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THE HOOD
Chapter Four – Arrows and Humiliation
Morning brought the smells of the previous nights campfire and the venison stew to the noses of all the men in the Galbadia Wood camp. Zell had awoken from his deep slumber, after he had covered the first watch. They could not break from the cycle of one man always on watch, while the other rested. It had kept them alive during their time in the crusade.
Zell could see Squall leaning against a tree while eating some of the bread that they had brought with them on their journey. Seeing Zell arise, Squall offered him the bread, which he accepted. After a few bites Zell asked
"So we are to become Archers then?"
"Yes, I think this would be a great thing to learn and what better way than from a known archer," replied Squall.
"True, it would also not hurt to have allies on our side for I know that you long to regain your lands and retake what is rightfully yours,"stated Zell.
"This is true Zell. But I cannot do this alone. I need to find out what the Sheriff's weaknesses are? How many men does he have at his disposal? It's been made more complicated by this Norg. If he truly is of Royal blood and I doubt it, then killing the Sheriff that he appointed would indeed only make me visit the nearest hangman. We need to play a waiting game, but that doesn't mean we don't ruffle a few of the Sheriff's feathers on the way"
Zell replied, "Then it's arrows for the morning and battle tactics in the afternoon! It should prove interesting and I think a great alliance could be formed with these men."
"I think you are right Zell, come let's go and find Irvine."
Irvine was standing on the far side of the camp leaning on his bow. He was talking to one of his men, who stood there holding two extra bows and two quivers full of arrows.
"Ah there you are! I have arranged for two bows made of the finest Yew for you both." Stated Irvine.
"Yes we are ready for our training," replied Squall.
Zell just nodded in agreement.
"Very well, you will need to put these leather braces along the arm you wish to hold your bow with," said Irvine.
Zell asked, "What are these for?"
"To protect your arm from the bowstring after you have released an arrow," replied Irvine.
Squall and Zell both slipped their left hand through their leather brace. It covered their arm from the wrist and stopping just short of the elbow. Pulling the leather chord for a snug fit and then knotting it twice so that it did not slip.
Irvine said, "You will also need to wear this leather tab on the hand opposite the brace. It is a glove that protects your thumb and first two fingers from the bowstring."
The man next to Irvine, who then took his leave, then passed them a longbow and quiver of arrows.
Squall taking hold of his bow said, "This is very light in weight."
"Bows made of Yew are indeed very light in weight, but they are also extremely strong," replied Irvine.
"In the centre of the bow you will find two spare bowstrings, this is your guide on where to hold it. They have been made from linen coated in beeswax to repel any water and to keep the string length the same. Now if you put your quivers over your left shoulder, we are ready to begin. There is your target," said Irvine.
Pointing ahead, Squall and Zell looked to see a deerskin, wrapped and tied round a tree trunk.
"Now do as I do," said Irvine.
Irvine gripped his bow and removed an arrow from his quiver. Resting the back of the arrow so that it touched the top of the spare string, which formed his grip. He then placed the notch in the back of the arrow against the bowstring.
"Do not fire your arrows until I tell you!" Instructed Irvine.
He then raised his left arm straight in line with the target and pulled back the bowstring with the arrow between his two fingers.
"Let me check your stance," said Irvine.
He moved behind Zell and corrected his right arm, so that it was locked and then told him to release his arrow. It went past the target on the right.
"Try again but raise your right elbow higher and it will pull your shot straight and true," said Irvine.
Zell fired a second arrow after following Irvine's instruction and was surprised when it actually hit the deer hide target a fingers width off the centre.
"Good," said Irvine.
Squall still held his bowstring taut and ready to fire. Irvine had repeated his action of checking that Squall's stance was correct, before he told him to release his arrow when ready. Squall waited as he steadied his breathing and calmed his heartbeat. He then released his arrow, flying at high speed and reaching its destination in less than a heartbeat. It struck the centre of the deer hide with surprising accuracy.
"And you say that you have never done archery before this day?" Questioned Irvine with a stunned look on his face.
"Indeed, this is truly my first day," replied Squall.
Irvine said, " Then that was a very lucky first shot. Let us see if your luck holds once more with your second, only this time try to strike the hide above your own arrow."
