Closed Trying to Hit the Elusive Bull's Eye (Marrin)

[Turrin]

Time Stamp: 85th of Fall, 513AV Location: Bent Arrow Who: Turrin and Marrin Walking down the narrow path, Turrin needed time to unwind from the days after the storm. Spending the last couple days cleaning up his aeries made the Endal irritable. Aponivi getting sick of his bitching told him to take a break and get away from his home, so the Endal found himself on the narrow path to the Bent Arrow. He didn't want to go to the top notch because most of Endal that he talked to lately were kind of high strung and moody, so he didn't or want any confrontation with them. When he walked into the outdoor archery range, he noticed that their was a dusting of snow on the ground. The snow didn't impede any would be hunters from practicing, but the chill in the air gave the place a kind of dreary atmosphere. Turrin walked to a open target, adjusted his katinu on his shoulders, and pulled down his hood. Looking around at the people next to him, he could tell that they were intently focus on their archery, so he pulled off his short bow from his shoulder and looked at the round target in front of him. He enjoyed firing outside because it seemed more natural for him as a hunter to have to deal with the element while he shooting his short bow, and today the wind seemed to be blowing quite strongly since he arrived at the range. Pulling a arrow from his quiver, Turrin widened his stance, so his right foot was in behind him and horizontal to the target and his left foot at a forty five degree angle towards the target. Holding his short bow in his left hand, he placed the arrow bowstring and rested the shaft of the arrow on top of the knuckle his pointer finger. Holding the notch of the arrow in between his pointer finger and middle finger, Turrin lifted the metal tip of the arrow till it was lined up with the center of the target. Pulling back the bow string with his pointer, middle, and ring finger, Turrin brought the bowstring back 7/8th to his cheek and readjusted his aim, so it was lined up with the center of target. The Endal let out a deep breath as he released the arrow. The half-Myrian watched it soar towards the target. It was a decent shoot, but at the last minute the arrow veer right of the target and hit the wall behind it. Turrin shook his head, reached back, and grabbed another arrow from his quiver. Looking at the target, the Endal got into his stance and waited for the wind to die down before taking another shot.

[Marrin]

Marrin slowly made his way to the bent arrow, winds whipping around him as if they were annoyed by his presence. It was one of his days off, and he always took every opportunity he had to train, be it in tracking or melee or archery. Today he’d chosen to practice his bowmanship, and as the wind showed no sign of ceasing throughout the season as a whole, he thought it best to practice outside in the elements, in order to get used to the feel and adjustments he’d have to make when shooting in the coming winter. Snow blanketed the ground, making his footsteps crunchy as he made his way out to the targets, strapping on his arm guard and archery glove. As he looked up he noticed another man that didn’t fit in, a man missing the red hair so commonly attributed to the Inarta people. He was strong, handsome with a distinctly foreign look to him, as if he’d once been far off and had made his place here. It seemed odd to him that one would choose a life here when the world was full of such wonders he’d only heard of in tales. However, the man he watched seemed oddly content, focused in his art and diligent. He was well muscled, toned and had the thighs of a rider. Endal. But what was an Endal doing on the outdoor range, when they had a private one all to themselves? It puzzled him, but intrigued him all the same, and he took a place beside the man in order to watch his technique. His stance put his body at an odd angle and was far too wide, and even the smallest flaw in the stance could throw the entire mechanics off kilter. He seemed to be missing his third finger when he nocked the arrow, pulling it close to its destined point but not quite far enough to make the shot perfect. With all the small inconsistencies… it was no wonder to Marrin why his arrow veered off course at the last second. The man had the basics down, but they seemed self taught and incomplete, as if nobody had bothered to correct him. He had a good baseline, but if this foreigner continued to shoot like this he would forge bad habits for himself that would be twelve hells to break later. Before the man nocked his next arrow, Marrin calmly interrupted, making an effort not to startle the man. The last time he’d scared someone while shooting, it hadn’t ended well for him. ”Excuse me, sir? Would you mind if I gave you a few shooting tips?” He tried his best to be as inoffensive as possible. He’d spoken with Endal before, but more often than not it had gotten him nothing more than snide remarks and some choice insults tossed his way. Hopefully this man wouldn’t take his offered help as an insult and would instead listen to what he had to say. Though Marrin was far from a perfect teacher and was by no means a master of archery, he’d come today to train and had heard somewhere long before that teaching was the best way to learn. Is seemed silly, but what was the harm in trying? Unless, of course, this Endal decided that it would be more fun to send him tumbling down the mountain.

