Board Intro/Sign Up!
I expect a decent length post in response to each of these lessons, but more important than length is the fact that you must demonstrate to me that you have understood everything contained within the lessons, and thought about it to the extent that you will be able to use it while role-playing with your character in the future. With that said, I will not pass you if you write short and incomplete responses, so don't waste your time, or mine. Please feel free to contact me through e-mail or on MSN or AIM at any time with questions, or if you feel that I am neglecting your training. (See the IM list for my contact information.) All lessons will be marked. If the subject is "pass" then you have passed the lesson. If the subject is something other than this or some form of Luhrsa coming over, then you have not passed the lesson yet. Your character will receive feedback or discipline and you will need to correct yourself based on that and post a response. Please read carefully the information given to you. If you need clarification, post a reply asking for it. Please post your response in the same thread as your original reply. It makes things a lot faster and neater. You don't need to wait for one lesson to be marked to do the next lesson. Theoretically, all lessons can be done one after the other in a day. But you do need to come back and check to see if you've passed the lesson. When you finish the fifth lesson, you must stop and wait to be graded and told that you've earned your first point. You will receive an e-mail notification from myself stating that you have passed the class and may thus obtain your first skill point. Please post the following information in your response, and feel free to begin the class! Character Name: Rank: E-mail address: A very brief physical description of your character:

Crossbow Terms
A GLOSSARY OF CROSSBOW TERMINOLOGY (Note: Example of a crossbow with a cranequin mechanism) First choose if you want a Light or Medium crossbow. (Heavy Crossbows are used for siege craft only and are called Arbalest). The light model can be fired with one hand. Types of Crossbows (see descriptions below): - Regular - Barrelled Crossbow (also slurbow) - Bullet Crossbow - Trackless Different spanning mechanisms (see descriptions below): - Belt and Claw - Cranequin - Hinged Arm Lever (or Bending Lever) Lath (lathe, prod) Materials (see descriptions below): - Hickory - Elm - Ash wood - Yew - Steel (most powerful, yet expensive and hardest to span) Accessories (see descriptions below): - Bastard String - Quiver - Tassel - Pavise Fire-rate and range: Light crossbows can reach up to 15 bolts per minute. Medium crossbows can only reach 12 bolts per minute, and heavy crossbows can fire a maximum of 7.5 bolts per minute. Note that these are the highest maximum speeds, and can't be sustained for long periods of time. Light crossbows are effective up to about 820 feet, and heavy crossbows are effective up to just under 1000 feet. Keep in mind that all these ranges are NOT typical, rather, they are the extreme range. Also, they could only penetrate heavy mail at about 500 feet, more in the case of heavy crossbows. Plate could only be penetrated at about 170-230 feet. Much like longbows, crossbows were usually used for indirect fire in battle, although they also used for direct fire in siege operations. GLOSSARY ARBALEST (also: heavy crossbow): a medieval siege weapon consisting of a wide lathe fixed transversely on a stock having a trigger mechanism to release the bowstring, and often incorporating or accompanied by a intricate windlass mechanism for bending the bow (large cranks and winches). ARBALIST: see: arbalest ARBALAST: see: arbalest ARMBURST: usually referring to bullet crossbow ARROW: usually refers to the projectile used in connection with a common hand bow. BACK OF A BOW: The side of the bow facing away from the archer. BALLISTA (also: crossbow, arbalest): usually describes a large medieval weapon consisting of a bow fixed transversely on a stock having a trigger mechanism to release the bowstring, and often incorporating or accompanied by a mechanism for bending the bow. Latin: 'a missile projector'. BARREL: Section of the stock between the latch and lath; sometimes used as synonym for track. BARRELLED CROSSBOW (also: slurbow): a crossbow with a wooden leaf on the top of the tiller