Coming Around Again (Waisana)

[Ramona Silvertongue]

25th, Summer, 517AV

Just a season later of which the Triathlon was held, and Ramona's​ excitement still enchanted her. She was glad that her brother had managed to persuade her to go; otherwise she wouldn't have known what to do with her life that day. The events of the Triathlon were fun. She would do anything to see them again, though the only times when she knew where she could revisit the events again- in her dreams nonetheless.

Today, Ramona was riding on top of Anthem, her bonded Strider. He was coated with dark hair, and white padded hooves. She had her shortbow with her, but she didn't really have much planned. She was only hoping to take a walk/ride for awhile. She wondered if the Raised Sun ever needed help with finding some work.

She could have a shot there, and possibly work on something to get something done for today. Instead of constantly training and working on her skills everyday. She swore, that her arms have been sore for more than a handful of days after her last training session over at the Warstorm Pavillion.

In the past, she wouldn't really leave her Pavillion most times. She would have either been training with her father with her fists; unarmed combat, webbing, and her shortbow that her father had given her a few years a go before they had died during the Zith attack. Obviously. She felt a burning pain in her chest as she thought about her father and her mother; she was very kind, helpful, generous, and caring. Everything that a mother could be.

Ramona missed them both deeply, and she really wished that they hadn't had to leave. Though, they did Endrykas proud and served her home the best they could until they couldn't. The fight was gruesome, and violent.

That's enough thought of the past now Ramona.
Maybe I would be better off training to keep my thoughts off of the past? She thought to herself, and Ramona turned Anthem around and headed towards the Warstorm Pavillion where she would begin her training.

Though, before she turned towards that direction, she made sure to tap in with the Djed. The magical force that flows throughout Mizahar. She needed to check on Bhug, and Ramona was sure that she was close enough to her tent where she could actually use her Webbing. She felt the rush of power surge within her, it was strong, thick even carmalized into sweet hard candy that is literally untasteful. She sensed a being within her tent, and was sure that it was Bhug was safe. So she felt comfortable that Bhug was safe. She decided that she should actually work on her training since that's what really needs the work.

[Waisana]

Waisana had been neglecting something. Not her medical duty, never those. She'd sooner saw off her own arm then allow such a thing to happen. There was nothing that came before helping and healing others but that didn't mean that there weren't other important things. She was always vowing to spend more time with Drusine, to truly pamper the Strider mare and shower her in adoration, but she hadn't been too bad on that front of late. There was usually somewhere that she needed to be or some herbs that she needed to gather, and there were even the times that she moved with the city. The commitments to her horse were easier to fulfill than others. Still, she knew that she needed to work on her longbow. It was vitally important that she be able to defend herself and she'd been avoiding training for too long, her long term plans suffering as a result.

Her plan had been to master the longbow sufficiently so she could apply the similar skills to the shortbow. As it was, she still needed to build up the necessary strength to draw and manage the smaller weapon and as when she left the city with her Strider, she was always aware just how vulnerable she was. After all, the doctor would have to dismount and put herself at the same level as potential dangers so she could tackle them. Being able to do the same thing from horseback and have a far better chance of escaping should the need arise was obviously better. Waisana knew that such a possibility was still a long way off and the more she'd put it off, the more guilty she'd felt, constantly trying to suppress the emotion. There was always something else that needed her attention, someone else that she could be tending to and honestly, how highly did she rate herself? Since she'd been captured, enslaved and abused at the hands of the Zith, her sense of self-worth had not been high.

The blonde was having Drusine trot around the outskirts of Endrykas, giving the horse plenty of time to stretch her legs before her rider went about her business. Today had been set aside, the young woman finally facing the fact that she needed to do something. Finishing her lap of the city, she reluctantly rode to the Warstorm Pavillion, leaning back a little in the yvas, using a gentle but constant pressure of her feet on the horse's flanks for a few moments so that the mare slowed to a walk as she could weave her way between people and animals. When they reached their destination, she used the same pressure and lean again until her mount came to a halt before swinging her leg over so she could slide down the horse's side. Her knees bent a little as she landed, the vibrations of impact passing harmlessly through her legs.

