Stringwork (kovac)

[Shayth]

88th Day Of Summer

It was a cool crisp morning, sky a crystal blue and clouds clinging to the top of The Reach. Shrill piercing cries of wing eagles filled the air as birds and their riders swooped and soared high above the world. One bird, her feathers a glossy black, glided easily on a warmer updraft, golden eyes scanning the ground for miles around. Occassionally, she would make a long keening noise, turning in a wide circle and flapping her huge wings. Nestled on her shoulders, a figure with fiery hair gripped her feathers, bright blue eyes intent on the ground too.

"I want to fish, Shayth." The birds voice echoed in the womans head, full of bite.

"Well, as much as you want fish Turiska, we really need red meat. Besides, its not for us...its for the aerie." Shayth replied, her voice clipped and loosing its patience. Since they'd woken up this morning, the wind eagle had been in a mood. She didn't want to hunt, she didn't want red meat, she just wanted to play. The redhead had tried to keep her cool, but it was starting to get on her nerves. Turiska flew over the treetops below them, heading for the water.

"Turiska..."The inarta said scoldingly, to which the bird ignored her. That tore it. Swearing profusly, she and the wind eagle began a heated arguement. There were bitter words and name calling, till Shayth finally convinced Turika to land.

"Fine! Go fishing! But we're going hunting later!" She yelled at the receeding black form. Turning on her heel, Shayth stormed back towards the archery range. Dumping her quill on the ground and pulling the bow roughly from her back, the redhead angrily fired of arrows at the target down range.    

[Kovac]

It was rare to find an archery range not in use. That is why Kovac was particularly pleased this day to find he was the only archer at this particular range. He could focus on his practice without the distraction from other chattering archers. Kovac had set an arrow to his bow, pulled back and held it. He could feel the strain on the muscles of his shoulders, back and arms. After careful aim, the fingers on his bowstring flinched. Unfortunately, at the same moment a huge dark shadow passed over him and the shriek of a giant eagle split the summer air. Kovac's arrow streaked off-course to bounce off the edge of the target and disappear somewhere behind it. "Ah! Are you serious!" He complained loudly at no one in particular. His darting eyes found the source of the distraction a short ways off. The eagle had landed and deposited its rider, the two obviously having cross words. The Rider stomped up to the range, dropped her quiver and let fly a group of arrows without even acknowledging him. It was Shayth. He easily recognized her, though he had never ridden with her. Shayth was an imposing woman, taller than most men with an extremely long mane of straight fiery hair and piercing blue eyes...not that he had ever noticed. She had the reputation of a quick temper, of which Kovac figured he was now witnessing. "You sure know how to make an entrance." He quipped humorlessly without glancing up from the arrow he set on his bow.

[Shayth]

Shayth lifted her bow to her face, arrow level with her cheek, fingers touching the skin ever so lightly. She aimed down the length of the fletched wood and lined it up with the target, before letting it go. The arrow made a satisfying noise as it left her bow and a solid thunk as it hit the target low down. As Kovac approached her, the red haired woman barely looked at him before picking out another arrow. He was not a rider, she knew that much. The man was familiar, but with Turiska constantly chasing off the men...Shayth didn't actually know him. Looking back at the target, she snorted as she cocked the next shot.

"Don't even get me started. That petching bird is going to be the death of me I swear it!" Lifting the bow, she let the arrow go clumsily, and it fell more than short of the target. Taking a deep breath to try and calm herself, Shayth turned to look at the man.

"And you, if you stick around. Something you wanted?" Her blue eyes looked frustrated, and distant. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could still faintly hear Turiska complaining at her. The inarta bit her tongue, so to speak, and looked at Kovac impatiently.