with a slot on each side for the string. This device would have been useful for shooting in vertical or near vertical situations, or for mounted crossbowmen, who could keep the crossbow spanned and loaded while riding without the possibility of the bolt falling from the lath. BASTARD STRING (also: bracing string): a string used to brace a crossbow in order to install the bowstring BELLY: the side of the bow facing the archer. BELT AND CLAW (also goat's foot): a device used to span a crossbow. It consists of a belt with a rope attached to it at the front of the body, with a claw or hook attached to the end of the rope. The crossbowman spans the crossbow by bending down, attaching the hook to the string. The act of standing up spans the crossbow. This is similar to the cord and pulley mechanism for spanning a crossbow. BEND (also: span): the act of drawing the string back to the nut or catch of a crossbow. BENDING LEVER (also hinged arm lever) - Hinged lever to aid cocking; pushes string back using lugs or a ring mounted at front of crossbow; provides mechanical advantage of about 5:1, varying with lever length. Also see: goat's foot BINDING (also: bridle): cord (usually sinew) used to tie the lath to the stock of a crossbow BOLT: 1) the projectile that a crossbow shoots. 2) An arrow, esp. a short, heavy one for a crossbow. 3) To shoot or discharge (a missile), as from a crossbow or catapult. BOLT CHANNEL (also: track): groove on the top of the tiller used to align and hold the bolt. BOW ARM: the arm that holds the crossbow and pulls the trigger. BOWYER: a person who makes bows and crossbows. BRACED BOW: a bow that is strung and ready for shooting. This does not mean that the bow is cocked, just that the string is attached to the bow. BASTARD STRING (also: bracing string): a string used to brace a crossbow in order to install the bowstring BROAD HEAD: a type of arrowhead, used mainly for hunting. BULLET CROSSBOW: a crossbow that is designed to shoot small stones, pellets, or steel balls. BUTT - Rearmost portion of crossbow stock; also refers to earthen mound used in long range target shooting. CATCH (see: nut): the device on a crossbow that holds the string back when the crossbow is spanned. CLAW: 1. a hook attached to a string and a belt that latches on to the string and allows the crossbowman to span the crossbow by standing up. CLIP: a spring used to hold a bolt against the crossbow prior to shooting. COCK: to draw the bow string into a latched position COCKING LUGS: metal pins attached to the tiller that are used to anchor bending devices such as a goat's foot, cranequin or similar. COCKING RING: Metal ring bound to the front of the lath to anchor bending lever. CRANEQUIN (also: cric, rack): a mechanism for spanning a crossbow utilizing a winding device that moves along a ratchet bar via the use of toothed wheels CROSSBOW (also: arbalest, ballista): a medieval weapon consisting of a bow fixed transversely on a stock having a trigger mechanism to release the bowstring, and often incorporating or accompanied by a mechanism for bending the bow. DARDO: Italian, a bolt with 2-3 steel points used for hunting. DISCHARGE (see: loose, shoot, (and fire)): releasing a bolt from a crossbow FLETCHING: the feathers or vanes on an arrow or bolt. FOOTCLAW: See stirrup. HANDLE RAISER: the centre part of a bow. HINGED ARM LEVER: a mechanism for spanning a crossbow utilizing a lever with a hinged arm attached to it that pushes the string back to the catch. HINGED LEVER: a type of trigger for a crossbow LATCH (also catch, nut): the mechanism in the tiller of a crossbow to hold the bowstring in the cocked position, which also releases the bowstring when the trigger is released. LATH (lathe) (also: prod): The old term for the bow portion of a crossbow. The portion of the crossbow that is flexed back and that gives the bolt its force and motion. LOOSE (also: discharge, shoot (and fire)): releasing a bolt from a crossbow. NOCK: 1. A groove on the back of a bolt or arrow into which the bowstring is placed 2. One or more grooves on either end of a lath that hold the bowstring in place. NOSE: Forward end of crossbow; sometimes used to refer to assembly attaching lath to stock. NUT: a round catch/trigger mechanism with one or more notches in it used as a catch for the string of a spanned crossbow. PAVISE: Large shield used to protect