I was writing this while the stupid pirates of the Carribian (or however you spell that) who I've come to love were killing each other over some supposedly youth-giving water or something. Please don't criticize the terrible composition of this chapter.

To Kiela's credit, she didn't show any signs of surprise. In all honesty, so many unlikely things had happened to her that she no longer felt it, either. After Lakra's announcement she just dragged her bow over and placed it in Lakra's hands.
"I see that you have used it since we last met." Lakra began. "Were you met with any success?"
Kiela shook her head. "Every time it use it my arrows never find their mark. It's like trying to throw water, you'll never hit anything."
"Well, that's why I'm here. Pather has requested me to teach you the use of he bow. So, let's see you shoot!" She gestured to a ring that had been carved in the bark of a tall aspen. The circles were incredibly neat, as if the wood had held the shapes for eternity. Kiela gestured at the bark.
"Is that your work?"she asked. Pather just grinned and tossed a thin knife in his right hand.
"Alright!" Lakra declared, clapping her hands together. "Let me see you string that bow!"

***

"No, no no." Lakra said, for the thirtieth time. "The index feather points out so that it isn't shorn off when you fire." She pointed at a feather that was a lighter grey than the rest. All day she had had Kiela memorizing care, maintenance and the parts on a bow, and teaching her the correct stance. Kiela had only fired three arrows all day, and they had gone way off course. Although Lakra and Pather were quite different, their teaching style was almost the same. Neither if them would allow their pupil to progress if they did not understand perfectly how to do something. This was the part that Kiela hated.

"Alright," Lakra said, calling for a break. "You may eat and we will take this moment to review the parts of a bow."

Kiela wolfed down her food while Lakra quizzed her.

"What is this called?" Lakra asked, gesturing to a leather nub on the gut string of the bow.

"It's the nocking point." Kiela replied.

"And what is it used for?"

"You nock the arrow below it. Ouch!"

Lakra lightly rapped her knuckles with one of the arrows. "You nock above this point. How many times must I remind you?" She asked, exasperated.

Kiela's ears smarted in shame, but Pather just laughed. Instead of leaving when Lakra was teaching, he had been lounging on a rock, eating. Kiela looked over to see him pulling a bird' s wing apart, joints snapping.
She winced.

"Again." Lakra commanded, and Kiela listed all of the parts she knew, pointing at their places on the bow.

Finally, Lakra raised her hand. "I think its time for you to try shooting."

Kiela's heart leapt, and she gathered her weapons eagerly.

Lakra scuffed a line in the dirt with her torn moccasins and she gestured for Kiela to stand behind it. Kiela drew back with one finger above and two fingers below the arrow, just as she had been taught. It rested just beneath her ear and her muscles quivered, trying to keep it in place.

"Keep your thumb together with your index finger." Lakra said quietly, and Kiela made the adjustment. She aimed, and released, the arrow flying through the air...

Thud. It landed two feet away from her, resting on the ground. Kiela sighed in defeat.

"Actually," Lakra said, breaking the silence. "That wasn't that bad. You must keep your arm in place to follow through or else it will steal all of your momentum."

Kiela tried again, but this time remembered to hold her position. Lo an behold, the arrow flew, but landed a few feet left of the target.

"Good." Lakra said. "Now it is all aim, and that we can correct."

***

Kiela hurried to the eating tent and plopped herself down with a plate of food before dropping a coin in the box. She tried quietly to shove down her food without any run-ins with anyone. Especially Shiibah and Miranah.

Footsteps approached and Kiela ducked as two people plopped down on either side of her.

"Hey Kiela, you look down." Fip said.

"Shhh." She hissed. "I'm trying to avoid Miranah."

"Ahh." Lee replied, cracking up. "Its more like she's trying to stay on the down low.

"Your jokes don't even make sense." Fip replied.

Kiela rolled her eyes as the two began bickering.

"Hey!" Fip said, breaking off. "Her name is rather, musical, isn't it?" He clutched his chest while gesturing wildly with his left hand. "MIIIRANAH!!" He sung in an high and wailing voice. "MIIIIIIIIRRAAAANAH!"

Kiela clapped her hand over his mouth, beating Lee to the action. "Be quiet." Lee hissed. "You'll attract the minx like flies to a carcass."

