Bow Training Attn Rahien

[WhiteWolf]

    “I will not be around for most of the day Rhya, i have to start the weapons training for some of the Wanderers and you know how intensive that can get. That is if you can remember your own lessons?” Grinning at the prickly scent that suddenly came from Rhya, Owen leaned over her and kissed her until it went away.”

 

    Not much later Owen emerged from his tree house and made his way to the Ranger training area where he had arranged to meet Rahien for his first weapons lesson. Owen knew something of Rahien from the senses lesson Rahien had been a pupil in.  Owen was looking forward to getting to know him a little better.  As he made his way there he greeted a few of the Wolfkin he saw and shared a joke with one of the Rangers and one of his students, as they were on their way to train in the use of the Spring.

 

    Opening the door to his office, Owen walked inside and hung his cloak on the hook on the back of the door. Sitting down behind his desk, he let his eyes run over the mound of paper work in front of him, just then there was a knock at the door, and Rahien's head sappeared around th open door.“Come in Rahien, i will not be long i just need to look over these reports and then we can start. Have a seat.”.Owen quickly scanned the reports in front of him, and laid aside those he would need to look at in more depth later. He quickly penned a report to one of the Sages and called in one of the young Guardians to deliver it for him. Then he looked at Rahien.

    “Now today we will be going to the Armoury, there you will be able to see all the weapons we have and can choose anything you like, just one mind you. Before we go though I would like to learn something of your past, where you lived, if you have family that sort of thing. I find it is always best to get to know someone I am training, that way the lessons can be tailored to each person.” As Rahien started to speak, Owen got up and started a fire in the hearth, before boiling a kettle full of water and making two hot drinks, all the time listening to what Rahien was saying. Eventually he sat down and pushed one of the cups towards Rahien.

    “Thank you for that Rahien, if there are any questions you have then please ask them and I will answer as fully as I can.” After they had spoken for a while, Owen indicated it was time to leave his office. “The Armoury is down the steps at the end of the Hall, you will need a key to open the door that is at the bottom of the steps.” Owen handed Rahien the key then they made their way to the steps.

 

Owen

 

The White Wolf

 

Ranger Leader

 

OOC Rahien, respond to Owens questions then move on to the armoury and choose your bow. It will be yours to keep so make your choice wisely:D

 

[TaiDashan]

Rahien awoke to Snow jumping down from where she had slept and stretching. They had taken to sleeping on the same bed much to Aislyn's chagrin.

 

~Time to go Brother. Do not keep White Fang waiting.~

 

"I know, i know." He muttered against his pillow. Getting to his feet he stretched in the cool morning air. The fire had died down over the night. Today was to be his weapons training, to help him defend himself apparently.

 

Tossing on some trousers and a loose shirt, he glanced around the room and took a deep breath. Why did he feel like he wouldn't be back? Brushing off the odd feeling he pulled on a wool jacket and held the door for Snow. She bounded out and into the cold sunshine, urging him playfully to follow. He laughed at her and chased her for a bit in the light dusting of snow that covered the ground.

 

Owen was a tough man, enough to put some off. Rahien liked him though, and not just because of Rhya's stories of him over stew. Today he would be training him in the use of weapons and Rahien was grateful for that training. Laughing as Snow suddenly burst from the snow in front of him, he realized that he had approached the Ranger Barracks.

 

"Race ya Snow." He said cheerfully and they both set off and a run. Snow, of course, made it to the door first. She waited patiently, tongue lolling to one side, her breath misting into the air in front of her. Rahien waved and made his way inside, promising to play with her later. Knocking lightly once he made his way to Owen's office he peeked his head in.

 

"Come in Rahien, i will not be long i just need to look over these reports and then we can start. Have a seat" Owen said, glancing over a few pieces of parchment. That done and a letter sent off, Owen centered his gaze on Rahien. "Now today we will be going to the Armoury, there you will be able to see all the weapons we have and can choose anything you like, just one mind you. Before we go though I would like to learn something of your past, where you lived, if you have family that sort of thing..." Rahien considered briefly before speaking.

