[Flashback] Please, don't shoot your eye out.[Solo Training]

[Alevadra Druva]

10th of Spring, 498 AV-Afternoon After a rather short lunch with Patrick and a few of the Knights Sur Frent spent a great deal of time with, the two had left Stormhold in favor of a practice site. Alevadra had a long bow, which to Sur Frent would be considered a short bow, from the knight’s armory, which she was allowed to use so long as she was a squire. The Druva knew little of archery, save what her mother had tried to teach her while she was young. Ale knew the basics of shooting, string arrow, pull string, release. ”So, your Mum taught you something, now didn’t she?” Patrick asked while the two walked to the shooting range. “She tried, but it’s hard to teach an 8 year old about shooting, I was much to enthralled with shields and swords which my father had been teaching me. Arching seemed far to… Wimpy? I’m not sure what I thought back then.” The young woman shrugged slightly, the un-strung bow carried in her right hand. “Fair enough, I will teach you from the bottom up then, be ready for some lecturing, Ale.” Patrick opened the gate, which sealed off the range from random passersby, and motioned for Ale to enter before he did, a true gentleman. Alevadra would have been rude to decline so she stepped past him and through the threshold. With a small clank the gate closed behind Patrick and he held out his hand for Alevadra’s bow. “So, this,” He pointed to the wooden portion of the bow above the grip. “This is the upper limb, and this,” His index finger moved to the lower portion of the bow below the grip. “Is the lower limb.” Patrick moved the bow so it was parallel to the ground, his fingers pointing to the grip as he explained the parts. “This is the shelf, you rest the arrow here. This is the handle, the grip, the part you hold on to, call it what you will. This is a very basic bow; there is not much to it… At the ends, you see how it curves in, then curves back out?” Alevadra nodded slightly, muddy eyes were locked on the simple weapon. “That is the part that makes this a recurve bow, and these little notches? This is where the string attaches… Like so.” Patrick went about the task of stringing the bow. Her secured the string on one end, then turned the bow, placing the lower limb of the weapon between his legs as he bent the upper limb, notching the string at the top with some tension. ”See? Now, you try it.” Patrick quickly unstrung the bow before handing the object to Alevadra. The young woman took the weapon lightly, looking it over for a moment, noting its weight, the feel of the grain against her hand… It only took a chime for the woman to gather her thoughts and begin to string the bow, through the notch in the lower limb, Alevadra secured one end of the string, and then, she flipped the bow so she could take a gander at the upper limb. This was where she quickly realized that Patrick made the whole ordeal look much simpler and plainer. Jasme`, Alevadra’s mother, had done this thousands of times in the presence of the young woman, yet Ale never really watched her mother, never really saw what she did, how she turned her hands, how her fingers curled, white knuckled, tense against the bow. “Come-on, Ale, I know you can do this.” The Druva slid the lower limb of the bow in front of her left leg, resting the recurve on her foot, while the upper limb looped around the back of her right thigh, she was following what Patrick had done, using her body to aid her. With her right hand gripping the recurve of the upper limb, she pushed the limb towards the looped string, held taught in her left hand. With a great deal of shaking in her arms, she looped the upper limb, almost violently. “Great! I suppose you’ll have to work on those muscles, you won’t always have this much time to string your bow.” Patrick said with a smirk and wink. “Alright then, Alevadra, I suppose it’s time you learn about the arrow then, hm?” Patrick moved slowly to a locked shack, pressed up against the gate. Out of a pouch on his belt, Patrick procured a ring of dull, jingling keys. The knight fumbled through them, inspect some longer than others before settling on one and unlocking the doors. The man vanished for only a moment before he appeared again with a beaten up quiver and a handful of arrows. Patrick held out one arrow to Ale, and kept one for himself, while the rest remained in the quiver, with was swung over his left shoulder. “There’s not much to an arrow, main thing to remember, pointy part should be pointing at what you want to shoot, otherwise you’re in for quite the adventure.” Patrick chuckled to himself as he pointed to the feathered end of the projectile. “These, are fletching, they’re feather and are here to help the arrow fly straight. Once you have your own arrows, you can dye these if you like, I have mine green and black.” Patrick added on the personal tidbit for no apparent reason, perhaps he was bragging, or perhaps he used his bow and arrows so infrequently that he desired to speak of them. “The end here,” Patrick poked the notch on the end of the arrow. “Is a notch, you attach this to the string, it’s was captures the energy of the bow and propels the whole thing forward.” The tall man moved and gestured towards the fall wall, which was made up of hay bales that had red circles painted upon them. From the weather, or perhaps use, the circles were faded and even parts of the circle were simply missing. “Think you’re ready to try this badboy out?” Alevadra looked down at the arrow and bow, which were still held in her hands, muddy eyes moved from the weapon back to Patrick. “As ready as ever.” Ale said with a smile, maybe she would have better luck with arching than she did with riding.

