In the thick foliage of Rottin Woods, Ashe and Siderius went on another hunting trip.
Ashe was there to learn and Siderius was a good teacher showing her the way.
They once again went on the hunt for deers, the most common big game in this pine forest.
This time Ashe was the one to lead the way, using her previous acquired knowledge to trace a deer. She’s a good learner, remembering all the lessons that Siderius had taught her.
They started from the river banks and went downwind, locating a perfect location that a deer would be present.
This time, they didn’t hide in a bush, but instead climbed onto a big tree with many broad branches. They hid inside its thick foliage, looking out to the landscape and waiting for the prey to show up.
And there it was, a large buck with a pair of beautiful antlers. It was extremely cautious, stopping a few steps to look around before continuing on its path.
Siderius took out one arrow and placed it on the bow.
"There are many ways of holding the arrow and two ways of placing it.
You can place the arrow on the opposite side of your draw hand, which will provide a more stable and precise shot. But its weakness is big. Any movements will disturb the shot and your draw speed will be longer. In the heat of battle, that can be the difference between life and death. I only recommend placing the arrow this way for a long shot and the enemy poses no danger to you.
The second way is to place the arrow on the side of your draw hand. This is a faster draw and suitable when you’re on the move. However, to use this placement in an effective way, you must use the correct drawing techniques.
There are three main drawing techniques that I will teach you now.
The three-fingers draw, where you rest the arrow on the bow and draw the string with your index, middle and ring fingers. This technique can only be used for opposite side placement. If you place it on the same side, the arrow will fall off.
The thumb draw. This technique holds the end of the arrow with the thumb and your index finger. It provides good stability to the shot and the arrow won’t fall off. You can use this for both side placements.
The index draw. I recommend you practice this draw once you get your bow. It provides a good grip and even faster shooting. You can even hold many arrows in your draw hand at the same time. But you will need to practice quite a lot with it.
Observe. I will show you." Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel⚑fire.net
Siderius took out two more arrows and held it in his draw hand. His index finger pressed on the spine of the arrow and the thumb on the other side stabilized it. The other arrows were slotted between his middle and ring finger.
The middle and ring fingers were slightly bent. They wrapped around the string comfortably and Siderius pulled it.
With this technique, he could easily load another arrow after this first shot for a continuous barrage of arrows. The index and thumb held the arrow tightly, no less control than the thumb draw.
The buck came closer and Siderius held his breath.
"While hunting deer, always aim a little bit lower." And Siderius released his bowstring.
The string snapped, releasing a noise to the surrounding landscape. Immediately, the buck ducked down. If Siderius had aimed for its heart, he would have surely missed and the arrow would fly over the beast or graze its back.
But because he aimed lower, the arrow pierced right at the upper thigh of its front leg, going through its bone and into its internal organs.
The buck turned its head and ran away but Siderius already loaded his second arrow and released.
The second arrow pierced the center of its body, going even deeper than the first one. Still, the beast did not give up. It still had some spirit left, forcing it to run away.
The third arrow came just right after, piercing through its neck and going over to the other side without stopping.
The buck dropped down on the ground, dying almost instantly because of the precise arrows.
"Woah!" Ashe clapped her hands quietly. She couldn’t help but show her admiration. "None of the guards in Mucktown can be compared to you."
Siderius smiled. "No need to embarrass me now. Let’s go and retrieve the beast."
Suddenly, another beast ran out of a beast and bit at the corpse of the buck. Its sharp teeth gnawed at the flesh and dragged the corpse away.
A small, four-legged beast that was barely larger than a house cat, it was similar in size to a dog. It had thick fur with a mix of brown and black.
"Brave little beast. What kind of a weasel is that?" Ashe whispered.
Siderius’ eyes lit up. Fate really hadn’t treated him wrong these days. He found a suitable candidate for his Stamina Anabolism.
"That is a wolverine. Don’t be fooled by its fluffy appearance. That beast will not hesitate to fight you and me." Siderius said.
"It is that fearless, Master?"
Siderius nodded. "A vicious relentless beast with an ungodly amount of stamina."
The wolverine was smart and it quickly dragged the corpse through layers of trees, blocking the view of Siderius.
"Come! We must track it!"
Siderius jumped down from the branch with Ashe following him closely. The distance between them and the buck was quite far, giving the wolverine enough time to maneuver.
Siderius didn’t shoot at it right away. He allowed it to drag the corpse. He wanted to see if the wolverine of this world had good stamina like the species in his old world.
The wolverine dragged the corpse that was twice its size for miles without stopping. That alone had answered Siderius’ doubt.
"The wolverine is a solitary animal. It is rare for us to spot it. Unfortunately, we will have to kill it."
Siderius had seen enough. He drew an arrow and placed it on the bowstring.
It was then that a smaller wolverine came out of a hole from underground. The adult wolverine must have carried the buck back to its den to feed its young.
The small wolverine was half the size of the adult one.
Ashe widened her eyes. "A baby?!"
Siderius stopped in his motion. "What should you think we do, my apprentice?"
Another test from Master... Ashe thought.
She took a deep breath then said. "If you need the beast, Master, then do what you need to do."
She was no longer the naive noble from before. Ashe had seen enough to make the hard decision.
Siderius smiled without saying anything. He released the bowstring.