Solo [The Bronze Woods] A Struggle of Mind

[Orion Michaels]

15th of Winter
The Bronze Woods
17th Bell

The knightly group had taken a moment to break for some rest as the weary travelers were beginning to suffer the effects of the winter. The snow was deeper than most had ever seen, and the horses were less than pleased by this fact. Their riders were no less contented than their mounts. Still, they were making progress as they bravely trudged through the bitter winds and powdered precipitation. 

After the camp was set, Orion excused himself from the rest of the group, masking his momentary separation under the guise of archery practice. In truth Orion just needed a break from the madness and a chance to be alone with his thoughts. It hadn't been long ago that he had collided full for with rock bottom, and the blue eyed man was steel reeling from the force. It had been difficult to start his path to repentance, and accepting his past had proven to be a tremendous impediment to his progress. 

Orion's fingers slipped around the end of the wooden arrow as he stared across a small clearing. His eyes focused on what were the remains of what appeared to have once been quite the robust tree. It seemed that it had had its upper half ripped off, and that section was nowhere to be found.  The rest of the wood would make a fine target for Orion to blow off a little steam. Slowly, he withdrew the arrow from the leather quiver, fingers rubbing against the feathers of the other projectiles. The squire squeezed his bow with his other hand and let out a soft sigh as he prepared himself for a rapid fire drill. He would loose five arrows in quick succession and let his mind wander as he set to retrieve those arrows. If it would let him wait that long. 

With no pressure on him other than that which he put on himself, Orion's firing motions were smooth. In one fluid motion the arrow moved from the quiver to the bow, resting on the arrow rest. His control the grip tightened as he engaged the muscles of his arm, shoulders, and back in drawing the string back as he began to take aim. Inhaling as he pulled, Orion simultaneously set about aiming, this time utilizing a new technique he'd seen other bow users take advantage of his last time at the range. 

Rather than aim off of feel, the arrow itself could be used as a makeshift 'sight'. Depending on the distance that the target was away, you either aimed the arrow at the bottom of the target if it was a close foe, or at the top if it was further way. While imperfect, it was also generally more accurate than the way he'd been firing. It was a slightly more advanced technique, and one he would need some practice in which to perfect.

The tip of the arrow focused on a knot near the base of the tree. Orion held his aim for a few ticks before letting it fly. It soared through the air and whizzed towards its target before sinking into the wood several feet above the knot. He took no time to admire the handiwork, it was basically where he'd planned on hitting. Instead he immediately set about retrieving another arrow, repeating the firing process. Retrieve, nock, draw, aim, fire. Each time he set the arrow on the knot, using it as the foundation for his shot. Despite his attempt to replicate each shot perfectly, the spread on the arrows was rather large. Each of the five arrows had struck the tree, but there was upwards of two feet between the furthest points. The squire had some practice to do, so he set about moving to retrieve his arrows.  

[Orion Michaels]

There were so many questions to be answered, but he could never find the answers. That was the norm for him, though. What was troubling for the squire was the fact that he couldn’t find the time to even begin seeking these answers. There was armored to be cared for, weapons to tend to, sparring to be done, and lessons to learn. Add his familial obligations and duties and it was a chore to find a chime for himself. It was a constant struggle, and Orion actually enjoyed the patrols because it gave him an opportunity for introspection and reflection, something he’d been lacking when within the confines of Syliras.

With his arrows removed from the tree, Orion began to make his way back to his makeshift firing line. The ever growing snow made it rather simple to run his foot along it and mark his spot. With each step, Orion sank into the powdery snowfall, the crunching of the precipitation beneath his armored form almost satisfying.

While he knew he was going to keep firing, that was about all he was certain about. Hadyn, Emily, Liam, the knights, and now even Alevadra had thrown herself into the mix as at least a mentor he’d not expected. Their interactions had been more than pleasant thus far, and it had been longer than he could recount that a stranger had come into his life and made such an immediate impact. It had thrown him for a loop, and it all combined together in one big mess.

