[The Stained Pelt] One Arrow At A Time (Solo)

[Gianne Basete]

21st Day of Summer, 512 AV Midday The Stained Pelt Gianne had stumbled across the Stained Pelt by accident, and what a discovery it had been. It turned out she could practice here with her bow, and restock any ranged equipment she might need. At the moment she was admiring a composite shortbow lying on the main counter. "What do you think?" Karlak asked. He was the owner of the store, and they'd already swapped pleasantries. Gianne sighed, tearing her eyes from the bow. "I shouldn't. I'm not a good archer yet, I need to just stick with the one I've got for now. But I'll definitely be back later to upgrade." Karlak nodded his understanding, drumming his large fingers on the counter. "I can agree with that. A good choice. Did you still want to use our targets?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. "Definitely," she insisted, giving him a crooked smile. Gianne paid the 3 silver Miza fee, raised a hand in thanks, and trudged out of the shop. The targets were positioned on top of the Stained Pelt, since the store was technically underground. There were several generic targets, a wooden post, and one shaped like a human. Gill was tethered to a tree nearby and he nickered a greeting when he caught sight of her. Gianne smiled and took up a stance about 10 feet from one of the circular straw targets. She unslung her shortbow from her shoulders, then pulled an arrow from the quiver strapped to her back, and nocked it. Her muscles strained slightly as she pulled the string back, anchoring the shot to her cheek. After taking a moment to aim, she released. The string hummed with a twang! and the arrow thudded into the far right corner of the target. Gianne grimaced and nocked another arrow, repeating the process. This arrow clipped the same corner, bounced off, and sailed away into the trees. She could hear the clatter as it ricocheted off a trunk and fell into the undergrowth. Petch!

[Gianne Basete]

Gianne shouldered her bow and stomped in the direction the lost arrow had flown. Gill nickered again, softer this time as he saw her enter the trees. As she was wading through the brush, looking for the red fletching at the end of her arrow shaft and trying to avoid thorns, she stumbled on a gnarled root and pitched forward. She was able to catch herself but it was a clumsy attempt and she got caught in the brier patch she'd been trying to bypass. Petch again! It took a moment, but she pulled herself free. Again she shoved through the weeds, parting thick clumps in her search. A few chimes of this and she finally found the arrow. "Ha-HA!" she shouted, pulling it from the dirt and replacing it into her quiver. Gill was quiet this time as she returned to the range and retook her position. A fresh arrow was nocked and she corrected her position, aiming more to the left as the shot was anchored then released. The arrow buried itself one ring away from the center of the target and she smiled proudly. Aim more to the left and you'll get it, she thought to herself. Her next arrow was too far to the left though, and it slammed close to the edge. Gianne grimaced and tried again. And again. And again. Fifteen chimes of constant shooting later and her arms were on fire. Her quiver was empty; three more had flown into the trees, but the others had at least hit the target, though they were scattered terribly. Two had found homes in the center, fairly close together. It took nearly a bell to retrieve the lost arrows, but she managed it somehow and they were all returned to her quiver. Before leaving, Gianne peeked inside the shop and gave her goodbyes to Karlak, who nodded. Climbing into the saddle was a chore, and her arms practically whined in protest. With an effort she got seated and turned Gill in the right direction, then nudged his sides with her heels. He tossed his head once and lurched into a slow lumbering trot, which she was grateful for. She was occasionally jostled but it was easy to ride for the most part. The arrows in her quiver rattled, reminding her of how far she had to go and how much she'd have to practice to get there. Gill picked up his gait and she had to pull the reigns to correct him, causing her arm to protest. Fifteen chimes had made her this sore? She wondered how stiff her arms would be in the morning. Petch, she thought for the third time.

[Mist]

Thread Grading! Gianne XP/Skills: +2 Land Navigation, +1 Observation, +1 Riding, +1 Socializing, +3 Weapon(Shortbow) Lore: Just looking, An arrow saved, Training till your arms burn Item/ Consequences: -1 Shortbow Arrow, +1 Broken Shortbow Arrow Additional Notes: Looks like you are the first one to use the location. Hope you liked it. If you had explained the process of actually looking for the arrow a bit more in depth, you would have gotten more in observation. -If you have any questions about the grade, don’t hesitate to PM me.