Summary: Trivia - Archery was very popular among upper class women and men in Victorian Times (1837-1901).

Timeline: Before romantic relationship but after Vastra taught her a little to help out on cases.


The first time Jenny saw a bow and arrows, she thought Vastra had lost her mind.

Vastra dropped a bow and a quiver full of arrows onto table as she smiled at Jenny who glanced up from the sofa.

"You are going to infiltrate their little archery club and find out who has a grudge against one Mrs. Winters enough to kill her."

Jenny stared at Vastra like she has gone mad. "Are you serious? I can't shoot a bow!"

Vastra waved away her concerns with a hand. "I've called in a favor and you are a fast learner."

"Ma'am, if I end up shooting my foot, I'm blaming you."


Training was...eventful.

"God damn it!"

Jenny clutched her forearm where the bowstring painfully snapped against it. Even with the armguard, she was going to develop a nasty bruise from hitting several unprotected areas so many times in succession. She was still no closer to hitting near the target.

Her instructor clucked in disapproval.

"You're overextending your arm again. Turn your arm down a bit. Check your form."

Jenny swore under her breath but tried again, this time shooting short of the bale.

The next day, her bow arm was black and blue but at least she landed somewhere on the target.


Turns out, she did not shoot a foot...

The culprit was getting away into the forest. If they didn't catch her soon, they'll be searching after dark.

Jenny didn't know what possessed her, but she stopped in her tracks and quickly notched an arrow into her bow. The target was fortunately moving in a straight line. Jenny angled the bow upward and fired.

She laughed when she heard a sharp cry of pain followed by the murderer's collapse onto the ground. Jenny jogged up to the woman with an arrow sticking out of her left leg.

"You bitch, my leg!"

"Better a leg than your life eh? Though I was aiming higher..."

"Go to hell!"

Jenny patiently ignored the snarling woman while she waited for Vastra and the authorities to catch up. Vastra glanced at the downed woman before nodding in approval at Jenny. Case closed.


Jenny was very angry. Her parents had the nerve to demand money in return for "all they've done for her". On top of that, they insulted Vastra when she tried to step in. Vastra narrowed her eyes and promptly dismissed Jenny as handled the situation.

Jenny grabbed a bow and quiver, not bothering with the arm guard and finger tab. She needed to shoot something. Her focus was gone and her aim was off, but she didn't care for that as long as she hit somewhere on the target. She ignored the sting from the string and numbness settling in her fingertips without the tab.

Eventually, she ran out of arrows and her fingers were throbbing with pain.

Vastra found her later sitting by the wall, clutching her hand. She hesitated before approaching the human cautiously.

"I sent them away with minimal damage to either. Do you wish to... talk about it?"

Jenny shook her head before standing. "No, I'm good. If that's all, I'm going to my room."

The Silurian tilted her head in doubt, but didn't question the retreating human.


Jenny huffed with irritation. Her aim was off, but that was to be expected. A certain Silurian had been making comments about "primitive monkeys" the past couple of days and finally Jenny needed a reprieve.

Vastra came in and watched for a few arrows. "Such a primitive sport made by similarly small brained apes."

Jenny snapped. She marched up to Vastra, glaring at her.

"Alright, ma'am, I've had it up to here with your comments. See all around you, this house, city, and place you live in? That was made by us 'tiny' humans. We took over 'cause you lizards panicked and decided to hide in a hole and sleep it out like an ostrich. So you have no one to blame but yourself for that.

And archery?" Jenny lifted her bow. "It damn well helped on a couple cases or did you forget already, you daft lizard?"

The silence between them stretched uncomfortably long. Vastra slowly smiled which irritated Jenny further until she heard Vastra's next word.

"Finally."

"Huh?"

"That. I want you to be honest and open with me. You humans hide what you truly feel and think so well that its hard for me to see the differences. You tell me you're fine, but you feel the opposite. It is confusing."

Jenny rubbed her head. "I...you honestly want to hear what I think?"

Vastra nodded. "Yes. If I'm being a 'daft lizard', I want you call me out on it."

"Well I'm mad at you now."

"As expected. And?"

The two spoke for a long while.


After moving constantly all day with tidying up the house and disposing of half eaten body parts, spending a few quiet moments concentrating solely on a stationary target was incredibly relaxing.

Jenny notched her arrow and pulled the bowstring slightly, careful to have the string between her second and third knuckle of her first three fingers. She took a breath as she brought the longbow up and aimed. Jenny angled the bow upward and slightly to the left until she was satisfied. Taking another breath, she drew until the string pressed against her lip and nose. She released the string and held her form, back straight with her draw arm beside her cheek and her bow arm extended straight out, until the arrow slammed into the target. Only then did she lower her bow and picked up another arrow from her hip quiver.

Vastra watched from from several paces behind her, waiting patiently. When Jenny was finished with her set, she placed her bow on the bowstand next to her and stepped back. She glanced at Vastra with a smile and, together they walked to the target. Most of the arrows were in a nice cluster around the center of the target. They quietly removed the arrows from the bale, place them back into Jenny's quiver, and went back to the shooting line.

No words were needed.