Interlude 19: Never Misses

Folktale

Once there was a man named Eochu and as a young boy his father taught him how to use the crossbow. For years he studied and trained and became the best shot in his village. He could shoot a bolt through a stag's eye at a thousand yards and pin a rabbit to a tree as it ran for its hole. His fame spread and all who knew of him were in awe of his skill.

However, occasionally, he would miss.

Whenever this would happen, he would blame his crossbow. He would claim that the string had lost its torque or the trigger stuck or part of the mechanism had rusted preventing it from shooting aptly. If that happened, he immediately would discard the bow, breaking it into a thousand pieces, and find a new bow that would never miss.

Regardless of how rare such a situation was, it happened enough times that he decided to find the perfect crossbow, a crossbow that never missed.

Bidding goodbye to his family, he went out into the world in search of this magnificent crossbow.

He went to Orlais, visiting the wealthy cities, visiting the great craftsmen that served the Emperor. There he discovered a fabulous crossbow. It was gilded with gold and rune inlays.

Though the crossbow was carefully crafted and lovely, the latch would not catch properly every fifth shot. Eochu was greatly disappointed and in a rage he broke the crossbow over his knee.

Eochu then travelled to Antiva, a country revered for its assassins.

"Surely there must be a crossbow here among the exacting standards of the Crows with which to pierce the hearts of their victims." He thought to himself as he sought out the greatest bowyer, as he surveyed the countryside for weeks.

Eventually he was directed how to find a bowyer who was known to have dealings with the Crows themselves. The bowyer, after much coaxing, presented to Eochu a crossbow that was so finely made, every shot it made was completely silent. The tiller and nock were smooth to the touch. It was light and yet very powerful.

However, after Eochu tested it, he discovered that the crossbow was so light and the trip lever was made of such thin metal, it had the potential to break from the tension of one shot.

Eochu was so disappointed that he was nearly in tears. He handed the crossbow back to the bowyer and immediately left the city without a look back.

The man travelled to many other cities, many countries, from the Free Marches to Tevinter, from Seheron to Par Vollen, until finally he found himself in Rivain. In an isolated village close to the coast, he heard of a crossbow that belonged to a blind seer. This crossbow was purported to never miss, even in a dark room.

He had become accustomed to false reports and had near resigned himself to the thought that he would never find what he sought. Yet, when he heard this news, he felt the spark of hope strike within his chest. Eochu searched until he found the home of the seer and knocked upon her door.

"Who is there?" came a weak, creaking voice from the other side of the heavy door.

"Woman I have searched for years for the perfect crossbow," Eochu explained roughly through the door, "and I have heard tell that you possess such a crossbow…one that never misses. Might I see it?"

The woman replied harshly, "Why would you desire such a bow?"

"Only with such a crossbow could I become the greatest bowman in Thedas," he explained.

"If you are the greatest, you would not require such a crossbow. To be great is to rely on your skill and not on the whims of a soulless weapon," the woman scolded from the other side of the door.

"A great man must have a trustworthy weapon," Eochu argued, "otherwise a flaw in the notch or the cocking ring could cause the bolt to go awry. A faulty weapon can fail when one needs it the most."

"You make excuses! You are not worthy to behold this crossbow." The woman asserted, refusing him entrance.

"Please," he begged, near to falling on his knees in desperation.

After a moment of silence the woman bargained, "Behind my cottage is an old crossbow and an apple tree. Take the crossbow and shoot three apples through the center, knocking them from the tree. Bring me the apples and you will be permitted to see the crossbow."

"Thank you, I will return shortly," Eochu reassured the woman and scurried back to where the crossbow sat upon a stool. A hundred yards beyond stood the tree. He heard the woman move to the window within the house, and chuckled to himself, "Why does she bother to wait at the window? She cannot see. She will not know when I hit the three apples from the tree."

