Building a Better Bow [Profession/Solo]

Assignment Overview: Lexiara would like to learn how to make her own bows. A local tribe has offered to allow her to see how it is done. Watch and learn how to make a basic bow.

---

Lexi walked with a hand on Leo’s back, enjoying the texture of his fur under her palm. They had not spotted a tribe for almost a full moon cycle, but there were tell-tale signs that one was nearby. The vegetation was thinner and there was fewer wildlife, indicating heavy hunting or avoidance of humans or some combination of the two. It took another two days before they finally spotted a small tribe of about seven families. The huts were made of grass and mud and the people were primarily clothed in leather, indicating it was most likely a hunting tribe with some farming of plants. If they had farmed sheep or goats, there would have been more cloth around the village. As they approached the small village, they were greeted by an older man with a young man on each side of him, bows pulled taut and aimed for Leo. Lexi instinctively moved in front of her tiger, glaring at the men.

Onyx approached the Elder, kneeling before the older man out of respect, assuring the men they meant no harm and that the massive tiger was quite tame. Lexi emphasized his point by playfully rubbing Leo’s head, the tiger responding with a purr and nuzzle. The Elder nodded to the two young men to lower their bows and they complied, allowing Lexi and Leo to approach. She gave a friendly smile to the Elder, dropping into a curtsey before raising to speak.

“Many thanks, Elder. We are simply hoping for some information. We became separated from our own tribe many seasons ago and were hoping perhaps you had seen them?”

The Elder looked from Lexi to Onyx, taking note of their unusual features. The Kimeer clan were relatively well-known in the area, at least their existence was known. The Kimeer tribe tended to be more nomadic than most tribes, constantly moving to avoid slave traders looking for their unique traits. He hummed softly, giving the young Kimeer a kindly smile.

“We last saw your tribe moving through about three moons ago, young miss. They were traveling towards the rising sun, following the edge of the forest.”

Lexi smiled brightly, hope filling her chest once more. Onyx cleared his throat near her before the young wolf spoke.

“Elder, I do not wish to impose, but I was wondering if we could rest here a few days. We have been walking for over a moon and our feet are weary.”

The Elder nodded, waving the two Kimeer and the tiger into the village proper.

---

Lexi found herself staring at the bows carried by the two young men that guarded the Elder, not noticing their admiring stares as she eager asked if she could see their bows. They happily handed her one of the bows, allowing her to test the weight and feel of the bow. The wood was worn smooth, not a single splinter to be found, and the string was strong and without frays. The boys chattered to her, explaining that they all made their own bows, an essential skill among a hunting tribe. Lexi remembered being given her first bow, her father handing her the custom weapon, specially designed for her small frame and lighter build.

Eager to learn how to craft her own weapon, she explained to the young men that she was looking to expand her abilities into making bows, her current bow was too weak and small to accommodate her growing body. She had not grown much taller, but it made a difference in the way her bow pulled, and she had filled out in the areas women were supposed to fill out in, though she was still not entirely sure how to handle that. All she knew was that it was making it difficult with her current bow. One of the boys, Alex, offered to show her how to make her own bow, a playful grin cutting across his face. The red-haired boy bounced as he walked, his friend leading Onyx off to show him where the siblings would be staying. Onyx gave Lexi a worried look but knew his sister could take care of herself, so he focused on helping out the tribe with anything he could to compensate for they planned stay in the village.

Alex led Lexi to a hut near the end of the village, holding aside a leather flap so she could duck into the dark abode. The inside of the hut was humid and smelled strongly of freshly cut wood. All around, she could see bows in various stages of creation, the humid atmosphere allowing the tribespeople to bend and manipulate the wood into the desired shape. In the center of the hut, a young man was putting the final touches on his bow, stringing the weapon. Lexi watched raptly as he tested the strength of the string, envious of the bow. Alex chatted amiably, greeting the young man working on the bow as he showed Lexi the various stages of bow creation and guiding her through the process. She listened intently, wanting to absorb as much information as possible about how to create the perfect bow.

When the young man finished stringing his bow, he proudly held it out to Lexi, the jaguar-spotted young woman hefting the weight carefully before lifting into position and trying to draw the string. It was much more difficult than her own bow, emphasizing her need for a new bow and more training. The wood was carefully sanded down and the entire thing sheened in the low light of the humid hut. Impressed with the work, Lexi handed the bow back. Turning to Alex, she bounced in place, looking coy.

“Hey Alex… do you think I could try this?”

