Closed Arrows and Acting

[Merevaika]

Merevaika

The woman caught her out, realising how she hadn't taught anyone before. Merevaika was about to assure her that she had plenty experience, but then the girl said she wouldn't tell anyone. Merevaika thanked her, "I'm willing to teach, but I need people to teach, or I'll never learn to teach." She found herself saying, trying to excuse herself. This was harder than she had thought.

Her companion focused on her previous arrow, closing her eyes as she aimed her bow. Then she looked at it with more determination, letting it stab on top of the other arrow. Yet she claimed she missed. What was she trying to do?

Merevaika turned to her, the girl smiling smugly. She tried to not let the jealousy show, but it came through at her eyes, brow furrowed a little with anger. How come this woman had progressed so well? Why didn't Merevaika have that natural talent?

Trying once more, Merevaika lined a shot up with where the last arrow fell. She moved to a good position, taking deep breaths and staring down the shaft of the arrow, lining it up with the target. Then, she shifted it ever so slightly to adjust to the wind, pulling the arrow back as far as she could. Release. It landed further than her previous shots had, mocking her.

Even angrier, she turned to the woman, trying to point out flaws in that shot to make herself feel better. "Don't close your eyes. You want to watch what you're aiming at. If it was a rabbit, it could disappear into the grass the second you do." Merevaika walked around her, an eagle circling her prey, "Feet should be shoulder width, rotate your hips, lower you chest." She didn't know whether the woman had shot like this or moved to this position afterwards, but she didn't care. She had to show the woman that she wasn't perfect. She had to show herself that she knew something more than this new archer.


"Pavi"
Grassland sign
"Common"

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine smiles seeing the determination in the other archer's eyes knowing she sparked a fire in her. Jasmine looked over and did as she said taking aim once more and firing off once more but missing wildly, "crap!" She said and pouted watching as it landed far below the rest of the arrows. Jasmine pops her neck and goes to pick up all her arrows and returns them to her quiver. Jasmine returned to the archer while humming. "Next?" She said with a smile looking to the girl ready for whatever she threw at her next. Jasmine held her bangs out of her face as the wind blew across the plains once more. Jasmine looked into the wind seeing something in the distance, "what is that?" She asked and looked harder trying to see through the water that was welling up due to the wind right in her face. Jasmine knew that the creature in the distance was too big to be a rabbit. Perhaps a deer wondering across the plains watching the two young archers as they practiced the very way to kill it. "Is it a deer?" Jasmine asked looking to the other girl confused about what she was seeing. Jasmine had a sinking feeling that it wasn't a deer but at this distance she was unsure if her eyes were just playing tricks on her or not.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Merevaika]

Merevaika

Thankfully, the girl's next shot missed by a lot, the girl pouting as if she expected another perfect shot. Merevaika found herself releasing a breath she didn't even know she was holding, glad. Perhaps it had just been beginner's luck. Of course it was. Merevaika assured herself of this as she followed the woman out, collecting her arrows.

She seemed eager for more, while Merevaika wanted to stop. The woman asked a question just as Merevaika opened her mouth to explain that she had to go. She strained her eyes towards where the woman was looking, trying to make out what the creature was. It was too far to see, the wind and sun in the right position to make it near impossible. Her companion made a wild guess, calling it a deer, and Merevaika decided to go with that until they found out more.

It appeared that she would be more than an archery teacher. She would teach her some hunting as well. Instinctively, Merevaika crouched, beginning to stalk towards it as quietly as possible. Follow, silence, she signed, no longer talking to make her less noticeable, Close, shoot. Aim chest. The wind was in their faces: good. Their scent would be blown away by the wind, giving them the advantage.

"Pavi"
Grassland sign
"Common"

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine got down and nodded slowly to keep her movements unnoticeable. She stayed close to the other archer while having her bow ready with an arrow in it. Jasmine knew that would do no good at such a distance to pull her bow string back to be ready for a shot. By the time the two could reach the animal she would have no energy left to raise the bow up and take aim. Figuring this to be true Jade kept her arrow against the string waiting to get closer before preparing to take aim and trying to bring down one of first kills with the arrow. She had tried many times before but with little to no success at killing anything. Jasmine knew she had scared much of the prey away from right around the opening to Endrykas so she laid off the practicing for a few days and started up once more earlier that morning. Jasmine swallowed down a lump in her throat as they slunk closer to the creature. 'Not tall enough to be a deer,' Jasmine signed to her fellow archer as she felt better seeing that it is also not a glassbeak as the creature is also too short to be that baddest prey around the area as well.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Merevaika]

Merevaika

The woman followed her, keeping her bow ready to shoot. A little early, of course, but Merevaika paid little attention to it, trying to make out what the prey was. Slowly, she shifted nearer, walking on the sides of her feet to keep the noise down. It didn't help much as her companion made noise too, occasionally brushing against the grass. A true beginner in hunting. Not that Merevaika herself was that quiet, but at least quieter than her. It made her feel good.

As they approached, she saw that it couldn't be a deer, instead the right size for a wild pig. And it was, finally getting in close enough to see it fully. She couldn't tell its gender, nor its age, either from inexperience or from the angle, but it was a wild pig for certain.

