 Invisi & Real Arrows (52)
Eliza breathed a sigh of relief, and so did the muscles in her arms, when Professor Elwood loosened the string on her bow. Sure, it would be hard to make it shoot very fast or far now, but at least she could hold it long enough to aim correctly. She was a beginner after all, and small. She practiced a few times with her imaginary arrow. Ok, feet apart. Steady. Firm grip. She looked down her arm as she stretched the string back towards her cheek. Her fingers weren't used to the strain of holding a taut cord, but she told herself it would get easier throughout the lesson. She pretended to send an arrow flying as she released her two fingers. She kept her arm in place so that she could imagine the path of her arrow, following through to the target. Doesn't seem so hard, maybe, she thought.
She slung her quiver over her shoulder and onto her back and she walked up to get in a line. She pulled out a single arrow and let it dangle from her fingers as she waited for a turn. What question should I ask? she wondered as the line kept cycling though. There were endless questions running through her mind, but yes or no questions were hard to think of. That was such an empty answer. She wanted details - the hows and whys and whens, whos, whats. Not yes or no. She sighed. Oh well, it'll have to do. The targets can't talk to explain, so that's the best they've got. Yes or no. When it was her turn, she wedged the string in the groove of the arrow, drew back her arm, and let the only real question on her mind come to the surface. Will whomever or whatever is messing with Hogwarts and the students strike again? She wondered if there would be time for follow-up questions, but for now, this was her one shot. She loosed her arrow and watched with focused eyes as it hit a colored ring on the target with the big word YES written on it. That's what I was afraid of, she thought and turned to get out of the next student's way. But when will it happen? Will it be worse than before? She shook her head. You're being silly, Eliza. You shot an arrow at a target. It doesn't mean anything. But still, she wasn't entirely sure. |