Way of the Bow (Late Afternoon-Embassy-Openish)

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru makes his way back to the embassy his gear with him, his arm guard in place. Today he is dressed as if going to the dojo and in a way he was. He makes his way to Kachiro's room and scratches gently and waits to be acknowledged .

[Rixy]

The door opened swiftly, the Tsuruchi already ready for practice in a sleeveless vest and hakama, as well as an arm guard of his own. He had the black bow, yet unstrung, in one arm, two quivers over his shoulder, and a basket covered with a cloth in the other. "Konnichiwa, Ikoma-sama! Good to see you're prompt, let's go out to the range, eh?"

As he started walking, he glanced at the younger man's arm, beaming. "I see you got things set for your arm there, good. That'll make it much easier."

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru nods.

"It is good to see you again Tsuruchi-sensi. I have been looking forward to our meeting all day. However I have some bad news. I have no been able to speak to the captain about the wood you requested. I hope to catch him later this evening though."

[Rixy]

The older man shrugged. "Good thing you've that one to learn on then, eh? Now then...I've got a few types of arrows here. We'll start with the basic willow leaf but if you show a knack for it we can try some of the other specialty arrows too so you can see how you'll have to adjust your aim for the differences in the flight the different heads make."

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru nods as he listens to the other man intently. Absorbing all the information he can from his lesson.

[Rixy]

The shooting yard was really more of an alley that they'd stuff with hay bales to keep any arrows from escaping, two targets on stands set in front of the make-shift wall. Kachiro came to a stop some thirty feet from these and then pulled two coiled lengths of chord from one of his pouches, giving one to Hikaru.

"Stringing a bow's simple, though it won't seem that way for the first dozen times you try it. Expect to pinch your fingers at least once when you try to get the loop over the notch and don't be surprised when it's harder to do than it looks."

He set the quivers down and took up the black bow in both hands, slowly demonstrating the technique.

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru watches intently and then tries himself. Sure enough the young Ikoma frowns as the twin pinches his fingers good. It takes him a moment however he does eventually get the yumi stringed up correctly.

[Rixy]

"Good." Approvingly, the Tsuruchi smiled, then picked up the smaller quiver, setting it between them and drawing out an arrow. "This is a willow leaf. It's the most common sort of arrow you'll find in the Empire and is the simplest to make, should you one day take up that aspect of the art. It has fair distance, decent power, and punches through armor fairly well."

He passed it over. "Take special note of the fletching, how even and smooth the feathers are. If that should be disrupted, the flight of your arrow will be twisted. Learning when an arrow is no longer worth firing becomes very important if you find yourself on a battlefield and needing to take up the spent shots of your foe to fling back."

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru listens carefully and then asks "So it is possible to retrieve an arrow and use again during a battle sometimes?"

[Rixy]

"Sometimes, hai." The older man nodded. "In long campaigns, sometimes scouring the field for useful shafts is necessity."

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru wrinkles his nose. The thought of pulling an arrow out of somebody was not pleasant to the Ikoma, however it could become necessary.

[Rixy]

Reading his look, the Mantis snorted. "Not ones that are in someone. Ones that missed and are in the dirt, or on the ground, or still in the quivers of the fallen. I know, it's shameful to take from the dead but especially if they're allies you know they wouldn't wish you to fall for the sake of something so trivial as arrows."

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru nods

"If I can save somebody else's live, I think they would forgive my trespass."

[Rixy]

"That's how I've always looked at it." Kachiro smiled, then stepped to the center of the alley, taking up his bow and one of the arrows. "Here, now, watch. This is how you should shoot, if you do it properly."

With the ease of decades of practice, the man nocked an arrow, drew it back to his ear, and then let fly, the shaft sinking to half it's length into the straw target.

Turning to the Ikoma, he said, "Now you try."

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru watches intently and when it is his turn he steps up to the line. He follows the same movements the Mantis does and with a twang the arrow flies forward, nicking the edge of the target.

The Ikoma frowns and then says, "I can see why you suggested the arm guard."

[Rixy]

"You have to learn the right way to set your elbow...it'll take a little practice. Here, watch me again." Once again the Mantis took a slow shot, this time pausing to let Hikaru get a good look at how his arm was bent before letting fly the shot. "Your fingers are going to be ired, too, just so you're aware."

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru nods and says

"If it was easy, it wouldnt be worth doing."

With that he lines back up and takes a shot. Its not center, but at least it hit the target this time.

[Rixy]

"Better. Go through the quiver and then we'll fetch them back and I'll teach you how to tell if the firing's done them too much harm to be reusable."

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru wordlessly fires every arrow in the quiver, every one getting closer to the center. Finally the last arrow hits the middle ring. Just on the edge, but it was in. The pride could be seen on the young Lions face.

[Rixy]

Hubris was a danger but for now, Kachiro held his silence. "Now, go and fetch them back and we'll give them a lookover."