Afternoon Ray [OPEN Sanctuary Beach]

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

33rd Summer Mid Day 512AV

This afternoon archery was on his mind. He hadn’t actually picked up and used his bow in a decent amount of time and he wasn’t about to let all the work that Ildin do go to waste. He knew if he ever showed up in Mura again Ildin would want to see how much progress he had made on his skills. And he didn’t want to disappoint her; she had after all invested a sizable amount of faith in him. And he didn’t want to waste that time spent. One day these skills would save his life, until now they had just been one more thing for him to sharpen up and something to help him focus.

It was mid day, and he was getting tired of making medicines and the like to restock the clinic with. Yes he was skilled at his duty, but at the same time the clinic now had everything it needed unless something absolutely chaotic happened…which how could you ever really prepare for those events anyway? So he helped the clinic keep a very delicate balance of supplies. He didn’t want to stock it too full or else supplies would go to waste, but at the same time if the supplies go too low then when chaos erupted you didn’t have enough medicine. And around here chaos almost always had a way of popping up and causing trouble. The trick was having the peace of mind to deal with it.

But for this moment he was worried only about testing out his skills with his longbow. It had been some time since he felt the grip of his bow in his hand. Too long in his mind…But nevertheless he would be practicing some today. He had his climbers quiver on his right leg up high with the opening of the quiver at his waistline. He found it easy for him to draw arrows when the quiver was at this position, and with it being a climbers quiver he could adjust it however he felt ne needed to. Tighter if he was going to be riding a horse or climbing, or looser if he was just going to be shooting targets for sport; like he was now.

The best place in his mind for practice was along the beach. It was open there and he would easily be able to see anyone or anything; this way he could avoid hitting them with stray arrows. He didn’t know at first what he was going to use for a target…but sand made for a good target so he would just end up using that. His feet met the beach as he exited the Sanctuary. Indeed, a good afternoon for some practice. With a mental nod to himself that he would indeed do this more often he set to making a target of some kind. He was somewhat unsure how he would do this at first. But like anything else he was somewhat decent at making things up as he went along.

He set the bow down and then set off to his work. Looking out over the sand he made mental notes about what he was going to do for targets. He didn’t think he could make a giant pile of sand for a large target before he would tire himself out. No, so he would have to settle for something a little different instead. He could make little apple sized mounds and spread them out over the beach. He could vary the distances between them and then shoot for the individual little piles separately. This way he would be stretching his skills a little and really seeing how much of his skill he had lost over time.

Yes, this seemed like a decent idea to him. And it wouldn’t be so very destructive either. But he knew he would have to get wet sand in order to do this correctly. That meant digging a little deeper than just the surface sand. Or he could speed up this process and just walk down to the waterline and get sand from there…that sounded good. So he walked down to the waterline and using his hands scooped up a decent amount of wet sand. Then walked up onto the beach and plopped down the sand on the beach in a little pile. He found after about two or three trips the pile was of the size he wanted it. He didn’t want the target to be too small nor too large either; that would take too much time to construct enough of them.

After a little while he had constructed about ten or so of these little piles of sand all at varying distances across the beach. As he paced back to where he had laid down his bow he started guessing at the distances. By the time he got back to where his bow was he had good guesses at the distances of all the targets. They were in his mind at the following measurements, 20 feet, 23 feet, 28 feet, 30 feet, 44 feet, 52 feet, 56 feet, 61 feet, 70 feet and 77 feet away from him. A good smattering of distances but at the same time there wouldn’t be a whole lot of consistency because once a target was hit it would likely be destroyed completely to where he couldn’t use it again. But he could always go back through and re-construct the targets again if he found this worked as well as he thought.

He picked up his bow and then took his stance, his left leg forward and his right leg back acting as support. His side facing toward the targets and his body in line with the shoreline. His bow sat tight in his left hand parallel to his body having not been drawn up yet to nock an arrow. He decided to go for some of the more midline targets. 44 feet would be a good starting point for him today. Centering himself he closed his eyes some so he could calm himself some more. He could feel the wind…it was blowing down the beach toward his targets…it varied some in intensity meaning he would have to pick a variable and wait for it. Slowly he opened his eyes again and the bow was brought up to the ready position.

