lilfluff

This a Flashfic based on a prompt from

ravenswept's 30 Days of Flash Fiction Meme

My 30 Days of Flashfic Index Page

Day 15 – Prompt: Shots fired

Making use of the Tales of the Mascot setting from Day 3: Write a query letter for a fantasy series.

Kyle watched as Tamitha reached over her shoulder searching for an arrow. Finally finding one the raven haired girl held it before her face and muttered a few quite words, pausing and mumbling out the rest. The arrow seeming to vibrate in her grasp as it was nocked and the bowstring drawn back. Frowning Kyle reached up and poked Lydia's leg before climbing with her assistance to her shoulder.

"Step around behind her, please." Asked quietly to try and avoid distracting the other girl.

Tamitha took aim at her target, steadying the bow before releasing the arrow. Almost too fast to follow the arrow leapt across the clearing. Striking near a bit of cloth pinned to the most prominent tree on the far side, striking with such for the shaft shattered even as the arrowhead buried itself completely within the wood. Jules whistled and slapped her cousin's shoulder.

"Amazing. That would surely pierce any armor made."

"Buzz, wrong."

Lydia frowned, suddenly having everyone looking at the creature perched on her shoulder. "Explain. Why is that wrong?"

"Three reasons. First, I am pretty sure I still see a glint of metal. The arrow head is still in the tree. Thus anything with at least that length of wood will stop it. Second, the accuracy is fine if you are satisfied with simply hitting the target. Wait, don't complain yet, I realize that you have not used a bow for long. For a beginner the shot was excellent. But look closely at the distance between where it struck and the cloth. That distance could be the difference between striking down your enemy, and striking down the hostage they're holding."

Looking across the field again Kyle sighed. Wishing once more for some of the paper targets from home. Or maybe some of those aluminum silhouette targets. While he was at it he supposed he ought to wish for some sturdy hay bales so they wouldn't have to dig arrow heads out of those pine-like trees. Pine...

"Ah! That's it. I should have been thinking about going out to plink tin cans with dad's twenty-two, not summer camp archery."

"Explain," Lydia asked once more. "I know most of those words, but how you used them makes no sense."

"Ah, well you see a twenty-two is... To long, I'll explain later, what I mean is I messed up. I gave her the wrong sort of target. If you want accuracy then you should practice on something that will require accuracy." Resting a fore-paw on Lydia's head for balance he lifted up on his hind paws and grabbed a pine cone from a low hanging branch. "Like these. We can set these atop stakes or hang them from string. Even better, if it's hanging from string it can sway in a breeze or someone can set it swinging and run clear. That will up the challenge when you are hitting them easily standing still."

Kyle smiled, "In fact we'd better have all of you practice your distance attacks on these. Spray and pray has its time but better to know you can hit what you mean to hit."

Tamitha nodded, speaking up before Lydia could ask about yet another unusual turn of phrase.. "You said there were three reasons?"

"Oh. Right. In some ways the third reason is the worst. But it ought to be the easiest to fix. Quite simply, you take too long to fire. All of you need to practice until you can do all the steps without needing to think.

"So far you have only faced isolated monsters. You have won because you outnumbered them and they were little more than animals. That isn't going to last. If the Empire truly means to invade, then those monsters are only the opening shots. The real fights are yet to come. In a real challenge the only way to have time to think, is to not need to think about what you are doing."