Stringin' the Bow [Kellan]

[Kovac]

Timestamp: 4th Day of Summer Location: Wind Reach, Kanti Lake Purpose: Archery Training Status: Tag Kellan The opening of the road had motivated some of the archer's apprentices to travel outside the crater to gather material for new archery targets. They had set up an impromptu range by Lake Kanti to practice beyond the eyes of their masters. The day was overcast and threatened rain. Kovac hoped it would discourage others from using the small practice range. He grabbed his bow and a bundle of practice arrows and headed out of the Inner Warrens and down the trail to the lakes. Once he arrived, Kovac breathed a sigh of relief. None of the apprentices were around, yet. He dropped the arrows and bent his bow, grunting as he pulled the string up over the end of the powerful weapon. It was one his father had made for him, a short bow with a slight recurve for added punch. The archer set up at short range first, thrusting several training arrows into the ground before setting one to his string. Kovac raised the weapon and pointed it at the center of the roughly-crafted target. Holding his breath for a moment, he steadied his aim then let the missile fly. It veered off slightly, impacting the target left of center. Wind compensation. He muttered internally, feeling the slight breeze kick up, cooling his bare torso as the air evaporated the thin layer of sweat that had covered his skin.

[Kellan Lucia]

It had been a while since Kellan had worked on his archery due to the fact that he had been spending all his time happily at the aeries. Today he was going to practice though. He didn’t want to get rusty at his craft so he headed to Kanti Lake where everyone in Wind Reach went to practice archery. The Inner Warrens were quiet on the way to the lake. When he finally got to Kanti Lake he saw that he was no alone. There was a guy about Kellan’s age shooting arrows at the targets that were set up for practice. The guy did not look like the normal residents of Wind Reach. He had dark hair with streaks of red which showed that he was a mixed blood. Kellan wasn’t one of the Inarta who cared much about bloodlines though. As far as he was concerned if a person was a good archer or glassworker then it should not matter if their blood was mixed. Of course, that was just a personal opinion. Kellan walked up next to the dark haired guy and lined up his arrow to shoot it at the target. He pulled back and squinted at the target. “Looks like it might rain. Good shot by the way.” he said. He let go of the arrow and watched at it flew through the air and hit the target and inch above the center. It wasn’t exact but he was happy with the shot. It was close. Of course, if he was going to get better he would have to hit the center. He looked over at the guy. “I’m Kellan by the way. What’s your name stranger?” he asked.

[OOC: Sorry that took so long. My computer got sick with a virus ]

[Kovac]

Kovac drew back the bowstring until the end of the arrow neared his ear. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, but did not let himself get distracted. He held his breath for only a moment before releasing the arrow. It streaked towards the target to slam into the center ring, clipping its edge. Only then did the bare-chested archer turn to look at the new arrival. Kovac vaguely recognized him, he had seen him at the First Thaw Festival. A Rider wanna-be. He watched the young man as he drew his first shot and let it fly. He grunted to himself. Not bad. When the gregarious Endal introduced himself, Kovac did not meet his gaze, but simply pulled another arrow from the ground and set it to his bow. "My name is Kovac, and I would hardly call myself a stranger." Arrogant Endal, assuming because he never had the time to notice him that he was some outsider. Kovac drew back for another shot. He drew in a lungful of the clean summer air, held it, then let the shaft fly. It sunk into the center, not dead center, but closer. His gaze glanced sidelong at Kellan. This one was a talker, he could tell. Better to keep him talking than to have to answer a bunch of questions. "So, you want to be a Rider, do you? Any particular Eagle you have your eye on?"

[Kellan Lucia]