[Turrin]

Feeling the cold air on his neck, Turrin heard the sound crunching snow, glanced out of peripheral vision, and saw a young man with golden blond hair walking towards him. The Endal noticed the man was athletic build with the grace shared by most Inarta hunters in Wind Reach. What set the man apart from the rest of the Inarta in the Bent Arrow was the fact that he wasn't afraid to confront a Endal. It was a trait not shared by the lower castes since most of them want to avoid notice from the arrogant upper caste. Knowing, he would have time to get another shot off before the young man got to him. Holding his short bow in his left hand, As he held the arrow in between his pointer and middle finger on the bowstring, Turrin raised the bow, so the metal arrow tip lined up with center of the target. Pulling back the bowstring to his cheek, Turrin readjusted his shot till the arrow was lined up with the center of the target. Releasing the bowstring, Turrin watched the missile soar towards the target and the arrow flew straight till it hit the third ring from the center. The Endal muttered in common to himself, “At least it hit the target this time.” Satisfied that he actually hit the target, Turrin turned to the blond hair young man. When the young man offered archery tips to him, he wasn't quite sure how to react at first since he thought that he was shooting alright, but the young blond must have noticed something wrong while he was shooting, so he was curious on what the young man observed. Turrin nodded to him and said jokily in Nari with a smile, “To bad, I can't blame wind for horrible shot. Maybe I should listen to your advice, so I shoot straight in future.” He noticed his Nari tended to be hit and miss at times. One day, he could be as fluent as any other ginger in Wind Reach, but other days, he can bare utter a coherent sentence It was frustrating, but at least he hasn't given up on the language all together. He just hoped the young man was patient with him when it came to his language skills. Putting on a friendly face, Turrin decided to introduce himself to hunter, “My name is Turrin Aponivi of the Twisted Vine Clan. What is your name?” He didn't have to say his complete name, but he wanted the Inarta to know that he values his father's culture as much as his mother culture. Turrin gave him a nod and asked softly in Nari, “I am no fool to turn away advice if it given to me willingly, so you come and shoot with me?”

[Marrin]

The man’s accent and occasionally broken Nari pinned him as an outsider almost immediately, as if his dark hair and bronze skin hadn’t already done as much. Marrin exhaled a sigh of relief, pleased to hear the man was not only receptive to his criticism but interested in his company, at least for the moment. They were both outsiders, no doubt at least partially Inartan in heritage, and that created a bond on Marrin’s end if only in name. He didn’t feel like he had to be as cautious around this man, despite his caste. When the man spoke his name, Marrin’s head tilted in curiosity. He’d not heard such a long name in his life, and no talk of clans in Wind Reach. He must have been referring to his other culture, where he was born and raised as his accent seemed to allude to. ”I’m Marrin… Avora Marrin. Where do you hail from, Turrin Aponivi of the Twisted Vine Clan?” He struggled a moment to remember the full name, but it came to him in chunks as he spoke. He wanted to learn of this man’s origins before beginning his tutelage. He smiled at the invitation to shoot with the Endal, and graciously accepted with a nod. ”I would appreciate the opportunity, thank you. I’m no master archer like Tysala, but I know a thing or two that may help you with your shot. Who taught you to shoot?” he asked conversationally. He had a few bad habits to break in the Endal’s shooting practice today, and he wanted to get some information on how he’d learned before he went about criticizing his technique. If he’d learned from his long dead mother or some elder of his tribal home, he’d have to be more tactful about his criticisms.

