It was certainly different from holding a frying pan. Rapunzel felt like she did whenever she got a new paintbrush, excited but hesitant. Like a paintbrush, she could easily make wonders with this. At the same time, she could make disaster.
The disaster could just be a little more painful.
She had heard the stories of accidents that happened with weapons like these. Gothel had repeated them to her night after night when she was a girl, warnings of why she couldn't go outside. Once she had escaped, she had heard stories from soldiers of the palace. Even Merida would recount one every once in a while, though she usually made them sound humorous somehow.
"Is something wrong?" Merida frowned. Her own bow was in her hand. She bounced from one boot to the other. Ever since she had suggested teaching Rapunzel how to shoot, she had been antsy. They could not have left the breakfast table fast enough. "Is your bow too heavy? Not the right size?"
"No, it's fine." Merida had made sure to get one that Rapunzel was comfortable with. "I'm just nervous."
There was no point in trying to lie about it.
"Why?" Merida wrinkled her nose, her lips parting slightly. She gestured towards the target, a bright red bullseye. "The target is right in front of you."
Rapunzel's eyes darted to the tip of her arrow. It was sharp, so sharp. There were certainly much larger, thicker weapons, but that did not necesarrily make them sharper. Oh, what if something went wrong?
What if she hurt Merida?
"Are you feeling well, blondie?" The nickname helped snap Rapunzel from her thoughts. Merida had heard it from Flynn, and the name stuck (even if Rapunzel's hair was far from blond).
She didn't respond, just looked to the target. To think that she had wanted to impress Merida! Oh, what could she think of her now?
Without thinking, Rapunzel pulled back the bow. The arrow fired through the air, and she could hardly see it.
In the end, she just barely hit the edge of the target.
"Well," Merida said, looking to her feet, "I've seen worse. Really, I have." Her orange curls blocked her eyes. Her lips again formed their usual grin. "So that's why we try again!" She leaned forward, close enough that Rapunzel was sure that she saw her face turn pink. She reached into Rapunzel's quiver, then pulled an arrow into it. "Go on, you'll get better if you keep trying."
"Of course." Rapunzel tested the weight of the arrow in her hand, thin and light.
"And there's no need to worry about anything. I'll make sure that nothing happens to you." She placed a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder. "I'll be right here beside you every step of the way."
"I know."
The next shot, though far from the center, was at least a little closer.
"You're doing great!" Merida walked forward, then pulled the arrows from the target. "Now why don't we keep going?"
Once she had stepped away from the target, Rapunzel fired again.
"After this," she said, "can I show you how to paint?"
"Maybe," Merida responded, "but no promises."
"How about if I hit the center?"
"Fine." Merida smirked. "It's a done deal."