Zi'da 84th, arc 716
It was late, so late in fact that Ti had lost track of how long he had been lying there. In reality it was early, the early morning hours of the 84th. Ti had not noticed from inside his Lean to that the moon had already passed its apex and the trial rolled over. He lay under a blanket, he was still dressed and he even had his large bear coat on. It was old these trials, colder than it had been for a whole arc. The cold was something he rather liked and in the day time he would enjoy it on his skin. But in the early hours of the morning when he should be sleeping he would not risk getting cold. He had heard that if you get too cold while sleeping you might never wake back up. The idea disturbed him, falling asleep and just fading away. Ti lay staring at the ceiling his mind absent but he was still unable to sleep. Maybe it was because he knew he would haunted by memories, by the torture of his conscience.
He sat up, if he couldn't sleep he might as well do something, he just wasn't sure what yet. He leaned his back against the trunk of the tree, his blanket and bear skin coat still wrapped up close on his body. He slipped an arm out from underneath and reached over to his bow. It was in the corner right where he had left it when he was taken away by Jesine all those trials ago. It was unstrung and cradled by the wood before his hand took it from the wall. The cool wood familiar in his hands. He could not lie, he had really missed the bow. He thought it might be considered strange, but that bow had done more for him than anyone else in his life. Only his father could really rival the amount this bow had given him, the bow had provided for him when he was most indeed and it had saved him and granted him life, much like his father in conceiving him and providing for him before he could do so himself.
He slid the bow over his crossed legs and began to run his fingers along its curve. The wood was growing old and worn, the leather handle was beginning to fray and tear and would soon fall off. He tested the flex, making sure it would not break upon next use. He took the bow between his arms wide apart and pushed the end towards each other. The wood flexed, still strong enough for use. He decided that was good news, he wasn't quite ready to lose the bow yet, but he still knew he would soon need a new one. Afterall, he did not want to break this one, he had this bow as long as he could remember and he wanted to keep it for even longer than that. He sighed as he looked at the curvature, he held the bow inline with his eyes to search for any signs of warping. It appeared free of them which was another good sign. He stood now keeping his coat on but allowing the blanket to remain on his bed role. He reached down and searched around for his pack, it was still stuffed with arrows and other hunting equipment.
He hauled the pack onto his back and then searched for his bowstring. It was in the corner under the boots he would soon have to start wearing to deal with the cold of Cylus. He placed the string around the notch at the end of the bow and then, stepping over the bow with one leg, he gently pulled the bow and string together, causing the bow to remain bent and now ready for use. He plucked the string and listened to the soft warm hum that it resonated at. He smiled and stepped out of the small lean to. On the floor in the clearing near the almost completely dead embers of a fire was Vega. He had almost forgotten she was there.
He quietly side stepped his way over to the edge of the clearing, making sure not to set of his own alarm and fall over the rope with rattles he had tied around his camp. He very carefully stepped over the rope and began the short walk to the old log he had found and used for practice. It had been there for quite some time and ti had been using it for the entirety of the arc. The rotting wood was soft enough that it meant his arrows were rarely damaged when it came to time to retrieve them. He was happy with that, he could not afford to be trading for new arrows all the time.
He stood about 30 metres from the target, his eyes looking where he had made marks in the old dead wood before. Ti dropped the backpack to the floor and drew an arrow. He set his feet about shoulders width apart, sideways to his target. He knocked the arrow carefully into place on the bow string, making sure it was not too high or low and rested comfortably above his front hand. He regulated his breathing, he inhaled and then raised the bow. He pulled the string back all the way to his cheek and aimed his shot, looking at the spot on the old log he had shot before.
He loosed the arrow, making sure to remain in position for a few trills after releasing the arrow, his father ha donce told him that it was incredibly important not to quickly lurch and move after releasing the string. Following through by remaining still was the best move. And so he watched the arrow fly, the fetching on the arrow stabilizing it and stopping the larger wobbles. Ti watched as the arrow stuck into the log quivering slightly before falling still in place. He was hoping to get a close spread, that was his aim, not speed here, but consistency.
