Woodbridge Recollection : The Hidden Kingdom

Chapter 14: Training with a Weapon.

The training hall was filled with the first years and they were all hectically busy. There was nothing really special about the training, in my opinion. It's all basically gyming and sparing with an occasional practice with a target. Except those training dummies. Those looked unusual to me, but how often could a person say that their average day to day activities involved training with a sword.

I slipped my coat off my shoulders and then hung it up on my hook. When I turned around and faced the rest of the hall, my eyes immediately took notice of the target practice section of the hall. There was someone there, practising with a bow and arrow.

I began towards the section, rather curious about it. The only time I actually ever handled a bow and arrow was on Linda's farm. I seemed to have known what I was doing at the time, but now I wasn't so sure if I was all that good.

Perhaps some practise was in order. I spent the whole day carrying a bow and quiver of arrows around, without the slightest clue as to how I should use it if the need did arise.

Or maybe I still knew how to use one.

I stepped up to the weaponry wall and took down one of the smaller hunting bows. I picked up a quiver of arrows and swung it over my head to rest behind my back.

As I moved over to the shooting targets, I looked around at the first years. God, but they all seemed good; lethal even. They all defiantly knew what they were doing.

I stepped up beside another archer behind the shooting lines. The targets were several yards back, quite a good distance away too.

I ignored the other archer as I set up the bow and loaded an arrow into it slowly. Remembering what Linda had once told me, I stood sideways, held the bow with my left arm and touched the string with my right. I clipped the arrow onto the string and hooked three fingers around it – one above the arrow and two under.

Pull back from the shoulder, not the hand, Linda had said.

I lowered the bow towards the floor and angled my right arm so that my elbow was up. I then pulled the string back, arching my arm back as I lifted the bow.

Whoa; I could still do it! Cool.

I aimed towards the target. The bow string was tight and pinched my fingers a little.

I breathed in deeply and released the string. The arrow flew fast and hit the target on the outer ring. Whoa...that didn't seem too bad for a first attempt. I must have remembered more from Linda than I realized.

"You're standing too loosely."

I lowered the bow and looked back. The other archer was close by behind me; holding his bow by his side.

I was a little confused. Was he speaking to me?

"What?" I asked, turning around to face him.

He pointed at my bow.

"Your posture," he said, casually. "You gotta' contract your core and stand firmly; it will make the shoulder movement easier when you pull back."

"Um, okay," I simply said.

I turned around and then loaded another arrow into the bow. Taking the guy's advice, I stood sideways one again and contracted my core. Broadening my chest and using my shoulder once again, I pulled back the string and held the bow up.

"Better," he said behind me. "Anchor the string against the corner of your mouth."

I touched the corner of my mouth with my hooked fingers. I was rather impressed to find that this new position was a lot more comfortable, despite the toll the contraction took on my stomach muscles.