[p] sleeping in the sand

Ithiel de le Poer · 04-27-2012, 03:31 PM

[html]

(309) Using a pNPC, Col, also, because I can!

Ithiel is by Kitty!

Part of outfitting Inferni against more attacks included further training for its many members. There were a number of coyotes amongst them with no previous experience in warfare, no skills with weapons, not even a real knowledge how to fight in their natural form. This was all well and good in times of peace, but now they were at war, and Ithiel was lamenting their previous lack of preparation. They'd had many months since his own arrival and many years before that to prepare, but it hadn't occurred -- perhaps because there was no necessity to prepare.

The D'Neville was a strange place that day. Along the garden walls and on the trunks of trees large enough to support such, targets were here and there. Their shapes were varied, as of course, they had no standard method of creating such. Some were pieces of scrap leather and pelt from Myrika, too full of holes or otherwise damaged to be of any use. They were painted with different colors, the brightest in the middle signifying where they should aim.

Ithiel strode behind his two charges, back and forth. Hold the bow in the hand opposite your dominant. Set your feet apart as wide as your shoulders, and point your body toward the target, he instructed. Then turn just slightly away, keeping your dominant eye on the target. Their bows did not yet have arrows -- the stance needed to be covered first, and drawing was generally easier without an arrow nocked. Ithiel moved over to Col, and nudged his foot forward, adjusting the coyote's shoulders with both hands. He glanced toward Wraith and nodded. Good, he said, pointing at the targets. You'll want to aim for the brightest spot. Use your fingers -- the ones on the bow, not the string -- to aim, and draw the string back.

Wraith Creed · 04-29-2012, 08:24 AM

[html]

[/html]Brow furrowed in concentration, Wraith tried to commit all of Ithiel’s instructions to memory. Although she understood what he was saying, actually translating that into real movement was difficult for her. She’d only started shifting a few months ago—Ithiel had been there!—and he hadn’t used her optime form very much since that time. Although she knew it had its uses, she just supposed that out of habit, she kept to her lupus form. Naturally, this put her at a disadvantage when using the bow, because she found her movements were slow and awkward and clumsy at best.

Wraith held her arms out, splayed in opposite directions. She tried to point at the target with her fingers, but couldn’t figure out how to do it. If her fingers were supposed to be holding the bow, how was she supposed to point with them? She tried to edge her left index finger out to point with it, but found that doing that relaxed her grip too much.

“How ‘m I supposed to point with my fingers if they’re supposed to be holding on to the bow?” she asked. She was genuinely confused since she didn’t think hands could do so many things at once. [html]

[/html]

Ithiel de le Poer · 05-01-2012, 10:53 AM

[html]

(320) GOOGLING INFORMATION QUICKLY YAY

Ithiel is by me!

Ithiel walked in front of his two students, his own bow in hand. He held the wood between thumb and palm, again illustrating the grip he'd started with. When his fingers were closed around the bow, he wiggled his index finger, the uppermost one, and then lifted the empty bow, closing his non-dominant eye. He again wiggled his finger as he held the bow properly, pointing it at Wraith without drawing the string back nearly as far as it could go.

Your arrow sits about there. You'll be looking about down the shaft of it -- the point gives you something that seems better to look at, but use your finger. When you hold the bow up, you should be able to see right over that flat part of your finger. That's where you aim, he said. Shooting a bow and arrow was an advanced task for someone comfortable in their Luperci body; Wraith seemed somewhat unused to the two-legged form, though Ithiel was not one to dictate what students did outside of his time with them.

We should just throw rocks, Col said, a broad grin sweeping over his tawny features. With how I'm doing, I'll be lucky to get one arrow off before -- Ithiel grunted and stepped away from him, ignoring the rest of what he said. If his charge did not want to learn, that was no business of his -- he would pay closer attention to the one who seemed engaged with the training, then.

It seems odd at first, but you will get it, the dusky coyote promised. He himself had held a bow awkwardly at first, finding the slender wood and string almost too delicate for his large, clumsy paws. Now he handled them expertly, however, and while Wraith did not have the year he had to improve, there was certainly time enough for her to understand the basics.

