Closed [Twin Lakes] A Three Strand Cord (Arandolya/Aiven )

[Kovac]

Timestamp: 10th Day of Winter, 512 AV
Location: Twin Lakes, Shivias

The three made their way across the strip of grassland along Lake Shivias, towards the flat low area at the end. The sheer walls of Mount Skyinarta's crater towered above, dwarfing the hunters, the crystal waters of the smaller of the Twin Lakes lapping lightly at the shore beside them. They were enjoying a clear day, the warmth of the sunlight shredded by the cooler winter air flowing over the peak's walls and circulating within the crater.

Kovac, Arandolya and Aiven were acquaintances, for all were hunters in one capacity or another, but this would be the first time they spent any time together. The half-breed would have classified the three of them as Strikers. None of them were very adept at tracking or stalking prey. There were others who were skilled at that. Kovac and the girls were the ones who made the kill, their talents lying in the use of the bow. Aran and Aiven had mentioned working together on honing their archery skills, knowing Kovac was also an instructor. Kovac readily agreed, more than anxious to spend time with the women, both were young but skilled archers themselves, and rather attractive to boot. Teaching pathetic Yasi had worn his soul to a dull boredom. This was like a vacation.

Since the Inartan women and himself were well versed in basic archery, Kovac felt the ranges at Wind Reach would offer the hunters no real challenge. So he brought them to the range at the lake. Shayth and he had set one up the year before, and as they reached the range area near the edge of the crater, Kovac could see it was still intact. Several wooden structures were lined up at the end of the grassy lane. Targets on arms that swung, smaller targets among obstacles and other challenging contraptions offered the archers something to test their skill.

Kovac had worn his usual black bryda and low boots, but wore nothing over his torso but his dark katinu, which he left open. He had brought a waterskin and a small pack along with his composite bow and quiver of practice arrows. Setting the skin and pack down, he slung the quiver over his shoulder and gripped the bow in his hand. Turning towards the redheads, the mongrel grinned.

"So, what do you think?"

[Aiven]

The journey to Lake Shivas was none too exciting or long. The most interesting thing about the trip would have to have been looking back at the city and seeing the walls tower above the three on godly levels. Aiven smiled at bit, relaxing as they walked. She was always quite a peace with the world, and the sound of stirring water washed over her being and excentuated the feeling. It was a beautiful day, perfect for archery, except for the light winter breeze that flowed passed, but that would not hinder the events for this day she was sure.

Adjusting the bow on her back a bit, she looked to the other two who intently traveled forward next to her. They were here for the same reason she was, they enjoyed the same passion she did. In a way they already knew eachother. Of course, she had seen them around training and throughout the city on the seldom occassion, but now that they had come together in this place, she knew great things would happen.

The anticipation brought a grin to her face.

There was only so much one could learn at a range, where nothing changes and you shoot the same red dot over and over again. It was starting to get a little depressing. Where was the excitement? Whenever Aiven used her bow and arrows, she always felt so exhilerated, so in tune with her art. She was starting to lose this feel at the sheer lack of change in her home.

As they approached the lake, and interested set up of targets caught Aiven's eye and took her by surprise. She never had noticed this before. All in all, it looked like fun. She suddenly felt like a child, excited to explore this new toy. They all stopped and admired the work, and then Kovac's question came, and Aiven answered almost mesmerized.

"It...looks like fun," she looked to the other two with excited golden eyes.

[Arandolya]

Arandolya The only limit is the Stars . . . Not one of many words, Arandolya contentedly followed behind the other two as they made their way towards the Twin Lakes. She looked around herself in a thoughtful manner, Trith having followed her here in the time being. Although she was wary of the bird being shot by a stray arrow Trith refused to stay in the house, and Arandolya didn't have the heart to cage the songbird. Moving between the Avora's mess of red hair and her shoulder, Trith seemed easy among the pointed arrows and strung bows, singing happily in the ears of the others. The woman watched the others in a mild curiosity, having never met them on a personal level before. Their names, of course, were familiar, and Arandolya easily picked out their faces in the crowd. Anything more indepth though, the Inarta just smiled and shrugged. Theoretically, since no one had actually asked her anything personal about the pair that walked as silent as she. At the beginning, Arandolya was curious as to where Kovac was taking them to, as he seemed excited to show them somewhere apart from the main training areas. She recognized the path to the Twin Lakes earlier, and could only guess as to what the man had in store, as he walked easily in front of them. Looking the archer over, Arandolya tried to guess his age, coming up with something along the lines of twenty-three. She knew she was off, but Trith was currently trying to land on Arandolya's bow which kept her distracted as she repetitively shooed her off. The range at the Twin Lakes opened up before her as she shed her water skin and Katinu (she had no idea why she'd brought her heavy outdoor wear), placing her bow and quiver of normal arrows (she didn't own any others) next to the other items. Arandolya stretched upwards absently as she appreciated the time it must have taken to set up with course, pausing to tie the neck-string of her Vinati a tad tighter. Here, Kovac finally spoke, turning with a grin. "So, what do you think?" Aiven spoke first, chirping, "It...looks like fun." Arandolya took a few more moments to reply, studying the wooden targets with a critical eye. She smiled at Kovac and nodded, "This looks like a challenge." Trith settled near her water-skin she'd deposited far away from the targets, and Arandolya moved to make an apologetic gesture to the others. "Trith tends to have a mind of her own," she said with a slightly amused glance towards her songbird, "She comes with me hunting, though, and has managed to stay alive this long with my wild shooting," Arandolya continued with a laugh. Looking to Aiven with a smile, then moving her amber gaze to Kovac, Arandolya asked, "What first?" oocSo sorry about the slow reply rate, it's difficult for me to post during the weekdays.

