New Dawn

{26} - Learning from Hak

I pointed at the flying animal. I quickly stole Hak's bow and shot it down. I ran to collect our dinner.

"Good catch, Arisa. That looks good for tonight's soup." I grinned at Yoon and bagged the bird.

Yona looked at me and pouted. "I need to learn swordsmanship." She turned to face Hak. "You said you would teach me."

Hak looked troubled but quickly put on a stern expression. "Princess, I will not teach you how to handle a sword" Yona's countenance quickly fell. She didn't give up there though.

"I'mm tired of being dead weight!" She shouted.

"Princess-"

"What if Hak get caught up in something and can't protect me? What if Arisa is too preoccupied? What if Yoon can't handle it? What then am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to just wait until they decide to kill me?" Yona's breathing was balanced. It was perfectly so and yet her words carried more anger than I could ever express. Her eloquence and grace resembled who she was brought up to be, a queen.

Silence ensued.

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"Haaaaaaaaaaah" Hak let out a long sigh of exasperation. The princess finally broke through.

"Fine"

Before Yona could start a victory dance, Hak added "I will only teach you the bow and arrow, nothing more." Yona immediately frowned and started to whine. "Learning the bow and arrow is not enough! How am I to repel enemies like that?" I turned to Yona. How could she be so naive? Repel?

"Yona" Yona directed all her attention on me. I guess my cold tone surprised her. "Can you kill someone?" I tilted my head at her surprised face. I was right. She hadn't thought about that. "It's a lot easier to say, really but when it comes down to it can you actually finish the job? I'm sorry to burst your bubble Princess but just because you'll let someone off doesn't mean they'll do the same to you. This world is the world of dog eating dog. There is no mercy in the battlefield." I said to her without sugar coating anything. It was the least I could do for her.  If she kept the same viewpoint as she has now she will only die. 

Yona was silent. Her head was lowered and her eyes closed. "When we were cornered in the mountains, I had a sword but I could not use it. Even if I cannot kill or stand toe-to-toe with someone, I want to be able to, at the very least, create opportunities for escape."

Hak hesitated. He did not wish for this princess to do anything at all. I, too, want nothing more than Yona's well being and happiness. "Self-defense swordsmanship, eh?" I mumbled to myself. "Alright! I'll do it! If Hak won't teach you then I will" Hak glared at me but voiced no complaint. I whisked around and continued walking.

"Hey slow pokes! What are you all doing? We have a White Dragon to find!"

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"So its a great idea and all but how are you supposed to train her the bow and arrow whilst we're hiking a mountain?" Yoon asked. He was right. Training is going to be tough in these mountains. Although Archery is only shoot and aim, there is a lot that goes into those two components. You don't get used to holding a bow in the span of a day.

"Well" Hak started. "If we weren't traveling I would make her shoot 200 arrows a day." Yona stiffened and looked a tad bit paler. "But for now, shooting at birds and rabbits would suffice." Yoon happily smiled at what Hak said.

"I approve! If you can shoot something down for dinner that would be all the more benificial." Yoon said excitedly. "I'll be counting on you, Princess" He smiled, petting Yona's back

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We decided to rest a bit and let Yona practice her archery. After one hour of relentlessly shooting at, or at least trying to, birds Yona finally snaps.

"Are you just going to stare at me fail?!" She accused Hak. He was sitting comfortably at the root of an old tree, staring at her suffering. He had not offered a word of advice nor did he try to correct the Princess' horrible stance.

Without wasting any time, Hak stood up and took the bow from Yona's hands and shot down a bird. He turned to Yona.

"You do that."

"How exactly do you do that?"

"You shoot and aim"

I felt my mind go blank at the pair's exchange. Truly such a pity. This man of 19 years was hailed a prodigy since he was young. Of course he doesn't understand the feelings of us normal folk.

'Shut up Arisa. You have no right to say that'  Asphodel just might have heard my thoughts. Just a little bit.

"Hak should never be a teacher." Yona said as she looked for her next prey.

"Wait"

Hak decided to finally get serious. Without a sense of shame, he brought the princess close and guided her through the basics of archery.

'Oh great and masterful Hak! How do I learn such smooth moves? Please do teach me, this unexperienced one' I sarcastically called out in my head

"Listen up. What you lack is basic strength" Hak said, holding the princess' hand and aiding her in pulling the bow's string to it's fullest. "You must build the strength to draw the bow without shaking, and then" He leaned down, his breath was surely reaching Yona's ears and yet she was unaffected. 

"you learn by doing." Hak released the bow and watched as his target fall to the ground, dead. "A master archer can shoot whilst blindfolded." He turned to me and gestured "Exhibit A"

"For now, you must focus on shooting straight."

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Days passed by with Yona practicing day and night. We walked and hiked and when we had the time we'd watch Yona practice. Late in to the night without letting anyone know, Yona would practice. She truly was trying her best.

Even Yoon was wooed over by her eagerness and helped critique her posture. He also reminded her of how fighting wasn't all rainbows and butterflies.

One day while we were walking, Yona decided to shoot at a baby bear. She drew her bow with familiarity and aimed, she shot but she missed. Simply because she hesitated. 

I tsked at the young princess. "Yona, look at what you did" I ran to the injured little boar. Yona had managed to shoot it's leg. "You hesitated. So instead of putting it out of its misery, you cursed it with pain" I took the arrow out and started treating the boar. After I finished the dressing, I let it off to it's family. "That's just plain cruel."

Hak looked as if he hardened his resolve and told Yoon to head on ahead. I, in my stupidity, followed Yoon hoping that Hak and Yona get a little closer. 

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"LET ME OUT OR I SWEAR TO THE HEAVENS THAT I WILL CASTRA-"