Wraith Creed · 05-04-2012, 07:25 PM

GOGOGOGO

[html]

[/html]Wraith’s face contorted into an image of rapt attention as Ithiel demonstrated how to hold the bow with the arrow, pausing every so often to compare what he was doing with what she was doing. She held her own bow up, careful not to point it at Ithiel or Col, and tried to mimic his movements. The way Ithiel held his bow, he didn’t literally point with his finger, but used it as a point or a guide. She hadn’t realized that you were supposed to use it as a guide and she thought she had to actually stick her finger out, as if she were going to poke someone’s eyes out. She thought she understood how to hold it a bit better, but now her shoulders ached from holding it and she wanted to sit down.

When Col suggested they throw rocks, Wraith turned her head and shot him a glare.

“Don’t be stupid,” she snapped. “Be quiet,” she demanded. She didn’t like him talking and being annoying. She was trying to concentrate.

She quickly returned her attention to Ithiel, who explained that it was odd, but would become more familiar with time. She nodded, pointedly ignoring the stupid coyote’s chatter behind her.

“Okay, how does this look? Am I holding this right?” She lifted up her bow and arrow and settled her hand into the right position on the wood. She left her thumb to point out a bit and then peered down her left arm, her left eye closed, and her right arm pulled back with the arrow between her two fingers and the string taut. [html]

[/html]

Ithiel de le Poer · 05-06-2012, 02:56 AM

[html]

Ithiel is by Raze!

Though Ithiel took no pleasure in insulting the tawny male, he could not say the same for the fire-streaked youth's commanding attitude toward one much her senior in age -- though not maturity. She was almost an adult, but still perhaps susceptible to youth's impulsiveness and vices -- one of which might have been indulgence in a trickster's jokes. Col was just such a trickster and a distraction, and Wraith shut him out effectively as Ithiel, admonishing him in the same breath. For that he spared a smile, just a small one -- and a slight nod of his head.

I was just kidding, Col said darkly. I'll pay attention, he added quickly, peering over toward Ithiel's back and the parts of Wraith not obscured by the dusky coyote. He could see nothing of the younger coyote's stance, holding, or anything that was being taught. This was precisely what Ithiel wanted; at the Tirones's words, he stepped aside to allow the man to properly see, though he still devoted his attention to Wraith as the better pupil.

Yes, he said, stepping back and lowering his head to take a look at her finger positioning from a better angle. Do the string and the arrow feel comfortable? You can hold it differently. That is the most natural way. Ithiel himself preferred a draw called, for some inexplicable reason, the Mongolian draw -- Scintillans used varying methods, but it was said this draw was the best for horseback archery, and so it was what Ithiel had learned.

Wraith Creed · 05-09-2012, 05:44 PM

[html]

[/html]Col muttered something in return, something about 'just kidding,' but Wraith shot him a withering gaze once more and then flippantly turned her head away. She didn't like him; he was stupid and annoying and this was important, so she didn't want him messing her up. Besides, Ezekiel had said that sometimes there would be other members of Inferni who would be older than her, but not ranked as high as her. She needed to know how to deal with those sorts of coyotes since she needed to be able to defend her rank and demand respect. Plus, she just didn't like him, but no one really needed to know that. Even prudish Ithiel was better than stupid old Col.

Wraith kept her arms taught, holding the two parts of the bow as well as she could. It made her arms ache and she didn’t think she could hold it for much longer. How did archers do this for so long? It was baffling. But Ithiel said that she was doing it right, so perhaps archery just hurt—or maybe it needed her to use new muscles. She never used her Optime form, so this was quite possible. She tried to follow Ithiel as he walked around her, watching him from the corner of her eye. When he said that she could hold it differently, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Okay, how else can I do it?” she asked. Right now, she was pinching the arrow and string with her first three fingers and her thumb, but it was making her knuckles ache from the constant pressure. [html]

[/html]

Ithiel de le Poer · 05-16-2012, 02:23 AM

[html]

(350)

Ithiel is by me!

The dust-colored coyote did spare a glance toward Col, but a brief one at best. The coyote was trying to see what Wraith was doing, and Ithiel thought it might be for the best if he saw a good student in action. Wraith seemed eager to learn and relieved with the prospect of a different hold on the string. Ithiel nodded, and walked toward the tree where he'd leaned his bow. He plucked it up and returned to Wraith promptly, nodding. You should relax for the moment, he said. It would be easier for her to pay attention if she wasn't straining to keep the bow drawn.

