Solo Straight as an Arrow

Nieve gets herself a bow and tries to learn how to shoot.

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Syka is a new settlement of primarily humans on the east coast of Falyndar opposite of Riverfall on The Suvan Sea. [Syka Codex]

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Straight as an Arrow

Postby Nieve Glass on July 16th, 2018, 1:33 am

30th of Summer, 518 AV


Nieve had briefly pondered the possibility of purchasing a bow to learn how to hunt with an actual weapon; hunting in her yowlwing form was all fine and good, but she couldn't take down very large prey, and she felt much too small in her animal form in the jungle. With the thick canopy above, there wasn't much place for her to fly to safety, either.

So standing at the treeline, staring into the trees and greenery thoughtfully, Evie decided she should indeed do that, and decided to head to the Mercantile. Dressed in her loincloth and with her scarf wrapped around her chest, for it was a slightly cooler day, she fetched her coin purse from her tent, and set off at a trot down the beach.

It didn't take her too long to reach the Mercantile. Nieve's stomach rumbled, reminding her somewhat rudely that she had yet to have breakfast, but she ignored it. She was on a mission. Nieve climbed up the ladder to the lofted building, peering around as she entered its shade. Juli Chaliva stood behind the counter at the other side, and gave a smile.

Nieve smiled back readily; she hadn't interacted much with the other woman, truth be told. She knew she was one of the Founders' daughter, James if she remembered correctly, but that was about all. "Hi Juli," Nieve chirped, padding over to the counter.

"Hello," She greeted. "Nieve, right?" The Kelvic blinked in surprise and then grinned even wider. There weren't many people in the settlement, and being the daughter of a Founder, Nieve should have expected Juli to know everyone...but it still surprised and pleased her to no ends to be recognized, and she nodded enthusiastically.

Juli chuckled quietly. "What can I help you with today?"

Nieve shifted her weight, brushing her curls out of her face. "Well, I was hoping to get a bow and some arrows, for hunting."

"What kind of bow?" Juli asked immediately, skirting around the counter. Nieve paused long enough that Juli smiled. "For hunting, you said? Shortbow it is." The mental image of the tiny Kelvic, who clearly had no experience with a bow, trying to use a longbow was enough to make Juli suppress a laugh.

"We have one or two in stock usually...ah, here we go." The young woman plucked a bow that was hanging from the ceiling, handing it to Nieve to inspect. Evie took it, turning it over and examining it, though for what she had no idea.

A simple curved piece of wood, pale in colour and sanded and polished to a gentle shine, held a string between its top and bottom edge. Nieve gently plucked at the string, finding it to be elastic in nature, and nodded. That made sense.

"How many arrows did you want?" Juli asked, ducking behind the counter.

"Uhm...how many do you think I need?" Nieve asked, sheepishly, trailing after Juli.

"We sell twenty for one gold miza...so maybe start with twenty?" Juli suggested. "You can always come back to get more; we've always got arrows in stock. You'll need a quiver to hold them, too."

Nieve nodded, and Juli placed a bundle of twenty arrows on the counter, along with a small leather quiver. "So, shortbow, twenty arrows, quiver..." The woman did some math in her hand, counting on her fingers quickly. "That comes out to fifty-one gold mizas."

Nieve pulled out her coin purse, counting out the coins while Juli waited patiently. It was perhaps more than she was expecting to pay, but then again, she had no real grasp of how much these sorts of things should cost.

"Perfect, thanks," Juli collected the coins, tucking them into her pocket. "If you need help getting the basics down, maybe ask Buraga," She added, helpfully. "I don't think he uses a shortbow, but I should think the basic principles are similar enough that he can help you out a little bit."

Thanking Juli for the information, Nieve carefully ducked her head through the bow to rest it across her body, dropped the arrows into the quiver, and slung it over her shoulder before leaving the Mercantile to find Buraga.

Ledger :
Shortbow, 20 arrows, and quiver: -51 GM


Word Count: 698
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Nieve Glass
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Straight as an Arrow

Postby Nieve Glass on July 16th, 2018, 2:28 am

Tracking down the settlement's defender proved surprisingly difficult. Nieve ran into a few people whom she knew along her way back to her tent that she asked, but nobody seemed to know. Finally, she happened to chance upon Mathias, walking in the direction of the Mercantile.

"Mathias," Nieve called out, greeting him with a wave and a smile. The Founder returned her greeting, slowing to a halt as he approached her.

"What can I help you with?" He asked, politely; Nieve could tell he was probably busy and impatient to continue on his way, but he was polite enough to stop for her.

"I was just wondering if you knew where Buraga is?" She asked, hopefully. Mathias gave a glance to the bow slung across her body and chuckled slightly.

"Sure. I spoke to him a few bells ago. He was at the Tidepool Bar, he's probably still there," Mathia said, inclining his head in the direction of the bar. Nieve clasped her hands together, thanking Mathias, and bound off, leaving the Founder to continue on his way to whatever business he had.

