Oriehn

Chapter 14- Taliesin

Chapter 14- Taliesin

A neat array of puncture wounds appeared in the leather target—round, small, insignificant. I wanted them to wreak more damage than that; I wanted them to rip through the canvas-covered round, to shred the red painted face apart. But as a line of Archers waited on me to retrieve my arrows, I had to satisfy myself with roughly grabbing them out of the goal. "Maybe we should try shooting at the dummies next," I muttered, wiping my brow with the hem of my shirt.

"For as long as you were on Earth, Captain Graile, you sure managed to keep in shape." A soldier training under me, hoping to join the field of Venery elite, clapped me on the shoulder, bowing his head in respect. Good. Despite my months on that desolate planet, I still remained in control. I still held their admiration.

I nodded, swallowing hard before answering, begging my aching muscles to not betray the lie. "Once a hunter, always a hunter," I stared him straight in the eye, continuing to speak, "It doesn't leave you. Not in captivity, not through torture, not even on Earth."

The soldier nodded, a reverential look in his eyes that had my own chest swelling with pride. "Once a hunter, always a hunter," he repeated.

    "You'll do well to remember that," I rearranged the arrows clutched in my hands, and voiced the words that even I dreaded, a cocky smirk spreading over my face. "Now, who's ready for another round?"

    I round of groans and complaints were elicited from the trainees, and I let out a dry chuckle. "This time, we'll make it a little harder—target practice can get boring after a while."

    "I don't know how much more of this I can take," A different recruit spoke softly, leaning over to whisper the man standing in rank next to him. "My arms are raw from the bowstring. I can feel muscles I didn't even know that I had!"

    "Don't worry," his partner smirked, jostling his friend's shoulder. "The Captain's just letting out his anger—he's upset his female got bonded to another."

    "Indeed?" I stepped forward, eyeing the recruit up and down. His shoulders appeared strong, his frame muscular and fit. He looked like a hunter, like he belonged in the Venery, and he knew it. He was perfect for what I had in mind.

    "You, Soldier." I leaned in, watching as he blinked and leaned away. I smiled, though the ice I felt in my eyes never cracked. "What's your name, recruit?"

    "Hauran, Captain. Hauran Ale."

    "Ale, thank you for volunteering." I smiled ferally, grabbing him by the shoulder, "Hunters in training! Applaud Hauran here for his bravery! He's elected to compete in a trial—" My smile grew as I watched his eyes go wide. "—against me."

    A round of scattered claps and chuckles rose around us, and I stepped away from Hauran, grasping the lower limb of my long bow before hefting it into the air. It spun once before I clutched it dramatically by the grip, swiftly nocking an arrow and aiming it at the young recruit. He fumbled for his bow, but he wasn't quick enough—on the inside I chuckled, letting it grow into a manic laugh.

This is how, I thought, this is how you get over her. I released the arrow, watching as it flew towards the young recruit, the feathered end spinning about until planting itself in the ground at his feet.  "Do you accept?" I grit out, "or will you walk away from a challenge like a coward?"

    The soldier hesitated, and for a second I thought he would refuse—but I wouldn't let him. Instead, bait rose to my lips. "Go on," I cocked my chin towards the door, "You're better suited as a Combatant, anyways."

A roar of approval sounded through the line of recruits, and the soldier's pride wouldn't allow him to leave now.

He grasped the arrow, pulling it from the ground, and snapped it in two. "I accept, Captain Graile." He tossed the pieces away, and I smiled, but he clearly wasn't finished. "What do you say about raising the stakes a little higher?"

    "Higher?" I leaned against my bow, the tip now bedded in the ground. "You're sure you want to give up more than you've already lost?"

    "I've got three months of active training on you, Captain. I'm more than confident I'll give you a show."

    "A comedy," I clarified and chuckled, the rest of the soldiers following my lead, "But who am I to deter you from such behavior? What are your stakes?"

I watched as the soldier slid a glance over to his fellow recruits, eyes dancing.

    "Another two rounds of target practice for the loser," he stated, "Isn't that the typical bet?" He picked up one half of the arrow he had discarded earlier, and offered it to me.

    I laughed, eyeing the soldiers one by one before snapping the proffered arrow further and shouting, "You're on, let the show begin!"

    Cheers rose from the Hunters in training as recruits came forward with a dark cloth, blindfolding the both of us. "You know the rules," I shouted towards the others, "but in case my opponent is at a disadvantage, I'll explain how a typical trial goes."

    Another round of jeers at the expense of Hauran were shouted, urging me to speak further. "A recruit will shoot three arrows vertically into the air. Simultaneously, these blindfolds will be removed. The goal is simple: pin as many arrows with your shot as you can. The victor must pin the most."

    "Enough talking," I could feel Hauran's eagerness to prove himself from here, "Let's begin!"

    I crouched low, arrow nocked as I waited for a familiar thrumming of a bow string.

    "Ready your shot!" A soldier warned of the oncoming arrows, "Fire!"

    All at once, light filtered in to my gaze, and although disoriented, I positioned my feet towards the arrows that were shot. One, off to my left had just reached the peak of its trajectory and was beginning to hurtle back down. I pinned it against the ceiling with one of my arrows in a second, not waiting to watch my shot hit its mark. Hauran had gained his sense now, previously surprised by the rapid pace of the trial, and aimed his bow towards an arrow off to my left. Hitting it just before it fell to the ground, he whirled around, searching for the last arrow.

I notched another arrow, inhaling sharply as I watched Hauran release his shot. It was rushed but seemed to be on target. I pulled the string on my bow back further, the feathered end grazing my cheek, before I released it with a resounding thwack.

The room fell silent as they watched, before erupting into excited roar. Carefully, pace by pace, I moved towards the arrows. My arrow pinned another to the wall, the other lay shattered into two—split by my shot—at the foot of the target.

Hauran stood motionless, before a humbled grin spread across his face. "I stand corrected, Captain Graile. Earth has not made you weaker." He offered his hand to me, and I grasped it firmly, shaking it once.

"No," I spoke strongly, "It hasn't." But something else has, my mind filled in, Alice has made you weaker. I shook my head to release my thoughts, watching as the recruits filed in for another two rounds of target practice. My shoulders ached, my arms strung with tension from the exercise, but I knew that I couldn't stop—not without thinking about her. Quickly, I pulled up my bow, and filed in along the soldiers, aiming for the center of the target.

"And gods know," I muttered under my breath, "I need to stop thinking about her."