The Iron Butterfly (Iron Butterfly #1)(46)

But I was most surprised on my third day of practice when I went out to the training field and Garit wasn’t in the training ring. I spotted him in the far field next to a fenced-in pasture where the horses were grazing. I glanced at the pasture to see if I could see Faraway. Yep, he was prancing around the field in happiness, grateful to run, his beautiful mane that I brushed every day shining in the setting sun. I smiled at Faraway’s youthful antics, and then climbed the fence to reach Garit.

Garit had a silly grin on his face and I saw that he had constructed a large man out of hay, feed bags and old clothes. Looking closely at the dummy there was a painted beard on the face in a very bad imitation of Commander Meryl.

“I got the clothes from Berry. When I told her what they were for she was excited to help me with my project, even going so far as to add buttons and decorations to the uniform.”

“What is it?”

“Well, it’s a human target!” Garit pulled out a beautiful dark wood bow and a leather quiver full of arrows. The bow wasn’t the same size as the ones the archers used; it was much smaller, fit to my height and arm length.

Picking it up, I let the wood pass through my fingers feeling the coolness of it. The string vibrated into my soul when I touched it. It felt right.

“Since this is serious, I didn’t want to start you off hitting at a pile of hay. We needed something man size, so you can get used to aiming at a small target. Of course, they have them at the training yard, but I thought you would feel more comfortable training away from everyone’s prying eyes.”

That was exactly what I needed. I had been feeling very self-conscious lately in my lack of ability of Denai power. I was beginning to wonder if maybe Joss and Prentiss had been mistaken in their assessment of what had happened in the healing ward.

We started the session fifteen paces away from the Commander dummy and Garit walked me through how to string the bow, notch an arrow, sight a target and release. My first shot hit the dirt and stopped eight feet from the target.

Faint laughter tickled my mind, and I looked at Garit. He was grinning from ear to ear at my pathetic attempt.

“It’s okay. Try again. You don’t have the arm strength yet, but you will.”

Notching another arrow I sighted down the shaft at the target aiming for the large round stomach. Pulling the bowstring and arrow back, I was about to release when I heard HIGHER brush against my conscious.

Making the said adjustment, I released the bowstring and watched the arrow fly true and hit the stomach of the target dead on, only to bounce off and land pathetically in the grass.

I raised an eyebrow to Garit and threatened, “Not a word, not ONE word or I’ll use you as the dummy.”

He wisely held his tongue.

Getting frustrated I stormed away from the dummy to an even farther distance and notched another arrow, pulling the bowstring back as far as I could with the intention of sending it flying as hard as I could toward the target without even aiming.

Patience, the voice came again.

Breathe slowly.

I did what I was told.

Aim higher.

I made what I thought to be an adequate adjustment.

Breath out, it commanded.

Feel your heartbeat?

I listened to the sound of my heart and it seemed to slow.

Release between beats.

I did and watched in amazement as the arrow flew straight into the chest of the dummy. Garit was walking toward the dummy and fell back into the grass in shock as he saw the shaft buried inches deep into the heart of the target.

“Whoa, Thalia, I didn’t think you were serious about making me the target, but well done!”

I couldn’t help but smirk at his prone form. He wasn’t expecting me to make it that far.

“Thanks, but I couldn’t have done it without your last minute directions.”

“Thalia, what are you talking about? I haven’t said a word since you threatened me.” Garit’s brows furrowed in confusion.

Looking around the empty field I felt the hairs rise on the back of my neck, until the sound of a soft nicker drew my attention to Faraway, who sometime during the lesson had come over to the fence and stood watching.

Staring at his intense blue eyes I let a million possibilities fly through my head, until I felt the same familiar touch on my mind.

Finished? Can we get cookies?

“Garit? Did you hear that?” Stopping, I watched as he cocked his head to the side to listen.

“You mean the students arriving for their lessons?”

He was right. I could hear the chatter of the students arriving at the practice ring across the field.

The students were lazy and unambitious in their practices. Most believed that they were invincible and didn’t need any hand to hand skills to disarm a soldier. They came each day because they were ordered to, and no matter how hard Commander Meryl drilled them they didn’t want to put in the effort. Even the youngest Denai among them was able defend themselves with powers and I think the guards were really too scared to press and train them too hard. Because who wanted to be on the wrong side of an angry Denai?

Since I had yet to display any more Denai traits, I preferred to train alone.

“Which reminds me,” Garit yelled over his shoulder. “I need to get over there. Thalia, will you promise to keep practicing? You need to start building up your arm muscles.”

He picked up his extra set of bow and arrows from the grass and slung them over his broad shoulder, giving me a brotherly pat on the head as he passed.