Training (open)

[Cassandra Marks]

Fall, day 1, 511 AV

"Watch your aim, we don't want to injure someone, do we?"

She didn't apologize, he knew she wouldn't, and he understood why, he understood her. They were two of the same, she were a clone formed in his mould then altered in appearance. They were both blonde, but while his eyes were blue and is features more broad, her eyes were brown and her features more refined. In personality they were the same, though, except him being more experienced and understanding.

He stepped behind her, made sure she held the bow correctly, then stepped back while she knocked an arrow and took careful aim. She released the arrow and let it fly across towards it's target. This time she hit the bay of hay she was supposed to, even if it was in it's very edge.

"Now that's better, 'sandra.. You can keep practising and leave the bow and arrows in my apartment when you're done."

"Thanks, Gramps."

She didn't look away, merely knocked another arrow and took aim before letting it fly. It didn't reach the hay this time, but he said nothing, just eyed his granddaughter for a second, then limped away to continue working. He didn't really have time to teach her, he needed to work. But this was a good place to practise, as it was an empty space where an errant arrow wouldn't injure some unlucky fellow. And the noise of the stables and the horses in the other boxes were making distracting noises, which she had to train to fade out. She'd do him proud, he knew she would.

So she was left alone, standing facing the empty box with only nine bales of hays in it, and the arrows she'd let loose. She was beginning to sweat, trying to keep up a good pace that was fast and steady. She was missing the bale in the middle as often as she hit it, though the numbers of arrows that didn't even reach the bales weren't growing in numbers as fast as the numbers that hit. She still wasn't pleased though, even if this was new for her and she'd only trained bow sparsely while growng up.

[Roy]

A red haired man wandered a fair bit from the area the lady practiced archery at, raising his head in mild curiousity as he noticed her. Merely watching the archer for quite some time before walking closer to the training site, rubbing the back of his head briefly before walking abit closer so that he would not have to shout. Seeming somewhat reluctant to make direct eye contact should the woman glance towards him.

"Not that used to those things, I assume?", he said with a slight smirk on his face. Knowing full well he would be unable to wield it at all unless taught how to hold it.
"Well, I'm sure you'll eventually get the hang of it. I do not disturb your practice, I hope?", he said as he studied the lady abit more closely, again doing his best to avoid eye-contact.

[Cassandra Marks]

Cassandra heard the moving abouts of other people, but was unaware of anyone approaching her until the redheaded man spoke. As he finished speaking, she let the air in her lungs out softly and let the knocked arrow fly towards the target. A satifying thud was heard as it hit the topmost bale of hay, instead of the middle one that was her target.

"Not yet. I'm not disturbed, talking is good for my focus and concentration, a battle is not quiet and an enemy will not stand quietly waiting to be pierced by arrows."

She glanced quickly at him while knocking another arrow, only long enough to take in his appearance and equipment. She let the arrow fly as she let her breath out, and looked pleased when it hit dead center. Her look faded quickly and she knocked another arrow, it had been luck, the hit. She needed to be able to do it over and over and over again, and so on. She needed to be the best she could be.

"Cassandra Marks. Your name?"

[Roy]

"Eh.. My name. Well, I suppose that would be 'Roy'. A pleasure to meet you, Cassandra.", he said as he rubbed the back of his head. Shrugging abit afterwards.
"... And.. I suppose what you say is true. Mostly battlecries and clashes of steel there, isn't it. Still, your opponents would unlikely aim to talk your ears off and win that way, right? Not much distraction practice then, or am I wrong?", Roy says with a slight smile on his face, which suddenly disappears from his face as fast as it was made. Instead arching a brow at something, seeming abit thoughtful.

[Cassandra Marks]

"Any distraction is better than none. Keep talking, you work here?"

She let the air out of her lungs once again as she let the arow fly, hitting the lower left bale of hay. Neither her face nor her body betrayed her frustration, and she knocked another arrow, taking longer this time to aim, holding her breath for as long as she could before releasing both air and arrow once more. The arrow hit the lower left corner of the middle bale of hay. She quickly eyes her hands, which were a bit swollen and the fingers of her right hand were red-ish where she'd pulled and released the bowstring several times.

She rubbed her hands together, not minding the numbing feeling, or at least not showing that she did. She was good at that. Hiding her emotions, that is. Not the best, but good enough for most not to see. She walked forward and begun collecting all the arrows, quickly exmining them as she picked them up. She had to replace those she damaged, or she wouldn't be allowed to borrow the bow again, and she needed it. It didn't seem like any of the arrows were broken, however.