"I will return," she murmured softly to the horse, resting her head gently against her nose. Long time gone, she signed as she gave the Strider a soft kiss, hand trailing over the side of her neck before Waisana retrieved the dreaded longbow from the pack on your yvas. She still held it a little warily as if it was a snake that she expected to lash out at her at any moment.

Weapons are good. Doing harm is sometimes good. Sometimes you need to protect yourself, she reminded herself, repeating the sentiments over and over in her head as she moved inside.

Once inside, the amount of white she wore drew some curious looks, the sight of the bow making them turn away again; there was no one injured here, she wasn't here for that. The doctor was a little self-conscious, nervous of her own abilities but she'd done this before, nowhere near enough but it had been done. Waisana positioned herself in front of a target and stared at it with a frown on her face.

Pick up an arrow, do the thing with it where it goes in the bow, shoot at the target. Come on, you can do this, she encouraged, but she still didn't move. She was going to have to work up to this although she might manage if someone spurred her into action. However, no one seemed to be taking much interest in her.

In a minute, she promised herself. She made a show of stretching her arms, trying to warm the muscles within although she dreaded the ache that would soon take hold in them. It did not make matters any easier.

[Ramona Silvertongue]

DAY, SEASON, 517AV

Ramona insisted that her brother Bhug was safe and sound, figuratively. Though, he's pretty loud for a five year old, loud and stubborn. Ramona was confident that Bhug was fine. Perhaps she has been a little too concerned about the young boy. Though, she didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. She never realized how hard it was taking care of a child. She realized now, how much patience she needed to take care of a child. Ramona assumed that she was probably a hassel to take care of when she was growing up.

She had managed to shoot a few arrows, at least now she had managed to hit the target with the insane amount of practice that she had been doing throughout the previous season. She thought that too be a good hunter it there was a lot of practice that needs to be done in order to master the shortbow and all hunting related skills. She knew that she needs work on her shortbow. So perhaps it was also better that she chose to practice over the Raised Sun? Ramona wasn't sure, but all this thought that stretched throughout her original mind kept her thinking and contemplating. It was unnecessary, in her mind to constantly think about decisions.

She concluded that Bhug was safe, so that meant she had nothing to worry about, so stop worrying,she thought and sighed after she shot her fourth arrow. She heard murmurs about some Drykas with a white dress who ambled towards the Warstorm, Ramona was unsure of who this woman could be. So she decided to look around her self and finally found out that these whispers we're true.

It was shocking to her, that she saw someone with a white dress in training. She's bound to get that dress dirty. No matter what that woman did, that white would definitely be browned up and more or less caked with mud. It was saddening; not for the girl, but for the white clothes that the other girl was wearing. Other Drykas close to Ramona whispered​ things about her that Ramona couldn't really hear. She didn't bother to hear what the other Drykas said about this white lady. Though, Ramona figured that she could be friendly and less judgemental unlike everyone else who's here at the Pavilion to train.

The white lady had a long with her, at least from what it looked like. It was definitely longer than Ramona's shortbow, which was why they probably had called it a shortbow. Ramona went to pick up her arrows before she went and started conversation with the other Drykas. She thought that maybe they could train together, since Ramona doesn't really like being alone. She'll definitely want to train with someone. Plus, she had a goal set in mind where she wanted to meet everyone.

"Hello! I am Ramona Silvertongue."She spoke in Pavi, and signed, Greetings,and she hoped for the best.

