- Posts
- 241
“You should get a good story out of it, if nothing else.” Celeste took everything back to the desk and then stretched out on the bed again, extending a hand. Nicolette took it and eased herself round until she was on her belly, one leg draped over Celeste’s and the hand not holding her wine resting on the other woman’s chest. Celeste was warm and Nicolette absently swirled patterns over her skin with her fingertips. “It's probably going to be dangerous, though. No 'probably' about it, really. He makes no bones about that part, though he's playing coy with the details. How are you at fighting?”
Nicolette tensed, which would probably be answer enough for Celeste. Of course there would be combat involved in something like this. Also, if her genre knowledge had not failed her, a variety of potentially lethal traps, rivals for the prize who would stop at nothing to get there first, and possibly a dragon. She was reasonably confident that the last one would not be an issue, but the others could well be.
While it might cost her involvement in this, it was better to be honest rather than trying for bravado and getting injured – or worse, anybody else injured – through her incompetence. “Limited. I had a little training with daggers when I was a child, and a knight in Highever took the time to refine my technique. I can shoot a bow reasonably well.” That had been necessary for hunting.
“I find combat frightening,” she admitted. “We had a few incidences on the road when I was young, and while trouble has come to me I have usually managed to evade it without violence.” Or other people had stepped in for her. She was not likely to forget the crunch of her captor’s bones as Merrill’s stone had slammed into him. “I have defended myself on a few occasions.”Nicolette indicated the white scar that ran along her collarbone. “This is from a bandit who attacked the caravan I was travelling with at the time. I managed to knock him out.”
She had probably talked herself right out of the invitation on this quest, and if she had she would be bitterly disappointed in herself, but lying and getting caught out later would be far worse. The memory of the slavers had made her uncomfortable again, and she concentrated instead on the feel of Celeste’s skin under her fingers, gaze lowered for the moment.
Nicolette tensed, which would probably be answer enough for Celeste. Of course there would be combat involved in something like this. Also, if her genre knowledge had not failed her, a variety of potentially lethal traps, rivals for the prize who would stop at nothing to get there first, and possibly a dragon. She was reasonably confident that the last one would not be an issue, but the others could well be.
While it might cost her involvement in this, it was better to be honest rather than trying for bravado and getting injured – or worse, anybody else injured – through her incompetence. “Limited. I had a little training with daggers when I was a child, and a knight in Highever took the time to refine my technique. I can shoot a bow reasonably well.” That had been necessary for hunting.
“I find combat frightening,” she admitted. “We had a few incidences on the road when I was young, and while trouble has come to me I have usually managed to evade it without violence.” Or other people had stepped in for her. She was not likely to forget the crunch of her captor’s bones as Merrill’s stone had slammed into him. “I have defended myself on a few occasions.”Nicolette indicated the white scar that ran along her collarbone. “This is from a bandit who attacked the caravan I was travelling with at the time. I managed to knock him out.”
She had probably talked herself right out of the invitation on this quest, and if she had she would be bitterly disappointed in herself, but lying and getting caught out later would be far worse. The memory of the slavers had made her uncomfortable again, and she concentrated instead on the feel of Celeste’s skin under her fingers, gaze lowered for the moment.