[Hopetoun] Knock nock!

[Vega]

6th Ashan, 721

following: this

That morning, they'd put together the shafts for their new arrows and now, they were meeting back up to go on to the next stage. "It seems to be goin' a'right, don't you think?" Vega said to her cousin Reese. He nodded but before he could get a word out, his wife Lily spoke. "You're better at teaching than you think you are, Vega. " Vega really wanted to dislike Lily - and her twin Sian - but she had to admit, albeit only to herself, that she liked them. She liked Lily's hopeless optimism. Vega, as a blessed of Xiur, was hopeful. But it was like Lily was blind to any evil. When Vega had first come back from Storm's Edge and they'd all met up, she'd told them about Rhaum. Lily had been upset on Rhaum's behalf, thinking that he must have been a very sad and lonely fellow.

It made Vega want to punch her.

But, equally, Vega knew that Lily meant it. It was just the deep level of unrealistic which wound the daughter of Faldrun up oh-so-very-much. Vega was hopeful, but she was realistic. She believed the best would happen and things would work out in the end - but she also believed that she had to work for that. For Vega, Lily's optimism wasn't optimism at all - it was willful ignorance. She saw no darkness, and that was a falsehood. When her cousins had first married the "useless twins" as Vega had dubbed them, she had found the girls shallow and largely pointless. She still thought that - but despite that, they were nice, kind people. Vega found it hard to come to terms with, but basically, they were both a bit thick in an inexcusable way.

But, Lily was kind an soft and gentle and she wanted to help. So Vega smiled. "Thanks Lilly-bud," she said. "I reckon they're pretty talented, you know. They picked it up quick, anyhow." Lilly nodded. "We're going to do the feathers this afternoon?" Vega nodded. Lilly lifted one of the etchwing feathers and smiled. "I like these," she said. Vega resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "They're so pretty."

Vega looked at Lily and shook her head. "I don't know whether I envy you or not you know. I mean, they are pretty. But they're from a dead bird." Lilly looked at Vega and nodded. "I'm sure the creature would be happy to know that it sacrificed itself for such a good cause," she said. Vega looked at her. "Lily. It didn't sacrifice itself, it got murdered. By me. An' it weren't a noble cause, but it tasted righ' nice in the pie last night." Lilly sniffed slightly. "Noble and majestic." Her words showed her own stubbornness and Vega chuckled as she caught Reese's gaze. Immortals help him, but that boy was totally stricken with this idiot, Vega thought. She prayed to Xiur that they found the world the place Lily saw it as. It would be a lovely place. "So," she said, desperate for a change of subject. "You'll help me with basketweavin' an' stuff later? That still ok?"

Being where they were, Vega wanted to make some basked for crabs and for picking cockles and so on. Lily nodded eagerly. "I'm looking forward to it! Sister time!"

Vega nodded. "Good oh, love. Thanks." Making no comment about "sister" time, she motioned to where there were six people already waiting.

"Come on then," she said. "Lets get on with the next bit."

[Vega]

6th Ashan, 721

following: this

"Well, at least there's still six of you," Vega said with a smile. "You didn't all run away screamin', or draw straws as to which one gets to escape. So, what I want to do now," Vega said to them, "Is get the flights done." She looked at them and grinned. They seemed happy and they seemed to be learning. With a prayer to Xiur, to Daia and Qylios and Ilaren, Vega hoped that it continued. Whether it was because of her, or despite her, she wasn't quite sure yet. But Vega knew that she was happy with how things were.

"So, lets talk feathers," she said. "An' to talk feathers, we've got to talk birds." She had a number of feathers in front of her, and she showed them. "Never mix feather type, an' never mix wings. If you're usin' feathers from the left wing of a turkey, then you're usin' feathers only from that wing. No mixin' left an' right an' no mixin' turkey an' chicken, a'right?" Shrugging slightly, Vega considered it. "Turkeys, kazan fowl, etchwings an' owls - those are the best ones I've come across. Etchwings have got right good feathers, I have to say. An' I reckon, we'll start with them."

She had an etchwing there with her, and she pulled it over, then put it down on the floor. "Gather round an' see what I do. I'll speak to Serena an' Arlo, an' make sure that any birds what are brought in an' plucked, the feathers get put in different places. You need to store them somewhere dry, an' sealed. Mice love feathers." She grinned. "So, a box is best, or a bag, high up."

