pew pew MAYHEM

[issala]

WHO: Kas & Open
WHAT: Someone suggested archery.
WHEN: Today, mid- to afternoon
WHERE: To the left by the stables.
NOTES: Brackets or prose is okay!

Alayre was the one to blame for the idea to pick up archery, although it was a sound idea. Most scouts were proficient in it, and Kas' skills with daggers left a lot to desire - so it wasn't strange that the teen had borrowed a bow and quiver from another scout, setting up a dummy in the open area by the stables and attempting to hit it.

It... wasn't easy. Drawing the bow was a bit of a struggle for a youngster with little muscle to his body, and his aiming was way off. The walls of the fortress saw a lot more arrows than the dummy, but the boy didn't give up. Stubborn as a dwarf, he pulled another arrow, trying to not knock it on his little nubs again. His hand was bleeding a little, sliced on the fletching by holding the grip wrong, but it didn't seem to dissuade him, either.

It wasn't until he had emptied the quiver that the teen sat down where he had stood and sighed dramatically. "This is stupid."

Comments

[gatheringstorm]

"It's not easy. I spent countless hours missing before I ever hit the target, when I first trained. This is muscle memory, more or less."

But she'll comply, because that was the point of all this, showing him how it's done. She'll do it slower this time, too, just for emphasis. This time she hits the upper chest.

[issala]

"I didn't mean it is, just that you make it look that way. How... how long did it take you to get good enough to survive?" It would be a lie to say he wasn't terrified about what could happen out there. He could die if he didn't learn this. He could get others killed, too.

Kas watches her again, trying to remember each step. "How do you get it to not knock your horns? Yours are a lot bigger than mine yet my head hurts from tapping the tips on them every time."

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin smiles in sympathy at mention of the horns. "Oh, I know. That happened to me a lot, too. Like other issues they can cause, it's a matter of adapting. It's not just the grip, but the angle in which you hold it. Like this."

She'll draw and pause again, this time not intending to fire the arrow so he can get a better look at what she means. "It took me months, but there was also no great rush for me to learn, either. Nor did I have the formalized training you'll get here. With the resources available here, and a lot of dedicated practice, you'll get there faster than I did." Her tone is matter-of-fact, not bland assurance. If he pays attention and stays dedicated, he can do it.

[issala]

That angle made a lot of sense and he groans, rubbing his face. He must look really dumb, not realizing that sooner. With a stubborn face, Kas holds out his hand to Korrin to get the bow back. "Let me try again. I think I got it."

At least the very, very basics. Maybe he wouldn't hurt himself this time.

[gatheringstorm]

Nodding, Korrin hands it over. She doesn't seem to think he's dumb, just new to this, and therefor there's always room for improvement. "Alright, let's see what you got. Take your time, we're not in a battle."

Of course, speed will be something that has to be worked on as well...later. At the moment, she'd rather emphasize technique.

[issala]

Kas nods at that and then takes her place. This time he's taking it very slow, trying to copy her movements the best he can. Puling back the bow string as far as he could with his lack of muscle, the teen takes a long moment to aim before he finally lets the arrow fly.

It hits the arm of the dummy, and he brightens up immensely. "I... I hit it! I hit it!" He can't help the glee, even if he tries his best to hold it back and not seem like more of a child than he is.

"You... um... thanks."

[gatheringstorm]

Grinning, Korrin claps his shoulder. "Not bad! And you're welcome. Though you should really find someone who's used a bow more recently than I have, they'll probably be able to teach you all sorts of tricks I know nothing about."

[issala]

He cringes just slightly when she touches his shoulder, but then smiles again. She was just... really nice, and it calms him a little.

"I will! There's a training thing for scouts, but I... I didn't want to go until I at least knew a little." He didn't want to be the one who stuck out, who needed more help. His qunariness was bad enough.