Archery Range

She glanced up, a gloss formed over her eyes,"Not Kent. Not yet. I'm not quite ready to go back yet. But yes-I promise."

She prized another arrow and aimed at the target,"Tell me of this girl of yours then, Mr Culpepper."

The arrow stabbed the bull's eye and she grinned.

Thomas rubs his chin watching the trajectory of the arrow and the point strike true. He raises his own bow and focuses his concentration as he speaks; "She is lovely... graceful and most passionate." His fingers release the shaft and it too hits the bulls-eye, though slightly off dead center.

Anne stared at him, as if he were some sort of actor performing. Every movement was so fluid, every word a promise.

She smiled a clapped a little at his shot,"I always wished I could split an arrow..."

"That makes one for you, one for me" Thomas says, genuinely charmed by this delightful girl. With thoughts of leaving court off of his mind for now, he steps up to Anne and catches her eye, smiling. "If you should manage to split the shaft, I shall gladly toss in an additional bauble...next round, your go M' Lady."

She chuckled,"I doubt it."

She drew the arrow, pulling it tightly and increasing the tension. The bow moaned as it was contorted. Finally -with a sigh- she released the arrow.
It flew through the air and plunged right beside Thomas'...but did not split it.

She smiled and glanced up,"Told you."

Thomas' turn. Again he sets the notch of his arrow shaft to the bow string and pulls it tight, gripping both shaft and striped hawk fletchings whilst focusing on the target. As he releases it, the arrow point hits home in the small crowded bulls-eye circle.

"There now" Thomas turns to her. "Two all... as you please M' lady".

She grinned, and returned the shot hitting just shy of the very centre of the target.

She prepared her arrows and asked,"So you...and your lady? She is French you say-does that mean you shall move to France?"

"I would follow her to France, or just about anywhere... there is one little problem however, I have yet to divulge my feelings for her to my father... we usually travel a great deal as 'tis warranted by his vocation, but now, since I've met Sienna I'd rather just stay in one place... that being wherever she is". Thomas' arrow veers off, missing the bulls-eye completely.

"It appears, Lady Lumley, you've found your opening."

She aims for the target again,"And I do you hope to marry her?"

"Marry her?" Thomas stops in the middle of retrieving another arrow from the quiver basket, looking up at Anne. "That is my fondest desire... If she will assent I should be the happiest boy in England!. Not yet, however. I am only ten and eight years of age and I must make my fortune first." Thomas again raises his bow and his arrow hits the bulls-eye true once again.

As he spoke she lost her concentration a hollow feeling arrived-strange. The arrow shot through the air and landed in a bush near by. She chuckled and ignored the dull feeling in her,"You are but one year older than I. I feel we have quite alot in common, Mr Culpepper

Startled at how badly Anne's target missed the mark, Thomas turns and looks over at her with a bewildered expression. "Surely your fingers must have slipped, would you like to make that shot again cleanly? That one shan't count." he says, deferring to adding his own remark that they did indeed at least share a skill for archery and a mutual birthplace.

She nodded and improved her stance, bow in hand,"You must keep quiet,"she said playfully,"Or else I shall think you are cheating."

She tugged the bow and let the arrow free. It sped through the air and to her surprise it plunged through an arrow, splitting it in half. She stood bewildered and wide eyed, a smile formed on her lips.

Thomas laughs at her admonishment. "I shall be quiet as a mouse M' Lady!" he says and steps back, folding his arms to watch her shot. Following it's path through the air, he is amazed as it strikes dead on and cleaves the previous one, embedding itself deep into arrow's shaft. Thomas unfolds his arms and squints his eyes, incredulous of what he has just seen.

"You've done it!... by god, Anne you've really done it!" he walks closer to the target for a closer look. "my word!... tell me you've never done that before!"

"Never!"she said laughing and touched his arm,"You are my lucky charm!"

She skipped closer to the target and examined the arrow,"My god,"she whispered excitedly.

I glance up as I see a pretty lady approach. I curtsey and keep my distance as she looks disgruntled.

Thomas appears confused at Lady Seymour's brusque manner as she approaches. "M' Lady" he says, bowing politely and sets his bow down. "You wish to see me ?" Thomas says lifting his forefinger to his chest.

Anne stuttered a little,"Ehm...my lord, my lady-I shall excuse myself."

She didn't want to interrupt anything important so she curtsied, gave Thomas a warm smile and left, taking the split arrow with her as a keep-sake.

Thomas begins to speak, utterly confused at Lady Seymour's cryptic words. M' Lady... have I done something to offend you or make you cross with me?"

It was an Autumn crisp morning when Mary arrived at the Archery fields. She spots William practicing a few shots on a hay bake as a target "You're quite good I see"

Releasing the arrow I watched as it split the remaining arrow in the heart of the target to pieces causing it to fall to the ground. I was going to reload my archer when I heard the voice of my beloved partner. Mary! I went to pick her up in my arms and held her by my side, tangling her lush brown locks around my fingers.

"Oh I have missed you so" she says as they embrace. "How do you fare as of late?