Rangers Apprentice: The Silver Rose

♤♡♤Chapter 21♤♡♤

The next day...

Draining a quick cup of coffee, I got up from my seat and set my mug on the counter.

Keith was waiting for me outside, he said my training would start today. I had no wish to be late.

Once outside, I lightly ran down the porch steps. Finding Keith around back near the lean-to.

He was crouched on the ground, I noticed two separate oil-skin parcels laying near him.

"Are those for me?". I sat down, trying to contain my overflowing excitement. Keith nodded and brought the first parcel forward and unwrapped it.

I watched in fasanation as the parcel produced a thick leather belt.

Two scabbards hung from the belt, each housing a dagger of some sort.

He pulled them out, explaining what the purpose of each was.

"Lets see if the belt fits" he suggested.

We stood and he handed it to me. It was lighter then it looked, the soft leather would no doubt be comfortable around my waist.

Keith took off his own and showed me how to fasen the buckle.

Once the belt was on, I jumped up and down to make sure it would stay. Keith watched with a amused look on his face.

"My brother...does it" I said awkwardly.

"Great" teased Keith "glad to know his pants will be securely fastend to him".

I laughed and sat again to wait for Keith to open the next parcel.

He pulled out a...bow.

Right away, I noticed it was different. But I had seen Lyrica use the same kind.

Keith began stringing it for me.

"Whats it called?" I asked.

"A recurve bow" he answered. He strung the bow with ease and handed it to me.

I took it and ran a hand along the smooth wooden surface.

"Whats the draw weight?" I asked. I inspected the string and gave a small pluck.

"Fifty pounds". I halted in my examination.

"I doubt I can pull that much". Keith grabbed what I figured was my arrows and quiver.

He took and arrow out and handed it to me.

It had white fletching. The shaft was dark wood and the arrow head was sharpend iron.

"Shoot that straw bale to the left". He pointed to it and waited for me to shoot.

Well this could go wrong easily.

I turned to the straw bale and knocked my arrow.

Pulling back took all my strength. I didn't reach full draw before I had to stop.

"See, I can't-" Keith walked to me.

"Try again". I looked at him skeptically. Knowing the same thing would happen.

I sighed and went to pull the string back again.

"Take a deep breath as you draw, feel your shoulders stretch back and your shoulder blades coming together more" he advised.

I tried to remember all of that.

He stood right behind me as I drew, remembering to take a deep breath.

I nearly got stuck half way again. But Keith's advice rang in my head.

Shoulders back...

Now I had to aim before I let go of the arrow.