Page 13 of Edge of the Wild

Whatever his face did, it caused Náli to laugh. “Here,” he said, after he’d quieted, palm held out again. “Let me see it, and I’ll show you.”

Oliver glanced toward Bjorn, who rolled his eyes, but nodded. He handed over the knife and Náli – the little show-off – had it in motion immediately.

A twirl, a flip; he rolled the handle over his wrist and stepped back; tossed the blade into the air and caught it deftly, sunlight winking on its wicked edge.

Bjorn grunted in disapproval. “Get on with it, you little shit.”

Náli laughed. “Now, is that any way to talk to a lord?”

Bjorn braced his feet apart in the trampled snow, anticipatory grin pulling at his mouth. “I’ve always thought titles should have to be earned.”

Náli laughed again – and moved.

But not in the way Oliver had expected.

He took three long strides toward Bjorn, head tossed back, shoulders squared, a head-on meeting…but then seemed to change his mind. His eyes widened, and he hesitated, backpedaled…made to retreat. Bjorn surged toward him, as any man would have, Oliver suspected; Náli made for an easy target: much smaller than Bjorn, and with his back to him, no less.

But before Bjorn’s hands could close on his arms, Náli whirled again, ducking low, and pulled up with the knife flashing against Bjorn’s unguarded ribs.

Both men froze. The flat of the knife rested harmlessly against Bjorn’s tunic – though its placement, had the weapon been wielded with the intent to cause injury, would have been devastating.

“And I’ve stuck you,” Náli said, triumphant.

Bjorn made a face, but nodded as he stepped back, acknowledging the young lord’s success.

Náli turned to Oliver, tossing the knife again and again into the air, catching it by the hilt without looking at it, and without err. “Do you see?”

Oliver did, and he nodded, some of his earlier irritation melting away.

“You can’t outmuscle someone like him, nor – at least now – outmaneuver him. If you’re in a fight for your life, you have to fight dirty.”

“Like you, you mean,” Bjorn said.

“Yes,” Náli said easily, gaze still fixed on Oliver. “If someone gets you in a tight spot, hide your weapon, and beg for mercy. Play frightened. Hell, try to seduce him if you think that will work. The beast should never know you have a blade until you’re slipping it between his ribs.”

Oliver said, “I can see the wisdom in that.”

“If you want to learn proper sword technique, Bjorn’s your man,” Náli continued, and Bjorn’s brows jumped once in surprise. He caught the knife again, twirled it, and offered the handle to Oliver. “But if you want to learn how to keep from dying at Dreki Hörgr, let’s teach you how to fight like a snake.” He grinned, his even, white teeth flashing.

Oliver accepted the dagger. “I suppose that wouldn’t hurt.”

A half hour later, winded, cheeks stinging from the cold, but sweat prickling beneath his clothes from his efforts, Oliver and Bjorn walked side-by-side back into the palace, and Oliver feltslightlyless incompetent, Erik’s borrowed dagger tucked behind his belt again.

“Thank you for your efforts,” Oliver said. “I can’t promise to be of any actual use, but, at least you tried.”

Bjorn heaved a deep sigh, and in a pained voice said, “That little white-haired shit wasn’twrong.”

They’d reached the wide, arched doorway that led into a staging area, a hallway convergence where the ways to the kitchens, great hall, armory, and rear staircase all met. Oliver paused, stepping aside and out of the way of two passing maids with arms full of towels. He noted Bjorn’s sour look, and fought to keep from grinning. “Right about what?” he asked, innocently.

Bjorn’s sharp glance said he wasn’t buying that routine. He snorted, and shook his head, and sighed again, comically pained to admit that the lithe and flashy Náli had been correct about anything. “You’re not going to do anything but get yourself killed if you attack a man head-on.”

“Well, at least we finally agree on that.”

“If it were up to me, I’d advise you to try not to antagonize anyone bigger than you – but I don’t think that’s possible to avoid.”

Oliver did grin, this time. “It’s my greatest flaw, truly.”

“Uh-huh. Try not to get yourself killed, is all. And if you do have to stab someone, don’t be hesitant about it.”

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