[Roy]

"Keep talking? Well, that's quite a request, m'lady. I'm not usually very good at talking at all unless spoken to, which brings me to ponder about how I managed to start this conversation.", he said as he closely studied the way she held the bow and knocked the arrows against it. Hoping to learn something about archery, no matter how small. He have already learned more than he knew. How one should hold a bow and fire an arrow, or atleast some pointers in how.
"Perhaps some archery gloves would be a good investment, though. Not that I know if any of those exist, but might be a good idea to use some kind of gloves atleast.", he said with a slight smirk on his face before continuing, -"As for if I work here.. Not really. Not yet, atleast. I am going to apply to become a knight when the time comes, though. Until then, I suppose I should try getting a 'easier' job. Still quite awhile to go until I know what would be required of me."
Roy tilted his head slightly, and folded his arms across his chest with yet another thoughtful frown. "Could this woman, 'Cassandra Marx', have put a spell on him to make him talk more? No, ofcourse not. Such a thing is redicilous."
What he was thinking might have been easy to guess from the way he looked at the woman as she collected the arrows, if looked upon. Although he did remain to look somewhat thoughtful and perhaps alittle confused even as the signs of what his thoughts might have faded from his face.

[Cassandra Marks]

None of the arrows proved to be faulty, which both pleased and angered Cassandra. She didn't need to replace them, but she had nothing to blame for her misses either. She straightened up, walked back to her original place and held out the bow and arrowholder.

"Pain builds character." She looked him over, then added: "If you're going to become a Ser, show me how you handle a bow." It wasn't a command, more like a question, but not that either. " You can apply anytime and they train you before letting you become a knight. That helps you get there quicker without getting sidetracked by another job."

She eyed him, wondering if she'd seen him before. "Why didn't you apply as a child? You're not from around here?" She guessed he wasn't born and raised in Syliras, but who knew, he might have circumstances like hers that prevented him from joining when he was younger. She tried to ease her face so she wouldn't look as angry as she usually did. She couldn't help it really.

[Roy]

He followed the woman with his gaze as she walked back to her original spot, arching a brow at her 'request'. "To be quite honest, I've never held a bow. I have focused with my spear mostly, with abit of swordmanship.", he answered.

"To be quite honest, this is not what I prefer to be. It's part of me, but.. Well, that doesn't matter. I am from around here, I just didn't get the chance to apply yet. But I suppose I should go see the recruitment office before looking for another job then. Who knows, I might get lucky.", he said as he then moved his gaze to the bow in Cassandra's hand, seeming abit unsure.

"I do not own a bow of my own, and I don't think I should borrow yours. I might snap it or something. It's your training aswell, so by all means, continue.", he said with a smile on his face. Reluctant to borrow the bow to try.
"But if it would bring a smile on your face to watch me owe you a couple of arrows at best, I suppose I could. If you insist.", he said while remaining to have his arms casually folded across his chest. Tilting his head slightly with yet another smirk.

[Cassandra Marks]

Cassandra resolutely stared at Roy, still holding out the bow and quiver to him. "The more effective you are with as many weapons as possible, the better. Try, I'll teach you what I know."

She looked at him, almost daring him to object to her reasoning. "If you're worried about breaking it, just be gentle." Easy, huh? Really, it was just simple logic, not like she was asking him to become a god in two bells. ((Bells are hours, chimes are minutes))
Her left hand went up to her necklace, the only unecessary thing she had and wore, but only for a second. No, she only offered to teach him so she could learn how to teach, yes, that was it. She was not just any fool acting on a whim, or following unruly emotions. No, she was one of the organized and controlled people. She just wanted to learn how to teach, yes. And he could be a good person, and she should help him, if she was to be a good person too. Not to mention he might end up her superior if they both became knights, and any favors might count positively.

[Roy]

Roy eyed the bow and arrows for awhile before letting out a sigh before gently taking them. Letting all arrows but one fall gently to the ground, and took a stance to slot the arrow onto the bow. Seeming thoughtful for a moment as he glanced towards Cassandra's hands. He then glanced back to the target, and pulled the bowstring back, although not far, as he wished to be as gentle as possible. The arrow hitting the ground barely halfway towards the target.
"Too gentle, I suppose?", he said with a smirk as he went to grab another arrow and slotted it to the bow. Once again firing the arrow, which hit the target fairly close to the middle. Surely a lucky shot, as it would be obvious due to his surprised look at the target. He then moved his free hand to rub his chin and study the bow. Obviously trying to figure out how he managed to make such a shot to do so again.

"Well, that's quite odd. Wonder what I did..", he said as he reached for another arrow and loaded it to the bow. Once again taking aim at the target, but this time, as expected, missed badly. The arrow flying past the stack of hay.

"Well, I think you want to get back to your own practice now, don't you?", he said as he offered the bow back to Cassandra. Still looking quite surprised at his lucky second shot.