[Waisana]

Anyone looking on must be wondering what she was doing just standing in front of a target. No one could think that she was actively training with the longbow held so loosely at her side but considering the healery air she had about her, maybe they thought she was just waiting around for someone to get hurt so she'd be onsite to treat them. Belatedly, she realised that she shouldn't have dressed so obviously in the colours of her clan. While Opal clan members incorporated white into their appearance in some shape or form, Waisana knew many healers who did not dress as whitely as she did. Typically, she wanted people to see her and instantly associate her with the River Flower, know that she was a doctor without having to ask, but even she had to admit that today, she had gone somewhat overboard.

The typical brown trousers that she wore had been replaced with a white skirt of loose, flowy material that fell below the knee. Together with the white blouse that she normally wore, it must make her seem blinding to those around her. It was quite warm outside and while she hadn't intended to be outside for very long, she hadn't been able to face wearing a darker colour on her lower half. Instead, she'd chosen to basically embody her clan, despite the impracticality of the colour. It was the hazards of her work that she got covered in everything: pus, blood, urine, any bodily fluids really, as well as general grime that came from the air or from leaning against things. It was difficult to keep things reasonably white but it wasn't impossible, and she prided herself on being able to scrub stains and fluids out, and then sun bleach the cloth. She suspected that many doctors avoided wearing quite so much for that reason but the colour also had its advantages; it looked clean and pure and when something marked it, it was easy to see and therefore allowed you to prevent accidental contamination.

Wearing all white to shoot a bow probably wasn't ideal because the only function it served was to make her stick out like a sore thumb.

Her anxious thoughts were interrupted as a young woman approached her, older than she was, who had apparently come to give friendly greetings. Waisana smiled, inclining her head in acknowledgement. Greetings, she signed back, the bow acting as an annoying encumbrance. "I am Waisana Plainstrider," she murmured, Glad to meet.

The doctor took in the other's appearance, noting the shorter bow that she held and the strength that seemed to be in her arms. This woman was a true warrior or at least, she could probably defend herself and come to the aid of others if it was needed. She appeared quite capable. It shamed the blonde, causing her to blush before she moved off to gather some arrows of her own. It seemed that she could no longer delay without bringing judgment upon herself; someone had taken an active interest.

Carefully dropping the arrows beside her, she kept one and held it a little uncertainly as she regarded bow and arrow together. She could remember how this went. There was a little nock in the bow and the shaft of the arrow rested in that. Holding the bow in her left hand, she placed the arrow with her right, bringing the fletching end towards the string. There was something about how the vanes were supposed to be positioned but she couldn't remember if it was one facing straight up or one facing straight down. She tried down. She shuffled herself around so that her left side faced the target. She moved her feet apart until her stance was firm and then she tried to relax the muscles in her shoulders and back, trying to release the tension with each careful deep breath.

Straightening her left arm, Waisana held arrow and string together preparing to draw back. The single finger above the arrow was in contact with two of the feathers in odd places and it felt more uncomfortable than she remembered. As she started to draw it back, the arrow and then the string fumbled in her grip and she accidentally released both. The string whipped back, hitting her left forearm with a sharp stinging sensation as the projectile fell to the ground. Her face reddened more, both from embarrassment and pain.

The spot on her arm ached but she reminded herself that it could have been worse; she hadn't even managed to draw it halfway back. Resisting the urge to rub it, the teen worked quickly. She snatched it back up before positioning herself, and it, carefully. This time, she positioned it with one vane pointing upwards and when she drew it back, it felt far less awkward. Drawing the string back, she tried to raise the bow at the same time. There was no way for her to do both at once. She'd tug the string back bit stop moving the bow, or move the bow and forget to draw. The movement was nowhere near as smooth as many of those archers she saw practising in here.

There was a little bit of a tremble in her arm as she finally extended the string back to her cheek, bow raised to point towards the target. The tension vibrated gently through her arms before moving into her shoulders, her frame feeling uncomfortably jelly-like as she strained to hold the weapon in place. Waisana had to aim quickly before letting go, allowing her fingers to slide from the string and fletching, her arm jerking back in a movement that she felt and saw skewed her aim, the abrupt shift causing her arrow to sail wildly to the right. It missed the target she was aiming for entirely and instead bit into the side of the one beside it. The teen made a sound between a sigh and a groan.

