The Man in the Myth

Chapter 6

"The first sound of danger?" One of the girls in the cirlce repeated. "What was the danger?" She asked.

Roisin looked at the captive group in front of her. The five teenagers were at the same competition with her, they weren't in her competition bracket, but they were in her same age group. Most of her competitors were older adults who had been in archery for many more years than her. But Roisin had a talent for archery and with the help of her grandmother and the coach she had gotten for Roisin, Roisin had succeeded in archery to the point she was in the tryouts for the USA Olympic team.

"Well, Cu and Cassie were heading back to the town when--"

"Ladies, what is going on?" Matthew interrupted the impromptu story session. "Roisin, you have a five AM wake up call."

The girls all looked up at the man that invaded their space and the story. At their age they easily judged Matthew to be a hundred and twenty years old. With his snow white, they easily put him in the range of their very old grandparents, though Matthew was only just fifty-five, which, for the girls, might as well have been a hundred and twenty.

"Sorry." Roisin unwound her legs out from under her. She knew that her coach was only trying to help her and tomorrow was a huge day for her, but she still liked talking about Cu and Cassie. And this was a whole new group of people who were interested in the story as well.

Matthew shook his head. "You know as a minor, Roisin, you have a strict curfew you have to follow. Those aren't my rules, those are the Competition's rules." He looked at the other teenage girls still sitting in the hotel foyer. "And you all need to head off to your rooms as well."

Roisin followed Matthew back to the elevator bank. "I didn't mean to break any rules, Matthew."

Matthew turned and met Roisin's sincere eyes. Her innocence was so real and she looked so sorry, that he couldn't hold on to any of his anger. "I know, Roisin, but the competition could kick you out of the tournament if you break these rules, especially since you are a minor."

Matthew pushed the up arrow and waited for the elevator with Roisin. He had been working with her since she was thirteen. Her grandmother had called him and introduced him to Roisin. He had been skeptical about her praises of her granddaughter, but his views were quickly changed when he watched her shoot. Roisin had a skill Matthew hadn't seen in someone so young. He agreed almost immediately to become Roisin's coach. He had helped her prefect her technique, and all their work was coming to fruition in this competition. Roisin was competing for a spot on the USA Olympic team, and, with her skill, Matthew wasn't going to be surprised if she walked away with a spot.

The ding indicating the elevator's arrival brought Matthew back to the present. He held the door open for Roisin who entered without needing to be told. "Go to bed, Roisin," Matthew insisted as he pressed the button for the fifth floor. "Five in the morning is going to come really soon."

Roisin nodded but the stepped out of the elevator and kissed Matthew's cheek. "I'm going to win tomorrow and then we're going to the Olympics. Good night, Mattie," she said with a laugh as she stepped back into the elevator.

Matthew chuckled. "Don't call me Mattie. Only your grandmother gets to do that."

Roisin shrugged her shoulders. "But you can't stay mad at me when I call you that."

Matthew smiled "I'm not mad at you, go to bed."

"I will," Roisin promised and waved good night as the doors closed. She leaned against the back of the elevator and thought about the competition taking place tomorrow. She was competing in all of the bow competitions: the recurve bow, the compound bow, and the barebow. Already her mind was focused on what techniques she was going to use, and what strategies she should put into use, and the thoughts she would use to psyche herself up to prepare for the nerves she was going to have to face.