I woke up the next morning. I still couldn't believe I kissed him. Today would is going to be a good day I can feel it. I walk out the tent and i'm greeted by Ryan.
"Good morning , you've got weapons training today. You'll need to pick a weapon," he says as we walk to the hospital tent. Once we get there I see different weapons spread across a few of the cots. bows, swords, spears, knifes, etc. My eyes roam over the weapons. I walk over to where all the knifes are. there are so many different types, sizes, shapes.
"No guns?" Even the guards in the compound had guns.
"We have a few but we try no to use them just in case."
"In case of what?"
"In case we get attacked again."
"Again?"
"Can we hurry this along." He sighed and I can sense that agitation in his voice this time.
My eyes fixate on a pair of sliver polished knifes. it had two curved prongs projecting from the handle. It had a relatively long thin but very shape blade.
"What are these?" I ask picking them both up in my hands. I liked the weight and the balance.
"They're called sai" Ryan simply states with his hands behind his back.
"I like them can you teach me to use them?"
"I can teach you to use any weapon in here." he says letting a very faint smile play on his lips.
"You know what I mean. Will you teach me to use these?"
"Yes, but you can't change your mind later I'll teach you to use those and that's it. If you want to learn to use others your on your own." I turned the weapons over in my hands examining them.
"I want to learn to use these. I'm sure."
"Ok let's go." he says leaving the tent. As we walked to the clearing Dean and I used for fighting the other day I couldn't help but wonder why Dean wasn't teaching me. The way he said it yesterday he made it sound like he was going to be teaching me.
"Ryan why are you teaching me? I mean I thought Dean would have?"
"Dean wasn't feeling up to teaching today I guess. I didn't ask why. He just asked me to fill in, seeing I'm the only other one here that could do it."
"Oh." I feel slightly disappointed. I start to deeply regret the kiss.
Once we get to the clearing I stop and look at Ryan waiting for him to tell me what to do.
"First off they are mostly used as a offensive weapons, but can also be used as a defensive." he says and I nod along "Now on to how to hold them. You should have one in each hand." I felt that was a little obvious but I just kept my mouth shut.
"Grip the handle with all your fingers and then pinch you thumb against the joint between the handle bar and shaft."
"Why so specific?"
"It allows you to manipulate the sai so it can be pressed against your forearm and avoid getting your thumb caught when blocking. You can rotate it by putting pressure on your thumbs and rotating the sai towards you and you index finger should be aligned with the handle.
You can use them for throwing as well but those are the main offensive attacks you will use. Use your forearm to black any attacks. Overall don't forget you have two. Use both," After he got done explaining all of it we began to practice. I started off with defense. Without the knifes so we didn't end up with someone accidentally getting stabbed.
He would attack I'd try to block it and pretend to stab him. We did that for about 20 maybe 30 minutes. To finish off the day we practiced trowing the sai at a target painted on the tree. I was surprisingly good at it. After about another 15-20 minutes of that we called it a day.
I began mindlessly wondering around camp. Then I here my name being called.
"Linnea!" I turn to see Dean calling me from his tent. I couldn't help but smile a little he made me feel safe and not so alone. I walk over and he invites me into the tent.
"What happened yesterday can't happen again, got it?" he says firmly with a serious expression on his face. Whatever smile I had left on my face was gone. I didn't know what to say. I mean it was just one kiss so I couldn't make that big of a deal about it ,but at the same time for some reason felt like a big deal.
"What happened?" I ask
"What?" he looked confused.
"I was talking to Sophie she hinted that somthing happened...I can tell by the way people look at me. They are afraid of me. You're afraid of me."
"I'm not afraid of anything."
"Everyone is afraid of something."
I say looking him dead in the eyes. "I don't know what you've had to go through. I don't know how many people you've lost-"
"Thats right you don't-" he interrupted he says angrily but I cut him off "But I do know shutting people out isn't the way to deal with it. These people trust you. I know you care about your people and, don't want to lose them. You could have turned me away, killed me, or just left me out there." I said gesturing outside the tent.
"But you didnt. I choose to believe that means somthing... Maybe not in a romantic way and that's ok but, I'm here and I'm part of your people now. I'm going to prove to them they don't have to be afraid of me. I'm going to prove to you that you don't have to be afraid of me." I turn and start walking towards the tent exit when I feel him hand grab my wrist.
"You'll survive out here"
