Solo Archery Review, Part I

[Collin Ashcroft]

Spring 10th, 516 AV
Antinuous Training Grounds
Early Afternoon

Note :

Part II

"Ready!" The sharp command rang out across the grounds and each Squire drew an arrow from the quivers either on their back or hip. Collin placed the nock on the string and prepared his fingers for the next command that came shortly after.

"Draw!" The second voice belonged to their main instructor today; a small but intimidating Inartan Knight whose fiery orange hair had been shaved close to her head on the sides, giving her an even fiercer appearance. She walked the line of ten Squires and critique posture and correct technique. She spent a little time on each, and all were expected to hold position the entire time. It was an excellent way to build muscle while building on fundamentals.

He held his string with three fingers; the arrow resting between his index and middle. It was how his patron had taught him, and seemed to serve the Knight well. He wasn't sure how he felt about it yet, but equated it to needing more practice.

When she reached Collin she circled a few times, lifting his elbows and pushing in his stomach, making him draw more breath into his lungs and while flexing his shoulders and abdomen tighter. He concentrated on this pose when she left him to help the others, trying not to let it slip. Finally the third call rang out.

"Fire!" Bowstrings and crossbow limbs snapped and hummed as they were simultaneously released. The vast majority of bolts and arrows buried themselves in the targets down range save for a few, and one even landed nearly dead center. Collin's was right on the edge between the second and outer ring of his target. Not bad, not good. The Knights wasted no time in prepping for the second volley though, and he had little opportunity to dwell.

"Ready!" He drew the next arrow from his back and placed it on the string, slipping his fingers over the nock and feeling the rough fletching against his knuckles. They said repetition was the key for archery and that constant practice was what it took to master it. He was sure they would be at it until none of them could lift their arms over their heads anymore.

[Collin Ashcroft]

"Draw!" The command was like a whip, and in relative unison the Squires moved to obey. Collin tried to mimic the position she had just showed him, but it was as if his body had already forgotten what it had done only moments ago. He drew back the arrow with the strength in his broad shoulder and the power in his chest, holding the string with his first three fingers; the middle and ring below the arrow, and the index above.

The bow bent in his other arm, groaning quietly from the tension in its limbs. He held it there for a few chimes, feeling his muscles start to protest as their instructor finally found her way to him. She clucked her tongue disapprovingly and made the exact corrections she had before. Elbows up, belly in and tighter, chest wider. She even nudged his boots with her toe, making him shuffle his feet a little further apart. He found that after her corrections the strain on his arms was lessened. Once she finished with the rest of the line, her sharp call rang out once more.

"Fire!" His fingers released and the bow snapped back, punching the arrow into the target about 100 yards downrange. It was the distance of a beginner, that of which the other Squires who were firing longbows were also using. Everyone else either held a shortbow or crossbow, and their ranges were about half that. Collin's second arrow was grouped close to his first, a measly three inches or so away. Still, it was to the left of the center of the target. His shots were veering.

"Hold! Talk amongst yourselves, I will work my way down to each of you."

Collin relaxed considerably and propped the end of his bow atop his boot, leaning on it as she began quiet discussions with each individual. When she made her way to his place in line he stood at respectful attention while she leered up at him. He felt a drop of sweat run down his neck as she scrutinized him, and after an uncomfortable silence she finally spoke.

"Show me your stance." He plucked an arrow from his quiver, placed it on the string, and pulled back with the three finger draw his patron had taught him. "I don't like this technique for you," she criticized instantly. His brow knitted and his mouth twisted into a frown, but before he could ask what was so bad about his method she held up a finger to silence him. "Who is your patron?"

"Ser Blackburn ma'am." She huffed an exasperated sigh and scowled.

"Horance would be perfectly happy if all he was ever asked to do was swing a sword or his fists. Long range was never his preference. It's no wonder you're so sloppy." The Knight was sure to have a laugh when he heard that. If it wasn't strategy, riding, or swords and shields, he became bored quickly. "Let me show you." He found himself smiling now, liking the feisty Inartan woman more as she talked to him with a sense of equality.

[Collin Ashcroft]

"Take me through how you hold your bow, and give me your stance again." When she motioned for him to start Collin drew another arrow and nocked it to the string. He did everything slowly now so that she could watch in greater detail, and just as he was about to draw his arrow back she stopped him. "I see one problem here. You've noticed how both arrows grouped to the left?"

"Yes ma'am."

