Ready, Aim, Fire!

Finally I got the walking quietly thing down.  Then it was time actually try to shoot something.  Well, wouldn't you know it, I wasn't really skilled with a bow.  I'm sure you're shocked.  So we stalked up on this deer who was grazing.  I pulled up my bow and knocked an arrow.  I aimed down the shaft at the heart of the buck.  I drew the bow string back, tensing not only the bow, but my own muscles.  I could feel Graypaw's eyes bouncing back and forth between me and the buck.  I think he was nervous.

I felt I had a good shot, so I loosed the arrow.  It flew straight and true.  The problem was that it dropped short, just grazing the buck's belly, not doing any damage at all.  Well, I never claimed to be a hunter, right?  The buck of course ran off like a shot, not interested in being skewered.

I looked at Graypaw, who was shaking his head.  So I strung my bow over my shoulder.  "Oh and I suppose you would have hit it square on then?  My aim was perfect.  I pointed right at it's heart."  I huffed.

"Well there's your problem.  Your arrows aren't weightless.  They will fall as they travel.  You need to aim higher based on the distance to your target.  Here, let me show you."  He pulled my bow off my shoulder and put it into my paws.  He then stepped behind me, and traced my body with his.  "Now, let's aim at that knot in that tree over there."  He said pointing.  Then he put his paws over mine, his body pressed tightly too me to show me proper stance.  He pulled my bow and knocked arrow up.  I had aimed where I thought I should.  "You're still aiming too low."  He said pulling my front paw up a little higher.

Then I saw what he meant.  He released my paws and whispered in my ear, "loose".  I let loose my arrow.  Sure enough, the arrow flew right into the knot on the tree.  Even though it seemed I was aiming too high, it landed right where I wanted it too.  "Well done," he said.

He hadn't let go yet.  I wasn't about to say anything, enjoying the comfort of his touch.  I wondered what was going through his head.  It wasn't all that I was hoping for, but I certainly wasn't complaining.  It wasn't long before he did finally release me.  He made sure not to mention it.

We then tracked the buck down again.  This time, the "expert" decided to show me his skills and landed a beautifully clean shot, killing it almost instantly.  The buck dropped to the ground.  We went over and Graypaw pulled out his hunting knife, slitting the beast's throat to make sure it was dead.  No need for it to suffer.

It was then that I remembered why I didn't hunt...