Ohh, no worries. :] This thread reminds me that I haven't done archery in so long. XD
The girl was very excited to show off her bow. “Well, isn’t that something,” he said, a smile lighting up his face as he bent to inspect the bow as she showed it to him. Dresden didn’t know how to read, but he said nothing of it, instead nodding sagely as he looked at the carved surface of the wood. The girl seemed so proud of that fact, he saw no reason to explain that he couldn’t read her name on the wood and bring her down. “Looks like your great grandma knows what she’s doing.” It was indeed a fine looking weapon.
The curious girl then asked him about his own bow. He turned it over in his hands, rubbing over one of the scratches with his thumb. “Well, thank you, little lady. I sure have had it a long time. Got it probably right around your age, now that I think of it.” He tilted his head to the side for a moment as he considered it, nodding once he determined it to be true. This had been the bow he’d first practiced archery with, a sturdy and faithful weapon that had lasted him for some time.
Her explanation of why she had no arrows had also explained what she had been doing out here reading—a book to teach her how to create them. Dresden considered it a smart move on the part of the girl’s grandmother. Having Robin craft the arrows herself would force her to practice skills that would be useful and rather essential to her if she intended to continue forward as an archer. He hardly had the chance to respond to that before excitement overtook her. The girl eagerly inspected the arrow, bouncing up and down with uncontainable excitement and energy. The display brought a wide grin to his lips. It seemed her excitement was contagious. “You’re quite welcome, miss.”
He found himself surprised as she asked for his help, but not put off. She seemed almost ashamed that she needed to ask for help. Oh, she was certainly a beginner, that much was clear. But she seemed so eager and willing to learn that it made no matter. Her enthusiasm made up for her lack of experience here. Dresden could think of worse ways to spend an afternoon than teaching the girl the basics of archery. The warrior always knew he would one day pass on his knowledge of the weapon, though he’d always imagined that it would be Kacey and Maggie who would be learning from him. Would Lily still teach their daughters to work a bow, even with him gone?
It mattered not. He smiled down at the girl, and gave her an eager nod. “Sure, why not,” he said. “Everyone’s gotta start somewhere, right?” He beckoned for her to follow him back to the center of the clearing, pulling another arrow from the quiver on his back as he walked. “We’ll aim for that tree,” he said, pointing out a sturdy oak at the edge of the clearing. He readied himself in a shooting stance, facing sideways and at a slight angle from the target. Then, he outstretched his left arm, bow in hand. “First, stand to the side with your feet a bit apart, like this,” he said, eyes turning to the girl to see if she had followed suit. “Then you’re going to want to keep your bow arm out nice and straight.”