[Ramona Silvertongue]

DAY, SEASON, 517AV

It was half obvious that this woman who dressed herself in white was included in the Opal Clan. Although, Ramona was only half sure, because when she thinks, she's not right one hundred percent of the time, although, it can be a fifty-fifty chance at most times. She just needs to knuckle down and not over think about everything she looks at or reflects on; but she usually does and sometimes it can get her in trouble. Other times, other people tend to ignore it.

Though, with this case, this blonde Drykas can not be ignored as she's too oblique and stood out as if she was the odd glassbeak out. Which in this case, she was- more or less standing out than Ramona would have liked. But, that meant she must have originality and it was interesting to see someone else like her. Ramona had always wore her hair in a tight bun embroidered with purple and blue beads. It took her an hour at least to master this look and so far it was working. She had the purple pants and the simple dark purple shirt that signified her loyalty to the Diamond Clan.

Ramona observed the position that Waisana stood. She seemed uncomfortable, at least to Ramona's perspective. She wondered what this woman was thinking. Could it be her last meal? Does she have to relieve her?

Oh... then she spoke, and signed that her name was Waisana Plainstrider and that she was glad to meet her. Ramona was glad to meet someone outside of her Clan that didn't constantly boast about their hunting capabilities. "Pleasure to meet you too." She signed, I am part of the Diamond Clan,and she gestured to all of her as she displayed the purple clothing quite fashionably.

"You like to wear white, you stand out like a lavender in the middle of a dandelion field. Not that .. it's a bad thing."Ramona smiled, she stepped back as Waisana struggled a bit to adjust her arrow. If Ramona had seen this Drykas before, Ramona wished that she met her a long time ago, she seems really friendly. That's what Ramona was looking for in a person, someone who's kind and loyal, but can also hold secrets. Ramona was sure that Waisana had secrets, but again pretty much everyone had secrets.

"Using a Longbow must be harder than it looks.."Concluded Ramona skeptically she sighed and looked around. Curious,she signed, "What Clan are you from, and if you don't mind perhaps we could train together?" Ramona sounded pretty hopeful.

[Waisana]

Now that she'd completed the greatest humiliation of her life, she was forced to look at her new companion, Ramona. At this point, her face had grown so hot that she was sure her embarrassment was obvious to anyone who had her in their line of sight. In fact, she felt quite sure that her entire body must be blushing, a feat that defied reason but it was how she felt.

"It is not as hard as I make it seem but I am..." she bit her lip before adding in Grassland sign, Inept, useless, child-like. The young doctor shrugged, her eyes moving down to look at the bow that she held, the blackened wood standing out starkly against the white of her clothing.

"I am Opal Clan, a doctor." No violence. "I do not like weapons." Frightened, she added, indicating the longbow that she held. She picked up another arrow, twirling it idly between her fingers as she considered Ramona in a multitude of little glances. The woman she had before her had strength and she used a shortbow. She wasn't useless with a bow as Waisana was, she simply couldn't be. She didn't think that anyone could have handled the weapon as inexpertly as she had. When she had come before and had instruction, she had not been as bad as this, but she was nervous before this more experienced woman, one who seemed more at home with a means of killing. If she wasn't so flustered, or quite so rusty (she really should have practised), then it might not have been such a poor display. Perhaps Ramona could help her.

"Train with me. I need any help I can get," she explained, a grateful air to her gestures, thankful that the other had asked to train with her rather than the other way around.

Feeling a little better, the blonde decided to try again, getting back into a shooting position and taking a chime to properly relax herself. She rolled her shoulders, imagining that she breathed out tension every time she exhaled until she felt more relaxed than before. She closed her eyes, trying to attune herself to the entirety of her body, seeking to see if there was anything that could be to her detriment. There was still an ache in her arm where the string had slapped against her skin but beyond that, she was all right for the moment. Opening her eyes, she turned her attention outwards to the weapon and the projectile that she held.