"You're gripping the bow tightly in your first. Don't hold it like that. It makes your shots pull to the left. Let the body of it rest in your palm. Cradle it, don't squeeze it. That's right, like that. Now, when you draw back the arrow use both arms equally. Don't just yank back with all the strength of your right arm. Push forward on the bow as you're pulling back. That way you use your back and shoulders more than just your arms. Breathe in, and draw."

Collin drew a deep breath in through his nose as he pulled the arrow back toward his chin, pushing on the bow with his left hand as he pulled with his right. He made a distinct effort to breathe with his lungs instead of his diaphragm, and kept his elbows up, leveling his arms straight with the arrow. There was a considerable difference just with this small correction in how easy the limbs bent for him. Their instructor nodded her approval but gave his feet another nudge for good measure.

"Not far enough apart," she scolded. "You can relax now. Be ready on my word." She worked down the rest of the line like before and finally signaled for them to draw, then fire. He mimicked the corrections she had showed him, reveling in the difference it made already and released the arrow on her command. The string hummed from the force of the shot and then there was the familiar smash of multiple arrows into tightly packed straw.

This time Collin's arrow was in the middle of the second ring, several inches to the right of his first two attempts. It was still a mediocre shot, but seeing even slight improvement filled him with a sense of accomplishment.

[Collin Ashcroft]

Another volley was fired before the red haired Knight made another round down the line. He was maintaining his grouping with relative consistently with the latest just to the left of his previous arrow. When their instructor made her way down to him she didn't have much to say as far as critiquing his form.

"Don't forget your feet," she reminded him a third time and he nodded sheepishly. It was a recurring problem not only in archery but also swordplay. He had an issue with his feet. "Other than that you're catching on. It's going to be repetition from here on out. I want you to try a different draw style for me though, just to see how it feels. I don't think all of your fingers are releasing at the exact same time which is a common problem, but you might be strong enough to use your thumb. Let me show you, then I want you to try it a few times."

He appreciated the one-on-one attention she was giving each of them. He could see general improvement throughout the whole group. It was clear she knew what she was doing, so as she showed him how to draw the arrow back with just his thumb, he paid close attention. It was like his original technique only minus two fingers. She hooked his thumb around the string, where it sat in the joint of his knuckle. It was a strange and foreign feeling, but no less odd than the first time he'd shot a bow.

"Let me know how that feels," she asked, and then she was gone to help the others. He commited the new and unfamiliar technique to his memory until she called out for the line to ready. Collin drew his fifth arrow, nocked it, and hooked his thumb around the string just under the projectile. When the next command rang out the Squire flexed and pulled against the bow, rolling his shoulders back and breathing in deeply. He held the breath and that position, thumb protesting against the intense and unfamiliar tension.

"Fire!"

It was a much cleaner release than usual. With just a single point of contact on the string, there was nothing that could get in the way. Collin simply opened his thumb and the bow snapped taught, launching the arrow 100 yards to smash into the second ring. This arrow seemed to have more force behind it than the others--so much so that it bit deeper into the straw-stuffed canvas. It buried itself between his last two arrows, so close to one that just a hair more to the right and it might have split one down the middle.

[Collin Ashcroft]

"Are we feeling sore yet?" The Inartan's voice crooned in a sing-song manner. She was enjoying every bit of strain from the Squires.

"Yes Sera," a smattering of voices called, and she smiled.

"Good! Then keep going! Ready!"

Collin grunted as he drew back his bow another time. He was beginning to feel the stress of it in his shoulders and his thumb throbbed uncomfortably. The Knight strolled down the line, nodding her approval at the overall improvement the group was showing within this first bell.

"How does the thumb feel?"

"Like it's going to snap off."

"Good! You're making it stronger. Also, aim more to right." She was gone again in a flash, and from behind he heard her call for release. Collin tilted the bow ever so slightly to the right as she suggested and unlocked his thumb. The arrow slammed into the left edge of the center mark and a wide smile split his face. It was his best shot to date. Now if only he could commit it all to muscle memory. He had six more arrows in his quiver and there was no end in sight. The Squire imagined he was going to have ample opportunity this afternoon for it to sink in.

"How long does she want us to do this?" an older boy asked quietly beside him. Collin glanced around and caught a peek at the few Knights who were supervising.

"Probably until our fingers bleed," he joked, but the Squire looked thoroughly crushed. He had to stifle a smile else risk unintentionally upsetting the boy further.

"All right then!" one of the other Knights shouted. "Let's keep going! Still plenty of day left, let's not waste any. Ready, and aim!"

Collin didn't know how right he was. It would be another two quivers worth of arrows before they were finished and the strain on his thumb would leave his hand stiff for days, then sore for even longer.

[Izuyanai]

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