[sup][h2][center] [color=black][sub]V E R R I C K O ’ H A R E [/sub][/color] [color=2B822F][sub]V E R R I C K O ’ H A R E [/sub][/color] [/center] [/h2][/sup] [sup][h2][center] [color=GRAY][sub]&[/sub][/color] [color=BLACK][sub]&[/sub][/color] [/center] [/h2][/sup] [sup][h2][center] [color=black][sub]S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R[/sub][/color] [color=904342][sub]S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R[/sub][/color] [/center] [/h2][/sup] [center][color=gray][sub][sub]collab between [@Aerandir] & [@Rodiak][/sub][/sub][/color][/center] [indent][indent][color=gray] Nahir watched arrows hit the target with hopeful eyes, and some missed entirely. Her eyes went to Leo, wondering if the events from last night or this morning had affected his concentration for the competition. And she wondered the same thing for herself. The absence of her memories, the blank spaces, the empty lapses in her mind only spread it’s doubt through mind like a plague. Would she be able to hit her target? Nahir looked down at the unfamiliar bow in her hand. It was a tad too heavy, but she had done just fine before in other competitions. Then why was doubt growing heavy in her chest? It wasn’t long before the six rounds were over that her name was called shortly after. Ece helped Nahir down from the chair and escorted her to her position. She glanced to Lord Smithwood, offering a small smile before she turned to her opponent, a man of the same stature as him. Despite the heavy cloak he wore she could note his stocky built, and if she could, she would bet he had an affinity for the bow. [color=904342]”Mr. O’Hare,”[/color] She smiled at the man as a greeting, [color=904342]”May the best one win.”[/color] Verrick had watched very little of the first group. Surprised slightly that leo lost. But didn’t think much of it. Spending his time giving his friend a few woodsman tips. As well as realizing he couldn’t use his own bow. Annoyed but begrudgingly understanding, he retrieved the last bow. As he picked it up he let out a disgusted sigh. It was significantly lighter than his long bow… probably half the draw weight. He could also see instantly the arms were twisted significantly. He didn’t have a moment to get a feel of the bow, but he felt confident he could learn it in a few rounds. He placed his own bow with Matthais, only trusting him to not mess with it. He walked over as the announcer finished introducing the two of them. Though he didn’t need the introduction, he recognized her immediately from the night before. He was curious to see an Alidashi style. He could tell instantly by looking at her that she was stronger than she looked, her shoulder muscles were a bit more developed than most women. Archery was not a side hobby for this woman. He bowed his head to her when she spoke to him in respect. [color=2B822F]“Verrick will do just fine Shehzadi Nahir.”[/color] His low grumble just loud enough between them amongst the noise of the crowd. He shifted his bow to his right hand and used his left to motion to the range.[color=2B822F] “After you…”[/color] he said respectfully. Nahir had witness the passing of the long bow before the man took his position beside her. From the way he held the bow to the way he stood and carried himself with a sense of familiarity around the range down to the way his left moved she could see then. She smiled again, nodding her head before taking her stand and raising her bow and nocking her arrow. Four shots hit. Some better than the others. They were quick, her arms and shoulders tensing with every draw and release of the bowstring. The last shot just a hair away from missing completely. Nahir stood still, looking at the arrows sticking out from the target, but it was clear in her eyes that her mind was elsewhere. Her grip on the bow too tight, and her shoulders in an awkward position. She couldn’t blame the bow, no. She knew it was her. She stayed still for a few more seconds, eyes trained on the arrow that almost did not land. Nahir did not know what to feel, or what to really think. Back home, she would be able to land a bullseye while on horseback, but she wasn’t home. She was across the sea with gaps in her mind. No matter what the feeling crept up deep within her to the surface to her arms and shoulders. She could not shake it away. Nahir looked at Verrick, nodding again and lowering her bow to allow him his turn. Verrick stood there rubbing his shoulder as he watched as the princess of Alidasht had an awkward stance, and her grip causing her arrows to go wide, one barely Staying on the target. He assumed it was the jitters of having a crowd. He nodded and took four arrows from his quiver into his draw hand. Holding the them all between his knuckles. He took a moment to look at the target