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 Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 7:36 pm
Waiting to hear back from Ilyra was absolute torture.
Mnyiri had taken Briella up on her offer to stay at the inn closest to her sister, but this waiting...She wanted to see her now. After spending most of the night pacing along the floors in their room, Mnyiri had managed a few hours of rest before waking to the morning light. Something had to happen today, or she was going to lose her mind.
"Rhonann, hey, Rhonann," Mnyiri whispered. The room was on the smaller side, with two simple beds and an exterior window. As slightly as she could Mnyiri slipped next to her companion to shake her shoulder. "Are you up yet? Do you remember that one time we talked about archery and you thought it was nifty? Do you wanna practice?" Her voice was a sad mockery of a whisper, and more of a loud hissing.
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:13 pm
Despite Mnyiri's pacing, Rhonann slept solidly. It was nice having an actual bed after so much walking. Knowing they were waiting for someone Mnyiri felt was important, Rho felt more able to be patient. It wasn't as though she knew where she was going anyway.
Face buried in the pillow, it took a couple nudges before she groggily raised her head. A hand rose to rub the sleep from her eyes. Archery? Practice? Instantly, Rhonann was awake. "Yeah! Let's do that!" she exclaimed excitedly, hopping out from under the covers like a spring.
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 9:18 pm
"Rho, Rho~" Mnyiri grinned when she looked down at the groggy earthling. She'd always found it incredibly easy to jump out of bed in the morning, so a sleep fogged mind was naturally quite adorable to her. Nimbly she moved out of the way when her friend decided to get up, though Mnyiri chose to perch herself on the edge of the bed and not move too far away.
And then, all in an instant, Rhonann's energy seemed to kick up! Mnyiri started to squeal then broke into laughter while she too jumped up from the bed. "Then get ready and let's go!" Mvua and Jioni, who had been contentedly sleeping on opposing ends of Mnyiri's bed, both seemed to grumble in their rest. Not that she seemed to notice their displeasure; Mnyiri's tone neither changed in pitch nor volume.
She shimmied into her boots, having already changed into her wardrobe for the day. "I talked to the innkeep and his daughter has a practice bow she'll let us use. We just have to pick it up before we go outside."
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Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 10:16 pm
Bare feet slapping along the floor, Rhonann hurried over to where she'd left her hooded cloak and sandals. On her way, she gave Jioni a quick head scratch and made smooching noises at Mvua. The talk of archery had greatly piqued her interest yesterday. It was her sling shot in another form, by the sounds of it.
"So I'll actually get to use one today?" she asked excitedly as she tied the cloak into place. "Will we have targets? Will we be using real arrows? Are you sure the practice bow works?" She couldn't help how excited she was. The days as of late were walking and waiting. This was going to be great.
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Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 11:11 am
A chorus of bells filled the room as Mnyiri shook her head. "Yes, yes, yes and no." She swung the door open with a laugh, surprising an older man who had been opening his door at the same time across the hall. He was a much smaller earthling, somewhat of a crone, and obviously not a shifter. If she had time later she'd have to ask him about his blue skin, but that was for later!
Besides, he must have forgotten something in his room because he shut his door fairly quickly after seeing Mnyiri.
Shrugging, she lead the way down the hallway into a widened, well worn stair case. With her longer stride she was able to take the steps two at a time, reaching the bottom in record time. It didn't take her long to spot the innkeeper's daughter; the young girl had her father's eyes, which were far too close together, in Mnyiri's opinion. She held up a bow that was almost as tall as she was, and a quiver full of arrows. "If you lose 'em or break 'em ye'r buyin' more."
"Got it." Mnyiri smiled. She slung the quiver over her shoulder, and turned back to see if Rhonann was there yet.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 6:15 pm
Tying her sandals, Rhonann hurried out after Mnyiri. She followed as closely as she could, though took a little longer on the stairs. She got down in time to see Mnyiri accepting the equipment from the girl. Rhonann was at Mnyiri's back by the time the Alk turned around, eyes locked on the bow. "That's it? ...Doesn't look like much."