Ithiel lifted his bow and first illustrated the three-fingered hold. This one is good because it gives you accuracy, and spreads the tension across three fingers. You can destroy your shot, though, if your fingers don't release at the same time. The dark coyote took an arrow from his quiver with one hand, settling it and drawing it back in a slower motion than he would have in a true fight. He held the draw for a second and leaned toward Wraith so she might see his fingers better. Then, he leaned back and released the arrow. It sailed forward and stuck on the edge of one of the targets.

Now, what kinda teacher can't hit the center of the target? Col quipped, sounding more defensive than playful. The dusky coyote did not look at him, but already had another arrow in place and the bowstring drawn back, this time his grip the one he preferred. This time the arrow stuck far nearer to the center -- certainly not dead-on, but an accurate shot nonetheless. Ithiel did not glance toward Col to appraise his reaction, but the peanut gallery's silence was answer enough for the Praetorian. That is my draw, he said. It uses only the thumb -- he illustrated, drawing back on his string without an arrow -- and works very well from the back of a horse.

Try them both, and then use whichever is comfortable.

Wraith Creed · 05-20-2012, 11:55 AM

370
[html]

[/html]When Ithiel said she could relax, she let her arms drop to her sides. She let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her arms were a little sore, but they felt better now that she wasn’t holding them out anymore. She let her arms dangle at her sides, her left hand holding the bow and her right hand holding the arrow, as she watched Ithiel demonstrate how he notched his arrow. He named the first one, a three-fingered hold, and showed her how to hold her hands. She frowned in concentration and then raised her bow and arrow, pointing them at the ground, to try and test it out. She mimicked the action by placing her one finger above the arrow and two below it. She did this very gingerly and found that even though she did not apply a lot of pressure, it kept the arrow in place, even when pointed at the ground. It felt more comfortable than how she had been doing it before, so she flashed Ithiel a triumphant grin. She liked it! She lowered her bow and removed her arrow to watch as Ithiel demonstrated the draw. He let loose an arrow and it missed the center of the target, which Col pointed out rather viciously. She pointedly ignored him and returned her focus to Ithiel. Ithiel raised his weapon once more, this time showing her a more complicated draw. She brought her bow and arrow up once more to try and mimic the draw, but found that it felt a little less comfortable than the other one. She readjusted her hands a few times and tried to move the way her left hand was positioned, but wasn’t sure if she liked it.

“Can I try both of them out? For real?” She held up her bow and arrow, still dutifully pointing the arrow at the ground, to show him what she meant. “I like the three-fingered hold, but I might like the other one better if I can try it. But I can’t ride a horse, so I guess whichever one works better is the one I should use, right?” She gazed up at Ithiel earnestly in anticipation of confirmation.[html]

[/html]

Ithiel de le Poer · 05-22-2012, 05:24 AM

[html]

(--)

Ithiel is by me!

The dusty-hued coyote nodded. It was not so difficult to teach -- it was rather rewarding, actually, and Ithiel did not mind these discussions at all. He was exchanging practical knowledge, and he knew he himself might well learn something from a student. Well, a good student. Ithiel doubted he could learn anything at all from Col, and thus the coyote was excluded entirely from his attentions again. The Praetorian spared not so much as a momentary glance for their clan-mate now; he'd proven himself unwilling to learn and was beyond Ithiel's help.

Whichever works, he said, both shoulders twitching upward in a small shrug. Just because it's good from horseback doesn't make it useless elsewhere. It looked like you were not tucking your thumb enough, I think -- try the horseback hold again and adjust your fingers, he added. It's not an easy thing for a Luperci to do -- it requires use of muscles in the hand we don't use a lot. But it uses the strongest finger. He wiggled his thumb to indicate which that was, nodding and stepping back for her to try again.

Wraith Creed · 05-22-2012, 04:42 PM

[html]

[/html]Wraith grinned when Ithiel agreed with her, glad to have reasoned that out properly on her own. Even though Ithiel was older than her and ranked higher than her, he was being very polite to her and explaining everything very well, so she was happy to have him instructing her. She’d never fought on two legs before, so it was weird—but fun. Of course, when Ithiel pointed out that even though the hold was best on horseback, it could be used elsewhere, causing Wraith to open her mouth in the shape of an ‘o’ as realization dawned. Yes, that made sense; she hadn’t thought about it that way.

Just as quickly, Ithiel went on to explain how to hold the bow and arrow properly. She tried to pull her thumb in farther so that the string wouldn’t snap against it when she released. She grinned when he explained that it wasn’t an easy thing to do because he was right! This was hard!

