Closed Shooting your Worries Away (Valdr)

[Turrin]

Time Stamp: 25th of Summer, 514AV
Location: Second Quiver
Who: Valdr

As Turrin walked into the Second Quiver, the endal felt like his skills with a short bow was improving enough to practice on dummy animals. He knew as of late that he could hit inside the center ring just above the bulls eye, so he knew now it was time to practice on irregular targets. Where the bulls eye wasn't always the kill shot. Looking at the archery range, Turrin noticed the range was packed with Avora or Chiet shooting or waiting to shot. There was a few Endal already shooting already, so the half-breed said simply to the range manager, “I need a spot to shoot. Can you help me?” The Avora recognized him as a endal and said with a weary smile, “Yes, I see a few Chiet practicing right now. Let me tell them their time is up, Endal.” Turrin gave him a nod, leaned up against the counter, and started to watch the crowd. Before the riots, Turrin considered himself a passive endal who aloud the lower castes a little leeway towards him, but the crimes and horrors of the lower castes during the winter months hardened the Endal. He realized if the lower castes were left to their own devices. They would cannibalize themselves, so the myrian decided that he would be symbol of order in this chaotic city and behave how his caste should act.

When the range manager came back, the orange haired man said with a smile, “I found you a open spot. The chiets graciously left on his own accord.”

Turrin looked over the manager's shoulder and saw a pair of chiet giving him the stink eye when they walked by. The endal eyes lingered on them till they were out of sight and said with a smile, “Yes...I am they were just eager to leave.”

Pushing himself up from the counter, Turrin felt kind of generous and said with smile to the manager, “If there is someone waiting for a spot, you can give them the opportunity to shoot with me. It would be nice to bird shyke with someone today.”

The manager said with a nod, “I will keep your offer in mind. Follow me Endal.”

Turrin followed the manager through the crowd. The endal wondered if it was a bad idea to come to Second Quiver, but a part of him hoped he would see anyone that he recognized like Syveris or Azira. He knew Drusilla was learning to shot a bow, but he had to wonder how much time the symenestra would put into archery with her interest in weaving. When he got to the spot, Turrin said to the manager, “Can you have a dek fetch me a bundle of arrows?” The manager nodded and left him. Turrin looked around and saw the Avora gave him plenty of room, so the endal unbuckled his talon sword scabbard and laid it up against the firing wall. Taking the short bow from his shoulder, he tested the firmness. Knowing next to nothing about fetching, the endal just shrugged to himself.

Seeing a dek scurry up with a bundle of arrows, Turrin felt sorry for her, because the whole left side of her face was badly scarred and left eye was clouded over. The dek couldn't look up at him, but he could tell that she was shaking, so the myrian took the bundle from her and said softly, “I can tell your scared by your trembling, but you have no reason to be scared of me. You did a good job bringing me these arrows so quickly.” The dek looked at his face for a moment, and she smiled slightly and quickly fled. Turrin watched her flee, and he realized there was a rumor circulating around about him eating a dek during the riots. Might have contributed to her fright. Turrin sighed to himself and walked back to the archery wall.

[Valdr]

It had been years since he had actually practiced his archery. The years of his apprenticeship and the following time as a blacksmith of the city had left him with little time to devote to himself to his other interests. As it was, the last time that he had done any serious bow training was while he was a Yasi. He smiled briefly as he remember those times fondly, remembering some of the shenanigans that he and his sister would get into. So long was it that he hadn't been to the practice ranges that he had almost forgotten how to get to them, having to double back twice when traveling down the corridors that webbed through the city.

Finally he made it to the Second Quiver, the range usually reserved for the Avora caste and up. Not for the first time he quietly thanked the gods for his status within Wind Reach; a quick glance around the range showed it to be of good quality, second only to the Endal’s private range. He walked in to the cavern where the Second Quiver was located, his sandaled feet moving along the sandy floor. He was quickly approached by a range manager, a fellow Inartan of about middling height. “Greetings Avora” he said politely, “What brings you to the Second Quiver? Some practice? Or perhaps you need your bow repaired?” he said, motioning to the short bow hung at Valdr’s back. Valdr had brought just his bow, already strung to the range, knowing that here they would provide him with arrows, and as far as he knew his bow was in good condition.