This time, she knew where the nock was and placed the shaft in the little shelf, carefully aligning the vanes of the fletching so that one pointed upwards. Then slowly, she thought back on what she had been taught before. Her grip had to be firm but not too tight or too loose. It felt most comfortable for her to place her index finger above the arrow shaft and her middle finger below. Adding another finger below felt unnatural to her, as awkward as when she had tried placing one vane pointing downwards. Where had she gone wrong before? When she let go of the string, she had jerked her arm back. The jerk had upset the whole shot and it was a miracle that she hadn't sent the arrow so awry that it hit someone. Her arm had to go somewhere and it couldn't go too quickly and it probably had to be smooth. Yes, she remembered. She was meant to continue drawing her arm back. When she let her hand slide away, she was to complete the movement, maintaining the same speed as she brought her arm all the way back as if she still held the string taut.

Feeling a little more confident in herself now that she could remember, the teen lifted the bow, drawing it back once it reached the right height. As she tugged it back, she adjusted where the head pointed with little shifts. Once she had it fully drawn back, she aimed quickly having realised that she couldn't hold the pose for long without it doing strange things to her body. As soon as it felt close enough, the girl kept staring at the bull's eye as she carefully slid her fingers from the string, moving her arm back carefully once she let go, trying to keep the left arm that held the bow as steady as possible. This time, the missile moved towards the correct target. It struck far to the left and quite low but it had gone in the proper direction and it had managed to strike; it was progress.

She smiled softly, turning her blue eyes to Ramona. "You can probably do better than me but I am not as bad as you first thought, am I?" Her tone was almost teasing, a happy relief in her voice now that she'd succeeded in remedying some of her former failure.

[Ramona Silvertongue]

DAY, SEASON, 517AV

"It is not as hard as I make it seem but I am..." Waisana seemed discouraged, perhaps Ramona could change that for her. Maybe push her a bit; but, keep it subtle.

"You can do it Waisana.... I'm not perfect myself,
but maybe you could work with keeping the amount of tension of the string tight. Because, the less pull; it won't really go too far. You'd also want to keep the bow steady. I never used a longbow, but I'm sure that a longbow and a shortbow have a lot of similarities." Ramona smiled, and signed, bow,
hard. Strength, and confidence needed. It was true, you need a lot of confidence to build up your ability to shoot. Even though, it takes a lot of practice, but in the end it was worth it.

Ramona learned a lot when she visits the Warstorm Pavillion; she practiced when she wasn't hunting. When she hunted, she was unsure how to go about hunting. She wished that she had her father still with her. He would know the best places, but she should really stop thinking about their deaths. It dragged her down, and she didn't want to be on her own again. She would be stressed and very upset again if she let their deaths get to her. She was sure that her parents wouldn't want that, and she knew well that they would rather want her to keep fighting.

"I am Opal Clan, a doctor." No violence. "I do not like weapons." Frightened, it seemed that the encouragement that Ramona attempted to ensure had not worked on Waisana. She said she was afraid. Ramona was afraid of using weapons too, she was afraid of killing, but she eventually realized that they needed to fend for themselves.

"Don't think of it as violence... think of fighting as survival.", she also added through sign, fighting for life, protection.Ramona wanted to add more, but she felt like she was lecturing Waisana. She just met her, she didn't want to lose someone that she just met so she decided that it was better for her to stop talking. "So sorry, I'm talking too much."She stated, and was quiet. She used this time to practice shoot another arrow and she readied it, but it took her a few seconds and a few tries to get the arrow slits on the string and raised it. She aimed at the target and fired, she hit the wood of the target just under the rings. She frowned, and looked over to Waisana.

