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[Jez Firetongue]

Jez Firetongue 11th of Spring 517 AV Pavi/Grassland Sign , Common, Nari ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jez huffed out a laugh as the arrow sailed clean through the air, in a perfect straight line, and landed a significant distance to the side of the bush he was trying to use for target practice. Wind snorted from where he lay in the grass a little way behind him, still for once, and Jez turned to raise an eyebrow at what he assumed was his Strider mocking his inability to shoot arrows. “Hush, Wind,” he lightly scolded him, “I’ll never get better if I don’t learn my errors first.” The stallion ignored him, turning his head to watch as somebody moved a small zibri herd in the distance. A member of Jez’s Pavilion, too long ago to remember who, had introduced Jez to archery with the shortbow. A few days ago he had seen a shortbow, set of arrows and quiver for sale at the Market. The sight made him smile, vaguely remembering his lessons, and with his Winter wages in pocket he had bought the items on impulse. Luckily the impulse buy had paid off, with the announcement by Thomas Heartsong yesterday about the Spring Triathlon. Still remembering the basics, he had set out today with the goal of training for the archery event. With a slightly exasperated sigh, Jez walked over to fetch the arrow. His remaining nineteen arrows were in their quiver on the floor, being used as a place marker. He had counted ten strides from the bush, considering that a decent starting distance, and put the quiver down there. He wasn’t exactly going to be a master archer by the 20th, he thought as he returned to the quiver, but if he could at least hit a target sometimes he’d be proud of his performance. He wasn’t joining the Triathlon to win, but he wanted to be able to participate enough to look like he wasn’t just there to socialise. He wasn’t there to work out his frustrations from Winter, but many were and were looking for some competition; he was going to try to be a worthy competitor to help them out. Jez was glad he at least knew he had bought the correct type of bow. The one who taught him in the beginning had told him about eye dominance, that because he favoured his right eye he would be best using a right handed bow; he would hold the bow in his left hand and pull the string with his right. The stance to use, however, he didn’t remember as well. He turned his body perpendicular to the bush and stood with a wide stance. He didn’t realise that his feet being farther than shoulder width apart would make doing an accurate shot harder. Jez repositioned the arrow to rest in the notch of the wood in the bow and lifted the bow towards the target. The arrow slipped at the movement and almost fell to the ground but Jez managed to catch it in his right hand. He tried again, and again, before finally getting the balance right and the bow in position. With three fingers he pulled back the string beneath the arrow, arm shaking a little. He was strong from life on the Sea of Grass but pulling at that angle strained his muscles in a different way from usual. The bow was simple, relying on an instinctual method of shooting, so it would take a lot of practice to have an accurate shot. For now it was luck more than anything that would cause an arrow to hit his target. Improvement would come from the method he used to shoot the bow, not from attempting and failing to aim continuously. Even so, it was better to have an idea of where he wanted to send the arrow; a goal to aim for while he tested different ways of shooting. This time he pulled the string closer to his face, thinking that perhaps if it was near his line of sight it would go where he was looking. He released the string and the arrow flew, its line wobblier but striking closer to the target bush than before. Jez wasn’t busy looking at that, however, as dual points of stinging pain appeared. The end of the arrow nicked his right cheek, drawing a line of blood just under his eye. Almost simultaneously the string snapped against his left arm, a red rash quickly springing up. “Cultakh!” He cursed loudly as he dropped the bow, the sign for ‘freaking moron’ accompanying his words. He gripped his left arm with his right, applying pressure to try and alleviate the sting. It wasn’t often he’d use such words against others, but he wasn’t against berating himself when the need arose. Behind him Wind tensed, ears pricked, and snorted loudly with eyes fixed on his bonded Drykas. “Calm, Wind,” he called to stop the horse getting up to check on him, “It was my own foolish error.” He winced, staying still to rub his arm for a few moments rather than immediately going for the arrow. Perhaps it would be best if he sought a training companion; he wasn’t doing such a great job alone. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ || Jez Firetongue || 25 years || Drykas || Amethyst Clan || Firetongue Pavilion || Strider-Wind ||