“No, thank you,” Valdr responded, “I am here practice, is there any space available?” he asked, the bird like sounds of the Inartan language passing through his lips. He glanced around the range to see how many people there were that day. It seemed full, with several Avora and Chiet caste members there, and even a few Endal, which he could easily identify by their more lavish style and general air of arrogance. His thoughts were interrupted by the range manager as he responded, “We are somewhat full today, however I can have some the Chiet clear space for you if you wish?” Valdr’s response was cut short by the manager “There is also an Endal who has offered to share his space in the range.” That caught Valdr by surprise. Not only were there Endal at the Avora range, but one was willing to share space. That was not something that he had come to expect of the highest cast in Wind Reach. Usually they kept to themselves and looked down upon the lower castes. One willing to train with someone not his equal was a rarity indeed.

“An Endal you say?” Valdr responded somewhat suspiciously. The manager nodded, “This Endal seems somewhat…different than the rest.” His eyes having a knowing look, his voice while respectful did carry a note of doubt. “Well, take me over. It’s not every day you get to train with the highest rank, is it?” replied Valdr Interested to experience this rarity The manager nodded once more and beckoned the Blacksmith to follow. Valdr has worked with the Endal in the past, helping with the order of the city and also with some of their personal orders as well, but that was really as far as his relationship with them had gone; between a craftsmen and a customer. They have always treated him respectfully however they did always carry that air of superiority that had come to define the cast. This should be interesting.

They approached a man some distance away from the entrance, and Valdr could see immediately what the manager had meant by different. This Endal was tall. Taller even than Valdr who was already larger than most other Inartans. Also, his skin was darker than most Inartants as well, some shades darker than Valdr’s own flame kissed skin. While he had the red hair customary of the people of Wind Reach, there was something off about his features; they made the man appear fiercer. All in all this Endal was an imposing figure.

As the pair approached him, the manager addressed the Endal while bowing his head slightly, “Someone has accepted your offer” He turned quickly to Valdr, “I will send a dek over with some arrows” and began to walk away, leaving the blacksmith with the Endal. Valdr faced the higher caste member and mimicked the manager by bowing slightly. “I am Valdr, Blacksmith of the Avora Caste.”

[Turrin]

When the dek cam back with his arrows, Turrin decided it was best to let the dek go without further interaction with him. Setting the arrows at his feet, the endal picked up one of the arrows. Turrin looked over the assorted animal targets, and he found a deer about fifty feet away from him. It was a good target to practice on in the beginning. Turrin got into his stance with his right foot back and his left foot forward. He made sure the back foot was horizontal to the target and his left foot was at a forty-five degrees towards the target. When the endal settled into his stance, he bent his knees slightly. Placing the arrow onto the bowstring, he lifted the short bow till the tip of the arrow lined up with the middle of the neck.

When Turrin pulled back the bowstring to his cheek, the myrian read adjusted his shot because the tip of the arrow was aiming the smaller part of the neck right under the head. Turrin took in a shallow breath and let go of the bowstring on the exhale. The endal held the short bow up till it hit the target, but the arrow never hit the target because it sailed just to left of it . Turrin slowly lowered his bow and muttered to himself, “Why am shooting at the hardest target first? I should be aiming at the largest part of the body first instead of a kill shot”

Picking up another arrow, Turrin noticed the large Inarta out of the corner of his eye. Standing up with bow in his hand and arrow in the other, Turrin listened to the man introduce him. Avora Valdr the Blacksmith. The myrian always thought blacksmith was a honorable profession, and he was pleased that this Valdr showed the proper respect to him. Turrin gave Valdr a nod and said in with a smile, “My father always told me that a warriors greatest friend was blacksmith. My name is Turrin Aponivi. A eagle rider from the Endal caste.” Turrin waved him over with his arrow and said with a smile, “Right now I am trying to kill the deer target over there.”

