The next day
Farothwen met Glorohtar at the Great Tree, ready with her well-worn bow and arrows.
'Let me look at your bow,' Glorohtar said. 'The best warriors must have the best bows.'
He examined the bow and tutted. 'How old is this bow? It is well past its time.' Glorohtar peeked at her quiver. 'The arrows too. Farothwen, I have something for you.'
He handed her an ebony bow with green leaves all over the grip. There were matching arrows with silver heads and green feathers.
'These are for you.'
Farothwen gasped. 'For me?'
Glorohtar smiled. 'I got here early, I had some time to spare, so I made you a bow.'
Farothwen examined it closely. 'It is not strung,' she said.
'Oh, one more thing.' Glorohtar reached over and plucked a hair from Farothwen's head and used it to string the bow.
'There.'
Farothwen was impressed. She bowed her head. 'I'm sorry for being rude to you last night. I should not have been.'
Glorohtar smiled. 'I understand your hostility. You have been accorded many injustices by my people, and I must be the one to apologise.'
Farothwen smiled shyly. 'Don't feel the need to apologise. You cannot help what your people think of me.'
Glorohtar's brow furrowed. 'You seem uneasy. Do not be. I won't bite.'
Farothwen smiled slightly. 'It's just... you are the first Elf I have ever spoken to properly apart from my father.'
'Really? Has he kept you locked away all these years?'
'No, it's just because no one wants to talk to me because I am human.'
'That hardly seems fair.'
'No, it's not.'
Glorohtar stood up. 'Come on, it is time to start your training. Have you had any experience with a bow?'
Farothwen nodded. 'My father says I am very skilled.'
Glorohtar smiled. 'Well, let us just see how good you are. Stationary targets first.'
Farothwen put her new arrows in her quiver and then took one out. 'Where?'
Glorohtar pointed upwards on the tree. 'Just above that squirrel's hole.'
'All right.' Farothwen notched her arrow, aimed carefully and fired. She missed the tree altogether and was a metre too high.
Glorohtar chuckled. 'Maybe a minstrel should not teach the use of a bow.'
'Hey! That's my father you are talking about!'
'I meant no offence, come on. Maybe we should try something a bit easier, start back at the beginning. Come on, let me show you a proper stance.'
He pulled her left arm up so her bow was in its proper position. 'Your left arm needs to be straight out, as far as you can.' He pulled her right arm up to the string and moulded her fingers around it and drew it back. 'The string needs to be near your face, high up. Yes, that's right.'
He put his hands on her hips and gently rotated her away from him. 'You need to be standing side on. Back straight, that's it.'
He put his hand over her left hand and gently moved it down the bow. 'Your hand is too high, use the grip I made you, that's what it is there for.' He retrieved her arrow from the scrub in the distance. It was some time before he returned, shaking his head.
'You have some power, Farothwen. This was a hundred yards away. Once we get your aim fixed, you will be quite good. But not as good as me,' he grinned.
Farothwen chuckled. 'Well, once you have taught me everything, I challenge you to a contest, then we can see who is the best.'
Glorohtar grinned. 'You're on. Once you are finished.' He put the arrow on the bow and covered Farothwen's hand with his, pulling it back.. He put his left hand over hers, aiming it for her.
'Try again.'
He removed his hands and Farothwen fired. She hit the target perfectly, the green-feathered arrow sticking straight out of the tree. Glorohtar applauded.
'Well done.' He jumped up the tree and loosed the arrow, letting it fall to the ground. Farothwen picked it up and put it in her quiver.
'Your father was right. You show great promise.'
'Thank you. Same time tomorrow?'
'Indeed.'
Farothwen met Glorohtar at the Great Tree, ready with her well-worn bow and arrows.
'Let me look at your bow,' Glorohtar said. 'The best warriors must have the best bows.'
He examined the bow and tutted. 'How old is this bow? It is well past its time.' Glorohtar peeked at her quiver. 'The arrows too. Farothwen, I have something for you.'
He handed her an ebony bow with green leaves all over the grip. There were matching arrows with silver heads and green feathers.
'These are for you.'
Farothwen gasped. 'For me?'
Glorohtar smiled. 'I got here early, I had some time to spare, so I made you a bow.'
Farothwen examined it closely. 'It is not strung,' she said.
'Oh, one more thing.' Glorohtar reached over and plucked a hair from Farothwen's head and used it to string the bow.
'There.'
Farothwen was impressed. She bowed her head. 'I'm sorry for being rude to you last night. I should not have been.'
Glorohtar smiled. 'I understand your hostility. You have been accorded many injustices by my people, and I must be the one to apologise.'
Farothwen smiled shyly. 'Don't feel the need to apologise. You cannot help what your people think of me.'
Glorohtar's brow furrowed. 'You seem uneasy. Do not be. I won't bite.'
Farothwen smiled slightly. 'It's just... you are the first Elf I have ever spoken to properly apart from my father.'
'Really? Has he kept you locked away all these years?'
'No, it's just because no one wants to talk to me because I am human.'
'That hardly seems fair.'
'No, it's not.'
Glorohtar stood up. 'Come on, it is time to start your training. Have you had any experience with a bow?'
Farothwen nodded. 'My father says I am very skilled.'
Glorohtar smiled. 'Well, let us just see how good you are. Stationary targets first.'
Farothwen put her new arrows in her quiver and then took one out. 'Where?'
Glorohtar pointed upwards on the tree. 'Just above that squirrel's hole.'
'All right.' Farothwen notched her arrow, aimed carefully and fired. She missed the tree altogether and was a metre too high.
Glorohtar chuckled. 'Maybe a minstrel should not teach the use of a bow.'
'Hey! That's my father you are talking about!'
'I meant no offence, come on. Maybe we should try something a bit easier, start back at the beginning. Come on, let me show you a proper stance.'
He pulled her left arm up so her bow was in its proper position. 'Your left arm needs to be straight out, as far as you can.' He pulled her right arm up to the string and moulded her fingers around it and drew it back. 'The string needs to be near your face, high up. Yes, that's right.'
He put his hands on her hips and gently rotated her away from him. 'You need to be standing side on. Back straight, that's it.'
He put his hand over her left hand and gently moved it down the bow. 'Your hand is too high, use the grip I made you, that's what it is there for.' He retrieved her arrow from the scrub in the distance. It was some time before he returned, shaking his head.
'You have some power, Farothwen. This was a hundred yards away. Once we get your aim fixed, you will be quite good. But not as good as me,' he grinned.
Farothwen chuckled. 'Well, once you have taught me everything, I challenge you to a contest, then we can see who is the best.'
Glorohtar grinned. 'You're on. Once you are finished.' He put the arrow on the bow and covered Farothwen's hand with his, pulling it back.. He put his left hand over hers, aiming it for her.
'Try again.'
He removed his hands and Farothwen fired. She hit the target perfectly, the green-feathered arrow sticking straight out of the tree. Glorohtar applauded.
'Well done.' He jumped up the tree and loosed the arrow, letting it fall to the ground. Farothwen picked it up and put it in her quiver.
'Your father was right. You show great promise.'
'Thank you. Same time tomorrow?'
'Indeed.'