[Adon]

The soft thwack of a bowstring caught Adon's attention as he returned from a short hunting trip with a single winter-mottled grouse tied to his yvas. He paused and looked around, spotting the young man with the bow some distance away. The other man's stallion clearly smelt Adon's mare, Goldie, as his head came up, and he snorted. One arrow went wild enough that Adon was glad of the distance, but the sound of loud cursing that followed drew a chuckle from the older man and he rode Goldie over toward them. He could do with some practice himself, he'd missed more shots than he hit out hunting, and with game strugglng with the unnatural weather, that was something he couldn't afford. The stallion tried to warn his rider, but the youngster - he couldn't have been much older than Adon's own children - clearly hadn't noticed Adon's approach and only tried to soothe the stallion with words. Adon shaped a calming friend and well done with his hand on the off chance that the other strider knew some hand signs, smothered another chuckle, and said instead from behind Jez, "He knows something you don't - you should listen to your strider better."

He sat back in the yvas and, when Goldie halted at his signal, he swung his leg over and slid down to stand hipshot beside her. A slight breeze ruffled his grey hair as he went on, his posture amused almost to the point of teasing, "You curse any louder, lad, and you'll flatten half the Sea from here to Riverfall. Bow biting you back is it?" He lifted his crossbow down, careful to point it away from the young man, and hooked the quiver of bolts to his belt. "Are you interested in a practice partner, or shall I find my own bush to aim at?

Boxcode by Shimoje

[Jez Firetongue]

Jez Firetongue 11th of Spring 517 AV Pavi/Grassland Sign , Common, Nari ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ An approaching mare spelt the end of Wind’s quiet moment, the stallion perking up instantly. Ungelded, he was single minded in his approach to mares, a charmer eager to win them over. With Spring just beginning, and mares starting to come into their first estrous of the season, Wind was becoming much more responsive to their presence. If he had been watching, Jez would recognise the behaviour, though he didn’t know enough about it yet to successfully breed Wind unless by chance. With how feisty Wind was and at Jez’s knowledge of breeding horses, it would be a bad idea to deliberately attempt it without a more experienced horseman around, likely ending in accidental injury to the mare. Jez heard the chuckle from somewhere behind him, and the sound of a horse approaching, but he ignored it for a moment as the pain on his arm distracted him. Wind, however, looked to the man signing for friend and well done. He let out a snort, tail swishing in irritation. He understood the stranger but was too stubborn to accept the friendly gesture, stamping his back hoof on the ground and pointedly looking away in a display that meant he didn’t care what the man said. He didn’t look away for long though, focus still on the mare. He pulled himself to his feet and nickered in an attempt to get her attention. As Wind stood, the stinging in Jez’s arm began to fade away enough that Jez truly registered someone else was with them. He turned around just as the man began to speak. The stranger was obviously older than Jez, though seemed younger than his parents. Despite the small injury souring his mood, Jez remembered to be respectful to the older Drykas, not wanting to accidentally insult someone who was potentially a Pavilion’s Ankal. He grinned, abashed, and rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly, “Ah, hello there. I suppose I was in my own world, yes.” He looked to his own Strider, smiling, “My Strider has a habit of leaving me to deal with things myself, unless I’m in real danger. I guess that means he doesn’t sense any ill intent from you.” Suddenly Wind starting throwing his head up and down, nickering more intensely, in his attempts to charm the mare. Jez rolled his eye and called his name, gesturing for him to calm down. The stallion blew air from his nose, flicking his tail once in an indignant response, but stopped throwing his head around. He remained alert, watching the mare with pricked ears to gauge her response, but stayed still. Jez sighed and amended his previous statement, “…or he doesn’t care if you have ill intentions right now; he seems a bit preoccupied showing off to your mare.” The stranger dismounted and Jez noticed his posture was slightly off. It wasn’t too unusual to see the remnants of injury in Drykas. Such was the burden of living in the Sea of Grass. Jez didn’t think it was polite to comment on it, or ask what happened. He was certainly curious, but he would wait and see if he grew close enough to the man for the information to be volunteered. Jez knew he was being teased with the man’s following words. He had a fairly large family so was used to playful banter being thrown around, often involved in it himself. He knew some people would feel agitated by the teasing, but Jez just laughed it off. “Haha, with how bad Winter was for the Sea I’m not sure I’d make much more of an impact.” He grimaced at the mention of the bow biting him and bent to pick it back up. “Yeah…it was kind of a spur of the moment purchase. I had a few lessons as a child but it’s been a while so I don’t remember much. I’m trying to practice for the Triathlon, just enough that I can participate, but I’d eventually like to get good enough to use a bow on hunts. I spend my days with animals at The Healing Hoof so I’m not much of a weapons man.” Jez’s grin came back at the suggestion of gaining a practice partner. “That would be great! It’s going to take me forever to learn this way. Do you have any tips?” He was excited to learn whatever he could from this man. The older men in his life didn’t have the time to teach him new skills, busy as Ankal, vet and traveller in turn. “Oh! I’m Jez, by the way, Jez Firetongue. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ || Jez Firetongue || 25 years || Drykas || Amethyst Clan || Firetongue Pavilion || Strider-Wind ||

