Closed [Anthonius Fighter's Pit] Progression (Marrick)

[Katelyn Marks]

Her friend's assurance completely erased the disappointment of her first shot. Katelyn's slight frown twisted up in a return smile, and when the Squire stepped toward her, she automatically did as he suggested. As she drew a second arrow and carefully nocked it to the string, her frown returned--though this time it was more out of concentration than frustration.

"Like this?" she asked as she placed her middle and first fingers around the arrow's shaft.

When Marrick drew his own arrow and readied it to the bow, she watched him like a hawk, and adjusted her fingers a little to try and match his grip. As he continued to explain, she nodded occasionally and copied the way he tilted his bow. She could tell a significant difference in how secure the arrow felt, and Katelyn grinned with this little victory.

When her fingers were positioned properly on the string, and her dark haired friend came to adjust her grip, her grin stretched into a broad smile. When he stepped back again, she tested the weapon and slowly drew back her arrow, now secure in her fingers. Again her muscles protested, though not quite as badly. The smile turned to a thin-mouthed grimace, but she managed to pull back enough that the arrow's fletching tickled her chin.

"It does feel a little better, but I never would have guessed it was this hard," she admitted a little breathlessly, and tried to aim like he was urging.

Katelyn's gaze was locked on the target, but her arms were failing. She felt her hold weaken, and before the shot could be ruined she released the straining limbs of the bow. Again the string hummed with the power behind it, and the arrow shot down range. Kate could tell it was better than her first try, but despite her efforts the projectile missed altogether to the left and slammed into the barrier behind the targets, burying itself in wood with a hollow thud.

Upon impact, she released a sigh.

"This is a workout. My arms are getting tired already."

[Marrick Corvis]

“Aye, Ser Whoitevoine always told me that a bow was energy. T’was an interestin lesson.” Marrick lifted his own weapon and balanced it on his hand while he indicated the staves long arms with his free hand. “Yah see, yer arm can lift a stone roight? Well, the bow is no different. The arms on either soide store the energy yer arm pulls back n’ those arms want teh snap back to their most comfortable position. They pull the string with them. All that energy yah jest lifted is stored in the bows arms.” Marrick slid an arrow from his quiver and notched it over his knuckle. His fingers brushed the fletching for just a moment as he gripped the string in his fingers before he set his stance and drew the arrow back with a deep breath. “Yah see all the strength Oi’m usin teh pull this arrow back with will launch it forward, with all’a that energy.” The Kelvic fixed his keen icy eye on the nearest target and aimed down the shaft for what felt like a full chime before he exhaled and let go of the arrow. The string thrummed pleasantly as the arrow sailed gracefully toward its destination until its landed with a thump in one of the inner rings of the target. “Mezeen!” Marrick said in subdued triumph. “Let’s stretch a wee bit. Oi’m naught lettin yah leave afore yeh sink one in a target.” Marrick laid his bow on the rack a moment while he lifted his arms over his head and stretched each of them out. Letting the muscles relax before he flexed and pulled against them. After a few chimes he took a deep breath and exhaled letting his stress out. With a casual air he retrieved his bow and laid it against his shoulder and turned to watch his companion as she finished her stretches and picked up her bow. He fixed her with an appraising eye not unlike his Patron did with him when he stretched, or practiced. He found himself seeing a lot of potential in her as an archer. “Yer brothers bring in a fair bit’a game don’t they?” he said absentmindedly, almost as if his question was merely a statement. “Yer jest as capable an archer as they. Yeh just need teh focus n’ practice.” For a moment he caught himself smiling at the Fiery haired farm girl. Were he not in love with Oriah he would have expressed a lot more appreciation for Katelyn’s beauty, though he suspected his icy eyes and softened smile did enough. With a shrug of his shoulders, he sighed and drew another shaft from his quiver. With a slow purposeful action he notched it over his knuckle. With a deep breath, he drew the fletching back to his cheek till the feathers tickled, aimed down the shaft, and loosed the arrow upon the nearest target. The arrow arched gracefully for less than a tick as it sped toward the colored circles, and the arrow landed a little lower than his last. “Mmm.” He hummed softly to himself before he turned to Katelyn again and nodded. “Notch another.” Oi’m goin teh watch n’ adjust yeh if yeh need it.” The Kelvic knelt like a curious gargoyle near Katelyn as he watched her draw and notch another arrow. “Jest loike before. Draw those fletchins back the yer cheek this toime. Oi wanna see those bits’a feather ticklin yer freckles.” Marricks grin showed he meant no ill will, and he watched with interest as the Farmgirl prepared.

[Katelyn Marks]

"Well I think he'd be pretty proud of how good a teacher you're turning out to be. You must be a quick learner," she said graciously, then watched and listened and he dove into the actual physics of a bow. She'd never really thought about things like this before, but it instantly made sense to her. It was no wonder really that her arrows seemed a little weak, and that Marrick's seemed to hit with more force. His shoulder muscles were just more developed, allowing him to in turn place more power in the limbs of his weapon. She nodded as he nocked an arrow and showed her.

