[LENA]
My training was progressing quite well. I practiced weapons handling, archery, and self-defense until I got better at them, especially at archery. I can now hit my mark from a farther distance.
I've also gotten better at riding a horse. It wasn't really part of my training program; I wouldn't be riding on horseback on our travels since I'd be sitting in a carriage the whole time, but I still persuaded Luca to teach me.
One day, Luca and I rode our horses to the woods — him on Storm, and me on Willow.
Luca was carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back. He only told me what they were for when we dismounted at the edge of a clearing.
"Let's put your archery to good use," he said as we hitched our horses to a tree. "You'll be doing your first hunt. Or try, at least."
"Me? Hunting?" I asked nervously. I wasn't confident about hitting a moving target. Much more, a living target. "What am I hunting?"