[Adon]

Goldie snorted her disdain for Wind's antics, and yawned, baring all her teeth and very obviously prepared to discourage him with a nip or a kick if he tried it on with her. "That's stallions for you," Adon replied. "They can be somewhat - singleminded. My mare can look after herself though." He limped over to stand by Jez, his shoulder dipping with each stride. "I'm Adon Gloaming. Nice to meet you too." He dropped the teasing stance after a moment, shifting to simple friendliness as he noticed Jez's notice of his injuries, as well as his courtesy in not asking about them. They were, after all, pretty obvious. "First tip: some archers wrap a bit of leather round their arm to protect it. Others just keep going until the skin toughens." He thought back to some of the things Keighvin, his pavillion's chief hunter did, and shrugged a little. "I don't know about direct tips - I use a crossbow now, not a shortbow - but some things are universal."

He turned towards the bush, lifted his crossbow, and slotted in a bolt. Tucking his good foot through the stirrup to anchor it, he wrapped both his hands round the string and hauled it back until it locked into position. "Crossbow gives you more time to aim," he explained, taking his foot out of the stirrup and lifting the crossbow to his shoulder, "because you don't have to hold the string while you aim. But accuracy comes from consistency. Bring your bow to the same place each time, look along the arrow, and fire when you're ready." He matched action to words, and the bolt hit the ground just to the left of the bush. "If you're consistent, your shots are going to hit the same general area, and you can adjust where you aim to move where you hit. If you aren't consistent, then your shots are going to be all over the place anyway."

Boxcode by Shimoje

[Jez Firetongue]