[Kovac]

Kovac let a sly grin cross his mouth as he listened to the agitated Rider, watching her slam an arrow to her bow and raise it to aim, still fuming. Shayth had decent shooting stance, the half-blood observed, noting the sharp contours of the lean muscles in her arms and shoulders as she drew back the string. But she was sloppy, compromising form in her barely controlled loss of temper. His eyebrows raised in amusement as Shayth's arrow fell short of the target. He stifled a laugh that ended up sounding more like a cough. Kovac's smirk slipped away when the tall Rider flashed her icy blue eyes at him, annoying him when he realized he was looking up at her. Kovac knew Shayth's thinly veiled threat was not empty. Leaning on his bow, the archer raised his hand as if to assure the fiery woman that he had no intention of aggravating the eagle. Kovac had certainly heard of Turiska's I'll temper towards men. He was attached to his eyes, and would rather avoid having either one plucked out by a giant hooked beak. Nevertheless, Endal or not, he was not going to leave the range because of her. "Hey, I was here first. I am more than...well, I am willing to share the range, but are you seriously going to let your ride chase me off like I was some Drudge?"

[Shayth]

Shayth glared at the man for a moment, wondering whether it would just be worthwhile calling the bird down. At least it would distract her from fishing and maybe convince her to come hunting. Pursing her lips, the endal counted to ten. Slinging her bow across her shoulders, Shayth looked Kovac up and down purposely, before shrugging slightly, hands resting on hips.

"Can you prove your anything more?" She said, raising an eyebrow and smirking slightly. He'd honestly walked into that one, and she was in the mood for a healthy...debate. Walking around the man, she nodded and made a few noises, like a buyer looking a prospective mount.

"Strong looking, if not a little short. I've seen taller deks." Tossing her hair behind her shoulder, Shayth crossed her arms.

"Besides, Turiska isn't just some 'ride'. She's one of the reasons you have food to eat and a place to sleep."

[Kovac]

Shayth shouldered her bow and turned to the archer boldly. Kovac growled to himself in reproach as he found he had taken a half step back. The woman was imposing, towering with her hands defiantly perched on her hips, her waist length red hair swaying behind her like a crimson cape. Typical Endal, all intimidation and pride. Kovac waited, unsure of what the Rider would do. It was a long moment before she bagan to strut around him. The man bristled at her brazen remarks, at the demeaning manner at which she eyed him. He began to boil inside, sharp words rising past his throat to wait impatiently on his tongue to be launched at the offending Endal. But even though Kovac was a cynical soul, and only half-Inarta, he respected the way things worked in Mount Skyinarta. He held his spite, for now at least. But Shayth would not stop, she openly insulted him, whether intentional or not, she was baiting him, and Kovac was hard pressed not to take the bait. He ignored her disparaging comment about his stature for the moment. "Indeed, and I am also one of the reasons you eat, for it would be beneath a Rider to use their own feet to hunt the game that doesn't stand in the middle of a field like a dolt for you to swoop up!" Kovac stood a little taller, still leaning on his bow. "And how dare you insult the Avora, I can prove to you I am much more than some Dek, in any way you choose." At that his grimace gave way to another wry smile and a wink. He knew provoking this particular woman was dangerous, but so far, the day had been dreadfully boring anyway.

[Shayth]

Shayth smiled in an almost predatory way as he snapped back at her. The man had fight, and passion - something the inarta related to. Listening to how 'easily' the wind eagles caught prey, the rider snorted in disbelief. Obviously, he had no idea how much co-ordination and training it took to hunt with an eagle. Shaking her head, the woman made a short laugh under her breath.

Her laughter quickly dissapeared as Kovac finally took the teasing to heart. His challenging and slightly suggestive tone had the redhead frowning, her cheeks turning a bright red as he winked at her. The man was attractive, albiet short, but the nerve! Pointing a finger in his face, Shayth all but yelled at him.

"That is innapropriate, and...childish." Her cheeks turned darker still at her own pathetic response. Taking a step back, she removed her bow and pointed at the target.

"How about a competition? First to three, dead centre." A slight westerly wind tugged at her hair as she spoke, and the morning sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky. Shayth waited impatiently for a response.