before knocking one and pulling the bow back. In a normal upward stance. Save for the arrows being on the outside of the bow, rather than the inside as many archers would have. However he winced at a sharp pain in his right shoulder as he did and let the arrow fly by accident. Soaring high and over the target and hitting a tree branch far behind it. He cleared his throat as he glanced at Nahir and said softly. [color=2B822F] “There was a squirrel looking at me…” [/color]he said with a serious tone. But the tiniest of smirks. Clearly just trying to cover up why he missed. Nahir tried to smile, seeing the smirk in his features but failing to do so. Her chest starting to feel heavy. He shifted his bow more at a 45 degree angle, as one would use on a horse. This twist gave his shoulder a bit more stability as he brought up the arrows and placed them on the bottom of the bow and pulled back. His next three shoots were quick. All within 4 seconds. The first two hit the threes on either side of the bullseye, as he was trying to get a feel of the bow. The final shot aiming true and hitting the bulls eye. Despite gaining the bullseye, it was clear he was not happy with the two 3’s. He rotated his shoulder as he grimaced before lowering his bow to his side and looking to the Princess with a nod. His eyes then glanced towards the audience, scanning the faces as he did. Nahir tried to breath in, but it caught in her throat until she forced it down. She raised her bow and arrow again aiming for the middle of the target but her eyes could not focus. The dot yards away became blurry, the yellow and red turning into a blob of orange. She drew the bowstring back until the feathers of the arrow tickled her cheeks. The sensation made her vision black and she suddenly felt hands on her wrist, on her back and on her hips. She recoiled sending the arrow past above the target to the canopy of the forest behind. Behind her, Ece frowned and walked forward until she was waved back by Nahir. Unlike her competitor, Nahir did not make an excuse for her complete miss. Instead she continued to shoot, nocking and releasing each arrow in a quick progression. Two arrows landed on the blue and one in the black. This time she didn’t look to Verrick but continued to stare at the yellow marker in the middle as if it was taunting her. Verrick pulled four more arrows out as he did before. Annoyed with himself that he couldn’t even bullseye at this distance. Even in pain. He knocked his first arrow, and pulled back. The pain in his shoulder grew as he did. A brief hesitation from him as he held it as a flash of a memory from eight years ago came to mind. The first time he felt the pain in his shoulder. The sudden memory threw him off as he launched his first one,black. followed up quickly by another black. He closed his eyes and took a breath. Forcing the memory from his mind with it. Opening his eyes once more he fired off two rapid shots, both embedded next to each other in the center of the bullseye. Nahir did not wish to be in the range any longer. She did not wait for Verrick’s turn to be over before she nocked her arrow again and began to shoot. The first shot landed in the middle of the yellow, but there was little celebration on her part for the bullseye. The next one landed just above the landing on the red followed by another near miss. Her last shot landed just next to her first, another bullseye, but she was already turning to her competitor. Verrick was slightly surprised when she had started shooting, he could tell she was having some of her own issues and probably wanted to just end it, even though she could possibly still win. He quickly pulled out four more and within 4 seconds he shot as fast as he could. Gritting his teeth his arrows hit in the blue, black and red twice. Just in time for her to start speaking to him. [color=904342]”Congratulations, even with the injury you were able to score higher.”[/color] Nahir smiled, finally allowing Ece to approach her to take the bow. [color=904342]”I wish you luck in the other rounds to come, Mr. O’Hare.”[/color] He lowered his bow and looked towards Nahir and met her gaze.[color=2B822F] “Thank you for the match. I would be honored to have a rematch when we both are not dealing with personal [i]‘handicaps…[/i] ” [/color]. He bowed his head in respect. With that, she gave the man one last nod before she turned to face the crowd, signaling them to give the man well deserved applause. She flashed a smile to the audience, waving with a shaky hand before retreating to an empty seat besides Lord Smithwood. Above them, cheers and applause continued as she folded the gold and emerald shawl on her lap. [color=904342]”Such an eventful morning,”[/color] Nahir smiled at the man beside her. [/color][/indent][/indent]