Kellan noticed that Kovac was being quite cold to him. He was not sure why. He was being friendly like always. Most people warmed up to him quite fast but Kovac seemed to not be one of those people. He had a wall up around him and it seemed to Kellan that is was put there for one perpose, to keep him out. He wasn't disheartened though, this would just be a challenge. A challenge that Kellan was determined to overcome.  Kellan noticed that Kovac took offence to getting called a stranger. "I didn't mean any harm by calling you a stranger. I just meant it in the way that I had never met you before." he said with a smile. He reached back and pulled an arrow out of the bag of his back. He spun it around in his fingers and then pulled it into place in his bow. He watched as Kovac shot another arrow and this one hit closer to the center than before. "Nice shot bro." he said clapping Kovac on the shoulder. Finally he spoke up again aasking about Kellan's training. "Yeah, I've been trying to bond with Alwin. He is a beautiful bird. He is just breath taking you know?" he said. After he said it he noticed Kovac most likely didn't know because he wasn't an endal. Once again Kellan lined up his bow and breathed in. He stared down the target and then pulled his arrow back. He let it go and watched it soar until it's arch fell and landed right of the center. He stared at the arrow that was seeming to stand at attention where it landed on the target. It still was not hitting the center like he wanted it too. He pulled another arrow out and twirled it in his fingers. He lined the arrow up again and shot at the target. The arrow followed the same path as before but landed a little higher. "Still not the center." he muttered under his breath.  He looked over at Kovac who looked comepletely uninterested in him. Still, Kellan was not going to give up. "So I saw at the First Thaw festival you were messing with a dek. That's always a great time. That Haya is a fiesty one though. She tried to repremend me for messing with Vanir." he said. He could feel the breezes picking up around him and then calming. The weather seemed to be indecisive but he hoped that the winds and the storms would hold off at least until he was done training.

[Kovac]

When Kellan gave Kovac a neighborly cuff on the shoulder, the archer's brow furrowed and the shadow of a frown passed across his face. This guy was bubbling all over the place. His smile would not quit! It was obvious Kellan would not be deterred, apparently immune to Kovac's cynical rudeness. As the Endal explained his admiration for the eagle Alwin, Kovac gave a slight nod. "Yes, from what I have seen, he his a fine raptor." As much as the Endal irritated him, Kovac had enough Inarta blood to understand the vital purpose the eagles served, and respected the great birds for it. Kellan had flare. It was apparent in the twirl of each arrow he drew, in the tattoos and the piercings. Maybe it was his youth, or maybe he hadn't been under the influence enough, but the Rider-to-be was not as arrogant as other Endal. Oh, he definitely enjoyed his privileged life, perhaps taking it for granted, but Kovac found Kellan's ego to be tolerably contained. And, he was a decent shot too. The archer's glare darted towards Kellan when he mentioned the festival and the Drudge he had spoken with there. He wasn't sure if he remembered this Vanir, But he did remember Haya. Kovac's eyes drifted down for a moment. He didn't know if 'messing with her' was what actually occurred. He wasn't so sure that Haya hadn't been messing with him. Kovac did not like the fact that the lame Dek kept returning to his thoughts. His gaze shifted to his bow. "Yes, Drudges can be pretty entertaining, if they remain in their place." Kovac drew another arrow, and quick-fired it down the range. It planted itself wide of center. Agh! He cursed to himself.

[Kellan Lucia]

Kellan still did not feel as if he was getting any closer to getting Kovac to lessen the wall around him. Kovac did show respect to Alwin though which showed him that there was some kindness in him. Kellan just needed to find how to bring it out. Kellan squinted in the direction of the target Kovac was using. He had really good aim. Kellan admired that in a person. "So Kovac, you have good bow skills. You would be a fantastic ally to have ride with me if I get to bond with Alwin." he said. Right after the words left his mouth Kovac launched an arrow at the target. The arrow veered far off it's intended path and hit a ways from the target. "I guess I spoke to soon." he said with a chuckle. He could tell Kovac was not the kind of guy he should be making jokes with. He was not saying it to be mean, he was just trying to make a friendly joke. He bit his lip and forced himself to stop laughing. He looked at Kovac "Sorry dude, I shouldn't have laughed. I just get carried away sometimes." he said. He could tell his little outburst was not going to get him in good graces with the reserved archer. Usually his bubbly nature insared everyone around him but Kovac was obviously Immune to Kellan's friendliness. Kellan pulled out an arrow and strung it in his bow. The wind was slowly picking up. He pulled back and shot the arrow. It landed a little more to the left than he would have hoped. "I hope the wind doesn't get any worse than this." he murmred.  He looked over at Kovac and smiled. "I guess I'm not a good each archer to stand up against the wind." he said. He Sat down on the ground and layed back onto his back. He looked up at the sky and smiled. Even in the stormy weather it looked beautiful. "Wind Reach is so interesting isn't it?" he said looking up at Kovac. I laid his bow on his chest and started plucking at the string. "I mean, I've lived here all eighteen years of my life and I've never gotten bored of it. I cannot imagine being anywhere else you know?" he said.

