PM to join Accidental Lessons [Vanator]

[Reven Heath]

Accepting the short bow, Reven took into account Vanator's words and stepped back up to shoot again. It did feel like a playful competition between the two which the Kelvic enjoyed. It was odd because the woman never felt the need to truly impress someone but here she stood, analyzing, observing, so that she could hit the mark on that board. There was an underlying need for her to hit it, as if she was showing her skills in hopes of calling affection from him, desire even.

Her eyebrows flew up at the thought just as she was taking aim to fire. Her arm jerked noticeably and, thinking quickly, Reven played it off as her cut hurting. Clearing the thoughts from her mind, Reven posed again. Arm remaining firm, yet bent as she took aim again, arrow nocked and ready to fire, the Kelvic relaxed. This time, she focused hard on the sound of the winter wind as it pushed into the Sanctuary, at the board as she took into account its distance, and she breathed. Letting in air... Letting out the air...

Breathing in... Breathing out... Focused.

It took her a moment but as the Kelvic released the arrow, aimed just a bit left, above the bulls eye, she held her stance while the arrow sling shot forward. It pierced the board, a loud thud echoing once more though this time, it was closer to the center than he had hit. Reven smiled, keeping composure of herself as she turned toward him. “It looks like I'm not as terrible as I thought, don't you agree?”

The feline mentally slapped herself. What does she care what he thinks? He's a stranger!

Her eyes remained on his for a moment, looking, watching, amused by the man. And then there was a tug, very subtle and light, but something was there that made her eyes widen with surprise. What was happening to her? Was she becoming ill or was the man manipulating her somehow? He didn't seem to be that kind of person but ever since they came across each other in the forest, things never felt the same. It was confusing and in a small way, upset her. Examining his gaze to see if anything had happened to him, Reven waiting for a sign. After a moment she turned from him, held out the bow, and pretended to inspect the board. “Would you like another shot?”

A large part of her felt the need to run away while another, quickly growing in force, felt the need to stay. In a tick, Reven was suddenly thrown into a tornado of conflict when all she wanted to do was practice the short bow.

Oh, why was life so difficult..!

[Vanator]

As Reven took back the bow and set herself up for another shot. Vanator studied her, overtly to gauge whether her posture was correct for shooting, covertly appreciating the young Kelvic's features. The electric sensation that seemed to birth in his core and radiate out until it reached his fingers and toes waxed stronger the closer he was, the more he looked at her. It was like he was a teenager again looking at the object of his first crush.

Slight in frame, petite even, Reven still possessed a firm foundation for her shot, her arms lean but strong as she pulled the bow back. There was a hitch and she balked, glowering at one of the random cuts that marked her skin, certainly from briars and thorns scratching the cat's hide. But she resumed without explanation, and Vanator watched the hazel gaze rivet to the target. The Drykas found himself staring at her features, so appealing to him. He looked away for a moment. The distraction was peculiar and strange.

Finally, the Kelvic let the arrow fly, her bow not lowering until the missile hit its mark. An improvement, and a better shot than his own. Reven's beaming smile turned to Van, giving a little boast. Vanator laughed. "Well, since it is better than mine, I am certainly not going to call you terrible!" Their eyes met for an awkward moment, and it was then that Vanator knew that Reven felt the same irresistible pull. Her eyes flicked away, and he sensed a bit of alarm in his guest. He quickly moved on.

"Best two out of three." He added, without meeting her eyes. Van took an arrow from his own quiver, set it to the string and raised it again. Feet parallel to the target, back straight, shoulders low. He went through a mental checklist before settling on his aim. Lining the arrowhead with his goal, adjusting again for wind, Vanator held his breath. But the constant hum of the attraction was distracting, for he knew what it was. He had been attracted to many women, and never had it felt like this. Similar, and Reven was certainly an attractive woman, but this was something beyond that. It was a call to something he was not ready for, certainly not with a stranger. He had known Kelvics before, spent time with them, befriended them. Never had there been any hint of a bonding arising with any of them, except Pygmy. Vanator had no idea of what a bond was when it started with Pygmy. This was much stronger, undeniable. That is what it had to be.

Realizing he was still holding his breath, Vanator released the arrow. It streaked to the target, hitting Reven's last arrow and splitting it as it sunk in. Van stared at it. No, it was a weird coincidence. He was not aiming for her arrow. But the fact that his arrow pierced her's rang of some divine symbolism. No, it was a freak incident.

"Well," he said, trying to laugh it off, "I uh, meant to do that." Van's smile turned lopsided, "Well, not really. Wish I had though! Looks like we are tied."