[Kovac]

Shayth continued to circle, like a rock cat that had cornered its prey. Kovac chafed at her wagging head and derisive laugh. He was not her quarry, and he was not inferior in any way other than in name of caste. But then his ribald challenge sunk into her prideful head. The archer's smirk widened in satisfaction when he saw the Rider's cheeks flush red. He had gotten to her! The growing smile erupted into a full grown guffaw at her pathetic motherly scolding. His laughter had barely died down as Shayth offered her contest. Kovac was delighted. Riders rode, archers threw arrows, what was she thinking!. The Avora had not been impressed by her marksmanship so far, and he gloated with his own arrogance as he took a step towards the seething red-head. "Your're on Rider." He quipped with a confident grin. His gaze quickly fell along Shayth's long form and crimson-shaded face. Of course she was attractive, and her fiery spunk only added to the appeal. But Kovac would not allow that to distract him. She was a Rider, haughty and full of herself. No, this was about taking a Rider down a peg or two. The archer stepped back to line up with his target, leaning casually again on his bow. His hand gestured dramatically towards the fuming woman. "Ladies first!"

[Shayth]

In the heat of the moment, Shayth hadn't thought too much ahead with this idea. She'd grasped onto the first thing she could turn into a challenge. Being...the bow in her hand literally. As the man agreed and gestured for her first shot, the rider realised that her archery skills were...alright...enough. For a rider.

"Chivalry? That's amusing. I don't even know your name and your letting me take the first shot? Well, aren't we the gentleman." The redhead mumbled distractedly, placing an arrow in the bow and taking a few deep breaths. She focused on the target, allowing the breeze to tug at her hair. Focus. Focus. Lifting the bow, she pulled back on the arrow, wood touching her cheek lightly as she sighted down it. Blue eyes narrowing slightly, jaw set in determination, she held it for a moment. Aiming. Focusing.

The sound of the arrow leaving the bow was nothing more than a swoosh and a low bass sound. It flew through the air at great speed, black feathers keeping it from spinning out. In a blink of an eye, it thunked into the target. It was to the left, and low. She didn't have the strength of a professional archer. Pursing her lips, she looked at the man.

[Kovac]

Kovac emitted a short burst of laughter at Shayth's chivalry comment. "Pfft...yeah...and the name is Kovac, so you can tell your Rider friends the name of the archer that beat you." He gave the Rider a crookd grin, adding a flare of playfulness to his words and softening the sheer arrogance of his taunting. Still leaning on his bow, Kovac ran his fingers through his hair as he watched the Inarta draw back another arrow and let it loose to land just off center. Shayth indeed had good form and focus. The archer found a reluctant enjoyment in watching her shoot. Shayth's long, lean limbs exaggerated dramatically the lines of her stance, as if the tall long-haired woman was a storyteller's heroine hunter. If she did not have to give most of her attention to her eagle, Kovac thought, the Rider could become a decent archer. But of course, he would never her tell her that. He doubted that there was any room left in the Endal's prideful head for her ego to inflate any larger. "Well done, for someone of your skill level." Kovac quipped before turning towards his target. His irritating smirk faded as his face became serious. He adjusted the single sontav on his left arm that served as a bracer, then plucked up a black and red fletched arrow and and laid it to rest on his bow. Kovac raised the weapon in a firm but relaxed grip. He set the fingers of his right had to the bowstring and drew back. The bow creaked as it bent under Kovac's strength. His head tilted slightly as he gazed down the wooden shaft to line up the iron head with the target. Pausing to feel the slight breeze brushing against his neck, Kovac adjusted for the wind and drew a deep breath. After a moment of concentration, the Avora's right hand flinched and the bowstring snapped with a thrum. The arrow launched down range to puncture the target with a thud. Center. Not dead center, but center nonetheless. Kovac breathed a sigh of relief that he hoped the imposing Rider did not see. The truth was, that was the first bulls eye he had shot that day. His sly smile returned as he donned again his snarky airs. Uncharacteristically, Kovac made no additional comments, instead simply turning towards Shayth and resuming his pose, resting against his bow. He did, however, beam just a bit.