111th of Ymiden, 704
the Eastern Plains
the Eastern Plains
"What are we hunting?" Kori'än beamed, swinging his bow back and forth as he skipped around his mother. The weather was pleasant, not too hot nor too cold, perfect for hunting. Not that he really would know, but his mom had said so, and so, it must be true. "A bear? A wolf? A boar?"
"A rabbit, if you're lucky!" Àida chuckled, placing a hand on Kori's shoulder to stop his skittish movements around her. "I'm taking you to learn the basics. You can't even shoot yet. So we will train that, and I'll show you how to track some animals, how does that sound?"
"Boring." Kori informed, looking up at his mom with a smile. "Shooting looks easy." Holding the bow up with his left hand, right fingers pulled the string back. The numbness on the tip of his fingers made him lose his grip, though, and the string was released before it was fully drawn. He frowned, looking down at his hands. "It feels weird."
"That's because you aren't used to it yet," His mom's voice wavered, and Kori looked up, tilting his head to the side as he tried to figure out why she was upset. Àida quickly smiled, though, walking behind him and gently laying her hands down his shoulders. "You'll build the necessary strength in your arm with time and figure out how to feel when the string is ready for release. Maybe we should just take things slow."
"But I want to hunt," he pouted, and his mom chuckled, ruffling his hair before returning her hand to his shoulder.
"Of course, you do. But patience is the virtue of the good hunter, so you should learn some." There was amusement in her voice, and Kori smiled as he rolled his eyes. "For now, try drawing the bow again." When he did so, forcing his fingers together to the point of turning his skin white, so he wouldn't let the string go without meaning to again, he felt his mother force his shoulders down. "You are very tense. Relax. Breath in, breath out, and let the tension run out of your body, so you can aim right."
Despite the annoyed huff he let out, Kori tried to do what she said. His arms still shook a little with how much force he was putting on his grip, but as his mother's hands weighed him down, little by little in the following bits, he felt his shoulders relax.
"Good," she praised, and Kori felt a hush of pride wash over him. "Now, stop gripping the string with such strength. You'll just tire yourself out."
"But I'll lose my grip again!"
"You won't. Just release your grip slowly until you feel like it'll escape, and then stop."
Kori sent a doubtful look over his shoulder, but took in a deep breath and did what his mom said, slowly releasing his grip. Just like he knew it would happen, however, he couldn't feel when the string was about to escape his fingertips, and the string was released once again.
Once again, he looked down at his hand in disappointment. "I told you," he whispered. "I can't do it."
"Yes, you can, amabimouse (Xanthea)," his mother said, firmly, turning him around to face her. "You've just started, these things take time. Just like everything. You need to have the patience to learn. Hunting is not just running around after your prey ― you need to know what kind of animal you're looking for, so you can identify their tracks, you need to know where to hit them to take them down, and what to expect if they see you. You're dealing with nature here. It is beautiful and kind, but also dangerous, and you should respect it. And respect yourself and your learning curve."
Kori shifted in place, eyes lowering, not being able to hold her gaze. She sounded almost... desperate. It was weird, and he didn't like it, not at all. "How long does it take to know everything, like you do?"
His mother's laughter was clear and loud, and her hands moved from his shoulders to his back, pulling him into a hug. "Oh, I do not know everything. Just the opposite. I still miss a lot of my shots, I'm better at catching prey with traps." Àida's hand gently combed through his hair. He leaned against her almost instinctively, seeking the comfort of the touch. "Alright. Enough resting. Let's try again."
Kori'än groaned, got in position again, pulling the string, trying to get used to how much strength he needed to pull the string with, instead of just feeling it.
"A rabbit, if you're lucky!" Àida chuckled, placing a hand on Kori's shoulder to stop his skittish movements around her. "I'm taking you to learn the basics. You can't even shoot yet. So we will train that, and I'll show you how to track some animals, how does that sound?"
"Boring." Kori informed, looking up at his mom with a smile. "Shooting looks easy." Holding the bow up with his left hand, right fingers pulled the string back. The numbness on the tip of his fingers made him lose his grip, though, and the string was released before it was fully drawn. He frowned, looking down at his hands. "It feels weird."
"That's because you aren't used to it yet," His mom's voice wavered, and Kori looked up, tilting his head to the side as he tried to figure out why she was upset. Àida quickly smiled, though, walking behind him and gently laying her hands down his shoulders. "You'll build the necessary strength in your arm with time and figure out how to feel when the string is ready for release. Maybe we should just take things slow."
"But I want to hunt," he pouted, and his mom chuckled, ruffling his hair before returning her hand to his shoulder.
"Of course, you do. But patience is the virtue of the good hunter, so you should learn some." There was amusement in her voice, and Kori smiled as he rolled his eyes. "For now, try drawing the bow again." When he did so, forcing his fingers together to the point of turning his skin white, so he wouldn't let the string go without meaning to again, he felt his mother force his shoulders down. "You are very tense. Relax. Breath in, breath out, and let the tension run out of your body, so you can aim right."
Despite the annoyed huff he let out, Kori tried to do what she said. His arms still shook a little with how much force he was putting on his grip, but as his mother's hands weighed him down, little by little in the following bits, he felt his shoulders relax.
"Good," she praised, and Kori felt a hush of pride wash over him. "Now, stop gripping the string with such strength. You'll just tire yourself out."
"But I'll lose my grip again!"
"You won't. Just release your grip slowly until you feel like it'll escape, and then stop."
Kori sent a doubtful look over his shoulder, but took in a deep breath and did what his mom said, slowly releasing his grip. Just like he knew it would happen, however, he couldn't feel when the string was about to escape his fingertips, and the string was released once again.
Once again, he looked down at his hand in disappointment. "I told you," he whispered. "I can't do it."
"Yes, you can, amabimouse (Xanthea)," his mother said, firmly, turning him around to face her. "You've just started, these things take time. Just like everything. You need to have the patience to learn. Hunting is not just running around after your prey ― you need to know what kind of animal you're looking for, so you can identify their tracks, you need to know where to hit them to take them down, and what to expect if they see you. You're dealing with nature here. It is beautiful and kind, but also dangerous, and you should respect it. And respect yourself and your learning curve."
Kori shifted in place, eyes lowering, not being able to hold her gaze. She sounded almost... desperate. It was weird, and he didn't like it, not at all. "How long does it take to know everything, like you do?"
His mother's laughter was clear and loud, and her hands moved from his shoulders to his back, pulling him into a hug. "Oh, I do not know everything. Just the opposite. I still miss a lot of my shots, I'm better at catching prey with traps." Àida's hand gently combed through his hair. He leaned against her almost instinctively, seeking the comfort of the touch. "Alright. Enough resting. Let's try again."
Kori'än groaned, got in position again, pulling the string, trying to get used to how much strength he needed to pull the string with, instead of just feeling it.
