A lesson in archery...

Redwall Abbey: Training Yard

Rorgan the otter. DoraRose the mouse. Zarok the monitor lizard.

Rorgan walks into the training yard, looking around.

DoraRose is here, practicing her archery. She's still about as good at it as a snake, but there is a tiny improvement. At least she's actually hitting the target's back. But then again, the guards who are teaching her have made the backing fo rthe target much bigger, so maybe she really hasn't improved... She fires and misses the bull's eye by about 4 feet.

Rorgan smiles as he watches Dora. He walks closer and observes the mouse. "Yore grippin the bow too tight, and yer grip is off." He says with a slight chuckle

DoraRose looks over at the otter and gives him a half-smile. "Thanks." She follows his directions and fires....and still misses the target, but this time only by a few inches.

Zarok runs in but is careful not to pass into the warriormaid's arc of fire. Instead he crouches like a dog at DoraRose's heels, his tail wagging.

Rorgan chuckles as he watches Zarok. "It seems you've got a visitor Dora."

DoraRose looks down, and frowns. "Are you sure you're allowed in here, Zarok?" She fires again, then lowers the bow in disgust as she misses the target yet again. "I don't want you to get in trouble..."

"'Nar said Zarok could," the lizard says with a winning, toothy smile, standing up. "Can I try the bow, Dorrozzze?"

Rorgan walks towards Dora, pulling his own bow out. "Mayhaps I can help?"

DoraRose shakes her head at the lizard. "No, sorry." She frowns deeply, then looks at the otter. "Maybe you can. I'm open to help."

Rorgan shrugs, selecting an arrow from his quiver. He walks over to stand next to Dora and brings the bow back to full draw, though he can't help but smile when he realizes he hadn't seen Dora since the use of his arm had come back.

DoraRose gasps and claps her paws with delight. "You can use your arm! Rorgan, that's wonderful!! Can you feel anything?" She is excited for her friend, and it shows.

Rorgan chuckles and releases the arrow, sending it thudding into the bullseye. "Sadly, no, but I've learned t' cope without the feeling. See, I use it fer holdin' the bow, and my left paw fer grabbin' the arrow. I do that because me left paw can feel when it touches the arrow, and me right paw doesn't need t' feel t' hold a bow.

DoraRose smiles brightly, her blue eyes dancing. "I'm just glad that you can use it at all. So, what's your advice for a novice archer?"

Rorgan selects another arrow and lays it on the bowstring. "First, yer grip has t' be correct. First digit above the arrow and the middle and ring digits below the arrow. Otherwise, you don't want any other digits on the string, else you'll pull too hard."

DoraRose does as she is bid, but because of her expertise with the battleaxe, she has allot of upper body strength, and so she still pulls too hard. "Now what?"

Rorgan shakes his head. "Don't pull with yer arms. Use only your back muscles. Yer arms are there t' guide the arrow. Yer back is what does the work."

DoraRose tries again, and this time pulls it correctly. "Like this?"

Rorgan nods. "Good, and remember t' control yer breathin'. Now, when you release, simply relax yer digits and let the arrow go. Don't try any other way or you might send the arrow off course."

DoraRose nods and calmly breathes, in, out, in, out...she lets the arrow go and it hits the target, a few inches off-center, but still, it actually hit the target! The mouse whoops and twirls in excitement.

Rorgan laughs. "Once you get further from the target, it gets much more complicated, but that's the basic gist of it when you don't have t' worry 'bout arrow drop and wind and other such things."

DoraRose nods and fires again, still missing the center, but actually hiting close to it. "Thanks, by the way."

Rorgan shrugs. "It's the least I could do when you helped me with havin' only one arm."

DoraRose stops in mid-draw and looks questioningly at the otter. "How'd I help you?"

Rorgan smiles as he puts his bow away. "You took the time t' speak with me and try t' cheer me up. It may not be much t' you, but it spoke volumes t' me."

DoraRose blushes slightly and successfully fires the arrow. "You're welcome." She stays for a while, practicing and getting slowly better, a strange smile on her face. And there she had been, thinking she had done no good...

Thanks for reading!