The King's Knights

Chapter Twenty-Three: Tracking a Falling Star

Twang went the bowstring.

The arrow launched swiftly and indeed through the air and missed the knot in the wood. Tyrasa had picked it for a target, and he'd missed it by that much. It embedded itself in the wood bark and stood there, quivering. Kiyora thought it was a pretty lousy shot, though it could have missed the wood completely.

"Nicely done, William," said Jaina. "I really think you almost had it that time."

That was an excellent impression of sincerity. William almost believed she bought it. Almost. Jaina was really good at appearing sincere and excellent, wasn't she?

"You don't need to give me undeserved praise, Jaina," said William.

William had never been any good at archery.

Felix launched Shai's bow and got the target dead center. Tyrasa moved forward and scaled up the tree quickly, pulling the arrow out. "You have improved, William. Your skill with a bow may one day be passable if you continue like this."

"Coming from one of your heritage and skill, I shall take that as a compliment," said William.

"Who was it who taught you?" asked Shai.

"Maria, my Mothers friend," said William. "Though she was not a specialist. Raynald, my arms instructor, has a withered arm. Obviously, he cannot wield a bow.

"Though none could ever match him in close-quarters combat. I wonder if I have not overspecialized. Mother taught me to hurl spears as well, but ranged combat is considered... unbecoming of a knight." He nearly said 'cowardly' but thought this might insult Tyrasa.

"You are a strange people," said Tyrasa. "Weapons are by nature unbecoming. They are a distortion of nature, created to gain an advantage. We Wood Elves wield them because we must. Yet we do not love the sword over the bow or the arrow over the spear.

"We wield what suits our situation."

"Personally, I don't see how using a weapon is any more unnatural than fire," said Jaina. "Or a lightning bolt striking a tree. Weapons are made using natural processes; we just learn how to use them."

"I suppose one has to define what they mean by natural," said Twilight. She spoke from where she and Jaina were gathering herbs. Right now, they were drawing up tufts of Blood Moss, which had grown in small amounts. Most of the stuff was to be found down south in Gel Carn and could be used for healing. But there were some weaker varieties out here.

William shot another arrow and got nearer to the mark this time. Tyrasa moved forward and pressed behind him. It was a good feeling as she adjusted his hand. "Like this, you hold it too stiffly."

Again, he tried.

And this time, he hit the knot.

"A perfect hit," said Bastille, from where she was reading a sacred text of Elranor. "I must say, these holy texts are rather fatalistic. They often speak of certain death and last stands. And there is an emphasis on how men die."

"Harlenorians are not fatalistic," said Twilight. "They believe in facing death and triumphing over it. That's not fatalistic."

"I believe being swift to escalate is a sign of weakness," said Bastille calmly. "Not strength."

"I suppose one could argue that the strikes hard and fast enough need not strike another blow at all," said Jaina. "The ideal combat is resolved instantly with a single strike."

"The ideal combat," said Bastille. "Is resolved without a blow being struck."

"If no one strikes anyway, it isn't combat," said Red. "You have to have violence to qualify as a fight."