Kara Trevelyan-Haven-9:41 Dragon
The Survivor that was her preferred moniker over the blighted 'Herald of Andraste'. The latter clashed with her sensibilities, and suddenly new found humility in the face of the devotion of her peers and the religious members of the Chantry they had picked up.
She was lazily watching the breach spin in the sky. Slowly eating the world below it. Growing. Feasting on the confines of the physical world. Until there might not be a world to go back to.
"Kara, enjoying the show?" Iron Bull spoke out, approaching her from behind.
"Not really." She sighed, getting off her legs and taking her head off of her hand.
"Did you forget?" Bull asked mildly. "About the bow practice, the lessons?"
Kara couldn't help but smile demurely, this should be good.
The Iron Bull came up upon them and stalked off to the practice yard. Kara picked up her dragon bow and followed along in his wake.
"Just what does a Qunari agent of the Ben-Hasserth who uses two handed weapons know about archery?"
Bull chuckled. "I just prefer hitting things up close with large…pieces…of metal. But as an agent of the Ben-Hasserth in foreign territory, you were often expected to know how to use a wide variety of weapons and means of killing. To use, or to defend yourself from…in the Qun I had little to do outside my role."
"I see." Kara demurred, her confidence in this suggestion becoming less, not more. "Whereas I have been hunting my entire life. Well most of my life. And, with my role as a noble, and with my despising that life, I had little to do but hunt."
"And attend the local balls held in honor of some Marcher noble." Bull pointed out.
True. Kara conceded the point uncomfortable. But, if there was one thing she took great pride in, it was her archery talents.
"Besides Lady Trevelyan, there is a huge difference between hunting and combat. We need to get you ready for combat." Bull said, finishing his thought.
They had finally arrived at the spot. In place of the customary Inquisition soldiers practicing with bladed weapons, with Cullen or Cassandra watching them, there was nothing but three target dummies. And a quiver full of arrows.
Kara approached the latter, and took the arrow out, studying it closely. A fine specimen.
Nocking the arrow, a smile slowly spreading upon her face, she pulled back on her string, gently aiming across it…and…fire!
The arrow flew straight and true, perfect form, perfect velocity, and hit the dummy scare in the middle of the chest. It rocked back and forth for a solitary moment before settling back into position.
Kara turned to the Iron Bull, a cocky grin on her face.
"Too low, too long to acquire the target." He snapped.
Her mouth turned downward and her eyes widened in surprised hurt.
"What do you mean?" Kara asked, trying, desperately, to keep her tone neutral.
"Most targets are not training dummies. You cannot rely on your opponents to always have light armor. Most soldiers would have shields at chest level, where their armor is also the thickest. And under most combat circumstances you would have mere seconds to react to an enemy soldier."
Kara nodded to herself.
"You aren't sure are you?" Bull questioned.
"With all respect I have been out hunting, if you are good enough then you will have all the time in the world."
The Bull, instead of answering, slowly nodded and began stalking away. Kara watched him go. Shrugging she stooped to load another arrow. She nocked it on her string, the fire leapt up around it from the magical runes, and she fired…a little higher this time, but nowhere near as slow.
"Defend yourself!" Bull screamed at her.
She whirled around, only to see three hundred pounds of angry pot roast charging at her. Quickly she brought an arrow out of her quiver and brought the arrow to her string.
Too late.
Bull charged in swinging his right first up and slapping her bow away, the other hand came around in a back hand which, while it did not connect, it caused her to overbalance and fall backwards in the dirt and the mud.
She looked up at him hurt, emotions coloring her thought processes, yet she knew. His point has been made.
"In combat you have seconds to decide. In action can kill you, slow reflexes can kill you. Any hesitation at all, and you will be dead."
"Point taken." She grunted.
He smiled down at her, and offered his hand. She took it and he heaved her up on her feet.
"At least you have nice form."
"Hmm." She smiled at him, I wonder if? Nah.
He nodded, "Just remember, a single arrow can change the course of history. A single second. That may be all you have to decide between life and death, of you and your people."
The words filled her with dread, she shivered at the implications.
"Come, let us get back to work." Iron Bull offered.
Kara nodded gratefully before picking up another arrow, she had a new appreciation for her art, her style, and knew exactly how to get better. By the end of the day her legs were sore, but she was grateful for the hard day's work.