Nurtured by the Sun

Jaden Ohanzee · 09-27-2011, 07:31 PM

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Sorry for the wait. Words - 600+

Phoenix Forest was generally quiet. The wind would rustle by every now and then to disturb still leaves or a small animal might scurry in the under growth, but beyond this Jaden savored his silence. What better place to train then here, in the company of the trees?

But the man wasn’t simply in the company of the trees now, he was perched on one of their wooded limbs. About twenty feet above the ground, he stood stalk still. In his crimson paws he held a short bow, his favorite tool and most deadly weapon. Ahead of him stretched the soft green of Dahlia Valley. Across the Valley and far enough away was Broken Arrow Ranch that he could not hear the animals. There was no possibility of one of the Shishen’s arrows hitting some poor animal or bystander should they go off course. Only one possible target now lay in the wide open field and it was one he had laid there for practice. A hollow rotted log almost seemed out of place in the beauty and contrasted quite well against the lively green background. A perfect victim for one of Jaden’s hand made arrows and fragile enough to let the shaft survive such an endeavor.

The log would likely be the one to surely survive this day despite it’s attackers deadly accuracy and elevation for it had one thing on its side: distance. A little less than one hundred and fifty meters separated Jaden’s bow and the dry surface of the log. It was an incredible shot for any archer to make, especially when hindered by the range and accuracy of a short bow. Jaden had come within ten meters before from this elevated position but that was not close enough. So here he stood, balanced in the trees and squinting at his target.

The archer waited patiently for his gut to advise release of his strung arrow. For minutes he just stood and felt for it. So many things could affect the arrows trajectory. The timing had to be perfect, but before the timing felt perfect a sound made Jaden’s ebony ear flick into sudden alert. Below and behind him something much larger than the usual rodent was moving through the forest. What exactly it was he wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter. He HAD to make this shot. Further disruption kept the man from proper concentration as what or who ever was below him slowly moved toward the edge of the forest. Jaden looked down and noticed an autumn hued coat and the features of a wolf. With a shallow sighed, he let the arrow fly and ignored his gut’s angry protest.

With an air cutting sound, the arrow dove strait and true but didn’t have the power to make its full journey. Nearly fifteen meters low and a little to the left, it plunged into the soft dirt of the Valley. Jaden didn’t bother watching. He knew it would not hit and was already skillfully pushing his way down the limbs of his chosen perch toward this new person. The last four meters or so were cleared all at once and Jaden landed with a huff, gear in his satchel stirring somewhat noisily and bow now in its quiver. He then stood and brushed a few loose twigs and such from his fur before looking again for the intruder.

Idly, he wondered if the wolf had seen his arrow fall, but it really didn’t matter all too much, so long as it wasn’t directed at the stranger he or she shouldn’t be put off. Jaden found this person, who was in fact a rather pretty she, not too far off in the green and approached her slowly. She was new to him and didn’t smell of Ichika but that didn’t mean much. There were many new faces appearing in the pack nowadays. “Hello,” He said in a calm and friendly tone which betrayed very little if any annoyance at the interruption of his training. “I don’t think we have met. I am Jaden Ohanzee. Who might you be?”

Jaden does. "Jaden speaks." Jaden thinks.

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