As he returned to his starting point, Orion decided to change up his game. Rather than trying to put all the arrows on the same point, he would continue to practice his same aiming technique, but this time each consecutive arrow would become the new anchor point for his aiming. It seemed simple enough, but so many things had disguised themselves as simple only to be so much more later down the line. It was a lesson he’d been given time and time again, though it hadn’t sunk into the squire’s thick skull all the way.

The first shot was simple enough. He just had to repeat what he’d been doing. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with the new aiming technique, but that’s why he was doing this. Sure, he could repeating firing at the same spot over and over, but if he couldn’t adjust his sights quickly to hit different targets, it did him no good.

Slender fingers danced nervously over the tops of his arrows as Orion contemplated his actions. He knew he should fire, keep practicing, but in reality, his mind was nowhere near his training. It was on those who shared with him those piercing blue eyes. It was a woman with chestnut hair with whom he'd barely learned to be civil. It was on a knight who stood out with her wits and multi-colored hair. It was on a patron that never stopped pushing him, even when a break would have been more beneficial. It was on a lifestyle he'd given up, and on one he wasn't sure he could maintain.

The first arrow found its way into Orion's grasp, spinning in the quiver as Orion's twisted the projectile slowly. Silently, he pulled the piercing object from its place, sighing as he prepared himself to shoot.

The tension that grew through his arm when he drew back his bow was something the squire was beginning to enjoy. He was beginning to wonder, however, if it would do him more good to get a bow with a stronger pull. While it would take some time to get used to the change, the stopping power of the weapon would benefit him in the event he actually had to turn it on someone.

Inhaling as he placed the arrow and pulled back, Orion set his sights on that same knot in the wood, finished his drawback, aimed, and released the string. Desperate to return to its normal resting position, the bowstring rebounded once freed, launching the arrow towards the tree. With a satisfying twang and an expected thud, the tree had been hit.

Orion wasted no time, instead reaching for another arrow to continue his assault on the unsuspecting tree. Using the first arrow as his anchor point, the squire took a few ticks to settle himself on the new target, nocking the arrow on its rest before drawing back and resting his thumb against his cheek. There he rested for a few more ticks, feeling the familiar burn in his arm and shoulder while he made sure he was on target. The next part was both simple and extremely difficult in its own way. He had to let the string slide from his grasp without anticipating it. He wasn't pushing the string back to its place. He was simply allowing it to go back to it's natural state.

While exhaling, he loosened his fingers that were holding the bowstring and place, and when enough pressure had been released the string shot forth, twanging as he returned to its base state. The second arrow struck true, leaving two arrows in the tree, starting the climb up the massive trunk.

Three more times did Orion fire, and three more times did he hit. When the squire went to retrieve his arrows, however, he wasn't pleased with this fact. What he'd tried to do was hit the exact same spot on the trunk, only higher, to create a straight line. Instead, the arrows, while all embedded in the target were uneven, zig-zagging up the front of the damaged timber. He had his work cut out for him, that much was clear.

[Orion Michaels]

Emily was a constant worry on the squire’s mind. Orion’s foul-mouthed daughter had been opening up to her father in recent times, but he was concerned that his sudden departure from Syliras had had damaged their fragile relationship badly. He’d only been home ten days before he’d been summoned to return to the wilds of Syliras. Emily’s tantrum had been a thing of beauty. Kicking, screaming, crying, yelling, and flopping about. It was the most absurd thing Orion had seen. Worst of all, it broke his heart. She claimed to despise him, but the thought of him leaving threw her into a rage.

”What am I supposed to do with her?”

Orion mused aloud the question that had been tormenting him since he’d taken guardianship of the rambunctious youth. It wouldn’t be much longer until he left Syliras for a few seasons, a year, or even longer, depending on where the knights sent him. He obviously couldn’t take Emily with him, and he couldn’t dream of imposing on someone to the point of having her stay with someone. He wasn’t even sure he knew anyone well enough to ask. The only constants in his life at this point were Dinah and sort of Hadyn. The latter hadn’t even met the child. He’d bleed his funds dry paying for her while he was gone, and he didn’t even know how long that would be. What if his prepayment ran out? What would happen to Emily? Tossed to the streets? The Orphanage? He didn’t have an answer, and that’s what was terrifying.

