Seasonal Archery Tournament I (Summer)

[Almarëa Mordollwen]

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Summer Archery Tournament
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It is a clear, sunny morning in the hidden valley of Imladris; the trees are in full blossom. And with the beginning of summer, it is time for the elves' seasonal archery tournament. Along the banks of the Bruinen, tables have been set up with drinks and refreshments. A shooting line has been marked on the field, and several targets have been arranged. Almarëa, an agile, dark-haired elleth with green eyes, stands beside one of the tables where a sign-up sheet is located, doing her best to look official as she waits to welcome the archers who will compete for the honour of being named champion of the valley.

And for that winner, the Lord Elrond has generously donated a magnificent prize. An engraved chest, adorned with silver and sparkling blue gems, sits on one of the tables, never far from Almarëa's eye. Only at the close of the tournament will its contents be revealed, and presented to the champion.

Rules:

1. Normal plaza rules apply.
2. Arrive in character with your bow and quiver. Feel free to enjoy some refreshments or shoot a few practice arrows if you wish before the tournament begins. Sign-ups will last 4 days. If anyone comes later, they'll need to shoot for as many rounds as they have missed. During the tournament, you will need to roleplay your shot.
3. Post in any colour you wish save #0088000
4. If you have an OOC comment, you may white it out at the bottom of your post like so: @ Almarëa (insert OOC comment here)
5. Open to everyone
6. Have fun !


How the contest works:
A roll of a 6-sided die will determine your shot on the 6-ringed archery target:
1= Outer ring: 2 pts
2= Fourth ring: 4 pts
3= Third ring: 6 pts
4= Second ring: 8 pts
5= Inner ring: 10 pts
6= Center: 15 pts

[Marceline]

Having finally made it to Rivendell, Tarawen was thoroughly enjoying the summer breeze and calm beauty of the valley. She had taken some rest, eaten well, and was exploring Imladris with curiosity alight in her eyes. She felt no threat of danger here, so she had left her longsword in her chambers. Her bow, Egros, however, was strapped to the quiver of arrows she'd spent some idle hours fixing up since arriving in Rivendell, and she carried them with her across her back. She had heard that the summer festivities included an archery tournament.

She wandered the paths down to the Bruinen, the sun in her eyes whenever she passed under a gap in the tree cover. Soon enough, she saw what must surely be the tourney grounds - tables, targets, and an elleth (Almarëa) who appeared to be awaiting contenders. A jewel-encrusted chest sparkled in the sunlight; the gentle current of the Bruinen answered with its own subtle shimmer.

"Mae govannen!" Tara called to the elleth, raising a hand in greeting. "My name is Tarawen; I'm a guest in the valley, arrived recently from scouting in the Lone Lands." She scooped up a small, light cake from a nearby table and took a bite with relish. Once she had swallowed, she continued, "I'm here to join the fun of the tournament. How do I sign up?"

OOC: I am playing this like I have successfully made it through the blasted maze, even though Tara will probably be lost in it forever!

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Artanis

It had been a long time since Artanis had journeyed to Rivendell, several thousand years in fact. But the lovely valley looked much the same as it had before. It was a very different atmosphere than the shadows of Mirkwood, almost too bright in fact. It seemed as if in this valley time had completely stopped and no one here was aware of the dangers that lurked in the darkest places of Middle Earth. But, be that as it may, it was pleasant to be in this happy valley once again and for an archery competition no less.

Artanis didn't consider herself an expert at the sport, that title was currently reserved for Legolas, the son of the king, but she had a decent aim. She needed to, having been an archer during the Last Alliance. Her trusty bow flung across her back, Artanis arrived at the table where the signup sheets lay."Mae govannen!" she said in greeting to the elleth sitting by the table. "My name is Artanis and word was sent to Mirkwood that there is a great archery tournament occurring here. I am here to participate. Can you please direct me on how to sign up?" As she introduced herself, she nodded in greeting to the other attendee (Tarawen) who was also signing up.

[KingODuckingham]

Ducky shuffled in, head bent and hidden under an enormous pale purple hat. He had rarely come to Imladris during his time wandering upon Middle-earth. It was not only unusual, but downright strange to see him here. One might almost have thought he had stumbled in by accident, were it not for the fact that in addition to his staff, he bore a bow and quiver across his back. He did not normally carry such implements, which meant that he had brought them purposefully. That in turn meant he was perfectly aware of the occasion. How? Nobody would know for certain, and likely no one would ask, for like all wizards, Ducky was subtle and quick to anger. That temper might be tested here at the tournament, if he did poorly.

He stalked up to the table, whipping out a large quill from somewhere in the depths of his robe. He signed his name in an Elven script, lavishly. He kept his head down and ambled slowly over toward the target, intending to get some practice in before the competition began. Eru knew he needed it if he wanted to avoid humiliating himself. He was used to flying himself, not sending arrows to do the job for him.

[Taethowen]

Taethowen had never thought she would actually see Rivendell with her own two eyes. As a child, she'd wondered what it would be like to see it, especially as a Rohir with an Elvish name. She had her Gondorian mother to thank for that, though.

To be honest, she'd never expected to travel north of Fangorn in her lifetime, but sometimes life took you down unexpected paths. But now, as she'd been making her way slowly north to Eriador on a textile hunt, she'd heard rumors of an archery tournament, and the thought of it had sparked an urge in her that she'd not felt in a long time, and also some memories.

Memories (albeit patchy) of pæthfindian training, when she'd worked ceaselessly to teach herself how to shoot a bow with either hand. And while she'd begun carrying a bow again on her journey to Eriador, and was still a decent shot when it came to hares, she'd not truly tested her target shooting in... well, she wasn't sure how long. But it was definitely since before her illness.

And that was how she found herself, bow in hand and quiver strapped to her back, standing before an elf-maiden (Almarëa) at an archery field next to the Bruinen river.

"Westu hal," she greeted the woman when her turn came. "I am Taethowen. Do I just need to write my name down to join the tournament?"

[Aethelu]

Bainiel

Bainiel had heard that there was going to an archery tournament and a little thrill had gone through her. She had been practicing out in the Valley with her hidden bow for what felt like a long time. The idea of being able to take part in a tournament, to test her skills, made her so happy. She had excitedly told her brother Idhion about it one day when they had been out together. He had seemed a little concerned about her taking part, after all she had never tried to shoot a target beyond the ones they had made up for themselves. He was also concerned what their mother would think, given her aversion to weapons. Bainiel had solved that by swearing him to secrecy, on the day she had told her mother that she was just going to Rivendell for the day. Over the years her mother had found it easier to not question her so off she had gone with a skip in her step.

Reaching the banks of the river, she took a deep breath. There were already a few contestants there and not all of them were elves. She was sure it would all be fine, there was no time for nerves. She walked towards the elleth (Almarëa) and smiled. "My name is Bainiel from the Valley of Rivendell, I would like to sign up for the tournament." The bright chest caught her eye and she gasped, it was far more than she had imagined for such a tournament. She looked around at the others who had come to sign up to see if they were as shocked, though perhaps it was just her youth causing her surprise. She'd only just reached her adult years and had never ventured outside of Imladris. Bainiel only hoped she didn't embarrass herself.

[Quill]

Rîn

It was a fine morning for shooting. Then again, Rîn had never met a morning that wasn’t a fine morning for shooting. But there was something particularly ripe about a day like today - perhaps it was the indefatigable quality of the sunlight, already high in the sky when she left her house and headed towards the Bruinen, or perhaps it was the heady scent of summer on the brink, or perhaps it was the fact that her not-so-long-lost sister had arrived in the valley just yesterday, returned to live with them permanently in Rivendell. Finally. Rîn had been thrilled to hear that Lord Elrond had invited Quill, as folk called her now, to assume the vacant post as head healer at Adab Nestad, and that Quill had accepted. Her arrival had her in a fine mood as she strolled down to where the tourney had been set up, on the banks of the river, her bow slung across her body and her long sheaf of red hair swinging jauntily in its braid.