[Reven Heath]

Maybe he was trying to be nice, or maybe he had realized the same attraction she felt and ignored it. Reven couldn't figure it out and, as he took the bow and set himself up, she didn't want him to address it. A bystander could easily tell something odd was happening between the two, it was not hard to see. Therefore, it was obvious to tell the both beings pointedly ignored the attraction while indulging in it silently. Off to the side, Reven watched him again and this time, she let her eyes wander about his frame. Driven by curiosity, she couldn't help sweep her hazel orbs over the tense muscle of his arm as he pulled the string back, the relaxed yet firm form and the curve of his shoulders, his torso, waist, his hips. Moving slowly, the Kelvic felt a blush settle on her cheeks as she observed the rest of him. Vanator was certainly a man to behold.

He appeared much old than the young cougar, but in a way the it was a subtle hint. The soft lines around his smile were the obvious indicators, as well as the scars on his body. Some looked knew and appeared that of a purplish, pink while others were faded, only noticeable by the white lines on his tanned flesh. Reven couldn't help but look past that, accepting it for what it was, what he was, who he was, and move on. She didn't understand why she felt the need to do this. There were plenty of suitors in Riverfall that were younger, bubbling with the same excitement for life as she was. Yet they never roused emotion from her like Vanator.

Observing his release of the arrow, Reven followed it with her eyes and watched as it pierced her arrow through, splitting it. Shock was an understatement for what she felt in the moment. Had he aimed for her arrow purposely? Was he that well trained with a bow that he could aim for such a thing and actually hit it? Reven had never seen it done before, it was amazing!

Bright hazel snapped to his form once more, noting that Vanator looked startled, almost as shocked as she was by the occurrence. Had he planned on that? The Drykas was trying to brush it off now with an awkward smile. It confused her... Why was he acting so odd now? Striking her arrow appeared to be a freak accident, some kind of lucky shot, or was it more than that..? Was it some sign?

Her thoughts didn't wonder on such things.

“That was...” Reven blinked. “That was a really good shot. I don't know if I can do any better than that, heh.” She stepped up to the man, taking the bow from him. “How did you do that? You look so relaxed, what do you aim for?” Taking up yet another arrow, Reven waited for his answer, before she would take stance again. “Am I not aiming right?”

[Vanator]

Vanator stared at the arrows, one nestled between the split shaft of the other. It was a one in a million shot, and he really did wish he had meant to do it. He shrugged off his inclination of some supernatural foretelling in the bizarre shot, turning to Reven as she exclaimed her amazement at his skill. He caught her bright hazel eyes, a smile stretching across his face. "Are you kidding, that was a freak accident. I couldn't do that again in a million years." Van laughed, his gaze fixed on the youthful Kelvic, that ringing attraction becoming distracting as he watched the moving line of her full lips as she spoke, the way her hair strayed and moved in the breeze and swung when she turned to the target. What was this preoccupation? Reven was attractive, certainly. So were many women in Riverfall, and he appreciated looking at them most readily, but the Kelvic....

Vanator was beginning to become nervous. Today was to be his wedding day. He awoke that morning saddened. It was what drove him out into the forest to be alone, to sulk and to bemoan yet another loss of love. Just by happenstance, he came across Reven. The attraction was so strong, Van knew it was the coaxing of a bond, but there was more. Physical attraction, yes. A heart reaching for something in the wake of breaking? Maybe.

Vanator drew in a breath and gathered his thoughts. Either way, this was not the right time for any of it. The Drykas already respected Reven too much to simply seduce her just to sate his loneliness. And a bond had to be avoided at all costs. Kelvic bonds were strong and intimate, something he was not prepared for, especially with a woman he had met only bells before. Vanator took a step back.

"I, uh, just aimed like normal, the wind must have carried it a bit." He stammered as she lined up again with the bow. "Um, the best way to work your aim, at least when target shooting, is to walk it in. Look at how you aimed before, where your arrow landed, and decide in what direction you may need to lead to improve your shot." Taking another step back, Vanator watched Reven prepare to shoot, from head to toe, in great detail.

[Reven Heath]

Was he trying to be humble or did he really mean it? Reven had handled the short bot for a period of time but she wasn't sure if Vanator was appealing to his kinder side when it came to shooting arrows with the Kelvic. From their face off on the outskirts of the forest, the feline knew he could handle a bow but wasn't sure how good he was with it. The shot was a tricky one, something Reven imagined only a master archer could pull off. Being so new to his company, she simply didn't know enough about him to decipher if he really was that skilled with archery or not.

