Loki, impressed by the novice’s throwing, nodded and chuckled. “Yeah,” he said, “don’t overdo it,” he advised. Ben was obviously out of breath, and any more throwing without a bit of a rest would just discourage him. “You have to work up to that kind of heavy lifting,” he said, nodding to the box where they both deposited their axes and then guiding him over to the bar for a drink. Before Ben could order his coke, Loki asked for two glasses of tap water, and slid one over to him. “Also, hydration is good,” he advised.
Out of deference to his companion, he ordered two cokes, and then carried one and his water over to a nearby table where they could sit. “So, not bad throwing. Put some work into it and you could be pretty good. Just keep your eye on where you want the axe to go, keep your grip loose on the handle, and use leverage and gravity rather than strength. Also,” he said, unscrewing the cap on his coke, “you may need some icy-hot tonight,” he added with a knowing smirk.