Youth vs Experience

She appreciated the eagerness that the smaller female showed. Enthusiasm made teaching so much easier. It was very difficult to teach someone that found lessons tiresome and boring. Those were the ones that never learned anything. Or they ended up learning by trial and error.

Malalia admitted that she did not have a whetstone. "You may have this one when we're finished." She could find another. "It's made of very fine, compacted quartz. Before you're ready to soften your blades, you soak the stone in water. Not only does it fill in the pores and help your blade to slide over the surface, but it makes it easier to clean away the leftovers."

Taking up her own claws, she selected one of thre blades, carefully tucking the others away. Holding the blade at just the right angle, the woman applied gentle pressure and slid the blade over the stone. She made several passes on one side, then flipped the blade over and repeated the process on the other side. "You'll learn when your blades need to be sharpened. The more you use them, the more they become a part of you."

Resin handed the whetstone over to Malalia. "Now you try." Black backed ears flicked forward, that single eye locked upon the young warrior.