Turrin pointed out the deer replica about fifty feet away and said with a laugh, “He is a elusive bastard, so I missed my shot. Do you want try your luck with him?” The myrian respected people brave enough to approach him openly. It spoke volumes of his character, so the endal reward him, “Also when we shot, you can speak freely to me without repercussion. I think it is your turn, Valdr,” The myriann waved him over to firing wall, and he moved behind him and watch his attempt to shoot the target.

[Valdr]

The blacksmith bowed his head in greeting when the Endal introduced himself. Even though this Endal did seam friendly enough, it would not do well for Valdr forget his place. “Indeed! And a blacksmiths greatest patron is the warrior.” He responded, just as another dek came up with a quiver of about 20 arrows. The dek gingerly handed the quiver to Valdr without saying a word, who inturn accepted the arrows inkind. He really did not pay the dek any more attention, as he were want to do, so he did not notice when, or even if it walked away.

Instead, he looked at where the Endal was pointing at, and was slightly dismayed at the target he had chosen. It had been years since Valdr last shot his bow, and while he was certain he could shoot that distance, that was about all he could be certain of. “It has been many years since I have had any practice, so while I accept your offer to shoot together, I warn you that I may not do well.” He knew that it was due to the Endals duties and skills that everyone in Wind Reach was able to eat, so he was somewhat self-conscious that his skills were so low.

With his bow in his left hand, Valdr reached over to the quiver and pulled out an arrow. He took a deep breath as he prepared himself; remembering the words of the Yasi instructors. Back straight, shoulders strong and feet apart! He allowed himself a small smile as the words came back to him. He placed his right foot back as looked at the target, his bow still pointed at the ground.

The deer target was about 50 feet away and while it wasn’t overly large, it wasn’t too small either. Still if he managed to get an arrow anywhere near it he would consider himself lucky. Valdr brought his arms up, aiming the arrow in the general direction of target and trying to keep his shoulders aligned. His job as a blacksmith had granted him with tough and hardened muscles on his arms so he was able to pull back with relative ease. He apparently pulled back to far however, because when he released, the arrow jerked to the side and as a result it went flying to the right of the deer, landing some distance behind it. No, when it came to archery, strength was not the most important thing.

Valdr sighed as he saw his shot miss. “It is now your turn, Turrin. Hopefully you have better aim than I” he said as he stepped back to allow the other man take his turn.

[Turrin]

Turrin stepped back and observed the blacksmith as he shot at the deer shaped target. During the shot, the myrian noticed Valdr draw his bowstring to far back. The endal wondered if the blacksmith forgot his own strength; howver, the result of error caused the arrow to soar past the target. Rubbing his chin, Turrin smirked at the blacksmith when Valdr made a small joke about his shot. Turrin walked past the man, pat him on the shoulder, and teased playfully, “If I miss that badly, Valdr, I will retire as a rider and become a farmer. At least it flew in the right direction.” The myrian didn't want to be rude and start giving the blacksmith archery pointers without his consent, so he decided to joke around with the blacksmith to lighten the mood. However, Turrin decided that he will show Valdr proper archer by demonstration. He hoped the human would catch on and try to mimic him. Turrin looked at him and said with a smile, “It funny, but my mother who was Inarta never taught me how to use a bow. In actuality, my father who was myrian taught me everything that I know about hunting and shooting a bow. My mother taught me swordsmanship with a talon sword.”

Holding the short bow in his left hand, Turrin widened his stance, so his right foot was horizontal to the target and his left foot was at a forty-five degrees to the target. The myrian held the end of the arrow in between his pointer and middle finger on the bowstring. Lifting his left arm up, Turrin aligned the tip of the metal arrow with right side of the deer. If he let go of the arrow, the missile would soar towards the rib cage of the wooden beast. Turrin decided that the ribcage would be his target, so he pulled back the bowstring till the knuckle of his fingers holding the arrow was lined up with his cheek. Taking a few ticks to readjust his shot to the middle of the ribcage, Turrin took in a shallow breath and released the arrow on the arrow on the exhale. Keeping the bow up, Turrin watched the arrow soar straight and embed itself in the ribcage of deer. The endal nodded to himself in silent confirmation that he needed to aim for a target that he can hit ninety percent of the time instead of the most difficult target.

