Solo Practice Makes Perfect

[Lian Windrunner]

Timestamp: 89th day of Spring, 514 AV Lian made himself comfortable, then slipped into the Web. As usual, the welcoming glowing blue strands greeted him warmly. For a few minutes, Lian allowed himself to just enjoy being in the Web. In some ways, it was like a second home to him. Comforting. Familiar. Welcoming. But he had a task that he wanted to accomplish. Lian had recently bought a hunter's toolkit. Among other things, it contained a few snares, and a roll of thin rope that could be used to make simple traps. By linking them to the Web, Lian would ensure that he would always be able to find them even if he forgot exactly where he put them. And if he linked the roll of rope to the Web now, all of the traps he made out of it would be linked to the Web as well. That would save him time in the long run, and negate the risk of him forgetting to do so later once he'd made the traps. When he decided to link the items to the Web, Lian had taken the time to familiarize himself with the items in question completely. He spent time with each item, committing every detail to memory. By doing so, he made it possible to identify the items while he was in the Web. Having the items he wanted to link into the Web nearby helped as well. It wasn't an easy task since non living things did not have the same type of presence that living ones did, but it was possible. Lian "reached" for the presence of the first item, the roll of rope. While doing so, he pictured it as completely as he could, focusing on every detail he could remember. It took him several attempts, but after a while, he managed to grasp it. Then he tied it into the Web, making it a permanent part of the vast Web. As long as the rope existed in any form whatsoever, it would exist within the Web. Lian gave himself a few minutes to refocus himself. Then he reached for the next item, one of the snares. Like before, he focused on his memory of the item, recalling every detail he could remember. When he could picture it firmly in his mind's eye, Lian was able to grasp its essence, and tie it into the Web. One by one, Lian tied the other items into the Web as well. When he was done, he took a moment to look around. I'd love to take some time just to explore the Web. he thought wistfully. But that will have to wait for another time. If I want to get some practice with my short bow in today, and ride Talise, I have to get started soon.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian returned to his body quickly. Then he stood, and stretched, moving muscles that were just starting to stiffen up. He ate a quick meal to replenish his energy. Should I go to the Hunter's Allegiance to practice with my short bow? Lian wondered. No, not this time. I also want to spend some time riding Talise. Both of us enjoy spending time with each other, and I can use all of the riding practice I can get. Lian gathered his short bow, and quiver. After some consideration, he decided to bring twenty arrows with him. He wasn't going hunting, so he didn't think there was much of a chance of him needing that many. He was going to be shooting at a stationary target. Not prey that might escape him, along with the arrow he shot it with. But for all that he wasn't planning on going too far out into the Sea of Grass, he was going into the wilderness. The Sea of Grass wasn't a controled environment like the Hunter's Allegiance was. There was no predicting everything that could happen. And if an opportunity to catch something presented itself, Lian wanted to be prepared. Likewise, if Lian got ambushed by glassbeaks, or some other dangerous predator, he wanted to be prepared. Not that he planned to try to attack them if that did happen. Lian had every intention of keeping an eye on his surroundings via the Web, and if anything dangerous headed his way, he would vacate the area before it could find him. Lian was under no illusions when it came to his hunting skills. He knew fully well that he was no match for any of the many predators out in the Sea of Grass. Lian didn't think he could handle a boar yet, never mind something that was actively hunting him. He had no desire to take any unnecessary risks with his life, or Talise's life. So he would do everything he could to avoid getting into a situation that would put them at risk. Lian gathered up his archer's target, and riding gear as well. When he had everything he needed, he left his tent, and made his way towards the edge of the city. Once there, he whistled sharply for his strider. After several minutes, Lian frowned. Talise usually comes much faster than this. I hope nothing's wrong. he thought with concern. Lian was starting to get truly worried by the time Talise finally showed up. He was going to scold her, but something made him hold back. Talise looked...irritated. Preoccupied. It seemed as though she had responed to his call only out of long ingrained habit rather than any desire to see him. This only made him even more concerned. Talise usually seems happy to see me when I call for her. She enjoys my company as much as I enjoy hers. Something is wrong here. Lian thought worriedly. Lian noticed that Talise seemed to be holding her tail in an elevated position. Had she injured it somehow? He watched her carefully from where he stood, but he couldn't see any signs of injury to her tail. After a few moments, Lian approached Talise cautiously. She allowed him to put the yvas on, but she squealed, and shied away when he got too close to her flanks. She danced in place, tossing her head restlessly for several minutes before settling down. Lian approached Talise cautiously once more. She allowed him to approach, but seemed to be distracted, and not focused on him at all. Lian spoke quietly, trying to soothe Talise out of whatever mood she was in. After a while, it seemed to help. The mare calmed down, and relaxed into his touch as he stroked her neck gently. Talise still seemed preoccupied when Lian mounted her, but she didn't buck or rear in an attempt to rid herself of his presence. Lian took this as a good sign. He intended to be cautious, but he decided that it was probably okay to go ahead with his plans.

