Thank you for starting, and no worries on the wait. ^__^ wc:519

Dresden was thankful for the bout of sunshine the day seemed to be bringing. It provided a welcome warmth that the lone canine knew would become more and more scarce as the autumn days dragged on. He was determined to enjoy the calm, warm weather while he could, adopting a leisurely pace as he traveled. His feet and Stanger’s hooves had taken him all across the lands, in any direction that seemed to strike him as he set out each day. Today was much the same, save for the subdued steps that allowed him to take in the sights of the strange land. The warrior traveled silently beside his stallion, Stranger, reins lightly gripped to lead the horse along. The soft crunch of leaves beneath their feet was yet another reminder that autumn was slipping into full swing, a signal to the man that he would have to find a suitable area to hunker down in for the approaching winter. His ceaseless wandering would do him little good when the snows finally came.

As the male continued his relaxing saunter through the woods, he eventually came upon the scent of another canine. It was a fresh scent, and Dresden’s curiosity seemed to awaken. The warrior seldom had had the opportunity to run into anyone native to this area, but he was not averse to dropping by for a quick chat. Perhaps this individual could tell Dresden a little about this region and what he should expect come the change in seasons. With this in mind, he quickened his steps and followed the path the scent laid before him.

He was led to a small clearing within the trees, browning grass and falling leaves decorating the area before him. There were two figures occupying the clearing, one a pale mare lingering at the clearing’s edge. Stranger seemed intrigued at the sight of the other equine, lifting his head and exhaling a light sigh. Dresden tugged gently at his reins, eying the dark bay horse. “You behave yourself now,” he whispered to the stallion. Icy blue eyes turned then to the figure at the center of the clearing as he came to a halt a few paces past the tree-line. It was a young girl, dappled in color with various browns and creams with bright blue eyes focused intently upon the book before her. What was even more interesting was the bow lying across her lap. It seemed new, showing little signs of wear. Dresden scanned the area briefly, but saw no trace of arrows anywhere.

The male raised an eyebrow at that. What was she expecting to do with a bow and no arrows? The male’s own bow was slung across one shoulder, worn down and nicked from frequent use. It rested against his quiver filled with hand-made arrows, many of which he’d had to craft on his lengthy journey. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should leave her be, but he hadn’t come out here to slip away without a word. “Hey there, little lady,” he greeted, summoning up a smile that seldom graced his lips anymore.

Yeah, definitely!

The mare was the first to take notice of the newly arrived duo, drawing attention to herself with a loud nicker. Stranger’s eyes were still locked on the pale horse, letting out a soft neigh as she approached. Dresden smirked as the dark stallion lifted his head up high, ever the proud horse. Well, well, wasn’t this interesting. It seemed the normally temperamental stallion was smitten. Or perhaps he was simply glad to see another of his kind after traveling for weeks with the broody Dresden.

The warrior turned his gaze back to the girl, who had by then noticed their presence. He raised his hand in an awkward imitation of her wave. The girl stood and introduced herself, an eager grin lighting up her features. Her name was Robin, and she seemed to be a friendly girl, approaching him without much hesitation. “Call me Dresden,” he said in turn. Icy eyes watched the girl as she padded toward him, leaving her book to sit forgotten in the grass.

She pointed out his bow and he slipped it off his back, smile still clinging to his lips. “Sure do,” he said, turning it over in his hands. “Yours definitely looks prettier than mine.” The smile widened marginally. She seemed so young, perhaps just a tad older than his own girls would be. Would they be this bubbly and friendly too? He certainly hoped so. Seeing their little smiles when he woke up each morning was probably what he missed the most.

He dismissed the thoughts, focusing his attention instead on their bows. His gaze drifted from the scarred wood of his to the smooth curve of hers. He remembered when he’d first received this bow. Back then it was in pristine condition like the one belonging to the youth. It had seen a lot of use since then, not all of it pleasant. There was still one thing missing here for the girl. “It doesn’t look like you have any arrows," he said, turning his gaze to Robin’s bright blue eyes. “Can’t do much without them, can you?” With that, he reached over his shoulder and pulled a single arrow from his quiver and held it out for the girl.

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.”