Alex laughed and nodded, agreeing to help her the next day before leading her out of the tent. As the dying light of the setting sun hit her face, she saw Onyx approaching, grabbing her hand as Leo prowled behind him, her sibling and her tiger leading her to the center of the village where the aroma of cooking meat wafted on the chilly breeze. After a nice, warm meal, the siblings retired to a small hut at the edge of the village, the pair barely fitting into the mud and grass hut with the large tiger. Cuddling into Leo with Onyx snuggled on her other side, Lexi drifted to sleep thinking of bow designs.

[500+/500]

Assignment Overview: After observing the process of making a bow, Lexi can try her hand at making one of her own. If it is well-made, the tribe will buy the bow from her!

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The next morning, after a quick snack of dried meat and fruit, Lexi smiled as Alex approached her. Onyx and Leo had went out to join some of the villagers on a hunt, the large tiger eager to help with the hunting. Watching the white fur disappear into the woods with her brother beside him, she waited until they had disappeared before allowing Alex to lead her towards the hut from the day before. Ducking into the humid structure, Alex led her to a stack with long, thin pieces of wood, helping her to find the best length, given her height and frame, explaining to her what effects the different types of wood would have. Some were hard and stable, others were extremely flexible and pliable. She finally found one that he didn’t shake his head at, testing the strength of the wood before looking it over for any oddly placed knots or joints that might compromise the integrity of the bow.

Satisfied with the choice, Alex led the girl over to a table filled with guide molds for the wood, talking her through the different styles of bows and their most appropriate uses. He suggested a simple long-bow, by far the quickest bow to make, though not entirely appropriate for the girl, it would be a good practice piece and would be easy to sell, if she managed to do it correctly. Lexi listened to each step of instruction, following his guidance precisely as she used a long strip of leather to strap the wood to the mold. It took several more strips of leather to secure the wood in enough places to help hold the shape. Everything in the hut was sweating and damp, including the leather strips. When Alex told her to bring the mold as he led her from the hut, she followed without thought, following him to another hut.

Stepping into the new hut, she found it was quite warm, but unlike the first hut, it was completely dry instead of humid. In the center of the hut was glowing coals with stones across the top. Alex explained that it acted as an oven, drawing the moisture from the wood and drying it into the shape of the mold. Lexi laid the mold on the stones before following Alex out of the hut. He explained it would take until tomorrow to be sufficiently dry before leading her a few meters from the village. Noting the sweat dripping from the young Kimeer woman, he waved to the bubbling brook. She gratefully knelt beside the cool water, splashing it onto her face and arms before thanking the red-haired young man. Much cooler than before, the two returned to the village to help prepare the meal for the evening.

Onyx and Leo returned with the other hunters, the tiger proudly carrying several animal carcasses on his back. Lexi chuckled at the raised snout and prancing steps of her adopted pet before unloading his prizes and helping to skin and prepare the creatures.

---

The next day, Lexi eagerly followed Alex to the hut, the friendly young man helping her to test the strength of the now-dry wood before they moved outside. Beside the door was a large bag of sand, which Alex carried to the stream from the day before. He showed the Kimeer how to use the sand and water to remove any splinters or rough spots in the wood, guiding her hands on how to keep from losing much of the sand in her efforts. When the bow was smooth and sleek, they returned to the oven hut to dry out the water from the creek. It did not take long, the pair only having time to grab a quick snack before he was showing her how to twine the string and then attach it to the bow. It took both of them to properly string the long-bow, the bow taller than she was. By the time Onyx and Leo came to gather her for dinner, she was the proud creator of a fairly decent long-bow, the Elder offering her to sell it for her. Proud of her accomplishment, Lexi agreed.

[500+/500]

Assignment Overview: The tribe was impressed with Lexi’s bow and has asked her to make five more for their beginner archers and are willing to pay for them.

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The pride Lexi felt at completing her first bow felt warm in her chest and even her quiet brother, Onyx, had granted her a smile and a warm hug. The young man was typically quite cool in relation to emotional events but he tended to soften up around his adopted sibling. Something about her violet eyes and twitching jaguar ears made his icy exterior melt just enough to pull a smile to his face. However, this smile melted when he saw the red-head, Alex, approaching. He scowled at the obvious interest the other young man was showing in Lexi, his sister too oblivious and naïve to recognize that the villager was attempting to sway and woo her.

Lexi smiled brightly as Alex approached, waving at the young man who returned her enthusiastic grin before plopping down onto the log next to her. Word of her crafting attempt had spread through the village and the village Elder had asked Alex to approach Lexi about making more bows. Lexi listened to the offer, knowing that it would be invaluable experience as it involved crafting a variety of different types of bows from different materials.