The walk was a bit of a long one; the Tidepool Bar was all the way down across the beach from the Mercantile, and by the time Nieve arrived, her stomach was complaining loudly. Upon entering the bar, Evie did indeed spot Buraga sitting at one of the tables, but she decided she needed food first.

Padding over to the bar, she greeted Stu. "Hi Stu," She chirped, perching on a stool. He nodded his greeting at her, busy putting together a platter of food. While hungry, Nieve knew well enough that training on a full stomach wasn't the best, so she decided just a snack would be best.

When he was done prepping the platter, he turned to face her. "What can I get you, kitty?" He asked, with a grin. Nieve grinned right back at him. "Just a snack platter and a cold tea, please...nothing extra in it."

"Well, that's no fun," Stu teased, but it was evident enough from the bow she carried why she requested that, so he relented, and turned to get her order started.

After a few chimes, he returned, sliding a platter in front of Nieve and setting down a mug already dripping with condensation. "One gold miza and one silver miza, if you please."

Nieve dropped the coins into his hand, grinning sharply as she inhaled deeply, the scent of shrimp cooked in oil and spices making her stomach rumble loudly. "Thanks, Stu."

He tipped his head, then left her to her meal. Nieve popped a piece of orange into her mouth, chewing as she spread some butter onto a piece of bread. She ate quickly, then spent a chime or two sipping on the cold, vaguely fruity-tasting tea. It was incredibly refreshing.

Done with her meal, she brushed her hands off, thanking Stu again as he breezed by to take the empty platter and mug. With her stomach no longer complaining, she stood and made her way over to where Buraga sat, nursing a mug of ale.

He glanced up as she approached, grunting out a greeting. The man was intimidating, there was no question about that, but he gestured with a friendly nod for Nieve to sit across from him when she hesitated.

"I'm afraid I don't recall your name," He said, taking a sip of his drink as Evie perched on the chair opposite him.

"I'm Nieve," She introduced herself, and Buraga nodded, waiting for her to continue. "I was just...I don't mean to bother you, but I was wondering, if you had the time, would you mind teaching me a bit about shooting a bow?"

Buraga raised a brow at her, seeming somewhat surprised. "I want to learn how to hunt with one," She explained, "But I don't know how to use one. I bought this from Juli earlier, and she said you might be able to help."

Buraga let out a deep chuckle. "Of course. I'd be happy to." He drained the last of his ale, standing.

"Oh, right now?" She blinked in surprise.

"Is that a problem?" He questioned, looking down at the Kelvic.

"No! Not at all," Nieve grinned, hopping to her feet, and followed Buraga out of the Tidepool Bar.

Ledger :
Snack platter and mug of tea: -1 GM, 1 SM


Word Count: 719
Total: 1,417
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Nieve Glass
Feathery feline
 
Posts: 94
Words: 99031
Joined roleplay: September 26th, 2017, 3:10 am
Location: Syka
Race: Kelvic
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Straight as an Arrow

Postby Nieve Glass on July 16th, 2018, 3:21 am

Buraga led Nieve down the pier and onto the beach, towards the treeline where they wouldn't bother anyone who happened to be passing by. "Alright," He nodded. "Let's see what you can do."

Nieve blinked at him. "I don't know anything about a bow," She admitted, as she pulled it up over her head.

"Do what feels natural. Let's see what you think is right."

Nieve frowned, but nodded, and pulled an arrow out of her quiver. She turned towards the jungle, settling on the nearest tree, and gripped her bow. Holding the smooth wood in her right hand, she extended her arm, and held the arrow between the fingers of her other hand. Curling her fingers around the string, she pulled it back as far as she could.

Immediately her shoulders ached; she had no idea it would take so much strength to draw a bow! The arrow wobbled and flailed, lilting from side to side, away and then against the wood of the bow.

Buraga chuckled, approaching her. "Alright, first of all...which hand do you use more?"

"My right, I think," Nieve said after a moment of thinking.

"Then you're holding it all wrong. You need to draw the string with your dominant hand. Give that a try."

Nieve lowered her arms, rearranging herself so that she gripped the wood with her left hand. She held the bow up again, and found it slightly easier this time as she pulled the string back with her right hand. It still took strength, but it felt...better, and the arrow wobbled slightly less.

"Good. Now, you're overdrawing. You don't need to pull the string that far back. Extend your left arm straight to its full length, but don't stretch." Nieve relaxed her left arm slightly, though she kept it straight.

"You should draw the string back to about your chin, not much farther." Oh. Nieve had been pulling the string back to her cheek, as taut as it would go. She relaxed her grip on the string until it rested beside the point of her chin; instantly, the strain in her arm, which had begun to tremble slightly, relaxed.

"You're getting there," Buraga nodded approvingly. "Now, your posture.You're too angled. Your body should be facing outward all one direction, including your feet...to the right, since that's your drawing arm. But you need to keep your arms pointed straight ahead with the bow, and your head should be focused on your target."