Almost like muscle memory his right hand found the nock of an arrow and drew it from the quiver with ease. The arrow was put on the guide nock on the bow and his pointer, middle and index fingers held the arrow to the string. For a few moments he gauged everything silently in his mind. The wind was dying down so now would be a good a time as ever to put an arrow downrange. An easier time as well since the wind wouldn’t blow his arrows to far off target. So he pulled back evenly making sure not to pull harder above or below the arrow and then held on for a moment. The wind continued to die and rather than wait for it to kick back up he released clean right then and see the arrow to meet the target.

It hit the small sand mound but then broke through skipping a little before the loose top sand gripped it. He hadn’t thought about that…it was becoming apparent that this activity was a little more dangerous than he first expected. Maybe he should’ve built arrow traps as well…or would that work out poorly as well? He shrugged not really knowing what course of action he should take…But continuing to practice seemed like a decent idea.

[Gianne Basete]

Today had been a very slow day. Gianne had checked on the horses, made sure they had feed and water, brushed them down, then visited the hounds. She loved it when they greeted her with their loud yips and bays, clamoring for the treats she occasionally brought. Her face had nearly been licked raw but she'd laughed the whole time. A dog's energetic affection always had the power of brightening any day. Not that this was a bad day, it was merely uneventful. No wolves attacked her, she didn't meet anyone new, there were no catastrophes. Nice and quiet. Gill was even asleep when she went to check on him in his paddock. What was there to do now? No more chores had been assigned to her and she didn't really know if she should go ask. Maybe I'll just go for a walk. It seemed like a good idea. The weather was nice enough, and it would be a distraction. Just in case, she shouldered her shortbow and quiver of arrows. Ever since the wolf ambush a few days ago, her paranoia had skyrocketed. Gianne had no real destination in mind so she meandered through the Sanctuary, assuming she would end up taking a long hike down the road and back. But the sound of waves had an appealing allure this evening, so she scratched that idea off her list the instant the dull crashing roar caught her attention. A dreamy sigh escaped her lips. She'd always loved the water. It should be nice to sit with her toes in the surf while soaking up the scenery. For a second she wondered if she should put her bow and arrows back, but it was no issue to carry them down to the beach and just set them aside. Her boots sunk into the sand and she couldn't wait to take them off and feel the little grains between her toes. The air smelled heavily of salty spray and the view was gorgeous. She stopped to soak it all in for a second. Twang! The familiar sound of a bowstring made her jump nearly out of her skin. Gianne whipped around and stopped, dumb struck. It was the man from 3 days ago. Serrif was his name. Should she leave? Approach him? He'd healed her battered and tired body after an attack from a small pack of wolves, so she felt oddly coy seeing him now. It didn't help that she'd found him so attractive that first time they met. The circumstances had been inappropriate for any sort of flirting she might have wanted to do, but now was entirely different. Her cheeks were flushed with indecision as she watched him retrieve his arrow protruding from the sand. I'll just say hello then... flee. That sounded like a good enough plan to her, seeing as how she was completely incompetent with attractive men. Especially ones who had impacted her so heavily. She glanced at the clean white bandage wrapped around the bite mark left from the now dead wolf. It nor any other part of her body hurt thanks to Serrif, and Gianne felt a rush of courage to approach him. The least she could do was thank him again for helping her in an extreme time of need. She also wondered about Rhy, the other victim of the attack and when she would see the Kelvic again. They'd had quite the bonding experience. Nearly dying with someone tended to bring you close. So she swallowed her shyness and marched purposefully up the shore to the man she may very well owe her life. Who knows, infection could have settled in and killed her for all she knew about medicine. She stopped a few yards away, suddenly washed over with shyness again. Oh Caiyha, she groaned mentally. Why didn't I just turn tail and run? It was far too late now though. "Hello Serrif." Her cheeks felt hot with all the blood rushing to her face.

[Kavala]

Kavala heard the rumor that Serrif was down on the beach shooting arrows. Truth be told it sounded like a good idea to her. She needed something to do that was beside the norm, and her crossbow hadn't been off the weapons wall in ages.