The layout of the tournament was a familiar sight. Rîn competed every year, though she had never won - and she didn’t care, she really didn’t, and she would go on not caring every year for as long as she didn’t win. It wasn’t her fault that her work with the Guard kept her out in the field for weeks or months at a time, that she barely touched an arrow sometimes when she was deep in the wilds with her scouting partner, who did most of the hunting at need. That didn’t mean that she didn’t love shooting, though, or that it wasn’t a fine morning for it.

She gave a friendly wave to the other contestants already assembled, some of whom she recognized, some of whom she didn’t. There were always outsiders who came into the valley just for the tournament. She hoped later she would see some of them at Adab Gelir, and pick their brains about the things they’d seen, like she did with Quill whenever she came back from her roaming. She did a different time of wandering than Rîn did, a bit more civilized, more learning about other peoples and spending time in their healing halls, whereas Rîn disappeared into the wilderness and came back half a bear.

Joining the queue that had formed at the sign-up sheet, Rîn glanced about at the targets that had been established, and the glorious, shining chest donated by Lord Elrond as the prize for the grand champion. It would be something marvelous, something she didn’t need, of course, but she felt that tug of desire even so. She was so distracted by it that she didn’t realize she was next in line.

“Apologies,” she said to Almarëa, grinning as she hustled forward and scribbled her name on the next available line. “Fine morning for shooting, isn’t it?”

[Durien]

An archery tournament! Durien's emerald eyes gleamed as she hurried along the path toward the banks of Bruinen. The elleth didn't spend nearly enough time visiting the fair valley of Imladris, but she happened to be here now. It would be wonderful to have the opportunity to test her skills against the best of the elven archers currently residing here. She was a good archer, but she could hardly lay claim to being the best. She had not the strength to draw a bow capable of sending an arrow over a great distance. Despite that, she prided herself in her accuracy, may Eru be with her and Mandos grant her his favor with the winds. Anything could happen along the banks of the Bruinen, after all. In any case, the promise of a good tournament had her speeding along the trail in hopes that she was not too late to sign up.

A faint sigh of relief escaped the raven-haired lithe elf as she reached the sign-up table and the official looking elleth whose name she soon learned was Almarëa. Durien bent and added her name in flowing elven script to sheet. Idly she wondered what the beautiful chest, engraved in silver and blue, held. Lord Elrond would have ascertained a worthy prize for the best archer. Never one to be driven by reward, but who thrived on competition, the chest was quickly forgotten as she strode along the edges of the tournament field, where a few of her fellow competitors were starting to linger. She joined the crowd, smiling in greeting to the few that she knew.

Slinging her quiver around, Durien took a moment to examine the arrows within her quiver, checking each one to make sure it was regulation compliant, the arrowheads sharp, and the feathers in pristine condition. She had been in such a rush to ensure she did not miss the start of the competition, she hadn't double checked her equipment. She did so now. Replacing the arrows one by one, she unslung her bow and checked the tension of the string. Satisfied all was in order, she rocked back on her heels and waited for the competition to begin.

[Almarëa Mordollwen]

It was not long before the contestants started to arrive. There were a few faces that seemed vaguely familiar, but most were new to Almarëa. It seemed as though word of the tournament had spread far and wide indeed!

She smiled at Tarawen as the mortal approached. “Welcome to Imladris, then! Few guests find their way to the valley these days; we are glad to have you. And all you need to do to sign up is write your name on the list.” She gestured to the roll of contenders that was sitting on the table, so far a blank page with merely a heading in the graceful elven script. Another elf approached - from Mirkwood, she guessed, by her attire, and introduced herself as Artanis. “Mae govannen! You’ve already done half the job by telling me you are here to compete. If you could just sign your name on this list once Tarawen here has finished, then you are both welcome to take some refreshments or shoot a few practice arrows before the competition starts.”

The next contender to arrive was a man? wizard? (she wasn’t entirely sure) in a great purple hat, who quietly signed the list in a lavish Elven script (Ducky), followed by another mortal, one of the Rohirrim (Taethowen). “Westu hal, Taethowen - and welcome to Imladris. I am Almarëa, and I’ll be overseeing the tournament. Just write your name on the list, please, and then feel free to warm up, shoot a few arrows for practice, or get something to eat.” A young elf approached (Bainiel), and Almarëa directed her to the sign-up sheet once Taethowen had finished. “Of course. Just write your name here - we’ll be starting in a few minutes.”

She recognized Rîn, of course - the elven woman had competed in several previous tournaments. “Definitely! We have been fortunate with the weather; it would be such a shame if we had to stand out here in the rain to shoot.” The final contestant to arrive was another elf, Durien, and after waiting a little bit longer, Almarëa concluded that this must be everyone. Or at least, if anyone else was planning to come and join, they would have to catch up during the tournament, because it was definitely time to start shooting.

She consulted the sign-up sheet, and assigned each of the names to a target, then transferred the names to cards that she could lay along the shooting line at regularly spaced intervals, so everyone would have an assigned target and a place to stand. Then Almarëa clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention and raised her voice slightly so it would carry over the rushing of the nearby water. “Welcome, everyone, to the summer tournament! I think it’s time we get started. We will be shooting six ends today, and in each end you will shoot three arrows. There aren’t too many of you today, so you can all shoot at once. Please find your name and designated place along the shooting line, and, when you are ready, you may shoot your first set of three arrows! Once you have finished shooting, please wait for everyone else to finish, before going up to the targets.”

***

The competitors (and your order along the shooting line):
1. Tarawen
2. Artanis
3. Ducky
4. Taethowen
5. Bainiel
6. Rîn
7. Durien

[KingODuckingham]

Ducky had been puffing on a pipe, staring distantly across the beautiful meadows. There was not much to occupy his thoughts, but the scenery was truly a feast for the eyes. When the call came, he had to tug himself away, and his pace was leisurely. He stowed the pipe away somewhere in the depths of his robe after putting it out, and walked over to where Almarëa where was calling from. He blinked, and gulped. The targets were a lot further away from the shooting line than he had expected them to be. He pulled his bow off of his back and tested its heft. It suddenly seemed a lot heavier than before. He pulled an arrow from the quiver. Had it grown in length? Were those (duck) feathers a bit askew? He was not sure. He looked to either side as he stepped up to the line. Artanis on one side, Taethowen on the other. They looked depressingly competent to him.

Ducky set the first arrow to his bow, and paused after bending the arc just slightly. He peered out at the butt again, and adjusted his aim. Higher than you think, he reminded himself. He pulled back harder, and his arm began to tremble, and then to wobble. No time to think! He adjusted up again as he let the arrow fly.

"Ahhhh I can't watch!" he yelled, and loosed the other two arrows as quickly as possible, barely aiming, wildly squawking as he panicked.

[Quill]

Rîn
Round One

There was only one other contestant who still needed to sign up after Rîn, a dark-haired elleth that she didn’t recognize (Durien), and after a few moments of waiting for any final stragglers to join, Almarëa gathered the archers around for the announcement of the start of the tournament. As she spoke, describing the course of the contest and how the rounds would work, Rîn glanced around at the others, only seven in total, including herself. That actually gave her a fair chance at winning, though she still doubted it. No matter - she was here simply for the camaraderie and the pleasant experience. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a thrill of anticipation as she found her name at her designated place along the shooting line, between the Elf who had been behind her at the sign-ups, and a younger elleth (Bainiel) whom Rîn was sure she’d seen around the Valley before. She gave each of them a friendly smile as she set up.

“Best of luck to you both,” she said, nodding as any good competitor would do. Then she gave her undivided attention to the task at hand, selecting her first arrow as though picking out a soldier for a war mission. Once that decision had been made, she practiced bending the bow without shooting, just to warm up a bit first. Then she took a long, deep breath and centered herself in her stance, feet just outside of hips-distance apart and shoulders relaxed down her back. She lifted the first arrow and fired, following that one up with the next two in rapid succession, so that the result of the first one could not unseat her confidence in firing the second and third. Then Rîn lowered her bow to have a look at how she’d done in the first round - it would speak volumes about how the rest of the tournament would go, if experience spoke truly.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Artanis had been watching the various other contests sign up. It looked to be an eclectic group made of mortals, elves, and someone who was wearing a very odd purple hat. Well, today would certainly prove to be an interesting one. Once everyone had signed up, Almarëa gathered all the competing archers to announce the beginning of the tournament. As there were only a few of them, they would all line up and shoot towards their individual target at the same time.

