"You're hesitating."
The call out startled Patisse, and the loss of focus sent the arrow into the dirt.
"H-hey! Mom, I was just trying to aim!" Trilani delicately approached, and set a wing on his head to ruffle his crest feathers. "I worked hard on those..."
"You set your aim long ago, honey. I know what it looks like when you're holding yourself back. Remember the school race?"
"Well...I was taller and stronger, I didn't wanna...I figured..." Pat was still a fledgling, but his mom hardly had to reach down that much to meet his eyes. She was up to something, looking at him like this, but she was always kind enough for him to recognize that nothing bad would come of it. Her bright red parrot feathers flailed a little in the wind.
"What's the matter, my precious? Why are you stopping yourself? It's only target practice."
"I guess...it's like Dad taught me. I shouldn't hurt anything unless it's trying to hurt me, and using weapons 'n stuff—it makes me feel weird. That's not normal, is it?" A gentle smile became Trilani's expression, and she wrapped her son up in a squeezing hug. Urk!
"I think it should be. —You're a wonderful little songbird. So much like your father." Confused, Pat accepted the embrace, but was still really curious as to what she meant.
"Mom? Isn't learning to shoot a good thing? I don't want to be defenseless, or unable to help you." She stepped back, and was—on the verge of tears? What did I do?
"You can do whatever you like, my boy. I'll be proud of you no matter what. —My little drumstick's gotten so mature!"
"Mom, you know I don't like that."
"Alright, nugget of joy."
"Not that one either."
"...Cutesie-pie?"
"No!"
The Present
"You're hesitating."
Patisse whirled, bow drawn, only to meet Revali's smug expression. If not for his moral justice, he would have incidentally fired. "Just so you know," the Champion continued, strutting about with ample confidence and eyeing the targets along the shooting range. "While 'righteousness' and 'virtue' are apparently good to have, they serve you nothing on the battlefield. Perhaps I could help you grow that pitiful trigger finger, hm?" Don't give him quarter. Never fall into the anger trap.
"I have no need for a kill switch."
"Is that so?" Cold silence briefly enveloped the grassy clearing north of the castle, until Revali flipped around and drew. Expecting this, Pat readied himself, guarding with his own bow. They held still. "—Why, it seems you already do."
"Fine. Let me rephrase. I am perfectly capable of killing. But I never kill first." After what felt like a very long time, the rival finally ceased his aim and relaxed. Pat swallowed. Stelli was watching farther away somewhere; what did this look like on the outside?
Revali brushed aside his own crest, and again peered out towards the targets a sizable distance away; trivial shots to both parties. Patisse could see him clearly forming an idea, no doubt driven by jealousy. The Rito finally turned, the smile returning.
"What's say a friendly contest?"
"For nothing more than fun, sure." It hardly needed to be explained—both knew exactly what was going on here. Pat was unsure where to go, but settled on a target: a small hole in a tree far beyond the proper shooting bullseyes. He let Revali pick his own, knowing it would probably be more impressive anyway.
Delicately, he took aim. As happened during archery for him, Pat felt his other senses leave in favor of sight and hearing the wind. No other sounds came as he set up the shot, not even Revali's own arrow already whizzing by. It was raw focus, and patience for just the right moment. Time passed as he somehow managed to even drown out the goading and taunts from his opponent. Finally, the gust shifted a fraction-width, and the red-fletched arrow soared. Pat waited, hardly bothering with paying attention to anything else to ensure it hit the mark. Just as intended; right in the middle of a tiny tree, about the length of Vah Rudania away.
With a brief tired sigh, the ambassador glanced about for the opposing arrow, and found it lodged in one of the range targets. A bullseye, but not nearly as far away. Revali stood motionless with an unreadable expression as he stared at the tree. "I'm sorry, were we not going for accuracy at a distance? Does that mean you win?" No response. A little proud, but knowing not to get carried away, Pat set his bow down. "I should go. Thanks for the advice." Still, the Champion refused to react. A sudden opportunity appeared, and feeling a little brave, Patisse decided to in a way, kill first.
"You're hesitating."
A very brief chapter, solely a tiny skit, but one that I felt needed to be made. It's fun to write some epic little scenes now and then.