Merevaika took an arrow, notching it and drawing back the string, ready to shoot at a tick's notice. They still had to get a little closer, but then Merevaika would make a sign for her companion to shoot, her own arrow joining it to make it more likely that one would hit.

She continued stealthily, picking the path most taken, the one with the least grass for her to pass by and alert the pig of her presence. Eventually, she reached close enough, kneeling to keep herself steady. Merevaika signed, fire, then lined up her own shot, staring down the shaft at the arrow at the wild pig. She drew the string back far, past her cheek, and let the arrow fly.

If all went well, it would hit. Her companion better have not messed this up.


"Pavi"
Grassland sign
"Common"

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine tried to mimic the footwork of her companion but she had very little to no experience on hunting off Chaser's back. Jasmine could finally make out what the creature the two were hunting. A pig. Jasmine could not make out the age of the wild pig but she knew for certain that it because of her inexperince hunting. Jasmine knew that the two had two options fire at once hoping to kill it before it attacked the pair or to crawl away hoping it doesn't see them. Jasmine sees her companion pull her string back as Jasmine instantly knew which option was being used. Jasmine pulled her string back taking a huge deep breath to steady her breathing once more and stares down the shaft and fires the second her companion does. Jasmine watchs praying that her arrow finds its target. She hears the pig squeal as the arrow pierce its skin. Jasmine quickly loads another arrow ready to take aim and fire on her companions order. The young drykas was nervous beyond what one could see on her face. She was taught as a young child to hide her emotions, do not let fear show on her face if she wanted to survive the plains of Endrykas.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Merevaika]

Merevaika

The pig squealed as the arrows pierced its skin. Lucky shots, but it really didn't matter. The animal was down, perhaps even dead already. Her companion got out another arrow, ready to shoot again. Her face was emotionless, but Merevaika doubted that she truly felt nothing. There would be excitement over getting something, pleasure and delight. Maybe nervous from being on her first hunt. It seemed like her first hunt anyway.

Merevaika gestured towards her, No more arrows. Shahar had been annoyed with her so long ago for sending another arrow at a creature already down, and while Merevaika still didn't know the reason, she always kept it in mind. Better to simply slit its throat beside it.

Approaching carefully, she saw the pig shuffle around, getting back to its feet. So it wasn't dead, but the arrows had hit well to keep it still. One had hit its face, the other a leg. Merevaika dived at it, grabbing the creature tightly as she tried to hold it still. It had no tusks, so wasn't male, but still fought, trying to bite her and kick her.

Quickly Merevaika brought the knife to its throat, cutting it deep. Her fingers felt warm blood run over them and the wild pig stopped moving, falling lifeless in her hands. The Drykas hoisted it up, showing it to her companion. Now was the problem of dividing it. Then again, perhaps the lack of payment from earlier could work to her advantage.

"You had no money before, but the meat on this boar is worth enough to pay for the training, both with archery and hunting. You did well, it was enjoyable teaching you," her face twisted at the lie, "Goodbye." With that, she pulled an arrow out of the boar, letting it drop for the woman to collect. Merevaika slung the wild pig over her shoulder, turning to leave.

A good hunt, with a good prize and a good deal. Of course, her companion hadn't exactly agreed but better to leave before there was protest. Today had gone well.

"Pavi"
Grassland sign
"Common"

[Jasmine Stormblood]

The young blonde Drykas looked over at Merevaika as she said to put the other arrow away. Once Jasmine put the arrow away she quickly followed the woman before her to see the pig still trying to get up and attack the two huntresses. She watches as the woman holds the pig as still as she possibly can and slashes the neck finishing off the pig beneath her. The woman looked between Jasmine and the pig before seeming to get an idea. Jasmine shrugged her shoulders not bothered by the woman taking the pig as a payment for the two lessons. "Sure go ahead," She said with a smile and walked back towards where Chaser had appeared at. Jasmine stopped quickly and looked back to Merevaika, "THANKS AGAIN HOPE WE SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN SOON!" Jasmine called and waved before running off to mount up on Chaser.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Azmere]

 

Merevaika

Experience

• Weapon – Shortbow: +5
• Socialization: +5
• Negotiation: +2
• Teaching: +3
• Hunting: +3
• Wrestling: +1

Lore

• Merevaika: Needs her alone time
• Merevaika: Doesn’t give up on a con
• Shortbow: Made by her father
• Shortbow: A good stance is important
• Teaching: Requires a willing pupil
• Hunting: You want the wind in your face
• Hunting: Wild pigs

Notes

• Young female pig hide
• 70# pork
• Interesting thread, Vai. It was a fun read.

 

Jasmine

Experience

• Weapon – Shortbow: +5
• Socialization: +5
• Observation: +5
• Logic: +1
• Hunting: +1

Lore

• Shortbow: Hard to pull the string
• Merevaika Stormchaser: Beautiful archer
• Jasmine: A quick study
• Shortbow: Steady is the key
• Shortbow: Rushing doesn’t help
• Logic: Don’t draw your arrow until it’s time to shoot
• Hunting: Wild pigs

Notes

• Good thread, Jasmine. You wrote very good examples of learning something new and that is something that a lot of people do poorly. It's easy to write about how awesome your PC is at this or that but to write them failing and struggling is hard. Well done and enjoy the rewards.