Post by Willow on Oct 7, 2008 11:46:20 GMT -5
The early morning sun beat down on Sarai from the east, throwing light shadows. The horse Silvy danced in place until Sarai quieted her with a word, a half-smile on the Breton's lips. Her bow lay loosely at her side, and her dark, forest-green eyes seemed fixed on something far away but just out of reach. After a moment of pure silence, Sarai raised the bow, fixing a raven-flighted arrow on her target, a notch in the wood of a great oak tree. She narrowed her eyes, sighting, and just as she was about to release someone shouted.
"Sarai!"
The arrow flitted from her grip and missed the target by a good two feet, embedding in the soft wood of a nearby birch. Annoyed, Sarai drew another arrow and fixed it on the string. Her brother trotted up on a black gelding, grinning.
"What do you want?" she muttered, releasing the arrow. Thunk. It smacked into the oak with a satisfactory thunk, and smirking, Sarai looked back at her brother.
"Jack Morris thanks he can beat you in a race," Kelric informed her brightly, not at all beat down by his older sisters hostile glance.
"Does he." Thunk. "Well, tell him to meet me at the front of the city in an hour. We'll see whose faster."
Kelric chuckled appreciatively and spun away, urging all speed from his mount to reach the village. Sarai let Silvy break into a trot, then reined her in so she could swing up into the tree and fetch her arrows. One of them had bent slightly on the tip, where the metal was flawed, and Sarai made a face. She'd have to make a new head for that one. With a resigned sigh, Sarai put away the arrows and unstrung her bow before sliding it into the quiver with the copper-tipped arrows, then clicked her tongue to Silvy.
"Hep!"
The mare snorted and flowed easily into a half-run, hoofsteps muffled on the hard-packed earth below them.
"Sarai!"
The arrow flitted from her grip and missed the target by a good two feet, embedding in the soft wood of a nearby birch. Annoyed, Sarai drew another arrow and fixed it on the string. Her brother trotted up on a black gelding, grinning.
"What do you want?" she muttered, releasing the arrow. Thunk. It smacked into the oak with a satisfactory thunk, and smirking, Sarai looked back at her brother.
"Jack Morris thanks he can beat you in a race," Kelric informed her brightly, not at all beat down by his older sisters hostile glance.
"Does he." Thunk. "Well, tell him to meet me at the front of the city in an hour. We'll see whose faster."
Kelric chuckled appreciatively and spun away, urging all speed from his mount to reach the village. Sarai let Silvy break into a trot, then reined her in so she could swing up into the tree and fetch her arrows. One of them had bent slightly on the tip, where the metal was flawed, and Sarai made a face. She'd have to make a new head for that one. With a resigned sigh, Sarai put away the arrows and unstrung her bow before sliding it into the quiver with the copper-tipped arrows, then clicked her tongue to Silvy.
"Hep!"
The mare snorted and flowed easily into a half-run, hoofsteps muffled on the hard-packed earth below them.