Ti repeated this shooting four more times, having shot a total of five arrows. He went over to the log and examined the spread. They were close, all within a circle diameter of around 15 centimeters. Ti was happy with this, he felt a smile cross his face as he looked at them and remembered this for when he was doubting himself. He carefully plucked the five arrows from the wood and carried them back to the pack. He repeated this once more, shooting five arrows and attempting to get a similar spread. He was again successful.
He walked to retrieve his arrows and as he did he felt himself finally begin to grow tired. He felt like his bed was now calling him and the time to sleep had finally come. After retrieving these arrows he was too tired to argue with his mind as it told him to be on his way home. If he did not obey he was sure he would soon find himself asleep in the cold dark forest. The idea was not that appealing as he knew what creatures lurked out there.
So he packed up his arrows and slung his pack over his back. The walk home was just as short as the walk there, and he felt much better now, the archery was calming. He still examined the bow, looking at some chips in the once pristine wood and the wear from holding the wood in his hands. "Thank you." He said simply looking at the bow. He was back at the camp and he again very carefully made his way in, avoiding the trip wire. He tip toed back into the lean to in order to avoid waking Vega.
He made it to the small shack and placed his pack back in the corner. He unstrung his bow carefully avoiding allowing the string to fire itself into his arm as he removed it. The bow turned again straight without the string to bend it and he propped it in the corner along with the string. He had hardly noticed the bite in the air until now and he quickly cuddled himself back into the blanket from earlier. He curled into a ball as he began to close his eyes, they were heavy and he could not resist the sleep. The sleep that would steal him away into a world of nightmare where he was haunted by the things he would rather forget.
He gently forced his eyes to stay open, struggling against the call of sleep. He could already hear the sounds of the battle in his ears. The sound of screaming and whimpering filled his ears, accompanied oddly by laughter and women singing. His eyes too heavy now, he saw it go black and felt his body grow limp and still as he fell to sleep. His consciousness seeping off to Emea and the physical realm being left in his wake.
It was late, so late in fact that Ti had lost track of how long he had been lying there. In reality it was early, the early morning hours of the 84th. Ti had not noticed from inside his Lean to that the moon had already passed its apex and the trial rolled over. He lay under a blanket, he was still dressed and he even had his large bear coat on. It was old these trials, colder than it had been for a whole arc. The cold was something he rather liked and in the day time he would enjoy it on his skin. But in the early hours of the morning when he should be sleeping he would not risk getting cold. He had heard that if you get too cold while sleeping you might never wake back up. The idea disturbed him, falling asleep and just fading away. Ti lay staring at the ceiling his mind absent but he was still unable to sleep. Maybe it was because he knew he would haunted by memories, by the torture of his conscience.
He sat up, if he couldn't sleep he might as well do something, he just wasn't sure what yet. He leaned his back against the trunk of the tree, his blanket and bear skin coat still wrapped up close on his body. He slipped an arm out from underneath and reached over to his bow. It was in the corner right where he had left it when he was taken away by Jesine all those trials ago. It was unstrung and cradled by the wood before his hand took it from the wall. The cool wood familiar in his hands. He could not lie, he had really missed the bow. He thought it might be considered strange, but that bow had done more for him than anyone else in his life. Only his father could really rival the amount this bow had given him, the bow had provided for him when he was most indeed and it had saved him and granted him life, much like his father in conceiving him and providing for him before he could do so himself.
He slid the bow over his crossed legs and began to run his fingers along its curve. The wood was growing old and worn, the leather handle was beginning to fray and tear and would soon fall off. He tested the flex, making sure it would not break upon next use. He took the bow between his arms wide apart and pushed the end towards each other. The wood flexed, still strong enough for use. He decided that was good news, he wasn't quite ready to lose the bow yet, but he still knew he would soon need a new one. Afterall, he did not want to break this one, he had this bow as long as he could remember and he wanted to keep it for even longer than that. He sighed as he looked at the curvature, he held the bow inline with his eyes to search for any signs of warping. It appeared free of them which was another good sign. He stood now keeping his coat on but allowing the blanket to remain on his bed role. He reached down and searched around for his pack, it was still stuffed with arrows and other hunting equipment.