 

"Well you see," He began, somewhat hesitantly. "I was born to my family in a small cottage, a day or two's journey north of Baerlon. I had multiple younger siblings, all died." He said flatly, staring at an ornamental piece on Owen's desk. "I spent a lot of time alone in the woods after that, learning how to live off the land and make use of the things it gave me. Hunting and things took my mind off it. Finally my family moved away without so much as a note to tell me where they were going. " His voice was soft and he stared through the desk, to a time long past. He did not notice the man up and moving about until he pushed a cup towards him.

 

"Thank you for that Rahien, if there are any questions you have then please ask them and I will answer as fully as I can." Rahien asked a few questions about the Stedding and what they were about to do, but the conversation was brief. Owen handed him a key and told him about the Armory. Taking key in hand he set off to look over the store of weaponry.

 

Owen motioned for him to go down the steps and enter the Armory alone. Putting the heavy brass key into the Armory door he turned it until it clicked and he heard the lock release. Pulling the heavy door open, he ducked inside. Light from high windows filtered down and lit the soft wood shelves and racks. He soon forgot Owen was waiting for him. Lost among the weaponry he looked over the pieces ranging from old and plain to ornate. Fingering a sword with a wolfhead on the pommel he moved on to a rack of bows. He had hunted with bow and sling for some time in the forest, and a bow felt comfortable.

 

He touched many bows and tested their weight and strength required to draw it. One stood out as both beautiful and powerful. Picking up the bow he examined it closely. It was a mid sized bow that would go at least a hundred paces. The wood was white, almost a silvery white, carved with howling wolf heads on either end of the grip. The strong, supple wood stretched upward in a gentle curve. It curved back at the ends slightly, carved over with vines, rocks and leaves. Taking a fresh bowstring from its waxed paper he strung the bow. Swinging it up and over his head he grabbed a quiver of arrows to go with it and headed back to Owen.

[WhiteWolf]

    Owen watched as Rahien made his way through the racks of bows, occasionally stopping and lifting a bow from the rack, study it, and then replace it. Eventually Rahien stopped in front of a bow and slowly removed it from the rack. Holding it, almost with reverence, he spent a lot longer studying this one than he had the others. Eventually a small smile played across his face. Quickly he collected a packet containing bow strings and then he removed one and strung the bow. Making his way back to where Owen stood, Rahien picked up a quiver of arrows. “That looks like it was made for you Rahien, good choice.” Smiling Owen turned and made his way up the stairs and out to the large field that was on the far side of the Barracks.

    As they walked Owen explained what he wanted from Rahien. “Although you may be good at hunting animals you have a luxury there that you will not have when you face a human opponent. The animal you hunt does not fire back, whereas a two-leg undoubtedly would. “ Owen paused for a moment. He knew that contemplating shooting another person was never something that was easy. ”it is a sad but necessary fact i am afraid. But with the new found friends we have, it may never come to that, so let’s not dwell on it for now. Come on, this walking is fine for those who want to spend all day doing nothing.” With a grin Owen started running up the path, Rahien quickly caught up to him and the two of them continued their run all the way to where Owen had set out some archer targets. They were supposed to look like a human form, but in reality they were two sacks filled with straw, one larger than the other.

    Owen came to a halt 50 paces from the first target. “Now i want you to put two arrows into the target as quickly as you can. Don’t try and get your breath back, just pull and shoot. Now!”  Owen watched as Rahien fumbled for an arrow and then line up on the target.  His first shot was wide of the target, harmlessly disappearing into the grass behind the target. The second shot was better but would only have resulted in a flesh wound. “A good effort Rahien, it is never easy to aim accurately after a run with no rest. But i also noticed a couple of things that would help.” Owen asked Rahien to pick up his bow and prepare to shoot. “When you fired your first arrow you let your elbow to low. Raise it until it is like this. “ Owen held his own bow up and demonstrated what he meant. “The second thing is to breathe out just as you fire. When you can combine these with the skills you have already you have the makings of basic skills necessary to justify a good bow like that one.”

    Owen had Rahien fire off four more arrows, each one closer to a kill shot. On the fifth shot a gust of wind knocked it off course and it flew wide of the target. Owen walked over to where Rahien stood. “You were showing signs of improvement there Rahien; do you know why you missed that last shot?”