So it seemed a simple matter for Kavala to sling on her weapons harness, after dressing in her leathers, and slinging on the crossbow and a sheath of bolts. Without a second thought she added her bolas and throwing knives as well as her darts. One never knew what one would need for a trip to the beach. She then loaded a pack of waterskins, enough lunch for multiple people, and a blanket to lay down on the beach to group gear on.

Kavala started out at a brisk walk, cutting down the tunnel and after several minutes exiting the sea cave out onto the beach. She checked both directions and spotting figures in the distance, Kavala set off at a brisk walk. She reached the group after a few minutes and then stood for a while observing what Serrif was doing and what Gianne was going to do.

"Do we need some more solid targets? I could build some out of the sand." She said, squinting into the distance at Serrif's targets.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

These targets will have to do for now.They were what he needed even if they seemed a little unsafe for the time being. His back was to the storm doors where others could join him this afternoon if they wanted. It would be ignorant to have the targets the other way around and be shooting toward the doors.

He had hit the target but demolished it at the same time. He would likely have to remake them if he wanted to continue. Attention was focused on the targets, and his auditory senses were distracted by the sound of the waves crashing along the shore. A soothing and familiar sound to him that brought his mind back to Mura; the land he loved. He enjoyed the sounds for a few moments while Gianne snuck up on him. Even if she didn’t mean to his awareness wasn’t focused on people so she would be a very sudden injection into his mind.

He walked toward the arrow that had buried itself in the sand when a voice called out to him; it spoke his name. He turned around and smiled when he saw that familiar figure greeting him. “Gianne, how are you today?” It was good to see her around and well.

“You have recovered quickly.” His eyes searched her quickly for expressions and the like.

Her cheeks told more of the story than she could imagine, he had seen that before. But it wasn’t with a human woman…it was with a Konti on the Isle. Blythe, that woman had slipped his grasp several times while on the island. Had he loved her? He was unsure all he knew was he wasn’t likely ever going to see her again. Was Gianne embarrassed? No, what did she have to be embarrassed about? He searched…was she…attracted to him?

This was odd to him, mainly because he didn’t find himself very attractive at all. Especially compared to the large warrior Akalak men that roamed about freely. No, but for some reason or another it seemed she was slightly uncomfortable in his presence. But she was the attractive one. A little younger than he was and far less scarred, her skin looked soft and blemish free…while his was relatively opposite. While lost in thought ; or was it Gianne's beauty; another figure approached…Kavala. Thank the Gods for her appearance otherwise Serrif was afraid things could become quite awkward between Gianne and him. He nodded to her and smiled.

“And you too Kavala. Seems we all needed a little break. Better targets would be nice. Mine seem to crumple with ease and they aren’t very practical. I’d love to see what you have in mind.” That would leave him alone with Gianne again…which he didn’t mind.

“You feeling better Gianne?” The answer was likely obvious but he wanted to do a checkup on her while she was here anyway.

[Gianne Basete]

"I'm very well thanks to you and your skills," she said, remembering the care he'd taken to make her tea and check on her the day after the attack. Gianne motioned toward her forearm, now covered by a sterile white bandage. "I don't feel anything at the moment. It's hard to believe it happened only a few days ago." Now what? I didn't plan any further than this. Silently she wished she could shrink down to the size of one of the grains of sand under their boots. If only things were that simple. Instead she was left staring up into his kind face, not knowing what to say. "Thank you!" she suddenly remembered. "Again. For everything." Thanks the Gods and Goddesses that Kavala materialized to break up the beginnings of the most awkward experience of her life."Please," she insisted at the offer. Better targets would be very convenient. They wouldn't have to trudge back and forth constantly to pile more sand. "And how are you Kavala?" she inquired kindly, smiling crookedly at her employer. Gianne held the Konti in very high regard for her skill with animals and the ease she appeared to run the Sanctuary. It was how she hoped to be someday; capable and confident in her abilities. Then another thought shoved its way to the forefront of her mind. "Would I be able to shoot? I mean, with my arm and all...," she asked Serrif, her voice trailing off uncertainly. She held her arm up as if to emphasis it. Now the day was turning sour. Of course she wouldn't mind watching or just leaving, if they actually wanted her to leave, but she'd assumed she would join in a little bit of the shooting. The disappointment showed clearly on her face.

