Completed Target Practice (Jorin Ertihan)

[Rinya]

Day 38, Season Fall, 513 AV

For a moment Jorin seemed to be deeply concentrated on the target as if it was speaking to him. Or he was just deep in thought—which seemed kind of silly to Rinya honestly. She hadn’t given him much to think about really. She just wanted Jorin to try and hit the target. She still had several more things to work out with him though, such as wind and which eye to aim with. For the moment she wanted him to get the feel of the arrow between his fingers, holding onto the string.

And then Jorin released his breath. Rinya watched the arrow soar across the field—missing the target—and landing in the ground. Actually Rinya was rather impressed. It took more than strength to get an arrow to go that far. Accuracy would come with the strength his muscles would gain, the ability to hold steady. Rinya smiled brightly, turning to look up at Jorin. For a split second the bond was completely empty—void of emotion and Rinya started to panic. But then Jorin broke down laughing.

Instantly Rinya filled with pride for the man next to her. Pride, love, happiness… he was that contagious Jorin Rinya had first met. All cheerful and kind, unworried about what she may have thought of him. But by now he knew he didn’t have to be worried about looking bad to her. Rinya felt her face take on a more tender expression. Somehow she got what she wished for so long ago—she was able to feel the joy like he did, and not just coming from him. It was because of him.

Rinya realized in that moment just how much she had actually changed. Granted she still didn’t trust people easily. She had a temper beyond anything she could imagine herself. But she was beginning to realize who she was. Jorin gave her the ability to stop and enjoy the things she should instead of over think them, even if it was still a bad habit of hers. And somehow Jorin loved her all the same. Picked up a bow just to spend time with her. Jorin was incapable of being defined in her opinion. He wasn’t perfect, far from it but—he was perfect for her.

Her thoughts came crashing together however as Jorin slipped his arm around her waist. Snapping out of her daze, Rinya opened her mouth to say something to him. Anything really, but Jorin didn’t give her the chance. His mouth covered hers and the words in her head left her speechless. The desire to touch him immense, anywhere she could. Her left hand came up to rest on his cheek, before her fingers trailed down to the base of his neck.

Rinya was suddenly struck how easy it would be to get completely carried away by Jorin. Despite the nervousness that came from her desire, there was a completely natural feeling with Jorin. She belonged with him, and that thought pleased her to no end. Jorin’s hand slide across her back and Rinya swore the fire was hotter than last time. Burned her inside out, leaving her vibrating to the core.

Rinya noticed however that her own lungs were starting burn. Reluctantly, Rinya pulled her lips from his, gasping. Rinya knew she really should pull away completely—space was necessary. But Jorin’s grip on her kept her happily dazed. Instead Rinya dropped her face a little, placing a small kiss at the juncture where his neck met his shoulder. And it seemed like a good idea, so she placed another kiss slightly higher. And then another. Rinya hummed slightly as she reached the base of his jaw.

”Jorin… as much as I am loving this—we really should stop.” Despite her words, Rinya continued to trail small kisses over his neck. As if her head told her one thing, but her heart controlled her body. Over him, she was completely willing to have no control, especially when it felt like this.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 38, 513 AV

Jorin had miscalculated. It wasn't something that happened very often, but well, there it was. He'd thought that the long, passionate kiss with Rinya would satiate his desire, so that his mind could be clear again, the better to concentrate on Rinya's archery lesson. But it was just the opposite; their kiss left his mind in a pleasant fog and the only coherent thought he had was that he wanted to do it again. And again.

Rinya was running kisses up and down his neck, murmuring how they should probably stop. What was left of Jorin's tattered rationality agreed with her. They really should stop. They were in public, they were standing up, there was only so far this could go anyway. But once again, desire for his mate overwhelmed any reason he had. She was his. And petch anyone who tried to stop this.

"You're right," he answered her hoarsely, as he planted his own hot kisses on her cheek as her head rose to kiss him on his neck. "We probably should..."

This was getting into dangerous territory. If he didn't stop this now, they were going to be collapsed on the ground, kissing until the sun went down. And a huge part of Jorin's heart had absolutely no problems with that. Jorin squeezed Rinya even tighter against himself, his need for her so very strong. He just couldn't get enough of her.