    Rahien was quiet for a moment. “Well the wind took hold of it.”

    “Yes it did, and if you knew that why did you not adjust your shot?” Rahien looked non plussed at this. “When we shoot, we need to use all our senses to make sure we hit our target the first shot. You must become one with your environment.  You must be aware of the wind, how much moisture there is in the air, even how hot or cold it is. All of these will have an effect on where your arrow goes. We have to learn to compensate for this.” Now let’s try again.”

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader

 

OOC: Rahien, rp your responses etc to the above.. Spend about an hour shooting at the 50 pace target then do the same with the next target at a hundred paces. After that we will break for some lunch.....all very civilised don’t cha know*ggls*

 

[TaiDashan]

"That looks like it was made for you Rahien, good choice." Rahien smiled at the man's kindness, maybe Rhya was right... Owen turned and they made their way up the stairs and out onto the large field on the side of the Barracks. Rahien barely had time to wonder where they were going when Owen brought up a shocking thought.

 

"Although you may be good at hunting animals you have a luxury there that you will not have when you face a human opponent. The animal you hunt does not fire back, whereas a two-leg undoubtedly would."

 

The comment hit home and Rahien nearly tripped and fell flat on his face. Considering having to shoot a person, he did as he did so commonly when new ideas presented themselves. Imagining in his mind pulling back the arrow and loosing into a person made his stomach a little queasy. Owen's added comment helped him to put that image aside for the moment.

 

"...with the new found friends we have, it may never come to that, so let’s not dwell on it for now." Rahien thought of Snow and his grin began to return, it was back firmly as Owen good-naturedly proposed a run. As they ran up the trail, Rahien relished in the run. The burn of the cold air in his lungs, the feeling of flying as his feet carried him over the ground. It reminded him a bit of running with the wolves, the wind through his fur in the wolf dream.

 

Eventually they came to a target field with straw dummies laid out at about fifty and a hundred paces. Before he could even begin to get his breath back Owen told him to put two arrows into the closest target. "Don’t try and get your breath back, just pull and shoot. Now!" The command spurred him to pull the bow from his chest startled and retrieve and arrow from the quiver. Firing almost as soon as he pulled fletching to cheek, he gulped air as he released and the arrow went pitifully wide. The next shot, taken as fast as he could re-nock, hit the side of the target, barely sticking.

 

"A good effort Rahien..." Owen admonished. He asked Rahien to re-draw and when he did so, showed him how to adjust his elbow. "The second thing is to breathe out just as you fire...Now I want you to place 5 more arrows into the target, using what i just showed you."

 

Rahien steadied his grip on the bow and nocked an arrow. Drawing the fletching to his cheek he took a deep breath and checked his elbow mentally. Breathing out he released and the arrow flew. It struck the target a little closer to where someone had painted a small target. Rahien realized with a start that that would be where the heart and lungs was located. Brushing the thought aside he loosed 3 more arrows, each getting closer to the target as the wind started to pick up slightly. The fifth arrow was caught by a gust of wind and taken harmlessly to one side.

 

"You were showing signs of improvement there Rahien; do you know why you missed that last shot?"

 

"Well the wind took hold of it." Rahien answered after a moments thought. It was a simple answer and he wondered why Owen would ask him such a simple question.

 

"Yes it did, and if you knew that why did you not adjust your shot?" Rahien nearly blushed, feeling a little chagrined. Of course, he was here to teach him the bow after all.

 

Owen proceeded to explain how all five senses were required to become a good marksman. Rahien nodded to himself as Owen spoke. It made very good sense. Resolving to utilize the new knowledge he had been given, he set himself to launching arrows at the fifty pace mark. After going to retrieve his arrows he moved to the hundred pace targets, trying his aim there. The sun climbed as he shot. Study, draw, breathe, release. It went on like that and Rahien lost himself in the rhythm. So much so, that Owen's hand, placed lightly on his shoulder, startled him.

 

"You have done well Rahien, time for lunch." The man grinned at him and he smiled back. Not for the first time today he thought to himself that he truly liked the man.