[Turrin]

Holding his short bow his left hand, Turrin smiled at the young man when he introduced himself as formally as he did. It showed the Endal a sign of respect, but the blond young man seemed have a sense of dignity about him too. The myrian was already starting to respect him, and all Marrin did was utter his name. Running a hand through his hair, the Endal said proudly, “I was born in the city of Taloba in Falyndar. My father was a myrian warrior from the Twisted Vine clan and my mother was Inarta musician from Wind Reach.” During the years of being in Wind Reach, Turrin often had to explain his heritage to curious Inarta about a why a Myrian would choose Wind Reach over Taloba. He never really felt comfortable telling the whole truth. He left Taloba because his mother and sister were welcomed in the clan when their father died. In the end, Turrin had to make the choice of staying in Taloba and letting his mother and sister fend for themselves in the jungles of Falyndor, or he could give up his life as a warrior in Taloba and escort his family to the birthplace of his mother. He choose Wind Reach over Taloba in the end, and he knew his father's mother didn't shed a tear for his family when they left her long house for good. Turrin listened to Marrin as he tried to explain that he wasn't a master archer like Tysala, but the myrian didn't care much about over all skill. He accepted because the young man took the time out of his time to assist him in bettering his archery skills. The myrian learned the basics in archery from his father, but he died before he could help refine his skills, so he was kind of self taught. Turrin said sadly, “My father taught me the basics before he died, so I had to refine my skills on my own.” Turrin looked at the target for a moment and said with a laugh, “As you can see, much more refinement will be needed if I am going to call myself a competent archer.” Turrin laughed for a few ticks at himself and looked at Marrin. The Avora seemed like had been a hunter most of his adult life. On the other hand, Turrin was trained more as a warrior and less as a hunter, so he focused more on his talon sword and unarmed combat and less on his archery. However, he always enjoyed hunting with his father in the jungle as a child, and the jungle was the place where he learned how to shot a bow. Turrin asked with nod of his head, “So where do we begin, Marrin?”

[Marrin]

Marrin raised his eyebrows in surprise when the man mentioned he was from Taloba. He’d heard rumors of the savage people there, the Myrians, and had enjoyed tales of their bloodthirsty conquests as a Yasi. However, this man didn’t seem to match the stereotype he had created in his mind. He seemed calm rather than full of fury, pleasant instead of bloodthirsty. It couldn’t have been the Inarta blood that calmed his temper, if anything it should only bring him to be more wild, but yet he was something more than that. That was when Marrin began to wonder if his stereotypes, based upon stories and legends, could be wrong. He did his best to hide his surprise at the man’s homeland, but it showed plainly on his face. It explained the dark skin, the accent and the stumbling Nari that was comprehensible yet imperfect. He’d come to this land, a half-breed, from somewhere else. Marrin wondered to himself if he didn’t wish to do precisely the opposite. His Common was imperfect, and needed practice if he was ever going to leave Wind Reach. But I have such great responsibility here! he shouted at himself. I keep these people alive! What could possibly be more rewarding than perpetuating the life of a civilization? The answer didn’t come to mind, but there was something inside Marrin that said it was there. There was more to life than hunting and feeding and talking and drinking. They all came together to make part of it, but that was not the meaning of life. He wanted a purpose, a reason for him as an individual to live and continue living. “Ah…is it you prefer Common speech?” he stumbled along, rusty in the language. He’d only really spoken it to traders, and hadn’t studied much in language class. It had been a long time since he’d had to use it, and he wanted to make sure he was accommodating the Endal as best he could. He was above him, after all. Regardless of how Turrin responded, Marrin began his lesson in the preferred language of the Endal, whatever that may have been. ”The first step is having a solid stance. Yours is jagged, low, and flows all different directions.” He tried to mimic the stance he’d observed Turrin making, and found himself slightly off balance. ”Were you to shove me, I would fall over like a flightless chick. However, with the proper stance, you will be less difficult to knock over, and your aim will be more true.” He stood taller, adjusting his foot position. His feet were parallel, both facing at a 90 degree angle away from his target. His knees were slightly bent, but not very low, and were almost unnoticeable in the way they differed from straight legs. ”The stance is the core of a good shot, and is necessary if you want to be consistent with your aim.” He motioned to his feet, then to Turrin, expecting him to follow suit and try the stance himself. OOCIRL I am an archer (albeit an inexperienced one), so I at least know a little about what I’m talking about. I practice European style archery and modern hunting archery, which may differ from eastern methods somewhat. Also, I continue on in Nari, but that was just to fill the empty space. He actually responds in whatever language Turrin is most comfortable with.

