Flashback ( PDFDrive )

“The first rule of dagger throwing,” Sandor told her, “is: Never
throw a dagger if you know you’re going to need it. That’s another
reason I gave you such a small weapon to train with. You’ll be able to
hide several of them in the clothes Flori’s designing for you.”
Sophie blinked. “Flori’s designing clothes for me?”
“With lots of hidden pockets,” Sandor agreed. “That way you can
always have a few daggers and throwing stars with you—and likely a
few of Dex’s inventions as well. And you’ll need to get in the habit of
checking your arsenal and knowing exactly what you’re carrying and
where to reach it all. That way you’ll know if you can afford to lose the
weapon. If you’re down to your last dagger, it’s generally best to hold
on to it.”
“Even if I can take out an enemy?” Sophie asked.
Sandor nodded. “A dagger in hand can cut down many enemies. A
throw just finishes one—and only if they don’t duck or dodge.”
“But what if throwing it saves someone?” Sophie countered.
“Then you’ll have to decide if their life is worth more than your
own,” Bo jumped in. “Battles are not for heroics, contrary to what
many foolishly believe. They’re for winning. That must always be your
overall goal. If you manage to save anyone in the process, that’s a
bonus. But your endgame must be victory. And the best chance you
have of that is by staying alive, because you’re far more useful when
you’re fighting than when you’re dead.”
Sophie hated every single word of that.
Sandor rested his hand on her shoulder. “There are no easy choices
in battle.”
“There aren’t,” Tarina agreed. “That’s why our soldiers are trained
to fight on instinct. Then there’s no looking back and wondering