She was near one of the ends, placed between Tarawen and the nervous and odd looking Ducky on the other. She smiled at Ducky, hoping to give him some confidence. Nervousness would not do in an archery competition as it would likely result in missing the target.

When the announcement was given to shoot, Artanis pulled an arrow out of her quiver, fitted an arrow to the string, and the aimed and slowly pulled the arrow and string back, eyes focused on the target. The second two arrows followed in quick succession. She then lowered her bow to observe her success in the first round.

[Taethowen]

Taethowen smiled and nodded at Almarëa as she scribbled her name on the sign-in sheet. "Thank you," Taeth said, then she wandered away to look around the tournament field as she waited for the competition to begin.

It seemed to be a small crowd gathered, nothing like some of the festival tournaments she recalled from summers back in the Mark, but it was certainly a different type of crowd. She did find herself looking around for familiar faces, simply out of old habit, but where her eyes except a sea of familiar faces spread across the plains of Rohan, she sees instead strange, though beautiful, blooming trees stretching along a riverbank.

A strange pang of homesickness makes her pause. She'd felt it often in the early days of her illness, though it had faded as she adjusted to her new normal of recuperation while still in Gondor. But now, after her many travels, and though she'd deliberately avoided crossing into Rohan as she traveled north toward Eriador, she now found that she missed it dearly.

The clapping of hands pulled her thoughts back to the present. She listened as Almarëa announced the start of the tournament and explained the rules. When the elleth finished, Taethowen found her way to the targets along with the rest of the participants. She hadn't taken the chance yet to observe her fellow competitors, so she was a bit surprised when she found herself lined up between another elf-maiden (Bainiel) and... a wizard (Ducky)?

Taethowen wasted no time, though, once she stood at the target. With muscle memory that had barely faded, she check the string on her bow, and reached back to make certain the quiver of arrows strapped to her back were still settled in the right spot for easy reach. She smiled as her fingers brushed along the fletching and settled on the arrow shaft. Perfect.

Her eyes fixed on the target. She'd always loved archery. It was meditative, and forced her to clear her mind from distraction and focus on each moment at a time, and truly feel what was happening around her. A breath in, a breath out. There was a breeze, but not so much that it would make her arrows drift overly off course. Another breath in, and with a fluid motion she drew an arrow from her quiver, nocked it to the string, lifted her bow, and drew the string back toward her cheek, elbow pointed straight back. Eyes still on the target--for she'd learned long ago that the simplest way to aim was simply to look where she wanted the arrow to land--she released her breath and let the arrow fly once. Then again. And then a third time.

As she finished her set, she was distracted from watching to see if her final arrow hit the target as the wizard (Ducky) next to her panicked and yelled, his aim erratic and arrows well... more erratic. It would take a miracle for him to hit a bullseye like that.

"Bema's horn," Taethowen muttered. "Has he ever even held a bow before?"

[Marceline]

"I was very lucky to make it here in one piece," she told Alma when the elleth commented on how difficult it was for outsiders to find the valley. Tara popped the rest of the cake into her mouth, snatched up the quill on the table, and wrote her name out quickly. She stepped aside to allow the other contestants to list their names on the roster, stretching her arms overhead and enjoying the sunlight. She took in the scene: a pipe-smoking wizard (Ducky), four elves (Artanis, Durien, Rîn, and Bainiel), and a woman from Rohan (Taethowen). A fine showing for the tournament! She waved at each of the others, mouth still too full of cake for any words of greeting.

Tara then stood back and leaned against a nearby tree as Almarëa set their names along the shooting line. When they were instructed to begin, she approached her spot, unslung her quiver and set it down, lifting Egros up and selecting an arrow for her first shot. She had no sooner nocked her arrow and taken aim at her target when the wizard (Ducky) shouted as he took his shots. Tara glared at him, though she wasn't sure he caught her reproving glance in his anxiety. She shook her head, lifted her bow, and took her first shot. She repeated the process a second and third time, breathing a sigh of relief as she finished the first round.

[Durien]

The number seven was a lucky number, Durien thought with a hint of a smile as she made her way to the very end of the archery field. Unless you were one of the seven dwarf lords who had received rings of power, she thought darkly as the corners of her lips tightened. Sighing, for she had been nearly optimistic before the final shadowy thought had crossed her mind, Durien carefully set her stance. Shaking the tension out of her shoulders and arms, she slowly inhaled and exhaled, her bow limply held in one hand. There was no need to draw and notch an arrow until she was ready, and she clearly wasn't quite yet.

Being at the end of the line, she had no competitor to her right, but the fiery haired elleth next to her (Rin) nodded to her and wished her the best of luck. She smiled back. "May Orome guide your arrows true." She offered in return. And may Mandos not send a strong wind, she thought as she eyed the target some distance from her.

Just when she thought she might select an arrow from the quiver on her back, the male (Ducky) third in line (three, also a lucky number, right?) yelped as he sent his arrow hurtling...well who knew where. He certainly wasn't watching, and everyone else on the field was watching him, including her. She chuckled aloud, then covered her mouth as it seemed impolite. She wasn't exactly laughing at him, but the whole situation made her laugh as light-heartedly as the merry elves Bilbo had encountered near the Shire on his unexpected adventure. It wouldn't surprise her if he did end up winning. After all, what was that phrase the wise sometimes used....beginner's luck?

Fully relaxed now, she carefully notched an arrow, but waited until the first and fourth competitors in line had sent their arrows on their way before notching her first. Concentrate but relax, focus but without tension. Her eye knew where to aim, and it would not due to draw the bow and hold it taut. The longer one held a bent bow, the less accurate one became, for strain and tension of the muscles impaired the fluidity of movement ingrained from long hours of practice. Taking one last deep breath in, she held it as she swiftly brought the bow up, drew the bowstring to her jaw and released all in one smooth motion. Breathing out, she repeated the same process, twice more, sending two more arrows on their way to the target while the first still flew through the air.

[Aethelu]

Bainiel

Once sign ups had been completed, Bainiel watched as the last few added their names to the list. She was starting to get more nervous than she had anticipated, but she was sure it would all be fine once they started shooting. At last came the call to start. She took note of her position and went to take her place. She was between another elleth (Rîn) and the mortal woman (Taethowen). She bowed her head to each of them, trying to smile and appear calm. They seemed so in control as they took positions, checked their equipment, and prepared to shoot. She found herself looking down again at her old bow and wondering if she had made the right choice. No, this was her chance to prove herself. If she did well that would show her mother that she could handle a weapon and they wouldn't just cause misery.

While the other two fired, she watched them carefully, trying to note the way they held themselves and how they took their shots. It was a joy to watch those more experienced than herself. In the corner of her vision she saw the wizard (Ducky) firing wildly, she only hoped she managed to hold herself better than that. Bainiel was so busy watching the others take their turns she hadn't even thought about taking her own. It was only when they were all stood with their bows at rest that she realised.

Fumbling and nearly dropping her bow, she turned to face her own target. It seemed so far away, but at least it was larger and more professional than the makeshift ones she had in the valley. She picked up her arrow and notched it, letting her fingers rest against the bow strings for a moment. Deep breaths to steady herself, to centre herself, to find herself. She raised the bow, settling herself into position, and pulled back on the string. Another deep breath, eyes focused on the target, and release. She loved to hear the arrow whistle through the air and the thud as it reached its target. She quickly found her next arrow and then the third. It was soothing to see them lodged in their target. Lowering her bow, she turned to the others and smiled, hoping they weren't too annoyed at her taking her time.

[Almarëa Mordollwen]

Round 1:

1. Tarawen - you rolled 3 (third ring/blue), 4 (second ring/red), and 5 (inner ring/yellow). Your total score for the round is 24 points.

2. Artanis - you rolled 2 (fourth ring/black), 4 (second ring/red), and 1 (outer ring/white). Your total score for the round is 14 points.

