PM to join Aim High (Hadyn)

[Kyra]

Timestamp: 52nd Of Spring 513AV

The life of a wanderer is rarely boring, and if one wandered long enough they would surly find themselves in new and interesting surroundings. This had been the case for Kyra on this day. The young kelvic had set out again to explore the city and learn her way around better now that she might be staying for a long time. On her travel through the maze of corridors and levels, she heard talk about an arena where the common citizen could go to train and practice in weapons and the like. It had been sometime since she had practiced with her bow and decided that she would pay the arena a visit.

Kyra made her way across the district and to the Winthrop Alley, where the arena was settled. The girl stepped inside the stone walled off area and inside where she found bare, dirt covered ground. The arena was busy, as one might expect with all the buzz about the place and there was much going on. Even before she had entered, Kyra could hear the clashing of blades and the grunts of men in combat. Upon walking in, she noticed people paired off on mats, some wielding long swords and others with short, or some other type of weapon.

There were others standing around watching the dualist as they tested themselves against their fellow man. Off to the side, grouped in a part of the arena away from the rest was an area with target boards staked into the ground and facing away from the people. There were also hay stacks lined close to, and half way around the targets to collect the arrows that fell. With her short bow, and quiver strapped to her back, Kyra made her way over to use the makeshift range. There were less people standing about in there, and only two had been using the targets.

"I suppose I should wait.."

Kyra sighed and stood back and watched the archers at work. They were using different types than what she had, long bows, and one with a pointed sharp edge to it on both ends. She wasn't sure, but it looked as if the sharp edge was actually blades of some sort. If it was it would surly be useful in a fight if the archer became overwhelmed and their opponent was too close to fire upon. Once they were done and stepped away to collect their arrows, Kyra stepped up to use the range next.

[Hadyn Skellig]

It’d been at least two seasons since she’d made any attempt at practicing her already lacking archery skills. Having been taught by her brothers when she was a child, Hadyn ran through these exercises if only to honor the memory of her brother’s patience in teaching her all those years ago. She really had no expectation of using her archery skills (or lack thereof) in self-defense or even hunting. But the practice did hone her balance, patience and vision all of which were necessary in the forge.

The quiver brushed heavily against her shoulder blade as she shifted her weight to the other foot, the fletchings rustling quietly. To her displeasure the arena was obnoxiously busy this day. Hadyn much preferred displaying her deficient skills before as few spectators as possible. It seemed she’d have quite the audience today. Well bother, she thought as she waited her turn.

A petite blonde asserted herself as next in line, hopefully the last of these more skillful archers. Hadyn appraised her silently, hoping to appear somewhat knowledgeable of the art. From what she could discern the young lady was several years her junior and seemingly quite competent. Hadyn was more than content to let her have at it when a wiry fellow moved ahead of the smith, impatiently tapping one foot and scowling at the other woman. After a moment of querulously sighing and huffing, the male archer began stringing his bow, as if intending to cut the girl off from her allotted time.

“Y’might want to enter the queue,” Hadyn stated sedately to the man, nodding casually over one shoulder. He slid his dirty scowl her direction before jabbing a grubby finger at the blonde, all but forgetting the task at hand.

“I was here afore her,” he grumbled, sounding more like a petulant child than an aggrieved warrior.

“I have no such recollection,” the blacksmith replied just short of politely, a frown on her lips. “As it stands, you are well behind the both of us and would do well to wait your turn.”

Generally a quiet individual Hadyn found herself increasingly irritated by the young man’s clear disregard for order and civility. She hoped he would take the chiding like an adult and do the right thing but the glower he afforded her suggested he’d be troublesome a bit longer.

[Kyra]

Kyra stood ready to practice in the range. She eyed the targets set up, some positioned closer than others, as well as those staked against the tall hay stacks in the very back. She decided that she would work on speed to start. In the past, when it really counted she had been fast enough to get the job done, but that would only get her so far and save her so many times. When in battle the quickness of the pull could be the difference between life and death, and the girl certainly wasn't about to let short of speed be her undoing.

The young kelvic reached over her shoulder and pulled her short bow free and held it at her hip. She then reach back a second time and pinched an arrow from her quiver and notched it to the bow. With her eyes on the target, Kyra raised her bow and aimed it at the target closer to the back in the middle. Just as she was about to fire, she heard a commotion going on just behind her. This caused her to paused longer than she had wanted too as her ears prickered from their words.

