01-07-2010, 08:03 PM
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Word Count: 678 - SoSuWriMo
Ty listened carefully to Dawali's explanation, and seemed eager to start when he handed him the materials for an arrow. Making sure not to comment his attempts as he tried, Dawali simply stood and watched, sometimes nodding without sound when he did something right. When he had taught others to do things before, he had always commented along the way, but found that most of the time if the one he was instructing was a grown male like himself, that he would not appreciate the added info. So, Dawali had learned to keep his mouth shut and instead be available for questions instead. The arrowhead fell to the ground once, twice, and the first time his new acquaintance looked embarrassed. The second time he looked frustrated, and Dawali had to fight back a little smile. No matter, it was amusing, and the impatience in a learner was always fascinating to him. He knew it in himself, too, and remembered well the time Ember had tried to teach him how to fish with a human fishing pole. Oh, the shame and the blushes when he failed miserably. Weeks later when his daughter had caught him practising he had been just as useless, but luckily for Ty the third attempt seemed to go better for him. The Chief smiled as the other male finished his work now working slowly but purposely, finally managing to fasten the arrowhead to the stick. Nodding, and now that Ty asked him for feedback, Dawali took the arrow from his hands and touched the stone, checking how well it was fastened. The lashes held the movement, but on impact this arrow would likely not cut. Still it would give a painful bruise before it fell to the ground. It was pretty good for a beginner's arrow; many struggled much more than that with lashes such as these, and getting it just right could take years of practice. "Yeah this is pretty good - though the arrowhead probably would fall off if shot at something, instead of piercing the skin of the prey. But, I also usually make a cut on either side of the stone, around here and here.." the red wolf male pointed to the side of where the lashings were on the stone, and continued; "and then I lash into those cuts; that way the knots hold the stone more firmly in place. And also this stone is rather crude, so it would be hard to make it into a usable arrow for piercing as it is. It'd have to be moulded a little better first. This stone is a tricky one." Even if Dawali had tried to make an arrow from this, it would have run the risk of falling apart on contact, simply because it had to be worked with first.
Dawali changed his holding point on the arrow, and pointed at the end of it with one red-colored finger. "The the last part of an arrow is adding feathers or other light and flat things to the end of it. It stabilizes them in flight, and also makes them heavier on the back of the arrow so the arrowhead doesn't pull downward as much. You just slice a groove in the wood with a knife or something sharp, and then fasten half an arrow in it with something sticky, like sap. You need four halves of feathers, and the two feathers you use should be roughly the same size." Smiling, Dawali pointed to the arrow as he spoke, turning it and indicating how and where the four halves of feathers would be placed. He had no feathers with him except the ones in his mane, and so he could not demonstrate this as he would have had he had the materials available. Smiling, Dawali's yellow gaze rose to Ty's face, checking to see if he was grasping the concept. "If the stick is straight and light, and the stone arrowhead not too heavy, the arrow with its feathers placed correctly should fly quite straight, and be easier to aim with."
Ty listened carefully to Dawali's explanation, and seemed eager to start when he handed him the materials for an arrow. Making sure not to comment his attempts as he tried, Dawali simply stood and watched, sometimes nodding without sound when he did something right. When he had taught others to do things before, he had always commented along the way, but found that most of the time if the one he was instructing was a grown male like himself, that he would not appreciate the added info. So, Dawali had learned to keep his mouth shut and instead be available for questions instead. The arrowhead fell to the ground once, twice, and the first time his new acquaintance looked embarrassed. The second time he looked frustrated, and Dawali had to fight back a little smile. No matter, it was amusing, and the impatience in a learner was always fascinating to him. He knew it in himself, too, and remembered well the time Ember had tried to teach him how to fish with a human fishing pole. Oh, the shame and the blushes when he failed miserably. Weeks later when his daughter had caught him practising he had been just as useless, but luckily for Ty the third attempt seemed to go better for him. The Chief smiled as the other male finished his work now working slowly but purposely, finally managing to fasten the arrowhead to the stick. Nodding, and now that Ty asked him for feedback, Dawali took the arrow from his hands and touched the stone, checking how well it was fastened. The lashes held the movement, but on impact this arrow would likely not cut. Still it would give a painful bruise before it fell to the ground. It was pretty good for a beginner's arrow; many struggled much more than that with lashes such as these, and getting it just right could take years of practice. "Yeah this is pretty good - though the arrowhead probably would fall off if shot at something, instead of piercing the skin of the prey. But, I also usually make a cut on either side of the stone, around here and here.." the red wolf male pointed to the side of where the lashings were on the stone, and continued; "and then I lash into those cuts; that way the knots hold the stone more firmly in place. And also this stone is rather crude, so it would be hard to make it into a usable arrow for piercing as it is. It'd have to be moulded a little better first. This stone is a tricky one." Even if Dawali had tried to make an arrow from this, it would have run the risk of falling apart on contact, simply because it had to be worked with first.
Dawali changed his holding point on the arrow, and pointed at the end of it with one red-colored finger. "The the last part of an arrow is adding feathers or other light and flat things to the end of it. It stabilizes them in flight, and also makes them heavier on the back of the arrow so the arrowhead doesn't pull downward as much. You just slice a groove in the wood with a knife or something sharp, and then fasten half an arrow in it with something sticky, like sap. You need four halves of feathers, and the two feathers you use should be roughly the same size." Smiling, Dawali pointed to the arrow as he spoke, turning it and indicating how and where the four halves of feathers would be placed. He had no feathers with him except the ones in his mane, and so he could not demonstrate this as he would have had he had the materials available. Smiling, Dawali's yellow gaze rose to Ty's face, checking to see if he was grasping the concept. "If the stick is straight and light, and the stone arrowhead not too heavy, the arrow with its feathers placed correctly should fly quite straight, and be easier to aim with."