[Turrin]

Turrin could tell Marrin's common speech sounded similar to his Nari on bad days. The Myrian noticed that his Nari was much better with people that he felt comfortable with. It didn't sound forced or unnatural. Yes, he would prefer talking in the common tongue, but the young blond man seemed to have difficulty with it, so said with a smile in Nari, “I understand Nari quite well. My mother spoke to me often in it in Taloba. Since common is my native tongue, I tend to mix up tweets, chirps, and whistles of my mother's tongue, so it sounds broken not fluent at times, but it much more fluent when I comfortable with people. Understand?” Turrin knew honesty was the first way to build respect between two parties, and if he wanted Marrin to respect him than he would have to be honest with him. When Marrin started to talk about archery stances, the Myrian raised an eyebrow and laughed slightly on how awkward his old stance looked on another person. Marrin was right. It wasn't a strong stance because a steady gust of wind could have knocked the blond man over in it. When his archery tutor got into his more familiar stance. Turrin decided to start mimicking his tutor's stance, and he widened his feet, turned his feet away from his target at a 45 degree angle. Turrin looked over at Murrin's feet and saw that they were at a ninety degree angle, so he adjusted his feet accordingly. Turrin listened to his teacher in silence. In the Twisted Vine Clan, the clan was well known throughout Falyndar as disciplined fighters. Yes, they were as ruthless as any other Myrian clan when it came to their enemies, but in respect to their the three sisters who founded the clan, the Twisted Vine Clan tried to hold to strict traditions of warfare past down by the Founders. Part of being disciplined was being silent when a teacher was instructing a student, so Turrin sat in silence trying to absorb everything Marrin told him about archery. Bending his knees slightly in the stance, Turrin nodded to his tutor and said in Nari, “Yes, it feels much more natural. My old stance was very hard on my knees, and my whole legs would hurt days if I have been shooting at the range for a long period of time.” Holding his short bow in his left hand, Turrin stayed in the stance and waited for Marrin to continue his lesson. While he waited for Marrin to speak, Turrin always wondered why his mother taught him the talon sword and his father taught him the basics of using the bow. He knew his father was one of the most skilled archers in the Clan, but his mother was Inarta and archery was in her blood. It was odd thought that often flew into his mind whenever he was at the shooting range. oocCool! Archery is definitely a great skill to have. I don't know anything about it. I have to look on the internet mostly to find my information on it.

[Edric Wingard]

You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found graded.

 

Overall Comments

Hey, Turrin. It's a pity this thread was abandoned as it had the makings of a solid archery session. Unfortunately, because of the fact that you were only starting to get into the tutelage, I can only award minimal XP.

Marrin, if you return, please PM me and I'll release your grades.

If there are any discrepancies regarding your grades, please PM me your concerns.

 

Turrin

Experience Points.

Weapon: Short Bow	2 XP
Socialization	1 XP
Observation	2 XP
Diplomacy	1 XP

Lores.

• Marrin: Disregards caste system
• Marrin: Knowledgeable about Archery
• Archery: Proper Stance