[WhiteWolf]

    Lunch was a simple affair, and it was soon over and time for Rahien’s training to begin again. “This afternoon we will concentrate on hitting moving targets. Obviously they will not be as wily as human or animal targets, but they will allow you to learn the basics, or even hone your existing skills. So far you have shown good improvement, but you will need to continue to improve if you are to become well versed with your chosen weapon. “ Owen had seen Rahien eyeing Owen’s bow during their lunch and Owen saw no harm in demonstrating this marvellous weapon. “But first let me show you what my friend here can do. This is a Ranger’s Longbow, and is significantly stronger than the Longbow you are used to. The pull is a lot heavier and that means both range and killing power are greater.  Come on i will show you what i mean.”

    Owen led Rahien back to where the targets where. “Obviously because these targets are only straw bundles it is easy to penetrate them, so this is not really a proper demonstration of this bows power, but for now it will suffice.” Removing an arrow from his quiver, Owen smoothly brought both arrow and bow up and without conscious thought or excessive movement let fly. The arrow ran straight and true, penetrating the first target, at 50 paces, with ease. The second target, at 100 paces, was dealt with in the same manner, as was the one at 150 paces. “As you can see, the range is greater and because of the increased power it is harder for an arrow fired from this bow to be knocked off target.” Seeing the hunger in Rahien’s eyes Owen had to smile. How well he knew that feeling of desire. When it came down to it this Longbow was one of the finest weapons Owen had even come across and its design was unique to the Wolfkin.

    “The only way to get one of these is to join the Rangers. Because of the intensive training needed to safely work with one of these bows, they are reserved for those who can meet the exacting standards of the Rangers.” Owen handed the bow over to Rahien and let him study it for a while.

    “Now, the rest of this afternoon will be taken up with the moving targets as i said earlier. “Owen and Rahien moved to where a large oak tree stood with straw head hanging from it lower branches attached to a stout hemp rope. “The idea of this is to allow us to gauge how much lead time we need to give a target when it is moving. Obviously the further away the target is, the more lead time you will need to give it. You will need to gauge the speed and strength of the wind. Use your eyes, scan the trees. How much are the branches moving? If there are no trees around then look for how the wind is affecting the grass, or how difficult it is for birds to fly into the wind.  Or you could lick your finger and hold it up. This will not really help with the power of the wind, but it will allow you to know which direction it is blowing from. Another way of telling wind speed and direction is to look up.”

    “Look up Owen, at what?”

    “At the clouds Rahien. On a calm day they hardly move, on a windy day they can hurry across the sky as if the Dark One himself is after them. Another way would be to use any smoke you could see. Smoke from houses, from camp fires. All of this can be used to help make your first shot hit the target you are aiming for. So with all of this in mind, prepare yourself. Oh and one last thing Rahien. Try not to hit a person, they take a dim view of being peppered with arrows.” Rahien looked shocked at first, but then his expression changed as Owen smiled.  “Take your time Rahien, there is no rush here. Just focus on the target, concentrate on your surroundings and let fly when ready.”

    Owen stood off to one side and signalled to one of the Guardians whose task it was today to keep the targets moving. He would swing the targets slowly at first, but if, and when, Rahien showed signs of improvement the targets would be swung faster.

 

[i[Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader[/i]

OOC Fairly simple rp Rahien. Again respond to what Owen has said and then spend the afternoon working on the moving targets.

 

[TaiDashan]

After their morning jaunt at training, they went to the Hole in The Wall for lunch. During their lunch Rahien had been gazing at Owen's bow and had even been caught doing so. He had grinned a little sheepishly and continued with his stew. His strength returned, Owen and Rahien returned to his training. Owen explained briefly that this afternoon they would work on moving targets. In the woods around his families Cottage he had gotten used to moving targets, but mainly with his sling. Luckily this had taught him about leading the prey, making up for the distance they would travel between loosing and being struck.

 

Owen mentioned the bow that Rahien had been inspecting. "...let me show you what my friend here can do." He said, patting the bow. "This is a Ranger’s Longbow, and is significantly stronger than the Longbow you are used to. The pull is a lot heavier and that means both range and killing power are greater.  Come on i will show you what i mean."