Kiela choked back her laughter, thinking of how accurate the statement was. It never ceased to amaze her how different Fip and Lee were externally, yet how similar their personalities were. In fact, the two boys were polar opposites of each other. Fip had the lightest hair that she had ever seen; it was white like the snow and stuck out from his scalp like the quills of a porcupine. His light eyes seemed to reflect the world instead if taking it in. Lee, on the other hand, had hair as black as midnight, only a shade lighter than Pather's. His eyes were a darker black that blended in with his pupils entirely.

"What were you doing all day?" Fip asked.
"I was practicing my archery. Lakra was teaching me." Kiela replied.
"You know, Lee" Fip said, leaning against the table casually. "I went out into the field today and got three bullseyes."
"Did you now?" Lee replied, not sending where this was going.
"It made the farmer livid."
"Huh." Lee answered in amusement. "Did you have to bring them in?"
"Yah, and I had to pay almost two hundred siestrells." Fip sighed.
"That's why I don't like archery." Lee sniffed. "Too many drawbacks."
"I know. He could've made me skin them right there." Fip said in a light hearted tone.
"Well that was an arrow escape." Lee chimed in.

"Will you two stop it?" Kiela begged. "If I hear one more archery joke I'll shoot myself in the foot."
"With a bow?" Fip asked, dancing away as she tried to smack him.

Lee chortled, and then suddenly his demeanour hardened. "Ugly mink at thee o'clock and gaining."
"Is it Miranah?" Kilea asked in irritation.
"No. It's Shiibah."
"Even worse." she sighed. "I guess there's no way if getting out of this?"
Fip shook his head.
"Oh well. Here we go."
"Kiela!" Shiibah called, running up to her. Kiela felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as though all of her interactions began that way.
"I've seen that you and Miranah have been spending a lot of time together." Shiibah said conspiratorially. "You may think that she's your friend, but really, that girl is a vixen."
"Shiibah," Kiela sighed. "I don't know what is going on here. Is it true that you are telling people that I'm a spy?"
Shiibah clutched a hand to her chest.
"Of course not! Who told you this?"
"Miranah." Kiela replied.
"So you have been spending time with her!" Shiibah gasped.
"I have told you before that neither you nor Miranah are able to dictate who I associate myself with!" Kiela yelled, rising to her full hight.
"I am only trying to tell you that if you don't feel like becoming a pariah to those of us who are more... tasteful, you should stop being seen around the likes of Miranah and Kymir."
Fury flooded through Kilea, and feigning disinterest she examined her nails. "Is that all?" She asked. With a huff, Shiibah nodded. "Then good day." Kiela said, sitting back down. With one last bewildered look Shiibah marched off angrily.

"Fat lot of help you gave me." Kiela said to Fip, who was laughing himself silly in the corner.

"You didn't need it." Lee replied. "She's ridiculous, pay her no mind."

"I know." Kiela replied. "I just don't like the way that she speaks of Kymir. I thought she was the Chris's daughter, why doesn't Shiibah show her more respect?"

To her surprise, Lee answered what she had thought was a rhetorical question.

"It's because Shiibah thinks that she could take Cheif Samah's place." He replied. "You see, Samah comes from a line of ancestors that have all held the title of Chief, the Wildheart line. Kym is a Wildheart, and so is Samah. Samah's mother was Shiibah's father's cousin, so the families are joined. Samah's grandmother was the sister of Shiibah's grandfather. Samah's grandmother was older than Shiibah's grandfather, so she inherited the title and Shiibah's familly was forced to live like normal people, without anyone knowing her connection to the throne."

All this explanation of family ties and line blew Kiela's mind. She had no idea what her line was, she didn't even know who her parents were! For the first time she realized how her people's way simplified things. In her village anyone could become an elder as long as the gods gave them approval. In a way, it equalized everyone, allowing them to live a life in relative peace.

"So Shiibah is still bitter, all these years later?" Kiela asked.

"Yes," Fip replied. "She is trying to gather people to fight Samah's rule."

"Starting with me." Kiela realized.

"Miranah, although repulsive, has always been Samah's supporter, something that's unthinkable in Shiibah's eyes." Fip replied.

"What should I do?" Kiela asked.

"You must try to keep our people together." Fip said intently, staring at her.