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Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:56 pm
"It's plenty enough to get you started." Mnyiri smirked, reaching out to give Rhonann's hair a tousle. The height disparity between the two of them was almost comical, leaving Mnyiri to wonder if this is what it would have been like to have a younger sister. Shaking her head with mirth, the hybrid strode across the open air great room, boots thumping on the floorboards with every step. When she reached the doorway Mnyiri was forced to slow her stride so that when she pushed the door open she could duck and slip out without hitting her head.
There were trees of cobalts and indigos all around her. The inn itself was nestled in a more secluded area of Jauhar, a half a days walk away from the main road. It was mostly used by those wishing to see the local nondwa population, though Mnyiri had yet to see anyone other than crotchety old men.
She moved to a scarlet tree and wrapped a white ribbon about it's trunk. The little bow that held it in place sat just under one of the trees many natural crystal formations as if it were a necktie. Satisfied with her target, Mnyiri stepped back, assessed the spot and walked back over to Rhonann.
"This is a recurve bow. It's a little fancier than what my people use, but it works just the same." Whether or not it was a child's weapon, with a generous amount of years under it's belt, the shape of the bow remained true to it's kind. The back of the bow curved into limbs that seemed to tip upward near the bowstring instead of making direct contact. "You're going to stand with your legs apart, but loose, like your ready to rush. Put one foot a little in front of the other, though, so you don't fall down." Mnyiri moved closer to Rhonann, demonstrating each move as if she were the one ready to fire. "Place your hand on the grip and hold it firm, then we'll set the arrow."
It was only then that Mnyiri handed over the bow, but not the quiver. She kept that slung over her back, though she did draw forth a single arrow in offering to Rhonann.
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 9:21 pm
Unsuccessfully ducking from the reaching hand, Rhonann smoothed her hair with a reluctantly amused pout. She wasn't some kid, after all; even if she did have to tilt her head back to see Mnyiri's face.
Still, she was quite eager to see where this session would lead. At the least, she hoped it would be fun. From where she stood, she cocked her head as the ribbon was placed. Oh! A target!
As Mnyiri explained things, Rhonann paid close attention. She mimicked the moves the Alkidike made, holding her arms up around the air. Once she had the bow, she took the stance, though a little more tense than loose from nerves and excitement.
The arrow caught her attention, and she grabbed it eagerly but still carefully. Moving only her arms, as though concerned about moving out of the proper position, she set the arrow. However, as she pulled back, her grip was too loose. The strong snapped, and the arrow did a couple sharp flips before digging into the ground just a few feet ahead. Rhonann jumped back with a yelp, quickly shooting Mnyiri an apologetic, but amused, smile.
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:25 am
As Rhonann took her stance, Mnyiri took a half step back to watch from a 'safe' distance. To her it was almost comical how small the practice bow was, but then again, anything 'earthling' sized was pretty amusing to her. Well, unless it was doorframes, beds, seats...just about anything she had to scrunch up in to fit.
When the bowstring vibrated and the arrow went forward in a pathetic spiral Mnyiri couldn't hide her 'oooo'. She scrunched her face up as if physically pained, and then just as quickly tried to force an awkward smile when Rhonann turned to face her. "Well...at least you didn't shoot anyone." We've got a long way to go.
Shaking her head, the young woman shook out her briefly tense shoulders before stepping directly behind Rhonann. She pulled another arrow from the quiver, and notched it, her arms coming up on either side of the earthlings. When everything was in place she kept her hands atop Rhonann's and pulled her through the steps. "Use the muscles in your arms and use the arrow shaft like a line of sight. You want everything to be taut, but not so much so that you can't shift or move at a moment's notice. Extend the pointer finger on the bow out to balance the arrow, and keep your elbow up on the arm that's pulling back the string."
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 10:36 am
If anything, the awkward smile she received was worse than a laugh. Huffing, Rhonann dropped her chin to her chest. "I'm used to slinging, not this," she grumped.
She couldn't give up after one failed attempt though! Perking up as Mnyiri guided her through the steps, she set her jaw and focused again. She tried to do just as Mnyiri told her.