military crossbowmen in the field while loading and shooting. POWER STROKE: Distance between braced and cocked string positions as measured along track. PROD (also: lath (lathe)): The modern term for the bow portion of a crossbow. The portion of the crossbow that is flexed back and that gives the bolt its force and motion. PULZONE: Italian, large bolt with a blunt tip, used with very heavy crossbows to stun the target rather than pierce the target QUADRELLO: Italian, a 'homicidal bolt' with a pyramidal tip with a square base, and leather wings wound around the shaft to make the bolt rotate in flight. Note: this bolt was (and may still be) only available on the black market due to its deadliness. QUARREL: a square headed bolt. QUIVER: A leather case for bolts or arrows, with different leather straps to tie it to your leg, attach it to your belt or hang it in a loop behind your back. RACK (also: cranequin, cric): a mechanism for spanning a crossbow utilizing a winding device that moves along a ratchet bar via the use of toothed wheels. RELEASE: to let the string go, sending a bolt into flight. RISER: Thick, non-bending centre section of bow or lath. SEAR (sear contact): the point of contact between the nut and the trigger SERVING: material, usually thread, wrapped around the bowstring to prevent the arrow or the releasing device (be it hand for bows, or a nut for crossbows) from fraying the string. SHAFT: the main part of a bolt or arrow, that part lying between the point and the nock. SHOOT (also: discharge, loose, (and fire)): releasing a bolt from a crossbow. SLED: Guide attached to the centre of crossbow bowstring to lessen string wear and insure exact centring of the string when cocking. SLURBOW (also: barrelled crossbow): a crossbow with a wooden leaf on the top of the tiller with a slot on each side for the string. This device would have been useful for shooting in vertical or near vertical situations, or for mounted crossbowmen, which could keep the crossbow spanned and loaded while riding without the possibility of the bolt falling from the lath. Use of the term slurbow is vague, and very rare. [ SPAN (also: bend): the act of drawing the string back to the nut or catch of a crossbow. SPANNER: General term for any device used to cock crossbows; possibly origin of English term for wrench. STIRRUP: a sturdy metal or rope loop on the tip of the lath to put one's foot through to aid in hand spanning a crossbow. STOCK (see also: tiller): The modern term for the bar that supports the bow. The stock is positioned at a right angle to the bow. The main body of a crossbow. STRING: The string is merely the strand of string, sinew, hemp, etc. that is stretched between the ends of the bow that delivers the bows energy to the bolt or arrow. The string is pulled back, bending the bow in the process. The bolt or arrow is placed in front of the string, and when the string is released, it travels forward at a high rate of speed, sending the bolt or arrow flying TASSEL: Traditional archery accessory worn on belt to clean bolts or arrows. TILLER (see also: stock): The old term for the bar that supports the bow. The tiller is positioned at a right angle to the bow. The main body of a crossbow. (Derived from the old English word for beam.) TRACK (also: bolt channel): groove on the top of the tiller used to align and hold the bolt. TRACKLESS: Crossbow with a bolt rest in front instead of a full-length groove; forked nocks usually necessary to maintain contact between bolt and string. TRIGGER: any mechanism or device used to release the string from the catch WEIGHT-IN-HAND: the actual physical weight of a crossbow, not its draw weight or power. WINDAGE: the amount of drift in the flight of an arrow or bolt caused by the wind - The End

Lesson 1: Selecting a Weapon