Nieve's brow creased as she tried to do as she was told, angling her body out. Buraga guided her with surprisingly gentle hands, turning her hips and shoulders so that she stood facing down the beach, then guided her arms back around along with her head. "Nice and straight, keep the string at your chin," He reminded her.

Nieve straightened her spine, tucking her chin down slightly as she readjusted her grip on both the bow and string. "Move your hand on the bow up just slightly...grip it all the way around. You want the arrow to just rest on the top of your hand for stability."

She inched her hand up the bow until the arrow rested on the length of her curled pointer finger. Immediately it stopped trembling and wobbling, and sat steady. "Good," Buraga nodded. "Now, see that tree?" He pointed to the nearest one, the one Nieve had focused on earlier. "That's going to be your target."

Word Count: 571
Total: 1,988
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Nieve Glass
Feathery feline
 
Posts: 94
Words: 99031
Joined roleplay: September 26th, 2017, 3:10 am
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Race: Kelvic
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Straight as an Arrow

Postby Nieve Glass on July 16th, 2018, 3:49 am

Nieve nodded; it was perhaps the quietest she had ever been, as she listened carefully and intently to Buraga's instructions. "Breathe in deeply, and when you're ready, hold...then release," He instructed her, stepping back and away to give her room.

Nieve inhaled deeply, then blew the breath out slowly, focusing on steadying her breathing as she trained her eyes on the tree in front of her. It couldn't have been more than a dozen feet away...surely she could hit somewhere on the trunk. Narrowing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, and held; her entire body went tense, muscles taut, and she released the string, opening the curled fingers that held it in place by her chin.

The string snapped back into place with a 'twang', a small breeze brushing over her cheek as it did so, and the arrow went flying. It soared through the air, and hit the trunk of the tree with a satisfying thud, the shaft of the arrow trembling as it stuck in the bark. Nieve grinned widely, whirling around to face Buraga. "I did it! I hit it!"

The man couldn't help but laugh at the little Kelvic's excitement and elation. "You did," he agreed. "You hit a bit high, though...you probably nudged the arrow with your left hand as you released. You'll have to practice keeping that hand steady."

Nieve nodded, trotting over to the tree and yanking the arrow out; it hadn't gone very deep into the bark. "Good, now try again. See if you can hit lower this time," He encouraged her.

More than happy to oblige, Nieve skipped back to where she'd been standing, taking up proper posture once again. Body out, arms forward and straight, shoulders and back straight...she drew the string back to her chin, focusing on a spot below the mark of her previous shot, and inhaled deeply before releasing.

Another 'twang' as the arrow shot forward...this time entirely off the mark. It glanced past the tree and into the underbrush, leaving trembling leaves in its wake. Nieve frowned as she lowered the bow, looking to Buraga. He hid a smile at the somewhat helpless, frustrated look on her face.

"Missed shots happen to us all...you're learning this all for the first time. You'll find your aim eventually. Until then, you may even miss targets sitting right in front of your face. Go fetch the arrow," He smiled, kindly.

Still frowning, Nieve nodded, ducking into the underbrush; the arrow hadn't gone far. It only took her a few steps into the jungle to see it sitting innocuously on the ground. Picking it up, Evie returned to the beach, where Buraga was waiting patiently.

"Find it?" He asked, and Nieve nodded, holding up the arrow. "Alright. Try again." Setting her jaw determinedly, Nieve took up her spot once more, settling back into the posture. It was coming more easily the more often she did it.

Drawing the string back, she gave herself a few more moments than she had last time to breathe deeply, focusing on the spot she wanted to hit, before she finally held in her breath and released.

The arrow went wide again, but this time it scored the side of the tree, spinning and tumbling down to the ground next to it. Buraga walked over, picking the arrow up, and examined the thin scratch it had left on the tree. "Well, you did aim lower this time," He noted, encouragingly.

Nieve dropped her arms, huffing out a breath as she took the arrow from him. "How did I hit it so easily on my very first shot, then, and now I can't? It's a tree! It's right there," she gestured, clearly exasperated and frustrated.

Buraga let out a laugh. "Easy there, now. Beginner's luck is a thing, you know," he winked at her. "It can be a tough thing figuring out your aim; even I still miss my shots sometimes. Keep at it, and you'll get better. There's nothing wrong with failing a few times, or a lot of times, when you're trying to learn something new."

Nieve sulked quietly for a moment, mulling over his words before nodding reluctantly. "Yeah," she agreed with a sigh. "You're right. I just...want to be good at it, I guess. Right now."

He laughed again. "Impatience won't help you with this, Nieve. Practice makes perfect. Now, if you don't mind, I hear another mug of ale calling my name. I'll leave you to this, shall I?"

Nieve nodded, thanking him for his help, and he smiled and waved her off before turning and walking back into the Tidepool Bar, leaving Nieve with her new bow and arrows to keep practicing.

Word Count: 781
Total: 2,769
User avatar
Nieve Glass
Feathery feline
 
Posts: 94
Words: 99031
Joined roleplay: September 26th, 2017, 3:10 am
Location: Syka
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 1
Mizahar Grader (1)


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