Turrin lowered his bow and said with a small nod, “Alright Valdr. It is your shot.” The myrian past him and stood behind him as he took his next shot. The endal had to admit that Valdr seemed like a down to earth man at first glances. The endal was sure that the man had great work ethics if he had to day in and day out in the heat of the furnaces. Turrin knew that he would struggle with being a blacksmith because he was to focused on his martial skills to take up a trade. Feeling the heat on the back of his neck, Turrin reached back and tied back his long hair in a pony tail and asked, “I know Inarta children are born with a bow in their hands, but why did you choose the hammer instead of the bow, Valdr?”

[Valdr]

So his suspicions of the man were correct, he was a half breed. He had heard of the people of the southern jungles, mostly from gossip and rumors, but he had never actually seen or met one. They usually had a reputation for savagery, however Turrin himself had shown nothing but friendliness. He wondered if that was due to his Inartan mother, or if the rumors were exaggerated. Knowing the nature of rumors, he put more stock on the latter. “A Myrian father, huh? I don’t recall ever hearing of one in Wind Reach. What cast was your mother?” He spoke as Turrin prepared his shot, curious as to how such a mix came to be.

The Endal did not immediately respond. Instead he focused on his shot, holding the arrow gingerly between his fingers, while aiming the metal tip directly at the deer. Valdr noticed that his stance was different than his own, more…precise. His front foot was pointed directly at the target, while his back foot, which was placed further apart than what Valdr had done, pointed outward at an angle. He made sure to make a mental note of this, and to try it out when his shot came. Turrin pulled back the string and released it. A solid thunk could be heard as the arrow hit its target, square on the flank of the deer. By his please expression, Valdr could tell that was his intended location.

He returned Turrins nod as he took up the position to shoot. As he prepared, he answered the the questions directed at him. “I did not so much as choose the hammer, as much as it was choosen for me” he said as he gripped the bow. “I showed some ability for it as a Yasi, and so I was chosen as an apprentice.” He replied offhandedly while he readied himself, without giving it a second thought as if such a thing was as normal as breathing. In Wind Reach, you did what you were good at to better the city. Personal choice was second to need and ability. Any true Inartan would know that.

He attempted to mimic the Endal as best he could, hoping to improve his own shot, by copying the stance. His left foot pointed directly at the target, while his back was angled outward, about a shoulders width apart. From his quiver, he pulled a second arrow and nocked it on the bow, while he concentrated on the target. Actively striving to keep his back straight and shoulders solid, he raised the bow and pulled back on the string. This time, he did not pull as far back as he could, instead pulling it back until it was just around his cheek. Looking down the length of the arrow towards the target, he struggled to keep him outstretched arm from wavering. As it were, he could he had some difficulty getting the business end of the arrow to point directly at the deer. He took a few ticks before releasing, trying to get the best shot off as possible, and when he thought he had, Valdr released the string.

The sudden movement of the arrow being launched forward caused his arm to jump, which ruined his aim. The arrow flew this time to the left, missing the deer by a few paces. Although he missed, Valdr was still somewhat pleased; he had measured his strength correctly this time, and the arrow had planted itself roughly at the same height as the target.

Valdr lowered his bow and stepped to the side, allowing Turrin to take up the shooting position. “Another miss it seems! It is a good thing I am no hunter!” he joked, “otherwise the whole of Wind Reach would starve. It is your turn, Endal.”