The Training Yards laid in eerie stillness that morning. Luhrsa hated, truly hated, teaching classes to the Warders in training. They thought they were better than her; she knew it was true. She was a guardswoman; she was a soldier, not a Warder. She was far too old to go through the Warder training at this point, and too set in her ways at any rate. They would be arriving soon, ready to start a new segment of their training. Luhrsa liked the channellers that would probably be mixed into the lot of them even less than she liked the warders. The whole tower was corrupt. She was always being called upon to teach classes and watch the little brats while they trained, and she didn't know why she bothered. It wasn't her job, not at all. When it seemed like no other students were going to come, the Mindean woman walked out in front of her class, looking over them as she did. They were no different from any other class she had been forced to teach. She would have left if they didn't pay her better than anyone else she had ever worked for. Luhrsa was a big woman, with broad shoulders and little taper to her waist. She didn't have an ounce of fat on her frame, but she was still twice as wide as most women, and like most Mindeans, there was a palpable air of instable rage around her. Mindeans had the worst tempers in all of Murandy, and she was proud of that. “Me name is Luhrsa Penra," she said in her booming voice, the blunt quality of her seemingly at odds with her lilting accent. "I'm not one of your Gaidar, so ye'll call me Mistress Penra. I'm here to teach ye how to fire the Crossbow, not to be your ma, so clean the dirt out o' yer ears and pay attention!" The last was delivered in a roar, at a young female trainee who was staring off into space. She took a deep breath, her barrel-like chest seeming to visibly inflate, before she launched into another loud tirade. "Some say that the crossbow is a coward’s weapon. But ye'd rather be a living coward than dead with yer honour, yes? The crossbow is de only weapon a young pup like ye can use to injure or kill a soldier in plate armour. The most powerful crossbows can penetrate armour and kill at two hundred yards. No matter how cowardly a man was, ye’d not want to try to run ‘im down if he could kill ye at two hundred yards, would ye? Longbowmen can do the same – though perhaps not from so far away – but longbowmen have years of training. Do any of ye know how strong ye’d ‘ave to be to draw a longbow? That also makes them indispensable in a campaign o’ war. Ye kill an army’s longbowmen, they’re not going to be able to get a new set very fast. “Crossbows are easier to aim than longbows, because of ye don’t have to hold the string while you aim, so there’ll be no excuses if ye can’t hit the targets! An ye can keep yer crossbow loaded if ye think ye’re in danger, not like with a longbow where yer arm’d fall off if ye tried it. The problem with crossbows, though, is that they’re slow. Ye’re up against a longbowman, and he’ll be able to shoot two, three, even five times as fast as ye can. So, ye’ll have to learn not to run around dischargin’ yer crossbows every time a sparrow sticks it’s head out of the trees. “When ye do shoot yer bows, though, ye’ll devastate yer enemy such that his friends’d be as likely to loose their bladders as fight you. Right now I’ve a feeling ye’re all too foolish an’ clumsy to practice on yer own, but in some time I’ll get ye’s straightened out." If she had to suffer through this class because none of the Warders could be bothered to do it, she certainly wasn’t going to listen to stammering trainees who thought a cric was what you got when you slept on your neck the wrong way. “These parchments I’m handing out list the right names of crossbow parts. Ye’ve an hour to learn them, and in that time I want ye’s to make yer way down to the Armoury and pick out a crossbow to use.”

Lesson 2: Bracing and Spanning
When all the students had returned, Luhrsa called for them all to come over to the table she stood by, her broad form hiding whatever might be on the table. Once there, she stepped aside and let them observe three different Crossbows. They were all of lacquered redwood with blackened steel mechanisms. “I see ye've all chosen yer preferred kinds of crossbows. Now, ye'll be taught how to brace and then span yer weapon. “In order to release any bolt with it ye need to brace yer crossbow, and ye need a bastard string in order to apply the real bowstring.” With her heavy Mindean accent, it was quite difficult to pick up on exactly what the instructor was saying. Luhrsa opened the large pocket on her black instructor’s uniform and withdrew a steel wire with two wooden handles in each end. “Once the real bowstring is in place, ye're holding a braced crossbow. The bastard string is a wire what holds the lath bent and lets ye tie the bowstring in place. This isn’t hard, kiddies,” she said mockingly, “since ye only need to