Entering The Forbidden

Bow Making

"Come on I know you want to give me the extra meat but for the regular price", Iz tried to convince the bartender. She leaned over the bar.
"No special treatment Princess", the bartender grumbled back slapping down our meals in front of us.
"That's quite ironic", I whispered to Iz earning an eye roll.
"Fine", she said picking up her meal and moving to the back corner. I trailed behind.
"Why do you always sit in the back?"
"Easy to see everyone when they can't see you. Plus I can stop hiding my accent", Iz replied.
"What do you need for the bow?", I asked.
"Well, wood and string", Iz replied like I was an idiot.
"I didn't know If you needed anything else!" I said with a huff.
"I have everything. Even string," she said finishing her meal. We dropped our trays back by the bartender. But Iz made sure her extra gravy spilt on the counter.

"Get everything you need?" Viviana questioned as we rode up to the camp.
"We didn't need anything. Except decent food", Iz replied rummaging through her bag.
"You tagged along. I didn't ask you to come", Raziel replied flatly.
"It's better than gray mush", I chimed in.
"Gray mush?" Viviana asked.
"It's a breakfast food in the Elven kingdoms", I replied.
"It's disgusting. I always give it away", Raziel said.
"And we all ignore you being incredibly rude as you get rid of it", Iz said still rummaging through her bag.
"You do it too!" Raziel claimed.
"I'm royalty", Iz said looking up from her bag.
"What are you looking for?" Viviana asked.
"Probably not what you think", she replied pulling things out and putting them in another bag.
"Weapons?" Will asked.
"No. Tools"she replied closing the bag.
"For what?" He asked.
"You're little tiny baby bow", Iz said the last four words in a high pitched voice.

"Let's stop here", Raziel called leading us off the trail.
"I'll train Will with the sword. Isadora can start on the bow", Viviana said dismounting.
"Maybe I don't want to", she replied.
"Fine. Don't. I don't care", Viviana replied.
"Do you want recurve or long?" I asked Will.
"Umm......", Will trailed off.
"Recurve. Same power but lower draw", Raziel answered.
"Not necessarily", Iz replied walking to the woods.
"Don't be afraid to get lost!" Raziel called after us as I followed Iz.
"I'll try hard for you Razzle Dazzle!", Iz called without a backwards glance.
Just outside of the clearing out of sight and out of earshot Iz stopped. I watched as she gracefully plopped down in the grass and to lay her tools out in front of her.
"Your really unpredictable", I stated leaning against a tree.
"I try to be" she said with all her tools in front of her.
"I think that's why I like you", I told her.
"That's why we are friends", she said.
"I wish we could be more", I mumbled as I moved to sit across from her.
She looked up and raised an eyebrow.
I shook my head no and shrugged.

"Look. The bow making class was useful" she stated after working in silence for awhile.
"I said we wouldn't need it in the near future", I replied from where I was laying in the grass.
"This is the near future", she replied.
"Well I thought we would have professionals to make our bows", I said propping myself up on my elbows to watch her as she worked.
"They'd mess it up", she said with a glance up to me.
"They make bows for a living! They are professionals!" I said
"So. I'm a professional princess and I still manage to mess that up.", she said with a smirk.
I smiled to myself as I admired Iz and her work.

"Here you go", Iz said proudly as she presented her handiwork to the group.
"Nice. Now teach him", Viviana said.
"No thank you from the Trainer?" Iz replied sarcastically.
"I had to teach him on the sword. I'm passing the torch to you two", Viviana said plopping down by the fire.
"So first I have to make a baby bow. And now I have to teach it?"Iz questioned.
"Yep. You're the only two who can teach him." Raziel said joining Viviana.
"Whyyy" Iz whined as she grabbed Will and pulled him to the side.
"Here is bow", she said and handed him the bow, "now knock arrow, draw, aim, release."
"Umm.....ok", Will replied picking up an arrow.
"This one feather needs to be facing the opposite direction", Iz said as she rolled her eyes.
"You didn't say that! Which one?" Will said dumbfounded.
"I'll color the feathers later. This one", she said as she rotated the arrow for him.
"Ok", he began to draw back but soon struggled.
"It's only about fifty pounds draw weight!" Iz said like it offended her.
"He's new!" Viviana shouted.
"He's weak!" Iz shouted back.
"Don't care. You're problem!" Raziel chimed in.
"I can't build up years worth of muscles in a day", I stated.
"If he can draw this he couldn't lift a sack of potatoes!" Iz complained.
"Still here", Will chimed in.
"Well. Just do it. It can't be too hard!" I said.
"You're the people who starved him for who knows how long", Raziel grumbled.
"What was that?" Iz spun to face him drawing her long bow and glaring.
"Nothing", Raziel said.
"You make it look easy!" Will said staring at Iz in wonder.
"Well she's been doing it since she could walk", I said remembering all the times I've watched and joined her practice sessions.
Will drew the arrow again trying to hide his struggle. Iz ignored it.
"Look down the arrow aim it at the tree", Iz said as Viviana walked towards us.
Will released the arrow and it flew to the side and hit Viviana in the shoulder.
"That's one way to start this session", Viviana said pulling the arrow out.
"Congratulations you managed to hit the one thing that can't die", Iz said, slowly clapping.
"At least it's a start" I offered.
"This is going to take a long time", Iz said speaking for all of us.

"Well he hit the target six times", I said as we saddled up.
"Better than nothing",Iz said as she sat legs crossed on the saddle. She had Will's arrows and a jar of paint. As we got on the rode she started painting one feather per arrow.
"Plus he hit me", Viviana said.
"Well, at least his hit a person", Raziel said with a shrug.
I watched as Iz finished with the arrows and handed them to Will.
"Give me your bow", she told hand sticking her hand out.
"Why?" Will asked suddenly protective of his bow.
"Stop being overprotective. You just got it. I'm going to carve it", she said showing her bow with the designs she hand carved into it.
"Fine", he said handing it to her. She then dropped back down next to me.
"You're protective of yours", I said as she settled down to start carving.
"I made it. And carved it. After three bows my father burnt. It was important ", Iz said.
"So. That's his first bow", I said.
"You're protective of yours."
"You made it for me", I said.
"So."
"It's special."
"It's not as strong as I was planning. But You wouldn't let me redo it",Iz said.
"You carved it all nice for me", I replied remembering when I first got it.
"Whatever Sky. As long as you're happy with it."
"Trust me, I am", I said with a smile as our group fell into precious silence.