The tribe needed a total of five new bows for the young children just becoming old enough to learn the ways of the hunters. She was excited at the prospect of introducing the children to an activity she found both relaxing and challenging. The idea of the small children running around with bows she had crafted excited her and so she eagerly agreed, asking to meet each of the children before making their bows so she had a better idea of the frames of the children and also their personality. Alex agreed to take her around to meet the kids and the two scampered off, leaving Onyx and Leo both to glare at their retreating backs.

Alex introduced Lexi to Shara first, the young girl only coming up to Lexi’s waist but full of energy and an intense desire to learn to wield a bow. Lexi took the girl’s measurements, using string to keep track. Next, she met Drusilla, a teen girl that was not part of the typical hunting activities but had a desire to learn to wield a bow for purposes of personal protection. It was dangerous to go out gathering fruits and mushrooms when the woods were filed with dangerous animals and passing bandits. Lexi nodded in understanding, taking the girl’s measurements and making a mental note to design Drusilla’s bow with protection rather than hunting in mind.

Next on the list to meet was Alex’s little brother, Kris. The boy was the spitting image of his older brother, though much smaller. He seemed eager to do anything his brother did and Lexi giggled as he boasted proudly while she measured the span of his arms. From there she met the twins, Fin and Ben. The two boys were as different as night and day, not even their hair matched, let alone their frames. Their reasons for picking up a bow were varied and Lexi listened to each of them as she tugged out string and cut it to the appropriate length.

Measurements complete and having a better idea of the personal preferences of the upcoming bow-wielders, Lexi retreated to the hut of wood being prepared for bow creation. She searched through the stack as Alex explained to her which types of wood would be most suitable for what she had planned. She listened and engrained the information into her mind, picking out each of the wood types she planned on using.

Next, she had to pick out the correct molds for the wood, making sure to pick out molds that were intended for smaller frames and specific to the purpose of the desired end product. The next several hours were spent taking long leather strips and wrapping the wood to the molds. Lexi was meticulous, making sure the straps were pulled taut to ensure the wood got the perfect shape of the mold. Once all five of the pieces of wood were strapped into place, she took them to the ‘oven hut’ to bake for the night and then joined Onyx and Leo for dinner, chatting amiably about her day and the children she had met. Talking with the kids had reminded her how much she missed being with her own tribe. While she was ecstatic she had managed to find Onyx, she missed hearing the laughter of the children and leaving the hut to see a veritable sea of pointed, furry ears perched atop human heads. She was more self-conscious in front of normal humans, the stares and random petting making her want to hide the conspicuous ears.

Onyx could sense that his sister was homesick and wrapped a comforting arm around her before leading her to the small hut they shared, Leo eagerly finding a spot on the ground so the two could use him as a pillow for the evening, his gentle purring easing his ‘mother’ into a peaceful sleep.

---

The next morning, Lexi was eager to finish the bows and rushed to the oven hut, the wood now dry and appropriately shaped. Taking them to the stream, one by one, she removed them from the mold and sanded down the rough edges, taking a small knife out to carve out finger holds and sanding them down, making sure each one was smooth of any splinters or abnormalities before returning it to the oven and working on the next one. Once all five were sanded down, she had Alex help her carrying all of them back to the humid hut, working on carving out the holds for the strings and then stringing up each bow with care. It took several hours of strenuous work to get each bow properly strung and she was forced to stop before testing them by Onyx, her protective brother seeing the weariness on her face and forcing her to bed.

---

She was exhausted the next day but was intent on testing the bows before giving them out to the children. Alex, Onyx and Leo all joined her, the tiger helpfully fetching the arrows she was shooting. Both of the boys seemed pleased with her creations, Alex swinging her around in a massive hug, Onyx scowling at the boy until Lexi looked at him, his face transforming into a proud smile. When it came time to hand out the bows, Lexi reveled in the excitement on the faces of each of them, proud to know her work was appreciated. The compensation the Elder offered her meant very little compared to her personal pride and being able to craft something others wanted to handle.

[1000+/1000]

Assignment Overview: Lexi feels comfortable with crafting a basic bow, now it is time to try something a bit sturdier. If it comes out well, the tribe will buy the bow from her!

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Lexiara knew that she had done well with the bows she had created for the children of the village, but those bows were similar to her own current bow, crafted for children and smaller frames. She still needed to learn to create a bow intended for an adult frame, a process she was sure would require more than simply making the bow longer. Thoughts of how to accomplish making a stronger bow were rolling in her head as she cuddled between Leo and Onyx, her brother and her tiger doing much to chase off the chill of the spring morning. Frost was still dotting the grass when she finally untangled herself from the pile of limbs and tails to hunt down something for breakfast. She had been spending so much time learning to make bows, she had not simply went out to enjoy the peace and quiet of a hunt in over a week. Within an hour, she was returning to the village, dragging a deer behind her. She was not strong enough to sling the creature over her shoulders and still manage to carry her bow.