She decided not to bother with it and spending more time in the city, the kelvic had quickly learned that there was always some sort of loud chatter or tussle going on in the city. The people there were raw in nature as well as in smell. Whatever was going on behind her wasn't her problem and they weren't speaking to her either. Attempting to calm her mind and get back to the task at hand, Kyra took a breath and found her target again.

Just as she released the string to send the arrow into motion, she felt a sudden jab in her shoulder. The jab was hard enough to force her shoulder to jump which also caused her aim to be off and the arrow disappeared into the haystacks. Kyra pouted and dropped her arms as she looked ahead, she had lined it up perfectly and would have surely made her shot,if not the for the poke. The girl spun around then, to find out who or what had poked her. Kyra stared up at a big man much taller than she, and who seemed to be in a bad mood.

"You really shouldn't go around poking people, it's very rude and you caused me to miss."

Kyra was a kitten for revenge in every sense of the word, but the girl knew that she had to be careful now. She wasn't in Ravok any longer, she was in Syliras now where their Knights patrolled the streets and would quickly haul a person off for the smallest of crimes. Getting noticed by them would be bad for her, after the trouble that she was in on her last visit. "If you're in such a hurry than you should have gotten here sooner. It's my turn now and you must simply wait your turn." Kyra turned back around then and pulled another arrow from her quiver, she would try and behave herself better than she had before, but she wasn't about to be pushed around...never again.

[Hadyn Skellig]

This venture was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth. Impressed that the girl could stand up for herself, Hadyn decided to mind her own business. It wasn't her place to reprimand the fellow unless he was affording her trouble.

"She needs to quicken up, makin' me wait like this," the man grumbled though he remained still. The girl readied another arrow as the chap dug his toe into the ground impatiently. Hadyn's expression darkened as she waited for her turn. It was likely this idiot would throw a similar fit once the girl had finished.

"You'll not be jumpin' ahead of me," she stated with a nod to the young woman. "You can wait as I am. I won't be more than a few moments after she's through."

He muttered something vicious under his breath, turning his gaze from her to the girl practicing. He appeared a caged animal, ready to strike at the earliest opportunity. Where do these halfwits come from? Hadyn kept an eye on him but figured as long as he was minding the rules, she wouldn't bother with him. But it seemed his patience was spent.

"For the love of the gods," he spat, pointing his bow in the direction of the girl, nearly touching her. "How much practice could y'need? Go'n home, yer wastin' me time!"

[Kyra]

With her back to the people behind her, Kyra notched the next arrow to her bow and raised it towards the target again. She hadn't planned for how long she wanted to practice, but she hadn't imagined the place would be as busy either. This was the first time that the young kelvic had been to an archery range in the city and so she didn't know what rules they had for them.

Standing in the enter, her bow raised and the arrow aimed at the target she had focused on before, a though crossed her mind. She looked around at the many targets in front of her, all arranged out across a line much bigger than what her small frame stood in. The thought stirred something in her, but she remained focused and fired the arrow. It soared across the short distance and slammed into the board just above the center point.

It wasn't a perfect shot, but with other thoughts on her mind had made it a bit harder to concentrate. Lowering her bow, the girl spun around to look at the man and woman standing behind her. "Excuse me, but well...there are many targets positioned here. Can't we all use them at the same time? I am still very new to this city and I do not understand all of it's rules, but if this is ok, I'm sure the three of us can use this together...unless that is wrong?"

She fell silent for a tick, her golden eyes roaming back and forth between the two people as she searched their features for their true feelings on the matter. Kyra shrugged her shoulders a moment later and turned back around to face the targets again. There were even more people behind them now than the last time she had looked back, but she wasn't sure if they were wanting to practice or just watch. "This place is far too busy."

This time she set her sights on the target placed furthest to the back and the highest of all. This would be a more difficult shot to pull off, but she was sure that she could do it. The idea was the same as what she had done in the mountains when she and others had faced off against the hoard of yukmen. Kyra took another arrow and notched it to her bow, raised it higher than she had the last time, and fired. The arrow was launched into an arch and curved downward mid flight to slam into the target a little to the left of the main mark.

"Oh poo..."

[Hadyn Skellig]

With a nasty scowl, the chap grumbled to himself - something about having the whole range to himself. Hadyn kept quiet, her gaze on her bow as she took her sweet time attaching the string. The man was silent for a moment more before tossing an irritated hand up and shaking his head.

"The the abyss with ye," he growled to himself, turning on his heel and taking a swift leave. He brushed past Hadyn, bumping her shoulder his without much intent. Rolling her eyes skyward the blacksmith inhaled slowly to avoid a rash response. Once he was safely away, the woman shook her head.

