Timestamp: Summer 85, 513
THUNK
"Petch..." Vira muttered, slowly tilting the bow down and staring at where the shot had struck, sticking out of a wedge of rock some feet above the animal-shaped target she'd been aiming for. It stayed there quivering for a moment longer as the composite shortbow was lowered further, eventually coming even with her thigh; and then, with little more than a quiver, it dropped free and landed with the rest of the practice arrows in front of and behind the target. They totaled around thirty in all, each as depressing as the next.
She couldn't even garner enough focus to make a damn arrow stick, let alone hit the target; why was she even here then? With a sigh, the woman looked to either side of her at the empty shooting points in her particular zone. The sound of other archers could be heard in the neighboring alleys of the range, but none had come to hers. The shielded opening of the Bent Arrow beckoned from behind her, the hearty drop whispering its promise of immediate death upon collision with the ground far, far below.
The empty alley was a reflection of her own struggle, the hollowness she still felt even with the comfort of Iosha's and Kovac's friendship. But what more could they do? She could put on a happy face any time she wanted, but in the end, the day concluded with her curled in her bed sobbing and clutching her mangled side while Tulaj looked down at her in silence from his perch above the door. The harrier himself was at a loss for how to comfort his caretaker and handler. For all of his oddities and insanities, Tulaj did love Vira enough to remain and listen to her (most of the time).
Her free hand reached over and pressed against the scarred gap in her side, just above her hip bone, the throbbing ache beneath the flesh almost burning now that she'd lowered the bow. Keeping her hand there, Vira walked across the range, fetched the arrows back into the quiver slung over her back, and stood there, staring at the target she'd been trying to hit for over two hours. From the bow-rack in the back of the range, the harrier perched, staring at her in that same slightly creepy way. Occasionally, his head would turn and peer out at the world beyond, shifting on his feet or ruffling his feathers, then return to gaze at the woman who had taken him and all his peculiarities in.
To him, the one-eyed Chiet now turned, frowning and settling the quiver more comfortably against her back again. "What? Why do you have to stare at me like that?" She said at him. "My finger slipped or I would've hit it that time." She said in excuse. The harrier just ruffled his feathers and gave his head a comical shake before beginning to preen his breast. "That's what I thought." She continued in Nari, making her way back to the shooting groove and turning to face the targets again.
This time, she chose one that was slightly closer and higher off the ground. It was a simple, round, two-circled target; easy to hit. She drew an arrow from the quiver and carefully nocked it while settling her feet into an even stance. Her head turned until she had full sight, marking a place slightly more to the right like she usually did and then raising the bow, drawing smoothly as she did so so that the feathers just touched her cheek. She held it, eye on the point beyond, balance even.
Elbow down, line it up
She tilted her draw elbow down slightly, just as Kovac had taught her.
Turn the other out.
Again, she adjusted, lowering her shoulder too so that it was even with the other, leaving the draw-elbow just a little higher, though only just. And then, her breath held for a fraction longer, Vira released the shaft, watching it fly as her breath was exhaled fully from lungs, and strike not the simple target she'd actually been aiming for...but the one further right.
Tulaj screeched noisily from his perch, spread his wings a bit and pushed off in order to fly past the Chiet and land on the target that had originally been aimed for. If that wasn't a mockery of her skill, nothing was.
With lips pursing, Vira slowly lowered the bow again, turned to the rack to put it back, and bent to grab a stone from the ground, grumbling under her breath about Tulaj and his unpleasant knack for tormenting people. Onnery bird.
The stone palmed, the teenager turned and gave it a hard throw to the targets in frustration, making the harrier jerk and then rise to return to his handler as Vira extended her sontav-bound right arm. "You are one of the most annoying birds I have ever had the displeasure to know, Tulaj. Insulting, torturous, you poop in places I didn't think you could, and have torn up so many of my things over the years, it's not even funny. You've harassed others in the city, bitten a fair few, and have made a general mockery of me so many times, any one else would have sent you plummeting to your death in the river below. Why, Tulaj, why are you so mean to me?"
The harrier surprised her, however, when he shifted to the edge of the sontav that was so extended slightly from her body so she could see him. He then reached forwards with wings partially extended for balance and picked at her vinati with surprising gentility, delicate sounding churrs heard from the bird. His head-feathers had ruffled up to give him that silly look once more.
Because he loved her. For all of his oddities and meanness, the harrier did love her. Vira sighed again, moving to sit on one of the stone benches near the drop and moving her other hand forward to stroke his breast feathers. "Love, pfft." She muttered, still stroking his chest. "Friends love each other, too, did you know that?" Stroke-stroke-stroke. "And you're supposed to love yourself, or so I've heard. So why do I feel so empty? It's like...like a part of me's still trapped down there, Tulaj. I wish I could get Kovac to see that; maybe Iosha does see it. Either way..." She trailed off, not knowing how better to put her thoughts to words this time and so chose silence in hopes it would summarize things more effeciently.