She watched the tension on the longbow's limbs increase as he drew the string back. They bent against his strength, trying to snap back to a more natural state. That was why it was so hard to string hers then, since she'd been forcing the limbs out of their relative straightness and into the taught recurve. As he fired the shot, she watched the limbs bend and then snap back again when he released the string. It hummed with all the force the smooth wood had gathered, and she smiled, glad to be learning so much.

"I understand. It's no wonder then," she concluded as she placed her bow on the rack next to the squire's and moved around beside him to join in the stretching. "How is it though that the limbs don't simply snap from the sheer force of everything they store?" Katelyn asked as she bent over at the waist and reached down to try and touch her toes. She wasn't nearly as flexibly as she'd always wanted to be--honestly she never really stretched and wasn't very good at it--but still the redhead made the effort if only to humor her friend.

Kate managed to reach near her ankles and grabbed them when she felt the burn to hold the position. She was acutely aware of his eyes on her, and she was thankful that her long hair shielded her shy smile from view. Her confidence was gathering slowly--little by little--and she couldn't help but enjoy the attention by now. When she released her ankles she shoot and pulled one arm back behind her head, stretching the shoulder and muscles along toward her elbow.

"When they both go out together they're usually pretty successful," she gave in answer, then smiled at his confident compliment. "I appreciate that. I have to say I'm enjoying shooting. This might just be something I stick with." After stretching her other arm, she retrieved her bow and joined her friend again by the firing line as he drew and aimed another shot. He was staying pretty consistent, but had yet to hit the center of the target. Heck of a lot better than her constant misses though. It wasn't bothering her so much now after hearing his praise, and she knew that practice was key to anything. She couldn't expect the results she wanted on the first try. It would only lead to frustration and ultimately quitting.

Katelyn plucked up another arrow and carefully nocked it to her string as she was told. She noticed that Marrick didn't even have to look, but it required concentration on her part to fit the butt of the projectile onto the weapon. She held it between her index and middle fingers, and kept her third ring finger on the string as well. Her fingers were really starting to hurt as well, but she'd had far worse, and chose to try and ignore it. If she was going to stick with this she'd need to invest in a glove. Katelyn smiled at his gentle jesting and encouragement, and despite the protesting in her arms and shoulders, she drew the string back as far as she could manage, and then some.

The redhead grunted with the effort and her face twisted into a little grimace. Her tongue poked out from between her teeth, and she both pushed and pulled the bow until she felt the edges of the fletching tickle the pale skin on her cheek just by the corner of her mouth. Her arms trembled with the effort and she had a piece of hair frustratingly stuck to the side of her mouth that she couldn't blow away. She spat at it awkwardly while fighting the urge to release, and tried to smile triumphantly but it simply turned into a bigger grimace.

After he made a few appropriate adjustments to how she held the bow, he helped her aim the arrow this time instead of shooting willy-nilly. She tried to look down the long wooden shaft and gauge where it would hit the target. A gentle hand from his tilted the shot up just a hair's breadth, and when he gave her the word, she released the string with a sigh of relief. She'd been staring at the center of the target, willing it to hit true, but didn't expect it to--which of course it didn't. Still, she was stunned with surprise when she saw it slam into the very bottom of the target, just on the edge of the outside ring, barely half an inch from missing altogether.

She looked at Marrick, then the target, then Marrick again as a beaming smile slowly spread across her face. Katelyn was on him in an instant, leaping against his chest in an overwhelming moment of accomplishment, pride, and excitement. She threw her tired arms around his neck and gave a ferocious squeeze despite the burn in her muscles, while another giggle bubbled up from the hidden recesses of her girlish self.

"I hit it!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe I hit it." She would have missed entirely though if he hadn't adjusted her shot. She let go of the squire and smiled, glowing with the success. "I think I could have fired all day and missed every single one if you weren't here."

[Marrick Corvis]