Choosing a feather then from an etchwing - a bright and vivid purple one, Vega showed them. "We need to cut it, right down the middle. If this middle spine is broken, don't use the feather. One turkey wing gives me about forty fletches, an' the birds almost always have two wings," she smiled. "So, better to go for quality, every time." There was a point to make, though, about the cutting of the vein, or the spine of the feather. "What you cut with should be really sharp. Sharp enough for a man to shave with. So make sure that you're protectin' the surface you're cuttin' on, an' don't cut if you're distracted, or feel a sneeze comin' on. We'd rather everyone kept all their digits, yeah?" Vega demonstrated what she was doing.

"Once it's done, then we trim it so that there's no fluffy-spoofy-stuff." Vega demonstrated it. "Trim it righ' down, an' make it as neat along the spine as you can. It's worth takin' your time here." Vega looked around. "You don't want to be gettin' a tiny bit of feather-fluff ticklin' your finger while you're shootin', or linin' up for a shot. We all together?" Looking around, she was pleased to see that they nodded. "Lily, how's it goin' over there, are we ok?" Lily nodded. "Yes, it's looking great. We've got some fabulous work here." Vega considered that she didn't need to ask in order to know that everything was great.

[Vega]

6th Ashan, 721

following: this

Once they'd all cut the feather and then trimmed away the fluff, Vega held up the half-feather. "Ok, so now we need to get it so the flight is the right length. I usually go with a hand-length. An' I make sure that's a couple of fingers from the top an' down from there." She started trimming and Allie spoke. "Why not from the top of the feather, Vega?" Vega lifted her head up and considered her answer. She knew why, but putting it in to words was tricky. After a few moments of thinking about it, she said it the only way she knew how. "Well, because the bit at the top is floofy." It was. "Straggly an' it's like there's not any strength to it. If you use that bit, you'll know because it will feel floofy." She looked to Lily and made sure that everyone was keeping up, then held up her feather. "Righteo. Now, we need to trim it." She showed them how, doing it herself and then holding up the finished piece. "That's the shape you want to get, if you can."

After they'd cut the fletch, Vega then held up the fletch. "We should sand this now. There's a lot of roughness an' it needs to be as smooth as it can be when we put it into the nock. So, sand them down, smooth it." They all worked on this, and Vega watched. "Yep. That's great. Wipe it down." When they were all ready to move forward, Vega got the arrow shafts out. "Now, we need to attach them. We start with a glue what's goin' to hold them in place, and then we attach them. I use sinew, it's somethin' you get from the animal you've killed, an' it means there's no waste. You can use thread, if you want, but I find sinew is best."

Vega showed them the sinew she had. "I make it into thread by stretchin' an' then soak it for a few hours. Maybe a full trial. No more than that, though, or it'll get whiffy." Then she showed them how to put the fletch on the shaft. Then, how to wrap the sinew around the shaft, slowly and carefully, then putting the fletches in place. "See, it's slid into the nock, an' it's glued in place. I leave them, now, for a trial or two. You don't have to do that, but if you do then you can trim it more an' get any of the sticky bits off."

Checking each one of the arrows they'd made, Vega was delighted with the work they'd done and she told them so. Lily, too, was a source of encouragement for the six of them. "A'right, then," Vega said. "I reckon we're done for today. How're you all feelin?" Allie spoke up. "That was great, I really feel like I learned things. I'm better at this than I thought I'd be."

"Alrig'," Vega said with a smile. "Lets not be havin' any emotions, shall we?" She was obviously pleased and she started to put things together, packing away the things. "Thanks. All of you." She had no idea how it was that things had gone so well, but they had and Vega was truly grateful for the experience.

[Doran]

Vega:

Knowledge:
Teaching: Demonstration is the best way to teach
Fletching: Using sinew to attach fletch to shaft.
Fletching: Cut the feather down the spine
Fletching: How to trim the fletch
Fletching: Why to trim the fletch along the top
Fletching: Use glue to hold it in place

Loot: -
Lost: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: 5, for teaching the settlers.
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 10

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Comments: Since I reviewed the first part, I decided to review this one as well.

I agree that Vega is better at teaching that she thinks she is, even if part of it is due to her Flag of F’liberty!

I really enjoyed the insight that you gave us into Reese’s wife Lily, and how Vega likes her hopeless optimism and wants to punch her at the same time. Lily’s being upset on Rhaum’s behalf makes you wonder though. Was Raum a sad and lonely fellow?

I thought the contrast between Vega and Lily was interesting to read about. Lily is a well-realized NPC in my opinion!

I didn’t know how much goes into making arrows. The bit about never mixing feather types and wings was quite interesting, for example. Vega really seems to cover everything.

Just like with the previous thread, I found this lesson entertaining and easy to understand, and I appreciate that you included the NPC’s reactions. Now, I want to see those arrows in use though. I want to know how well they’ll fly. I hope that there’ll be a thread about this sometime!

Enjoy your rewards!