[Lian Windrunner]

Riding Talise was more of a challenge than Lian ever could have imagined. Usually, she was very responsive to even the slightest request. She would respond quickly and amiably to his signals, enjoying the time they spent together. But even though she was allowing Lian to ride her, she was still very distracted. Most of the time, Lian had to give a signal several times before she noticed it. And when she did, she responded sluggishly, as though she had very little energy. I should bring her to the Guided Horse when we get back. I know that they usually just board horses, but they may know who I should go to so I can get Talise looked over. If she's getting sick, or is injured in some way I can't see, then I want to know about it so I can help her. The last thing I want is for things to get worse. he thought worriedly. As they continued, Lian kept Talise to a slow, leisurely walk. With her as distracted as she was, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to keep control of the situation if anything went wrong. If Talise were to startle badly because something spooked her when she was so preoccupied, Lian was painfully aware that he wouldn't be able to keep his strider from panicking. At a walk, he would suffer less damage if the worst happened, and she threw him. The ride seemed to help somewhat. Although Talise was barely acknowledging his existence, she seemed to be less irritable than she was before. It was as though the ride was soothing her in some way. After a while, things seemed to be going well, so Lian risked slipping into the Web for a brief check. There were no signs of danger anywhere near them, but an eagle gave a hunting cry in the moment Lian was leaving the Web. Talise started, and half reared in fright. Lian, who was disoriented from the transition back to his body, had no chance. He tumbled from her back with a startled shout, and landed hard on his rear. Lian swore for several minutes, but he tried to keep his voice down for fear he might startled Talise into bolting. "Fine. I guess this is as good a place as any to get some practice in." he grumbled under his breath. Lian unpacked his archer's target, and set it up. Then he took the yvas off of Talise. It wasn't something that he usually did. Putting it on took time, and if a dangerous predator drew near despite his monitoring the Web for just such a threat, moving quickly might be the one thing that kept him alive. Since his limited riding skills would not allow Lian to ride a horse without the aid of a yvas, it was a risk he wasn't usually willing to take. But this was a special circumstance. Lian was very worried about Talise. She rarely ever showed any irritation at all, never mind this much. And when she did, the cause of her irritation was usually very clear to Lian. Her preoccupation on top of that made him even more concerned. Lian wanted his strider to be as comfortable as possible, so he decided to take the risk this time. With luck, she would relax if she felt more comfortable. Lian watched Talise move off a short distance, and start grazing. Simply watching his strider gave him a sense of peace and contentment. But he didn't come out into the Sea of Grass to watch Talise graze. He came to practice with his short bow, and it was time that he did just that. Lian moved so that he stood several yards away from the target. Then he took his bow from his back, and pulled an arrow out of his quiver. He gripped his bow in his left hand. Then he pointed it at the ground while he used his right hand to place the shaft of his arrow on the arrow rest. After that, he attached the back of the arrow to the bow string, fitting the string carefully into the notch at the end of the arrow. Then he just held that position for several minutes. I know what to do...but I'm slow at it. I have to think about each step individually, focusing on it so that I don't make a mistake. I can't take a shot unless I've followed each step in order. This has to be habit...instinct. I can't afford to take the time to focus on each step individually every time I want to take a shot. How many times have I lost the prey I was going after because I was too slow in taking the shot? I have to get better. he vowed to himself. If I don't, it may well cost me my life some day. Lian released his position, and slung his bow over his back once more. Then he started over again, drawing his bow, and nocking his arrow. He repeated the process over and over again, trying to do it faster each time. At first, trying to speed up his movements caused him to make errors. Sometimes he wouldn't grip the bow hard enough, and when he tried to put the arrow to the bow string, he'd fumble his grip, and drop the bow. Other times, he overcompensated, by gripping the bow so tightly that his hand would start to ache. The pain would distract him, diverting his attention so he couldn't focus on the next step as completely as he had to. There were times when he put too much pressure on the bow string when he fitted it into the notch on the arrow. In doing so, he risked accidentally firing the arrow into the ground. But after a few hours of repeating the same movements over and over again, his efforts began to pay off. Lian found that he didn't need to think about what he was doing quite so much. Drawing his bow wasn't quite habit, or instinct, but it was easier for him to do. The progress he saw gave him hope that one day it would be as easy to do as breathing. In addition to that, he noticed that he was able to draw his bow a little faster than he could before. It wasn't a big difference, but even a few seconds could count at times when it came to hunting. And it was more the fact that he had made progress at all than how much progress he had made. Lian was confident that with time, he would get much faster so long as he kept practicing.