Pride tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched Katelyn draw back her arrow. The freckles on her cheek became especially apparent to him as the feathers caressed their dappled pattern. “That’s it.” He whispered breathlessly as he watched. A little smile grew on his lips as she stuck out her tongue in effort. He felt a great swell of pride in his chest as he saw the farm girl’s determination in her eyes as she aimed down the arrow. It was like watching a cat hunt its prey or a particularly hungry man eyeing someone else’s meal. Her arms shook, and her face was a mash up of extreme concentration. The Kelvic would have laughed save for how focused he was on willing her to make the shot. She was so close, yet one or two things still needed to happen. Purposeful as sculptures chisel he leaned in and looked down her arrow at the target and helped steady her arm. Gentle as a feather he lifted her hold arm just a touch. “loose.” He whispered, almost as a prayer. He felt the gust of her exhale just as his eyes flicked toward the target to see her arrow thump into the most outer ring at the targets base. Marrick’s grin was broader than the Avitar in a flood. His features oozed smugness as he turned his gaze upon the surprised red head as she realized what she had accomplished, and it brought him a most pleasant sensation of pride. Within the space of a half a tick she had thrown her arms around him in hooting excitement and triumph at her accolade. Marrick couldn’t help but give her a reinforcing hug swept up in her exuberance. She crushed him to her as she giggled with an extreme giddiness. He laughed alongside her as his grin diminished to a mysterious smile. “Well done Kat. Whether yeh believe it or not, Oi saw it with meh own Eyes.” He gave the lass a final squeeze before he let go, and thought back on the whole thing. “Tis the same with loife Miss Marks.” He said, soft as silk sliding through your hand. He felt a high that filled him with a sense of accomplishment, even though all he’d done was help guide a first time bow woman to her first target strike. “Keep tryin. Improve yer technique, and yer bound teh hit yer mark.” He said after a short pause lost to time. “Once yeh start teh hit consistently, Oi’m told there are ways teh speed up yer draw and much much more.” With a long drawn out breath he sighed and shrugged his shoulders before he unstrung his bow. The fifth bell rang out in one of the many towers in the city and the Kelvic ran his gloved fingers through his dark hair. “Well, Oi think a triumphant drink is in order. Have you ever been teh the Rearin Stallion?” The Icy eyed squire fixed her with a smug little smirk that blossomed into a wolfish grin. “Oi think Kevith moight make an exception servin alcohol to a little girl if Oi put in a good word fer you.” The Kelvic’s obvious tease was followed by a hoot of laughter before he bolted for the nearest door.

[Katelyn Marks]

She was flushed with pride and glowing under the squire's praise and approval. Despite the exhaustion in her limbs and soreness of her back, Katelyn's mood was incandescent now. She had the fever now, and would keep practicing until she could hit the target every time, not just once or twice.

"I've been once or twice," the redhead answered when Marrick mentioned the popular bar. "It's been a while though. Maybe a year or two ago?" Since they had a perfectly adequate tavern at the Outpost, she'd never really had much use for the one here in the city. Still, if she remembered correctly the drinks had been more than good, and the redhead might have gotten a little more tipsy than intended. She smiled at the memory, but quickly the expression sharpened into a keen glare, lips twitching to suppress a grin at the squire's jibe.

"Little girl?" she snapped good-naturedly, but Marrick turned and was running before she could utter any retorts back. "Hey!" Kate's indignant call fell on deaf ears, and her friend disappeared before she could even think to follow. Without a thought she lunged after him, leaving her bow strung on the rack and her brothers left staring at her as she ran by. They looked at each other in confusion, mouths hanging open. After a moment they shrugged to each other.

"She'll turn up eventually, right?" Harris pondered aloud for the both of them, and his twin shrugged again.

OOCShort but sweet conclusion.

[Nivel]

Katelyn Marks : XP Award: Body building 3 Endurance 3 Socialization 4 Observation 5 Intelligence 3 Rhetoric 1 Flirting 2 Weapon: Longbow 4 Copying 1 Acrobatics 1 Lore: Training is more fun than anticipated Marrick can identify wood by sent. Stringing a bow A sword doesn’t come out of the forge Sharp Bobkin arrows have a reinforced tip to punch through armour Broad head Arrows: used to hunt unarmored foes Broad arrows can probably puncture leather armour as well Blunted Arrow: designed for small game or to cripple a foe Whistling arrow: It screams?! Marrick: Will make a fine knight some day Marrick’s all healed up now Marrick is a dream boat and that is a problem How to hold a long bow The Anthonius fighting pits uses Broad head arrows Brothers wanted to keep their hobbies separate. Hold the bow at an angle to prevent the snapback Hold the arrow in place with your finger to keep it from falling The Physics behind the bow Talent for archery runs in the family Notes: Some of your posts were short but I know the reason and I know that you have made an important since then. otherwise you are awesome Marrick Corvis : XP Award: Weapon: LongBow 4 Observation 3 Investigation 2 Intelligence 2 Bow smithing 1 Meditation 3 Body Building 1 Endurance 1 Socialization 4 Philosophy 3 Flirting 3 Teaching 5 Rhetoric 3 Acrobatics 1 Lore: The finer parts of a well crafted bow The odd sight of a human fighting a pycon with a net Appraising a bow for katelyn. Stringing a bow Identifying bow wood quality by scent. A sword doesn’t come out of the forge Sharp Bobkin arrows: have a reinforced tip to punch through armour Broad head Arrows: used to hunt unarmored foes Blunted Arrow: designed for small game or to cripple a foe Whistling arrow: Makes a sound like a mournful bird Katelyns brother tried to shoot her with an arrow when they were young Katelyn’s brothers must never know that she is a girly giggler The Anthonius fighting pits uses Broad head arrows Hold the bow at an angle to prevent the snapback Hold the arrow in place with your finger to keep it from falling The bow has energy Shield Points: 5 for training Notes: Awesome job but Gargoyles don't exist in Mizahar >__> you should feel ashamed Additional Comments: If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to message me.