Callynite
The young doe was starting to really remember the joys of carrying around a Bow - and while she was still missing her beautiful druid staff, it was a few steps closer to who she used to be. A few steps closer to what she wanted to become again. And today she was eager to practice with the beautiful golden bow. She stood in the meadows, glancing around constantly to make sure no one was around (if she hit someone with an arrow, Coy would never let her live it down, and the flashy buck already teased her horribly for stabbing him on their first meeting). So far the field of vision (pun not intended, thank you very much) was clear and for that Callynite was grateful. She hadn't properly used a bow since she came across the portal to Novus, and before then it wasn't more than a back up weapon for when she needed to do something that her magic wasn't able to aid her in.
But now that she was with out her magic, she was determined to make sure she was well protected and capable of defending herself. Considering she was so much smaller than all of the other horses in the area (that she'd met thus far), as well as a good size for a quick meal from predators - Cally wouldn't rest until her bow skills had been refreshed and her draw and release time as short as possible. A Cally that was alive, would be a Cally that was fast. But she wasn't quite there yet. She still had a bit more of the meadow to cross before she'd be in a fairly open area where she should see someone approaching and able to holster her weapon before risking firing on someone. As she traveled, her keen eyes were watching the earth, noting familiar roots, plants or berries that mirrored the ones in her home world as edible; and always foraging as she went (for Cally had no intentions to be caught out on an adventure with out a meal on hoof), her magic would surround the edible items and lift them into her satchel, although one plump blackberry was plopped into her mouth before she could control herself. She wondered if it was her bitterness to Novus, and it's a cruelty in locking away her magic that made the berry taste less sweet than she preferred.
There was indeed a bitterness that the doe felt for the land, however. Not for the horses, or the Courts, or really the terrain itself, but rather the magic of the island, and the Gods that had brought her here. Her druid abilities had been ripped from her, that connection to the land; and only a small form of the telekinetic abilities she utilized before remained. It had soured a lot of what Novus could have offered to the experienced explorer and druid doe. It was also chilling her heart, and filling her with a bitter twistedness that was shaping the doe to be something she hadn't previously. The former little doe who shied from attention and wouldn't dream of hurting a fly was being replaced by a doe who was more sure of herself, and more sure of her anger as well. And that firm pacifism was morphing into an acknowledgement of doing what needed to be done, at any cost.
Which leads us back to the bow the doe was determined to practice with. As she reached the area she had decided upon, she stood tall and immediately called her magic around the bow, causing it to glow green as it sailed through the air. An arrow soon followed suit, a green glow surrounding it as it was strung and notched into place, the bowstring drawing back with a well-oiled ease before she released the dull-pointed arrow that was purely for practicing accuracy. It had no sharp point, but it still flew in the direction she intended, lodging into the dirt. Three more followed suit in quick succession - but not fast enough. Her teeth gritted as she realized the problem - her basic telekinetic abilities were standing in the way. Unpracticed, she needed to work harder, build it up. Needed to make the motion one she could do in her sleep. Twenty more arrows flew through the area, landing in a large cluster around the original four. Too large of a cluster - another issue.
Cally trotted forward with a bouncy trot that for those familiar with her original species would be able to see the deer in. She didn't move like a horse, another piece of proof she wasn't. Her movements were graceful with the bounce of a deer. And she'd been known to bound away before as well. She was still a doe, even in a half-horse form, and that doe-like movements kept her graceful and bouncy as she neared the twenty four arrows on the ground. One by one they were lifted and placed back into her quiver before she returned to her starting point again - and the sequence restarted. Twenty four arrows were aimed at the same location. Twenty four arrows flew to that same location, one after another. Twenty four arrows were replaced into the quiver before the doe bounced back to her original location. Repeat.
