Ersia: Raven Dawn

"Keep your focus but try to relax your grip and aim the tip slightly above your target. Let the string graze a little part of your cheek. Steady . . . . Okay, you can release it when you are ready."

*Fwoosh* - *Stab*

"Got 'em!"

The arrow flew and pierced the leg of the yellow fox. It retreated to the other side of the small river, but the bay retriever was much quicker. A wounded prey could never hope to outrun the specially trained hunting dogs. In no time, the dead fox is brought to Viena's feet, with the arrow still stuck on its leg, and its neck ripped apart by the fang of the canine.

"Mmhm. Not bad for your sixth try."

"Ha! All that talking and you have not even taken a single shot! You know what, Lily? Let's make a bet!"

"Oh ho? What an incredible unfounded confidence right after a beginner's luck. Alright, kid. What is it gonna be?"

Viena rubs her chin with a mischievous smile. Lisabelle has no idea what is going on in the little girl's mind, but she knows that it's going to be something silly.

"Ten shots and the winner is whoever kills the most! If I win, there's no meat for you for lunch!"

"Heh. Alright, If I win, you will give me a half-hour massage."

The two shake hands and the competition begins. Viena starts first and she runs deeper into the forest with the others. She insisted that they search for bigger games - to create an advantage for her bet with Lisabelle. Suddenly a herd of deer came into sight. Excited, Viena aims for the biggest stag available.

"I think a smaller bow will be perfect for you. Wanna give it a try, kid?"

"Tsk. Tsk. No need, uncle. I'm strong."

"Haha! Sure sure. Tell me if you have a change of mind."

Sir Kimberly, is a member of the hunting party assigned by Lord Liam Arbon, Baron of Niems. He oversees the southern forest and often controls the wild animals to ensure they stay within their territories, preventing them from advancing towards the settlement. No one alive knows the landscape of the forest like the back of their hands except for him.

"Vivi, just to make sure you understand, Blueland Deer is a little different from the usual deer. They are quite hot headed. If you mess it up, they will come for you."

"Nah, they wouldn't get the time for that. It's gonna be one shot one kill!" Viena puffed her chest out.

Vivi ignored the warning and went to sneak into nearby bushes. There are four men keeping watch over her and they all look so relaxed. Some even make bets out of the bet between Viena and Lisabelle. Regarding safety, they are all trained rangers and know exactly what to do if something goes wrong. That's why Lisabelle can relax and spectate in peace.

Sure enough, in the next few minutes, Viena was able to land a shot, but it was far from fatal since the arrow lands just above its hindlegs. The aggravated wild stag bugles and immediately charges toward Viena.

"RUN VIVI! CLIMB THE TREES!"

Lisabelle shouted excitedly, while the other men clapped their hands and riled up Viena. The little girl, panicking, tossed the heavy bow aside and climbed the nearest tree around her. The stag, which was two times bigger than Viena, smashed their horns on the tree repeatedly. The tree shakes violently and eventually makes Viena slip her grip and is now hanging with her two hands clinging to the tree's branch.

"Ugh! H-Help me! Lily!"

Lisabelle and the other men laugh at her.

"LILY! I'M FALLING!"

Instead of helping Viena, Lisabelle keeps mocking her by giving her the 'I-can't-hear-you' gesture. One of the men asked her whether he should do something about Viena, but Lisabelle disagreed. Then, a sinister and mischievous smile surfaced on her face.

"Aaah! I thought you didn't want anyone to get in your way. Where did all the confidence go, I wonder?"

"I-I . . . I was kidding! Come on! Help me! At least shoo it away!"

With each smashing of the deer's head, Viena is losing her grip little by little.

"No. None of us is going to help you. But I will tell you how to help yourself."

"M-Milady, won't that be too harsh? She could fall and get trampled any moment now ."

Lisabelle pulled the man's mustache and dragged it aside. Some of the hunting party were veterans who had known her for a long time and they understood that once Lisabelle made up her mind, she wouldn't budge. Yet, they also know that she always has a good reason. Thus, they keep themselves quiet.

"Lily!"

"Shut up! Instead of wasting your energy, change your position to be in line with the branch, and try to strengthen your fingers without trying to pull your body up!"

Viena is surprisingly listening to Lisabelle. She stops herself from trying to lift herself, focuses her strength on her fingers, and reserves her stamina.

"Now, try to swing your legs back and forth. Starts slowly until the swing is good and wide. After that! Try to grab the branch with your legs! "

Viena did what Lisabelle told her, but she failed. She was about to cry and wanted to give up, but Lisabelle scolded her, saying that crying wouldn't solve anything and that if she failed, she would die because the stag would trample all over her. Viena, having her survival instinct triggered, was finally able to wrap her legs to the branch and also hold it in her armpits.

"Good! Don't rest now and roll over to regain your balance! After that, you can catch your breath!"

The little girl rolled over and was finally able to rest. A few minutes later, the stag doesn't seem to give up on her yet. It just circles around the tree and sometimes rams its head against it again and again.

"W-What now . . .?! Wait -  WHY ARE YOU EATING MY COOKIES!" Vivi yelled to Lisabelle who enjoyed the show with the hunting dogs who were wiggling their tails waiting for a treat.

"Oh, I almost forgot you were up there!"

"LILY!"

"Alright, alright. Wait a second."

Then, Lisabelle takes up her bow and gets into a more ideal position. She waited for the stag to smash its head on the tree. When it did, and it is taking its time to recover, she blows her whistle. When the deer stayed still, she let out a shot calmly, gracefully, and precise. The arrow landed in the heart-and-lung vital area, which sits between and extends a little way behind its two front shoulders.

The deer tries to run but it stumbles over and over again. Soon after, it stopped moving. The shot pierced right through its heart.

"Sharp as always, eh? Lady Lisabelle?!"

"Well done! We're having a feast for lunch!"

The adults are praising her and rushing to collect the collapsed deer with their dogs, while Lisabelle waits for Viena to climb down the tree as she picks up the bow which Viena tossed away earlier.

"Heh. Good job hanging there, little squirrel," Lisabelle mocks her.

"Hmph! That's cheating! It was already wounded by my shot!"

"Haaah, what a brat. You should at least learn to understand the vital parts of your prey before making a bet, you know? Shooting wild beasts in their ass will do nothing except for giving them the motivation to tear you to shreds."

"I-It wasn't their ass! It was the . . . T-The the rear! The rear side of their stomach organs! I intended it to be long-term damage! The stag would have bled out and died on its own anyway!"

In the end, everybody laughed together and went for another few hours of tracking, horse riding, and hunting, before calling it a day. Today was an absolutely fun day for Viena that was filled with lots of new experiences and stuff she never tried before. However, as much as it's exhilarating, it's also exhausting. Right at midday, Viena fell asleep on Lisabelle's lap on their way back to the nearby village.

"She is a very refreshing kid, isn't she?" said one of the hunters.

"Ain't too shabby, if I must say. She's not too soft when dealing with blood and dirt. That's rare for kids nowadays," the other replied.

As the adults talk with each other, Lisabelle gently caresses Viena's hair. She smiled and hummed a song to herself while feasting her eyes on the vast and colorful forest they left behind.

.

.

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"Of course. It's my little sister we're talking about," Lisabelle whispered to herself, answering the previous question given to her.