But Syna's rays peered through the leaves and into Jorin's eyes and he realized; they didn't have too much daylight left. If they were ever going to finish their lesson, they'd have to do it soon, because he knew Rinya's eyes were not nearly as sharp at night.

"Rinya," Jorin breathed, and he waited for her golden eyes to meet his green ones. When they did, Jorin smiled at her and said simply, "I love you," and he swooped in for a second kiss. This one gentler than the first. Not animal desire but soft love, an expression of how important she was to him. She was the wind in his sails. The earth beneath his feet. Without her he'd be an actor without a stage. A bow with no arrows. Incomplete.

The kiss lasted only a chime this time, not very long, but it felt like an eternity. Jorin closed his eyes and just enjoyed the soft touch of Rinya's lips against his. When it was over, he opened his eyes and his right hand came up to stroke Rinya's cheek, brushing her hair away from her face and rubbing his thumb against her delicate skin.

"We'll finish when we get home," he promised her as continued to caress her face. And Jorin always kept his promises.

With a disappointed but determined look, Jorin made a supreme effort and pulled away from Rinya. He couldn't tell if the disappointment he was feeling was his or hers. Probably both. He was hoping it was both. At least it would give them something to look forward to tonight. Jorin let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, smiled softly at Rinya's flushed expression, and trotted off to retrieve his arrow.

[Rinya]

Day 38, Season Fall, 513 AV

"Rinya,"

It took far longer than it probably should have for Rinya’s mind to catch up to her own name. Even longer for her to realize that Jorin seemed to have finally snagged self control before she did. Reluctantly, Rinya pulled her face away from his neck and let her eyes trail up to meet his. She was almost afraid that despite how much they both seemed to be enjoying each other that she might get scolded. Of course she should have known better, Jorin just smiled at her—told her loved her. And kissed her again.

Rinya melted inside. The fire from before had dimmed, but this warmth was different. It made her heart clench with more tender emotions. The ones she had a harder time expressing. Rinya pressed her cheek into his hand, eyes closed. This was one moment she could easily remain in. Warm and loved.

"We'll finish when we get home,"

The thought caused a shiver to run across her skin. Rinya’s eyes remained closed as she nodded against his hand. If she looked up at him she was fairly certain she wouldn’t let them get home. As Jorin pulled away, Rinya took a deep breath. In some ways it didn’t seem fair. It didn’t matter what he did, she always found herself breathless. At least she wasn’t the only feeling disappointed. Opening her eyes, she watched Jorin pick up his arrow and make his way back to her.

Smirking slightly, Rinya shook her head. She was in trouble—just not in the way she would have originally thought. Sighing slightly, Rinya twirled the second arrow from his quiver around her fingers. She had actually forgotten she had it at all. Clearing her throat, Rinya returned his arrow and picked up her own bow and pulled one of her own arrows.

”We’ll deal with the extra adjustments later. Like wind and distance. But one of the other most important things—is your dominant eye.” Rinya glanced around for a moment, before pointing at the target out in front of them. That would be perfect. ”Focus on the target, and close one eye at a time. The eye that moves the target less is your dominant eye—which of course you’ll use to aim with.”

Rinya nocked her arrow into the string before grinning over at Jorin. ”Aim is important, but patience just as much. It takes time to learn how to feel the shot.” Pulling the string back in a fluid motion, Rinya took aim. The muscles across her chest were really starting to ache. Four arrows, she was really out of shape. Letting her breath out slow, Rinya loosed the arrow, snagging just the edge of the bull’s-eye.

”Much better.” She beamed at Jorin, motioning for him to try again.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 38, 513 AV

Jorin saw Rinya's little smirk and quick shake of her head. If her mind was as fogged up as his from their kisses then he wasn't surprised at her actions, but he was glad that he could have as strong an effect on her as she did on him. For some reason, knowing she felt like he did made him happy. But he forced his mind back to what they were doing. Right, arrows. Rinya had stopped twirling his arrow around her fingers- Jorin thought that was a pretty neat trick- and handed it back to him and went to fetch her own, as well as her bow.

As she spoke of other adjustments, like wind and distance, Jorin couldn't help but blush a bit in embarrassment as he recalled his earlier rather foolish ideas of parabolas and arced shots. Idiocy really. It was rather like his pompous assumptions on the beach that day with Uleru, thinking that mathematical knowledge could take the place of good, old-fashioned practice.