"You can probably do better than me but I am not as bad as you first thought, am I?" When Ramona first started, she was just as bad if not worse than Waisana. She didn't get better until her father started to teach her. Again, she was thinking aout her past now, and she didn't want to really think about it either. She didn't feel like sharing her past either, at least not yet. It was somewhat embarrassing to hear that poor Ramona was left alone to take care of her youngest and only brother Bhug.

"I was just the same as I started out.... my father he was very frustrated."/b] She signed, [b]childish,
immature. The huntress looked around, but smiled, "though, it didn't take anybody to be the best during day one of practice. You can't learn all the material at the beginning." She paused, too much.Ramona took another arrow of hers (currently have 17 in her quiver), and added some more tension. This time she hit the target, but it was on top more on the outer ring, and she wasn't too far away to hit the target, but she wasn't perfect at it. Hopefully the repeat of practice and encouragement had slowly gripped on to Waisana.

[Waisana]

A humourless smile played across the young doctor's lips. She was grateful to Ramona for trying to instill some confidence in her, but honestly, Waisana didn't believe that it would be quite as simple as that. For now, she could only persist and hope that her abilities would improve, thus ensuring that her self-confidence grew. The attempt was well meant and it gave the Opal girl a positive insight into the other's character. The older woman wasn't just encouraging but also gave her some interesting things to consider. Obviously, she had taken up the long bow for her own protection in the first place but she had somehow forgotten how different it was in her hands rather than those of a warrior's. A warrior sought bloodshed and bestowed death, but for Waisana, the use of the bow was one of absolute necessity. Hunters used them after all and she had never thought of it as violence. It was a necessary thing to ensure that they had meat to eat, a great part of the Drykas diet depending on those who went into the Sea of Grass either to hunt or forage. Without a bow, they couldn't kill prey or protect themselves if they were attacked by a predator like a night lion or a Glassbeak.

"Fighting for life," the teen mused aloud, pleased with the sentiment. "It is a good way of thinking." Survival. Protection. She nodded in agreement with herself and regarded the weapon--no, the tool--through new eyes. This time, she positively beamed as she looked to her companion once more.

"Talking is good!" Worry not. Continue "It is good to talk with another, don't you think?"

She clapped enthusiastically as the woman hit the target, blushing a little as she realised how it could be viewed as patronising. Instead, she went back to her own practice, flaming cheeks still visible even as she bent over the bow, carefully nocking an arrow. Many could nock an arrow in ticks but for the doctor it was a task that took quite a bit longer. The easiest part was slipping the arrow shaft into the little groove on the bow's handle. It was far more fiddly for her to move the fletching back so that it was just beyond the string. At least, she didn't put the arrow in the wrong way around, well aware that as long as the inward curve of the weapon faced her and she pointed the projectile downwards, everything was as it should be.

Drawing the string back a little as she held the arrow in place, she straightened her arm, stretching it out immediately in front of her before she drew the string further back. For now, she knew there was no way for her to lift and draw simultaneously so she'd settle for one first and then the other. It was only when she'd drawn the missile back that she realised that her stance was all wrong, one foot pointing straight towards the target while the other was only pointed a little off to one side, her body twisted in an awkward way. She carefully eased the string back to its original position so that it wouldn't fire accidentally before she lowered it altogether and ensured that she stood perpendicular to her target.

Waisana focused on her breathing, making herself relax before she turned her head to look at the target as she slightly drew and then raised the bow. Once her arm was straight out again, she made certain that she had a firm grip before pulling back as far as she could, trying to work up some momentum as her arm moved backwards in a constant movement. The tension trembled down her right arm as she held arrow and string and for the first time, she became aware of the position of her elbow. Was it supposed to be pointing so far up? That didn't seem correct so she adjusted the position of her arm cautiously, closing one eye so that she could sight more easily down the length of the shaft. When the tip seemed to be hovering in line with the centre, she released her hold, concentrating on continuing the backwards movement with her arm.