[Turrin]

Turrin could tell that their was surprise in Valdr voice when he told him that he was half myrian. The endal knew the stories and prejudices surrounding his father's people all too well. Most stories involved themes about savagery and cannibalism. The myrian couldn't deny that there was truth behind the stories. Savagery was a good way to spread fear in outsiders, and cannibalism was completely wrong because would a wolf, who ate a cat be a cannibal. It was the same way as Myrians eating other humanoids. Myrians might look the same as humans, but Myri's children would rather be quartered by four Tskannas than be considered in the same category as humans. Turrin heard the blacksmith ask about his mother's caste, and he was hoping the man wasn't judging his mother on social status, but Inarta value their station in society above all other, so he said with a nod, “My mother was chiet musician who left Wind Reach when she was eighteen.”

Simple enough answer to complicated question. Turrin figured that the questions about his orgin will come up during the conversation, so he thought about suitable answers to possible questions. Turrin watched the blacksmith next shot and smiled when he noticed Valdr was starting to mimic his stance when he was shooting. Turrin could tell as he watched the fledgling archer that he was having trouble holding the bow when the bowstring was brought all the way back; however, he didn't keep his arm steady when he let loose the bowstring. When he released the bowstring, the arrow missed the deer target completely. Valdr made a sarcastic comment about his shooting, and the myrian couldn't help himself from smiling. When the blacksmith allowed him to shoot, Turrin walked up and said with nod, “Yes I guess we would, but without you and your efforts, we wouldn't have arrows to shoot or swords to protect ourselves.” The myrian paused for a moment, glanced over at him, and said with a jovial smirk, “However, it horrid shot, Blacksmith. Now some poor yasi is going to starve. You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Walking up to the firing line, Turrin got into his stance, placed the arrow on the bowstring with his right hand, and slowly raised his short bow. Lining up the tip of the arrow with the target, Turrin moved the short bow to line up his last arrow. Pulling back the bowstring to his cheek, he took a shallow breath and released on the exhale. The endal kept his bow up as he watched the arrow soar towards the other arrow on the fake deer. When the arrow struck the deer, it landed a foot away from his previous arrow. It wasn't the location that he desired, but at least, it hit the deer. Slightly disappointed Turrin lowered his short and said with a shake of his head, “In my mind, I was hoping the shot would a closer to the target, but I can try it again next time.” Turrin looked at a circular target near the deer, and said with a smile, “Valdr, you should aim at the circular target first. The deer has a irregular shape, so you might be having trouble focusing on a single point at your skill level. With a fixed shape like a square, you build up your accuracy and technique without you having to focus on looking for a target like on the deer target. Do you understand?”

[Valdr]

Valdr nodded when the Endal divulged the information about his mother. A Chiet musician, a respectable position amongst the castes, even if it was just within the Chiet. He wasn’t surprised at the revelation either, as aside from the lowly dek, the Chiet were the most common of citizens. However he did frown at the mention of her leaving the city. Life was harsh on Wind Reach, and as such every single person living within the mountain were expected to contribute to the wellbeing of whole. An Inartan leaving Wind Reach, with very few exceptions was tantamount to abandonment, and hence was almost taboo. Valdr did not know her reasons, nor knew her personally, so he tried not to judge too harshly, however some of his thoughts spilled over onto his expression. “My own mother was of a Chiet as well, worked in kitchens” He said, in an attempt to cover and move on. It was never wise to insult an Endal, and Valdr was even less inclined to offend Turrin, who had shown himself to be both modest and friendly.

It was Turrins turn to shoot, and as far as he could see, the Endal either didn’t see his expression, or did not let it phase him. Valdr wasn’t the best when it came to reading people, so he couldn’t quite tell. Turrin politely smiled at his quip as he took up position, and even forced a forced a chuckle out of Valdr as he returned with his own joke. He soon got into position, and prepared to shoot.