She did mention that he needed to find which one was his dominant eye. As she nocked her own arrow Jorin took that time to close first his left eye, then his right. The target shifted less with his right eye, so he figured he was right-eye dominant. Another thing he noted: Rinya was obviously left-eye dominant, since he noted she closed her right eye when shooting. Once again, probably a useless piece of information, but Jorin remembered it anyway.

When Rinya grinned at him, he grinned back. She mentioned that he needed good aim, and lots of patience. Well, patience Jorin had in abundance. If there was anything the Kendoka had taught him it was that mastery came with patience, practice, and a lot of hard work. Once again Rinya drew her arrow back, and Jorin couldn't help but admire her lithe but powerful form.

He knew he was supposed to be paying attention to her stance, absorbing as much about how she was standing and aiming as possible, but he found he couldn't concentrate on that. All he could see was the look of concentration on her face, the way the sunlight hit her hair, the soft but defined shape of her arms and legs.

Before he realized he was staring, Rinya had already released her arrow- which landed with a pleasant "thunk!" quite close to the center this time- and was smiling at him, prompting him to take his own shot. It took him a moment to realize she had actually spoken.

Jorin blushed again and cleared his throat, simply nodding in response to Rinya's statement. He didn't know if he could trust his voice at that moment. Rinya had a very odd effect on him it seemed; there were times when her merest presence was a tremendous inspiration for eloquence. And then there were times like this, when Jorin felt sure he'd sound like a four year old if he'd tried to speak.

Jorin took a few breaths to calm himself down. Right. He carefully walked over to his quiver and placed one of the arrows back inside. Really no need to have two on hand unless he broke or lost the one he currently had. Then he walked next to Rinya and faced the target she had been aiming at.

Glancing down at the arrow's fletching, he made sure to put the white feather on top, like Rinya had said. Grasping the arrow with his left hand, he notched it to the string of his bow and lifted his right arm, making sure to set it, like before. It was getting less clumsy, at least, and didn't feel as stiff and awkward as before. At least that was something.

Jorin took a breath, drawing the string back, feeling the resistance in his arms, his chest, and his stomach. It was a burn, rather like what he felt in his biceps and thighs after a grueling bell of intense quarterstaff training. It was almost pleasant, and it told him those muscles were working hard. But he needed them to work even harder.

As he held his breath Jorin squeezed his left eye shut, and tried to adjust his aim. Honestly, he figured that he'd miss again. Even though he could try to aim, he didn't yet have a feel for this weapon. Didn't have an instinctual knowledge of how to aim correctly, so he was truly just guesstimating. He figured lining down the shaft of the arrow would be "close enough".

Releasing his breath, Jorin let the arrow go. It flew in a graceful path ... before smacking the side of the target, veering wildly, and tumbling over to the side. Jorin barked another amused laugh.

"Well, at least that one was closer than last time," he tried, giving Rinya a sheepish grin and a shrug, as he looked over at her.

"Maybe in a season I'll actually be able to hit something," he joked, as he strode over to the arrow and picked it up. Fortunately, its hard smack against the target didn't seem to damage it too badly; though he was no expert. He walked back to Rinya's side.

"Do you think this arrow's still useable?" he asked her, holding up the arrow for her to see.

[Rinya]

Day 38, Season Fall, 513 AV

Jorin was staring at her, and she didn’t think he even noticed. Of course at first she thought he was watching her stance. Keenly aware of his eyes actually. But as she motioned for Jorin to take his shot, he was still staring at her. And then he seemed to snap out of it, flushing and clearing his throat. But he didn’t even bother to try and deny it. She supposed it was kind of obvious, but it thrilled her to no end for some reason. No one ever looked at her like he did—she highly doubted anyone else ever would.

She refrained herself from reaching out to adjust his arm, or the rest of his stance this time. Partly because she knew if she got close, she wouldn’t be able to keep herself focused, and partly because she wanted Jorin to figure out his own stance. Each archer was a little different, and her exact stance may not work for him. After all he was taller, more muscled than she was. The basics of a stance were good, but it would be something that came with time for him.

Rinya smiled as the arrow flew, even as it smacked into the target, refusing to stick and went sailing into the grass. He was doing better than she did when she had first started. Then again he did have the ability of not being a child with a barking father standing over her every time she missed the target. Her father had actually been upset that she had chosen such a flighty weapon. He would have had her pick up a sword or something along the lines of more capable damage. Rinya was never an upfront fighter though, and her arrow proved to be far more useful in the winter at hunting than a lone wolf.