brace the lath enough to make sure the bowstring is taut. I’ll be walking around amoungst ye, for to see how badly yer job of bracing the thing turns out to be. Don’t cut yerselves on the Bastard String and don’t show us how stupid ye are by bracing it until the lath snaps in twain. I don’t know who ye think ye’d be impressing with your display either, as we all know I could fold ye up like a paper rose if I wanted to. Don’t leave the lath braced if ye’re not going to be using it, ye’ll just warp yer lath to the Pit of Doom and then ye’ll have to get a new one.” In the pause, Luhrsa replaced the bastard string in her pocket while glaring upon the incompetent students. “I will show ye the three different ways to span yer weapon, depending on what kind of crossbow ye've chosen.” She picked up the first bow and showed it to the students. “This specimen has a stirrup, but with no other form of mechanism to help ye span it. That means ye need to span it with the Belt an’ Claw.” Luhrsa tapped the belt she wore over her uniform with a rope attached to it at the front of the body, with a claw attached to the end of the short rope. “In order to span the crossbow, ye set the nose down to the ground and insert yer foot in the stirrup. Then ye bend down, attach the claw to the string and stand up. With the muscles of yer leg and yer back you span the bow and ye grab the claw with yer hand to place the string behind the catch.” Luhrsa did so and raised the crossbow to hold it with both hands. “Don't try to catch the string with yer bare hands, ye'll only hurt yourself, and I'm not here to listen to ye cry about yer skinned palms. In the beginning I suggest ye use this technique. Once ye grow more used to the motion, ye can insert your foot in the stirrup [I] after[/I] ye apply the claw. Thus, ye span your weapon by treading down with your foot while maintaining your upright position. This is more straining and it also affects yer balance.” Reaching for her quiver, the guardswoman withdrew a bolt and inserted it in the bolt channel. With a loud twang that made the students jump and gasp, she discharged the weapon towards a line of targets far away before she showed them the advanced way of spanning it. "Never dry-loose your crossbow, for ye might damage the lath with the string if ye do so," she finished and replaced the weapon on the table. With a step forward, Luhrsa lifted the second crossbow with a winding lever on top of it. “This one uses a Cranequin mechanism, also called a Cric. It uses a winding device that moves along a ratchet bar with toothed wheels. Open yer bloody eyes an’ watch!” She placed the butt against her hip and grabbed the smaller handle on top of the tiller. With deft movements, she began to wind back the string until it clicked into position behind the catch. “This kind jams up full of dirt all th’ time, but if ye can keep ‘er clean, ye’ll have a faster an’ easier weapon to use, and ye won’t have to strain ye’re poor little arms pulling back a lever.” Replacing the weapon on the table, Luhrsa picked up the last crossbow, a smaller one this time. “This uses a Bending Lever mechanism. The hinged lever pushes the string back using lugs mounted at front of the crossbow.” Holding the stock of the weapon towards her hip with her left hand, she cranked the string back to the catch. ”This is the quickest spanning mechanism, but also the most straining. Depending on the size of yer weapon and power-stroke, ye’ll have a long time of training before ye can span your bow more than thirty times in a row. Today, I am willing to help ye beginners out, but after that ye're on your own. Only the wee little ones use this method, for obvious reasons, and the amount o’ strength ye’ll need varies with the length o’ the lever.” Replacing the last crossbow on the table, Luhrsa turned to face the students. “After ye’ve spanned the crossbow, ye pull a bolt out of yer quiver and place it in the channel. Do ye’s think ye’s can handle that?” Forcefully, she clapped her hands together to wake those who were not paying attention, and bellowed her next order. “Now, ye'll practice to brace yer weapon with the bastard strings ye were provided in the armoury. After that, I require ye to span it ten times and apply a bolt into the bolt channel. Ye are only allowed to discharge your weapon towards the ground before your feet. Now, begin!”