[Kavala]

Kavala smiled at the pair, glancing from one to the other. Her smile faltered slightly, her brow furrowed, and a puzzled look came over her. It was as if she had walked into a wall of awkward tension and almost bounced off of it, the sensation was so tangible. She glanced first at Gianne almost protectively, noted the flush, then glanced at Serrif and ran her eyes across his features as well. "I'm fine. All's well. Beautiful day for some archery practice." She added, still glancing between the two of them.

It was all she could do to keep from bursting out laughing.

"Serrif, let fly an arrow where you where the targets are and let me see how far past them you can go. I can set them at different distances or I can put them all at your longest arrow reach... whichever you prefer." She said, glancing at Gianne. She offered the woman a smile and looked around for her equipment, wondering what type of bow Gianne used. Kavala was a bit embarrassed she only had a crossbow, but the repeating mechanism worked well for her and killed quickly with more strength and force than she could muster on her own with just a bow.

If Serrif answered and let loose his arrow, Kavala would gesture to Gianne to come with her to help, while they left Serrif on the sand checking out their equipment for them. She laid out her crossbow and quiver of bolts on a blanket along with her pack... leaving her weapons harness in place. If Gianne walked with her to go make the targets, she'd wait until they were out of Serrif's earshot before speaking.

"What's going on back there? You two make 'awkward' seem like an artform." She asked quietly, a smile on her face as she glanced around casually, not wanting Serrif to know the two women were speaking.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

“No problem GIanne.” He said after listening to her thank him for healing her. He supposed she still did not get that it was his duty to do so. It was his calling for lack of a better word, Kavala understood but that was because she was also a healer…and a Konti.

Then things got silent between them, slightly awkward. He managed a smile and a nod as Kavala broke in. He was glad the two weren’t alone right now. He wasn’t sure how that interaction would go. Especially since Rhy had made some rather forward comments about them…what was startling was that she was right. But that wasn’t what was important; he was trying to keep Gianne from being embarrassed to death out here. Yes things were a little tense between them, but he really honestly didn’t know what to do about it. It seemed every time they got onto personal matters things got this way. He was glad Kavala pulled them back into the archery.

“You should be fine Gianne. But let Kavala know if it becomes to painful for you, I’ve done what I can maybe Kavala could help you along some more.” He turned then to Kavala and gave her a kind of thank you in the form of a nod.

“Right.” His reaction was somewhat quick but not rushed as he drew up his bow and knocked another arrow.

He pulled back to his full draw distance and then quickly accounted for wind. There was a slight one and with firing at this range he would need to account for it else he may not land on the beach, but in the ocean instead. Throwing the variables through his mind he came up with what he believed would land an arrow at his maximum reach and still keep it on the sandy shore. He released and the arrow sailed landing a good distance away. He was impressed; he had never really honestly tried to stretch for his maximum distance. Even he was slightly impressed. It took a good amount of time for the arrow to finally land all the way down the beach. And Serrif laughed at the absurdity of it all…there was no way he would be able to hit anything consistently at that distance…or even know if he had hit anything.

“Let me mark a distance that is manageable. You can walk the targets from there toward us for my effective range.” Being that his first arrow landed so far he would have to walk a good few minutes to be able to see how to adjust his shots…and that was not the purpose of this exercise.

He pulled back again and let loose an arrow that landed somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 feet away. That was slightly above his comfortable distance right now but he could manage. Stretching above that would likely just frustrate him. “That’s better.”

He let the women go and he laid out his equipment on the blanket and inspected everything not really paying attention to the two women as they manufactured targets. His attention was focused on all the working parts of the weapons. He had never seen or used a crossbow before, but the general principals behind the weapon were the same as a bow. There were parts that needed to function perfectly, like the bow arms and the release. But especially the release it would have to be smooth and even otherwise her arrows would go off course completely.

