Crow stood back to give Penelope space as she readied herself to demonstrate how to use the bow. His eyes swept over her body analytically, and he took note of the way she positioned herself before shooting. Having never been so close to an archer before—they had always shot at him from a distance—he found the intricacy of it all fascinating. She looked graceful, yet powerful with the light weapon in her hands.

He watched as she loosed the arrow, striking the tree just above the ‘X’ she had carved into it. For someone whose weapon of choice was a blade, he found the accuracy of her shot impressive. He wondered how long she had practiced with a bow in the past to still be that good with the weapon, and if he would be able to reach her skill level before they reached the castle.

[i]Maybe I could get even better,[/i] he felt a pang of envy as his competitive nature reared its head. [i]Her talents lie with the sword, but this will be the only weapon I’ll learn how to use. I can put all of my attention into it.[/i] He let the feeling persist, deciding to use it as motivation to try hard at mastering the bow.

He held out his left arm as Penelope moved to tie the makeshift bracer to him, taking back the bow from her after that was done. She proceeded to guide him through a series of steps to prepare to use the weapon. He followed her instructions, aligning his body sideways and planting his feet about shoulder-width apart for stability. It was a strange position for one who had learned to be agile, never standing still in the heat of a fight. He hoped he would be able to do it when it really mattered later.

As she went on to explain the proper form of loading and drawing an arrow, he listened attentively, following along with the subtle nuances of positioning his hands and fingers in different places to set up the bow. “I think so,” he nodded when she asked if he was following along and then smirked. “I’m a pretty fast learner.” He leaned a bit closer to her, “So, can I shot it yet?”