Page 100 of Forcing Fate

He turned it over in his hands, and I peered at it curiously. It was a petite knife, no longer than the width of my palm. It didn’t have a handle, but rather two rings to thread one’s fingers through to pull it out of the sheath. I realized it was a necklace and hung point-up so that I could grasp it and draw down to wield it.

Darrak drew the blade, and it glinted with the sun’s last rays. With a curt nod, he tossed it to me. I caught it and Niehm peered over my shoulder to examine it.

“Then there’s this.” Gerald flung another item at Darrak.

This knife was larger, concealed in a sheath attached to a leather belt. The belt was tiny, narrower than even my waist. I frowned, noting the thin handle and the straight needle-like blade. It was slender and sleek.

He looked at my trousers and shook his head. “If someone gets that far, she wouldn’t have a chance to use it. This isn’t useful if she’s wearing trousers.”

I lifted my chin as understanding dawned. It was meant to be worn on my thigh. Perhaps under a dress. A small smile lit my face. Elenor would have appreciated the discreetness of the weapon. I would have felt much more confident with that on under my skirts.

Darrak placed it on a crate and waited as the older man continued to rummage and mutter to himself.

“Try it on.” Darrack gestured to the first piece he’d tossed to me.

I moved to tie the leather thongs, and he stopped me, frowning.

“I don’t know if this will work, either,” he said.

He stepped up to me and secured the ties tight about my neck. My heart beat faster with him so close. I wasn’t quite afraid of him, especially with Niehm there, but I also wasn’t used to people pressing into my space.

“Tie it up here, and you’ll be able to grasp it, but everyone could see it.” The blade lay against my sternum above my tightly laced shirt. “Tie it lower,” he loosened the ties to let it drop on my chest, “and you won’t be able to reach it unless you have your tunic untucked.”

“I have to tuck it in.” It was large enough for three of me. It would be too cumbersome to train with it loose.

“Mm-hmm.” He frowned thoughtfully before pulling the necklace off and placing it in my hand.

Gerald hobbled toward us with a sheathed blade. “This is the only other piece I have that might suit her.”

It had a loop to be placed on a belt, but horizontally, not vertically.

“A bandit breaker?” Darrak asked.

“Hmm… is that what they’re calling it these days?” Gerald sank heavily in his chair and regarded Darrak with eager eyes.

He drew the weapon, and I watched in awe as he flipped it around his hand. It had a straight hilt with a ring on the end. He had his thumb through the hole and gripped it tightly. The blade itself was curved, far more than any I’d seen before. Almost like a bird’s talon.

“Try it,” he said, handing it to me.

My fingers wrapped around the smooth grip and I slid my thumb through the hole as he had. My hand was much smaller than his, yet it rested in my palm securely. It didn’t feel too big in the slightest.

“You’ll need training with that, but it’s one of the best self-defense blades,” he said, watching me handle it.

“I know nothing of those blades. You’ll be the one to train her?” Niehm asked, squinting at him. She clearly didn’t approve of the idea of me spending more time with him.

“Perhaps,” he replied, looking past us.

I followed his gaze and saw General Rafe perched against a vendor’s stall, watching us. Gerald’s stall was tucked away from the rest, but not exactly private.

“How much?” Niehm asked.

She reached for my purse. I had plenty of coin by my standards, feeling as though after my bout of mending for General Rafe, I had coin to spend for leisure for the first time. I had never bought a knife, however, and couldn’t begin to guess what they would cost.

“For both,” Darrak said, handing me the sheath for the bandit breaker.

I slid it in, and it held securely, the circle sticking out of the end for ease of drawing.

“Ah, I think they’re worth twenty gold. It’s not every arms vendor that would carry such goods,” Gerald mused, relaxing in his chair.

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