...The bow and arrow held similar concepts to her slingshot. A projectile and aimed momentum. The thought calmed her further, and this time, the arrow sailed forward. It landed far short of the target, but it went forward without flipping! "Again!" Rhonann exclaimed excitedly, holding up her hand for another arrow.
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 10:54 am
"You hit an unarmed girl in the head with a rock, Rho Rho." Mnyiri pointed out with a generous amount of sass. "It stung, but I still got up. You're gonna need something a little more than a sling to get'cha by!" With a little more practice she would get the hang of it. In theory it was all the same; aim and shoot.
Then again, perhaps Mnyiri really wasn't he best teacher she could have had. Actually, she knew she wasn't. Mnyiri could probably hit the target a few times, but as far as making the bow and arrow concept work for her on a hunt...not so much.
When this arrow grazed by the target with greater success than the first, Mnyiri gave a whooping yell and smiled. "That's awesome, Rho! So close; you're catching on fast." She pulled not one, but three arrows from the quiver, though she handed only one to the excited earthling. The others were just prep for what she thought would be a quick fire succession.
"Hey...do you think maybe you were an archer before...?" She seemed to be catching on fairly quickly and it might explain the slingshot. It could have been used as a backup whenever her main weapon wasn't at hand.
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:05 am
The sass earned Mnyiri a stuck out tongue, but Rhonann kept herself more focused on grabbing that next arrow. Mnyiri's encouragement was making her confidence grow in grand leaps. She aimed, pulled back, and let loose. She missed again, but was much closer than before!
Grinning, she reached back for another arrow. Mnyiri's question made her hand freeze though. Brow knitting, she was confused by the sadness suddenly in her chest. "Something like it.. but not this." It took Mnyiri pointing it out for her to realize the familiarity she felt. It wasn't so much the bow, but the arrows... And there was someone else there, teaching her...
Shaking her head, she grabbed the next arrow and notched it. "Can't remember," she murmured as she aimed. Her gaze focused in, and the arrow stuck into the roots of the tree wrapped with the ribbon. "Be nice if I had been though," she mused, pulling up a smile for Mnyiri. "I'll be able to help hunt more with this. Can't always find a good slinging rock."
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:21 am
She quirked her mouth into an awkward sort of smile, perhaps even a little sheepishly. In truth she hadn't thought about how the question might effect Rhonann's mood. Mnyiri wasn't know for over thinking her words, and right now she sort of regretted it. "...It's a start though, right? Maybe the more you practice something will come back to you."
For the life of her Mnyiri couldn't imagine anything that was like archery, but wasn't all at once. In her society that was the only profession of it's kind so....? Her shoulders sagged a bit. It seemed like if she really wanted to help her friend then Mnyiri was going to have to start researching a little more.
After all the arrows were gone from her hands Mnyiri simply slipped the quiver from her shoulders and held it between her palms. "Too bad we can't keep it, right? The innkeepers daughter would skin us." She grinned. "If you keep shooting like that, though, I'll see about trading some of my kills for one."
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:43 am
Rhonann replied with a shrug. She didn't know what to think... "If nothing else, using this is fun!" No point in keeping herself down about it.
The innkeeper's daughter... "Let's ask her," she proposed, looking up at Mnyiri. "Maybe she'll know what's like this?" Turning, she hurried around to collect the arrows she'd shot off, brushing them free of the dirt before sticking them into the quiver her friend held.
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 6:51 pm
"I thought you wanted to train." Mnyiri clucked her tongue. It couldn't be helped, though, not when there was a possibility of regaining Rhonann's memories. Her eyes traveled to the ribboned tree, it's bow swaying gently in the cool breeze.
"Well, alright, lets go." She slung the quiver over her shoulder casually, and turned around to make her way back to the inn. Once again Mnyiri ducked through the door frame, though this time she almost ran over the innkeep's daughter.
"Ey, watch it!" The girl barely maneuvered out of the way in time, which was good, considering her arms were laden with folded bedding. "...ye'r back early." She narrowed her gaze. "Did'ja break ma bow?"
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