10th Vhalar
Worry for the forthcoming trial had her stomach twisted in knots but she still had a job to do. Her group of archers had progressed since the end of Saun and could competently hit the target, most of the time. Less comfortable in breaches these days, Elyna opted for a loose dress on most occasions. Today it was a blue dress, one that had once been stained with Malcolm’s blood. It wasn’t something she usually chose to wear and it was a little fancier than anything she would usually bring to the training grounds, but she was running out of options and couldn’t afford to be fussy. Despite the warm weather she’d opted for a leather jerkin in the hope that it made her look more formidable; more of a solider than a Lady. At noon, the last hurrah of summer was warm agains the back of her neck. Her hair had been pinned up neatly to keep it out the way. She walked the coarse sand of the training arena and corrected the stance of her students, “Kit,” she rolled her eyes and pushed the young man’s elbow, “elbow up,” she warned him. He nodded but didn’t look around, focused on the target at the far end of the field. It was further than he should be able to reach trying to flat shoot. He released the arrow in a smooth motion and watched with furrowed brows as the arrow flew then inevitably dipped and speared the dirt.
“You killed a worm,” Elyna offered a dry smile. She peered down the rank before clearing her throat. Used to her signal that more information was coming, those with arrows shot them and one by one her students turned to listened.
“As you’ve noticed, the boss’s are further back. I’ll be impressed if you can shoot them flat with your bows – so this is where we really find out if your archers or if you’re not,” she stepped forward onto the line and took Rosa’s bow from the woman. She set her feet shoulder width apart and turned side onto the target. It was then she set and arrow to the string but bent, at the knees and lower back.
“This is how I want you to straighten up, in a fluid motion and lifting both arms so that they circle. This means you can use your whole back in the draw,” she demonstrated the motion lifting the bow up and drawing the string back to her jaw before carefully setting it back to the stave, “practise a few times if you like, but what I really want is for you to draw the string back and be shooting the arrow at an upwards angle.”
She bent once more to demonstrate the motion. Drawing the string back was easy enough when it could use the whole of her body from the feet up and it was easier to end the draw with the arrow at an angle. In a smooth sweep her thumb brushed her jaw and she released. The arrow curved in a high arc as it sped through clear blue skies and thudded into the target boss at the far end. She passed the bow back to Rosa with a nod and retreated, ready to watch her group practise. It was then that she noticed a newcomer. With a wary glance at her inexperienced group she beckoned forward Emily to take over. The small blonde woman slid away from the equipment shed and strode closer to watch.
Elyna approached the newcomer with a cautious smile, “have you been sent to join us?”