The point buried itself below the centre but it was only two rings out and a little to the left! Feeling a little more confident, the young woman took another arrow and nocked it. This time, she squinted down the length of the arrow as she was drawing, adjusting the aim at the same time. This time, she didn't pause once the fletching was hovering near the level of her cheek but instead continued the movement, releasing the arrow along the way. It didn't work out as well as the previous shot but the blonde knew that the continued movement of her arm had been more natural this time. This arrow had drifted lower than the previous one but she was certain that the shot was straighter, more in line with the bull's eye than she'd managed before.

"I managed to strike the right target this time and I think the last one was straighter although lower," she told Ramona. She indicated the other's bow. "Is that difficult to use?" More strength, tighter, tiring? she asked curiously. Ramona didn't seem that much stronger than her, if the blonde focused on appearances alone, and so in theory, she should have less difficulty than she'd anticipated in using the weapon. After all, if the other could do it, how difficult could it be to draw?

Show me please.

[Ramona Silvertongue]

DAY, SEASON, 517AV

"Fighting for life," she seemed happy, and it felt good that Waisana appeared happy. Ramona thought that she had said too much, but her words seemed to have put a spin to Waisana. Even though, it wasn't big encouragement, she still was glad to see Waisana had a different perspective on hunting. At least, for now. Waisana seemed to be troubled with using weapons, albeit she said she didn't like violence (Ramona doesn't either), she was pretty much deathly afraid of using weapons. Perhaps, now wasn't the time to ask her why. She should wait longer to ask Waisana. "It is a good way of thinking." Survival. Protection.

Ramona signed her, thanks, to the younger woman. She was glad that she was able to get through to her. To survive, one must know how to hunt and or gather. As it's a good way for Drykas men and women to contribute. Otherwise, without foragers, and hunters; Endrykas wouldn't be Endrykas without them.

Ramona was still worried that she seemed to be talking a bit too much, she looked around nervously, but regarded it and prepared another arrow. It took her a little longer and she couldn't really calm her nerves. She accidentally shot too far under the target and it slapped against the ground (fortunately from what Ramona could see it didn't break) and Ramona sighed. She looked back at Waisana as the blonde claimed that the talking was good. So, it was good? Phew, she sighed. She nodded to Waisana.

"I'm pretty much open-minded. Sometimes I talk to myself when I think. The other​ Pavillions around me sometimes think I'm crazy. Because I was alone for a long time. It was only until now, that I decided to come back and participate with the other Drykas..."Ramona felt a little better, sharing how she felt. Though, she didn't really want to tell Waisana why she wanted to be alone for nearly a year and a half. She barely handled the death of her parents. She wouldn't know where else to be without them. She hoped to be good enough with her skills, because then she would be able to become a Watchman. That was her goal, and she knew that her father had sent in a request before he had passed.

Ramona prepared another arrow, and as she felt more comfortable than before, she raised her bow a bit and tightened the pull of the string. She looked where she wanted to shoot (which was the center), but when she released her arrow, the arrow went flying and struck just the top of the target. She frowned, but her determination won't let her give up so easily. She turned to face Waisana again, as she spoke this time.

"I managed to strike the right target this time and I think the last one was straighter although lower," she said and Ramona smiled.

"It takes a lot of practice. I was lucky those two shots." She also signed, wind, hard. It was a little windy with the day that they're having. Though, the wind felt nice against Ramona's caramel tinted skin.

"Is that difficult to use?" More strength, tighter, tiring? Ramona held up her shortbow. She thought about it, it was pretty challenging.

"Tight,"she agreed, and demonstrated a pull on the string. "Shorter string, makes it harder to pull
The shortbow also has a bigger curve than the longbow..." She placed the wooden part of her shortbow under her arm so that she could sign, less distance.

Show me please. Waisana seemed eager to want to learn the shortbow. Ramona wasn't anywhere near teaching ranks yet. She still needed time herself, but she could at least show her.

