Mistaken

Alex (Chapter 7)

Chapter 7

Alex

I closed my eyes and slowly concentrated on what my father was telling me to do. Raising my bow I aimed at my target and notched an arrow. I could barely see the target in the distance but I knew I could hit it. Feeling the feathery end of the arrow I imagined what my father would do if I missed, if for once I didn't hit the middle. Shaking my head I banished the thought and went back to concentrating. In a flash I lifted up my bow, pulling back the string and letting go, aiming against the wind on instinct. The arrow flew straight and true, hitting the target right in the center.

"Faster!" the burly man beside me angrily said.

I hesitated a moment taken aback by his anger. How could I do it any faster?

"Go!" he yelled.

Instantly I brought up my bow, notching an arrow, pulling it back and letting it fly all at the same time. It split the first arrow in half.

He nodded his head in approval and I felt my pride grow for what seemed like the first time ever, but my hope was dashed as soon as he opened his mouth. "You need to be faster, and put more force behind it! When someone is coming at you your speed and that arrow are the only things keeping them from reaching you. The farther away they are the better."

"Ok." I simply said, taking in my father's criticism and deciding that I would impress him with my next shot.

Reaching back for an arrow I readied myself to shoot the arrow even faster, but before I could he interrupted me.

"I think that's enough shooting for now."

Reluctantly I lowered my bow. I still wanted to show him how good I was and that I could do what he wanted me to do.

"Hurry up!" he yelled at my slowness, and quickly I put up my bow, replacing it with swords, and met him in the middle of the clearing.

"Go!" he snapped before I even had time to prepare myself.

Men came at me from every direction. One punched me in the face and another sent me to the ground before I could protect myself, but I hardly felt the pain. Quickly I got up and started fighting. From then on none of the men got a punch in. I sent one to the ground with a hard fist to the face. Another I gave a swift kick to the head, and the third I knocked unconscious by hitting one of his pressure points. Three down three to go. Feeling lithe and powerful I headed for the fourth man, blocking his punch and trying to decide how to defeat him. That's when I realized my father was yelling at me and I was completely ignoring him.

"USE YOUR SWORDS!" he yelled.

I hated using my swords, but I could see the anger in my father's eyes from where I stood and I definitely didn't want to make him any angrier. Turning back to the three men I pulled the swords from their sheaths on my hips, but not before I received a swift kick to the gut. I wanted to fold over and clutch my stomach, but I knew my father didn't stand for weakness, so instead I swung my swords and fought back. I swung my swords, cutting at their legs and arms. Every time my swords connected with their skin I cringed.

After a while the three men laid on the ground with their comrades. Turning around to look for my father's angry face I prepared myself for what was surely to come. He stood rigid with anger clear in every feature of his face. I made my way towards him sluggishly, with my eyes staring down at my feet and my head hanging low.

"You cannot let anyone slip into your guard! You cannot let them get a hit in! One good hit from a powerful enemy could give them the advantage. You cannot let them do that!" There was a short pause and I was debating if I should look up at him, but before I could he grabbed my shirt collar and jerked my face up so that it was just inches from his. "LOOK at me!"

"Y-yes father." I stuttered.

"You have disappointed me!" He yelled, and then sighed and sat me back down, but I kept my eyes glued to his face so he wouldn't get mad again. "I know you could do so much better Alex."

There it was. Every time he said the same thing. I could do so much better. I had to be faster. I had to be stronger. Sometimes I had the impression that he was searching for something, some kind of sign. It was like he was searching for a different ability. He never tested my ability or pushed it to its limits. He simply didn't care about it.

I also disappointed him. That was the one thing he said every time. I was a disappointment to him, and nothing I did would change it.

I didn't reply to him. What was I to say, "Sorry I'm such a disappointment dad."?

"You could do so much better!" he repeated.

"I will do better next time." I promised, my need to impress my father hardening in me. I would impress him this time.

He rolled his eyes and stormed away not even giving me the chance to prove myself. He headed towards the house and slammed the door behind him as he went inside, leaving me alone with six unconscious men.

Before I did anything else I put the bloody swords back in their sheaths. I couldn't bear to look at them any longer. I was too exhausted to feel any more emotion, and instead of getting mad or sad I bent down to help the unconscious men. Some were bloody from the cuts caused by the terrible swords, but I had been careful not to cut too deep and to only hit their arms and legs. I went to the three bloody men first and looked at their wounds. They weren't terrible but I still felt sorry for it.

Quickly I looked around to see if anyone was watching me. There was a way that I could make up for hurting them, and my father might not like that I was doing it but I was going to do it anyway.

Grabbing one of the men's arms I pulled back his sleeve to look at the wound. I brought my other hand over the wound and closed my eyes to concentrate. I imagined the wound slowly closing and healing, and I pictured it over and over again. When I opened my eyes the wound was fully healed, and for once I felt proud of myself.