Practice makes perfect?

[Jorgen]

*He held his breath in, his lungs filled and for that moment he stood as still as he could.....his fingers let loose the string and the arrow took flight. His eyes stayed focused upon the target.......he let his breath out and screwed up his face as he saw the arrow sail past the tree.

He grunted and frowned.....almost stamping his left foot in anger at himself. Would he ever get this right.....just once would the arrow find its mark.?

His feet shuffled and he laid the bow down upon the ground.....suddenly reaching his right hand towards his short sword and sliding it with ease from its scabbard. He took a position of attack towards an imaginary foe...slicing through the air as he skipped and danced his way forwards. More grunts came forth, his face contorted as he concentrated deeply...his lips parted and his tongue ran across his teeth.

Harder he stabbed and sliced at nobody...the figure in his mind was large and forboding as it backed away from him.....several times he cut the flesh and watched blood spurt from wounds he inflicted on this enemy....he grinned and watched the foe crumple downwards, landing heavily upon the ground. One final raise of his sword......a gasp from his mouth as he brought it down...severing the head from the body and lifting his leg as if to stamp down on his prize.

He panted hard and danced about in glee.....having won the battle in his mind, his face a picture of glory and honour as he bowed low to the imaginary lady before him. No words came forth, only grunts as always but he won and took pride in that.

Glancing to the bow he frowned again, wondering if he would ever get the hang of it.....but untill that day, he was content and he found his breath again...slicing and striking with his sword. His feet moving swiftly in the sparring pits, lashing out at the dummies that were placed therein. For the moment..he was a gallant Knight raging a never ending battle...winning all the time, with not a care in the world.*

[Robin of Loxley]

He had been passing the sparring pits when he had noticed young Jorgen taking aim with his bow.......He watched Jorgen intently as the arrow missed it's target then raised His eyebrows a little as the lad frowned and stamped his foot. The flicker of dissapointment that crossed His face as the lad gave up the bow so soon ,without trying again , was quickly replaced with another smile as the Lad proceeded to deal his deathly blows to imaginary foe.

Deciding that He could nae let an opportunity pass Him by to reinforce prior lessons.......He walked into the pit and over to Jorgan.........Tapping the lad on the shoulder with His own sword then stepping back to avoid the lads sword as he swung about to face Him...He smiled and raised His hands in mock surrender.

He then motioned Jorgen over as He Studied each and every dummy in great detail ......turning to the lad after each inspection......indicating that each foe was indeed dead.........He then walked back to the lads discarded bow and picking it up ......He handed it to Jorgen and handed His own sheath of arrows to him...........

Pointing at a target far at the other end of the pit......He raised one of his hands to His face pointing at His eyes then pointing to his head.........then pointed at each of the dummies the lad had smote down in his mind and spoke............

"Jorgen............much as ye have smitten thy enemies with thy sword.....ye can do also with tha bow.....ye only need ta expect tha same outcome that ye expected when ye weilded thy sword and defeated thy enemies..........for tha end result will in most cases be that of which thy mind expects..........iffn done in tha name of good "...........

He turned and left the lad...........unsure weather the lesson had been fruitful or iffn the lad even understood Him at all.....only time would tell.......But He had pressing business to attend to.........Gerrad had asked for a meeting regarding the Lady Halethala...........and indeed He had nae seen His beloved Dream and Ellissia often enough of late.........

[Jorgen]

*The young lad nearly jumped with fright as he felt the tap to his shoulder, spinning around...sword held ready. His expression of alarm quickly turned into a welcoming grin as he recognised the Loxley man. He grunted in laughter as the leader surrendered, and nodded his head in triumphant glee.

He did not understand the words, as he could not hear, but the expressions..the eyes...they told him much, and he was learning everyday, new things. He fell into step next to Loxley as he inspected the dummies and could tell the man was pleased.

The lad grinned still and tilted his head when presented with his Bow and the arrows that belonged to Loxley. He watched his face..studied every feature, every line. His eyes showed his passion for the Bow and Jorgen understood as he pointed to a far off tree. He looked again at Loxley and could only imagine what he was saying, his eyes spoke more than words ever could. Jorgen nodded again, more in respect than anything...he would try...he could make Loxley proud, he was sure of it now.

He watched the man turn and walk back towards the Castle, he saw more than honour in this man......he had saved his life on that Ship....and in turn Loxley had saved his. From that moment, he knew caring and friendship for the first time in his young life. He was a simple lad, his memory for things was not so good, much filtered through and drifted away...but some things stayed, and he thought about that as he notched a new arrow.

His eyes never left the target, not for an instance....he didn't look at the bow, nor the arrow, and as he drew the string back, he held his breath, still staring ahead at the distant tree. A split second after his decision, he let loose the arrow and it took flight......another second and it found its mark.

He jumped for joy...feeling a light as the flying arrow...punching at the air in triumph. He did it.......he did it!! Nothing would stop him now.*