[Flashback] Home on the Range [Finished]

[Sairque]

38 Summer, 505 AV
Twin Lakes

The lakes were busy today. Down at the far end, goats were being sheared, the fluffy bundles of fur carried into the Inner Warrens by a long line of Dek. Several Yasi were playing in the warm water, practicing both swimming and showing off. Overhead, Eagles circled, unmindful of the various smaller raptors dodging in and out at the beckoning of their masters so far below. And, most importantly, someone had been so kind as to set up several targets down at the range.

There were a few archers lounging down at the sandy beach, with their bows and arrows carefully set aside. Sai gave them a cursory glance before positioning herself roughly fifteen paces in front of the target furthest from the lake. One of the archers noticed her, but didn't say anything so she went ahead and knocked an arrow.

The bow was old, well worth retiring and replacing, but it was such a smooth draw. The young Endal looked down the arrow, past the practice tip, to the bullseye, and held her breath before releasing her hold on the string. Thunk. Immediately, she pulled another arrow and knocked it. This close the target, her warm up range, she was sure to hit somewhat close with little difficulty.

[Aidara]

Aidara had followed her sister down to the lakes, her bow held lazily in one hand. The girl was hardly awake, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand as she trudged onward. Sure, it was early afternoon, but that meant nothing if you were up until dawn. It had taken all of the girls will power to move her butt out of bed this morning. It was Sai's idea to start practicing their shots, Addy just wanted to practice sleeping. Plopping herself down in the shade of a large tree, the redheaded girl watched as her sister moved towards the targets and began to fire rapidly. How Sai could get her muscles to do that much work, this early in the.....afternoon...was beyond her sister. Addy's jaw cracked with the force of her next yawn, and she gave in to her exhaustion, sprawling back on the grass and closing her yes. "You're snoring, lovely sister." The snarky voice interrupted her wonderful dreams, reenactments of her activities the previous evening. Mm. A huge, full body stretch and Addy pushed herself up onto her elbows, gazing up at her sister, who had paused her practice to taunt her and ruin her nap. "Yeah, I was having a lovely dream too. Your voice ruined it. Your voice ruins most things. I'm going for a dip, get out of my way." Addy wasn't in any mood for her sisters haughty attitude, and pushed her way past her twin with out another word. Stripping as she walked, her clothes falling in a trail behind her, Addy plunged into the lake before she could even think about how cold it would be. Many seconds passed before the girl's head bobbed above the surface, somewhere near the center. Addy gasped at the warmth, scrubbing the water that dripped into her eyes, smoothing back her hair as she tread water. Goosebumps covered the skin exposed to the air, and she submerged again momentarily as she waited for her body to adjust to the new temperature.

[Sairque]

Who was the haughty one, here? Sai stared at her sister for long moments, watching her stomp her way to the lake and then immerse herself.

"Your voice ruins most things," Addy had said. Biting back on the flash of anger, Sai turned back to the target and knocked another arrow. It had a root emotion, but that root was shorn off before it could grow. An offshoot sprang up in it's place. Anger. Tight and vicious. It was always like this. Addy could bypass the cold calculating fury that came first with all others and skip right to the blinding fury that was so debilitating. There was no reason for the whelp to behave this way. They had agreed to come out here to practice, and Addy needed to be held accountable for her word.

It was getting easier to take the high road. Ever since they had got in that scrap over Addy's childish behavior toward Sai getting her bond, Sai was able to put the fury that she sparked in a little box and analyze the situation. It wasn't always a sure bet, it wasn't easy, but sometimes it happened without Sai even realizing it. Like this afternoon. Sai, the bow string digging into the soft flesh of her fingertips, focused on the bullseye. The string chaffed the pads as she released it, her hand hovering near her ear even after the arrow thudded home. Addy could have her swim, and Sai would practice, and Addy would calm down and that would be that.