3. Ducky - you rolled 5 (inner ring/yellow), 5 (inner ring/yellow), and 4 (second ring/red). Your total score for the round is 28 points.

4. Taethowen - you rolled 2 (fourth ring/black), 1 (outer ring/white), and 3 (third ring/blue). Your total score for the round is 12 points.

5. Bainiel - you rolled 1 (outer ring/white), 4 (second ring/red), and 4 (second ring/red). Your total score for the round is 18 points.

6. Rîn - you rolled 5 (inner ring/yellow), 4 (second ring/red), and 6 (center). Your total score for the round is 33 points.

7. Durien - you rolled 1 (outer ring/white), 1 (outer ring/white), and 5 (inner ring/yellow). Your total score for the round is 14 points.

***

When all of the competitors had finished shooting their first set of arrows, Almarëa scored each target carefully. Then she returned to the shooting line, smiling - it was clear that there were some excellent archers in the mix, including some unlikely candidates. "Well done, all! An excellent first round. I have recorded your scores; you may now go up to the target and collect your arrows." She waited for them to do so, and once everyone was back behind the shooting line, she announced: "You may now shoot your second round of arrows."

[KingODuckingham]

Well, well, well. It had turned out in Ducky's favor, it seems, to launch all of his arrows so quickly. He had not had time to maladjust his aim. He gave himself a quick pat on the shoulder, feeling pleased with himself. If he could just stretch his beginner's luck throughout the entire competition (no problems there, right?), why then he could place well and leave proud of himself and by extension all of, um, wizardkind? Okay, maybe just himself. There were definitely some actual archers with great aplomb and prowess at this event, though. He would have to continue to be lucky. He realized everyone else was going up to retrieve their arrows, and stopped patting himself, hurrying to catch up and do the same. He coughed quickly, laughing as a deflector mechanism.

"This wind, eh?" he said to nobody in particular.

When he was back behind the target line, he took a deep breath and reminded himself not to overthink things. Too much trying to correct himself would lead only to mis-fires and misery. He just had to take quick aim, be steady, not panic, and release smoothly. In that order?

He tried it.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Artanis went up to the target to retrieve her arrows. When she saw her scores, she sighed. How in Middle Earth had she done so poorly? Perhaps the wind hadn't blown in quite the direction she had thought it was. But normally she could account for the wind when shooting.

And that strange creature with the huge hat had panicked and was somehow in second place. It would not to for someone as inept as that individual to beat her, a master archer and warrior.

She flung her hair back out of her face, took the proper stance, and fitten an arrow to her bow, letting it fly towards the target. Her remaining two followed in quick succession. She turned towards the creature in the large hat and stated, "That is how you shoot arrows."

[Marceline]

"Not bad," thought Tarawen. Her arrows had thunked into the target progressively closer to the center. Third place so far was respectable, especially among so many elves. She glanced down the line of archers as she went to retrieve her arrows and was shocked to see that the yelping wizard had done even better than she had. She grinned in spite of herself. Maybe a giant hat, a pipe, and loud noises were the key to success here. She wasn't going to try finding out first-hand, though.

Tara plucked her arrows from the target and marched back to the line. She secured her first arrow against the string, lifted her bow, and drew the feathery end to her mouth. With a soft twang, twang, twang, her three arrows flew in succession toward the target once more.

[Aethelu]

Bainiel

Was it possible? Despite her nerves and distraction, she hadn't come last. Not a perfect round by any means though what with her first arrow hitting the outer ring. Still, an admirable start. With a smile and a spring in her step she went to collect her arrows. She noticed the others collecting arrows, including the wizard (Ducky) who had done remarkably well despite his interesting technique. It seemed her fellow elves were a little less pleased with his high score. Now they were trying to outdo each other.

Returning to her line, she took a few deep breaths to steady herself for round two. A few of her fellow competitors had muttered something about the wind, to her it was only a soft, warm breeze. The competition had truly started now. Raising her bow she loosed her first arrow, willing it to do better than her first arrow in the previous round. Slowly she selected her next arrow and took her shot. Some of the others were firing off quite rapidly, possibly to prove a point, but she was happy to take her time. At last she fired her final arrow, taking a step back to look at her handiwork. Hopefully she could only improve on her first round. Hopefully.

[Durien]

Durien winced as her arrowheads buried into the target. It was a very poor showing on her part, for her first two arrows landed in the outer white ring on the target. Well, at least she hadn't missed it entirely, although the first arrow was so far to the edge that, when she went to retrieve them, it literally fell to the ground while she was pulling the other arrow embedded solidly in the white ring out. At least the final arrow she had loosed had found it's way to the middle of the target. It wasn't a bullseye, but it was a decent enough shot. Still, she was firmly in the bottom three, and being very competitive in nature, she was not thrilled about it. The screeching wizard's technique (or lack thereof) had seemed to work wonders, causing her to shake her head with smile. Having retrieved all of her arrows, Durien strode back to the line to prepare to send forth a second follow.

When the signal was given, an all clear to begin loosing the arrows on the poor targets, she paused again and took a deep breath. She had been too relaxed the last time. She needed to ease the tension in her body without becoming so limp and careless. She slowly breathed in and out again, dropping her shoulders as her emerald eyes narrowed in on the target in front of her, to the exclusion of all the ado around her. She notched an arrow, breathed in deeply, drew back the bowstring and for a split moment, was perfectly still before she released. sending the arrow flying toward its target. Breathing out, she notched the next arrow. Breathing in, she drew, was still and released. She repeated the process one more time to send the third arrow on it's way. It had better be an improvement on her previous performance, she thought with a mental wince as watched the final arrow sail through the air.

[Taethowen]

Taethowen muttered an oath under her breath as all three of her arrows hit nowhere near the middle of the target. As she traipsed to her target to retrieve her arrows, she caught sight of the wizard's arrows and nearly tripped in sheer astonishment. While he'd missed the bullseye, his arrows were still in a tight cluster just shy of center.

"Ridiculous," she muttered, pulling her arrows out of the target with... fervor.

Her frustration, though, was more directed at her own self than at the wizard's luck. She was more out of practice than she'd realized, it seemed.

Taeth did her best to shake off that frustration as she returned to the firing line. She nodded and smiled to both Bainiel and KingODuckingham before she turned her focus back to her target once more, sliding her arrows back into her quiver.

"You may now shoot your second round of arrows," Almarëa announced.

Taeth plucked one of the arrows out again, drew her bow, and fired, trying not to overthink the process this time, but adjusting her aim slightly to make up for how wide the previous shots fell on the target. She took a moment between each arrow roll her shoulders out and keep them relaxed, but still quickly sent the last to shots flying toward her target.

[Quill]

Rîn
Second Round

Perhaps the dark-haired elleth had a special connection to Oromë, because Rîn’s arrows flew more truly than she had expected. She let out a less-than-modest whoop of victory when she lowered her bow and saw that one of her three arrows had landed a bulls-eye. Pleasure spread through her veins; she couldn’t deny that succeeding was a special kind of satisfaction. She took a few deep, cooling breaths so that her celebrations didn’t overcome her concentration as Almarëa closed the round and instructed them to prepare for the next. Rîn jogged to the target and plucked her arrows from where they had been planted. Then she found her place in line with the other competitors and settled in for what she was confident would be an equally illustrious second round.

[Almarëa Mordollwen]

Round 2:

1. Tarawen - you rolled 4 (second ring/red), 1 (outer ring/white), and 5 (inner ring/yellow). Your score for the round is 20 points. Your total score thus far: 20 + 24 = 44 points.

2. Artanis - you rolled 4 (second ring/red), 6 (centre), and 6 (centre). Your score for the round is 38 points. Your total score thus far: 38 + 14 = 52 points.

3. Ducky - you rolled 6 (centre), 5 (centre ring/yellow), and 2 (fourth ring/black). Your score for the round is 29 points. Your total score thus far: 29 + 28 = 57 points.

4. Taethowen - you rolled 1 (outer ring/white), 4 (second ring/red) and 3 (third ring/blue). Your score for the round is 16 points. Your total score thus far: 16 + 12 = 28 points.

