A Rash Challenge

While practicing archery, Xenia encounters a man convinced she's unable to do the sport properly. Despite wanting to avoid attention because she's a fugitive, she cannot quell the urge to shut him up

 Xenia dropped her pack to the grass with a small flump and doffed her cloak. It was quite warm for being only the beginning of April. In all of her twenty-six years she had never seen it this warm. Then again, she was in Averda, much further south than Dremeadow. It was only to be expected that the weather would be different. Around her, she could hear the thunks of arrows hitting their targets. Off in the distance, she could hear yells from the group of men and dwarves playing rugby. The cricket field was noisy as well. Ah well, she thought, more of a challenge.

 

Removing the bow she'd rented from the archery section of the outdoor sporting facility from her shoulder, Xenia began to examine it. There were several small cracks in it. The string was slightly frayed and stained where arrows were nocked. This bow had definitely seen better days.

 

"Are you sure you can handle that bow?"

 

Xenia froze. For the first time, she noticed the human around her age who'd been practicing with the target adjacent to hers. He was dressed in a red tunic with a leather belt that had a gold buckle. Judging by his attire, he was at the very least part of the Averda gentry. Not that this man had the manners to match his rank.  He had a very insincere look of concern on his face. His mouth was twisted in a sneer. "Excuse me?" she said.

 

"The pull weight of the bows they use here is high. I know you have a child's bow since you're just a halfling, but it might still be too heavy."

 

Xenia gave a tentative pull, just in case, then sniffed in disdain. What did that buffoon think he was talking about? This was no trouble at all!  "Please, this is what, 20 pounds or something? That's not that heavy." She hoped he'd leave it alone at that. She hated when fellows treated her as though she'd break in two because she had breasts. She detested when humans acted as though she couldn't move anything heavier than a feather because she was a hobbit. Most of all, she loathed any who scoffed at her on both accounts.

 

A group nearby, presumably the human's friends, snickered. "I'd just hate to see a little lady like you hurt herself," the ignorant man informed her. "Twenty pounds is bound to be quite heavy for you."

 

Angry flecks of gold came to Xenia's light brown eyes, but her voice remained even, though forceful. "We'll see about that. Mind leaving me alone so I can practice?"

 

"I'd hate to see you dislocate your shoulder or something," sneered the man. "These bows are for men and boys."

 

 

Lobbing a rock at the ignoramus was becoming a tempting prospect. Instead, Xenia said "Thanks for your concern, but I'll be fine."

 

"Come off it, Rolando, leave the lass alone," said one of the man's friends. Rolando, however, ignored him.  "Your arrow won't make it anywhere near the target, I can tell just looking at you."

 

Xenia scowled. This was the most pitiful excuse of a "gentleman" she'd had the displeasure of encountering in a long while.  "Please, sir. I bet I can outshoot you any day of the week."

 

The humans roared with laughter. "How about putting your money where your mouth is? If you can afford it, anyhow. What's your name anyhow, halfling?"

 

"Daria," said Xenia. She ached to point out her own true social station, but embarrassing a human with more words than sense was not worth revealing herself. She had no desire to be captured. "How much?" She was certain she could easily afford whatever the price he named was. Besides, the arrows were everywhere on his target but the center. Meanwhile, she'd made a name for herself in Hardscrabble, Dremeadow during her adolescence before Dremeadow had ever converted to a monarchy, with her father ascending to the throne because of her skill in archery.

 

"Twenty gold."

 

"You're on," said Xenia.  She noticed the man neighboring her on her other side had stopped shooting to listen to the exchange. "How many shots?"

 

The man looked her up and down, eyes lingering for a little longer than she liked on her chest. She shuddered inwardly with revulsion. It was fortunate this was a public place. "Ten. Hate to see you overexert yourself, now, Daria."

 

Xenia pulled an arrow out from her quiver. "Seems fair, I've more arrows than that. Might want to retrieve some of yours though." She waited for a pause to be called so the archers on the field could safely get their ammunition. Once the human had his arrows, she nocked hers to the bow. "Are we setting a pace, or do we just shoot ten at our own?"

 

The man gave her an exaggerated bow. "Set your own, miss, and mind you don't hurt yourself.