"The balls on him, eh?" she declared to the other archer. She wasn't expecting a response as it seemed the girl was preoccupied by her task. Hadyn was always surprised by the gall of some folk and this man was no different. "Could've waited his turn an' had a go at it."

Her accent was that of the lower class, clipped words and altered phrases apparent to those of the city. But to a newcomer she simply had a drawling accent. Shaking her head again, the woman looked to the blonde girl, wondering if she'd acknowledge her statement or finish her archery and be off as well.

[Kyra]

Kyra glanced back after the man made his final speech and brushed passed the other people to take his leave. "I suppose...he didn't want to share?" She didn't understand the man's need for the complete use of the range. As skilled as he may have been, there was no way that he could fire at all the targets at once, which would leave others open for more archers to use. It was best that he left as it seemed he was having an issue with the young woman behind her as well.

The young kelvic shrugged her shoulders and turned back around to focus on the range. Her arm lifted, wrist bent, and nimble fingers moved to pinch an arrow and pull it free of the quiver. Her eyes moved over the targets again as she thought inwardly about which she wanted to try next. Once she found one, she notched her arrow to her bow. The girl paused suddenly as her ears prickered from the soft tone of the woman's voice from behind her.

"That man was a brute, there are a lot of them in this city it seems."

Kyra fell silent for a tick and her gaze fixed upon a target board close to the one she had fired upon a moment ago. It wasn't a difficult shot, but her aim would have to be higher and tilted towards her right unless she decided to move from where she stood. "I don't see why we can't both practice at the same time. But if you'd prefer to wait until I'm done, that is your choice."

With her attention returned to the targets, Kyra raised her bow, and pulled the string back passed her cheek, and released the arrow. The bow shook weakly, and the string vibrated almost audibly as the arrow was launched across the lower targets and slammed into the center eye of her chosen mark. "Now that is more like it."

[Hadyn Skellig]

Hadyn was feeling uncharacteristically chatty this afternoon. Perhaps it was the booze she'd slammed that morning with the other blacksmith, Yorick on account of losing a bet. Or perhaps it was the warm feeling of victory as the disruptive man took his frustration elsewhere. But the woman had a mind to engage the blonde in conversation, if only to waste some time.

"You're a fair shot," Hadyn remarked, canting her head to the girl's bow. "I could use a bit of help m'self as I'm worse than a blind Jamoura at this. No pressure upon you, Miss."

Shyke, she sounded like she was trying to pick the girl up. With a quick shrug, the blacksmith quickly reworded the statement, feeling immediately awkward. This is exactly why she tended to keep her mouth shut. Sounded like a petching teenager, she did.

"That is, I'm tired of embarrassin' myself in front of these archers. You seem skilled in the art. Any wisdom you could share, I'd be obliged."

Hadyn was starting to regret this little outing. Hopefully the girl would write her off as being touched in the head and not flay her for indecent conversation.

[Kyra]

Kyra was somewhat satisfied with the marked shot. The kelvic was getting much better with her bow, but there was something missing here. There was only a thunk in the board, a simple shake and nothing more. She wanted a shriek, a tumbling body that soon fell to the ground, a meal ripe for the picking. Kyra missed the hunt, but living in the city, there wasn't as much a need to do so on a daily basis.

She was gearing up to make another shot when the woman spoke to her and said something that caught her attention. "A... blind Jamoura? What is that? Is that what he was?" she added, motioning with her large eyes to the man that had left a few moments before. It was an odd name, and the sound, pronunciation had no meaning for her.

""I can help you, I do not mind." Kyra answered as she lowered her bow and stepped aside to allow the woman to take her place. "I would like to see how you use your bow first, if you don't mind?"."

[Hadyn Skellig]

"Oh, em," Hadyn laughed apprehensively. She didn't quite know the answer to the girl's question. It was just a saying she'd picked up. Although there was some vague idea in her mind as to a Jamoura, it wasn't much to impress anyone with. But the girl had moved on, willing to help the hopeless blacksmith with her skill (or lack thereof).

"Certainly."

She nodded and set herself to the task. It'd been some time since she'd done anything involving the old bow. It'd been her father's, the long bow bearing evidence of wear. But it was solidly made and honed by a master of his craft. It fit nicely in her hand, Hadyn's height befitting of the bow. She drew an arrow from the quiver, lining it up with the target and setting it to the bow. Her arm was cocked and ready for instruction, aware that there was something she wasn't doing correctly. Was it her foot placement? Perhaps her sight was off. Certainly she'd overdrawn the arrow. She glanced nervously at the blonde.

"I'm a mess, I know."