Flashback Lame Aim

[Ixzo]

42nd of Summer, 511AV
5th Bell, Evening
Clan of the Shorn Skulls

Feeling more confident with her bow, it was only a few days before Ixzo found herself out on the yard once more. She had learned how to use a bow and found her anchor, but now Ixzo wanted to work on her aim. Her father said he would teach her instinctive archery soon, which she knew to be when all this came into play.

Ixzo stopped fifteen steps out from the target as normal, and eyed the thing. This time she paid more attention to where she stood. It was common for her arrows to go far more left than they need to, so Ixzo took a step forward. Perhaps, when she tried to account for not being dead-center, she ended up throwing herself off anyway.

Spreading her knees, Ixzo hooked the nock on the string. In a not so fluid movement, as her first shot of the morning, she brought the bow up. Remembering to loosen her arm and pull her elbow up, she was glad that at least her anchor was comfortable. After slowing her breathe, Ixzo lined up her arrow, letting the first shot go.

She watched the arrow hit the outside ring of the target. She hadn't aimed particularly well on that one, trying to see what she needed to adjust first.

[Ixzo]

Thinking back over what she had done, Ixzo prepared her stance once more. Letting her breathe go, and making sure her hands were even, Ixzo adjusted her aim. Like usual, the tip of her arrow was pointed directly to the bullseye of the target. Except this time, ixzo adjusted the aim so that the arrow head pointed just barely above the bullseye. She was not terribly far away from the target, so didn't account for a large arc. When she let the arrow fly, curving her fingers back towards her ear, a grin split her face.

Of the three rings on the bullseye, she had only made it not the center circle once. But it as a minor miracle how much a little bit of aiming would get her. Wanting to make sure it wasn't a fluke, Ixzo pulled one more arrow. Since her stance remained the same, Ixzo simply pulled her arrow up, adjusting small details where needed before focusing her aim. Just like the last time, she aimed the arrow tip just above the bullseye, and when she lit it fly, it was determined that was not a fluke. The second arrow landed with a solid 'thunk' beside the the first.

Grinning, the child lowered her bow to look at how close her arrows were. When a though came to her. She was so close to the target, that to truly practice aim, she would have to be further away.

Taking another five steps back, Ixzo frowned at the small difference in the distance before deciding to take five more steps back.

[Ixzo]

Once she has shot a few arrows that day, it seemed so much more smooth settling into her stance. She didn't have ot think about positioning her feet or loosening her shoulder now, but when her consciousness brought those areas to her attention to check, they were usually right. With effort, Ixzo pulled the bow string back, tilting the bow and raising her elbow. It seemed much harder to aim from this far away because the target was much smaller.

Again, Ixzo decided to start with an independent shot to compare the rest from. Aiming the arrowhead just above the bullseye. This time when she let the arrow fly, it did land on the target. However it was clear that the shot was so close to the bottom, it nearly didn't make it. The luck that saved her was the power within the bow. With only three arrows left before she had to go collect them, Ixzo loaded her bow once more.

This time as she lined up, Ixzo aimed for the very top of the bullseye. But she didn't wait for her breathing technique, since her hands were already steady. Not wanting to waste the opportunity that time, she let the arrow fly, extending her hand to her ear like normal. When the arrow landed on the upper end of the middle ring, Ixzo's brow furrowed.

[Ixzo]

It appeared that if she aimed for the bullseye, the arrow would barely make it onto the target, yet if she aimed for the top of the archery target, then the arrow would fall above the bullseye, her intended goal. Frustrated, Ixzo nocked one more arrow on her bow. This time, her hands trembled with the pressure, so she was forced to slow down, taking her breathes to stop the movement one more time.

One that was done, she tilted the bow and took her aim. The very end tip of the arrow head lined up with the highest point in the center ring. And once all of Ixzo's breathe had exhaled, leaving her arm perfectly still, she released the bow.

She grinned when the bow landed within the center ring of the bullseye. For a moment, she though she understood what was happening. If she aimed for her target, the bow would go lower, yet if she aimed above her target, the bow would arc and not go quite so low as a straight shot. Ixzo was confusing even herself. Aim above the target to account for the arc, that much she knew.

Deciding not to waste time thinking about it, she lined up her last shot and let it fly. The arrow, still, like all her shots, favored the left side of the target, but at least it hit very close to the little dot in the center. Although, Ixzo wasn't sure her mother could even hit the center dot.

[Ixzo]

Sighing, Ixzo set her bow down, walking back to the target to collect her arrows. Making sure that all were intact still, she gently filtered them back into her quiver. Once she had collected them all, seven instead of eight, accounting for the recent break, Ixzo turned back. She didn't quite remember how far out she went, so Ixzo walked thirty steps and stopped. IT took almost no time to adjust her feet, and once she fitted her arrow into the bow, Ixzo raised the weapon just as easy. She doubted she would be this quick first shot next time, but after getting a few shots under her belt, it was easy for her to get the form right.

Pulling the string taut, Ixzo raised her elbow. With the bow tilted, she lined up her aim with the top of the middle ring, hoping to duplicate her near-bullseye from before. When she let the arrow fly, it just barely missed the center circle, much to her disappointment.

But the child didn't mind and she swiped another bow from her quiver. Lining it up and pulling the string, she settled her aim once more. After a few steady shots, Ixzo realized that most of here arrows where starting to be close together. They weren't terribly accurate in regards to the bullseye that she aimed for. But Ixzo noticed there was precision to the cluster of arrows that joined together at the target.

Satisfied with that result, Ixzo let her last arrow fly, and wasn't surprised to find it near the clump as well. Now her goal would be to move that clump further to the right. But the child decided that would be practice for another day. Her stomach growled, reminding her that most of her clan were retiring for the night, and her father was making stew. Not wanting to miss out on whatever dinner was, Ixzo quickly collected her arrows, checking to make sure they were okay before heading back into her family's hut.

[Dravite]

G R A D E S
Your awards, Dear.

Ixzo

Experience

• Weapon, Longbow: 5
• Observation: 2
• Mathematics: 1
• Planning: 1

Lore

• Observation: Keeping track of flying arrows
• Bow: Keeping hands even
• Ixzo: Knowing what pride feels like
• Bow: Challenges with increasing shot range
• Mathematics: Keeping count
• Ixzo: Surpassing a parent in skill
• Observation: Checking weapons for quality

Notes

No wonder she won that bet. Boys gotta step his game up.