He hauled the pack onto his back and then searched for his bowstring. It was in the corner under the boots he would soon have to start wearing to deal with the cold of Cylus. He placed the string around the notch at the end of the bow and then, stepping over the bow with one leg, he gently pulled the bow and string together, causing the bow to remain bent and now ready for use. He plucked the string and listened to the soft warm hum that it resonated at. He smiled and stepped out of the small lean to. On the floor in the clearing near the almost completely dead embers of a fire was Vega. He had almost forgotten she was there.
He quietly side stepped his way over to the edge of the clearing, making sure not to set of his own alarm and fall over the rope with rattles he had tied around his camp. He very carefully stepped over the rope and began the short walk to the old log he had found and used for practice. It had been there for quite some time and ti had been using it for the entirety of the arc. The rotting wood was soft enough that it meant his arrows were rarely damaged when it came to time to retrieve them. He was happy with that, he could not afford to be trading for new arrows all the time.
He stood about 30 metres from the target, his eyes looking where he had made marks in the old dead wood before. Ti dropped the backpack to the floor and drew an arrow. He set his feet about shoulders width apart, sideways to his target. He knocked the arrow carefully into place on the bow string, making sure it was not too high or low and rested comfortably above his front hand. He regulated his breathing, he inhaled and then raised the bow. He pulled the string back all the way to his cheek and aimed his shot, looking at the spot on the old log he had shot before.
He loosed the arrow, making sure to remain in position for a few trills after releasing the arrow, his father ha donce told him that it was incredibly important not to quickly lurch and move after releasing the string. Following through by remaining still was the best move. And so he watched the arrow fly, the fetching on the arrow stabilizing it and stopping the larger wobbles. Ti watched as the arrow stuck into the log quivering slightly before falling still in place. He was hoping to get a close spread, that was his aim, not speed here, but consistency.
Ti repeated this shooting four more times, having shot a total of five arrows. He went over to the log and examined the spread. They were close, all within a circle diameter of around 15 centimeters. Ti was happy with this, he felt a smile cross his face as he looked at them and remembered this for when he was doubting himself. He carefully plucked the five arrows from the wood and carried them back to the pack. He repeated this once more, shooting five arrows and attempting to get a similar spread. He was again successful.
He walked to retrieve his arrows and as he did he felt himself finally begin to grow tired. He felt like his bed was now calling him and the time to sleep had finally come. After retrieving these arrows he was too tired to argue with his mind as it told him to be on his way home. If he did not obey he was sure he would soon find himself asleep in the cold dark forest. The idea was not that appealing as he knew what creatures lurked out there.
So he packed up his arrows and slung his pack over his back. The walk home was just as short as the walk there, and he felt much better now, the archery was calming. He still examined the bow, looking at some chips in the once pristine wood and the wear from holding the wood in his hands. "Thank you." He said simply looking at the bow. He was back at the camp and he again very carefully made his way in, avoiding the trip wire. He tip toed back into the lean to in order to avoid waking Vega.
He made it to the small shack and placed his pack back in the corner. He unstrung his bow carefully avoiding allowing the string to fire itself into his arm as he removed it. The bow turned again straight without the string to bend it and he propped it in the corner along with the string. He had hardly noticed the bite in the air until now and he quickly cuddled himself back into the blanket from earlier. He curled into a ball as he began to close his eyes, they were heavy and he could not resist the sleep. The sleep that would steal him away into a world of nightmare where he was haunted by the things he would rather forget.
He gently forced his eyes to stay open, struggling against the call of sleep. He could already hear the sounds of the battle in his ears. The sound of screaming and whimpering filled his ears, accompanied oddly by laughter and women singing. His eyes too heavy now, he saw it go black and felt his body grow limp and still as he fell to sleep. His consciousness seeping off to Emea and the physical realm being left in his wake.
