Archery With A Hint of Sorrow
"Ican't hit it. Why is the target so far away? When will we use this in real life?" I huffed, lowering my bow.
Training class with Ms. Arcadia was hardcore. A few students had tried to cause a scene because they were late and bam! Ms. Arcadia snapped her fingers and they turned into a group of cats.
We'd spent the first two hours after that interruption learning about various weapons and how each weapon could be used to destroy Forsaken. Even a knife could defeat a ten-foot Forsaken if used properly, and it was her duty to teach us how.
During the last hour of class, we were each assigned a weapon and an area to practice in. Ms. Arcadia had brought Hunter and I over to the side, telling us that we could have leisure time instead. She must have been informed of what had occurred during our exam from Othello. He and the other Council members didn't want to push us until we'd fully recovered, which for some took weeks.
We reassured her we were fine, but took her advice to go easy for today. Hunter and I were in a secluded section of the training grounds, practicing archery. While Sia excelled at it, it was one of my weak points. Although I had decent aim, my arrows never reached the target.
"My bow is defective," I declared, glaring at the black contraption.
Hunter grinned, walking over to take the bow from me. He took a second to analyze it and grabbed an arrow.
He went into a wide stance, taking only a second to aim before letting it fly. The arrow soared straight into the center of the target.
"Now that’s just favoritism," I grumbled.
He laughed. "I was unaware of inanimate objects having favorites," he replied, lowering the bow.
"I just suck at it," I admitted.
"Here. Show me what you're doing." Hunter gave me back my bow.
I went into a stance, lifting the bow and pretending to have an arrow in place to shoot.
"Your stance isn't wide enough and your back needs to be straight," Hunter critiqued.
"I'm not going to do the splits in an attempt to shoot an arrow," I replied.
He rolled his eyes, walking around me as he continued to inspect my posture. "You don't have to do the splits. I didn't need to," Hunter pointed out.
"You have longer legs than me," I countered.
"Ms. Arcadia is barely five-feet and she shoots an arrow better than you," Hunter declared.
"Hmph. She's a teacher."
"And all I'm hearing from you are excuses," Hunter replied.
I groaned. "Fine, fine. I'll try again," I grumbled. I lifted the bow back into position.
"Wait," Hunter walked up behind me; his hands adjusted my arms and slid down to my hips. "Widen your stance."
"Splits," I replied, trying to ignore the way my heart raced from his electrifying touch.
He grinned, his body pressing against my back. "I'll catch you if you slip," he whispered into my ear.
I nodded, trying to focus on the target and not on the way his hot breath brushed my neck, tickling my flesh. "Okay," I replied, my voice sounding husky and out of breath.
I took a deep breath, turning my attention to the target and readied my bow.
"Slow your breathing. Focus on the target's center and keep your back straight," Hunter coached.
I nodded, following his instructions. I pulled back on the arrow, taking a moment to steady it in place against the string before I let go. The arrow soared through the air quickly, reaching the target in seconds. It hit dead center, splitting Hunter's arrow in half. I gawked, staring at it before I squealed.
"YES! I did it. Hunter! Hunter! Did you see that!" I jumped up and down and turned, moving right into Hunter's personal space. He didn't seem to mind, nodding his head with a wide grin.