 

Xenia smirked, focusing her gaze on the center of the target, positioning her fingers, drawing her elbow back until her wrist was near her ear, orienting her arm to make a straight line, and loosing. The arrow landed two circles below the target, directly underneath. She would need to raise her aim to two circles directly above to counter the drop. Next to her, she heard another thunk. The hobbit checked the urge to look and find out where the human's shot had landed. Instead, she loaded her second arrow, then her third, then her fouth, until she'd finally peppered the target with all ten of her shots. Her eyes closed.  What if he wins? Losing a bet would not be a problem, she had more than enough money to cover it, but that human did not need his ego to be inflated any further.

Presently, laughter reached her ears. Her heart skipped a beat. Had  she lost? But then...

"Oi, look! Rolando lost by a landside! To a WOMAN! A halfling woman, no less!" Could it be? Xenia looked between the two targets. Most of her arrows had landed in the two innermost circles, and she'd even landed two in the center. He, on the other hand, had landed three in the second from the center, one in the inner circle and none in the center. One had even completely

The human went very pale. "Twenty gold... what was I...  why did I..." He began to scrounge in his pockets and purse, a look of growing desperation on his face. When he finally spoke, his cheeks were crimson. "Please... I..."
 

Xenia smirked. Had the fool gone and bet more than he could afford to pay? Normally, she had no sympathy for people who lacked that elementary knowledge of managing personal finances. However, despite herself, she was beginning to pity him, arrogance and all. "Oh, that's quite okay!" she said, dismissing the money with a wave and delivering the sweetest smile she could muster. "I'm sure everyone in your village will be hearing all about how you're that blathering idiot that got bested by a hobbit, and a woman at that. That's quite good enough for me. I don't need your gold, I've got plenty of my own. Even if my clothes say otherwise."

 

At that, Xenia strode hastily off the field. She'd lost all desire to continue practicing. Besides, it was hard to concentrate on shooting with so many eyes boring through her. The center of attention was not her favorite place to be. Especially after that terrible night two years ago when she'd written her farewell and left Dremeadow for what she soon realized was likely to encompass her entire life.

 

A horrifying realization seized her in icy claws. She would need to move on from this village in the next fortnight or so. Far too much attention had been called to her because of both that idiot's drivel and her own need to show him up. She was beginning to regret challenging him, even though she'd won. Is this worth getting caught? she thought anxiously.   Word was likely to spread like wildfire in a village this small, and if the wrong people heard, she was done for.

 

 

Author's Note

Xenia's the protagonist of my book-in-progress "Traitor Princess" She also plays a large role in my book-in-progress "Democracy's End" which takes place 5 years before "Traitor Princess." This story is set approximately 3 years before the events of "Traitor Princess"

Reviews

[NoelHC]

I need to move on to Traitor Princess soon, I have read a couple of related works, and Xenia seems an interesting character.

One had even completely (missed the target.) that seems to be missing the sentence conclusion.

[Mila]

I'm so happy she kicked his a*s, that dude was starting to piss me off! Go Xenia! :D
Well done with this one! :)

-Mila

[Craig2591]

Very satisfying. A fun story. The guy had it coming. Here's a Chrissy story that is similar. It's very short.
http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/abcblair/1121304/

[SpeedyHobbit Armstrong]

Ha, he so did, and Xenia's VERY rightly furious here! They're both lucky she's not a couple of years younger (say 23 as she was in my book "Democracy's End" where she was at mental rock bottom and didn't care about anything that might happen to her) or she might have blown a gasket on him, haha. By 26, she's definitely learned the merits of controlled anger- not to mention somewhat moved herself past the darkest point of her life thus far.

[Craig2591]

Sounds like an interesting person. Do you have a book in which she is the main character?

[SpeedyHobbit Armstrong]

Oh, Xenia's definitely a character! She's among the main ones after 13-year-old Folco in "Democracy's End" and will likely have a few chapters centering on her.

She's the main character in Traitor Princess, though I should warn you it may give away some stuff from "Fallen Ones" since it picks up not long after where I intend to leave off with "Fallen Ones".

[SpeedyHobbit Armstrong]

I'm also in process of writing a one show set over 20 years before this one (when she's 5) that involves her and her older sister Nora