"Uhhh... heh" Seema smiled back, a little embarassed. "Don't you go building me up into some heroic sort now, all right?" Drawing her sword from its sheath and admiring the shine on the blade. "Looks heavy, right? Well, catch!" She laughed and casually tossed it to Luci, hilt-first.
"See, what I've found is that the typical bandit will only pick on what they think is an easy pay-day. Cowards, you see? I tell you, when I've been riding with another woman, there's a higher chance that we attact attention, they see me with a short reach and a big longsword and think I can't even hold it up. Most will be so cock-sure that they'll break their cover and amble up smiling!"
She laughed once more, forcing it through a contemplative look into the distance. "Last mistake many of them have made."
A short pause.
"But don't go thinking this is easy, I've been training - of sorts - for years, and things still catch you out. My second job as a guard, I was happy enough keeping some overgrown child with a hammer at bay and... before I knew what was going on, I had a knife stuck in my side by the other hired hand!"
Lifting the left side of her leather tunic, showing a 6 inch scar above her hip, almost proudly.
"Turns out he'd heard there was something of unusual value on the cart. Thankfully, the owner of it had backup following us, and the two of them were made into pincushions by a couple of bowmen. But then, the owner paid me the double crosser's fee as well for being honest, and I'm still here so I see it as a lesson learnt."
"Always watch your back."