Lesson 3: Bolts and Things
Luhrsa grimaced gruesomely as she surveyed the trainees around her, all struggling with spanning their bows. When she had made sure none of them were too likely to shoot themselves in the foot, she walked behind the group and roared “’Ay! Attention back ‘ere!” He gestured for the students to mass around the table again, where he had placed a row of different bolts. “Usually yer bolt-shafts’ll be made o’ poplar, witch hazel, yew, or sometimes the fruit woods like apple and plum. Yew is a valuable wood most often used for longbows, but the pieces that are too small to make a bow of are commonly used to produce crossbow bolts. The fletchings are usually made of leather, wood, and occasionally feather, though leather is most common. These stabilize the arrow in flight, an’ balance out the weight o’ de head. If yer bolt has a heavy head, she needs long fletchings, but then she’ll end up being slower in the long run and it won’t go as far. So if yer firing a bolt at short rang, use one with long fletchings, and for long range, one with short. Sometimes yer fletchings will wrap around yer shaft, like this.” She picked up a bolt that was designed that way. ”This is a quadrello. The result of this is that the bolt spins, stabilizing its flight much quicker. We will speak more of the quadrello later.” Luhrsa replaced the bolt. "The last part of the arrow is the head, and they’re many different kinds. This one is a broadhead." He held up another one whose point consisted of a narrow tube that attached the shaft to a triangle of metal, sharpened at the front point. "Ye can use this for hunting, or ye can use this for fighting. Hunting heads have more rounded sides and sharper edges. Warheads tend to be heavier, even going up to this light blinded sort of thing." He pulled up a third bolt, this one had a massive inverted 'v' shaped head, sharpened at the front and at its cruel-looking rear facing points. "Because of these barbs here, if ye’re shot with one o’ these it’ll need to be pushed out the other side, as pulling it out the same way would just rip open the wound." She looked like she might say something more, but then she just scowled and replaced the quarrel on the table. "The main use of broadheads in battle is to kill horses. Ye take out the horse, ‘an not only does the soldier have a long walk home, but he might just get crushed when his beast starts flailing about. Ye can’t use a broadhead against a man in armour, though; that’s what Quadrellos is for." Luhrsa picked up the first bolt again, showing off the long, pyramidal head with it’s square base, and the winding leather fletchings. "These’re designed just for breaking through a man’s armour. So if ye have some o’ these, don’t waste ‘em on deer! Even at long range, this’ll punch through plate or mail armour and still kill the man what is inside. Quadrello heads can be very long depending on the crossbow they’re meant for; some’re five inches long." She replaced the bolt on the table and reached for a square headed bolt. “A quarrel. This is used for knocking yer prey silly when ye’re hunting it, but not for killing it. But if ye want to kill yer prey, ye use this,” she picked up a bolt with three steel points. “This is a dardo, they can have two points or three like this one does. They call the dardo the 'flesh tearer' what with how it’s like a backwards broadhead. It’ll kill yer enemy in a rightly gruesome way if ye shoot ‘im with one." She put it down on the table. “Well, worms, did some o' what I said manage to penetrate yer thick skulls, or do ye ‘ave more questions for me?”

Lesson 4: Aiming and Firing/Releasing
“Well, kiddie-os,” said Luhrsa, picking one of the crossbows up from the table, “the day ye’ve all been waiting for has finally come! Ye’re going to get to play with yer new toys!” She sounded a little less angry than usual, which is to say that Luhrsa’s blunt tone was just a shade below the ‘I can’t believe you have the audacity to exist’ mark. “There are three main ways to loose yer crossbows, but today we’re just going to learn one.” She walked over to a place where a low rope stretched across the field, marking the aiming point. One hundred yards away were the targets; made of animal hide stretched over bales of hay and staked in place. They were angled upwards slightly and had a large red spot painted on them, as well as a yellow and then a white ring. Behind the rope, Luhrsa lowered her hulking frame to the ground, placing the butt of her already-prepared crossbow to her shoulder. “This ‘ere is called the prone position. Because ye’re prone on the ground. It’s much stabler than standin’ or crouching, because the ground doesn’t move as much as ye little dore’en do. Now, turn yer little faces to me and watch what I do next.” Luhrsa’s eyes narrowed over the sights, her normally booming voice becoming almost soft as she aimed. “Ye need to line up yer sights; make sure they’re level, as well as being in