THUNK
"Petch..." Vira muttered, slowly tilting the bow down and staring at where the shot had struck, sticking out of a wedge of rock some feet above the animal-shaped target she'd been aiming for. It stayed there quivering for a moment longer as the composite shortbow was lowered further, eventually coming even with her thigh; and then, with little more than a quiver, it dropped free and landed with the rest of the practice arrows in front of and behind the target. They totaled around thirty in all, each as depressing as the next.
She couldn't even garner enough focus to make a damn arrow stick, let alone hit the target; why was she even here then? With a sigh, the woman looked to either side of her at the empty shooting points in her particular zone. The sound of other archers could be heard in the neighboring alleys of the range, but none had come to hers. The shielded opening of the Bent Arrow beckoned from behind her, the hearty drop whispering its promise of immediate death upon collision with the ground far, far below.
The empty alley was a reflection of her own struggle, the hollowness she still felt even with the comfort of Iosha's and Kovac's friendship. But what more could they do? She could put on a happy face any time she wanted, but in the end, the day concluded with her curled in her bed sobbing and clutching her mangled side while Tulaj looked down at her in silence from his perch above the door. The harrier himself was at a loss for how to comfort his caretaker and handler. For all of his oddities and insanities, Tulaj did love Vira enough to remain and listen to her (most of the time).
Her free hand reached over and pressed against the scarred gap in her side, just above her hip bone, the throbbing ache beneath the flesh almost burning now that she'd lowered the bow. Keeping her hand there, Vira walked across the range, fetched the arrows back into the quiver slung over her back, and stood there, staring at the target she'd been trying to hit for over two hours. From the bow-rack in the back of the range, the harrier perched, staring at her in that same slightly creepy way. Occasionally, his head would turn and peer out at the world beyond, shifting on his feet or ruffling his feathers, then return to gaze at the woman who had taken him and all his peculiarities in.
To him, the one-eyed Chiet now turned, frowning and settling the quiver more comfortably against her back again. "What? Why do you have to stare at me like that?" She said at him. "My finger slipped or I would've hit it that time." She said in excuse. The harrier just ruffled his feathers and gave his head a comical shake before beginning to preen his breast. "That's what I thought." She continued in Nari, making her way back to the shooting groove and turning to face the targets again.
This time, she chose one that was slightly closer and higher off the ground. It was a simple, round, two-circled target; easy to hit. She drew an arrow from the quiver and carefully nocked it while settling her feet into an even stance. Her head turned until she had full sight, marking a place slightly more to the right like she usually did and then raising the bow, drawing smoothly as she did so so that the feathers just touched her cheek. She held it, eye on the point beyond, balance even.
Elbow down, line it up
She tilted her draw elbow down slightly, just as Kovac had taught her.
Turn the other out.
Again, she adjusted, lowering her shoulder too so that it was even with the other, leaving the draw-elbow just a little higher, though only just. And then, her breath held for a fraction longer, Vira released the shaft, watching it fly as her breath was exhaled fully from lungs, and strike not the simple target she'd actually been aiming for...but the one further right.
Tulaj screeched noisily from his perch, spread his wings a bit and pushed off in order to fly past the Chiet and land on the target that had originally been aimed for. If that wasn't a mockery of her skill, nothing was.
With lips pursing, Vira slowly lowered the bow again, turned to the rack to put it back, and bent to grab a stone from the ground, grumbling under her breath about Tulaj and his unpleasant knack for tormenting people. Onnery bird.
The stone palmed, the teenager turned and gave it a hard throw to the targets in frustration, making the harrier jerk and then rise to return to his handler as Vira extended her sontav-bound right arm. "You are one of the most annoying birds I have ever had the displeasure to know, Tulaj. Insulting, torturous, you poop in places I didn't think you could, and have torn up so many of my things over the years, it's not even funny. You've harassed others in the city, bitten a fair few, and have made a general mockery of me so many times, any one else would have sent you plummeting to your death in the river below. Why, Tulaj, why are you so mean to me?"
The harrier surprised her, however, when he shifted to the edge of the sontav that was so extended slightly from her body so she could see him. He then reached forwards with wings partially extended for balance and picked at her vinati with surprising gentility, delicate sounding churrs heard from the bird. His head-feathers had ruffled up to give him that silly look once more.
Because he loved her. For all of his oddities and meanness, the harrier did love her. Vira sighed again, moving to sit on one of the stone benches near the drop and moving her other hand forward to stroke his breast feathers. "Love, pfft." She muttered, still stroking his chest. "Friends love each other, too, did you know that?" Stroke-stroke-stroke. "And you're supposed to love yourself, or so I've heard. So why do I feel so empty? It's like...like a part of me's still trapped down there, Tulaj. I wish I could get Kovac to see that; maybe Iosha does see it. Either way..." She trailed off, not knowing how better to put her thoughts to words this time and so chose silence in hopes it would summarize things more effeciently.