Squall repeated his actions and once again struck the target sure and true.
Irvine said "Good! Now retrieve your arrows from the target and we will start again."
With the surprise of how well they had both performed the morning's archery training. The afternoon was now upon them and it was time for them to become the instructors. Sitting on the logs around the camp fireplace. Squall had picked up a branch and drawn two lines in the dirt on the ground.
"This represents the track through Galbadia Wood," said Squall.
Making sure they were indeed all watching him he continued.
"Now the ambush you used on myself and Zell here works very well, but I am told that because of the lack in men, larger parties pass through here untouched," said Squall.
"Aye this is true," said one man.
"Yet every coin is needed to help the starving and suppressed of both Galbadia and Balamb,"stated Squall.
"Of course, but we are only twelve in number," said another man.
"Then I will show you how twelve men can take down twenty with ease. Tell me can any of you climb and tree or swing from a rope?" Asked Squall.
A yes had come from six of the men present.
Squall continued as he drew on the ground, "The track is surrounded by trees, yet you only use the bushes to spring your ambush. If this is a team of four soldiers on horses escorting a cart and four more protecting the rear."
He had drawn four single circles in front of a square and a further four circles behind representing his imagined party riding through the Wood.
"Now from a position in the trees, you can take out the front two soldiers with a well placed arrow. At the same time a man on either side of the track could swing and take out the two soldiers at the rear.
The soldiers in front will of course slump and fall off their horses, which will alert the remaining two soldiers in front of the cart. They will stop first out of shock and then raise the alarm. This is when a distraction is needed to lure the two in front to chase after who they think is the culprit into the trees. They can be easily knocked out, as they will have to enter the thicker part of the Wood on foot. In the confusion they will not realise that only two soldiers remain to guard the cart. This is when you surround them with the final ambush. Once you have removed the goods or gold from the cart, the soldiers can be tied on the back and the horse led to the edge of the Wood." Stated Squall.
Irvine after thinking this plan through said to Squall,
"This indeed sounds like a very good plan, although it will require practice to swing correctly from the trees and take a man off a horse."
Squall replied, "Then I suggest we get some rope and head to the track. We can put a sack of grain on the back of one of the cart horses and use that as our target."
Irvine and his men had tied a rope to a tree on each side of the track. While Zell and Squall had arranged and tied the grain sack to the back of one of the horses. With everything set, Zell walked over to one the trees that contained one of the swing ropes and proceeded to climb. Once he had reached the top and was hidden by the tree canopy, he waited for Squall to lead the cart horse a little further up the track. Squall then turned the horse and headed back towards Irvine's men who were watching with great interest. When Squall had just gone past the tree that Zell was waiting ready to make his move from. In one swift movement Zell swung silently and landed behind the sack of grain on the horses back.
"This is what we will practice today", said Squall.
And so the first two of Irvine's men had climbed the ropes and waited, while one of the other men led the cart horse back up the track. They repeated Squall's actions in turning the horse around, and then headed towards the men waiting in the trees. As soon as the horse reached the place that Zell had effortlessly landed on it's back, the two outlaws were ready to swung out from the canopy. The man on the right side of the horse had moved first and was about to land behind the sack of grain. He released his hold on the rope and found himself being pulled back by the foot he had managed to entangle in the end. Seeing the other mans mishap and hearing the laughter erupt from the others who were watching. The man on the left side decided to try his luck. Checking to ensure he had not caught his foot, he swung. Moving fast, in fact too fast. He managed to slap the hind of the horse, sending it trotting along the track. Closely followed by the man who was supposed to be leading it.
Zell this time had doubled up in laughter, you didn't get this sort of entertainment from a court jester. Even Squall and Irvine could not contain their laughter.
"I've not laughed this much for a long time", said Irvine.
"Nor I", agreed Squall. "But I think more practice is required on the rope, before we bring the horse back in."
Irvine laughed and agreed. Walking up to the two men that had caused all of the chaos he said
"You two jesters can just get back up those ropes and try and swing from one side of the track to the other. Without letting go of the rope, otherwise I will be using you for my archery practice!"
Squall was thinking ' this is going to take some time to master'.