Chapter Nine: Training- Hit Just One

Pulling back the string with the nock in place, Lynn kept hold of her form as her father held the apple in his hand. Tossing it up, he watched Lynn follow the movement with her bow still pulled back and arrow ready. As quick as that thought came, he saw the arrow zoomed pass him to hit the apple straight through.

The apple landed on the floor with a hole while the arrow stabbed into the tree. Nodding his head and glancing at Lynn who let out a breath.

"There are no breaks when you are dueling, Lynn," he stated to see Lynn reaching for another arrow.

Before she was able to place the arrow in place, he tossed another apple further away from him. He didn't need to look at her daughter to see the determined face. He reached for three apples and tossed it at the same time. Crossing his arms and closing his eyes, he could hear the arrows zipping in the quiet space.

When he heard a fourth arrow, he glanced over to his daughter to see she had shot another arrow at the same apple.

"Bow and arrow is your strength," he nodded staring at the apple hanging from the ground.

"Uncle told me since I was a girl, I should master this," Lynn went to grab her arrows and the apple targets.

"And yet you somehow changed his mind," her father wondered retrieving the arrows and apples near him.

"You already know, don't you," Lynn walked over to her father with her arrows back in her quiver.

"That you tricked him to sword training?" Christian quirked his lips.

"He wouldn't listen to reason," Lynn shrugged and took the arrows her father gathered.

Her father patted her shoulder and they took their mid-day break. Lynn sat beside her father and bit into the piece of bread Garret dropped off in the morning.

"You have gotten better with sword fighting, but you still need more practice," her father listed grabbing the apple on the table.

"I was able to hit you four times father," Lynn bit into the grape with a grin.

"You are proud of yourself, aren't you?" her father bit into the apple and rubbed his beard.

"Why shouldn't I be?" she lifted a brow, "you are the strongest in the kingdoms. Of course, I am proud of myself!"

Her father let out a hearty laugh and took two more bites to finish his apple. They ate in quiet and Lynn didn't mind it. She was happy with her progress. She's doing so well that she felt an even higher chance that she would be able to be with Garret. She felt fantastic and maybe it was the gifted herbs Garret gave her to bathe in or her fighting progress, but she felt so great lately.

"How are your knife throwing?" her father questioned eating a piece of loaf.

"Not my best skill," Lynn admitted looking at her father, "uncle said my aiming is terrible and yet I do so well with a bow and arrow."

Her father nodded with that knowledge. He stood up and stretched his arms above his head, before walking to the small armory. She finished her snack, stretched, and followed her father. When she arrived, her father was holding the leather straps of the pouch. Before him were the knives they would be using.

Lynn watched her father pick certain ones up, turn it to examine, and either place it back on the table or into the pouch. Once her father was satisfied with the amount the pouch was holding, he reached out with it for Lynn. Lynn grabbed it and proceeded to wrap it around her hip. Following her father back out to the clearing, she returned to where she stood before when she was practicing with her bow and arrow.

"Your target are the trees," her father pointed to the designated trees, "hit this one."

She looked at the tree to see it was the closest one, so she shook her shoulders and pulled out a knife. Feeling the weight in her hand, she held the handle of the knife and made practice motions. When she felt ready, she set her eyes and tossed the knife to have it skim the edge of the trunk.

She felt a twitch underneath her right eye and her lips scowled. She took another out and narrowed her eyes breathing out her nose. Tossing the knife harder, the knife stuck to the bottom of the trunk. Letting out a huff through her nose as she scrunched her face, she took another knife and relaxed her shoulders. Letting out a deep breath, she glared at the tree. Aiming higher, she adjusted her leg position and tossed the knife.

It landed a few inches from the edge of the trunk.

"Your uncle was not fibbing," her father mumbled rubbing his lips and scratching his chin.

"I pray they do not require knife throwing," Lynn said lowly and stomped over to retrieve the knives.

"Those in the Kingdom of Ellestra are highly skilled in the sport," her father stated crossing his arms.

She let out a sigh and tilted her head to the sky. Closing her eyes and deeply inhaling, she focused her attention back on the tree.

'Okay,' she told herself, 'hit as close to the middle as you can. You must, do you hear me Lynn? Now hit that target!'

She tossed the knife and she covered her face with a growl. She was NOT giving up! There was too much to lose, so she tried again. And again. And again. Each knife ended up too high, too low, hanging for dear life, or not hitting the trunk. Her left eye twitched and she fisted her hands closing her eyes. Squeeze and release. Squeeze and release. Letting out a deep sigh, she opened to see the red headed prince picking up her knives.

She watched him gather them in his arms and placed them back into her pouch. He smiled and held her hands. Kissing both knuckles, he held them for a moment before looking at her.

"I know you can do it Lynn," he said softly, "you're amazing."

"What if I can't?" Lynn questioned just as soft.

"You're still amazing," he grinned with a shrug. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you."

"How are your knife throwing coming along my prince," her father spoke up walking toward them.

"I am definitely better than last you seen me," Garret beamed and Lynn looked at him with wide eyes.

"I did not know you are learning this skill," she admitted.

"When you were off training, I bugged Sir Christian to train me," Garret let out a laugh looking at her father, "it took a lot of begging, but he taught me a lot."

She looked at her father who just nodded and Lynn sent a pout his way.

"You did not ask," was all her father said and Lynn felt herself frown deeper, "why don't you practice here. Come Lynn."

Lynn would be lying if she said she wasn't interested.