Jez Firetongue 11th of Spring 517 AV Pavi/Grassland Sign , Common, Nari ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ “Yeah,” Jez sniggered as the mare rejected Wind’s attempts to charm her, “In this sense, at least, stallions aren’t hard to predict. Your mare doesn’t need to worry though; Wind may be a show off but he won’t try anything with the signals she’s giving.” Backing up Jez’s point were the Strider’s actions, still focused on the mare but changing tact this time. He lowered his head and shook his mane once, sending out a nicker, still obviously attempting to get on her good side. The Drykas felt relaxed by Adon’s friendly stance, pleased as started giving him tips. Jez made sure to pay attention, eager to learn what he could from the older man. “I do have some leather left over from the Jarmok the other day,” he considered aloud, “I could probably use that from today on. I think it’s probably best if I don’t worry about getting injured while learning, and then maybe after I get a bit better I can practice until my skin toughens. You know, just in case I get caught out without the leather.” Jez watched as Adon took his shot, explaining as he went. He considered the difference between the two weapons; the crossbow seemed easier because of the ease of aiming it, but there was a downside to it being bulkier than the shortbow. Jez’s brows raised at the explanation of keeping the bow in the same place with each shot. He thought he kept getting the way he was pulling the string wrong so had been changing it, but it made sense that constantly switching up his method was causing more inaccuracy than a lack of ability to aim. He nodded and picked up a second arrow from the quiver at his feet, the first still laying near the bush. Jez tried to put Adon’s words into practice. It took him two tries to put the arrow against the bow without it slipping off but managed to get it after a few times, lifting the bow back to the position it was in during his last shot. He pulled the string back, only changing it slightly from his previous attempt so that the arrow wouldn’t graze his cheek again. He looked down the arrow as Adon had told him and fired, watching as it sailed a little more smoothly through the air, landing close to the first arrow. It wasn’t the bush he had wanted to aim for, but Adon was right; focusing less on where he was aiming and instead trying to be consistent seemed to work. With time he’d get used to the feeling and be able to adjust his motions to improve his aim. Jez grinned, turning to Adon. “That worked out much better, thank you so much.” As he waited to see if Adon would fire another bolt, wanting to look at the stance the other used, he started asking questions. “What made you choose to use a crossbow?” he wondered, “A family member taught me a little with a shortbow when I was younger. When I saw one at the Jarmok the fond memories came back and I couldn’t help myself.” He gestured to the grouse carcass tied to the mare’s yvas. “Do you hunt for a living? I’m hoping to get good enough to hunt, to help my Pavilion out. I’m an animal handler and don’t like to hurt them, but sometimes killing an animal is necessary.” He was devoted to Caiyha’s teachings, and he had learned that death was a part of the balance on the Sea of Grass, the remains necessary to keep other creatures alive. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ || Jez Firetongue || 25 years || Drykas || Amethyst Clan || Firetongue Pavilion || Strider-Wind ||

[Adon]

Adon bent to haul the string of his crossbow back once more, this time remembering to do it before he tried to slot the bolt into place. He used the motion to hide his face while he tamped old memories back down out of sight. Behind him, Goldie's nicker sounded almost like a snicker of laughter as she angled herself away from Wind like a herd's lead mare condescending to ignore the bad behaviour of a youngster. Adon managed a dry chuckle of his own, and straightened again. He slid in a bolt, and took a stance half facing the bush rather than sideways on as a shortbowman should, his feet relatively close, but in the position he'd discovered compensated best for the unevenness of his legs. Lifting the crossbow to his shoulder, he aimed higher up the bush, and more to the right to counter the low and left of his first shot, but overcompensated. The bolt skidded past the right hand side of the bush and into a knot of grass.

He let the wryness of his smile linger as he began to shape answers to Jez's eager questions. "A shortbow needs all your fingers intact," he said simply, turning over his hand and spreading it to display that some of his were missing. "Lost a few when a hunt went wrong." His other hand added, Casual dismissal. Fact of life., though darker memories flickered in the back of his eyes for a moment. "Crossbow just needs enough hand to haul back the string and press a trigger. It's slower and bulkier, but it's good for stalking or ambushing small game. I can even fire it lying flat in a clump of grass if necessary, which is more than I can say for the shortbow." He turned over the crossbow to show the long, flat, lever-like, trigger under the stock. "And no, my main occupation is designing and making tents, I just hunt for the pot sometimes, or help out my pavlion's main hunter. Helping out is a good way to learn hunting."