5. Bainiel - you rolled 3 (third ring/blue), 1 (outer ring/white), and 1 (outer ring/white). Your score for the round is 10 points. Your total score thus far: 10 + 18 = 28 points.

6. Rîn - you rolled 6 (centre), 4 (second ring/red), and 4 (second ring/red). Your score for the round is 31 points. Your total score thus far: 31 + 33 = 64 points.

7. Durien - you rolled 5 (centre ring/yellow), 2 (fourth ring/black), and 3 (third ring/blue). Your score for the round is 20 points. Your total score thus far: 20 + 14 = 34 points.

***

There were a few surprises this round, as Almarëa went around the targets and made notes of all the results, but by and large it seemed as though the contestants had relaxed a bit, and most of their scores had (perhaps as a consequence) improved. There were a few very strong showings, and it seemed clear that there was going to be quite a closely-fought contest for the prize. Once she was done, she let all of the contestants collect their arrows, and waited until everyone returned behind the shooting line. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a dark-haired elf, clad in grey with a circlet of silver upon his head, walking up the path in the distance, and smiled quietly to herself. The Lord Elrond had mentioned that he might drop by to watch part of the competition, and it seemed he had chosen this moment to arrive, fashionably late. Hopefully the contestants would not be too distracted by his arrival. "Great job, everyone. You may now shoot your third round of arrows!"

[Taethowen]

Taeth let out a deep sigh of frustration as her arrows once again fell in a similar pattern as the previous end, and she tried not to slump her shoulders as she marched back out to retrieve her arrows.

And while her lack of good shooting was frustrating today, especially since she was right next to the wizard Ducky who somehow kept hitting high scoring circles despite any true skill, the feel of the competition was beginning to lighten her heart.

She had no ill-will against the elves. She'd met precious few of them before, and the ones she had encountered were pleasant enough. But it would be extremely funny if an unskilled wizard beat all the elves.

When she returned to the starting line, Taethowen gave Bainiel a gentle smile. "At least we're hitting the targets, aye?"

Returning to her shooting stance, Taeth decided to alternate to her non-dominant hand this time. There was apparently something in the air at Imladris which was favoring the unskilled. At best, she could maybe break that luck and even the playing grounds, and at worst, she couldn't fall any lower in the rankings, really.

She'd been quite proficient at shooting with both hands, several years before, and while she hadn't kept up the practice as rigorously, she still did it occasionally. She adjusted her quiver so it hung the proper way to reach for the opposite side.

Switching the stance always felt a little awkward as she made her muscles move against their instincts, but once she was there it never took long to settle into place. Focusing on the target once more, she drew her bow and reached back, with only the slightest fumble, and shot her three arrows at a slightly slower succession than the previous two rounds.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Artanis

Round two had gone much better with two shots into the centre target, but that strange wizard was still doing surprisingly well. As she gathered her arrows, Artanis briefly wondered if he was perhaps using magic, but quickly dismissed the thought. No one would dare risk the wrath of Elrond by utilising magic in a game in Imladris.

From the announcement that Almarëa gave, it appeared that everyone was beginning to get a handle on the atmosphere. It was also evident that it was going to be a tight match when it came to winning the jeweled chest.

Arrows in hand one again, Artanis prepared to shoot the third round of the game, hoping that her arrows would shoot true and straight. She adjusted her stance, drew her bow back, and swiftly and carefully released the three arrows.

[Quill]

Rîn
Round Three

Rîn had to bite her lip to keep her cry of exultation from escaping. Her sisters had taught her that excessive boasting wasn’t the finest of looks. Still, she felt her heart soar when her first arrow struck center again, and did a little dance of celebration. Her next two shots landed less spectacularly, but they were decent enough, and she told herself that she would have to temper her excitement next time to make sure she didn’t knock the whole round off balance. She glanced over at the other competitors as she gathered her arrows this time, hoping to get a sense of how everyone else was doing. There were a few others who seemed quite skilled, and she was glad for it, as it would be a true test of how well she handled her bow. As she was scanning the tournament, she spotted a familiar Elf making his way down the path that led to the field. She swallowed at the sight of Lord Elrond, trying not to stare as she readied herself for the next round. Her sister Quill was quite friendly with the Lord of the Last Homely House, being head of Adab Nestad, but she hadn’t had many dealings with him, and his stately calmness made her somewhat nervous. She forced herself to focus as she lifted her bow to fire her next three shots - Oromë’s blessing, and all that.

[Marceline]

Tarawen looked sourly at her arrows where they stuck out from the target. Not horrible, but certainly not good enough to keep her in a competitive spot. She glanced down the line quickly to see how the others had done - the elf next to her (Artanis) had out-shot her by a mile.

"Well done," she said to her neighbor as she started toward the target to retrieve her arrows. "You look to have had the best score this round!"

The ranger retrieved her arrows and returned to the line, ready to shoot. But Almarëa paused before giving the signal to take their next round; Tara followed her gaze toward a newcomer. It seemed that the lord of the valley had arrived. Tara shook her hair back and stood up a little straighter, hoping mainly that he would not kick her out of the valley for bringing a wolf - albeit a friendly one - to stay.

"Focus," she muttered to herself. She dropped her arrows into her quiver for the moment and picked up her bow. One, two, three times the air whistled gently as her arrows took flight.

[KingODuckingham]

Ducky began to smirk as he saw the results of his latest batch of arrows. Hah, archery, he thought (but did not say out loud). Who said this was a difficult sport? The real sport here was trying to spot the outrage as a random fellow with no prior experience came in and made everyone look silly.

Or WAS he a random fellow?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps even Elrond was curious, as he swept slowly out onto the field to observe the tournament. The elf lord might make some nervous, but not a wizard. He was used to the company of the great and powerful. And speaking of great and powerful...

He bent his bow again, after retrieving his previous shots, this time feeling cocky as he cocked his bow back. He could afford, he felt, to play a bit more fast and loose. He did not care if he won, only that he placed above expectations, in style.

Twang, twang, twang. Away they went, sailing toward the target. Were they wobbling slightly in the air? Was that the wind, or had he...?

[Aethelu]

Bainiel

How? How had she managed to do even worse this time? It seemed all her skills had left her. She narrowed her eyes and glared at the target as if she could force it to behave by the force of her stare. She stomped over to the target, pulling out her arrows with less grace than was fitting for a young elf maiden. When she returned to the line the Rohir, who she was sure she had heard called Taethowen, offered a smile and a witty comment. Bainiel couldn't help but laugh. "You speak the truth," she replied, indeed they were at least hitting the target.

Somewhere beyond the line up she could hear voices, something about someone arriving. She turned to look not expecting to see Lord Elrond himself observing the tournament. She wasn't sure she could do any paler than she already was. Lord Elrond was here watching and here she was in last place while a wizard was in second place. A wizard!

In her mind Bainiel was sure she could hear her brother reminding her to be calm, to find her peace inside. She wished he was by her side, he was always a calming force. Closing her eyes, she tried to picture her secret place in the Valley. Her homemade targets in the trees. The sound of the wind rustling the leaves. Idhion humming somwhere behind her. That was a place that made her happy, a place that brought her peace.

At last, she took up her position and fired off her arrows. Surely it couldn't get any worse than her previous round.

[Durien]

Durien winced as her arrows buried themselves halfway up the shafts into the targets. Unfortunately, with one arrow in the black ring, and one in the blue ring, she was still performing quite poorly according to her own standards. How embarrassing, she thought as she waited for the remainder of the group to shoot. She couldn't help but wince once again as she realized she was still near the bottom of the pack in terms of scoring. She wasn't dead last...at least she could thank the Valar for that, but another poor round for her, or a great round for either of them, and she quickly would be.

As the elleth retrieved her arrows, she checked the fletching while trying not to stalk back to her place in line. Taking another deep breath, she remembered that this was a fun competition, not a life or death scenario. She was here to have a good time, to try her hand against some of the best archers in and around Imladris, and not all the blessings of the Valar had to go in her favor. Able to smile, once again, she prepared to take her place in line once more, but a figure moving along perimeter caught her eye. It seemed Lord Elrond himself was here to witness the triumphs of his house, and what was quickly turning into her humiliation. Fortunately, Lord Elrond was not the type to laugh at those who sought to better themselves or to test themselves, which was fortunate in her case and situation.

