- - -
Karp strolled through the open door of the Traitor’s Tavern Inn and waved to a serving girl. The girl barely acknowledged Karp as she darted from patron to patron. Nort and Slart sat at their usual table near the rear staircase. Karp had arrived so late that she didn’t expect the pair to still be eating. She sat, and a serving girl placed a mug of blueberry stout and plate of cubed grilled lamb with stewed coarsely chopped potatoes in front of her.
˝So uh did you get a chance to use the knife yet?”
˝no.”
˝Wanna try it out?”
˝yes.”
Karp had already finished eating. She had the habit of eating like her food might get taken away at any moment, a habit she likely developed because, at one point in her life, she never knew when she might get thrown out of a tavern or house. Karp, Nort, and Slart headed to the throwing board. Every throwing board was arranged differently, and this one was nature-themed.
˝let’s just make this simple. the first person to hit all of the bees wins.”
Karp had chosen the second smallest target on the board. Seven thumb-sized drawings of bees were scattered around the board’s five-foot by ten-foot surface. Thirteen cats’ eyes, the tiniest images on the board, each measured about the size of a thumbnail.
˝Starting off easy, hmmm?”
˝just go.”
Slart removed one of five small knives she kept in individual pouches along her waist. She stood at the throwing line and disinterestedly flicked her wrist. The knife drifted toward the board, the blade arced down, and the sharpened front edge perfectly bisected a bee. Slart strolled over to the board, removed the knife, and returned it to its pouch with a quick spin.
˝now you’re just showing off.”
Karp always seemed calm on the surface but struggled to control a fiercely competitive side. Slart had figured that out a long time ago, though, and enjoyed riling her up.
Karp stepped to the throwing line and unsheathed her water steel dagger. The dagger was roughly the same length and width as her old steel dagger, but much lighter. The blade felt so light that Karp felt in her bones that the weapon must be fragile despite constant assurances from Slart and Korg that water steel was durable and sharp. The handle was relatively heavy compared to the blade and made the dagger slightly off-balanced. Karp would have to fix the enamel next time she was in the Shift World.
Karp felt satisfied. She understood how to throw the dagger to achieve the proper arc and angle to hit the same bee as Slart. She threw the knife, but the blade flew faster and straighter than she had anticipated. The dagger hit the board three inches above the bee. The blade slid through the throwing board and into the wall behind. The dagger’s handle smashed into the board, and the weapon stopped with a thud. Karp’s face turned bright red, and Slart snickered.
Karp stomped to the throwing board to grab her dagger. The weapon didn’t pop free as she expected. Karp tugged, but it wouldn’t budge. Soon, sweating, she cursed under her breath, with both feet on the throwing board as she tried to pry the dagger free. The blade popped suddenly free of the beam behind the throwing board, and Karp crashed to the ground. The entire tavern broke out laughing as Karp hit the ground.
Slart turned to Nort and said, ˝Oh, honey, why don’t you try?”
Nort walked up to the throwing line, and Slart handed him a little knife. Nort palmed the blade, moving it around until it felt comfortable and balanced. All of the eyes in the tavern pierced him, and he clearly wanted to impress everyone. He hurled the knife full force. The perfect throw hit the board with the sharpened front edge, but the blade ricocheted to a nearby table and stuck in the floorboards. The tavern filled with laughter again, and Nort’s face also turned beet red.
˝I - I - I uh have to go study for an exam tomorrow!”
Nort stormed off. Slart pulled the knife out of the floorboard.
˝He must have been desperate to get away if he’s really going to go study...”
Slart forced a little giggle as she spoke. Just as Slart had learned to read Karp’s cool affect, Karp had learned that Slart appeared to wear her emotions on her sleeve but usually thought and felt something more deep-rooted. That is to say, Slart didn’t want to burden others with her problems and tried to act lighthearted and ditsy, even when something bothered her. Karp had the feeling that this was one of those times.
˝is everything ok with nort?”
˝Well...um...it’s this whole shifter thing. I found him the other day in the vault, well, staring at just uh boxes. I put my hand on his shoulder, and he turned and said ‘it worked.’”
Slart pantomimed putting her hand on a shoulder.
˝he shifted?”
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