Page 77 of Fire in Stone

“Careful.” She stilled her blade, moving it aside. “It’s not smart to approach someone who’s wielding two swords, human.”

She grinned. One of her blades danced in her hand as she twirled its handle between her fingers.

I didn’t move away, mesmerized by her skill. “You make it look so easy.”

“Want to try?” She offered a sword to me.

I gripped its handle. The heavy weapon yanked my arm to the ground the moment Isar released it.

“Holy fuck, it weighs a ton!” I did not expect it to be this heavy. Isar had tossed it around as if it were a toothpick.

She laughed. “You’re so weak! Like a mouse.”

Holding the sword with both hands, I handed it back to her.

“So much for me ever using one.”

She regarded me for a minute. “Weak or strong, everyone needs a way to protect themselves.”

My protection had always been a combination of methods, from hiding and keeping quiet to screaming, kicking, and running, depending on the situation. I never relied on weapons, because I’d seen firsthand how easily they could be taken away and used against you by anyone who was stronger.

I shuffled back a step. “There isn’t much I can do against a gargoyle, especially a dragon.”

“Maybe not much.” Isar tilted her head, giving me a measuring look. “But you may gain a skill that even your weakness wouldn’t impede.”

“What do you mean?”

She went to the trunk where Zenada kept her equipment. Thesalamandrasappeared to store a whole bunch of stuff there, including weapons, as Isar pulled out a longbow and a leather holder with a few arrows.

“Let’s try this.”

She left the lid of the trunk open, taking me a few paces away from it to the opposite end of the courtyard.

“Wait a minute.” I scratched my nose. “Do you want me to shoot an arrow? From a bow?”

She leaned toward me. “You’re small, light, and weak.”

“Thanks,” I replied sarcastically. There was absolutely no need to remind me of my shortcomings. I was well aware of all of them.

“One on one, you’d stand no chance against a dragon.”

“No kidding.”

“Your best chance to defend yourself is when he’s as far away as possible. Which means…” she pressed the bow into my hand, “you have to fight him from a distance.”

I pulled out an arrow from the long holder and touched the dark arrowhead. It was sharp but seemed too small.

“Thiswill never hurt a dragon. Have you seen their scales?”

She gave me a crooked grin. “You don’t shoot where they have scales. These arrows were made from Nerifir iron, the only metal that can kill a fae. If you get it into the dragon’s eye, he’ll most likely die.”

“Ha! You think I can shoot an arrow into the eye of a flying dragon while staying outside of his fire’s range?” I’d laugh if I didn’t feel so rotten from being so useless.

She arched a dark eyebrow. “Let’s try.”

It took some time and effort for me to even fit the arrow into the bow without dropping either or both. When I finally was ready to take a shot, Isar stepped back.

“Aim at the trunk,” she said.

---