Surprisingly, Lord Elrond's sudden appearance did not unsteady her nerves. In fact, now that she was wryly aware her chances of success were now dim at best, all of her nerves had disappeared along with the pressure. It didn't mean she wasn't going to try her best, just that there was a strange sense of relief that she while she could be doing worse, there was a limit to how much worse she could get. Taking another deep breath, she fitted another arrow to her bowstring and quickly and smoothly fired off another three arrows.

[Almarëa Mordollwen]

Round 3:

1. Tarawen - you rolled 1 (outer ring/white), 3 (third ring/blue), and 2 (fourth ring/black). Your score for the round is 12 points. Your total score thus far: 12 + 20 + 24 = 56 points.

2. Artanis - you rolled 3 (third ring/blue), 1 (outer ring/white), and 3 (third ring/blue). Your score for the round is 14 points. Your total score thus far: 14 + 38 + 14 = 66 points.

3. Ducky - you rolled 1 (outer ring/white), 4 (second ring/red), and 1 (outer ring/white). Your score for the round is 12 points. Your total score thus far: 12 + 29 + 28 = 69 points.

4. Taethowen - you rolled 6 (centre), 6 (centre), and 1 (outer ring/white). Your score for the round is 32 points. Your total score thus far: 32 + 16 + 12 = 60 points.

5. Bainiel - you rolled 2 (fourth ring/black), 6 (centre), and 3 (third ring/blue). Your score for the round is 25 points. Your total score thus far: 25 + 10 + 18 = 53 points.

6. Rîn - you rolled 2 (fourth ring/black), 1 (outer ring/white), and 1 (outer ring/white). Your score for the round is 8 points. Your total score thus far: 8+ 31 + 33 = 72 points.

7. Durien - you rolled 2 (fourth ring/black), 1 (outer ring/white), and 4 (second ring/red). Your score for the round is 14 points. Your total score thus far: 14 + 20 + 14 = 48 points.

***

The wind had picked up a bit, and it seemed to have thrown a few of the archers off - as Almarëa went to check the targets, she noticed that there were quite a few more arrows in the outer rings than usual. Or perhaps they had been distracted by the arrival of Lord Elrond, who came up to the spectators' area just as Almarëa announced that the archers could go and retrieve their arrows. She greeted the Lord of Imladris with a smile. "Good to see you could make it! They have been making a good showing so far. I know it will mean a lot to the winner to receive the prize from you in person."

As the archers returned with their arrows, and once everyone was back behind the shooting line, she stepped forward again. "You may now shoot your fourth round."

OOC warning:
(As we reach the latter half of the competition, rolls of a 1 may have increasingly dramatic consequences. Be prepared.)

[Marceline]

Clearly, Tarawen had not tried hard enough to focus. Her arrows sank into the target on the outer three rings, prompting a low "Augh!" of frustration. The wind was blowing, but that shouldn't have messed her up this badly. She glanced over at Almarëa as the elleth announced the scores but quickly looked away, lest it seem she was gawping at Lord Elrond. She was third-to-last, now, and could only hope now that some of the others would start making mistakes so she could catch up a bit.

She once again strode to her target and removed her arrows. "Fly truer next time," she admonished them as she returned to the line, as though they had any choice in the matter.

Tara paused and felt the wind drift over her, trying to get a sense for how she should adjust. She picked up her first arrow and nocked it, then took aim and let the first arrow fly. The second and third followed in short succession.

[Taethowen]

Despite the fact that her final arrow also lodged in the outer ring of the target, Taethowen could not help but throw back her head and laugh with delight. Finally! she thought. That puts me what... in fourth place, moving up from last? Yes. Still clutching her bow, Taeth clapped her palms together in excitement, and practically bounced where she stood, regardless of the fact that she nearly whacked herself in the nose with her bow.

Then, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and her face flushed bright red as she realized that Lord Elrond himself had arrived... at some point. Hopefully he hadn't noticed her making a complete fool of herself.

Fortunately, by the time she retrieved her arrows and made it back to the starting line, her blush had calmed, and her hands were... mostly steady again. She'd bit back a bit of a smile when she saw that the Wizard Ducky had finally scored something befitting his actual skill. Or lack thereof.

She genuinely smiled when she saw that her other competitor, Bainiel, had managed to pull out of last place as well. "Well done!" she said when they both returned to the starting line. "Mayhaps the wind is on our side now!"

Taeth wasn't going to risk moving back to her dominant hand, though. Oh no. Not yet, anyway.

Once more, with her non-dominant hand, Taeth shot her arrows down the line, hoping whatever luck had come her way with the last round would stay awhile.

[KingODuckingham]

Ah, it did seem to be the wind. The first and last arrows wobbled, brushed slightly by the breeze, and they nearly missed the target. Ducky was not too worried though. The problem, he was sure, was neither mechanical nor anything nefarious. It had simply been bad luck of his to fire off the arrows at the moment he did. Had he waited a split second longer, or been a little faster on the draw, things would have been very different. He would keep that in mind for this next round, he told himself as he went and collected the arrows. He risked a check of the scores, knowing it would make him more nervous.

So far, so good. But that was exactly the sort of thing that set his anxiety running. He preferred when things were going poorly, if he had to choose. The underdog role was easier to step into, and it gave one a hunger to catch up. Sitting on top only made you a target. Oh, but speaking of targets, it was time to fire again. Everyone was in position. Ducky tried to remember his own advice. He knew he was beginning to think about it too hard and 2nd guess himself.

"Don't think, just feel." he told himself, then released without another thought. Three. Times.

[Durien]

Oh, this was going soooo badly. Durien sighed as she plucked one arrow out of the white ring and one out of the black ring. She had never considered herself the finest archer in Middle Earth, but she knew she was certainly skilled. The arrow she plucked out the red ring would have been one she would have considered a poor shot on any other day. She wasn't disappointed because she was in last place, which she was, but because this was turning out to be a very poor reflection of her skills. Of course, her bad day happened to be the one day Lord Elrond happened to be watching her. She wished she could say her nerves were getting the better of her, but the simple truth was that she wasn't nervous at all. She also wanted to blame the wind, which had picked up, but she had performed better on gustier days than this.

Pulling the last arrow from the target, her slender fingers halted and retraced their path as she smoothed the fletching. Something was wrong. It didn't feel right. She normally fletched her own arrows out of necessity and had become adept enough over the long ages of her life. She had finished these two weeks ago, but as she felt the feathers now, she realized they weren't as firmly set as they should have been. She didn't know why they had not set correctly nor did she have any extra arrows not of that particular batch with her to replace them. Ah, well. At least she knew why her performance was so terrible. She wasn't sure there was anything she could do to fix it.

The best she could do to correct the issue was to select the best arrows of the poorly fletched batch that she could find in her quiver and draw the string as taut as she could to add extra power to the flight. If the aerodynamics were extremely poor, the extra power wouldn't help much, but if the arrow was only so-so, it drive it forcefully through the air. Also, if she could figure out which of the three sets of feathers on the arrow was poorest in quality, she might be able to shoot accordingly. It was worth a try, although it would take all of her concentration to do so. Breathing in, the elleth focused, and released three more arrows in the direction of the target.

[Aethelu]

Bainiel

At last none of them had gone in the outer ring! She could almost do a little dance to celebrate. It was her highest score so far, almost the total of her first two round combined. She had been so worried that the presence of Lord Elrond was going to put her off, but instead it seemed she had done her best to impress. It also meant that she was no longer in last place. She let out a long sigh of relief.

Hurrying to the target she retrieved her arrows once more and returned to the line. The Rohir Taethowen congratulated her and it was only right to extend the same courtesy. "Thank you," she replied with a shy smile. "You did extremely well on that round, I have much to learn from you I feel." She took her time preparing for her next shots to watch the woman. Something seemed different to when she had been so distracted watching on the first round. As she fired off each arrow, Bainiel watched her form trying to decipher what it was. At last it dawned on her, she had swapped hands. That was certainly something impressive, it seemed she was going to need a lot more practice.

