Solo [Antinous Training Grounds] On the Run

[Orion Michaels]

11th of Fall, 513 AV
Antinous Training Grounds
15th Bell

After an entire morning cooped up in the castle, it was refreshing to be outside in the training grounds. Dinah had lectured him for bells on the history of the pre-Valterrian countries and the cause of the great cataclysm that ripped the world apart. It was all wonderfully interesting information, but to spend that long listening to her talk, and talk, and talk some more, it was enough to drive any man insane. He’d never been so excited to shoot the stupid bow as he was at that moment.

Once he arrived, the blue eyed man found himself dragged to a part of the training grounds he had yet to utilize. There vaguely human shaped targets set up throughout the area, with ropes and pulleys extending throughout the grounds. There were additionally several wooden fortifications, about six feet tall and three feet across, spread throughout as well. The targets were sacks stuffed with straw, with a loop around their necks to allow for them to be attached to the pulleys and ropes. It didn’t take Orion long to figure out just what his patron had planned.

”Orion, I’m glad you could join me.”

Dinah emerged from behind one of the wooden structures, eyes falling on her squire’s. Her red hair was pulled back in a ponytail and it was a rare occasion where he didn’t see her in armor. She was dressed down, a simple black pair of slacks and a red shirt her choice for the afternoon. It was actually quite refreshing –not just because she looked good- to see her like that. It almost made her seem like less of an armorclad slave driver, and more of a, well, human.

”I didn’t realize this was a date, Dinah,” Orion replied as he strode up to her, the heavy armor clanking as the plates bounced against one another. ”I’d have dressed a little more appropriately if that were the case.”

”Sera Lorene,” she corrected, something she’d had to reminded the squire of hundreds of times since she came under her tutelage. ”And no, I need to have absolute mobility today. I’m going to be moving these targets about for you, after all. We’re going to turn you into a master marksmen, after all. Or at least someone who doesn’t have to swear after every shot.”

Orion grinned sheepishly, as he rotated the bow within his grasp. She knew him well. Archery and he rarely got along. It was an uncommon thing for him to actually be excited about practice. ”So what do you have in store for me then, Dinah?”

”I’ll get to it,” she replied. ”For now, get yourself warmed up. There’s a circular target over there. Practice a bit before we dive into things.” She motioned over to the round, multi color target, the type Orion was used to practicing on. ”You’re going to want to be nice and loose for this next bit. I can assure you that you won’t like it.”

Orion sighed and made his way over to the miniature firing range she had set up for him. It must have been good to be a high ranking knight such as her. The influence a knight could carry was nothing short of staggering. He’d barely been a part of her non patron duties, but when he had, she carried herself much differently than she did when she was teaching Orion. She had a confidence, an elegance about her.

There was no time to worry about it. He was here to train, right?

Orion took his free hand and rubbed it through his stubbly beard, his regarding the target with some scrutiny. It’s further away than normal… The line she’d set him up with was several paces further back than what the normal archery range had. Adjustments would have to be made.

Slowly, as his eyes narrowed into slits, Orion grasped an arrow from his quiver, bringing the wooden shaft to meet the sinewy bowstring, sliding the string into the small notch on the back of the feathered arrow. The squire glanced down quickly to check that his feet were set properly, and with them shoulder width apart, about even, he was satisfied with his base. He then drew the string back slightly as he brought it up to point the missile down range. He then took a deep breath while pulling the arrow back even further, the sweet creak of the wooden bow ringing in his ear as he gently grazed the side of his face with his thumb. After taking a moment to aim, he released his grasp on the arrow.

The string snapped forward, launching the dart forward, whizzing through the air quickly, and sinking almost as fast. It skittered harmlessly across the ground, bounding up and rebounding off the target itself before coming to a spinning stop with the arrowhead pointing back towards the squire.

”And that’s why I wanted you to warm up,” Dinah said, chuckling softly as she observed her squire at work.

