Flashback Aiming For It

[Ixzo]

2nd of Summer, 511AV
11th Bell, Late Morning
Clan of the Shorn Skulls

When her father pulled his bow out once more, Ixzo's face lit up. The girl rushed forward, eagerly grabbing the quiver from the shelf and strapping it around her back.

"Now hold on, kitten." Her father stopped her from grabbing the bow. "I have more to teach you before I let you loose with this thing." He called, gripping the bow for himself and heading out of the hut. Ixzo skipped behind her father, excited to use the bow again. She hadn't been particularly good at it the first time, but she had a feeling she was going to get better. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but Ixzo very much liked to believe she would hit the target at least once.

"Alright take your stance." Ixzo returned to the yard from a few days ago, the target was still up, so she positioned herself accordingly. Knees should length apart and feet sturdy on the ground. She straightened her back as well, getting a good view of the target.

"Alright, show me your aiming arm." Ixzo extended her left arm towards the target, making sure her shoulder was down and relaxed instead of taut. She had made the mistake last time and was still a little sore from the improper stance. "And you're pulling arm." Ixzo tapped the inside of her left elbow with her right hand, and slowly pulled her right arm back, making sure to keep her elbow up and no let it fall loose.

"Hand." Her father reminded her, and Ixzo moved her hand to let her thumb rest just under her cheekbone for aiming. "Release?" Ixzo gently caressed under her cheekbone until her hand reached her ears. Trying to speed up the process, she made a 'thunk' noise with her mouth and dropped her stance, turning back to her father. Childlike and impatient, she tried to reach for the bow. This time the old bad submitted the weapon.

[Ixzo]

Once she had her bow in her hand, Ixzo copied the earlier position. Knees were shoulder length apart, arm extended, shoulder loose. Then, without needing instruction, Ixzo pulled a bow from the quiver, lining the arrow up with her weapon. With a little more practiced effort this time, Ixzo pulled the string to her face. Moving her head up to adjust for the sudden invasion, the child took a few seconds to steady her hand near her cheek.

Closing a single eye, Ixzo lined up her target. Of course her hands were trembling with the pressure and Ixzo took a moment to take a breath, slowly exhaling through her lips. Once there was no more air in her lungs to shake her hands, the young Kelvic let the arrow fly, curving her fingers back towards her ear. The string snapped on her forearm violently. Ixzo watched the results eagerly. Her shot was strong, but it was too far to the left and too low. She saw the arrow bed itself into the grass, yet she smiled with it didn't fall over, at least she had strength.

"Alright, good." Her father spoke up and Ixzo lowered her bow, turning to him. "Now, you want to hear a secret?" He asked, gently taking her bow from her. Ixzo nodded, and stepped back so that he could take the spot. She watched as her father pulled the bow up, practice ease setting him quickly into position. With no arrow, he simply stood there, and Ixzo stepped around him to look from the other side.

"It's crooked." She observed, suddenly worried. "Do I do that?"

He lowered his bow and grinned at her. "Exactly the opposite." Ixzo relaxed, she had always made an effort to be straight with her bow, so it was good to know she was doing it right. "And that is why you always miss." Ixzo frowned.

"Why wouldn't I keep my bow straight?" She asked, and her father handed her back the bow.


"Try it, you'll feel the difference." He said.

[Ixzo]

Once more, Ixzo got into position. Lining the nock on her string, she pulled the arrow back. Resting her hand just below her chin now, Ixzo lined up the arrow with the target. But this time, the child tilted the bow to the side. It felt alien for a moment, but not terribly weird. Since she was a beginner, most of it wasn't comfortable yet.

But now that she had the bow tilted, she realized that the arrow tip now rested in the bottom of a 'V' where the shelf was. The child no longer questioned why her father told her she would feel it. Before even shooting the arrow, aim became easier. Focusing back on the target, Ixzo lined her shot up once more. Forced to use her breathing trick to steady her hands, she waiting until the last of her lungs were empty and then released the arrow, curving her hand back towards the ear.

This time the child didn't need to make up a 'thunk' sound, since the thud of the arrow against packed hay was satisfactory enough. A purr emitted from the young lioness and she immediately lowered her bow, turning to grin at her father, who held a hand up in high five.

"Told ya, it is much easier to aim." She laughed, looking back at the target, the arrow was on the edge, but it was still buried into the hay.

"Again." She said excitedly, although it was a command to herself.

[Ixzo]

Once more Ixzo lined up the arrow's nock on her string. Settling into the proper stance, she tilted the bow before pulling back her string this time. Instead of lining her right hand up to her cheekbone though, Ixzo moved her head up to allow her chin to rest on the meat of the thumb when she aimed the arrow. Sparing no force, Ixzo aimed a little high than her last one, trying to get higher than that one, yet still remain in the target.