Still, she couldn't let herself get too distracted before she took her own shot. Picking up her arrow she lined up her next shot. Hopefully she could do as well on this round, despite the wind picking up. Deep breaths and then she fired, quickly picking up and firing off the next two in quick succession. Let it be a good round, she whispered to herself.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Artanis

"How have I managed to do so poorly once again?" Artanis wondered as she went to retrieve her arrows. She was solidly in third place overall but luck was not on her side at the moment. And to top it of, the Lord Elrond had decided to make an appearance. She was honestly surprised he considered this small tournament worthy of his presence, but then, from what she knew about the elf, he enjoyed being familiar with the going-ons in his kingdom. Well, at least the odd wizard had finally shot a round that was in accordance with his abilities, which was something she appreciated. She smiled towards the lady (Taeth) who had suddenly had a much better round than ever before. It was evident that whatever she had done to change had helped her improve.

Walking back to her place, Artanis selected some new arrows, hoping that this time they would cooperate with her. "Shoot straight and true," she murmured, placing the arrow on the string and with her left hand, drew the arrow back. Two more arrows followed in quick succession. As she lowered her bow, Artanis hoped that this round would help to prove her worth as an archer.

[Quill]

Rîn
Fourth Round

“Nae!” Rîn cried, followed by a string of curses spouted under her breath. This had been her least impressive round yet, and that was wording it kindly. None of her arrows had landed any closer than the fourth ring. She glanced over at Lord Elrond and Almarëa to see if either of them had noticed how terribly she’d performed this round, but the two elves were paying more attention to each other than they were to the tournament, which was just as well. Rîn stomped to her target and yanked her arrows unceremoniously from their shameful positions. She wouldn’t be using them again this next round. As she resumed her spot, feet finding the folded-down grass imprinted by her boots, she closed her eyes and willed the rest of the world to fall away. What did her scouting partner always say before a shot? It’s just you and your target, nothing else - or something along those lines. He was always more eloquent than she. In any case, she took his advice, and imagined that she was not at a tournament at all, but alone in a meadow in the middle of the woods, or a pass high in the Misty Mountains, where she was comfortable. Then she opened her eyes and let her first arrow of the round fly.

[Almarëa Mordollwen]

Round 4:

1. Tarawen - you rolled 3 (third ring/blue), 4 (second ring/red), and 1. You then rolled another 1 - unfortunately your last arrow missed the target entirely and hit a dove, which chose an unfortunate time to fly over the target, and now has an injured wing. (You may RP what, if anything, you would like to do about this, and get assistance from Elrond or Almarëa if necessary.) Your score for the round is 14 points. Your total score thus far: 14 + 12 + 20 + 24 = 70 points.

2. Artanis - you rolled 5 (inner ring/yellow), 2 (fourth ring/black), and 5 (inner ring/yellow). Your score for the round is 24 points. Your total score thus far: 24 + 14 + 38 + 14 = 90 points.

3. Ducky - you rolled 2 (fourth ring/black), 5 (inner ring/yellow), and 4 (second ring/red). Your score for the round is 22 points. Your total score thus far: 22+ 12 + 29 + 28 = 91 points.

4. Taethowen - you rolled 1, 3 (third ring/blue), and 6 (centre). Unfortunately your first arrow flew off into the bushes behind the archery range, from whence you will need to retrieve it. Your score for the round is 21 points. Your total score thus far: 21 + 32 + 16 + 12 = 81 points.

5. Bainiel - you rolled 1 (outer ring/white), 5 (inner ring/yellow), and 5 (inner ring/yellow). Your first arrow barely hit the target but is still (just) inside the ring, so it counts. Your score for the round is 22 points. Your total score thus far: 22 + 25 + 10 + 18 = 75 points.

6. Rîn - you rolled 1, 6 (centre), and 6 (centre). Unfortunately your first arrow missed the target, and instead struck one of the metal pins holding the target to the bale, and it has snapped. (You may get a spare arrow from Almarëa if you do not have any extras of your own.) Your score for the round is still, however, 30 points, thanks to two excellent follow-up shots. Your total score thus far: 30 + 8 + 31 + 33 = 102 points.

7. Durien - you rolled 6 (centre), 4 (second ring/red), and 2 (fourth ring/black). Your score for the round is 27 points. Your total score thus far: 27 + 14 + 20 + 14 = 75 points.

***

She was not sure if it was the nerves, the presence of Lord Elrond, a bit of complacency, or some fatigue setting in, but ... a few things went wrong this round, as Almarëa discovered when she went to score the targets. Nonetheless, there were still some excellent scores, and it still looked like a close race at the top. When all of the archers had collected their arrows (and retrieved them from wherever necessary), she made the announcement: "You may all now shoot your fifth round!"

[KingODuckingham]

Ducky watched the result of his latest flight of arrows, and bit his tongue slightly. Pressing his lips together to hide the action, he thought to himself:

"You fool. It's like you aimed to hit every single color on the target instead of just aiming for the center of the target! Don't lie, you did that didn't you?" Alternate Duck mind responded:

"Quack quack."

It was utterly useless trying to talk to himself sometimes. He saw some things go awry with the other archers. At least that had not happened to him. He was safe, and still technically in second place after a couple underwhelming rounds. That was just how strong he had started. But now he needed to finish strong. The competition was nearing a close, and Lord Elrond was still watching. In fact, his face looked kind of smug. Was he glad that Ducky was no longer in the lead? It seemed that wizards faced discrimination no matter whether they went to the kingdoms of Men, Dwarves, OR Elves. How rude. Ducky wanted to win now just to prove...uh, something...to everyone!

Now if only he were actually trustworthily good at archery.

Well, he wasn't, but he was darn tootin going to shoot three more arrows, and he would even shoot them at the target instead of his fellow contestants.

Now what was that thought? Go away, thought. Ducky pulled the arrows out of the butt roughly and stomped back to the line. He grasped his bow just a little too tightly, knocked arrows, and let fly.

[Marceline]

"Oh NO!" The cry escaped Tarawen's mouth as she watched the dove, which had swooped low near her target on its way to somewhere, drop like a stone. Her third arrow of the last round missed the mark badly, and the innocent passing dove was paying for her lack of skill. Without thinking, she let her bow fall to the ground as she sprinted to the spot where the bird lay in the grass.

It was still alive. It cooed and flapped its wings - one of them useless, for the arrow had pierced it - in its pain and panic. No doubt her presence was doing nothing to help ease it. "I'm so sorry," Tara whispered, grasping it gently but firmly around the ribs. The bird's wings fluttered frantically. "Hush now, we'll find you some help." She glanced furtively over her shoulder to see if anyone else had noticed this horrifically embarrassing moment; hopefully, they'd all be too busy checking their scores.

Not knowing where else to turn and all propriety forgotten, Tarawen rushed toward Almarëa and Lord Elrond. "Please," she began, tears welling in her eyes as she held the dove close to her chest. "Can you help it?" She pressed the dove - now fluttering less violently, but still quite panicked - into Alma's hands and whispered, "I'm sorry. I usually don't hit animals on accident. I'm not sure what's been going on with my shooting, and I don't know enough of healing to help it." She shifted her weight from foot to foot anxiously as the elleth took the bird. Tara wondered vaguely if she should just quit the contest. As there was nothing she could do for the bird at this point, she bowed clumsily to Lord Elrond and thanked Almarëa for her help before rushing off to retrieve two arrows from her target. She was certainly embodying the stereotype of clumsy mortal this afternoon.

Once the signal to shoot again had been given, Tara glanced toward Alma and the bird. She hoped it would survive; she would go and check after her next shots. Tarawen was a practical hunter, not squeamish in normal circumstances, but she hadn't intended to hit this dove. And its eyes had been so wide and adorable . . . "Snap out of it," she thought. She took aim (considerably more carefully this time) and released her arrows.

