Amalia
the shield of safrin
So she is to be a sword.
She had never felt comfortable with bladed weapons, preferring the safety of the staff, the dull sides less likely to draw blood or maim. Now, as she holds a gleaming length of silver, she wonders what it would be like to wield such a thing. The feeling of it sinking into flesh, cutting against bone... she shudders, setting down the metal with distaste in her throat.
Perhaps the message had been figurative. Less sword in reality than sword in spirit, a blade crafted out of Vi's intentions, more to protect than to harm. But even as she thinks it Amalia knows that it's a bandaid, another way to hide from the responsibility that waits for her. The responsibility she asked for, that she dare not shrink away from now.
This time she picks up a wooden practice sword. Testing the balance, Amalia wraps the hilt in her right hand and affixes her shield to her left. Then, turning to a practice dummy, the girl swings forward-
-and misses entirely. Huffing frustration, she shakes her head. "Vi's beard, this is hard."
She had never felt comfortable with bladed weapons, preferring the safety of the staff, the dull sides less likely to draw blood or maim. Now, as she holds a gleaming length of silver, she wonders what it would be like to wield such a thing. The feeling of it sinking into flesh, cutting against bone... she shudders, setting down the metal with distaste in her throat.
Perhaps the message had been figurative. Less sword in reality than sword in spirit, a blade crafted out of Vi's intentions, more to protect than to harm. But even as she thinks it Amalia knows that it's a bandaid, another way to hide from the responsibility that waits for her. The responsibility she asked for, that she dare not shrink away from now.
This time she picks up a wooden practice sword. Testing the balance, Amalia wraps the hilt in her right hand and affixes her shield to her left. Then, turning to a practice dummy, the girl swings forward-
-and misses entirely. Huffing frustration, she shakes her head. "Vi's beard, this is hard."
everything that drowned me
taught me how to swim
taught me how to swim
