At the mention of wearing different clothes, Petra glanced to her outfit and fidgeted a little. The young half-elf was used to dealing with the intrigues of a noble court and was accustomed to any critique to simply be polite phrasing used to mask an insult. For a moment her brows drew together and a slight frown creased her lips. Eyes scoured Elwen's face for any sign of disdain and found none. It was going to take some time to get used to the straightforward manner in which the wild elf spoke but already Petra found herself liking it. It was a welcome change to be able to take the words as they were without having to dig for deeper meaning.<br/><br/>When the tall wild elf grabbed onto the blade of the sword, Petra looked confused but she stayed silent and listened closely to what the woman said. There was much that she had to learn in a short period of time and she would not waste it by making Elwen repeat herself. As she soaked in the information, Petra nodded along to the points that she agreed with. All of the books that she read made melee out to be this great, chivalrous contest where the more skilled man was the victor and the other man was dispatched by she had heard some of the guards talking about in combat they would throw dirt in the opponent's eyes, stab someone in the back, or whatever else was required to keep themselves alive. Petra harboured no romanticized notions about combat. It was a tooth and nail fight to the death.<br/><br/>The nod came again, a little more vigorously the second time. Weapons did scare her. Every time she thought about them she could not help but think of the worst outcome, of dying by them. Axes cleaving flesh, clubs shattering bone and swords lopping off limbs filled her mind and she shuddered. Expressive blue eyes blinked a few times and she blushed, having lost herself in her thoughts. At Elwen's request she tried to pull the blade from her grasp and predictably it did not budge. When it was her turn, she wiped her palm on her dress to try and dry it. Taking a slow, deep breath Petra managed to still the tremble of her hand. She took the blade and held tight, fully expecting that Elwen would simply use her strength and jerk her completely off her feet but the warrior pulled only enough to get the point across. It was such a small thing but Petra felt her fear of weapons lessen just a little.<br/><br/>Both weapons were put in her hands while Elwen explained that she need to always be armed. Again she nodded when the warrior said that this situation would still likely go against Petra. Even with Elwen unarmed, the half-elf did not like her chances, especially if the books she had read about how well-trained the wild elves were at defending themselves even when unarmed were true. She was once again worrying, wondering if the general's soldiers would accept her. If she had no skill at fighting would they think she had no worth. The thought coiled in the back of her mind like a wounded animal, gnawing at her.<br/><br/>The sudden closeness made Petra's pulse quicken. She swore than she could feel the heat coming off of the wild elf and it was very distracting. She looked up, watching Elwen speak. It was common sense that people would try to get in close to her to use her petite stature against her. She knew that it was good advice to get a weapon that levelled the deficit in her reach and to be prepared for the inevitability of that failing her. "So, if I was fighting someone wearing armour like that of the house guard I would either want a thin bladed dagger to slip through the ring mail or I would want to try to strike at the armpit, neck, or inner thigh where there is a gap, yes?" She was making an attempt to impress the elf with her observations, to show that even though she was small and not particularly strong, she could be an asset.<br/><br/>She smiled softly at getting to ask a question. It was a bit silly but she wanted to know. And it would steer further questions. "I know that we have only begun to get to know one another but I want to know your thoughts on whether or not the general will find me pleasing. I realize that it is a girl's romantic notion to ask such a thing when it is a political marriage but I do want to live a fulfilled life rather than just be what amounts to a prisoner. I want to actually be his wife if he really wants a wife." She felt embarrassed asking, by her innate curiosity had gotten the better of her.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>