Welcome to Gaia! ::

The final target was again a swinging apple, but this time it was swinging behind a fence of wooden posts that had been erected. The archers would have to shoot the apple - there was no other target - between the posts of wood. It would be like shooting a deer that was fleeing between the trees in the forest, except that the target would be much, much smaller.

"That looks like a pretty good challenge," even River had to admit. "Maybe not quite as hard as yesterday's, but still, a difficult shot."

River blushed. "Well, she's very good," she said, a little flustered. "She's the one who taught me to shoot, after all. And I think if I didn't have the gift that I do, I probably wouldn't be as good as she is."

Fortunately for her, gifts were allowed in all competitions, so it was indeed quite fair.

"Maybe," River smiled, "but I'm not quite sure about that. Everyone here has been practicing for much, much longer than I've even been alive, but they haven't been able to practice enough to beat me."

She was trying her best not to sound arrogant or boastful or proud; she was better than the others, it was a fact, but she didn't think herself better for it.

She watched as Celeborn took the first shot. He pierced the apple and stuck it to the backboard of the target, and she clapped loudly for him.

"I'm not sure," River admitted, her eyes glued to the tournament. "There will be other contests to watch ... I guess part of me wants to take part in them, but I want to be good and rested for when we head out tomorrow."

Ahren's shot also pinned the apple to the back of the target, and River cheered loudly for him.

But before Ulani would announce anything, she had to check the apples and see if one was more cleanly hit than the other.

She checked Celeborn's first, raised one hand, and curled her fingers and thumb in the shape of an 'o'. The spectators cheered and clapped as she moved to check Ahren's apple. She inspected it closely, then raised one hand again, once more with the 'o' shape - but this time she raised her index finger with it.

With a grin, Ahren turned to Celeborn and bowed, then turned and headed towards where Shiara was sitting, where she had watched the entire thing.

Celeborn raised his bow into the air, his expression triumphant.

"The winner!" Ulani shouted, gesturing towards him with both hands.

River giggled. "I want to see what he's going to win," she said eagerly. She had gotten a beautiful bow, but what would he receive?

She watched as Ulani brought out a wrapped parcel and presented it to Celeborn. The Black Rose took it and unwrapped it carefully. Inside was a beautiful leather quiver, filled with brand new arrows. The feathers were phoenix feathers, which River recognized as her great-grandmother's favourites.

"Good thing I didn't participate after all," River grinned at Naida and Miyuki. "I don't need arrows at all!"

"Ninako likes phoenix feathers for her arrows," River explained to Miyuki. "She says they make it fly straighter. It doesn't matter how good you are, if your arrows don't fly straight then you're not going to hit a thing. And she says Fireball doesn't mind giving up some feathers every once in a while, he grows them back quickly enough."

She was fond of the phoenix that had been with her family for thousands of years.