The third shot for the Endal flew true, and it struck the target on its flank, however Turrin seemed displeased. He confirmed the sentiment a few ticks later, explaining how he had hoped that his shot would land closer to the previous one. To Valdr, who had yet to even hit the target, such precision was a luxury that he could not hope for, yet he understood the Endal; after all, it was his caste that hunted and defended the city, accuracy was important. As his thoughts grew, he began to wonder if he had the pleasure of eating any of the Endals successful hunts; as an Avora he enjoyed the hearty meals that they brought back, so it was likely. He was brought back from his musings when Turrin began to speak. He pointed to a target next to the one they had been shoot it. This one was a traditional archery target; a red center with three rings beyond it, alternating white and red. The large red dot would indeed give Valdr something to focus on.

He nodded to Turrin as the Endal explained to him his reasoning. While not a competent archer, the demands of a blacksmith required Valdr to be both practical and logical, so the taller man’s argument made sense to him. As the two traded places; Valdr taking his place at the line and Turrin becoming the observer, Valdr glanced between the two targets. He was stubborn enough to shoot at the deer again, if only to show the Endal that he would not give up, yet he knew that no amount of bravado would actually make the arrow hit, so he settled on the other target.

Taking up the same position as before, front foot pointed at his target, back foot shoulder width apart pointing at an angle. With a third arrow now nocked, the blacksmith aimed at the center of the target. He aligned the arrow head to the red center and drew back the string just as he had before. Pausing before letting it loose, Valdr steadied his breathing and attempted to actually visualize him hitting the target. When he thought he was ready, he let fly.

Turrin had been right. Having a specific point in which to focus on seemed to better his shot, as his arms remained steady in place. The arrow soared towards the circle, dropping slightly as it got closer. With a satisfying thump, it embedded itself into target. Valdr allowed himself a small smile. It was not a perfect shot; the arrow had hit below the center and to left, right on the edge of the second ring, but it was a hit.

“Perhaps there is hope for that young Yassi yet!” he joked.

[Turrin]

Turrin watched Valdr next shot as it streaked towards the circular target. His arrow plunged into the wood just above the second ring above the bull's eye. It was a definite improvement from his last shot. The endal nodded to himself in silent approval. The next statement from Valdr made the large man laugh out loud. Turrin was glad the stone faced man had a sense of humor, so he gave the avora a pat on the back and said with a chuckle, “Good shot, Blacksmith. Now let see if you can repeat yourself.” The endal walked towards the target and decided to comment about his mother, “I know not many Inarta know their parents, but did your mother raise you?” Turrin knew it was a personal question, but he figured that it was a harmless question if he didn't judge him if he didn't know his parents since most Inarta were raised by their parents, so he doubt that he would insult him. However, he tried to break the tension a little bit with a joke, “I am asking because I am kind of hungry at the moment. Did she pass on any of her cooking secrets to you? ”

Walking to the firing line, Turrin picked up a arrow out of the pile, placed it on the bowstring, and decided to aim for a harder target on the deer. This shot, he will aim for the neck instead of the shoulder. Turrin put his left foot forward and his right foot back. Both feet were horizontal to the target. Lifting the short bow with his left hand, the endal lined up the metal tip with middle of the neck. Pulling back the bow string to his cheek, Turrin readjusted his aim, so it lined back up with the middle of the neck. He held it there for a half a chime adjusting his aim because he needed to hit the target just right, or he could miss it. When he was ready, the myrian took in a shallow breath and let go of the bowstring on the exhale. Turrin watched the arrow streak towards the target and at the last moment the arrow veer down slightly and plunged into the thick part of neck by it's shoulders. It would be a good shot, but it wasn't the area of the next that he was aiming for.

Turrin stepped back from the target, and he said with a nod, “Your shot, Valdr. I was curious...could you teach me how to sharpen and maintain my talon sword? It could be especially useful out in the field to learn some techniques to keep my sword in the best condition.”

[Estrellir Konrath]

Turrin

Socialization +2
Weapon: Shortbow +4
Teaching +2

Valdr: Blacksmith
Archery: Act according to skill
Valdr: His trade was chosen for him
Valdr: Mother worked in kitchens

Valdr

Withheld due to inactivity
Withheld due to inactivity

Notes

Nice training thread! Their talk of castes and trades was quite interesting. PM me with any questions or concerns!