[Alevadra Druva]

“Good! Alright, I will show you proper posture first without the bow, then with the bow, then again with the bow and arrow, understand?” “Yes, Sur.” As Alevadra answer, Patrick moved, his right foot pointed towards the wall, while his left heel was aligned with his left, although about shoulders-width apart. His right arm stuck out straight before him, his elbow just slightly bent, his fingers mocked holding a grip while his index stuck out straight. His right index finger was in-line with his right eye. The left arm was pulled back, his thumb pressed against the second knuckle of his index finger. The gripping hand rested next to his earlobe, his left elbow shot straight behind him, steady and parallel to the line his right arm would make. His torso was twisted, his right shoulder over his right heel, while his left shoulder hovered over his left heel. Patrick held this position for a chime, allowed Alevadra to observe the position. The young girl did take advantage of the time to note each limb, the angles the body made, and the way he held his fingers, the tension in his arms and legs. “I understand, Sur.” Patrick relaxed and gestured loosely for Alevadra to demonstrate the position to him. Slowly, the young girl moved her legs, her right foot pointing forward, her left making a sharp 90 degree angle, her right arm out in front of her, while her left hand rested next to her left earlobe. The woman stood still, her brown eyes focused on the faded, beaten targets. A soft breeze rustled a few stray hairs and a sigh was heard escape Patrick. She had done something wrong. A frown creased the young woman’s face as she continued to stare intently. Strong, rough hands reached out and grasped Alevadra’s right arm, bending the elbow slightly, raising the arm so her eyes started down the inside of her forearm and to the tip of her index finger. “You need to keep this arm slightly bent, otherwise you’ll likely end up with a giant bruise down the inside of your right arm. You also want to be looking down to the tip of your finger, and eventually, the tip of your arrow, so you can aim.” Patrick moved around Alevadra, his hands moving her left elbow back, so it would be parallel to the line her right arm made. His hands then moved to her shoulder, pushing her left shoulder back and her right shoulder forward. “I want you to get a feel for this, stand like this for a chime, then I will have to do this again, this is all about muscle memory, soon enough this position will be instant.” Patrick moved back from Alevadra, leaning up against the gate that surrounded them, pleasantly enjoying the soft spring breeze and the warmth the sun laid across his face. Alevadra, on the other-hand, was stiff, rigid as she tried her damnedest to remember exactly where her body was held. After just over a full chime, Alevadra relaxed her limbs, letting her arms fall to her sides and her feet come together. “Again?” Alevadra asked, her eyes remained focused on the beaten up target. “Yes.”