 

Owen demonstrated with practiced ease the strength and range of the bow. It was larger and thicker than the one Rahien held, and while he loved his chosen weapon, he was impressed with Owen's. Once Owen was done he handed the bow to Rahien to inspect more closely. Testing the pull, Owen was right. It required more strength thanks to a thicker cord and the strength of the wood. Rahien handed the bow to Owen and they went to a large Oak with another straw target, strapped to a rope. This one was smaller and Rahien assumed it was meant to be a head.

 

Owen explained various ways to check the wind and use the senses to increase accuracy. Rahien listened attentively and nodded thoughtfully. He was quiet as ever, only asking one question when Owen's words didn't quite make sense.

 

"...So with all of this in mind, prepare yourself. Oh and one last thing Rahien. Try not to hit a person, they take a dim view of being peppered with arrows." Rahien looked shocked he knew, but he was confused. How would he hit anyone out here? He glanced at the wolfkin holding the rope to make the target move and then back at Owen. It was then that he understood the jest and grinned in return. Owen told him to start when ready and stepped off to one side.

 

Taking a calming breath, Rahien readied his bow and his first arrow. Nodding to the guardian that he was ready to begin, the man started to move the rope and straw head slowly. It was interesting the ways he could make it move, zig zag, curve, stop and change direction. The first few arrows struck the target and it began to move faster, more erratically. The next arrow missed, and the next. The third struck home but slightly on the side of where he had aimed. Three more missed before another success but he was getting better. Once again it became a rhythm, as Rahien focused on the center of the target. Slowly as the sun sunk lower he grew more proficient. It would take a long time for him to become as good as Owen, but he was getting there...

[WhiteWolf]

    Clapping Rahien on his back and nearly knocking the young man over, Owen congratulated him on his improvement and suggested that they finish the lesson there. “What I would like you to do for the next seven days is continue to practice what you have learnt here today, against both static and moving targets. I want you to vary the distances for the targets and also to build up the frequency of your shooting. When the seven days is up I will return to judge your improvement and we can then move onto something slightly more challenging. However, before we finish for the day, or should i say before you finish for the day, you need to collect all of the arrows you have fired. Don't forget before returning them to the quivers to check the fletching to make sure there is no damage. If there is i trust you can repair them? If not i will be in my office for a while so come and see me and i will show you how. Otherwise i will see you in seven days to check on your progress. "Good night Rahien." Owen offered his hand and after a moment Rahien took it and they, briefly, shook hands.

 

    Over the next seven days Owen left Rahien to his own devices, mostly. Rahien was starting to think Owen was omnipotent or something close. Owen always seemed to show up when Rahien had made an error, and Owen was there with some ready advice or some witticism.

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader

 

[TaiDashan]

Rahien was proud of his progress, made even more so by Owen's hearty praise. Insomuch that he truly did not mind gathering the arrows and checking their fletching. He was even excited to start practicing as Owen instructed.

 

"When the seven days is up I will return to judge your improvement and we can then move onto something slightly more challenging."

 

Over the next seven days Owen would surprise him at the most awkward of moments, just when he had messed up. Rahien started to wonder if he was following him. When he mentioned it to Snow she just smugly told him he was being silly. On the seventh day, he was out in the woods practicing with his bow to snag a tasty rabbit for lunch.

 

The wind was blowing from the west, across his arm that held the bow out straight. Rahien corrected his elbow as Owen had instructed, what seemed like ages ago, and breathed in. The breath escaped as did the arrow, streaking towards the target to be dragged off course by the wind. Sure enough he heard the sound of a footstep behind him. He knew the sound was intentional as well as he knew who it was. Before Owen could speak he held up a hand.

 

"I know, I know. I knew the wind was there but didn't think about it." It was a mistake Rahien often made. Owen good-naturedly gave him some advice and told him to meet him back at the training yard near the barracks the next day. Rahien agreed while cursing himself. Why couldn't he remember that? He resolved he would mark the wind first, everytime. The next day he showed up at the yards with fresh fletching on his arrows and ready for his next lesson.

 

"Ok Owen, I'm ready to show you what i have learned."