”’twould have been a bull had the target been where I was used to, Sera Lorene,” he fired back, a small smirk touching his lips.

”Then I trust you shall ask your enemies to stand where you can take them out one by one, my squire? Law breakers and enemies of Syliras are known for their love of order, of course. Keep at it, Orion.”

[Orion Michaels]

Orion grabbed another arrow, turning his attention from Dinah back to the target. He needed to show he could actually do something with this bow. She was clearly going to put him through something more advanced in a short while, but the most simple of tasks still eluded his proficiency. If he was forced into anything beyond foot based melee combat, Orion was useless. Despite the time they’d spent training, he still had a long way to go before he was good enough to be called a knight.

The target felt like it was miles away, as though she was expecting him to be some archer of legend, taking out enemies from the shadows without them even knowing he was there. In truth the target needed to be further away than it already was. A knight who called the shortbow their weapon should have been able to consistently hit a human sized target from the current distance.

With an arrow in his grasp, Orion once more set about his routine. Placing his feet shoulder width apart, nearly in line with one another, his base was once more ready. He’d gone through the same humdrum again and again, but he wasn’t even close to consistent with his shot.

Since he was short, the remedy was to aim higher, right? He already found himself pretty good at being on the correct line for hitting the target, he just struggled mightily to gauge the proper distance. The bowstring gave as he drew it back and raised it to firing position. The squire took a few moments to initially aim his shot before completing his drawback, once more sliding his thumb along his cheek. He looked down the shaft of the arrow towards the round target, blue eyes studying the path he recalled the previous shot taking. To try and compensate for the dive in trajectory, Orion raised the bow several inches and then let loose his shot.

The missile sailed through the air, then sailed and sailed some more, clearing the target by a good foot or two before smacking into the wall behind it. Another failure in a never ending run of them. He needed to figure out what he was doing wrong, but it would have to come another time.

”Alright Orion, that’s enough missing for now. This next exercise is less about your accuracy, and more about reaction and quick thinking. While it would be nice if you could actually make contact, we’ll just get you used to movement while using your bow.” She waved Orion over to her place next to the wooden structure. ”Come over here and I’ll show you what I mean.”

Orion complied with his patron, but not without a cold glance backwards at the target he'd missed. She couldn't wait around on him forever, he knew that, and she'd given him all the tools he needed to fire a bow. He just had to keep practicing until he put those pieces together.

[Orion Michaels]

”Alright, Orion. Take a look at what we have here. There are going to be ‘guards’ moving about. That’s what these dummies represent. I want you to work your way through this area as quickly as you can, eliminating targets you go. I’m going to let you give it a try, and I’ll make corrections afterwards. I want to see what you’ve got.” With those words, Dinah began to walk away from her squire so she could move over to the rope pulleys and move the targets back and forth manually. ”Keep moving. Fire, eliminate, move. You’ve gotta get across here as fast as you can.”

Well this was certainly a step up from what he was accustomed to. Certainly more practical than firing at a stationary target, but what good was it going to do him to fire at moving ‘enemies’ if he couldn’t hit the circular and immobile ones?

There was no sense in fretting about it. It wasn’t as though he was anywhere but rock bottom as it were.

Orion placed his back square against the wooden wall, pulling an arrow free as he waited for Dinah’s command to begin. He wondered how fast the targets would be moving, how many there would be, and how long they would be doing this training. It was always a bit unnerving to start a new regiment such as this.

”Ready, Orion?”

”Yeah,” he replied, his heart ready to beat from his chest.

”Begin!”

The sound of a small metal wheel grinding began as Orion peek around the edge of his hiding place. The rope was slowly moving, bringing the straw dummy across his vision towards another one of the same wooden structures. The target disappeared from sight momentarily before the rope reversed direction and brought the dummy the opposite way.