[Kovac]

Kovac's kanked shot and Kellan's jovial response challenged the archer's composure. He simply shot the young man an icy glare. It was true, Kovac liked jokes, as long as they weren't at his expense, and definitely not at the the expense of his skills. The thing was, Kellan didn't even intend to insult him. Even when being offensive, the kid came off smelling like a rose. Kovac was sure the charming Rider-to-be was very popular with the young women. One more reason not to like him. In spite of the archer's curt responses, Kellan continued like a trooper, talking as he fired another arrow down range. Apparently satisfied that two shots warranted a well deserved break, the tattooed young man plopped down onto the ground and began sky gazing. Kovac pulled up another arrow, drew it back and let it fly. Below and left of center. He decided to fault the Endal's ceaseless commentary for his failed shots. Convinced he would not get an undistracted shot off until the boy was talked out, Kovac leaned on his bow and turned to Kellan reclining in the grass. "Really? Interesting? Never boring? Sure, Wind Reach is like paradise for you, isn't it? Why don't you tell me about your wonderful life?"

[Kellan Lucia]

Kellan looked up at Kovac. He had made a remark about how Kellan was privleged   Kellan got up to his feet and looked Kovac right in the eyes. He wasn't serious very often but now he was far from his joking self. "Yes, I am priveleged but no one's life is perfect. I am greatful for the life I have but not everything is the way I would like it to be. I lost someone very dear to me when I was young. I keep this happy demenor because it is the only way to stay sane. If I sulked around and kept barriers around myself then I would not be living a full life. I'm sorry if you find my opptimisim odd or cocky but it is how I have chosen to live. Toran, the person I lost, would not want me to give up my life to morn for him. My brother was always the guy to smile even in the worst conditions so now I must smile for both of us." He said.  Kellan had never really admited to himself why he was so bubbly all the time until he admited it to Kovac. He really missed Toran. It made him feel bad that it took Toran's death for him to notice how great of a brother he was. Toran was Kellan's mirror image in every way except for his eyes were green and Kellan's were gold. It made sense though, Kellan and Toran were identical twins. Toran was also oddly taller than Kellan even though Kellan was the older of the two boys. Kellan was short though censitering he only stood five feet and six inches tall. He never got a short man's complex though. He liked his height. It made him Kellan and he had learned from Toran that it is best to accept what you can't change.  All this self examination made Kellan wonder about Kovac. Why was he so reserved? Kellan really wanted to figure Kovac out but he was apprehensive. He was scared that Kovac would get upset if he asked him about himself. Still, he couldn't help but wonder about him. He seemed like he was keeping him self protected from something by pushing others away. He felt this sense of pain from Kovac. Of course, he could have been completely wrong and Kovac was just a naturally grumpy person.  Kellan pulled an arrow out and got it situated in his bow. He pulled back and aimed at the target. He released and the arrow landed just above the center. He sighed and then looked over at Kovac. [b]"So enough talk about me. You are gonna give me a complex with all these personal questions" he said with a smile. "Let's talk about you. That is if you want to mister strong and silent."

[Kovac]

Kovac remained expressionless as Kellan vented his personal motivations. The cynical archer was not expecting the heated reply, having judged the Endal's depth a little to shallowly. So Prince Charming's life wasn't perfect after all. Kovac had never really lost anyone, to death that is. HIs mother died just after his birth, so he never knew her. He never had siblings, so he had no idea what it was like to lose one. Kellan had made different choices in how he was going to deal with his loss. Kovac did not miss the alternatives that Kellan mentioned, surely aimed at him. "If I sulked around and kept barriers around myself..." Yeah, that pretty much described Kovac. The Avora's annoyance at the young man cooled. At least Kellan had stood up for himself. The Avora did not respect someone who did not rise to defend themselves against him. Kovac did not comment. Kellan would probably read the archer's silence as indifference. In truth, it was Kovac's way of showing a little congeniality...after all, he did not mock the Endal for his outburst. As Kellan chose another arrow, Kovac did the same, drawing it back and letting it fly to thunk into the target a few moments after the Rider-to-be. The tattooed man turned and continued to talk, not any surprise to Kovac. He contemplated Kellan for a moment, as if weighing the man in some mental balance. Then, in a very uncharacteristic step towards a real conversation , Kovac drew in a breath and spoke. "Talk about me?" He scoffed in reply. "You are probably the first in a long time to pretend to want to hear that monologue." He pulled up another arrow, set it to string and shot. "What is there to tell? My father was...is an Inarta bowyer, my mother was a Vanthan. Put them together and you get a half-baked cross-breed. Mother dies in childbirth, father blames son. Son grows up, finds girl, Rider takes girl...that's pretty much it in a cora nutshell." He turned to look at Kellan, no smirk, no wry grin, just an honest glance before turning back to shoot another arrow down range.

