Even if Ahnasha missed with two arrows, each wooden thunk upon the old shields they used as targets was a clear demonstration of her skill. Fendros did not feel as if matching her were impossible but he knew that there would be little challenge lost on his turn. Outwardly, he continued to banter. "You had better not be going easy on me, Ahna." He flashed her a grin before stepping up to the line.

Fendros' shots were successful in a different order. His first arrow actually stuck in near the top edge of the first target by equal parts skill and luck. He didn't have time to celebrate as he had already loosed another arrow. Three more of the targets were hit more or less as accurate as Ahnasha's shots. The last target was undershot. Fendros did not hesitate to loose another arrow and ended up clipping the side of the target, the arrow doing nothing but shaving off a splinter as it flew past. Fendros knew that his last arrow was the only chance of drawing with Ahnasha's volley, so he paused to aim for an instant longer. The arrow flew...and overshot.

"Aah!" Fendros sounded through bared teeth. He shook his head at himself and took one more shot for posterity. He didn't rush this time, lining it all up with the gentle wind and his heartbeat. The shot landed perfectly on the last target, if in vain. Fendros turned his head to Ahnasha and smiled with his lips pursed upward. He raised his finger and paused, then spoke familiar words. "Two out of three?"

"Mara's mercy," Janius exclaimed quietly to Kaleeth's story, "that would be hard to forget."

As for Sabine, Janius gave a chuckle. "Oh, they'll be done eventually, I'm sure. Maybe we can rope her into a competition tonight, seeing as you're so interested, Meesei."

[hr]
It was not daylight that woke Gallus up, or even the slow, heavy breathing Ri'vashi next to him. He woke up in the dark with a full bladder and a roiling stomach. He no longer had the numbness of the alcohol or the splendour of the moon sugar in his senses, but he didn't have the time to think. He needed to get up before he potentially made a mess of Ri'vashi's bedding. Ri'vashi's bedding? Yes, that's right.

"Hircine's hounds, that's right. Oh!" Gallus grumbled and realised that both his arms were asleep from being held so tightly. "Uh, Ri'vashi," Gallus whispered, carefully easing her arms off him, "I need to relieve myself, I'll be a moment."

When Gallus finally escaped he put on the bare minimum of clothes to somewhat disguise his activities, for all the good it would do, and strode out of the pavilion to deal with immediate matters. His nausea was not settling as quickly as he would have liked, but now sober, he could think about what just happened. Not only had he bedded someone that he wasn't particularly attracted to physically, it was one of the leaders of tomorrow's assault, the head of an entire clan, and someone who had so little relationship experience that her immaturity might be disruptive by the end of it. Gallus sighed, feeling as though this was the one unique way that he seemed to mess everything up. How he managed to do so here was beyond his belief. He should have been more assertive in spurning Ri'vashi. Perhaps he shouldn't have had so much of that sugared wine.

Gallus returned to Ri'vashi's tent and quietly began to dress himself properly. He gave unsure glances in Ri'vashi's direction, but did not initiate conversation.