Quiver and Crown // KateLena

Free Fall

Perhaps they should have been planning. Perhaps they should have been traveling elsewhere, attempting to rally allies or extract information out of townsfolk. Selfishly, though, Kate and Yelena wanted, no, needed, a day to just exist, not run from a city descending in chaos, or rest bloodied and tired, on a riverbank. No, they needed a day to just be.

After waking the princess far too early for her liking, Kate promised to make it up to her with a full tour of the village and a batch of her famous muffins after. All it took was one look at Kate's pleading face, those soft brown eyes, and Yelena melted like chocolate left in the sun.

Kate's excitability was cute, and the princess was happy to see her companion in high spirits, but she hoped the enthusiasm was not overcompensation for more turbulent thoughts. She could not be sure, but Yelena did not think Kate slept much if at all, as when she awoke the brunette had already prepared breakfast. Either way, though, Yelena plastered on a smile, determined to give Kate a good day.

Now, in the warm glow of early afternoon, Kate laughed heartily as she stood a few feet behind Yelena, directing her as she failed miserably to shoot a bow. The princess demanded to at try at least once by herself, but the activity was harder than Kate's effortless shooting led her to believe. Embarrassment compounded further as one of Kate's Ranger pals, a young man named Peter, watched alongside the knight with a repressed smile.

"May I?" Kate finally asked, and Yelena relented. The knight gently stepped behind the shorter woman, lowering her raised elbow with gentle, calloused hands. She pulled the string taut, hand over Yelena's and whispered in her ear, "fire."

Having Kate so close gave Yelena chills, but she managed to let the string loose. The arrow shot through the air, not perfect, but better than her other attempt, which had not flown more than a few feet. Sighing, she handed the bow off to the experienced archer.

"I'm done," she said, finding a nice patch of grass to flop down into and observe from. "Put on a show, Kate Bishop."

Kate nodded, happy to oblige. "You shooting today, Pete?"

"Against you? No way, Katie. I'm young, not stupid," the man replied, sitting down cross-legged next to Yelena. He offered a hand to the blonde. "I'm Peter, it's nice to finally meet you."

Yelena almost did not catch the introduction, entranced with the way Kate pulled the bow's string to her slightly open lips, breathing out slowly before firing. "Oh, I'm Yelena." She shook the peppy brunette's hand. "What do you mean, finally meet?"

"Oh, Katie talked about you all the time. Her princess from the capital. You're exactly how she-"

"Pete," Kate interrupted, not looking away from her bow, lining up her shot with the carved tree target. "You better not be gossiping."

"It's not gossip if it's true."

Kate fired, hitting the center of the bullseye. "Don't you have farmhand work to tend to?"

"Nope, I got a promotion when you split. I'm a Scout now, not just an apprentice."

"What does Scouting entail?" Yelena asked, leaning back onto her elbows.

"Well, it's only my first week, and I, well, I..."

"You weren't promoted, were you?"

"...No."

Kate chuckled, now nocking and firing in quick succession. After a moment, though, she sighed, suddenly discontent. This activity just was not the same on her own; the empty target left of hers loomed. "Yelena, want to go for a walk? We could check out the waterfall, it should still be warm this time of year."