[Alevadra Druva]

The young woman quickly moved, her right leg forward, the heel of her right foot was shoulders width apart from her left. Her left foot stuck out at a sharp angle. Her torso was twisted, her shoulder making a straight line to the tip of her right index finger. Patrick smiled, until his eyes landed on her left elbow, which he pushed back, closer to her head. “Everything is perfect except,” His right hand patted her left elbow which stuck out like an awkward wing. ”This.” The Druva frowned slightly, at least there was only one thing she would need to work one. “I think you’ll get a better feel for this if you actually hold the bow and arrow, it’s easier to understand, but first, we’ll start with just the bow.” Patrick bent over, picking up the bow was lay stranded on the ground. The knight held the grip with his right hand, his left curled around the string, though he did not pull it back to his earlobe yet. “I want you to practice drawing, which means, pulling this string here back, don’t release it, just slowly move your left hand forward again, then repeat. Get a feel for the weight of this.” Patrick handed the bow to Alevadra and took a step back. The young woman took the bow, holding the grip tightly in her right hand, she slowly moved into the proper position, taking close note of her elbow as she pulled the string back. The bow had a draw weight of 35, and for the small 13 year old, that as much more than she expected, or felt like she could handle. Her elbows shook slightly as she slowly moved the string back to its starting position, then again, with shaking arms, pulled the string back by her ear. “Go faster when you’re pulling back.” Patrick stated from the gate. The squire responded, pulling back faster and harder, it seemed easier to the woman when she went faster. “Feel the difference?” “Yes,” “Good, now, I’m not going to show you this on my person, but I’ll walk you through it.” Patrick pushed himself off of the fence, bending over next to Alevadra, picking up an arrow. “Alright, so, this,” Patrick motioned towards the notch. “Attached here, on the string, under this little metal bit.” His finger touched a small metal bit attached to the string, he then put the notch on the string, butt up against the small metal. “Now, the shaft of this arrow is wood, and it rests against this shelf here,” his fingers pointed to a small shelf above the grip. He then rested the arrow on the shelf. “Now, your index finger will be like this,” Patrick’s rough fingers moved Ale’s small index finger to touch the side of the shaft. “Now, the tricky part here, is making it so the arrow doesn’t just fall off the damned shelf, try pulling back.” Alevadra pulled the string back quickly, like how she had before, and with the movement the arrow slipped from the shelf, the notch snapped off the string and clattered to the ground. “Don’t worry, it takes time...” Patrick stood silent for a moment as he thought, watching Alevadra put the arrow back on the shelf and the notch on the shelf. “Ale, try holding the bow with your other hand, with your left, maybe that will be better for you. I always found left easier, personally.” The Druva looked at Patrick curiously for a moment before switching around her legs and arms, her left leg was forward, her left arm held the ambidextrous grip. Slowly, Ale re-strung the arrow, resting it on the shelf, her left index finger gently resting against the arrow, keeping the arrow secure on the shelf. “Draw.” Ale did as he said and the arrow moved smoothly, remaining on the shelf. “Excellent! So, it would appear you shoot right handed, I should have asked what hand was dominant sooner.” Patrick shrugged slightly, seeming that the mistake was little more than water rolling off his back. “Well, let me grab a spare bow from the shed, and we can begin shooting.”

[Alevadra Druva]