Rinya felt herself snap out of her daze, she smiled weakly at Jorin as he laughed. The thoughts of her father were rather unpleasant, especially right now. Jorin's words filtered through her mind, but barely registered. He moved to retrieve his arrow and Rinya took a moment to gather her thoughts. She hadn’t actually thought about her father for some time. She had been living her life; it left little time to think about her past. And while she knew deep down that was good—keeping her mind in the past wasn’t healthy—Rinya almost felt guilty. Her past had been her biggest excuse for the longest time. And she didn’t need it anymore.

"Do you think this arrow's still useable?"

Rinya took the arrow from Jorin, examining the shaft closely. Gently, she bent it slightly, watching for fractures or strains along the wood. The arrow itself seemed to be in decent condition, even the fletchings appeared unruffled. Handing the arrow back to Jorin, she looked up at him. He looked happy—felt happy. Rinya let that that feeling fill her, giving him a more genuine smile this time.

”It looks alright. Although if it takes another hit like that, it will probably take some damage, the cost of learning archery unfortunently.” Rinya tilted her head, staring at the arrow in his hand. An idea formed in her head, and she grinned again. ”How about this… we’ll play a little game.” Rinya took Jorin’s wrist, pulling him back to face the target. Rinya stood in front of him, not quite out of arm’s reach.

”That promise you made me, I’ll let you keep it—if you can hit the target and make the arrow stick. Doesn’t matter where, just so long as it sticks.” Rinya nodded her head back towards the target before looking back at him. ”If you miss, then you get to spend a good portion of the night learning how to properly string your bow, and then unstring it—over and over. And all you’ll get is a goodnight kiss.”

Games were generally not her thing. In fact she wasn’t even sure if she was playing fair. But usually one found it easier to complete a task, when they had something to look forward too. Or it could just cause him anxiety and cause him to miss all the more. But either way it was good practice, shooting under pressure—even if it was a little early to be putting that kind of pressure on him. Her smile fell suddenly as another thought occurred to her. Farline was known for her head games, and Rinya didn’t want to fall into that category. She had caused enough trouble for Jorin as it was with head games, and she felt as though she might actually be adding to that.

”Actually nevermind that… that’s a terrible idea. I’m sorry, that isn’t fair at all. I don’t want to end up like…” She didn’t say it. She didn’t have to actually. Rinya winced and stepped out of the way, her fingers twisting around each other in a highly nervous habit she only did when she thought she was going to end up in trouble. Gods what was wrong with her…

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 38, 513 AV

Jorin's head tilted to the left a bit when Rinya suggested a game. Well. That was unusual. Rinya wasn't generally one to go for games. He was reminded of the game he'd suggested to Uleru, how he'd offered stories in exchange for practice. It was a bruising, but illuminating, game he'd played with her, and he learned a great deal and not just about staff fighting.

He supposed he had no problems with games in general, and the stakes of this game were quite pleasant. A chance to have Rinya all to himself, to finish what they started earlier, was very tempting. His heart beat faster and his face flushed just thinking about it. He still had no idea how far she was willing to let him go, but he figured their relationship would never progress if he didn't at least try.

And it wasn't even that much that she was asking of him. Just hit the target. How hard could that be? Then again, if he missed, which was an overwhelming possibility considering his current track record, he'd have to satisfy himself with just a goodnight kiss and an evening of stringing and unstringing his bow. Fun, fun. Then he realized: Rinya hadn't said anything about how passionate his one goodnight kiss could be.

Jorin couldn't help the mischievous grin that spread across his face. But before it had time to form, Rinya's smile dropped and she started to feel worried and nervous. He could feel it across their bond, see it on her face.

"Actually nevermind that… that’s a terrible idea. I’m sorry, that isn't fair at all. I don’t want to end up like…"

Her voice trailed, but Jorin knew how that sentence was supposed to end. I don't want to end up like Farline.

And she was wringing her hands again. Even without the bond, he'd have known that was a nervous tic of hers, one she did when she was afraid she'd done something wrong. Jorin couldn't help it. He put down his bow and his arrow, carefully leaning them against a nearby tree and marched over to Rinya, grabbing her hands and tilting his head to catch her eyes.