He picked up the crossbow for closer inspection. He gently checked all the working mechanisms making sure that the release was clean. He worked it several times slowly and gently; methodically. It seemed to be functioning correctly, he then checked the bow arms for any signs of stress. He looked for fractures, cracks, even minute anomalies in the arms themselves. Anything that was out of the ordinary; because even the smallest thing could create havoc when introduced to a stress load under working conditions.Kavala’s crossbow seemed to be in perfect working condition as far as he could tell. Now to inspect Gianne’s bow…if she left it.

[Gianne Basete]

Gianne nodded obediently, knowing she was in good hands. "Alright," she told him, absently rubbing the bandage. And then her attention wandered elsewhere, focusing on Kavala. She watched as a blanket was laid out, then Kavala's equipment was placed down carefully. The crossbow was a formidable weapon. She'd seen them on occasion in Zeltiva. Men for hire, sailors, or even merchants sometimes carried them. They were easier to deal with than a cumbersome bow; coming in all sorts of sizes to suit the owner's needs and tended to be extremely powerful, relying on gears and levers for their strength instead of the shooter's physical abilities. Gianne slipped her own shortbow up and over her head, off its perch across her shoulder and set it next to the crossbow. Her bow was a little scruffy, but not junky, although it didn't compare to the quality of Serrif's equipment. It served its purpose just fine, and the string was in good condition. Her quiver was strapped tightly to her back, the red feathered ends of her arrows protruding over her right shoulder. There wasn't a point in taking it off, it was secure. She caught the gesture from Kavala and raised her eyebrows, trotting a few steps to catch up. She had to wait before Kavala spoke, and then realized why she'd waited until they were several lengths away. Her curious smile faltered and her face burned with a renewed blush. Even her ears turned red, which was obvious since her hair was tied back in a loose braid today. For a second she considered feigning ignorance, but that wouldn't fool anyone. Especially not Kavala. Instead she shrugged shyly, an exaggerated motion that brought her shoulders nearly up to her jaw. "It's probably my fault it's so awkward. It's just that I find him very attractive, and I'm no graceful social swan when it comes to men. Especially when I find them attractive. And it's not just his looks either. He's very kind, which you already know. I don't know, I just can't seem to get myself to act how I want. One second everything is fine, then the next I'm tongue tied and dumb struck. It's actually really annoying and stupid. I don't even know all that much about him," she babbled in rush, saying more than she initially intended. The second she opened her mouth it's like it poured right out. Now she shrugged again. "It's just that...," Gianne tried to continue to somehow justify herself further, but her hands ended up fluttering uselessly. Instead she fell into silence, a sour look on her face and a frown puckering her lips. "Do you get what I'm saying? I know I'm not good at explaining it. It doesn't help that I don't fully understand it myself. It was just like... BAM!" She chopped the air comically for emphasis with a serious face, like that was supposed to represent "bam". "Right when I saw him, it was like Gill had kicked me in the side of the head. He probably thinks I'm weird for getting all flustered." And now that she considered that her face fell, a cloud of disappointment swirling over her head, raining on her parade. Gianne looked at Kavala, a little crestfallen, holding her hands up uselessly. "Sorry, that was more than I planned on saying. Sort of just fell out of my mouth."

[Kavala]

Kavala marched out with Gianne to where Serrif's arrow lay rising out of the sand like a sappling tree having sprung in a desert of nothingness. She pulled it out of the ground, slipped it in her own quiver to hand back to him when they girls rejoined him and nodded to Gianne.

"Let me see your arm." She said, holding out her hands slightly irritated that Serrif had seen to the girl himself without letting her ease any pain Gianne might be feeling. She needed Gianne whole and functioning. As Sanctuary's Riding Instructor, she was just as busy as the rest of them and had no reason to suffer in a facility full of healers. Kavala gave it a quick once more, tapped her gnosis, and finished the well-done job Serrif had started removing Gianne's pain and healing the injury completely. "He's a good healer." She commented, praising Serrif's work out of the man's earshot.