There was, however, one thing that continued to echoed between the two. Reven was attracted to the man. The moments they had spent together, she already noted with detail his physical features, his frame, his attitude and his skill. From the feline's point of view, he was the ideal mate. Strong, calculated, quick, and deadly. Maybe that was the reason for her sudden fascination for him as well. The Kelvic attempted to look as human as possible, even think along the same lines as a human, but sometimes instinct dragged her back to a feral, more natural existence. What was even more perplexing was the fact that she saw the same attraction shine from his eyes with uncertainty and sadness. It was a look she didn't dwell on and quickly pushed it away from her mind.

As she lined herself up and took aim, she heard clearly the stammer in his voice and knew the cougar had made him uncomfortable. Reven dismissed it and gave him a nod in acknowledgment. Best not to think of such things else she'd throw herself into another fit of anxiety.

“Sounds easy enough.”

Taking her time yet again, Reven prepared herself as she had, shoulders relaxed yet firm, her feet planted while her form was angled to the side, posture straight, gaze focused, and breath even. Her hands had already nocked the arrow and now, had the string pulled back with her index and middle as her left arm clutched the bow, taking aim at the board. Her feral eyes inspected it, felt the wind as it shifted, coming from behind her, causing loose auburn strands to fill her vision. Aiming down and to the left slightly more than she had intended to the last time. Reven exhaled and fired.

Soon the arrow embedded itself higher and closer than her last one with only slight improvement.

Well, improvement was improvement nonetheless.

Her eyes turned up to the gray skies above. It was turning to late afternoon and if she didn't leave soon, Reven would be walking home at dusk. Even if she was a predatory animal capable of maiming creatures, she did not want to find herself in a situation she could easily avoid. Facing Vanator, Reven swept her loose tresses away from her face and smiled lightly. “If only the wind would work with me.” Moving to him, she released her bow next to her things and went to retrieve her arrows. Well, most of them.

“It's getting late,” Reven called to him, plucking the split arrow from the board. Making her way back to him, she handed to him the damaged arrow with a grin. “You can keep that one.”

Then she dropped the rest into her quiver before slinging her backpack onto her shoulder along with the wooden container, grasping her bow. “My home is back in Riverfall and it'll take some time getting there. Maybe we could continue with lessons another day?” The offer made her uneasy. Very rarely did she ever request such things but she couldn't flat out ask Vanator for more time with him. Reven didn't know him and she wasn't the kind of person to venture into such territory either.

Her eyes studied his, the angle of his brow, his nose, the curve of his jawline and his lips. How strange, Reven wanted to reach out and touch his lips. “Thank you for today...” She pushed out, having to coax her departure. If she didn't, she would never leave the Sanctuary,”It's rare that I come across someone who treats me like a normal person after they see me for what I really am. Even after almost killing you, heheh. I'm glad we ran into each other. Thank you, Vanator.”

[Vanator]

Distracting. Reven Heath had become the definition of the word or rather, the preoccupation with the Kelvic that Vanator could not shake. As she readied her shot, the Drykas found his thoughts on a far different scenario as he studied her lean, strong arms and youthful face. Having her. Van shook his head. It was forming stronger the longer they remained together. He could not be rude, but Vanator would not allow them to be entangled too far.

The arrow thudded into the target, another decent shot given the cougar's confessed experience with the bow, certainly on par with his own. It was with some relief that the woman moved to the target to retrieve her arrows, alleviating the tugging attraction a bit.
Van could not suppress his smile, she was a lovely young woman, flavored with her feral nature. He regretted having to push her off, but it was for her own good as well as his.

Taking the split arrow from Reven, Vanator nodded when she suggested a future archery lesson. Part of the man wanted to schedule the time then and there, as soon as possible. But his reason rang out, not a wise thing to do. In the moments Van was not struggling with his own attractions towards the Kelvic, he recognized similar reactions from Reven. As she stepped away, it was as if they had to force themselves apart. Her parting words were heartfelt and sweet, making the separation even harder.

"You are far from a normal person, Reven, you are extraordinary. The pleasure of our meeting was all mine. Be well, and safe journey." He wanted to run to her, just to know her more. It was not lust, though amorous thoughts were entwined with the ever increasing curiosity. But Vanator restrained. To much complication, at least at this moment in his life. Sybel's departure hurt more on this day, the day they were to wed, and he was vulnerable. Maybe that is why the bond so easily ensnared the Drykas.

A taint of regret touched his smile. He knew it had started, and to keep the bond from truly forming, they would have to stay apart. As he watched the tawny maned young woman turn to leave, Van knew he could not see her again, Not, at least, unless some twist of fate prepared him for the profound commitment of a Kelvic bond.

The split arrow in his hand would make its way to his suite, to rest in a box with the torc Sybel had given him, reminders of things he wanted, but could not have.