The well-loved bow was gently set at her feet before she went to retrieve her arrows. Blades of grass tugged at her boots as she walked, kicking up the smell of spring. Addy would enjoy her swim, find it invigorating and hopefully shake off her morning grump. Arrows returned to the quiver, Sai picked the bow back up and moved two steps back.

Draw. Smoothly, the bow lifted, the string met her ear, her elbow rotated out of the way. Aim. Hips and shoulders squared up, one yellow eye gazed down the shaft to the bullseye. Breath. Inhale, exhale, hold. Tighten your frame, hold your frame. Release. Fingers splayed, the snap of the string breezed her face, her left arm absorbed the momentum not taken by the arrow as it shot out. Be still. Her right hand was still held up by her eye, fingers straightened but relaxed now.

The process would be repeated until the whole quiver had been gone through or she had made enough accurate shots to warrant stepping back a few paces.

[Aidara]

The heated water gradually loosened her muscles, warming her from head to foot. Relaxed, Addy floated on the surface of the lake with her eyes closed as her body warmed and her temper cooled. Shame and guilt washed over her, face wrinkling into a scowl as she played the conversation with her sister over in her head. She should probably apologize, it was uncalled for. She wasn't too prideful to be able to admit when she was wrong, but confrontation with her sister always left her with a sour taste in her mouth, and the urge to avoid the woman for a least an hour or two. The pain or disappointment on a face that looks so much like your own is a tough thing to deal with. Not to mention how closely they were tied. She might as well have shot herself in the foot. A few more moments in the warm water though, before she would face her sister. Addy turned from her floating position and dove into the depths of the lake. Arms and legs kicked as she propelled herself through the water, but it wasn't more than a few seconds before her head broke the surface and she was gasping for breath. Shew, she was out of practice. As a child, Aidara and Sai used to have contests to see who could hold their breath for longer. It took many years, mainly after Sai met Catabasis, for Addy to win. She enjoyed the lakes. It was calm, serene...The perfect place to escape anything, and just submerge yourself- literally. Swimming was Aidara's form of meditation. She couldn't swim far, fast or for a long time. But floating didn't take more skill than a humans natural ability to be buoyant. It got to the point that as the warm lake washed over Addys head, the thoughts or feelings the woman was trying to escape from at that moment in time rolled off her like water. But not today. Guilt ate at her stomach, ruining any chance of relaxing while she floated. Drat. A deep breath, and Addy shook herself, as if trying to shake away the annoyance. Kicking, Addy propelled herself towards the shore in a sloppy breast stroke, standing once it became shallow enough. Shaking herself like a wet dog (As she had no towel), the woman went to retrieve her clothes. Loath at the idea of putting them on soaking wet, she decided to sun herself dry for the time being. Sprawling out on the sun warmed grasses, Addy dozed once more. It was when the sun got a little too hot that Addy awoke, wincing as she sat up. Great, she was going to have a full body sunburn. Of course Sai wouldn't have woken her up. Swallowing her newly risen anger, she pushed herself to her feet and snagged up her clothes. Fully dressed and with bow in hand, Addy moved to her sisters side and waiting until all the arrows in the quiver were gone to speak. "I'm sorry, your voice is lovely."

[Sairque]

The string twanged and the arrow took off, Sai, bow still lifted, rubbed her right eye. Leaving it open for the long periods it took her to aim was leaving it dry and itchy. Blearily, she blinked, gazing around while waiting for it to clear. Addy shook off, hair defying gravity and body twisting this way and that, Sai looked back to the target. The way she had been moving made her breasts look like deflating bladders, Sai smiled at her unvoiced retort. Addy was still pouting and would not take the comment in good nature. Another arrow was knocked. Maybe this one would be the bullseye.

"I'm sorry, your voice is lovely," Aidara apologized, sincerely and awkwardly.