[Lian Windrunner]

And I will keep practicing. Now that I have the target, it will be a lot easier to do so than it was when I was trying to practice on the animals I was hunting. he thought with satisfaction. Lian stopped to watch Talise for a few minutes. She hadn't wandered very far. And she seemed to be intent on her grazing. On the surface, it appeared normal enough...but the mare still seemed to be very distracted. Usually when Lian was nearby, she would have at least one ear pointed in his direction, listening for him. But now she didn't even seem to know he was there. Talise still seemed to be holding her tail in an elevated position, too. Lian didn't know what it meant when she did that, but it was clearly a sign of something. Still, she seemed to be okay for the most part. The mare wasn't injured in any way that Lian could see, and she seemed calm. Talise doesn't seem to be in any real distress, even if she is acting oddly. I think it'll be okay to keep practicing. Lian gripped his bow in his left hand, he pointed it at the ground while he used his right hand to place the shaft of his arrow on the arrow rest. Then he attached the back of the arrow to the bow string, fitting the string carefully into the notch at the end of the arrow. This time, he took it further. Using three fingers to hold the arrow steady, Lian raised the bow so that it was pointing at the target. Then he raised the bow so that it was pointing at the target. For several long minutes, he just stood there like that, trying to judge the distance between himself, and the target. When he was ready, Lian drew back, and released the arrow. He watched as it flew towards the target. To his dismay, it missed the target entirely, flying over it. The next four arrows missed as well. Sighing in frustration, Lian went to collect the arrows he had used. This is why I have so much trouble with smaller game. With a deer, it's okay if I miss the exact spot I was aiming at. A deer is a bigger target, so even if I "miss," I still have a chance of hitting it. But with a rabbit, or a ground squirrel, or a bird, that isn't the case. And with the birds...I only have the one shot. Once they take to the air, I don't have a chance of taking them down. Lian thought ruefully. Once again, Lian moved so that he was standing in front of the target. Like before, he readied his bow, put his arrow to the string, aimed carefully, and fired. This time, the arrow glanced off the rim of the target. The next two arrows missed, but the fourth and fifth struck their mark. They were nowhere near the center, but at this point, Lian was happy with just hitting the target at all. Lian went to collect the arrows he'd just used. He repeated the process over, and over, and over again. He continued until his fingers began to hurt. Lian wanted to keep practicing, driven by a need to improve his skills faster. But he knew that if he kept it up, his fingers would begin to bleed. Lian didn't want to risk injury to his hands, so he knew that it was time for a break.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian carefully put his gear away. If there was time after his break, he would try to get some more practice in, but for now, he was done. When he finished with that task, he stopped to watch Talise for a bit. Concern for her continued to nag at him, but she seemed to be healthy from what he could observe, even if she was still behaving oddly. Maybe she just needs her space? People have bad days sometimes. Maybe striders do, too. he mused. Lian walked over to his yvas bags, and pulled out a large piece of bread, and a pouch full of berries. Then he sat down in the grass, and looked up at the sky. It was a brilliant shade of blue, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. It was a beautiful day, and Lian was glad to be out in it. After a moment, he slipped into the Web, and looked around. To his relief, there were no potential threats near by. He had gotten so caught up in his practice, that he'd forgotten to monitor the Web. Forgetting such a crucial thing as looking out for danger while out in the Sea of Grass was like begging to get killed. It wasn't something he could afford to do again. When he was satisfied that they weren't in immediate danger, Lian allowed himself to relax. He bit into his bread, and tore off a bite sized piece. As he chewed, he savored the rich, earthy flavor. He ate a handful of berries, enjoying their perfect blend of tartness and sweetness. The food was eating tasted better than it usually did. Food always tastes better after a good day of work. As he ate, Lian was taken by surprise when a wild strider stallion approached Talise. To Lian's surprise, Talise urinated in front of the stallion. Lian knew that horses urinated whenever they needed to, but this didn't seem random. It seemed as though the stallion's presence had triggered the act. Talise also raised her tail. The stallion approached her with his head held high. He nickered as he approached her. When he drew near, he nipped her lightly, and nudged her. Then he smelled her urine. Lian hardly dared to breathe as he watched, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He just hoped that the wild stallion wasn't trying to steal his mare. Talise wasn't likely to allow the stallion to take her, but the thought still annoyed Lian. This seemed different, though. The stallion wasn't trying to drive Talise into bolting into a run. Nor was he trying to lure her away. Instead, he mounted her. Lian's eyes widened in shock. Is he really going to mate with Talise? And her strange behavior...she was holding her tail strangely before we came out here, too. Is all of that because she was in heat? How long will it take before I know if Talise is pregnant or not? And more importantly, how do I take care of a pregnant mare? Lian wondered. Lian promised himself that he would remember the strange behavior that Talise showed today. He wanted to know when she was in heat in the future. If nothing else, it would save him the worry of wondering what was wrong with her. It was over quickly. When the stallion lost interest and left, Lian walked over to Talise and checked her over as best he could. She looked okay, so he grabbed his yvas, and put it on. Then he packed up the rest of his gear, and mounted his strider. With a signal from his legs, they were headed home at a brisk walk. He had originally wanted to get more practice in, but now all he wanted to do was get Talise looked over to make certain she was okay. That, and get tips of what to do with a pregnant mare in case Talise was pregnant.