Simple enough. Orion stepped out from behind the wooden barrier and notched his arrow, set his feet, and raised his bow, pulled back the string, and took several ticks to aim at the ‘guard’. He inhaled, and then exhaled while firing. Once released, the arrow whizzed through the air until gravity brought it down to the earth, missing behind its intended mark by several feet. Orion grimaced and fumbled for another arrow, shakily procuring another one from his quiver, standing out in the open all the while. The target disappeared behind the wooden frame once more.

While it was out of sight, the squire brought his weapon to the ready once more, taking aim at just past the edge of the frame. He would put an arrow in it right as it came into view. With the tips of his fingers curled around the bowstring, he waited until he saw the first sign of his foe and released. His reaction was slow and his aim was off, because the arrow sunk into the structure, rather than the straw man, and didn’t make impact until there was a fair distance between it and the wall.

This was proving to be more difficult that he’d imagined.

[Orion Michaels]

The dummy came to a stop, and Dinah came towards Orion, moving from her spot where she controlled its movement. ”Alright, let’s pause for a moment here. Remember what I said about movement in this drill, Orion? How much of that particular task have you been doing?”

Orion remained silent as the realization set upon him. He’d just been standing there, out in the open, firing wildly at a slowly moving enemy.

”None, right? You’ve got to make use of cover. It’s the difference between getting the jump on an enemy and letting them be the ones to pepper you with arrows. Come here.” Dinah walked over to the barrier which Orion had been using and placed her left shoulder against the side, just away from the edge. ”You can set yourself up like this so you can easily rotate your body to peek around the corner, get a peek at what’s going on, and then retreat back behind to safety. This allows you a chance to keep an eye on your target while minimizing the opening they have to spot you. What you don’t want to do,” she said, stepping out into the opening,”Is exactly what you were doing. Pop out, take your shot, get to cover. Got it? Let’s give it another try.”

The redhead knight set off on her way back to the ropes, ready to observe her squire at work once more. He had quite a bit yet to learn about tactical movement, and she was going to keep showing him how. It wasn’t enough to be able to swing a sword, and it wasn’t enough to be able to shoot a bow. He had to get himself into the correct position to use them most effectively. It came more instinctually to some than it did to others. It seemed Orion would need some extra attention here.

The squire placed his shoulder against the structure as Dinah had instructed, waiting for her cue for him to begin. He needed to make snap decisions and take out his foes with brutal precision. There was no reason to waste any precious moments standing out in the open.

”Begin!”

Once more the rope began its movement, the straw stuffed dummy tracking across the way. Orion took a deep breath grabbed an arrow, readying it against the string. He then rotated his body around the corner and brought the bow up to firing position. Blue eyes locked onto the target, so he pulled back, softly brushing his thumb against check, and released his arrow. It soared through the air, missing the target wide. Instead of sitting there and lamenting his poor luck, he retreated back behind the wall.

Breathing heavily, Orion retrieved another arrow, preparing himself to have another go at the dummy, but he knew he just couldn’t hit it from so far away. He glanced around the corner again; taking note of another one of the wooden walls that was just a bit closer.

”There we go,” he whispered to himself, turning to go and get to the other, closer frame. He waited until the dummy disappeared out of sight and then put one foot in front of the other to try and scurry quickly over to the other side. Needless to say, Orion’s tactical movement could stand for some improvement. His right foot slipped out from underneath him in the loose dirt that was added to this training area, sending the squires sprawling out into the opening, losing several arrows in the process. With no time to waste, Orion decided to sacrifice the arrows, pulling himself haphazardly back to standing where he again took off, one hand grasping the bow tightly, and the other making sure that the rest of his arrows were secure. Pumping his arms awkwardly, Orion placed one foot after the other whist rushing as quickly as he could manage to the other side, turning and slamming his back into the wall when he arrived.

If his heart was beating heavily before, he couldn’t begin to describe it now. The squire’s face flushed from embarrassment. The entire drill was going horrible, and it had just begun. If this had been a real assault, every guard in the city would be aware of the presence of one Squire Orion Michaels.