Sairque, inquisitive eyes lifting from her raw finger tips, regarded her with one quirked eyebrow. A single shoulder shrug, lifted and dropped, answered. The pink skin, injured by the sun and no doubt a displeasure to the wearer, for what would she ever find to match that exact shade, wasn't commented on either.

"Don't worry about it, cranky pants, I'm not made of porcelain," she teased comfortably, rubbing her thumb over the sensitized flesh of the top most flexion lines on her middle and ring fingers. The hand dropped and she headed over to retrieve her arrows. For a few of them she had to wander around behind the target until they were spotted in the grass. Inspecting the tips, she made her way back to where Addy had been left.

"Do you still want to practice?" Sai had left her bow leaning against the back of the target, protected from any stray arrows or rough housing bodies. The quiver was offered to her sister so she wouldn't have to go back and forth so many times. "I'm gonna stretch for a bit, rest my arms."

To the side of the chute, Sai started the aforementioned stretching. Upper body first. Arms, back, abs, shoulders, chest. It took quite a while to get through them all, having to hold each position for a count of one hundred. Body string-like and malleably relaxed, the girl tilted forward into a hand stand. The first time she fell, it was a graceful roll forward, the momentum of her body carrying her all the way back to her feet. The second time she fell, went much the same way. The third time she fell, her body pitched sideways like a dead tree. Bounding to her feet, eyes furtively cast this way and that for onlookers, she brushed herself off. Ahem.

By the sixth handstand, the great feat of keeping her hands under her shifting weight was discovered and led to a great breakthrough in crumpling straight down onto her head repeatedly.

[Aidara]

"Yes, I am going to practice." Still feeling a tad snarky, Addy's reply came out a little harsher than she had intended. Though showing no outward sign of regret, the girl sighed mentally. Not exactly sure how her mood turned so sour, she was also confused why she even cared. Her sister felt no apparent shame in smothering her twin with teen angst, whenever Sai felt it was necessary to "put Addy in her place." Pft, whatever. " 'Cause throwing yourself all over the grass is clearly resting your arms, am I right?" Snarkity-snark-snark-snark. Damp hair was gathered and twisted into an out-of-the-way knot on the top of her head. The bow Addy retrieved from besides the tree was not much newer than her sisters, though it was hers, not borrowed. Just as well loved, and still in perfect condition. Meticulous as always, Addy sat and nestled the bow between her knees as she worked to hook the string into place. Fingers almost lovingly traced the shaft of the bow, checking for any scratches, dings, or breaks. Of course, there weren't any. Rising once more Addy marched on over to the target, turned her back on it and paced off twenty feet. One final about-face and she began to prepare. While rolling each shoulder to loosen the muscles, the girl eyed the well-used target, gauging the direction and force of the wind as well as just exactly where the sun was. Feet moved shoulder length apart as she aligned her body with the target. Shoulders were squared as she drew herself up to full height (which still wasn't anything really all that considerable), her muscles tensing as she began to test the resistance of her bow with no arrow knocked. In a practice draw, Addy quickly heaved the bow up to chest height, looking passed the bow towards the target and minimally adjusted her position. The string was quickly brought back, elbow high and by her ear. A deep breath and the string was released with a twang. Green eyes watched the imaginary arrow fly towards the target. Pursing her lips, Addy placed her bow gently on the ground. Apparently the fake arrow hadn't hit true enough. Her draw was weak, not nearly enough power for the arrow to punch through the air, let alone anything substantial. A few additional rolls of her shoulders and Addy began to stretch her arms, for maybe her muscles were too tight. Left elbow was taken in her right hand and pulled towards the right side of her body, her torso twisting simultaneously. The stretch was held for a matter of seconds before released and repeated three more times. The same for her right arm. Taking a deep breath, she held it for a moment before pushing it quickly from her lungs, the strong exhale almost whistling through her lips. Stooping to retrieve the bow, it was time for attempt two. With an arrow this time. Choosing carefully from her quiver, Addy placed the arrow against the string, careful to avoid crushing the fletching. The same process was repeated as before. Shoulders and body aligned, bow snapped up and into position, sight along the bow before the string was even drawn back a fraction of an inch. A deep breath and the muscles in her arms flexed, the bows resistance causing a delicious tension that tested her muscles to the max. Before the strain became too much, the string was released. Addy pulled her fingers back from the twanging bowstring before it could snap at her fingers. Instead, it slapped against her wrist, causing the girl to gasp out loud in pain. Damn, she'd forgotten her wrist guard. Her gaze followed the arrow on it's path towards the bulls eye; or in this case, towards the outer ring of the target. Not too bad. However, she could do better. Determination set her lips into a thin line, all her attentions focused on her new goal as she plucked up another arrow and began to set up her next shot.

