Circa 1872

Chapter 1

Mark

**

9 years later

I gather the strength that I can have as I stared at the red mark in the middle, making it my target. Focus, Victoria. The silent ground with me alone with the bullseye, just like in the battlefield. Like a friend and the foe facing each other waiting for the opposing team's next move.

This is just a training, but giving it my all will give me no harm.

I immediately released the arrow, my breathing hitched, afraid that it might missed.

But it didn't.

"You did it!" My friend, Bailey, clapped out of excitement. She, Leandra and Leo has been watching me do my training once or twice a week and sometimes, I do really love some accompany. Leandra stands up and pat my back, "You're getting sharper day by day, Victoria." I muttered a silent thank you.

They are my friends ever since I was young. We're the same age, Bailey the youngest, 17 and Leo the oldest, 20. It was only the 4 of us.

"Greetings!" And oh, Ivanove too. I quickly saw him coming out in our backdoor with his hands waving his hat. He doesn't live with us but still our friend. And I so love his mom. An elegant lady she is.

"Your training is over?" He asked, standing beside Bailey.

"Yup!" I said. Leo and Leandra are siblings, their closeness is something that I envy, speaking as an only child.

"What should we do now?" Leo asked.

"Can I try archery?" Bailey asked with a hopeful tone. "Of course!" I always knew she wanted to try archery but she's too shy to borrow my bow and arrow. I willingly handed her the bow which she accepted gratefully, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Mother made me study archery– well, so does other stuff such as medicine, any maps, and we read stories too. To her, intelligence is the most important thing a man can have. A woman only gets a little to no priviliege to learn but that didn't stop her. Even though learning sometimes suffocates me.

Thanks to my friends, they sometimes take my mind away from the suffocation of my mom's arms. They made me be me.

Bailey runs to the target to get the arrows and return besides me to immediately fixed her position. Our eyes staring intently waiting for what will happen. After seconds, Bailey released her arrow.

"Wow," I breathed, amazed of how well she is even on her first try. It didn't hit the red mark but it is so near it that only a few beginner can succeed.

"You should've told me that you're this good so that we can have training together!" I give her a tight embrace.

"Thank you, Victoria. I have been observing you during your practice and maybe this is just luck."

Unlike me, Bailey didn't have her mom with herself. So does Leandra and Leo but, it doesn't seem to bother them.

We laughed and talked together while sitting on the grass. We talked about all the stuff that happened when we were little, the future that we are almost certain that we can have, and our plans. It was lovely.

Living with them and being a friend to Ivanove since I was 7, it's like I already know everything about them. I know that Bailey love the headmistress so much and that she wanted to study music. I also know that Ivanove loves poetry. Lea wanted to study forensic science and hand to hand combat but unfortunately, that is not what society would want to see in a woman, I tried to convince mom but she doesn't know anything about Leandra's interest and to hire her own teacher is hard.  Lastly, Leo wants to handle the coffeeshop that the headmistress owns.