While Leo chose to stay with Festus, Melody was quite enjoying New Rome.

The smells of the bakeries, the sounds of children laughing and the oh-so-familiar sound of metal on metal as legionaries clashed in mock-battles. Suddenly, her heart lifted at a sound so familiar it was like a part of her very being. It was the deep, near-silent thrum of a bowstring, released from its taught position as an arrow flew. The sound reverberated through her, making her itch for her bow, itch to hold it and let another arrow fly.

"Are we passing an archery range?" She asked quietly to Jason.

They were walking, hand in hand, though not necessarily for romantic reasons. Melody let her mind delude itself by thinking it was for romantic reasons, but in all honesty it was to keep her from straying and so Jason could steady her if she should trip. The cane was a great help, yes, but it still wasn't a sureproof assurance that she wouldn't stumble.

She felt Jason stiffen beside her, though he kept walking at a steady pace.

"How did you know that?" Jason asked.

"I can hear it. The bowstrings and the arrows as they fly." Melody said, though she wasn't quite sure how she heard it.

"The archery range is nearly a half-yard away. You shouldn't be able to hear it. I can't." Reyna commented.

"Neither can I." Jason admitted.

Suddenly, there was a loud cry.

"MALUS IGNIS! STEGA LEDO!"

Melody didn't have a clue what that ment. She understood Greek, not Latin. But the urgency was there, and suddenly something strange happened.

Melody's world was black, devoid of light. It had been since she was rendered blind. Suddenly, time seemed to slow and there was a burst of gold in her dark world.

It illuminated everything, outlining it all in a golden wave. Melody knew that there was an arrow coming straight for them. Judging by the angle it was flying at and the winds direction, it would strike Jason dead-on.

On instinct and relying on this new intuituonal sense, Melody tackled Jason, knocking them both to the ground.

The arrow whizzed by them, just a split second behind her, close enough to brush her hair back with it.

They landed in a tangled heap on the ground, and Melody just managed to roll so she took the brunt of the force.

Her breath left her in a whoosh, Jason landing on top of her. He recovered rapidly, rolling and landing on his feet, keeping Melody's hand in his and pulling her up gently with him.

"Melody? Since when do you speak Latin?" Jason asked, astounded.

"I don't." Melody wheezed.

"Then how did you...?" Jason trailed off, but Reyna spoke now.

"This is one of the things I wanted to speak to you about. We used to have a legacy of Apollo that was able to use Photokinesis. Long dead now, of course, but we can discuss that in a moment. I need to deal with the matter at hand, first."

Her tone hardened, and suddenly it was quite terrifying to be within the close proximity of her.

"Who shot this arrow?" Reyna asked. As if to emphasise her point, Arugnum and Argentium snarled.

"I-I did, Praetor. It was an accident." The voice was small, young, and male. And very afraid.

"An accident? Do you have any idea what would have happened if Melody hadn't pushed him down? Jason would be dead. And all because of an accident?" Reyna's tone was stern, but not acidic or overly unkind.

"I'm-I'm sorry." The voice squeaked.

"Reyna. Can I have a word with the boy?" Melody said quietly.

Reyna, surprised and not necessarily pleased with being interrupted, was curious.

"Have at him." She said finally.

"Come here." Melody instructed.

"Y-Yes, Miss."

"Melody is fine. No 'miss'. Now, hand me my cane, will you? I dropped it somewhere around here." Melody asked.

"Of course...Melody." The voice said with hesitation. After a moment, a faint pressure on her hand alerted her to the handle of the cane. Her fingers closed around it, and she tested.it gently on the ground, finding her balance.

"Thank you. Now why don't you start by telling me you name?" Melody asked.

"Halt Walters, legacy of Apollo, just off of probatio, Chorhort Five." The boy said, uncertain of why she wanted to know.

"Well then, Halt, are you new to the bow?" Melody asked.

"Yeah."

"Can I see the bow?" Melody asked, placing the cane at her feet and bending down so she was sitting on her knees.

"Okay." Halt said, placing the bow in her hands.

Melody ran her hands along the bow, feeling it's gentle sloping curve. The bow was strung correctly, the string taught, too taught, in fact.

"This is a longbow, if I'm not mistaken?" Melody asked.

"It is." Halt replied, and Melody nodded.

"I use a longbow too, but I've been doing archery for a long time now. The longbow us an excellent weapon of choice, but it takes great strength in your arms and upper back to draw the string to the full extent. Do you know what a recurve bow is?" Melody asked.

Halt nodded, then seemed to realize Melody was blind.

"Yeah, I do." He said quickly.

"Do you have one handy?" Melody asked.

"No." Halt replied.

"I do." A new voice piped. A new weight was in Melody's hands, and she felt along the bow until she was sure it was a recurve bow.of about the right size.

"Start off with the recurve bow. It has less of a punch sometimes, verses the longbow, but it's three curves focus and center its draw weight and length, making it easier to achieve an accurate shot. It also puts less strain on yous shoulder and arm muscles. Come here, take the bow from me." Melody instructed.

Halt took the bow from her, and Melody continued.

"Draw an arrow back at full length. Don't shoot yet, but let me feel how your holding it, as I can't see." Melody instructed, and after a small Paise the faint sound if a bowstring being pulled taught sounded faintly.

Melody ran her hands along the bow, feeling the way he held the bow. After a moment, she nodded with satisfaction.

"Raise your left arm and straighten your right. Then go ahead and shoot." She said, though she never took her feather-light hand away from the bow.

"O-okay." Halt said, and carefully adjusted his arms. The sound of the arrow releasing and the bowstring snapping back into place reverberated through the air.

"It was still off." Halt said, disappointment clear in his voice.

"Your relaxing your grip on the bow right before you release, and letting your pull on the arrow relax as well. That last second before you release is vital. Keep your grip firm and your pull tight. Then practice. Archery is in our blood, but that doesn't mean we can just pick one up and be an archer. It takes practice." Melody said, stepping back.

"Try it again." She said, and Halt shuffled forward and picked up the fallen arrow, feet away. Coming back to where he stood originally, he fixed his gaze firmly on his target, a cart used for quarrying stones to and from the Feild of Mars. He adjusted his arms carefully, and made a clear effort to do as Melody instructed. Then he released.

The arrow struck home with enough force to splinter wood.

"I did it! I did it!" Halt said, voice raising a pitch higher.

"Remember what I said, okay?" Melody said, and suddenly she was almost knocked backwards with the barreling force of a hug around her waist. She gave the young boy's head an awkward pat.

"I will. Thank you, Melody." Halt said, and Melody just smiled.

Jason and Reyna had watched the exchange from a few feet away. At this Jason smiled too.

"She doesn't smile much lately. It's good to see her smile again." He said quietly.

"She's earned my respect." Reyna agreed.

Suddenly, Reyna turned to Jason and gave him a hard look.

"You take care of her, you hear me? As hour former colleague, I know you can be quite thickheaded. But let me tell you this, Melody is quite special. Don't do anything stupid."

Jason looked offended.

"I know she's special, and of course I'll take care of her! And I'm not thickheaded, nor would I do anything stupid." Jason tried to defend himself, but Reyna just shook her head.