[Gitana Chumomisto]

"I know that, Simza," she responded, not quite able to hide a trace of confusion that crept into her voice. How could she not know that? The talvia was popular amidst the women and she'd heard the philosophy of the weapon spouted often enough, particularly when one of them thought to show off. That did not mean she understood it completely. "But why? Why must we flee and turn our backs on the gaje? They will think us cowards, kek? I would keck have the gaje think us trashd!"

Simza nodded. The look upon her face suggested she understand, but the words that came from her mouth were inevitable, it seemed. "Perhaps, Tana. But it's far better for them to think us trashd of them than for us to search for your body if you have been muller'd, avrah? Your scarf it is keck much in comparison to the weapons the gaje would yield against you. Learn this and you will stand some chance, but perhaps keck enough. If you wish to have chingary with the gaje, then it is the churara you should learn, but you are better off with this. Leave those cumbersome, ugly things to the manuses. Now, come. I shall teach you how to unfurl the barbs."

She thought to argue further, but as Simza removed her talvia and gestured for Gitana to stand back, away from her, Gitana fell silent and complied. Jehan, she knew, would not have gone silent. He would have argued, would have demanded that it was not for them to show their backs to the gaje, as if the Air'riela were somehow too cowardly to fight. But not Gitana. She fell silent and watched, listening attentively, fingers curling in the fabric of her talvia.

"You will want to unfurl the barbs before your attacker is upon you, Tana, else you risk the barbs remaining fastened and nothing happening at all! What you will want to do is hold the talvia in one hand--and, mind, it will unfurl the barbs on the opposite end only--lash the talvia away from you like so." She demonstrated, her hand moving only slightly, a deft twist of the wrist and jerk of the arm, the talvia snapping out but a few steps away from her before recoiling back to her side. "You see? A short, choppy movement. Too far and you risk the slack of the talvia doing little at all for your barbs. You keep your hand close to the center of the talvia to the side you wish the barbs to come away from the seam. You can repeat that movement with the other side to open the barbs, too. But only do so much as time allows you."

"Avrah, to run," Gitana murmured, gesturing. "Might I try it?"

Simza grinned and merely motioned for her to give it a go.