His hand rested atop his arrows as he considered his next move, both in practice and in life. ”Things are simple enough with you, bow,” he said spoke aloud to himself. ”I just have to do the same thing over and over again, and as long as I’m doing it right, I’ll find success.” Plucking an arrow from his quiver, he placed it against the string and began to draw back. ”If only life were that simple. Even if I’m doing it right, if I do the same thing again and again, it will eventually be wrong.” He’d locked onto individual paths more times than he could remember and stuck to them until he ran into a wall. Then and only then would he seek a new path. At least until he’d found himself with the option of joining the knighthood. [b]”I wonder, Orion, will you reach your limits here? Will you seek a new road to follow?”

He fired the first round of this salvo, letting the bowstring slip from his grasp. The projectile sunk into the flesh of the wood, just off to the side of the first arrow he’d fired in his last round. With a slow, sweeping movement, Orion claimed another arrow from his quiver, bringing it up and over his shoulder and head before notching it and drawing back once more. His elbow remained tucked and his feet correctly placed, one slightly in front of the other with his body twisted slightly to the side. This compact, quick drawl let him find his target quickly, and using his last shot as his anchor point for his aim, Orion inhaled and then exhaled upon his release.

Again, a projectile whizzed through the air, finding its place in the tree several inches above the last shot. It was also two full inches to the side, just as his last shot had been. A frown crawled on his lips as he grabbed another arrow, seeking to remedy this error. He was never one to seek perfection; his life had long since shown him this was unattainable. Yet, for some reason, it’s all he wanted at that moment.

Orion took his time on the following shot, trying to see if he was doing anything wrong. Before grabbing an arrow he checked once again to ensure he was positioned properly. His feet were just slightly more than shoulder width apart, with his left foot just a bit further ahead of his right. His left toe was pointed down range at his target. The squire then brought his bow arm up at the same time he reached with his right hand to obtain another arrow. Once it rested in the nock, he pulled back while inhaling and touched his thumb to his cheek. It was his all too familiar way of letting himself know he’d drawn back enough. With his own gentle caress, he finished his aim, holding steady for a few ticks before letting his shot fly. While he did manage to hit the tree once again, the spacing of his arrows was off, and again, it was several inches askew of center.

The squire’s next two shots gave him much the same result. He did everything right, identical to his previous shot, but they never hit exactly where he was aiming. He was about to give up and call it a day, but thinking better of it, the squire decided to finish his last shot of the round. When he released it, however, a gust of wind came up, blowing not only the snow, but the arrow, sending it flying off course and into the distance past the tree.

A smirk grew on Orion’s lips.

It was perhaps overly simple, but the blue eyed man took a bit of a lesson from that simple act of nature. ”I can do everything right, and it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

”Squire Michaels,” came the cry of one of his companions. ”You’re up for next watch. Get yourself over here!”

With a nod, the squire went to retrieve his arrow, a somber smile soft on his features. He was nowhere closer to an answer he sought, but he did have a new light at which to look at things. Whether that would have a negative or positive effect on the elder squire’s outlook, however, was something he would have to sift through himself.

”The answer to a question always seems to be another question,” he remarked quietly, returning to the rest of the knights and squires. He had to a long, cold night ahead of him, and a million thoughts to discover.

[Accolade]

Orion Michaels

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Short bow	+ 3 XP
Planning	+ 1 XP
Tactics	+ 1 XP

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	Technque: Retrieve, nock, draw, aim, fire
•	Technque: Layering arrows
•	Continplations on a life: Being a man

Notes :

I always love a training thread sprinkled with a bit of whining from an adult man. Nice job.

The Sylir has spoken

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