New Foundations/Neimi: Tearful Archer

Neimi: Tearful Archer - C

Neimi	OK... Just like Grandpa taught me... Steady breathing, calm nerves... Aim...and fire!
Bullseye! Amazing! Looks like Neimi wins this one, eh, Norne?		Rebecca
Norne	Wow! And here I thought I was in top form today too. Ya did great!
I’m n-not always this good! That was just sheer luck!		Neimi
Rebecca	Nonsense. You’ve got a real talent for archery. Any one of us could see that immediately.
Well, target practice is one thing. Out here, the target doesn’t move, and I can take my time... But on the battlefield, I... I...		Neimi
Norne	It’s OK, Neimi. We’ve all been there. There’s no use worrying about the things ya can’t control. And besides, didn’t ya just arrive in Askr? Findin’ your bearings take time. Go easy on yourself!
I...I’ll try. Thank you.		Neimi
Leon	Oh, poor thing... It must be so frustrating to have practice be the only place you can perform well.
It’s a shame... Even the best battle simulations aren’t even close to the real thing.		Tanya
Leon	I wish there was something I could do to help, but I’m afraid I might just make the situation worse.
Hmm... Maybe we could ask the commander to see what she thinks?		Tanya
Sue	That would be a start...
Oh! You want me to go game hunting with you?		Neimi
Tanya	Yeah, we thought we’d sharpen our skills in the wild. There’s a nice forested area near the castle.
We’ve already asked for permission and there’s a spot with your name on it. All we need is a “yes.”		Ronan
Neimi	Oh! Well, in that case, yes! I’d love to join you. I mean, if you’re sure. I don’t want to be in the way...
May I join you as well?		Sue
Tanya	Of course, Sue! With you spotting for us, we won’t have to worry about our dinner escaping.
We will not let you down, right, Neimi?		Sue
Neimi	Right!

Neimi: Tearful Archer - B

Ronan	Have you ever tracked wild game before, Neimi?
Yeah. My...my grandpa was an expert hunter. He taught me everything I know about archery.		Neimi
Tanya	Ahh, I see. So you learned your skills from a game hunter. That actually makes a lot of sense. Now that I think of it... Sue, your grandfather was pretty amazing too, right? The silver something?
Wolf. He was called the Silver Wolf.		Sue
Tanya	Yeah, that was it! I guess you and Neimi are pretty similar in that respect. Who knew?
Well, even though I was my grandpa’s student, I still couldn’t hit the target every time. Not like he could. I always had to bring a whole quiver. But he...he only ever brought a single arrow on the hunt.		Neimi
Ronan	Seriously? Just one?
His motto was “one arrow for one animal.” He never missed his mark.		Neimi
Ronan	That’s incredible. Perhaps it was this respect for nature that allowed him to coexist peacefully alongside it.
Perhaps. But even without nature’s blessing, such precision still requires a great deal of skill.		Sue
Neimi	Someday, I want to be just as good as he was. I can’t imagine only needing one arrow, but—
Wait, is that—it is! Neimi, look over there! A huge buck. Do you think you can make the shot?		Tanya
Neimi	I see him! I’ll...I’ll try! OK... Visualize the arrow’s path... Synchronize your breathing... And...fire!
Wow! A perfect shot.		Sue
Ronan	Amazing! It’s almost as if your grandfather himself was here, guiding the arrow.
So, a buck is fine, but...		Tanya
Neimi	I-I did it? I did it! Whew...
This is incredible. It appears you don’t have any difficulty hitting a practice target or animal, and yet... This is just a guess, but...could it be that you get nervous only when you’re aiming at people?		Tanya
Neimi	Oh, I...I never thought of it like that, but I guess that would make sense... Grandpa refused to join the army...
Just incredible. A single arrow...		Sue

Neimi: Tearful Archer - A

Sue	Neimi, may I speak with you a moment?
Oh, hi, Sue. Of course. What’s up?		Neimi
Sue	It’s about your grandfather. Needing only a single arrow for hunting is quite the feat. Surely he was famous?
Oh, well... Maybe? He never really acted like he was, but I heard people talk about him occasionally. People called him “Single-Arrow Zethla” because of his accuracy. They said he could shoot any target, moving or still, with one shot. “No second arrow for Zethla,” they said.		Neimi
Sue	I see...
I’m actually wearing his gauntlet. The gold falcon embroidered on it, well, it’s one of the ways I remember him. He passed it down to me, along with everything he could teach me about archery and hunting. When I got the gauntlet, it was way too big for me. I had to resize it to fit. It feels much better now...		Neimi
Sue	It’s clear that your grandfather and his teachings are very dear to you. I don’t believe that hesitating to aim your bow at another person is a negative thing.
You don’t?		Neimi
Sue	No. We should never have to shoot our fellow man. But the grim reality is a different story... Sometimes, it takes an arrow to stop an arrow. The people of Askr need our protection. Even if it means...
Yeah... I heard Princess Sharena talk about the struggles of the common folk. It’s so sad...		Neimi
Sue	Your grandfather entrusted his legacy and his gauntlet to you. But do you know why he did so? Was it simply because you were his granddaughter? Or...was it something more?
I-I don’t...		Neimi

Neimi: Tearful Archer - S

Neimi	The village where Colm and I grew up was torched by bandits. We... we’ve been on the run ever since. I couldn’t even begin to count how many times knowing archery has helped get us out of a bind.
It seems your grandfather’s skills became quite useful.		Sue
Neimi	Not even just archery. We’d have perished long ago if he hadn’t taught me a bunch of survival skills. Maybe it’s silly, but I know he’s looking over us. I feel him every time I use what he taught me. *sniffle*
It wasn’t just you he saved. Think of all the people he helped you protect since then. He may have given you those skills, but you were the one who utilized them. You must give yourself credit.		Sue
Neimi	I...
You’ve taken his teachings and made them your own. Something worthy of passing on yourself. Just think of how many lives have already been saved thanks to you... and how many lives still can be.		Sue
Neimi	Did I... Can I...really do all that?
I learned archery from my father. And he, his father before him. Their legacies live on through me. That knowledge and skill, refined through years and years, continues to save people to this very day. I have made their art my own, but I did not start with nothing, and neither will my successor. I will pass on my knowledge in the hopes that it will be used for the greater good after I am gone.		Sue
Neimi	I wonder if that’s what Grandpa had in mind when he decided to teach me...
I believe so. You use your bow to protect what you have, rather than using it to take what you do not. Surely your grandfather saw archery as a way to keep yourself and those closest to you safe.		Sue
Neimi	Yeah... You’re right. Thank you, Sue. I’m really glad that we had this talk. Grandpa wanted me to make good use of what he taught me. So I’m going to make him proud!

Scenario
← Colm		Tana →
New Foundations
Neimi	Joshua	Rennac	Colm

---