"Umm..." Seira began hesitantly.
Tryas chuckled.
"I'm guessing that you hadn't thought that far yet?"
"More like we didn't know that there were different kinds of bows." Seira said sheepishly.
"We knew that bows came in different sizes, of course. But we thought that they were all...well...bows." Seri added.
Tryas chuckled again.
"Well, it sounds like the first thing we need to do is go over the different types of bows so that you can choose the one that best suits each of you. So. The first type of bow is a longbow. A longbow is a self bow with limbs rounded in cross-section. It is about the same height as the archer who uses it so as to allow a full draw. That means that a longbow is usually over five feet tall. Longbows are designed to be fired from long distance."
Tryas eyed the twins carefully.
"Needless to say, it isn't the type of bow that I would recommend for the two of you. There are several reasons for that, but one of the most practical is also one of the simplest reasons. Finding a longbow that is small enough for one of you to wield wouldn't be easy. You might even need to have one custom made, and that would be expensive."
The twins exchanged glances. The idea of wielding a weapon that was as big as they were was an intimidating one. Would they even be physically able to use one? Seira wasn't so certain of that.
"I don't think that a longbow would work for us." she said carefully.
Seri was quick to agree. Tryas nodded.
"The next type of bow is the crossbow. Unlike the other two types of bows, the crossbow fires bolts instead of arrows. It is also the easiest bow to fire."
Seira and Seri exchanged glances again. That sounded promising. If a bow was easy to fire, it would be easier for them to learn how to use it properly.
"What is the third type of bow?" Seri asked after a few bits.
"The third and final type of bow is called a short bow. It is a great weapon for a mounted warrior, or one who is mobile. Does that help you with your choice?"
Seira nodded while Seri told the man that it did. Both the crossbow and the short bow sounded promising to the girls. But Vivian had a short bow, and if they chose to master one as well, that would be yet one more way that they could follow in their adopted mother's footsteps. And that was important to both of them.
"A short bow?" Seira asked her twin.
Seri nodded.
"Yes." she said simply.
Once they were in agreement, they turned back to Tryas.
"We'd like to start with the short bow." Seira told him.
She didn't explain why they had chosen that particular bow. Their reasons were their own, and were of no relevance to the conversation.
"But we'd like to learn the crossbow as well, once we get a firm grip on how to use a short bow." Seri added a few trills later.
"Knowing more than one weapon is always a good thing." Tryas agreed.
Then he hesitated before continuing.
"May I ask why you chose a bow rather than a sword? Many of the squires and initiates choose a sword because they are enthralled by the glory of being a Knight."
This time, it was the twins' turn to hesitate.
"We'll fight if we had to." Seira began slowly.
"If we weren't willing to do that, we wouldn't have joined the Knights." Seri added.
Seira nodded in agreement.
"But at the same time, fighting isn't our first choice. And if we have to do it, we'd rather keep as much distance between us and the enemy as possible. Does that make us cowards?" she asked worriedly.
Tryas chuckled.
"No, it doesn't make you cowards. You are willing to fight if necessary, after all. No. I'd say that it makes you smart, not cowards."
The man laughed outright at Seira's and Seri's confused looks.
"Sorry. I mean no offense. Look, it's like this. The two of you are well...small for your age. To be blunt, you look like children. Girls like you would have no chance in a close battle unless they have a lot of skill, and speed. And right now, you don't. Well, to be fair, I can't be certain that you don't have the speed for it. But I can tell by looking at you that you don't have the physical strength. That doesn't mean you couldn't ever learn how to hold your own, but right now? You'd be overpowered by some of the children I've taught, never mind a big, strong man. But with a distance weapon...well, that makes the playing field more even. Strength does play a part in it in that a strong person can wield a more powerful bow. But skill is more important, and skill can be learned. Strength on the other hand, that's different. With practice, you can maximize the strength that you have, but it isn't something you can learn per say. And in large part, it is a factor controlled by birth. A muscular, broad shouldered, powerfully built giant of a man is always going to be stronger than a little slip of a girl like the two of you are no matter how much you try to get stronger. That's just the way it is."
When put like that, Seira and Seri could hardly take offense at essentially being called weaklings. It was true, after all.
"With a bow, a tiny thing like the two of you are can be just as deadly as a giant bear of a man...as long as you work for it hard enough."
The twins nodded.
"We'll work for it." they promised in unison.
"Good. That's what I want to hear." Tryas said with a grin.