He didn't like it when her smile disappeared, or even faded a little. If he could, he'd want her smiling all the time. "Rinya, you won't end up like her," he insisted firmly, trying to calm her wringing hands by wrapping them in his own.

"You could never... I would have never fallen in love with you if you were capable of that. Not this deeply. Not this completely," he continued. "If you don't believe my words, do you at least believe the kiss we shared, not five chimes ago?"

Jorin smiled gently down at her. "If I have to, I can always kiss you again. You know, in case you need a reminder," he teased lightly, rubbing his thumb absently against the back of her hand. Huffing out a small breath, he released her and went to get his bow and arrow again.

"Rinya, I accept your challenge!" he announced dramatically, with a theatrical bow. Of course, the confidence and bravado he was projecting physically did not match the nervousness he was feeling.

Rinya had been right when she'd said that, now that they were bonded, there was no acting between them. Gods, that felt like a lifetime ago. In any case, she would know instantly he wasn't confident at all, that it was all an act. But still, Jorin had some pride left. Just because he was nervous didn't mean he had to act nervous.

Taking a breath, Jorin notched the arrow again. This time his focus was much sharper. There was something on the line this time, and Jorin was very interested in claiming that prize. Jorin was capable of focus when he needed to. And right now, with what he could win just by hitting anywhere on that target, he was as focused as he could be.

Drawing the bow, Jorin felt his left hand touch the corner of his mouth, his left eye already closed and his right eye staring into the center of the target like it was hypnotizing him. He had no intentions of trying to hit it, but he figured better to aim for the center and hit the outside ring, than to aim for the outside ring and hit nothing at all.

He took a breath, aiming slowly, carefully. There could be no messing up. Last time, he'd guesstimated, and despite the shot going a bit wild he at least got a bit more of a feel of how the aim was supposed to work. His right eye lined up the arrow's point with the target, trying to get a better sense of where it would go when he released.

Then, with a whoosh of breath, the arrow arced from his bow toward the target. It flew straight and true, looking to hit around the edge of it. Oh well, as long as it stuck, it would be OK. Jorin almost smiled... until he felt it. A gust of wind. No. NO!

A random autumn gust buffeted them. It was straight out of nowhere, and ended as quickly as it began, sending a few wayward leaves into Rinya's hair and into Jorin's face. More importantly (to Jorin), it knocked the arrow off-course just the tiniest bit. But it was enough. The arrow missed the target by the narrowest margin, just barely scraping the edge before continuing into the grass behind it.

Jorin just stared for a moment, his jaw dropped and his eyes wide. No. Way. He had that! He totally had it! Surely Rinya could see that he would've hit it if it wasn't for that completely random gust! He groaned as he realized what that meant.

"Zulrav, god of winds, why do you hate me?" he growled, as he stomped over to retrieve his arrow. Inside, he sighed. Guess it's stringing time for me tonight, then, he groused. He'd just have to make his one kiss really count.

Turning to Rinya, he gave her a rather desperate look. "Oh come on, Rinya, that one didn't count!" he tried. His hand went to the back of his neck in nervousness.

"... best two out of three?" he suggested, with a nervous smile.

[Rinya]

Day 38, Season Fall, 513 AV

"Rinya, you won't end up like her,"

Jorin grasped her hands, and Rinya took a stuttered breath. She knew she could never entirely be like Farline. The woman was all about using people, and Rinya believed the only way to truly be proud of something was to do it yourself. But she wouldn’t have wanted to ruin the dynamic between them. Being playful though… Rinya didn’t know how to do it. At least she didn’t think she did.

"You could never... I would have never fallen in love with you if you were capable of that. Not this deeply. Not this completely," he continued. "If you don't believe my words, do you at least believe the kiss we shared, not five chimes ago?"

She didn’t know what to say. Jorin had more confidence in her than she had in herself apparently. Or maybe they really were just getting to know each other better. In less than a season there were quirks that both of them could pick up with ease.

"If I have to, I can always kiss you again. You know, in case you need a reminder,"

Rinya immediately flushed at the thought. She was actually about to take him up on his offer, before he pulled away and took up hers. Rinya watched dazed as Jorin took up his bow and arrow, looking to the rest of the world completely confident. She remembered that look quite a bit when they had first met. She wondered if the confidence he had when they first met had been an act. She had been so nervous when she first met him.