[Sairque]

Well then. Sai straightened up, getting her feet under her and standing slowly. Unflinchingly, her yellow eyes bored into the green ones of her companion, posture shifting to become more aggressive. This attitude of hers wasn't going to be tolerated. If Addy was going to engage in this juvenile boundary-testing then Sai was going to make the limits of her patience painfully clear. The young Endal wasn't going to tolerate having her sister's bad mood taken out on her when she had taken the high road once already this morning.

There were no other necessary actions or words, just the stare and body language; Addy knew her well enough to know that she was being given a fair opportunity here and if she didn't take it but continued making comments then Sai wasn't going to be fair when she took the girl's bow and beat her with it. Okay, so she wouldn't actually do anything quite that bad, but the young healer wouldn't enjoy whatever it was that she did decide to do. But Addy kept her mouth shut and turned her full attentions on the target before her.

Sai, annoyed, pitched forward into another hand stand. The methodical focus that had descended on her at the prospect of a physical altercation helped her balance. She knew exactly what her feet and knees were doing, where the weight of her torso was shifting, and when to calmly scoot her right hand to nip a lean in the bud. She froze in place, precariously balanced with her legs at odd angles and her braids pouring to the ground, the voluminous bryda sagging down over her abs. It felt like an eternity but in reality it was only about eight seconds before she toppled forward in the middle of desperately trying to catch her tipping body. Her body sagged down onto her head and, curled up, she rolled forward and take the strain off her neck.

Sitting on her butt, legs splayed before her, the slender woman suddenly rocked backward, one knee pulling to her chest to create more momentum. Bringing her hands up beside her head, she rolled over in what looked to be a backwards somersault until she pushed off with her arms and levered her upper body into the air. For long seconds after she had landed on her feet, the woman's head swiveled in different directions as she looked around. Somebody else had seen that, right? Well, either way, yay for her.

In front of her, the healer had finished all the arrows in the two quivers. Her successful streak had to hold, so she strode over to retrieve her arrows and bow. Counting off fifteen paces from the target next to Addy's, Sai stopped and adjusted the arrows in the quiver. Picking one that screamed 'bullseye', Sai knocked it and squinted at the target. The sun beat down on her brow, across the way a weed tumbled, and silence settled over the valley as she and the target faced off. Callused fingers twitched over the string, ready to draw at the slightest motion.

A deep furrow of concentration settled between her eyebrows and the bow was drawn. Eye following the shaft to the bullseye, her form shifted around the bow. Elbow raised on her right arm, forearm rotated out of the way on her left, shoulders and hips squared up. Breath, inhale, exhale. Hold it. Release. The string snapped into a taut line, firing the arrow, and leaving her right hand hovering around her ear. After a second of holding the form, the bow was lowered to see her handwork. The arrow wasn't even sticking out of the target. It was nowhere to be seen. Chewing on the inside of her lip, the girl shrugged and went for another arrow.

[Dreamcatcher]

Character: Sairque Experience: +2 Weapon[Longbow], +1 Acrobatics Lore: Character: Aidara Experience: +1 Swimming,+1 Archery Lore: Additional Note: If you feel that I missed something please PM me with the details on what I missed and I will review it.