[WhiteWolf]

    It did not take long for Owen to notice the improvement in Rahien’s archery. He action was much smoother, and his arrows hit the intended target more times than not. “Well Rahien i can see that you have been diligent in your practice and it has paid off. However, this is only the first stage, now we need to see what you can do against a real target.” Sensing the sudden rush of apprehension in the young man Owen smiled. “It is not the two-leg type of target Rahien. Tomorrow morning i will be leading a small group on a hunt. We need to restock our larders and a herd of Boar have been spotted a few miles south of here. I will meet you at the Rangers barracks an hour before day break. You will need to bring your own food and water and make sure all of your clothing is in dark colours.”

    Clapping Rahien on the back, Owen bid him good day and then started to make his way home. He had his own tasks to do before he could rest.

    The next day, the small group of hunters met up at the appointed time and Owen introduced Rahien to them. As well as two of the older Rangers, Swiftblaze and Quickshade, there were three Guardians. Once they had all made their greetings, Owen led them through the forest, away from the Stedding. The group followed many small game trails, and some larger trails that Owen said the Rangers had made. Each of the group took turns leading, and it was to Rahien’s surprise when Owen indicated he should take the lead for a while. “Do not worry Rahien; this part of the forest is as safe as any place outside the Stedding can be. Just keep us moving south and keep on the lookout for our quarry. Oh and one last thing, go at your own pace. We are all more experienced at this than you so we can easily keep up with you. For now concentrate on finding signs of where the Boars are.”

    When Rahien led, Owen always followed next in line. It was not that he did not trust Rahien, he was Wolfkin and that was enough for Owen. However, Rahien was nervous, and that could lead to missing important clues as to where the Boars where and so Owen kept a few paces behind Rahien offering hints whenever it looked like Rahien was uncertain of the direction.

    When the sun was high in the sky Owen ordered a halt and immediately the Rangers and Guardians set about making a small, easily concealed, fire. Rahien watched the bustle of movement and found a mug of hot tea thrust into his hands before it seemed there had been time to light a fire, never mind boil water. Before he could comment on this though, a large chunk of bread and cheese was passed to him and it was then that he realised how hungry he was. “Keep your own supplies for now Rahien; we will add them to the rest next time we stop.”

    Once the meal was finished, Owen explained to Rahien how it was important to never leave any traces of where a camp had been. “Always make sure you bury any rubbish you may have and that the fire pit is filled in and the turf replaced. If you get into this habit now, then it will serve you well later on.”

    Later on that afternoon, Swiftblaze was in the lead when the herd of Boar was spotted. Silently the group split up into pairs and started to outflank the Boars. When Owen and Rahien found a position that Owen liked they readied themselves and Owen told Rahien to pick his target and fire when ready.

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader

 

OOC. Have as much fun with this as you want Rahien, just don’t get carried away with how many we kill. We will have to get them back to the Stedding by ourselves. Oh and we will be staying out in the forest over night. So cover as much of that as you want. If you are up to it you can even have us arriving back in the Stedding the next day, your call

 

[TaiDashan]

"Well Rahien i can see that you have been diligent in your practice and it has paid off. However, this is only the first stage, now we need to see what you can do against a real target." Rahien's eyebrows tried to climb off his face as Owen spoke, only to feel rather foolish shortly after as he continued.

 

"It is not the two-leg type of target Rahien. Tomorrow morning i will be leading a small group on a hunt. We need to restock our larders and a herd of Boar have been spotted a few miles south of here. I will meet you at the Rangers barracks an hour before day break. You will need to bring your own food and water and make sure all of your clothing is in dark colors."

 

Rahien nodded and departed as Owen did, making his way back to the infirmary. For what had to be close to the hundredth time, he cursed himself for putting off building a home. He just didn't really know what to build or where to build it. He desperately wanted a place of his own. Nothing against Aislyn of course.

 

Snow woke him before dawn. He rose from his cot and dressed in dark brown woolen pants and a dark green laced shirt. He had fashioned himself a wooden arm brace for shooting his bow as the string tended to snap at his wrist. Taking it, he closed it over the tight sleeve of his shirt, lacing it up and admiring the carving he had begun to do on it. Checking his belt pouch for dried smoked fish and the other bits of food, he hurried to the washstand. His belt pouch also contained new bowstrings, a couple arrowheads, some fletching material, and many other things he would need. Brushing his teeth with salt and soda he pulled the dark wooden comb through his hair and tied it back with a bone and leather clasp.

