What I Learned About The Weather

On a recent sojourn at the Shing Jea Monastery, I overheard an argument between neophyte rangers. They were discussing the efficacy of various arrowheads in combat. I could not help but smile as I recalled a similar conversation I had in my early days in the Ascalon Academy with Ivor Trueshot, a marksman of some renown in those parts.

"The power of an arrow doesn't come from how sharp your stick is," he told me. "The power comes from how you deliver that stick to your target." In many cases, your choice of bow is the greatest influence on this. But Ivor showed me how to take advantage of the winds to speed the flight of my arrows. My flat bow normally fires in a high arc to reach the target. This gives more than enough time for my intended pincushion to scurry out of the way. But by firing with the wind, my arrows speed to the bull's eye much straighter and much quicker. And for times when the winds are not so cooperative, I've learned a ritual to draw the winds to do my bidding. That might seem a little strange, but Melandru has never withdrawn her blessing from me.

So when I heard those students argument, I had to laugh. In time, they will learn too. Of course, maybe I should look into this broad-head arrow they mentioned...