Letting her breathe empty once more, Ixzo let the arrow fly. Another laugh escaped her lips when the arrow hit home. Well not, home, but the arrow did land on the target.

Not hesitating, she pulled on more arrow out. Quickly now, she tilted her bow and set the aim. She heard her father move around her but ignored it, taking a moment to focus before letting the fourth arrow fly.

"Alright, kitten." She spoke up, and Ixzo watched as the arrow didn't quite make it to the target. To her disappointment the shot didn't even stand up in the ground. "You are no expert, you have to remember to take your time with each shot."

"Then how am I ever to hunt?"

"Instinctive shooting is next. Once you're somewhat competent, we can work on that." He soothed, placing a hand on the top of her bow to make the ambitious child lower it. She did, reluctantly, to look at her father. "Before you put your skills to use, you must at least have skills." He rationed. Ixzo sighed, it was hard for the child to be patient. She wanted to be an expert archer now, working for it seemed to be more than it was worth.

"Then I'm done." Ixzo pouted, pulling the quiver from her back and passing it to her father, but he didn't take it. It was rare she saw the man as stern. Once he had come to Taloba, as far as she knew, her father had easily accepted the matriarch of Myrian society. She was used to harsh words from her mother, but her father always seemed more kind, more soft. So when he narrowed his red gaze on her Ixzo shrunk back.


"You will fire three more arrows." He demanded. Unlike her mother there needed no threat to follow. Ixzo gulped, slipping the quiver back on. He handed her the bow once more and stepped back so that she could step forward.

[Ixzo]

Just as quickly as the stern, parenting mode had turned on, it switched off. Gentle words were back as he watched his daughter line up. Taking her time this round, Ixzo settled her feet into position, shoulder length apart. Hooking the nock on the string, she extended the bow forward. Making sure her shoulder was down before tilting the bow to let the shaft of the arrow rest in the 'V' it provided. Careful to keep her aim steady, she pulled her arm back, settling her hand near her cheekbone as she was taught.

Taking a deep breath in, Ixzo exhaled, waiting until all her breath was gone, along with any involuntary movements in her hand before positioning her aim. After half a tick, she released the arrow, guiding her hand back towards her ear like she was taught. Instead of being impatient, she watched the arrow impale the target, landing surprisingly close to the first one that hit the target. She grinned, lowering her bow, but didn't turn to her dad.

Instead the Kelvic pulled another arrow from the quiver. Doing the same, taking her time, Ixzo lined up her stance, relaxing where she was supposed to. Tiling her bow and lining up her right hand with her cheek, Ixzo decided not to take a breath that time, instead she didn't give herself a lot of time to aim, and simply let the arrow fly, not really caring where it went.

To her satisfaction it still hit the target. Where her other arrows had been pretty low, this arrow only barely missed skimming the top, seemingly hanging on the burlap-wrapped hay by a few millimeters at most.

[Ixzo]

One last time, the child adjusted her stance. Wanting to make this shot count so she could leave the practice, Ixzo made sure to take her time, not particularly bothered by her father's presence.

Keeping her shoulder's slack, she tilted her bow and pulled the arrow back. Keeping her elbow high, she didn't take a breathe again, but did take her time to aim. This time, instead of releasing at the end of an exhale, Ixzo waiting until her lungs where completely filled to release the arrow. This time, the arrow widely missed the target, and Ixzo turned to her father, ready to apologize, but the man was gone. The Kelvic spun in a circle, catching the last trace of the hut door swinging shut behind her father. A small grin lit her face.

She knew her father enough to know that he only left a situation when he new that whoever was left was capable. So long as she needed more lessons he would be there, but this particular lesson required no more instruction. Still, the child was tired. She could only shoot so much at her age before growing bored in favor of something more fun. So the kelvic ran over to each of the seven arrows, carefully loosening them from where they were stuck and collecting them again.

Making sure all arrows were intact, she carefully put them back in the quiver and headed back towards the hut to put them away. She would have to find the other children for a game now, too much work had been done that day.

[Dravite]

G R A D E S
Your awards, Dear.

Ixzo

Experience

• Organisation: 2
• Observation: 2
• Weapon, Longbow: 5
• Socialisation: 2
• Rhetoric: 2

Lore

• A Father's Logic: Practice makes perfect
• Bow: Going through the steps of use
• Bow: Take your time
• Bow: Instinctive shooting
• Father: Kinder than mother
• Bow: The importance of steady aim
• Bow: Watching your strike

Notes

Look at you, you little XP grinder

I like Ixzo's father, he is believable as a character; maybe it’s the contrast in personalities between him and the mother. Enjoy the rewards.