With that, he took aim at a slightly green apple from a high branch. It hit perfectly in the center and the apple fell with a soft thud on the grassy ground. He aimed next for an apple nearly pink with the blush of ripening. After the arrow pierced that one, it bounced slightly as it hit the ground.

Finally, he aimed for the third apple, gold with promise. However, this time he merely grazed it to the right, but it was still knocked from the tree. He ran to collect the apples, and on seeing that he had missed, he silently cursed the crossbow, swearing under his breath.

Deciding to hide his failure, Eochu took the apple and forced a bolt through it with his hand and brought the apples back to the door. He knocked three times and the woman answered with her expected query, "Did you shoot through the center of all three apples?"

"I have done as you requested," he lied.

With that, Eochu heard the bolt released from the door before it opened slightly. He gently pushed forward, but on entering he did not find the woman by the door. She had already seated herself in a chair by the fireplace. The cottage was dim and heavy blankets hung by the windows, blocking out the sunlight and the fire cast shadows on the walls.

He brought forward the three apples and gently placed them in the woman's lap. With old, gnarled hands, she gripped the apples, carefully running her fingers over them and took note of the bolts that perfectly pierced each one. She nodded quietly and muttered something under her breath that Eochu did not ken.

"Many men have come here, requesting to see the legendary crossbow. I turn away each one. Yet, every one of them begs at my door and I relent. Every one of them is like those apples on the tree. They may have different colors or they might be shaped differently, but in the end they are all from the same tree. They are all apples." She gently put the apples on a small table next to her chair and lifted her chin toward Eochu, as if she could actually see him. She extended a boney finger with swollen joints toward him and her voice was cold, "They all lie, just like you did."

"No!" He insisted.

She shook her head, "My sight may be gone, but I am not deaf. Whatever gods there be gave me perfect ears to match my faulty eyes. Flawed though I am, I too have perfection. I know the sound of a perfect strike, when the bolt hits the apple cleanly. I also know what the sound of stifled swearing is like when a man misses. You did not make a clean hit with your final shot, but you attempted to fool me and lie because you believed I would know no better."

He hung his head a moment before trying to state, "The crossbow, the crossbow was old and its balance was off. I could not make the hit because of a flawed weapon."

"Bah!" she sputtered, "Take responsibility: you missed the apple and not the old crossbow. You are the one who is flawed. A flaw might be forgiven, but not when the person boasts perfection like a base hypocrite."

"Please, I must see the crossbow that never misses. I must possess it." He insisted, not heeding the woman's words.

"You only think you do. In truth you will never wish to see this crossbow." She stated, her voice becoming soft.

He shook his head, "No, I know what I desire! I must see the crossbow. I promise that I am not like the others. I am different!"

The woman sighed, and carefully picked up a bundle wrapped in a rich red cloth and tied with twine. Though her hands were twisted with age, they nimbly untied the knots that secured the veil over the weapon and when the firelight danced over the polished wood of the crossbow, it gleamed.

Eochu stood across the room as a man transfixed. It was perfect in every way imaginable and obviously had been well cared for by the woman. He spoke up, "How much would I have to pay in order to buy the crossbow?"

"Oh, it is not for sale," the woman reassured him, "but there is a price."

"What do you mean," he puzzled.

She carefully slid a bolt along the polished tiller and nocked it. There was an audible click as the latch caught and the bolt was cocked, "This is an enchanted crossbow. It has been my family's responsibility to guard it. There is one guardian named each generation. My family always knew who was destined to be the next guardian, for the crossbow guardian is always born blind. The crossbow itself was an evil gift from a jealous demon. Any who laid eyes on the bow were destined to be shot and killed by it. This crossbow never misses, even though the one holding it is blind."

Realization reached the heart of Eochu, just as the bolt released. It pierced his heart like an apple and he fell to the floor, killed instantly.

"They are all the same," muttered the woman sadly as she wrapped the crossbow back into its cloth, tying each not with care before standing up in order to gently place the weapon in its case.

Once there was a man…