The Salle, Thursday Afternoon

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

It was cold. There was snow, too much snow, and cold and no power. The power thing didn't bother Edmund in the slightest. He packed candles to light the salle, which he set up and lit, before retrieving his sword. He kept glancing at the door to see if Molly was going to come as he went through his practice routine.

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[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

It was official - Molly was freezing her butt off. Trying not to interrupt too badly, she spread two blankets out to sit on, then wrapped herself in them and pulled her earmuffs and hat down more tightly over her ears. Next to her was one thermos of hot cocoa and one of hot tea.

She waited patiently for Edmund to take a break, watching him practice by candlelight as she listened to her teeth chatter.

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

Edmund went through the motions, making the sword look like it was as light as plastic rather than tempered metal. He noticed that Molly had arrived, but kept going until he was finished with one round. He then stopped and acknowledged her. "You look cold."

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

"Kind of my default setting for the last couple of days," she waved a mitten back at him. "You look good out there."

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"They're just warm-ups," he replied, not really knowing how to take a compliment. "Need plenty of that in weather like this. You haven't seen any giraffes fall from the sky, have you?"

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

"How are your warm-ups different from the real thing?" She asked. "Um, giraffes? Noooooo. Why?"

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"Warm-ups are slower and more about preparing the muscles for a proper practice than acting quickly or trying to hit a target or repel an opponent," he explained, "and a boy yesterday told me that giraffes fell from the sky the last time it snowed heavily."

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

Molly blinked slowly at him. "I'm not even sure whether that's a good sign or not. Did anything else happen?"

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"He didn't say, but he did bring me soup. I'm not sure why, but it was good."

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

"Soup's always good. I have tea and cocoa, whenever you want it."

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"Are you trying to one up the boy with soup? Because it's working."

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

"I didn't even know about the soup guy."

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"You could have mind powers I don't know about. We've only really had one computer conversation, a telephone conversation and now one and a half conversations in person." Not that he was counting.

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

She grinned at him. "Nope. No mind powers, I promise. What about you?"

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"Mind powers? Not me. As far from gifted as you can get. I'm not too bad with a sword though."

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

"I can see that, mostly, even from warm-ups." Molly may have been a bit relieved to know he didn't seem like he was going to suck.

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"I try to keep up with practising, even though I haven't had to use my sword here. I'd hate to be called home and rusty." He stepped back and swung the sword around so his muscles didn't cramp up in the cold.

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

"Isn't that hard to do, in the dark and the cold?" She asked, then added, "We could always do this another night, if it would be easier."

[ooc: Perfect timing! I was just about to head to bed.]

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

Edmund looked around. "There are candles, and there's no wind in here, so it doesn't bother me. But I'm here a few times a week, so if you want to come back when it's warmer, I wouldn't hold it against you. It's not exactly the warmest place in the school."

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

Molly shook her head, completely forgetting about the low light and him probably not being able to see her. "It's not like it's warmer anywhere else, though. Plus, I...like watching you. Even with the candles."

Wow. That sounded creepier than she meant it to.

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"Does your father have a sword?" Ed asked, remembering their previous conversation.

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yeah," she nodded. "Amoracchius. It has one of the nails from the Crucifixion in the hilt."

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

He'd been swinging his sword in smooth movements, but the point dropped towards the ground at that. "The Crucifixion?"

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

"Yup. He wasn't there, of course. The sword gets handed down."

[once-a-traitor.livejournal.com]

"Only here would you have to specify that. How can they tell it's one of the actual nails? Not that I don't believe you," he added hurriedly. "I'm just curious. Would it-" he started, then tried to figure out what he was trying to say. "Does it have any of His blood on it?" Did blood even last that long?

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

"I don't know how they know, but there are two other swords with the other nails in them. I don't know where they are, but it's a whole Knight of the Cross thing." She thought about Edmund's question. "I don't know, but maybe? In with the wood somehow?"