[Kovac]

Kovac watched Arandolya's songbird twitter down to rest on the hearty, dry grass. The Inartan were lovers of birds. While most of the gingers preferred keeping company with the raptors, the half-breed found the hunter's small companion amusing. The hunters settled in, and Kovac turned to the girls to see what they thought. The fallen Endal seemed the most excited initially, and Kovac returned Aiven's ready grin when the petite woman's stunning golden gaze finally shifted to her companions.

His fellow Avora took a bit longer to assess the setup of targets, and the mongrel could see Arandoyla hold excitement in reserve, offering Kovac an approving smile reflected in amber eyes. There was a familiarity to her features, for he had know her, at least as an acquaintance, since she was twelve and they met in the Enclave. An cursory gaze examined her garment as she adjusted her vinati, and he nodded in approval as he found a place to lay his gear.

Fun and a challenge. Kovac believed both of his companions were right.

Kovac too laid aside his bow and quiver and shed his katinu, baring his torso and freeing his limbs for a cleaner shooting form. He laughed at Aran's apology for Trith. "No worries Aran, I am used to dodging angry Wind Eagles, the company of a less threatening avian is a nice break."

Kovac swung his arms and stretched his shoulders as he turned his attention to the short-haired redhead. "Aiven, would you like to go first?" Kovac jogged down to the end of the range. He worked the swinging target arms, loosening them. They were weighted like pendulums, allowing them to swing on their own for a time. There were three hanging from a wooden bar that he started swinging. There were two small square targets held between two posts, simulating a shot between trees. A final one hung low from a long board, with a rope attached. The rope could be pulled by someone off to the side and simulate a running target. Kovac started the targets swinging and took the end of the pull rope and moved out of the line of fire.

"Alright, whenever you are ready!"

[Arandolya]

NoteKovac has messaged Aiven, and she has not replied, so we are going on the assumption she no longer wishes to continue this thread.

Kovac laughed at Arandolya's apology, waving it away with his words, "No worries Aran, I am used to dodging angry Wind Eagles, the company of a less threatening avian is a nice break." As he turned his attention to Aiven, Arandolya took the moment to string her bow. She did the movement smoothly as it was something she had done countless times before, both on the ground, and in the air. It took a matter of breaths before she looked up to see Kovac running and setting the targets moving.

Appreciation glowed in her sharp gaze as she took note of the intricacy that each target had, and the effort that must have been put forth. Rising to her feet, she strained to peek over Aiven's bobbing head and watch the targets, trying to see which she actually had a chance of hitting. At her age and skill level, targets that stayed still offered little challenge as she normally hit close to the bull's eye with the exception of an odd stray arrow. Slow moving animals, or animals that she surprised were also a simple matter of point and shoot, though often she had to either chase it down with the wound or kill it with a knife. Running animals she nearly always missed, and also shots between the trees gave her a lot of trouble. To see her weakness played out on the field before her didn't intimidate her. It gave Arandolya's eye a determined glow, and a quirky grin.

"Alright, whenever you are ready!" Arandolya's fingers twitched towards her arrows, though she quickly stayed her hand and looked towards Aiven. The woman was stringing her bow, and Arandolya waited patiently for her shot, hands skipping over the wood of her bow.
"You don't mind if I shoot first, would you?" Arandolya finally asked, "I mean, just as you get your bow strung?" The Chiet nodded her consent and moved off.

Raising her bow while simultaneously pulling back the string, Arandolya marked her target. Her feet moved unconsciously into the correct position while her shoulders squared to face away from the swinging targets. Hers was one of the squares with the 'trees', a shot she often found herself presented with but missed. It seemed best to start with that one.

The woman knew the bowstring was close to her cheek, and breathed out in time with her fingers moving away and letting the arrow free. Arandolya always felt this cathartic feeling as her arrow ran towards its target, as though the thoughts that had previously been cluttering her mind were expelled with the movement of the arrow. As she owned no practice arrows, or even the blunter 'game' arrows, the one that shot down the range was a normal sharp shortbow one.

Not one to want to stun her prey, Arandolya preferred to just see if she could kill it, or at least wound it enough that she could follow with another arrow. The work of a hunter was not a light one, and often left hands splattered with blood, and arrows needing to be cleaned of gore.

Today though, these arrows just cracked into wood. As usual, the arrow stuck into the left side of the animal, as her bow was normally pointed just a tad too far to the left. When she was first apprenticed and given a bow, Arandolya used her right as her bow hand. Instinctively it was too far right when she shot, and her instructor told her to consciously fix it by going left. This ended up with her overcompensating though, and her missed shots were either too low or left of the mark.

Sighing as she realized she had done it again, Arandolya shot another arrow in the same fluid movement of the first. Using the other tree target, Arandolya found this one more successful as she took a few moments longer to mark it. The arrow buried itself close to the center, if slightly too high.

Finding the ones that she takes more time with to be more successful, Arandolya often never practiced that way. Shooting quickly, and suddenly, she attempts to hone the instinctual action of bringing down prey versus becoming apt at taking three bells to mark a target and shoot it perfectly. Looking to Kovac, she tilted her head slightly, hoping he would have some advice.

[Whimsy]

Kovac

Experience	Lore
+1 Leadership	The Ranges at the Twin Lakes
	Swinging Target Arms

Arandolya

Experience	Lore
+1 Falconry	The Ranges at the Twin Lakes
+1 Weapon: Shortbow	The Difference Between Targets and Live Prey

Comments
A shame this ended so quickly! I tried to give you what little I could. If Aiven returns, PM me for her grade. Otherwise, PM me with any questions or concerns.

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