Ragnar looked like a kid in a sweet shop, Evelyn thought, as he stared wide-eyed at the weapons that were just lying around that room. There were pikes and spears, swords of all shapes and sizes, axes, maces, daggers, every melee weapon she could name, she could see. There was also a vast array of long-range weapons too; long bows, crossbows, sniper rifles, shotguns, handguns, bullets, arrows, bolts, darts and throwing stars. Ragnar wasn't satisfied until he'd picked up and handled every one of them.

"Are you done?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"Not yet," he answered, holding a battle axe with the blade millimetres away from his nose, "why don't you go pick something while I mess around with this?"

Evelyn sighed and went to look around. She found a long, plain sword with a relatively long hilt. A backyard sword, as she later discovered. She pulled it off the weapon rack and the blade clanked against the ground. She tried to lift it and she managed to lift it about three inches for about seven seconds before the blade hit the floor again.

"What the hell are you doing, Evelyn?" Ragnar's voice came from the other side of the room.

"Umm..." she said, trying to lift it again, "I... er... I can't lift it."

She blinked and Ragnar was at her side, "Hmm, it seems I forgot to mention, they're heavy."

"I've noticed," she replied, "so what now?"

Ragnar looked around, "There are light swords, scimitars are pretty interesting."

He reached for one and pulled it off the rack. The scimitar was a very nice looking sword, she had to admit. It had a dark blade that widened and curved on one side towards the point. The hilt was dark red with the head of a dragon - the Draculesti symbol - engraved into it. She took it from Ragnar, this one she could actually hold for longer than a few seconds but, after giving it a few swings, it became clear that it would tire her quickly. She shook her head.

Ragnar chuckled, "Not so easy, is it?"

Evelyn scowled, "Shut up and get me something cool, sharp and manageable."

His eyes gleamed with amusement and the skin in the corners of his eyes creased when be smiled. He put the scimitar back then went to go fetch something for her. He returned with a set of daggers with curvy blades which tapered to a very thin point. She raised an eyebrow.

"Kris knives," Ragnar said.

"I know what they are," she lied, not very convincingly.

Ragnar raised both hands, "Okay, show me how they work."

Evelyn stared at the daggers and blinked, "Hey, that's what you're here for."

"So you don't really know what they are?"

"Knowing what they are and knowing how to use them are two different..." she knew she couldn't even convince herself, "no."

Ragnar laughed, it was a small, soft laugh, but it was a nice laugh. He had a nice laugh. He took the daggers and showed her how to hold them then handed them back. She took them and held them the way he'd showed her. He put his hands over hers and started adjusting her fingers and made sure she tightened her grip a little.

"Hold them like that and someone will knock them out your hands before you even know you've been attacked," he said.

She tightened her grip, "Better?"