| Finding the Center |
| Summary: | Clara manages to find some alone time to gather her thoughts while in Roseguard Castle |
| Date: | Sep 20, 1865 |
| Related: | None |
| NPCs: | {$npc} |
| Players: |
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It has not been recent since Clara has indulged in any alone time. Most of the time, she has spent with her lady mother or in the company of members or soon-to-be members of her recently discovered family. However, within the walls of Roseguard Castle, with her mother resting and the rest of her traveling party otherwise preoccupied, Clara finds herself without any prior commitments.
It takes quick work for Clara to ask her guards to lead her to the practice grounds. The young Romante gives an honest enough answer….she wants to practice her archery. Fetching Clara's bow is also quick…for it is one of the few items she has. Even as Clara walks into the practice area, she holds her bow close to her, her fingertips sliding along the smooth edges almost absently. The rosewood longbow is obviously Clara's most prized possession….and also her newest, for she just got it at Four Corners…just before the raids. It is so new that it had yet to be fired.
But…Clara had planned to change that.
Before…when Clara was Lady Clara d'Myrin, she had used archery as an escape. A way to clear her head…to find her focus. It was her release for stress and her excuse for getting out of the house, to get out from the watchful eye of her father, Lord Marco d'Myrin. But, now….as Lady Clara Romante? That focus was gone. So much has happened that was out of Clara's control. Finding herself with a new name, new family, new life? It is more than enough to justify confusion. Clara felt rudderless, adrift in the rough sea that was once her life, but now there are no landmarks to guide her.
However, if archery helped Clara before…then perhaps it may help now.
Clara strings the bow deftly, a motion that is obviously practiced. She strides out, 25 meters, 35 meters….finally stopping at the 50 meter mark, facing the round archery target that looks to be little more than a saucer plate at her distance. An arrow is pulled from the quiver, carefully fitted to the string. The bow is raised, the bowstring pulled back slowly. Clara takes aim and….releases.
Twang…….thud
The first arrow found its mark, but on the outer ring. There is a very distinct un-ladylike mutter of disappointment. Immediately, Clara's thoughts flash to her former tutor. 'You must clear your mind, Lady Clara. Take your time. Picture what is troubling you as the target and your arrow is all of your thoughts and feelings and just let them fly.' Easier said than done was always Clara's response to her tutor's advice.
But…it always worked. It is just a matter of application.
First trouble is visualized. Clara's current situation, in particular her feelings of helplessness. As the arrow is retrieved from the quiver, all of Clara's nervousness, fear, and confusion is channeled within the arrowhead, as much as Clara can channel. She takes a deep breath, lifts the longbow, and takes aim.
Twang…….thud
The arrows trembles in place…firmly in the middle ring. That's better, thinks Clara, but not good enough. But, the action itself seems to calm her. Clara is certainly holding herself taller…more settled. The old habit seems to be working.
The second trouble comes to focus. Clara's past life…in particular the fact that she spent 12 years thinking she was someone she was not. The third arrow pulled quickly becomes charged with the anger Clara has felt…anger at her family for not looking for her or her mother, anger at her 'father' for lying to her for so long and anger at herself for not having been able to do something sooner. It is wild, irrational anger…the anger of a teenager lashing out at the world simply because it isn't fair. The arrow of hate is fitted to the string and pulled back in a singular fluid motion and sent flying through the air.
Thud.
Inner ring. Nearly a bulls-eye. But, Clara isn't done yet. The main cause of strife as Clara d'Myrin…the mere fabrication of Clara d'Myrin and the man responsible gains focus in Clara's mind. Lord Marco d'Myrin. The sidelong glances. The not-quite-inappropriate touches. The way he treated Clara's poor mother. Everything that was wrong was his fault. It had to be. If he never had claimed Clara as his own…if he just did what he was supposed to and let her mother and Clara go on….then none of this would have ever happened. It /was/ all his fault! As Clara comes to this realization, she extracts two arrows from the quiver, letting them fly in rapid succession.
Thud…Thud
Both within the inner ring. Grouped together with the third arrow fired.
Clara lowers her bow, considering her placement of the arrows. Nevermind the fact that her arms seem to be trembling. Her expression is calm…clear. She takes the moment to unstring her bow, then crosses across the practice range to retrieve her arrows. In the short time it takes for her to reach her target, the trembling has ceased. She calmly removes the arrows, from the outside inwards, replacing them into her quiver. She then turns and, with a nod to the guards that were watching her calmly, indicates she is ready to return to her quarters.
Tomorrow, the confused girl that first appeared upon the doorstep of her true family may return. However, at least for the moment, both the person that Clara was and the lady that Clara is supposed to be are joined, with singular purpose.
Clara reaches out, before leaving, touching the center of the target…seeing how close her own strikes had came.
Soon…she will find the center. Of both the target…and herself.