Jorin focused quite well though, a good stance and patience with the aim. But she could tell his aim would be off. She was torn. She wanted to tell him that he needed to adjust his bow arm just slightly, but it would give him an unfair advantage. Not that it really mattered. As Jorin loosed his arrow, the wind kicked up. Rinya flinched and covered her face as leaves assault her hair, blowing it into her face. She didn’t hear the arrow land its target either.

As Rinya shook out her hair, she glanced from the target to Jorin. Who looked completely shocked. She didn’t have the heart to tell him he probably would have missed anyways. But his grumbling was endearing as he nearly stormed over to retrieve the arrow. Rinya suppressed a smirk, opting instead for a gentle smile as he turned to face her.

"Oh come on, Rinya, that one didn't count!"

Rinya laughed, shaking her head slightly. Only Jorin could nearly whine and get away with it. Approaching the target herself, she carefully pulled her arrows from it, tapping one of the fetchings against his chest as she walked back to her quiver. ”Well, that wind was rather unfair wasn’t it. You were so close.” Rinya smirked and crossed her arms over chest.

”But I know you like to keep your promises, so I’ll let you have one more try. Just one.”

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 38, 513 AV

She'd given him one more try. Jorin grinned at her, once again exuding that confidence he didn't feel. He'd hit the target this time, he could feel it! More to the point, she was giving him one more opportunity to make good on his promise. He couldn't mess this up. His pride was on the line, after all.

Jorin notched the arrow. He was glad to see that notching the arrow became easier the more times he did it. The first time, he had to look down, make sure the index fletch was correctly positioned, and it took him almost half a chime before he'd gotten it right. Now he realized, he could feel the edge of the nock, and he glanced down once to adjust instead of staring down at the arrow like the first time. In a real situation, he figured he might not even have time to do that, so getting this down to an instinct was crucial.

He pulled the string back, and frowned a bit at the resistance. It was getting harder to draw the bow, and at first he couldn't understand why. Then he realized, his arms were tired. His shoulders were tired. He could feel the burning in his chest muscles, and in his core. The muscles all over his upper body were protesting, letting him know that this was likely the last arrow he was going to fire that day. Well so be it. It was the last arrow he'd need to fire, anyway.

Jorin took a deep breath. Right. He gave a quick glare at the sky, daring the wind to kick up again, but it seemed like the wind itself was also holding its breath. Even the birds chattering in the trees seemed to tone down their din for a tick, the better to watch his last shot. Jorin turned back to the target, and raised his bow arm, sighting down the shaft of the arrow.

The fire in his arms and chest were quite intense now. Jorin wondered how Rinya did this so often. He considered her small, slender form and seriously marveled at where she got all that strength from. Probably where all strength came from, he guessed. Practice. Lots of practice.

Jorin's lungs were starting to burn as well, and he realized he'd been aiming for nearly a chime. Right. Enough dallying. Time to see if he'd get to keep his promise tonight. Jorin released the string, letting the arrow fly across the span as his left eye opened and he watched with bated breath. The arrow sailed, sailed, sailed... and caught the target just on the edge. For a split-second it almost looked like it was going to stick, but then it fell off. Jorin groaned, and his face fell. No wind to blame it on this time.

He wanted so desperately to take yet another shot. Or three. However many it took to get a petching arrow to stick. But his protesting muscles said otherwise. That was his last shot and he hadn't made it. Jorin sighed heavily and he trudged over, picking up the arrow and silently cursing it for not doing what he wanted. Then he turned to Rinya and smiled at her gamely.

"Next time," he promised, as he strode over to his quiver and put the arrow in, picking it up. "Next time I'll hit that target. You'll see!"

Yet despite his confident smile, Jorin felt disappointed. Still, he was determined to make the best of things. Even if he was to spend all evening stringing and unstringing his new bow, he'd still get one kiss. And he was determined to make the most of it.

[Rinya]

Day 38, Season Fall, 513 AV

"Next time I'll hit that target. You'll see!"

”With your persistence Jorin, I don’t doubt it.” Rinya looped her quiver over her back and snagged her bow in her right hand. She didn’t doubt Jorin’s persistence in the least. If nothing else, he was the glue that held them together in the first place. In the beginning Rinya would have easily given up on whatever it was that was between them before it even formed. The bond alone wouldn’t have been enough to save them.