[Kellan Lucia]

Kovac didn't seem to be to happy to share his story with Kellan. He was sort of hurt that Kovac thought he was pretending to be interested in him. Kellan was interested in any story that anyone had say. If it was important enough for them to remember and bring up then it deserved the respect of him listening. He had spent enough time ignoring Toran when he was alive. Kellan could never seem to forgive himself for not being the brother Toran deserved. He had changed so much since Toran was alive. He would not even recognize Kellan if he saw him now. He was so far from that selfish egotistical child he used to be. He remembered one day when he was little he was playing with some boys his age. They had seemed so cool and they finally let him play with them. Then Toran ran up wanting to play with them and the boys thought he was weird. So what did young Kellan do? He pretended not to know him. It was just one of the many times when Kellan had hurt Toran. Still, Toran told everyone that Kellan was the best brother ever. Kellan missed him so much because now he saw how amazing of a brother Toran was. The same boys he had played with got into a fight with him and who saved him? Toran, and he almost got killed in the process. Kellan listened as Kovac gave him an extremely brief run down of his life. He felt bad for him. He was slowly starting to see why Kovac was so reserved. It was the only way to stop from hurting. At least that was the reason Kellan settled on in his head. He could not imagine having to deal with what Kovac dealt with. His family dynamics were not perfect. They never could be with Toran dead. Especially because Kellan could have saved his life if he had not been so scared. Still, no one really blamed him for Toran's death like Kovac had been blamed. He wanted to say some words of comfort to Kovac but he got the feeling that Kovac was not one who would be eased by his words. Kellan looked at Kovac sympathetically. He knew that he would not get the reserved archer to show him emotion anytime soon. Still, it did not stop him from showing Kovac emotion. He may find it annoying but Kellan did not know any other way to show his sympathy. He was not the kind of guy to just ignore people who were hurting. Not anymore. He gave Kovac a comforting smile and sighed "Yeah, us endal can be real dicks sometimes, can't we? Well I shouldn't say that. Not all of us are. I mean all the endal I spend my time with are pretty cool guys. You would be surprised, they don't respect me as much as one would think. They treat me like a little kid brother because I am only five and a half feet tall. I don't know, I guess one has to take it all in stride." he said slowly trailing off as he noticed that he was rambling. He let out a chuckle and scratched the back of his head. "I guess what I am trying to say is that if you ever want to talk, I'm here for you. I know it isn't the manly thing to do to talk about your feelings but it always helped me." he said putting air quotations around the word manly. "We all have our issues that we must deal with but it doesn't mean we have to face them alone. I mean we are all here together, we might as well help each other when our neighbor needs it." One could say that Kellan was very pack oriented, to put it plainly. He really just wanted everyone to get along and be happy. He knew that was in no way a possibility but Kellan was a dreamer by birth. He always had been, and always would be. The wind picked up again and whipped around Kellan making his loose shirt and pants ripple in the wind. He pulled the end of his arrow up to his bottom lip and tapped it lightly with the tip while staring up at the sky dreamily. "By the way, I think i is very interesting that you are half Vantha. I have always wanted to visit the north but of course, I still need a eagle to do that. It is good to have some diversity around here. I mean how many redheads does one village need anyway. I know a lot of Inarta look down on mixed blooded people but I don't understand it you know? He looked over at Kovac and have him a boyish grin "We are all just looking for the best for Wind Reach and our future. Anyone who genuinely wants to get along around here is fine in my book. Not that it means a lot to you I'm sure. I'm just trying to stay optimistic." Kellan was noticing that his habit of talking was slowly getting out of hand in this conversation. He knew needed to work on it but truthfully, he loved talking.