Asterin stood in the stables with the roan mare she'd been riding, it wasn't her horse but she had already become quite fond of her mount. Pulling the small bows from under the saddle bags along with the birchbark quivers and she walked out of the stable. Finding Merry and Pippin just outside the doors she called aloud for them to come over. They were grinning and had clearly been sharing boasts as they had for the entire ride to Edoras smiling at the two young hobbits she said, "if you're going to ride to war, you may need these." The simple bows smooth in her hands passing from her grip to that of the hobbits.
She slung the small quivers off her shoulder adjusting the buckles so they rested in a similar manner to hers across Merry and Pippin's backs. "Where did you find such a bow that a hobbit could draw," the latter had already drawn the string back clearly trying to mimic the way he had seen her kinsman draw his bow. "I did not find them, I built them on the ride to Isengard. I spoke to your friends from the fellowship as I have not seen a hobbit before I met you two and made the bows based on the stories my kinsman Legolas and the dwarf Gimli told me during the ride from the Hornburg." Gently grasping the drawn string of Pippin's bow, she eased the tension until the bow was no longer bent. She released the string and motioned for the hobbits to follow her saying, "we have not much time so I will teach you what I can about my chosen craft before we ride to war against the shadow of Mordor."
After the meeting Elwing was sufficiently frustrated, the King of Rohan refused to ride to Minas Tirith even after her explanation of why keeping the city out of the hands of Mordor would be crucial. She walked swiftly down to the open space the guards used for training not expecting to see what she did come across. Standing in a row were Asterin and the two young hobbits her friend with her great bow drawn to its full length. The arrowhead resting just in front of her fingers, "the act of releasing a shaft is not the firing of an arrow. It is the releasing instead of the breath you hold when you aim. the tension of the string, and of the fingers holding the arrow." Elwing smiled at the young hobbit who was attempting to fire the small bow Asterin had made, "when you aim block out all else except your target draw back the string looking down the shaft of the arrow. Then release your breath and the string and," thunk! A night-blue feathered arrow landed between the target dummy's eyes quivering from the force with which it struck the target.
"Send your enemy back to the abyss from which they came," lowering her bow Asterin looked from the target seeing Elwing and smiling back at her. "Merry you try first, aim for the head," the young hobbit stepped forward pulling a fletched arrow from his quiver and drawing back the string. "Deep breath in anchor your shot, you want the fletching to brush against your cheek then aim, exhale, and release." Shick! The arrow skimmed the dummy's head and landed in the dirt to Merry's grumbled annoyance, Asterin walked over to the target pulling her arrow from its head before grabbing the scarlet fletched shaft. "You need to canter your bow further to your left for middle ranged foes, that will counter your predominately right-sided aim." She pressed lightly on the upper half of the small bow lifting her hand and motioning for Merry to try again. "Pippin you will be going after…" Thunk!
She glanced at the target and her face broke into a grin, the red-feathered shaft stuck in the dummy's forehead, "well done Merry Pippin you try and do the same." Walking over to Elwing she slung her own bow over her shoulder, "frustrated with the ever-lasting ridicule of men." A grim smirk stretched itself across her friend's face when she watched the arrow fly, "the king refuses to ride to the aid of Gondor and of Minas Tirith, the place where I am almost certain Sauron will strike next." Annoyance flared inside her at the king of Rohan the man who had made from what she heard many foolish decisions like her own ruler not a century ago.
"This brings back memories of the last battle at Dol Guldur when the Lady Galadriel forced Sauron back into Mordor." Her friend clearly remembered the day they had both seen the great eye appear only for it to be banished. "Foolish kings making decisions that we know will come back to bite them, however on my bow is Théoden more fool-hardy than Thranduil." A flash of red feathers and the thunk, of the arrow hitting the target, "master Pippin as amusing as seeing you put an arrow in an orc's groin would be. Aim higher for in battle every shaft must kill."
A red blush spread across the hobbit's face as he drew back another shaft, "I assume you heard tonight the king is hosting a feast to honor the fallen." Asterin nodded her friend's eyes still full of annoyance but also pride as the next shaft landed in the center of the target's forehead, "which means you're going to have to wear something that you did not wear into battle." Asterin laughed a cunning smirk stretching itself across her face, "Elwing you've been trying to get me to dress as you do for two millennia when will you give in and remember I am a guard and do not own such things." An easy smile graced her face as she said, "that's simple to answer when you cave. After all, as long as we survive this war, I have 'till the ending of the world to convince you." Her friend rolled her eyes striding easily over to where the two hobbits stood Pippin firing another shaft, "you two should go find the rest of the fellowship. And prepare for tonight as it will be one of celebration," Elwing turned to leave as Asterin showed her two young trainees how two carry their bow the way she and her kinsmen did. Reminding herself that she too needed to be at this feast for the fallen.
Elwing stood out easily, her dark blue gown glittering with its silver stars and mithril circlet shimmering in the torchlight. She stood beside Aragorn clasping the mug of ale she'd been given in one hand as the King raised his goblet. "Tonight, were remember those who gave their blood to defend this country, hail the victorious dead." All around her the men answered, "hail!" She raised her drink but like her brother beside her waited for the men around her to drink before she drank. Afterward, she made her way through the party, greeting those around her cordially smiling as she learned so many years ago. All throughout the hall men laughed feasting and drinking she smiled as one of the men challenged Pippin to see who could drink a mug of ale faster, her grin spreading as the hobbit proved the man wrong downing the large cup in half the time of his challenger.
Walking through the Hall of Kings she saw Gimli and Legolas and her smile widened hearing Eomer speak, "no pauses, no spills." Gimli's voice unique among the many, "and no regurgitation," She saw the confusion on Legolas' face as Eomer held out a mug to him, "so it's a drinking game." She gently leaned back against the pillar watching as Gimli lifted his mug and simply said, "last one standing wins."