light side a side. If yer weapon has a notch, then yer front sight should be in th’ middle of it. If ye need to move yer crossbow, if ye need to change yer aim to something else, keep th’ bloody sights aligned, or else ye’ll hit yer friends instead o’ yer enemies! Yer target’ll be a wee bit blurry as ye’ll be staring at yer sight, not the target, but ye need to let it. If ye look at the target and not the sight, ye’ll miss. Ye’ll notice that no matter how hard ye try to keep yer weapon still, it’ll still move around. That’ll never go away, no matter how hard ye practice, but it doesn’t really matter. Try t’ relax, forcing yourself steady’ll just make it worse.” There was a pause while Luhrsa adjusted her aim. “When ye do shoot at yer target, ye need to be calm, and ye need to make sure that ye only move the hand or fingers touching yer trigger. Keep yer hands on the stock as still as ye can, and gently increase de pressure, until yer nut falls away an’ t’e string is released. It’s also very important that ye not spend too long staring at de target; if ye wait more’n twelve seconds, yer hands’ll start to shake and yer eyes’ll unfocus, and ye’ll need to put yer crossbow down and rest a moment.” Luhrsa demonstrated this, setting down her crossbow and continuing to stare at the distant target. “And now I’ll teach ye’s to breath. No, ye don’t already know that! Ye want to be as relaxed as ye can be, ye want to be steady like a rock in the earth. So when ye’re reach to discharge yer crossbow, ye’ll need to take in one last breath. Make yer final adjustments here, while yer steady, then let out the breath slowly. When it’s about two t’irds of the way out, ye’ll shoot yer bow. Make releasing the trigger part of the breath, if it’s all one natural movement, ye’ll be much more accurate.” Luhrsa raised her weapon once more, aimed, and them fired smoothly, demonstrating what she had just explained in one smooth movement. A loud twang from the bowstring was accompanied a second later by a heavy thump from the row of targets. She didn’t have to approach to know that it was in the centre; after fighting for your life with a crossbow, firing one lying down in a field was relatively easy. “With time ye’ll get to know what sort of result ye’ll have as soon as ye discharge the bow, knowing the feeling of the thing in your hands. Some day, if ye’re not as whey-brained as I think ye are, ye’ll learn how to gauge windage, an’ how to adjust yer aim so as to hit farther and closer targets. Right now, though, I want ye’s to take yer three bolts and try your best against the targets down there. Do yer best with yer shots, and make sure ye pay attention to all the details when ye’re spanning an’ when ye’re dischargin’ Begin!”

Lesson 5: Practice
After the crossbow students had gathered once more the next day, most of them more than dwarfed by the massive frame of their instructor, Luhrsa began to speak in that booming roar that was her voice. “Today, ye’ve one hour to practice with yer bows. And I want yes to learn two more poses to fire from; standing, and crouching, ‘cause not many o’ yer enemies are going to sit down and wait for ye to assume a pretty little prone position.” She picked up the weapon she had used the day before – one with a hinged arm lever – and spanned it was an almost frightening amount of east. Then, she assumed a deep crouch, bringing up her weapon so that her eye was lined up along the sights. “Yer knee if under yer elbow, so ye have some contact with the ground. But yer not nearly as steady as ye are in the prone position. Ye shoot yer crossbow the same way ye’s did yesterday, but ye ought to bring yer rear elbow up so it’s even with yer shoulder. That’ll keep yer aim from drifting side to side.” Suddenly, she released the bolt and quickly spanned the weapon with deft motions. After inserting another bolt, she stood up and placed the butt to her shoulder again, feet shoulder width apart and one before the other. “This is the most difficult position since yer front elbow is not resting against any kind of support. Yer body must be relaxed and still keep yer weapon level with the ground and steady. It is harder to change yer aim without wavering too much. Also, yer body is very exposed to enemy arrows. However, ye’ll still be required to practice it since ye’ll probably need it some day. Yet ye’ll find that this position is much easier if ye can rest yer elbow upon a railing of some sort.” Again, she discharged and then turned to her students. “Yer final exam! Now is yer time to correct the things ye failed to master yesterday. After this hour of training has passed, ye are to fire five consecutive bolts in each of the three positions, beginning with lying down. All results will be marked and carried off, replaced after each time ye change position. We will examine the three targets together when everyone is finished. Now, begin!”

Final Exam!
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