“Okay, I think I’ve got it now,” she replied after a few more moments of fiddling with her hold. She turned her body to the side, raised her bow and arrow, and then tried to spot the target using her left thumb as a guide. She drew back on the bow, pulling the string taut, and then let the arrow loose. It went way offside (she didn’t think she was anywhere near the target) and the string snapped painfully across her left arm, but she wanted to try again. She began to search for another arrow to use, but couldn’t spot any.

“Could I try again?” she asked. [html]

[/html]

Ithiel de le Poer · 05-23-2012, 09:58 AM

[html]

(288)

Ithiel is by Kitty!

It was good to have a student willing to learn -- too many were like Col. They were self-assured and already absolutely confident in their unskilled ability; any sort of criticism or helpful advice was seen as an affront to their prowess. While Ithiel considered himself knowledgeable and skilled, neither was he perfect, and he understood very well he might lose learning opportunities by dismissing the rest of the world as useless.

The dusty hybrid watched her reseat the string, nodding as she seemed to grasp at it properly. When she moved to aim the arrow, he shuffled back, watching with sharp interest as she let fly. Though the arrow missed and she seemed to catch herself with the bowstring, neither was it an entirely hopeless shot. There was enough power behind that, at least, he commented, deciding not to mention aiming. That came later -- it was enough for now that she learned to hold bow, arrow, and string properly. Neither Wraith nor any other apprentice archer could hope to learn techniques of aiming before they learned how to use the basic tools.

The dark coyote lifted his gaze and looked for more arrows. He did not wish to wander over into the shooting area -- Col might decide now was a good time to practice chucking rocks, after all. Hold on. Make sure he doesn't shoot or throw anything, the Praetorian said, tossing his muzzle at Col. With that, he turned toward the tree, retrieving first the arrows he'd embedded into the target. Then, he searched behind the tree, fetching two of the arrows that had missed the tree entirely, and a third whose origin was as yet unknown -- perhaps a leftover from an earlier session.

Wraith Creed · 05-24-2012, 07:07 PM

[html]

[/html]Wraith flashed Ithiel an amused grin when he commented that her shot was powerful at least. Sure, but it hadn’t hit the target, she’d managed to injure herself, and had overshot by a few metres. But hey, at least she knew she could make the arrow go somewhere, right? Even though she didn’t think it was that big of an accomplishment, Ithiel didn’t seem too put off by it. After all, she was only just beginning to learn, so she figured she couldn’t master it right away (even if that was exactly what she wanted to do).

Wraith followed Ithiel’s gaze as he began to search for another arrow. She turned around to see him watching Col, who didn’t seem to be doing very much at the moment. When Ithiel issued his order, Wraith nodded obediently and walked over to where Col was to watch him as obtrusively as possible.

“What?” he asked.

Wraith shrugged and then replied, “don’t shoot any arrows. Ithiel’s going to go get the ones down there.” She gestured over to the course with her right arm, leaving her left arm holding her bow, dangling at her side. Col scoffed and said something about not being stupid, but Wraith just gave him a level glare. Obviously, she didn’t agree. He was stupid.

Wraith rolled her eyes and then looked over to where Ithiel was wandering.

“Didja find anymore?” she asked once it looked like he was walking toward them.[html]

[/html]

Ithiel de le Poer · 05-26-2012, 05:43 AM

[html]

(--) I love the way they're treating Col. XD

Ithiel is by Raze!

The dark hybrid trotted back toward his students -- student, really, since Col didn't seem to be learning much of anything useful -- with the arrows in hand, nodding and holding them up toward Wraith. Don't know where this one came from, but it seems sturdy, he said, indicating the other one he'd found. The feathers were dyed red in coloration, a strangely festive thing for an arrow. Ithiel's were all simple and natural feathers -- mostly black, thanks to Zedekiah.

He stuck two of the arrows into the ground in front of Wraith and handed her the third. Col seemed about to protest and Ithiel shot him a venomous look. The coyote thought better of it and went back to digging his toe-claws into the earth, ripping up small patches of grass as he did so. Go ahead, he indicated to Wraith, stepping back so he might watch her technique.

He believed in encouragement to young warriors, though he was quick to dismiss any he deemed incapable of learning -- as seen with Col. While he did not believe women warriors were as capable as men, they had a place, too, and Inferni would do well not to forget a great part of its populace and ensure that part, too, was capable of self-defense.