Patrick wandered back towards the shack, his figure disappeared for a few chimes while the sound of rattling and scavenging could be heard from Ale's location. There were a few grunts before the Knight reappeared, a long bow in hand. “Seems like the bows are well hidden in there. Found this one under a few other things, looks like it's in working order.” The man walked up next to Alevadra, taking an arrow out of the quiver that was still on his back. Sur Frent moved into the firing position and notched the arrow, the man seem focused, intent, the rest of the world seemed to almost fall away from him, it was just him and the target. The man drew and aimed, taking his time for a moment of two before suddenly releasing the arrow. The projectile flew quickly, only stopping to hit the inner ring of the target. A small smile crept across Patrick’s face as he turned to face Alevadra. The young woman was not surprised by his shot, nor was she terribly impressed, as a child the girl had watched her mother shoot, and that was her focus, she was an archer through and through. “Did you see how I did that?” Patrick asked, his fingers moving to get another arrow. “Yes, I did.” “Well, go ahead then, shoot.” The knight said, motioning for her to move forward. The Squire moved into position, her body lining up in what she thought was the proper position and after a few subtle nudges from Patrick, Ale notched her arrow. It took the young woman a few moments to feel steady enough to draw the bow, pulling the string back above her jaw. Muddy eyes narrowed on the faded target, it was her and the target, nothing else mattered. Ale took a slight inhale, her eyes attempting to line up the tip of her arrow with the center of her target. With a quick release, the arrow flew, and missed the target entirely. The arrow stuck a few inched outside of the third ring. A small chuckle left Patrick’s lips was soon followed by a slow sigh. “You’re not going to make anything easy on me, are you?” He teased; the man began to walk towards the targets, beckoning for Alevadra to follow him. The Druva followed without complaint, fetching her own arrow as Patrick quickly snagged his. “How about we try to just get you to hit the circles, alright? You need to focus on the things around you as well as the target, the wind, especially.” Alevadra blinked, she hadn’t thought of that, the wind was slight, but it was undoubtedly enough for it to make a difference. “So, stand here facing the targets, which way is the wind blowing?” Alevadra turned and faced the wall of targets. “Now, tell me, which way is the wind blowing?” The young woman was silent for a moment before she spoke up. “East.” The squire then pointed to the right. “Good, now, how would you adjust firing to compensate for the wind?” Another short pause. “Aim slightly to the left of where I wish to shoot?” “Correct.” The knight smiled down at his squire for a short while before moving back towards the shooting distance. “Come here and shoot again, we’ll see how it goes this time.” Alevadra followed quickly, bow and arrow in hand. She was slightly nervous about shooting the second time, what if she did no better? What if she did worse? Alevadra stood next to Patrick as she positioned herself, taking a great deal longer this time to line up a shot. Her flesh tingled as the wind brushed over it, she noted the feeling, remembered it, moving the bow slightly to the right, her eye looking down the shaft of the arrow. Twang. The arrow flew and hit the target, landing in the second circle, a much better shot. The young woman smiled, looking over at Patrick. “See? Not so bad… Now you just need to practice, repetition builds muscle memory.” Patrick moved slowly back towards the shack, placing his bow and the quiver he had back inside. “You can continue to practice if you like; the next step will be having you hit moving targets, it’s best if you can hit a still target before you attempt moving ones. I will be going for the evening, I expect to see you again in four days, we’ll do some more riding, I would also encourage going out to Lyris daily, practice suiting her up and just trotting a little. Also, practice arching, if your mother were to see you, tsk.” Patrick smirked as he locked up the shack. While Patrick was a page to Ale’s father, Jasme`, Alevadra’s mother, had taught Patrick the finer points of arching. Even though Patrick was not as well versed in Archery as Jasme`, he was better than most. “I will continue to arch tonight, thank you Patrick.” “See you in four days.” With a small wave and smile, Patrick was out of the gate and off to enjoy the remainder of his evening. Ale waved in return to her Knight leaving; there was still a long night awaiting before her. The sun would still be up for a while yet, a few bells. The young Squire moved from her spot toward the target, fetching the arrow she had just shot. The pattern repeated, fetch the arrow, return to the firing line, notch the arrow, aim, and compensate for wind, fire, and repeat. Alevadra remained at the range for several bells, only when the sun began to sink low and her stomach began to cry out for mercy did the Druva stop. Her shots had slowly moved from the 2nd circle to the inside of the 2nd circle, to the edge of the first circle. She had not reached the center, not quite, but she was getting there, she was determined to reach that point, maybe not tonight, but soon. -FIN-

[Ataraxia]

Alevadra Druva XP Archery + 3, Land Navigation + 1, Observation + 4, Lore Archery: The Sport of the Wimpy | Stringing a bow... not so easy | Archery stances | Desire to live up to her mother's expectations | Compensating for wind in Archery Comments Another great training thread, Ale will get her require knight skills in no time at this rate! Just wanted to note, that Syliran Knight's are actually addressed as "Ser" and "Sera", not "Sur". Hello again, it's me, Captain Nitpicky. And FYI, then random land navigation skill point? Well, thats for knowing which direction was East in an impromptu situation like that. I figure if she can do that, she could probably get her bearings in most places. If you have any questions, you know the drill. Peace out!