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I've always had a bow in my hands throughout all my years, and it's one too many a years one has lived, to say the least. Archery comes naturally, at least on the basic, elemental level to those that live in the forests. Materials come easily due to the abundance of wood, birds, and sharp objects be it fangs, stones, or bone. Learning from others comes easily as your friends and family around you likely practice archery on a regular basis. Training comes easily due to having to forage and survive on their own, to which archery is useful to say the least. All that being said, I never fully appreciated archery in all my advanced years. I saw it as simply one of the many tools, means to an end. It was merely an easy tool for hunting and defending. That has changed ever since my homeland was destroyed, and I arrived in these lands to learn, and to make sure this one doesn't suffer the same fate. I've learned the various other uses, aside from hunting. Signalling with sound. Disrupting with smoke. Planting a scent to track. Starting a fire from afar. Delivering messages and if light enough, objects from great distances. And last but not least, to have fun, to dedicate one's time to. I've also learned to hold it closer to myself, to embrace it more often. I'm no longer the youngling I once was hundreds of years ago. Jumping into close quarters at the first opportunity does not always bring forth the best outcome for me anymore, for I am old, frail, and honestly, a little slow. Just as the crop lowers its head in respect as it ripens and matures, I too am embracing my flaws and opening my mind to recognize what and how I am. Archery is a tool yes, but it is also a versatile and important one, and more importantly, a symbol of my changed outlook on life. -Elandriella, the Ancient Watcher | |