Targos

Zenithral smiles and nods at Vincent. Looking back, he realizes this is the first he's really acknowledged the newcomer. "I certainly hope so," he says, referring to Vincent's remark of competitive bowmanship."I'm not much for competition, but if you think it'll improve your performance, then I accept. Now...How much does a giant count for...?"

"Hmm, let's say, Goblins for one point, Orcs for five, and Giants for twenty?"

"Fine by me," Zenithral grins. "With any luck, however, we won't have to worry about orcs."

Halla's eyes follow the twins as they scamper about. "'Twas never my dream to care for a child, but there is something about these two... perhaps 'tis because I also once felt small in a world full of dangers." Yet again, her hand drifts up to stroke the two oak leaves below her neck. "I am a better person than I was, and I owe that to the significant people in my life. Arundel. Zenithral. You. Even Ug, in his own way."

She meets Alalla's eyes. "Living with Arundel, I never claimed friendship with any person. 'Twas not in my nature. Not until I nearly died in the snow, and an angel on wings of light found me. And now I lead a village." She rubs her eyes and looks back at the children. "I still have many rough edges to smooth away, but with friends such as you, I will do better."

Halla meets Alalla's eyes again and holds out her hand. "Friends?"

Ras hitches up his cloak as best he can to keep it from dragging through the dirt. He has little interest in the camp or the armies. He simply follows his group, no expression on his face.

When Al approaches him, he looks up at her one eye (a thought tugs at him, but he ignores it) and nods. "What is it you wish to know?"

Alalla takes the hand. "Please. I don't have many friends either."

She glances back at Zenithral. "That angel is a good man. But he has his flaws like the rest of us. He didn't mean to hurt you either. He was afraid of what you would think of him when you learned about Erestor. Just so you know." Al gives Halla a wink, then her smile fades.

"Halla... could you do me a favour when you get to Kuldahar? Can you get a message to my tribe somehow? Let them know I haven't forgotten them, and that I'll be back as soon as I can to see how they're doing."

Alalla frowns down at the little man. The poor thing is worse than she thought. She wishes there were time for him to mourn. But there isn't.

Al sits next to him and tries to think of how Ras had used the Gem yesterday. After a moment, ad a few more furtive glances, she replies quietly. "Will I have a greater negative effect on the army if I try to convince orcs to follow me away from Gruumsh and from the army, or if I try to convince them I speak for Gruumsh, and that they should turn on the army?"

Isherwood looks back and forth between the two archers. "Well, until the festivities start there is a target that the lads use for practice." He points to the palisade, where a painted barrel sits. It has several feathered shafts sticking from it. "I hit that one from a hundred paces." He sounds very proud of himself.

"Not bad," he tells Isherwood. "Not bad at all. Vincent, my dear man! Why don't you give us your best shot? You're welcome to use my bow, if you'd prefer; it's enchanted, which may prove an unfair advantage for me."

New Friends are lame Ug thinks to himself as he gives up on the cauldron and heads back to the palisade. He sees his friends taking aim a barrel and raises his eyebrows. but this could work! Ug raises his voice and shouts for all to hear.

"Two masters of bow in challenge! Who will win?!"

Ras nods and then looks around for an out-of-the-way place to sit down. Finding an empty alleyway, Ras sits and pulls out the gem. He sets everything up and gets comfy. He once again reaches out to Silvanus.

"Will my friend Alalla be a greater force of good if she steers her fellow orcs away from Gruumsh and the oncoming army, or if she uses her unique relationship with Gruumsh to convince the orcs to fight?"

He ignores the urge to touch the turnip sitting in the pocket of his cloak.

"That is a fine bow, but I'm afraid I may not be strong enough to pull it. Don't worry though, I have a trick that will empower my bow enough to hopefully keep up."

Mumbling a few words, and running his hands from the middle to the ends, blue crackling runes light up along the length, and a string is created by a tendril of lightning itself. You also notice for perhaps the first time that Vincent is very wirey. Despite his speed and dexterity, there is very little muscle on him.

"That should do. Care to go first?" Vincent guestures towards the target.

Curious... He watches intently as Vincent enhances his bow.

Zenithral glances at Ug and smiles. Let's put on a show, shall we?

"Certainly." He walks up to the barrel, briskly turns around, then counts out sixty paces, approximately 150 feet. He turns, knocks, and fires in one smooth motion, the arrow smacking home.

He waves his hand in a sweeping gesture. "Your shot."

Vincent places his feet square along side Zen, bends the bow back, and as he does so some lightning creeps along the arrow. A pulse of darkness so fast you think you may have imagined it flares around the target before disappearing. Then he lets the arrow fly.

"Not bad, but I think we can do better."

"Indeed." Zenithral pivots on his heel and walks out to 300 feet. "Isherwood!" Zenithral calls out. "Can you set up a few more targets?" Let's see what you can really do.

As he waits for the soldiers to stand clear, Zenithral touches the arrows in his quiver, imbuing them with radiant light to shine against the darkness. He grabs and knocks all three arrows at once. With a gleam of blue energy in his eye, he lets the arrows fly. They rocket through the air, trailing misty light in their wake before they strike. Time seems to slow as they smash into their targets and splinter out of the back of each barrel, then explode in a brilliant blast of blue energy.

Zenithral waits for the echoing boom to die down and the silence to drag on.

"Your shot."

As Ras goes off to speak to Sylvanus, Al wanders over our the archery contest. She is mainly curious about Vincent's abilities, considering herself to be familiar with Zenithral's by now. Apparently not.

Al gasps, then laughs loudly, hand firmly over her mouth. "Wow, Zenithral! Save it for the army!"

Inside, Zenithral's thoughts are racing. How did that ACTUALLY work?! Why couldn't I do that BEFORE with that technique?! Am I REALLY that competitive? You still need to go giant hunting tonight, you know...I really hope this improves morale like Ug was hoping because it's certainly improving mine!