The teen flashed the butcher a startled look at her bitter comment. There was something hateful about her words as if she hated that her aid would better the huntress. Azira assumed that the girl would sooner be in her position, not something that the Avora could blame her for, of course. Personally, she wouldn't like to be a butcher. She wouldn't like to spend her time up to her elbows in guts and blood. She wouldn't like to be a member of the Chiet caste either. It was bad enough having to obey the orders of the Endal but it would be far worse to be used by them and the Avora too. That didn't mean that she approved of the other's attitude but she did understand it and pitied her for it.
She wasn't sure if Ainyi would even bother to give her an answer to her question. The girl was silent for some time after all and Azira thought that she was unwilling to answer, unwilling to give away just how much practice she'd had. She thought that the Chiet didn't want to give away too much information in case it got her into trouble. But the girl did answer her after a chime and when the response came it was a long one. The huntress was surprised that a pair of Chiet had got on so well. The girl's father had obviously been good enough to become an Avora and Ainyi's skill exceeded her own. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before the young woman was apprenticed.
The number of years that they'd practiced made the young woman gasp. Nine years! That was half of her life! Ainyi had been practicing with a bow before Azira had ever even picked one up. It was a fact that startled her but she averted her gaze quickly, trying to hide her shock. She tried to nock an arrow with shaking fingers but she couldn't bring herself to focus. The girl had had far more practice than she had but that just made Azira feel more ashamed of herself. She was supposed to be a huntress, a provider but yet she couldn't shoot as well as a butcher who had never killed anything in her life.
As the Chiet finished her explanation, Azira was able to compose herself once more. A new arrow was nocked in her bow and following Ainyi's advice once more, she was able to fire it into a point a few inches from the centre. She still lacked the better accuracy of the butcher but that was something that she definitely intended to remedy.
"No, you're all right. I don't particularly mind the long version," the huntress replied shortly, not looking towards Ainyi as she reached for another arrow. She intended to do better this time. She didn't want to show herself up in front of her companion after all. Another arrow was nocked and let fly, falling a little further out than the last one. She scowled at it as if it had done it on purpose. "Oh and we will have to appear in the range at the same time as each other for a while. Just so that people can be certain that I am actually sponsoring you. Otherwise, they might think that you're some upstart of a Chiet."
Azira stretched, reaching her arms up skywards to try to take the stiffness out of them. Her back and shoulders were starting to twinge as well and rolling her shoulders back, she figured that it was probably time to call it a night. "I don't know about you but I think I'm done. You probably shouldn't hang around here for much longer after me either. It wouldn't be wise."
She wasn't sure if Ainyi would even bother to give her an answer to her question. The girl was silent for some time after all and Azira thought that she was unwilling to answer, unwilling to give away just how much practice she'd had. She thought that the Chiet didn't want to give away too much information in case it got her into trouble. But the girl did answer her after a chime and when the response came it was a long one. The huntress was surprised that a pair of Chiet had got on so well. The girl's father had obviously been good enough to become an Avora and Ainyi's skill exceeded her own. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before the young woman was apprenticed.
The number of years that they'd practiced made the young woman gasp. Nine years! That was half of her life! Ainyi had been practicing with a bow before Azira had ever even picked one up. It was a fact that startled her but she averted her gaze quickly, trying to hide her shock. She tried to nock an arrow with shaking fingers but she couldn't bring herself to focus. The girl had had far more practice than she had but that just made Azira feel more ashamed of herself. She was supposed to be a huntress, a provider but yet she couldn't shoot as well as a butcher who had never killed anything in her life.
As the Chiet finished her explanation, Azira was able to compose herself once more. A new arrow was nocked in her bow and following Ainyi's advice once more, she was able to fire it into a point a few inches from the centre. She still lacked the better accuracy of the butcher but that was something that she definitely intended to remedy.
"No, you're all right. I don't particularly mind the long version," the huntress replied shortly, not looking towards Ainyi as she reached for another arrow. She intended to do better this time. She didn't want to show herself up in front of her companion after all. Another arrow was nocked and let fly, falling a little further out than the last one. She scowled at it as if it had done it on purpose. "Oh and we will have to appear in the range at the same time as each other for a while. Just so that people can be certain that I am actually sponsoring you. Otherwise, they might think that you're some upstart of a Chiet."
Azira stretched, reaching her arms up skywards to try to take the stiffness out of them. Her back and shoulders were starting to twinge as well and rolling her shoulders back, she figured that it was probably time to call it a night. "I don't know about you but I think I'm done. You probably shouldn't hang around here for much longer after me either. It wouldn't be wise."
