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 Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 11:02 am
"Three arrows each." Wraith had gone back into the supply room and retrieved six long, slender wooden arrows. He walked to a distance about 12 meters from the target, and set three arrows aside, holding the others in his hand out for Lai. "We can shoot from here. Your clothing, I believe, is suitable enough to not need a bracer. It is only three arrows." Wraith pointed to the target. "Just fire at the target. Once you've fired your three shots, retrieve your arrows and I'll shoot. Ready?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 11:30 am
Three arrows. His feeling had been right. As Wraith fetched the six they would be using Lai waited patiently then followed as the other man walked to their shooting line. Twelve meters was farther away than the previous time, he figured, but nonetheless he would do his best to perform well. His future in the LOTUS ranks counted on it. Lai took the arrows from Wraith, tugging the sleeve on his left arm as far down on his wrist as he could.
"Yes sir." He nodded, though there was a flighty churning of nervousness in his stomach. The Russian walked to the line and placed two of the arrows on the ground next to him, positioned himself properly, and nocked the bowstring and shelf with the first. As he began to draw back he was aware his glasses were still on his face, but after looking over them at the target and remembering his caution because of last time, he didn't pause to take them off. Time was wasting after all, and he didn't want to give Wraith the impression he was as nervous as he was feeling. One eye shut to better his aim at the large circle across the room and once the arrow's fletching was at length with his cheek, he let it fly.
It met the inner blue ring on the right hand side, worth six points on any scale, with a soft 'thup' sound. The brown-haired man was taken aback at the decent shot he made, looking disbelieving at the target. As he held the bow at his side he fiddled with his glasses; bringing them down to look at the target with his eyes uncovered, and then back up to look through the lenses. With the glasses over his eyes, the colored target looked clearer. He hadn't been wearing these when he was shooting with Einar or with his cousin that one time long ago, so maybe that attributed to his misses. Quite an epiphany, but he remembered he had two more shots to take. Lai reached for and nocked the second arrow.
It caught the line between the innermost black ring and the outer blue ring at the bottom of the target.
More feelings of surprise, but with the last arrow waiting, he quickly pulled the bow up to inspect the string again. After all, it had been lucky number three that had been the one on the other recurve bow when its string snapped back into Lai's face. Like his first check there were no visible wears, tears, or signs of stress. The last arrow was lined up on the bow then, but given his remembrance of last time, the Russian's hands shook as it fired off towards the colored surface. The arrow skimmed the top of the target, arched down and clattered to the floor.
"Miss..."
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:07 pm
Apparently ignoring the Russian man's words, Wraith impassively swept up the arrow on the floor and pulled the other two swiftly out of the target. They gave easily with a small popping sound, and he walked back to the firing line he had established.
Wraith inspected one of the arrows that Lai had sunk into the target; warped, as he had expected. He put it down on the floor and picked up the first of his three arrows, nocking it and drawing the bow, the strain of the string the only thing he allowed himself to hear.
He had received archery lessons, of course. He couldn't think of a lesson he hadn't received. He'd continued to practice with Thasios shortly after the Greek man joined LOTUS. Shee, he started, remembering something that he thought he'd forgotten, had been surprisingly good with a bow. He couldn't imagine she'd had lessons in India. Her village had been poorer than most. She had taken particularly well to Thasios's lessons, he recalled, and he'd been embarrassed at how many times her arrow had flown closer to the centre of the target than his. He had practiced feverishly until he considered them even. He couldn't bring himself to be better.
The arrow flew straight, hitting the boundary between the two red rings. He did not stop to think before letting his second arrow sink into the outer blue ring. The third arrow just touched the yellow centre of the target. Wraith again went to the target and pulled out his own arrows. He began to walk back over to Lai, moving slower than before, apparently released from the feverish grip that had set upon him while he had been shooting.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:28 pm
Lai watched as Wraith brushed past and retrieved the arrows he had fired. As he waited, the Russian placed the bow on the ground and moved away from the line; wringing his hands together to stop the shaking that had sent that last arrow over the target rather than into it. What a mess. When he felt far enough away from the shooting zone he turned on his heel and watched the other man take his shots.
". . ." When the final arrow sunk nearly into the yellow center, Lai began to doubt he'd be passing this round of his test. He had no idea how the sections of the test were divided or how many points towards passing each one had, but he was sincerely hoping that the Case Study questioning had a large amount and that he did well with it. When he saw Wraith returning with his own arrows Lai quirked a polite smile and nodded his head in a congratulatory way.
"Excellent firing sir." It wasn't an attempt at brown-nosing, just courtesy and sportsmanlike respect for the man who was his superior not just in rank, but in archery skill as well. Now that the round was over the Russian couldn't even begin to think what would be next. More questions perhaps? Or something else?
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:56 pm
"Thank you." Wraith nodded briefly in Lai's direction before picking up all the arrows and returning them to their proper place. He spoke from inside the other room, his voice slightly muffled by the distance.
"You're too nervous." The shaking of the man's hands had not escaped Wraith's attention. His whole demeanor seemed... apprehensive. His personal philosophy was that nervousness would get you killed. Wraith emerged from the other room, and there was a period of silence as he dragged the target and the bows back into the supply room. He finally walked back to where Lai was standing, looking at the Russian man directly for the first time since they had left the office. "I would like you to practice with Thasios. Get rid of that hesitation. They don't hesitate, Lai," Wraith's gaze dropped, his impassive demeanor slipping momentarily, "so we can't either."
"You are now a Level One Recruit and are granted leave from the base for personal reasons, if it has been cleared with me. Any questions?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 1:10 pm
The words reached his ears just fine and while it did sting to hear it, he agreed with Wraith. Lai was a flighty thing, and it would be something he would work on in order to better himself. Once he got rid of the apprehension, he could practically do anything! But for now, he'd keep that nervousness, as the Indian man dragged the target and the briefly used equipment back. Would he? Did he? He swallowed as he saw the light for the storage room flicker off and straightened as Wraith re-approached.
"Yes sir." Archery lessons with a man named Thasios eh? He could do that, he would do that and he nodded. He did the action again as Wraith's gaze slipped, but the Russian's own kept on the man. What was he recalling? Any way, Lai knew that those who wanted to do more harm to the world wouldn't hesitate or be nervous about doing anything to anyone, and he had to buff up and be the same - but with morality of course. When Wraith's gaze returned to his own and spoke the words that he passed, Lai had to do everything in his power to not flush with pleasure. He did it! And he did smile somewhat brighter though as he shook his head at that final question.
"No, no questions sir. Not a one. Thank you!" Once he was dismissed, he was going to head to the garden and run around in joy. He had done it!
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 1:16 pm
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