Page 52 of Arrows and Gems
She felt a little strain, but less than when she’d strung her uncle’s bow back at Marielle’s.
“Impressive.” His voice didn’t sound impressed, but he motioned her away from the bank and reached into his quiver. Helena rushed forward eagerly, but he held it out of her reach. “There’s a stump about the right height over here. You can sit on that to shoot.”
“You missed your calling,” Helena deadpanned. “You should have been a nurse instead.”
“Do you want the arrow?”
Hobbling up to him, she glared at the side of his hood. It was tempting to take him down a notch by trying to snatch it again, but...she really,reallywanted that arrow.
“Fine.” She dropped onto the stump and held out her hand. “May I have an arrow now, Mother?”
“Hardly.” Still holding the arrow aloft, he said, “Practice draw first.”
Staring contests were ineffective when one party’s eyes were hidden, so after a huff, she obliged him. His free hand rested on the pommel of his sword as he examined her form. Witha critical eye, she assumed, but he didn’t oblige her with proof.
“Satisfactory?” she asked sarcastically.
He offered her the arrow. “I would recommend the trunk with the split fork. The wider branch should make a good target.”
Helena accepted it, delighting in the feel of the wood on her fingers. They were a bit chilly since she hadn’t put her gloves back on, but it was worth it.
“I’m surprised you’ve decided to trust me with this,” she said casually, running her hand down the length, appreciating the straightness of the wood and the feather-softness of the fletching. “Since you think I’m working with General Valentin.”
A gentle breeze fluttered her cloak while she waited for his reply. After a minute, he said, “I thrive on taking risks.”
“Sure you do,” she snorted. She turned away from him. “That’s the first thing I thought when I met you.”
“I did jump in front of your horse on a narrow mountain path.”
His voice held a hint of amusement this time, and Helena smiled to herself. Annoying him was fun, but so was finding his sense of humor. Perhaps that should be her new goal: make the stoic bandit laugh. When she wasn’t enjoying his frustration.
Bringing the arrow to her face, she leaned her cheek against the shaft and sighed happily. Holding an arrow in one hand and her bow in the other made her feel more at peace than she had since the moment she decided to leave home.
This was where she belonged. Out in the open, with a bow in her hand and exchanging banter with a grumpy outlaw. Not in the castle with stuffy courtiers and their arrogant ways.
She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. Then she nocked her arrow, raised the bow, and released her shot in one smooth motion. Her eyes flicked open as the string sprang forward, butthe narrower branch was right where she had pictured it in her mind’s eye. Her arrow landed a little off center; she hadn’t practiced in weeks, and her shoulder was stiff.
Le Capuchon cleared his throat. Helena suspected that he was carefully not looking at her. “Not bad. Maybe a little slower on the next one. A small change at this distance will make a big difference, so only adjust a little to the left.”
Helena took the next arrow with a smirk. “Only if I want the easier target.” She winked at him, then whipped off her next shot. It landed in the center of the thin trunk.
His chin jutted forward a little. She held out her hand for another arrow, but he turned away.
“The tree with the big knot is closer. Do you think you can—”
Surging to her feet, Helena switched the bow to her right hand and snaked her left around his waist. He startled back at the contact.
“What—”
She plucked an arrow from his quiver, then spun to set her right side toward the target. By the time she fell backward into him, the arrow was speeding away.
Since Le Capuchon’s hands gripped her shoulders, she felt the small flex of surprise when her arrow pierced the bark just above the last one. He stared at it for a few heartbeats before turning her toward him. “That was a left-hand shot.”
“It was.” Winking, she pulled free and plopped back onto her stump. “Can you do that?”
“And you stole one of my arrows.”
“One of the hazards of keeping your hood so low,” she teased. If only she could see the annoyed look he must be giving her right now. “If you wore it like a normal person, sudden movements wouldn’t take you by surprise as easily.”