Reaching out, Rinya took one of Jorin’s hands into her own. Regardless of the past, she was going to hold on this time. Honestly it sounded a little sappy to her, but it was true. Squeezing his hand gently, Rinya led him down the path that would take them back to the city. He had taken direction rather well—despite the fact that both of them were rather distracted. Rinya would have to keep that in mind. She didn’t entirely plan on using herself as a distraction, but the fact that Jorin was so obviously attracted to her made her feel… powerful.

Rinya felt her face flush slightly. They needed to have a talk over all this actually. Jorin held as much power over her as she did him. Telling him no over something like this—Rinya knew she could actually hurt his feelings if she wasn’t delicate about it. Then again, saying no would be implying she didn’t want at all. And that was a lie in itself. It was just… so very nerve wracking. The whole idea in itself confused her actually. In general terms she understood where a female stood during mating.

But of course this was Jorin. He put everyone before himself. Perhaps her greatest worry was just that she had no idea where to go beyond kissing. Everything was just practically on instinct, and hers just didn’t exist on this particular subject. Her father had described all sorts of details about men and how they tended to just take things that they wanted. However, this didn’t apply to Jorin. At least—she didn’t think it did. Jorin thus far had never made her do anything she didn’t want to. None of the little stories her father had told her even came to mind with Jorin.

Sighing slightly, Rinya bit her bottom lip. She always fought everything that happened between them. She had no idea how to go about not over thinking this particular problem. Rinya jolted out of her head as they came to a stop. Apparently she had spent the entire walk home just thinking about…

”… I zoned out the entire walk home didn’t I?” Rinya already knew the answer, but she shot Jorin an apologetic smile. Entering the condo, Rinya laid her quiver next to the door. Twisting her bow in her hands, Rinya held it up. ”This part at least won’t be too hard. It’s actually very easy once you get the steps down so let’s just get it over with.”

Rinya examined the end of her bow for a moment, before placing one end of the bow on the ground. ”One end of the bow has a larger loop than the other. Since it’s already strung, you probably won’t be able to tell right away. The larger loop should always be facing up.” Rinya shifted, moving her left leg between the string and the bow, and moving the end of the bow in the ground up against her right foot.

”Since your right handed, you’ll want your right leg between the bow and string, and use your left leg to help anchor the bow so it doesn’t shift on you.” Moving slowly so Jorin could see, Rinya placed the flat of her left hand on the upper end of the bow, bending it back slightly while her right hand snagged the top of the string, shifting it around until it came loose and slid part way down the bow itself. ”Easy, but it can take a lot of muscle too. To restring the bow it’s the same concept, but you move this loop upwards to the notch at the top of the bow. Before you fire the bow however, make sure the loops are secure… or you could risk injury to yourself, maybe even ruin the bow.” Rinya smiled warmly at Jorin, placing her bow against the wall next to her quiver.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 38, 513 AV

Jorin was too tired to complain as Rinya took his hand and pulled him away from the Stained Pelt, and back to their home. The walk back was filled with a pleasant silence, and Jorin filled that time thinking about how fulfilling just spending an evening with Rinya really was. From an outsider’s perspective, perhaps, it wasn't anything that impressive. Just a few bells with a woman, shooting a few arrows, having a few laughs, sharing a kiss or two.

But to him, it was the happiest part of his day, without question. Even having nailed his lines at the Amphitheater earlier that day paled in comparison. And even though he had missed that last shot, he was still happy. Because when he’d kissed her, he felt Rinya's love for him, her passion for him, her need for him. And it made him indescribably happy to know she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

He was still nervous of course. He'd never gone this far with Farline. She wouldn't let him. Oh, she’d tease, and hint, and imply, and then inevitably pull the rug out from under him. Turning her head at the last moment, slipping out from under his arms, batting her lashes but never actually willing to go all the way, or even halfway. And the kisses he’d had with Farline didn't compare with the kissed he shared with Rinya. Sure, he’d felt something when he kissed Farline, but compared to what he felt when he kissed Rinya it was rather like comparing a barnacle to a whale.