Then she looked up, met Gianne's eyes, and her voice turned serious. "But hes damaged. He's been abused badly, and his body is covered with scars. I know you don't care about that. I wouldn't either. But he thinks a woman should. He doesn't trust himself and he doesn't much like himself either. Every day he tries to make up for things that has happened in his life that aren't his fault. I've not met a man with a better heart. You'd do well to match up with him. But no wonder its awkward. I can tell you haven't much experience with this sort of thing. I'm going to go back there and tell him to take you to bed and get busy on the romance because if the Akalak get a good look at you, they'll make offers for your womb you won't hardly be able to turn down. And even the early bidding will make you a very very wealthy woman even if an Akalak child from a human woman is almost a death sentence for you." She said with a sad smile. "Don't wait for him. He's stubborn and stupid and above all that shy, if you can believe that in a man roughly the size of a house. " Kavala said. "I think you two are a fine match. You should make it happen." She said, then turned to work on the targets.

Kavala took a deep breath, inhaled, and began producing Res. She drew the sand up, from the beach, changing its nature to tone so that pillars of stone roughly in the shape of men and women stood where only flat sand had been before. Some she even made child size for variety. Then, she hollowed out the middle of the pillars about man height by changing the nature in the area of their 'faces' to packed wet sand instead of rock, and then cleared out areas for hearts and the main 'body torso' area as well. The rest she left stone knowing that the arrows would be caught in the firm sand and not broken in the stone if the individual shooting hit them in the correct place.

[Gianne Basete]

OOCI hope you two don't mind that I went ahead and replied again. The way things were, I don't think Serrif had much to work with for a post. So I just decided to finish up the retrieval/conversation with Kavala and get us back over to you Serrif! I mean, all you'd really be able to do was think to yourself and examine Gianne's weapon, but you could just put that all in your next post. If you want though I can take this post off and wait for you to reply. Up to ya'll! Without hesitation she held her arm out to Kavala. There was no disputing her ability to heal, so Gianne knew of course that she was in good hands. And the healing happened so suddenly that she was a little taken aback. One moment there was the uncomfortable sensation or open flesh underneath the bandage, and then nothing. It felt completely normal. She was about to strip off the bandage and see her handiwork before the tone of her voice stopped her. Gianne's lips pursed as Kavala spoke; her mood falling further and further from happy and perky. It was nice to hear that someone, especially Kavala, thought they would make a good pair, but the Akalak information made her want to vomit. The thought of dying to bear one of their children? She couldn't imagine it. And then the fact that she was going to tell Serrif to take her to bed. She could feel her cheeks screaming with heat, and she held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Please don't do that. I want to do that on my own. Not tell him to come to bed with me," she paused awkwardly then continued, "I mean ask him... out? I don't know. Tell him how much I'm attracted to him. That sounds better. I think. But nevertheless I want to tell him myself. Not to today, but soon. I'll even go out of my way to avoid any Akalaks until then!" Her eyes darted anxiously, from Kavala to Serrif standing a ways away then back again and her eyebrows were furrowed with worry. "If I can't explain myself to him without making an absolute fool of myself, then trust me I'll come running straight to you for advice and help. But let me tell him later. Soon, but later. Not today." She felt exhausted just from this conversation alone. Why did her emotions have to be so complicated? Why couldn't she be calm and collected like Kavala was? A beautiful, confident woman that didn't seem to be bothered by anything. Gianne lapsed into thoughtful silence as Kaval went to work on the targets. She had never witnessed this form of magic before so it was all very impressive. It was just like her wound being healed; one moment there's just sand, and then human shapes are forming out of the earth right before her eyes. This was something she definitely didn't want to learn. Her brain would likely catch fire trying to understand and grasp the concept of magic. It was something she would just witness and be impressed by throughout her life, not something she would partake in. That's what she planned, at least. Once Kavala was done creating the impressive targets, which were varying sizes for variety, she smiled at her uncertainly. "So you'll let me tell him in my own time, right?" Then feeling the need to, she added reassuringly, "Very soon of course." And she wasn't lying. When the opportunity arose where she and Serrif were alone, she would try to help things along. Even her own thoughts couldn't make it sound right. Gianne would just try to forget about it for now. Push it from you mind, she told herself. She would then follow Kavala back to where Serrif was waiting, lapsed in silence once more.