Thornbury, about noon, Hotaru is sitting on a boulder.
Word Count → 393
Every stroke moved down the wood with a practiced grace. The wood rasp felt heavy in Hotaru's cat like paws. The large file moved down the bows shaft, guided by feel and memory. The monotonous movement brought a sense of peace and tranquility to the otherwise disturbed female. It had been a long time since Hotaru had been truly happy. Carving had always given Hotaru a sense of purpose and made her feel special. Now the act made her feel normal, a sensation she had longed for since the day her eyes stopped working.
Several weeks ago, Hotaru had ventured out into the woods with Fawkes and a hatchet. Using the bird as a guide, Hotaru had been able to locate a fine, young osage orange tree. Despite her inability to see, the grey wolf had managed to chop down the tree without too much trouble. She had placed the felled branch in her house and allowed it to dry before beginning her work. Hotaru's goal was to turn the osage into a hunting bow. The blind woman wasn't sure why she was making a hunting bow, but the desire to carve something had compelled her to action.
Before her 'accident,' Hotaru had been a skilled woodworker who specialized in making works of art. Tools such as bows or staves were not out of her realm of expertise, but they never seemed to be much of a challenge for her. Now, Hotaru was not sure she could even make something as simple as a hunting bow. But she had to try.
Hotaru had spent a long time making this bow. She had shaped it with great care. The more Hotaru worked on the bow, the more confident she became. Hotaru could hear the sound of the wood, it's different growth rings apparent in their texture and clarity. The once large branch had been carved into the familiar shape of a bow. Hotaru had thinned the arms of the bow enough so she could begin working on the bows handle. Using the wood rasp, Hotaru began to shape the sides of the handle so that it would fit comfortably in her paws. The idea of making a bow conform her grip almost saddened Hotaru. The blind woman would never be able to hunt with the bow, so her creation would go unused and forgotten.
Table by Aly, code by the Mentors!
<style>.hotaru-purplefireflies { background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/RhX5n.png); background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:bottom center; background-color:#805d7e; width:500px; margin:0px auto; text-align: left; padding:10px 0px 225px 0px; color:#; font-family:georgia, serif; font-size:12px; line-height:18px; border:1px solid #FFFFFF; outline:1px solid #000000;}
.hotaru-purplefireflies b {color:#FFFFFF; }
.hotaru-purplefireflies p { color:#3e1f39; text-indent:40px; padding:5px 15px; margin:0px; }
.hotaru-purplefireflies p.ooc { font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:11px; }
.hotaru-purplefireflies .name { font-size:45px; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; text-align:right; margin:0px 45px 15px 0px; color:#FFFFFF; text-shadow:#000000 2px 2px 1px; }
p.template-credit {text-indent:0px; text-align:center; font-size:10px; font-style:italic; width:425px; text-align:center; margin:0px auto;}
.hotaru-purplefireflies .wordcount {color:#FFFFFF; letter-spacing:0px; font-size:11px; font-weight:bold; border-top:1px dotted #8c8c8c; text-align:right; padding:0px 5px; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0px 15px 15px 15px;}
p.template-credit {text-indent:0px; text-align:center; font-size:10px; font-style:italic; width:425px; text-align:center; margin:0px auto;}
</style>
[/html]