It wasn't until the sixth cycle that she saw the change - the arrows notably closer grouped together, and being grabbed by magic, strung and released a little faster. But she was also starting to breathe a little heavier as well from the exerted magic. It was at this point a sound behind her had the doe spinning on her heel at the worst time. The doe spun, cape flaring. The bow, with an arrow being released spun with her, and that arrow . . . that arrow, released from the bow sailed straight and true . . . . into the dark shoulder of a buck. Cally's eyes went wide, before she felt like squeezing them shut and hitting the ground in despair, Huehuecoyotl was NEVER going to let her live this one down! She'd shot someone! SHE SHOT SOMEONE WITH HER ARROW. Never mind the arrow had harmlessly rebounded off and was now laying in the brush and grass just past the stallion's flamed hoof.
It was at this moment the doe realized she had hit someone, and her eyes snapped back open and to the stallion, before she bounded over to him, her apologize already fumbling from her muzzle, both sets of ears pinned back and into her messy mane, her tail flared up in an obvious sign of her unease and apprehension regarding the situation, "Oh I'm so, so, so sorry. I was trying to keep from ever hitting anyone? Did I hurt you? Are you bleeding? Do you need first aid? Please don't tell me you're bleeding! Oh my gosh, I actually hit you, I am so, so, so sorry." The stallion hadn't said a word yet, merely staring at the doe with an incredulous look on his face, as if not understanding the concern over the situation. It, after all, had been a blunt arrow meant only for an accuracy and speed drill. The doe wasn't having any of that though, and continued apologizing . . . at least until her words died as she bounded closer and had to stare up and up and up and up and up and up to look at the stallion. As she stopped in front of him, her head was careened all the way back as she stared up at the impossibly large stallion that made her feel like a fawn again, "Gee, mister, you sure are tall." She stated suddenly, momentarily forgetting about the perceived (on her part) injury as she instead focused on his height. The shock only lasted a moment before her gaze drifted to his shoulder - WHICH WAS STILL HIGHER THAN SHE WAS TALL, "I'm so sorry again! I didn't mean to hit you, I swear. You startled me, and geeze you're big, and are your hooves on FIRE?! Please don't step on me!" And the doe bounded back a few steps before offering a hesitant grin to the stallion who looked somewhere between befuddled and amused - but trying to keep an emotionless facade, "Er, right, so uh, you're not hurt? Right? Er . . . and I'm still so sorry, so . . . say if a black, green and white stallion ever comes up to you by the name of Huehuecoyotl, can you please not tell him I EVER shot you with an arrow? Yeah?" Might as well have all of her bases covered right?
"Speech"
@Sol Bestiam - Slight Powerplay of Sol's expressions was approved by Chaosy before posting.
But now that she was with out her magic, she was determined to make sure she was well protected and capable of defending herself. Considering she was so much smaller than all of the other horses in the area (that she'd met thus far), as well as a good size for a quick meal from predators - Cally wouldn't rest until her bow skills had been refreshed and her draw and release time as short as possible. A Cally that was alive, would be a Cally that was fast. But she wasn't quite there yet. She still had a bit more of the meadow to cross before she'd be in a fairly open area where she should see someone approaching and able to holster her weapon before risking firing on someone. As she traveled, her keen eyes were watching the earth, noting familiar roots, plants or berries that mirrored the ones in her home world as edible; and always foraging as she went (for Cally had no intentions to be caught out on an adventure with out a meal on hoof), her magic would surround the edible items and lift them into her satchel, although one plump blackberry was plopped into her mouth before she could control herself. She wondered if it was her bitterness to Novus, and it's a cruelty in locking away her magic that made the berry taste less sweet than she preferred.
There was indeed a bitterness that the doe felt for the land, however. Not for the horses, or the Courts, or really the terrain itself, but rather the magic of the island, and the Gods that had brought her here. Her druid abilities had been ripped from her, that connection to the land; and only a small form of the telekinetic abilities she utilized before remained. It had soured a lot of what Novus could have offered to the experienced explorer and druid doe. It was also chilling her heart, and filling her with a bitter twistedness that was shaping the doe to be something she hadn't previously. The former little doe who shied from attention and wouldn't dream of hurting a fly was being replaced by a doe who was more sure of herself, and more sure of her anger as well. And that firm pacifism was morphing into an acknowledgement of doing what needed to be done, at any cost.