[Quill]

Rîn
Round Five

The results of the fourth round nearly made Rîn’s head spin. The first shot flew so wide that it actually struck one of the metal pins securing the target in place against the bale of hay, and cracked with an impressive sound. She fired off her next two shots in rapid succession, sure the round would be a wash, and then discovered that both of them had struck within the bulls’ eye. Jaw slightly agape, she went to collect the two bolts that had survived, giving the splinters of the broken one a sharp look. Luckily for her she had brought a full quiver of arrows to the event and didn’t need to solicit Almarëa for a replacement. Still slightly stunned, the elleth gave her shoulders a wiggle to loosen them up, cracked her neck, and planned to do the same thing all over again.

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Artanis

This round had gone quite a bit better for her, two arrows finding their way to the inner yellow ring. And she was solidly in third place, though only by a single point. At least she was having better luck than some of the others as her rings had all at least hit the target. She had gasped in horror when one arrow (Tarawen's) hit an innocent little dove. She had done her fair share of hunting and was fairly certain that it hadn't been too severely injured. Hopefully Lord Elrond or Almarëa would know how to heal it.

She walked up towards the target and retrieved her arrows muttering under her breath about her horrid shooting. Just once she would like to get a perfect round.

Back at her spot, Artanis took a deep, calming breath and prepared to shoot the fifth set. She set the arrow to the string, pulled back, and let it fly. The next two arrows followed in rapid succession.

[Durien]

Better. It was at least a little bit better of a performance, Durien thought with a sigh as she eyed where her arrows had landed. She couldn't fix the fletching, but as her first arrow of this round had proved, now that she knew what the problem was, she might be able to counteract it a bit. She had gained ground in the rankings, enough to tie for second to last place, not just be solidly in last like she was after the third round. She still wasn't thrilled with her results this round, but what could one do? At this point in the competition it wasn't worth trying to use new arrows, and the fletching itself simply couldn't be mended here and now. Plucking all of her arrows out of the target, she examined them for damage. She would reuse the first and second arrows, but the third arrow she replaced with another from her quiver. Hopefully the damage to the fletching wasn't as bad on this one. It wasn't obviously damaged, but neither had the others been, although their flights and a through close inspection clearly indicated they were.

Durien notched another arrow to her bow and drew. She breathed in, tried to counter the effects of the poor fletching and released, sending her first arrow on its way. She repeated the process twice more to finished the fifth round, then slung her bow over her back and waited for the other competitors to finish.

[Aethelu]

Bainiel

It had not been a bad round she had to say. The first arrow was hanging on for dear life on the edge of the target. When it had struck she had felt her heart sink, would they allow that to count towards her score? Thankfully her next two arrows had hit better, but to lose points from one arrow was not an ideal situation. When the scores had been announced she had been so relieved to hear it was a point. She would happily take just the single point, it was better than nothing. And it was better than some of the others had done what with an injured bird and broken arrow thrown into the mix.

She placed her bow down and walked to the target to retrieve her arrows. As she walked, she tried to stretch out her arms a little. She would normally take things very slowly if she had been practising alone in the valley. She would shoot a few arrows, take a break for a while, stretch her arms and legs, maybe take a turn with her short sword. If Idhion had come with her, it would take even longer as they would take some time to sit and talk. They could spend hours just sitting and listening to the sounds of nature around them. It often depended on if Bainiel and her mother were fighting or not as to how long she spent away from home.

Pulling out the arrows, she tilted her head from side to side. This was more effort than she had anticipated, she certainly needed to build up her stamina. Hopefully she could hold on until the end of the competition before her arms gave in. The stretching had helped a little as she lifted her bow once more, though her arms were shaking a little by the time she fired off the last of her three arrows.

[Taethowen]

Perhaps it was the dove's fault that Taeth's first shot went wide, even if it hadn't been her arrow that struck it. But as the dove fell to the ground with calls of distress and pain it pulled her focus away, and before she knew it, her first arrow had missed the target completely and disappeared into the brush behind the target line. Taeth may have let loose an unladylike oath under her breath.

Her second shot was... better. Her third was good, and she stomped off with frustration to retrieve her first arrow, wishing that all her shots had been true this round.

As she returned, Taeth noticed that Tarawen had retrieved the injured dove and was presenting it to Lord Elrond. If no one had noticed the dove, Taeth would have gone and put it out of its misery. Better to be a meal than injured and abandoned.

When the scores for the round were announced, Taeth was at least relieved to hear she hadn't dropped further in the standings. She'd really like to be in the top three, but being smack in the middle of the standings was solid footing. Especially when she was competing against so many elves.

She was not the only archer to have some issues this round, it seemed, for it took a little longer for everyone to assemble at the shooting line again. Taeth took the opportunity to check her bowstring and make sure her quiver was sitting comfortably and accessibly if she was to keep shooting left-handed instead of right.

Then Almarëa called for the fifth round to begin, and Taethowen took a breath, lifted her bow, and loosed her arrows as she whispered a supplication for Béma the Hunter to guide her aim true.

[Almarëa Mordollwen]

Round 5:

1. Tarawen - you rolled 5 (inner ring/yellow), 2 (fourth ring/black), and 2 (fourth ring/black). Your score for the round is 18 points. Your total score thus far: 18 + 14 + 12 + 20 + 24 = 88 points.

2. Artanis - you rolled 5 (inner ring/yellow), 2 (fourth ring/black), and 5 (inner ring/yellow). Your score for the round is 24 points. Your total score thus far: 24 + 24 + 14 + 38 + 14 = 114 points.

3. Ducky - you rolled 3 (third ring/blue), 2 (fourth ring/black), and 3 (third ring/blue). Your score for the round is 16 points. Your total score thus far: 16 + 22 + 12 + 29 + 28 = 107 points.

4. Taethowen - you rolled 6 (centre), 4 (second ring/red), and 1. Unfortunately when you release your last arrow, the nock breaks off and the arrow flies off at a wild angle. At least it doesn't hit anyone, but you will be making another trip to the bushes to find the shaft. (You may get a replacement arrow from Almarëa if you need one). Your score for the round is 23 points. Your total score thus far: 23 + 21 + 32 + 16 + 12 = 104 points.

5. Bainiel - you rolled 1, 1, and 5 (inner ring/yellow). I am so sorry. Unfortunately, the wind catches your first two arrows and sends them very off course. The first one actually hits Taethowen's target by mistake, and the second hits a rock on the ground and the tip breaks off. (You may get a replacement arrow from Almarëa if you need one.) Your score for the round is 10 points. Your total score thus far: 10 + 22 + 25 + 10 + 18 = 85 points.

6. Rîn - you rolled 3 (third ring/blue), 3 (third ring/blue), and 6 (centre). Your score for the round is 27 points. Your total score thus far: 27 + 30 + 8 + 31 + 33 = 129 points.

7. Durien - It looks like fortune is finally with you! You rolled a 5 (inner ring/yellow), 2 (fourth ring/black), and 6 (centre). Your score for the round is 29 points. Your total score thus far: 29 + 27 + 14 + 20 + 14 = 104 points.

***
Almarëa took the unfortunate injured dove from Tarawen and began to examine it, glancing between it and the archers, until Lord Elrond finally volunteered to look after it while she focused on running the competition. It seemed likely that it would recover, if the injured wing was tended to in time.

Mercifully, the next round was much less eventful, and although there were a few mishaps, none of them resulted in injury. Once all of the archers had collected their arrows, Almarëa made the announcement: "This will be the final round! You may now shoot your last three arrows."

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Artanis started in surprise when an arrow from Bainiel flew off and managed to strike Taethowen's target. How could some people be so bad at aiming? At least no archers nor creatures had been harmed this time around. She felt sorry for the poor bird and hoped that Lord Elrond would be able to heal it. It was never right when innocent creatures were harmed.

She hadn't done terribly this round, but it wasn't her strongest either. Glancing at the score totals, she was pleased to note that she was now solidly in second place. It was a very close competition for third however, but Artanis hoped that she would continue to score decently and return home as one of the top three archers. It wouldn't do for an elf, known for their archery, to place any lower.

Gathering her courage for the final round, Artanis planted her feet, drew back her bow, and fired off her last three arrows, hoping that they would find their target and bring home a prize.