Wraith Creed · 05-26-2012, 03:07 PM

383. Lol me too! He kind of seems like an idiot in this thread because we are mean hahahaha.
[html]

[/html]When Ithiel returned, he bore a new gift: a red-fletched arrow. The others he held had black arrows, so Wraith recognized that it was some sort of mystery arrow. She shrugged in response since she didn’t really care where he got it from as long as it worked. She wasn’t sure if it was made differently – and if this would affect her ability to use the bow – but she didn’t think it would be a problem. She didn’t know enough about using the equipment anyhow, so if it didn’t work, she’d just chalk it up to inexperience.

Ithiel placed two arrows before Wraith and then handed her the third. She took it and quickly strung it in her bow and then pointed the arrow at the ground. Ithiel indicated for her to try again and then stepped back. She glanced around herself to make sure that she had enough space to shoot. Col seemed to have wandered off somewhere (she didn’t bother looking to see where) so she raised her bow and arrow and pulled the string taut. She lined up her shot, looking down her arm and aiming with her thumb. She bent her elbow a little more this time, fearing the snap of the string, and then let the arrow loose.

“It almost hit it!” she crowed. She turned to Ithiel with a big grin and then bent down to pick up another arrow. She straightened out her left arm a little more, since it had felt weird keeping it bent the last time. This time, the arrow hit the very edge of the target and the string didn’t snap against her arm. She picked up the third arrow, strung it, and then let it loose in very quick succession. It didn’t hit the target, but she knew with more practice, she might be able to.

“I’ll go get them!” she said. She hooked her bow over her shoulder and then dashed onto the course to retrieve the arrows. Since she was the only one with the arrows, she didn’t think she was at risk of getting hit. As she walked back, she saw that Col had created a small pile of grass next to himself, where he had presumably been ripping them up with his toes. What a weird guy.[html]

[/html]

Ithiel de le Poer · 06-08-2012, 01:52 AM

[html]

(--) Could end it here, or reply once more yourself? ♥ Whuteva the Tams wants. ;D

Ithiel is by me!

It was not greatly surprising to the dust-colored hybrid when Col began to lose all interest. He must have started edging away while Ithiel sought arrows, for when the tall hybrid returned, the low-ranking coyote was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps if Ithiel had more patience, he could have coddled the sandy hybrid into learning, but the Praetorian had no such instinct to cajole those who refused learning. It simply seemed more practical to spend his time educating a student eager to learn, and such a student was right here before him. So it was natural the dusty hybrid was glad to see a distraction to Wraith disappear.

The hybrid's red eyes appraised Wraith's shot, but he saw little worth correcting -- she seemed to realize with the second shot her arm was more stable when it was straightened, and this shot went so far as to hit the target. The dark-furred hybrid stood up at that, a proud smile gracing his own muzzle. He was not one to smile frequently, but it brought him immense pride to see the arrow sticking out of the target -- at least one of his students had certainly learned something today. Even if Col complained to Ezekiel or something equally petty, the dust-colored hybrid needed only point toward Wraith as an example of his ability.

You've done well, the hybrid called to the copper-furred hybrid's back as she moved to fetch the arrows. Try shooting quicker, too -- like your third shot. Accuracy is important, but so is your rate of fire.

Wraith Creed · 06-12-2012, 09:34 PM

Yay! Thanks for the thread! 8)
[html]

[/html]Even though Wraith hadn’t really been looking at Ithiel, she happened to catch a look he was giving the tree as she passed by. He looked a bit happy, a bit pleased, and a bit thoughtful all at once. It seemed to be a good look, so she hoped it was for her. She didn’t really feel like she needed to impress him the way she did other coyotes like her dad, her sister, or Vesper. Maybe it was because he was a guy or maybe it was something else, but she felt like she wanted to work hard to improve for herself – and not for anyone else.

Of course, that didn’t mean she couldn’t accept his praise. When he said that she had done well, she grinned broadly in reply. She nodded quickly when he suggested shooting quicker. She quickly glanced around to check that Col hadn’t moved from his spot. He was still standing off behind her playing with grass. She grinned again and then set two of her arrows down beside her and strung one. She let each off as quickly as she could, and even though she didn’t hit the target with any of them, she felt a lot better than the other times. She’d get the hang of this yet![html]

[/html]

Login




Remember me Lost Password?