[Orion Michaels]

While Orion struggled to get his wits about him, the dummy continued its trek back and forth along the rope, waiting for the squire to sink an arrow in it and end its misery. The only issue was his inability to actually hit it. That had been his struggle throughout his training, and didn’t appear to be anything which was going away.

When the squire went to set himself up to be able to fire at the target again, he quickly found himself with another problem. It was much more natural to have his bow arm pressed against the wall than his firing one, and unfortunately, that was just the situation he was in. He wouldn’t be able to so smoothly slide around the corner when he was ready to shoot. He had to expose himself to this ‘dangerous foe’ and take aim.

He had to clear the wall, quickly figure out his target’s position, set his stance, draw properly, take aim, and fire at it, all in a matter of ticks. It took him long enough to get it when he wasn’t rushing to get himself together. Now he had to tie it together like it was second nature.

With an arrow in his hand, Orion jumped out from behind his cover, bringing the projectile against the string, or that’s what his intent was, at least. He initially missed the string, sending it sliding to the ground; another projectile wasted. He let out a string of curses, reaching frantically for another arrow.

”Keep moving, Orion!” Dinah’s voice carried throughout the training area as she watched her squire with interest. He was doing better this second time around, but he still wasn’t battle minded, and she knew nothing but battle itself was actually going to get him there. If nothing else, she would teach him not to freeze in the middle of combat, even if she had to run these drills again and again and again.

The reality of him sitting there sunk in, and he started moving over towards the next barrier, pulling another arrow free from the quiver. This time he was able to nock the arrow successfully, but trying to take good aim while moving wasn’t going to work well. He brought the weapon up to eye level and tried to take aim, but his movements weren’t smooth enough for him to get a good bead on the target. The arrow wavered in its place, as his feet tripped over one another in their attempts to move laterally to his foe. Still, he had to try, and he released the arrow when it seemed the head of the missile and the straw dummy were lined up.

The string snapped forward and escorted the deadly projectile forward. It sliced through the air, flying along its predetermined path. Naturally, that path was nowhere near the target. Missing high and to the right, Orion sighed as he disappeared behind the next structure, resting his left shoulder against it as he tried to slow his mind down. Before he could continue or try his next move, Dinah’s voice once more rang out.

”Go ahead and take a look at your quiver. I think you’re a little wild with your movements.”

Blue eyes trailed down to an empty quiver. He’d lost them all, like the fool he was. ”Son of a bitch..” Orion frowned as he heard the turning of the rope come to a stop. Soft footsteps approached the squire as he sat there lamenting his failure. How could he have been so sloppy? If it had been in a real battle, he would be doomed.

”You just need to be decisive and comfortable in your actions, Orion. It’ll come with time. And repetition. Believe you me, squire, you’ll have plenty of the latter. Go ahead and gather up your arrows and head over to the normal firing range. Clearly we have some mechanical flaws that need fixed. Get to it. Time is a’wasting.”

The squire chuckled in reply, moving to complete Dinah’s request. Sometimes he wondered if he would ever figure it out, but at least she seemed to be trusting him somewhat at the moment. It was a far cry from the previous season when she’d admitted a certain lack of faith in the former doctor. For the time being he could put that catastrophic fight behind him and set about becoming a better archer. That would take the rest of his life, anyways.

[Taylani]

XP Award!

Orion Michaels:

XP Award:

• +5 weapon: Short bow
• +2 Tactics

Lore:

• The freedom that happens just after a long lecture
• Combat: Make use of movement.
• Short Bow: Targets rarely stand where you are most comfortable shooting.
• Combat: The need to be precise and comfortable with your actions

Notes: I honestly didn’t see stealth here, I did give you a few points in tactics because Orion did begin to plan and strategize how to possibly hit the targets without being too tied up with things such as blocks etc. These are comments.

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TAYLANI