 

Grabbing his dark cloak he held it up to the wan early morning light to admire it. It was a thick cloak but light, with a hood and a line that flared slightly at the end so as to pool around him nicely when he was crouching. It had kept the cold out very well thus far. A howling wolfhead carved from bleached bone served as a clasp in honor of Snow. He grabbed his bow from the corner and his quiver, swinging his bow over his shoulder. Tossing the cloak around his neck and fastening it, he donned the quiver making sure to keep it clear of the hood. He had caught the rabbit that lined the hood himself and was quite pleased with the fact.

 

Glancing around the room to make sure he was not missing anything he added the small, age dark ivory brush to his belt pouch and made his way for the door. Snow ghosted ahead of him through the trees as he made his way to the Ranger Barracks. Meeting up with the other hunter's, Owen introduced a few. Most notably were Swiftblaze and Quickshade. They made off through the forest away from the Stedding. It was strange to think that they would leave the relative safety of the place he had come to call home. In truth, about the time he began to grow uneasy, Owen's words found him.

 

"Do not worry Rahien; this part of the forest is as safe as any place outside the Stedding can be. Just keep us moving south and keep on the lookout for our quarry. Oh and one last thing, go at your own pace. We are all more experienced at this than you so we can easily keep up with you. For now concentrate on finding signs of where the Boar are"

 

Rahien took the lead as indicated, searching the ground to find traces of the beasts. He had had much practice in the woods around his cottage, but Owen looking over his shoulder made him nervous. Oh Owen did not press him, in truth he was helpful and kind, but it made Rahien nervous nonetheless. Bending to the ground he had forgotten the other's presence as they silently ghosted along with them. Studying the tracks it looked as if they could have gone either way. Just as he spotted the droppings off a short distance Owen bent to point it out. Rahien cursed himself for a fool. He knew he should have followed his instinct, but every time he faltered, Owen was there to gently guide him.

 

They took turns at the lead, Rahien with a few more turns before they finally stopped for lunch with an easily concealed fire. Before he could even think of opening his rations, he had a mug handed to him and food thrust into his hands. Owen explained that they would use his rations later. Owen also explained how to leave no trace of camping. "Always make sure you bury any rubbish you may have and that the fire pit is filled in and the turf replaced. If you get into this habit now, then it will serve you well later on."

 

Later that afternoon as the sun made its plunge toward the horizon, the group spotted the herd they had been tracking. Swiftblaze made a few motions with his hands and the group split, Owen indicating that Rahien should stick with him and keep silent. They crept to a small rise where they could see the boar yet remain hidden. Owen motioned for Rahien to string his bow and make ready.

 

freeing his bow and drawing a handful of arrows he drove them point down into the dirt in front of him. It was always a good idea to have extra ammunition at hand when hunting he had learned. Checking the wind determinedly, he picked a large, a fairly large male with a nice set of tusks. He wanted a memento of the hunt and the tusks would do nicely. Fluidly he knocked an arrow and waited for his breath to escape before firing. The moment he released the world stilled and he felt as if he followed the arrow into the heart of the animal. Shock took him for a heartbeat before he regained himself and fired again, this time at a slightly smaller female. After all was said and done, they all had a couple of the animals each to carry back to the Stedding. He sat for a moment thinking of the oneness with the arrow that he had experienced. Owen seemed to notice his thoughtfulness but failed to mention it, possibly deciding to speak with him later on it.

 

The beasts were heavy and the going back slow although they made fairly good time. The sun slipped below the horizon painting the trees with rays of flaming gold and vibrant blood red hues. As dark fell they made camp for the second time that day. Rahien was tired from carrying his burden and not for the first time wished he had shot something lighter. His rations were shared out among the others as theirs had been with him. Rolling into his blankets, sleep claimed him quickly. He awoke to Owen's gently hand before light the next morning. They made better time after some rest and as the sun once again peeked over the horizon, they saw the Stedding in the distance. It felt good to come home, as home it surely was...

 

OOC: yikes..got a bit carried away, call it payment for taking so long  ;D

[Taymist]

Bumping