[Khida]

Lian Windrunner

Skill	Points
Horsemanship	+2
Observation	+2
Riding	+1
Weapon: Bow	+3
Webbing	+1

• Bells of repetition to ingrain a habit
• Finding comfort within the Web
• Horsemanship: equine courting rituals
• Horsemanship: signs of a mare in heat
• Horsemanship: soothing with soft voice and touch
• Riding: patience with a preoccupied horse
• Riding: rider's distraction leading to a fall
• The Web as item locator

Repercussions

• Muscle fatigue in arms, shoulders, and upper back; 1 day pronounced, 1 day mild
• Ledger deductions for bread (1 cm for one-half loaf) and berries (~2 sm for one cup)
• One pregnant Strider

Notes

Good job describing his practice at drawing the bow! I wish you'd been as descriptive with his arrows' trajectories and landings; as it was, I couldn't award any lores for why he missed. Was there a breeze? Did his hands jerk at the last moment, or drift out of line? Did he fail to account for the arc of the arrow?

Some other notes: Remember that in Mizahar, hours are called 'bells'. Please make deductions for Lian's lunch materials; I've suggested costs above based on the price list and my guess at how much he had. Also, I looked ahead and saw you have Talise no longer in heat for the next day; it follows that she must have conceived, and I've awarded accordingly. I'm surprised she didn't get more attention from other Striders before they left the city, even just along the lines of 'hey pretty lady' from any stallions about.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade. Also, please edit your request to show this thread has been graded.