The Cost Of Family

Trial by Fire

Today was the beginning of my archery training. It's been two years since that night and when my ranger training started. I had grown to where I stood at Rikas' chest, as opposed to his lower stomach before. I am now twelve winters old now, and from what Rikas had said I was "becoming a man" I didn't ask too many questions after that, though I did notice parts of me were getting bigger. My arms started to become muscular, my legs and chest were changing similarly. 

Anyways, today was archery training. I noticed Rikas was becoming a bit restless while staying in this village. I remember him mentioning he wasn't used to staying in one area for a long time, maybe that was why. I asked him what was wrong when I approached the makeshift range he set up, he just ignored me as he reached for the same bow I had failed to pull back two years past.

"Go ahead and try this again. Pull it back as far as you can, and hold it." He handed me the bow and I obeyed him, I wondered why he didn't give me an arrow, but I've learned not to question his training long ago. I grasped the bow in my left hand and held it up, then while grabbing the bowstring with my right, I pulled back slowly on it. I strained a bit as i pulled back the string, strange how much heavier I thought this would be. The wood bent away from me as I pulled the string towards me. After a few seconds I was able to pull it back next to my cheek. "Good, glad to see you can pull it. Now hold it there until you can't anymore, but do not let go of the string. Never let go unless there's an arrow nocked." I nodded as Rikas told me this, God how it burned. As I held back the bow my shoulder, upper arm,  and forearm burned for I don't know how long I held back the bow. I felt sweat drip down my face and I was shaking, finally I couldn't hold it any longer. I let my arm relax and held the string until the bow returned to its original shape. After this I let my arm hang at my side and I panted a bit.

"Ho-how long was that?" I asked Rikas looking over to him

"About two minutes, which I must say was longer than I expected. Still though that was only the training bow." He said as he began to pull out his pipe and pack tobacco in it.

"What do you mean training bow? That was so hard to pull back." 

He chuckled and sat down on a hay bale as he finished packing the pipe, "You're right, and there are some bows that are much harder, and some that are easier. Ignoring crossbows, that bow is meant to build up your draw arms so you can easily draw the lighter bows, while also being conditioned to start using stronger ones." He lit his pipe and began to puff on it, "Once you get the hang of this bow you can move up or down, but I'd prefer you do both. Each bow has a different use." 

"How long will this training take?" I asked rolling my shoulder a bit, hoping that would help ease the pain. 

"All depends on you lad. If you were training to be an archer in the army, you'd be trained just hit something. I want you to almost never miss it. Once you get the basics, we'll begin moving. I feel the best teacher after this would be experience, and maybe a few pointers here and there." he smirked and tossed a bushel of arrows, all tied together in twine. "Start shooting at the target I set up once your arm's good to go. Oh and try to find you're aiming point, everyone is different, though many stand by the arrow tip."

I lay the bow down in the grass and began untying the arrows, I guessed there was around twenty in the bundle. After another minute I grab an arrow and nock it against the string and point the bow and arrow at the target. I pulled back the string again, my arm burned more this time than before. I loose the arrow once I thought I aimed it properly. It flew over the target and landed a bit of ways behind the target. I grunt a bit and grab another arrow, aiming lower this time, that landed below the target. 

This went on for a few hours without hitting anything, shot after shot miss after miss. going to find the arrows that shot past the target, coming back just to miss some more. We started just as the sun had risen, and now it was midday. I shouted frustratingly finally and threw the bow aside. "God dammit, why can't I hit it?!"