Looking at Rinya walking by his side, Jorin smiled at her little concentrating frown, like she was considering something important. He didn't even think she knew she was doing it, her mind clearly a thousand miles away. He felt flashes of embarrassment from her, and he briefly considered asking her what she was thinking about, but thought better of it. Besides, he liked how she pursed her lips when she was deep in thought like that. It wasn't fair really, how every little thing about her caught his attention and kept it. And he realized, it wasn't just her body he was admiring. It was everything. Everything about her.

He admired her quiet strength, yet surprising vulnerability. Her quick temper, but her shy insecurity. He still didn't know everything, maybe never would, but they had their whole lives to discover more about each other. So what if she wasn't going to live as long as he would? Everyone died sometime. Dira claims all, there are no exceptions. But he decided right there that if their candle could only last half as long, he’d make sure it burned twice as bright.

They’d arrived at their condo, and Rinya started, seemingly embarrassed to have walked the whole way deep in thought. Jorin found himself quite curious as to what mystery would so intrigue Rinya that she’d spend that much time contemplating it. Perhaps she’d tell him someday. In any case, she seemed to snap out of it and quietly opened the door, placing her quiver next to the door. Jorin followed suit.

As she showed him the steps he'd need to take to string and unstring his bow, Jorin did his best to follow along, her instructions not actually being very difficult. His tired muscles protested as he strained to bend his bow to string it again after unstringing it once, and he was almost afraid he would snap his new purchase in half. Fortunately, the string finally looped around, and he inspected it carefully to make sure he'd done it correctly.

Jorin strung and unstrung his bow another two times, each time looking up at Rinya to make sure he handn't done anything too stupid, or placed undue strain on his weapon. Weapon maintenance was very important, it was something the Kendoka was very serious about. If you own a weapon, you were expected to have the discipline to maintain it properly. Because a rusty sword did not strike with much force. And a warped bow would not shoot far.

After those two repetitions, Jorin's arms felt like they were going to fall off. It'd been some time since he'd worked his arm muscles like that. The quarterstaff, despite being held in the hands, mostly worked the quadriceps of the legs, and the diaphragm and core muscles. The arms were almost an afterthought: there to hold the staff in place, but didn't generate even half the power of most of the strikes.

Jorin looked up at Rinya and gave her an apologetic shrug. "I... I think I'm done for tonight," he admitted, as he rubbed his sore arms. "But, I mean, you did promise that I'd get one kiss."

Jorin threw Rinya a mischievous grin, like he'd discovered a secret loophole she hadn't thought of. Jorin approached Rinya, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. He noted with some interest that she wasn't really resisting all that much. Maybe she knew what he'd be thinking when she threw him this bone. In any case, he'd only get one shot at this.

Jorin leaned in and kissed her, his right hand going up to the base of Rinya's neck, pushing aside her golden-brown hair. But surprisingly, the kiss was not one of fiery passion, like the first kiss they'd had at the Stained Pelt. No, it was more like the second: soft, gentle, and loving. Jorin himself was surprised that he'd "waste" his one kiss, but he decided he wasn't wasting it at all. His heart knew what his brain didn't; that it was much more important that Rinya love him than that she lay with him.

He kept the kiss going though, and as it continued, his left hand pressed her waist closer to him. He could feel a warmth swirl around near his stomach, his heart clenched and he just poured all his feelings for Rinya into this one kiss. He knew she knew already, but he felt she needed a reminder. That no matter how, no matter when, no matter what, he'd always love her.

The kiss had been going on for almost a chime, and Jorin couldn't help but add a little fire. He remembered how beautiful she looked that day on the beach with Kirsi, the water glistening from her body as she rose from it like a goddess. He recalled the warmth he felt when she'd cuddled up next to him at the hospital when he got hurt. And despite his intentions, the fire sparked and roared to life, going from a small candle-flame to inferno heat in less than a chime.

Jorin was almost frightened by the intensity of what he was feeling. It was like, robbed of the necessity to stop because of being in public, his emotions finally had free reign. And like a horse that had slipped the reins, Jorin's instincts ran wild. His right hand had slipped all the way down, until it was on her buttocks. Jorin had no idea how Rinya would react to his hand being there. He half-expected a punch to the gut like Farline received, but he charged ahead anyway; his legs started to propel them to his room.

Jorin knew they were both running out of breath. He instinctively felt that, if the kiss ended outside his room, nothing more would come of it. So he continued to steer the both of them, his eyes on the prize of the door. If only he could reach it! But at that moment it felt a million miles away.