Boxcode by Shimoje

[Jez Firetongue]

Jez Firetongue 11th of Spring 517 AV Pavi/Grassland Sign , Common, Nari ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ As Jez watched Adon prepare for his next shot, Wind continued to fail to impress the mare. Frustrated by her response, the stallion mimicked her by turning away, flicking his tail. The movement was abrupt, a harsh dismissal of her, ruined in the next second as he glanced back to see how the mare responded. Jez ignored his stallion’s antics, listening to the older man’s response. His curious expression turned to one of understanding as he looked at Adon’s hand and watching the signs that accompanied his words. “Yes, I suppose that makes sense.” It was common to see permanent injuries in Endrykas. Jez himself had managed to avoid any given his relatively safe job at the Healing Hoof, but had experienced plenty of minor incidents in the past. He wasn’t surprised Adon lost some fingers on a hunt; it wasn’t exactly uncommon to hear of a Drykas setting out on a hunt to never be heard of again. “I can see the benefit of being able to shoot lying down but I don’t know much about ambushing, so I doubt I’d be able to get close enough for it to be an effective strategy. I think sticking with a shortbow atop Wind will work out best for me when I get out there.” Without ambush skills, hopefully he could use Wind’s speed to compensate. Of course, that would require a lot of work with the shortbow before he got to that stage. Jez was pleased to see Adon miss the bush, not because he wanted the other man to fail but because it was nice to see the proof that he wasn’t alone in needing to work on his aiming. The Drykas picked up a third arrow and took up his stance, perpendicular to the bush, again. He raised the bow, pulling the string back to the same position as the previous shot. As he drew the string a light breeze came in from the left and the sting of his forearm became more prominent for a moment, causing him to wince as he released the arrow. It flew, waving sideways, and landed short of the previous shots. “Another try,” he sighed, trying to stay positive, “It would help if my arm wasn’t stinging; I’ll definitely take your advice about wrapping leather around it next time.” The next arrow flew well, landing close to the second one; maintaining the same position and method of shooting really was sending the arrows in the same direction. He could see now how, after consistent practise, he’d be able to work on actually aiming the arrows. After that shot he turned back to Adon, another question in mind. Of the shortbow lessons he had as a child, one he remembered was to stand perpendicular to his target. “Why do you face at that angle?” he wondered, hands signing extra meaning to the words; asking why that angle was used compared to Jez’s perpendicular stance, whether it was personal choice or specific to using the crossbow. Jez was very interested to learn that Adon’s main work was textile based, his surprise evident on his face. “I’ll admit I know nothing about designing and making tents,” he grinned, “I can put up my own but that’s about it. You must be pretty popular in your Pavilion with those skills.” The Sea of Grass was harsh, the season’s strange weathers making it even more so. It was easy for tents to get torn or worn, so someone with repair and crafting skills was of great use to Drykas society. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ || Jez Firetongue || 25 years || Drykas || Amethyst Clan || Firetongue Pavilion || Strider-Wind || The Heart of Nature Soothes the Heart of Man More Than Any Woman Can

[Adon]

Goldie raised her head to watch the stallion's sudden flounce away, then, satisfied that it wasn't because of danger, she dropped her head again and began to graze. Adon also bent, buying a moment to think about the younger man's questions by hauling his string back in preparation for another shot. "Shooting while mounted is common," he agrees. "And it's common because it works well. Nothing wrong with that. Ambush is easier with a partner - one of you can hide while the other drives the game towards you."

He slotted a bolt into place. "I stand this way for partly for consistency - if I do this, then it's almost in the same position no matter whether I'm standing, kneeling, riding, or prone - partly because the crossbow is a different shape and technique, and partly because this is what works with my short leg." The boot on his bad leg had a built up sole to help compensate for the difference in length, but that only went so far. "I've been told you should match the angle of your string with your body when you shoot. With a shortbow, that's straight up and down, but a crossbow string goes across the body, see, so I turn to match it."