Which leads us back to the bow the doe was determined to practice with. As she reached the area she had decided upon, she stood tall and immediately called her magic around the bow, causing it to glow green as it sailed through the air. An arrow soon followed suit, a green glow surrounding it as it was strung and notched into place, the bowstring drawing back with a well-oiled ease before she released the dull-pointed arrow that was purely for practicing accuracy. It had no sharp point, but it still flew in the direction she intended, lodging into the dirt. Three more followed suit in quick succession - but not fast enough. Her teeth gritted as she realized the problem - her basic telekinetic abilities were standing in the way. Unpracticed, she needed to work harder, build it up. Needed to make the motion one she could do in her sleep. Twenty more arrows flew through the area, landing in a large cluster around the original four. Too large of a cluster - another issue.
Cally trotted forward with a bouncy trot that for those familiar with her original species would be able to see the deer in. She didn't move like a horse, another piece of proof she wasn't. Her movements were graceful with the bounce of a deer. And she'd been known to bound away before as well. She was still a doe, even in a half-horse form, and that doe-like movements kept her graceful and bouncy as she neared the twenty four arrows on the ground. One by one they were lifted and placed back into her quiver before she returned to her starting point again - and the sequence restarted. Twenty four arrows were aimed at the same location. Twenty four arrows flew to that same location, one after another. Twenty four arrows were replaced into the quiver before the doe bounced back to her original location. Repeat.
It wasn't until the sixth cycle that she saw the change - the arrows notably closer grouped together, and being grabbed by magic, strung and released a little faster. But she was also starting to breathe a little heavier as well from the exerted magic. It was at this point a sound behind her had the doe spinning on her heel at the worst time. The doe spun, cape flaring. The bow, with an arrow being released spun with her, and that arrow . . . that arrow, released from the bow sailed straight and true . . . . into the dark shoulder of a buck. Cally's eyes went wide, before she felt like squeezing them shut and hitting the ground in despair, Huehuecoyotl was NEVER going to let her live this one down! She'd shot someone! SHE SHOT SOMEONE WITH HER ARROW. Never mind the arrow had harmlessly rebounded off and was now laying in the brush and grass just past the stallion's flamed hoof.
It was at this moment the doe realized she had hit someone, and her eyes snapped back open and to the stallion, before she bounded over to him, her apologize already fumbling from her muzzle, both sets of ears pinned back and into her messy mane, her tail flared up in an obvious sign of her unease and apprehension regarding the situation, "Oh I'm so, so, so sorry. I was trying to keep from ever hitting anyone? Did I hurt you? Are you bleeding? Do you need first aid? Please don't tell me you're bleeding! Oh my gosh, I actually hit you, I am so, so, so sorry." The stallion hadn't said a word yet, merely staring at the doe with an incredulous look on his face, as if not understanding the concern over the situation. It, after all, had been a blunt arrow meant only for an accuracy and speed drill. The doe wasn't having any of that though, and continued apologizing . . . at least until her words died as she bounded closer and had to stare up and up and up and up and up and up to look at the stallion. As she stopped in front of him, her head was careened all the way back as she stared up at the impossibly large stallion that made her feel like a fawn again, "Gee, mister, you sure are tall." She stated suddenly, momentarily forgetting about the perceived (on her part) injury as she instead focused on his height. The shock only lasted a moment before her gaze drifted to his shoulder - WHICH WAS STILL HIGHER THAN SHE WAS TALL, "I'm so sorry again! I didn't mean to hit you, I swear. You startled me, and geeze you're big, and are your hooves on FIRE?! Please don't step on me!" And the doe bounded back a few steps before offering a hesitant grin to the stallion who looked somewhere between befuddled and amused - but trying to keep an emotionless facade, "Er, right, so uh, you're not hurt? Right? Er . . . and I'm still so sorry, so . . . say if a black, green and white stallion ever comes up to you by the name of Huehuecoyotl, can you please not tell him I EVER shot you with an arrow? Yeah?" Might as well have all of her bases covered right?
"Speech"
@Sol Bestiam - Slight Powerplay of Sol's expressions was approved by Chaosy before posting.