"I can show you."Ramona replied and withdrew another arrow from her quiver. It was another game arrow, she was planning on buying more practice arrows as she didn't want to damage her game arrows. She demonstrated how to pull the string, the way her father had taught her, "You must need to pull the string like a longbow... but, it gets tighter." Ramona felt the tension of her shortbow tighten, and she had an index finger under the arrowhead to keep it from moving. She fired, it got closer, but it was still within the second ring.

"Something like that..."

[Waisana]

The doctor was developing an affection for this interesting young woman. They hadn't known each other for very long but Waisana found her easy to talk to and she seemed rather friendly. They were developing something of a rapport and the teenager felt comfortable in her presence. Furthermore, she felt a little more at ease with the longbow than she had done during her first training session. Ramona appeared to be closer to her in ability than the pair who had assisted her during her initial visit to the Warstorm pavilion. There was neither judgement nor pressure and it allowed her to relax a tad.

"I don't think talking to yourself is bad. You talk to yourself in your head so if you speak aloud, it isn't any different." No harm, she added in sign, smiling at the other and shrugging. "I think I am seen as strange because I don't want to add to our people yet." However, what she said next stunned her.

The notion of living apart from the other Drykas and then one day simply deciding to participate as a member of the horse-clans was an odd one. Wanting to be away from their people was an alien concept and she wondered if something had driven Ramona away. At the same time, she wondered what had made her rejoin them. It felt wrong to pry--it wasn't her place--so in spite of her curiosity, Waisana remained silent. Instead, she focused her attention on how her companion handled the smaller and tighter weapon. Her blonde head tilted to the side as curious blue eyes watched the other wrestle with the taut string in order to demonstrate its use to her. Perhaps it had been unkind of her to put her on the spot like this but she felt that it was important to know. Maybe she would request to test the tension for herself in a little while.

In the meantime, the Opal teen rolled her shoulders and set to work with her own bow again. The exertion was beginning to make itself felt in the muscles of her arms and while it wasn't painful and she was not yet tired, she was still aware of the effect that it was having on its body. She had learned the hard way how a slight ache in the muscles could later cause stiffness and throb with pain when used. However, Waisana was sure that she hadn't reached her limit yet, but she allowed one part of her mind to remain vigilant concerning her physical condition. Her own watchdog was sometimes necessary as the doctor could become so absorbed in what she was doing that she wouldn't notice or would stubbornly persevere.

Once more, she adopted the perpendicular position for shooting, ensuring that her stance was strong and stable before she even nocked an arrow. In order to aim at her target, only a slight turn of the head and the movement of the upper torso was necessary. Swivelling at the waist and hips wasn't required ad so the young woman made certain that each aspect of her position was correct before she raised her straightened left arm.Her right hand gripped the arrow firmly, already tugged back slightly before the weapon was elevated. Now that it was at the right height, she drew the string back steadily, attempting to keep her motions smooth as she sighted down the projectile's shaft. When the fletching was level with her cheek, she took her final aim, straining to pull the string back a little more tightly before she allowed her fingers to glide from their places, arm moved back as she tried to hold the weapon steady. The missile thunked into a spot a few inches left and slightly higher than the bull's eye.

The teenager emitted an excited squeal and bounced on the spot. It was a lucky shot but she was still pleased to have done so well. Knowing her luck, the next shot would probably fall foul of her target but she was determined to relish this small victory and maintain a positive attitude. Beaming in the other's direction, she made a gesture of offering as she held out her bow before bringing her hands back so that she could speak more easily.

"Would you like to try this? I could check your bow to see how difficult it would be to draw." Permission. Curiosity. Interest, she explained, an eagerness in her demeanour and shining in her eyes. "Do you hunt?" Longbow. On foot. Easier. Question. Uncertain.

Chewing her lip, she watched Ramona to see what her decision would be.