He lifted the crossbow to his shoulder, held it there for a long enough moment that it was easy to see that the sideways jut of the crossbow limbs matched his shoulders, then picked a new aiming point between the first two. The bolt thudded into the ground at the base of the bush, and Adon's mouth curved upward at the corners. "Designing tents is a pretty specialised craft, but I'm Ruby clan. We've always been crafters. My father was pleased when I took up the family trade though." He glanced sideways at the surprise on Jez's face, and his grin widened and took on a touch of curiousity. It looked very much as if the younger man had assumed his trade was something else, and while it wasn't particularly relevant to the conversation, he did wonder what the assumption had been.

Boxcode by Shimoje

[Jez Firetongue]

Jez Firetongue 11th of Spring 517 AV Pavi/Grassland Sign , Common, Nari ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jez thought on the fact that ambush hunting was easier with a partner. Perhaps when he was able to hunt to a decent standard he’d visit one of his old friends to try it out. Mere and Kalmor were both able to hunt so maybe they’d be open to helping him. He was sure they’d have some extra tips for him at least. Adon spoke of consistency again as he prepared for his next shot. Jez would be sure to remember that even if his technique wasn’t technically correct yet, learning to be consistent with it would help him improve much faster in these early stages than constantly readjusting his aim and posture in the hopes of the arrow going where he wanted it to. “It’s good that you’re able to compensate like that,” he smiled, hand not holding the bow signing further to show his statement was referring to the other’s leg. His grin grew as Adon’s bolt finally hit its mark on this third shot, landing at the base of the bush. “It doesn’t look like you’re being hindered too much if you’re able to land your shots.” Jez looped his hand between the bowstring and bow, resting the weapon over his shoulder, as he discussed careers with the older man. He gestured to the purple sash around his waist, a symbol of his Clan. “It’s pretty obvious that I belong with the Amethyst Clan,” he laughed, “We breed fast horses and we navigate the Sea, though my Pavilion works as vets and handlers mostly. My brother, Caleb, embraces the spirit of our Clan the most; he specialises in horse care and spends most of his time alone with them. Although I am planning a trip to Riverfall just after the Triathlon and pray to Zulrav for guidance across the Sea.” Jez took up his bow again and placed another arrow over it. He drew the string back and took his shot. His bicep struggled to keep the same position as before and gave out as he released the shot, causing the arrow to fall short of the others. He chuckled and rubbed at his arm. “I definitely need some practise using these muscles. Pulling back this string the right amount is pretty tough.” ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ || Jez Firetongue || 25 years || Drykas || Amethyst Clan || Firetongue Pavilion || Strider-Wind || The Heart of Nature Soothes the Heart of Man More Than Any Woman Can

[Adon]

The youngster indicated that Adon compensated well for his leg, and for a moment the edges of his smile froze as memories of pain and struggle cascaded through his mind. Relearning to walk, to work, to ride... Then he deliberately widened his grin. "Thank you," he said. The kid meant well, no doubt. "It's sound enough, just shorter than the other. I guess thirty odd years of practice is good for something at least." He bent and hauled the string of his crossbow back once more, wincing as it bit into his fingers. He flexed them until the sting faded, then reached for a bolt.

"Ah, amethyst clan. I might have guessed. Without your horses, we wouldnt be going anywhere very fast." He made a note of the young man's Pavilion, in case he ever needed them, then slotted the bolt into place and lifted the crossbow to his shoulder. "The best of luck on your journey." He inched his aim up a little, and his bolt bounced off a branch and back towards him. He shook his head half in exasperation, half in resignation. "Oh yes, very good. One decent shot in four...." He set his crossbow down and limped across the ground to retrieve his bolts. A tilt of his head invited Jez to come and get his arrows as well.

"If your arm's giving out, perhaps it's time to give it a rest," he suggested. "These things don't all happen at once - muscles take time to learn new patterns of doing things. Come back to it in a bit. Do a bit more every day. And keep in mind it's going to hurt like you don't know what hit you the next morning!" He grinned for real this time. "I expect, though, being amethyst and a vet, you'll have something around for sore muscles, even if you brewed it up for the horses originally."

Boxcode by Shimoje