Onyx had a worried look on his face until he spotted her dragging her kill back to the village, a smile of relief immediately crossing his face before he jogged over to assist her. Together, they hauled the deer back to the cooking fire in the middle of the village, stopping at the stream first to gut the creature. Generally, it was preferable to let the creature hang and bleed out for a day or two, but fresh venison had its own appeal and it did not take long before they were dining on freshly roasted deer. Leo had his own haunch of deer to dine on while they chatted about her design ideas for a stronger bow, Lexi noticing when Onyx became quieter. She did not understand his sudden silence until Alex settled down beside them, helping himself to some of the roasting deer and smiling broadly at the jaguar-spotted young woman. He gave his input on her design ideas, correcting some of her misconceptions and applauding the portions she had theorized correctly.

Once the meal had been completed, Lexi and Alex retreated to the humid hut to test out the different types of wood. Alex explained that while damp, the wood would be fairly flexible, each would react much differently once dried, as she had seen with the bows she had made for the children. He explained it all by referencing the trees the different woods came from, telling her to think about how each type of tree reacted in high winds. Some, like the willow, were extremely pliable and moved with the wind without a problem. It was great for the tree, but made for horrible bows, the wood unable to hold any tension without folding in on itself. An oak was more likely to fall over in a storm than to bend to the will of the wind. This made for a nice, tense pull to the bow, but the age of the wood would determine how brittle the resulting bow would be. A tense bow that broke under pressure was as useless as a bow made from wood of the willow tree.

Lexi listened as he explained his own preferences of wood for his bows, as well as his father’s choice of wood. Finally feeling like she understood the mechanics behind the strength of the wood, Alex talked to her about the different materials that could be used for the string while she carved out the basic shape needed before strapping the wood to the mold. She had picked out Alex’s favorite type of wood, planning on giving the bow to the man in thanks for all the time he had dedicated to teaching her this craft. He talked about the advantages of using different materials, ranging from silk to intestines to twine and anything else he could think of, explaining the good and bad points to each material.

Lexi found a type of relaxation in crafting a bow, similar to the peace she experienced when hunting. She was not idle, but the act of carving and smoothing the wood and then tightly wrapping it was soothing, nonetheless. Alex’s chatter about string material was like a subtle buzz in the back of her mind, though the information was processing, she was not focusing specifically on his words. The last of the wood was finally strapped to the mold and Lexi took it to the oven hut to dry before she and Alex returned to the cooking pit in the center of the village. As everyone dined on fresh roasted deer, Alex told her about metal bows and the differences in how they were crafted. Though there were strengths and weaknesses to both types of bow, she had little interest in learning to craft one from metal. The feel of wood in her hand felt natural to her, being raised on the Plains, where metal was not a common resource. Eventually, the group of villagers broke up, each returning to their respective huts, though Alex lingered longer than most before Onyx finally dragged her to the tiny hut they had been assigned.

The next morning, Lexi retrieved the bow from the oven hut, unwrapping the wood from the mold and refining the shape of the bow a bit more before taking it to the stream to sand down. Her hands were raw from the children’s bows she had made, the fine sand exfoliating her palms to the point that there were red spots where there was very little skin left. She was careful about smoothing the bow, letting it dry out in the oven hut as she snacked on fresh fruit and nuts for lunch, going out with Leo for a quick run to let the tiger hunt his own dinner. Returning, she put the finishing touches on the bow, carving small intricate designs into the wood, making sure none of the carvings cut deep enough to affect the integrity of the wood. Alex was absent, off with his father to hunt while she completed the bow. She had just finished stringing it when the hunting group returned and she held it out proudly to the redhead.

Her arched a brow in confusion as he took the bow, using a keen eye to check the bow for any flaws before he noticed the designs and his name carved into the weapon, his eyes widening. Laughing, he swung Lexi into a tight hug, thanking her profusely. While he had no issues with his current bow, he knew the girl had put much effort into personalizing the weapon for him and it certainly felt like a more customized fit. Assured the young man was happy with his gift, Lexi hunted down Onyx before settling in for the night.

[1000+/1000]

Assignment Overview: Lexi is becoming more and more masterful as a bowyer and would like to try something even better than her last creation. If all goes well, she may end up with a very nice bow.

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Lexi was quite pleased with her progress in learning to craft bows. The Elder had even paid her for the bow she had made for Alex, which she had tried to refuse. The old man had insisted, shoving the precious currency at her and she had finally relented, though the look on Alex’s face had been all the reimbursement she had needed. Alex had went out yesterday to test out the bow, beaming when he returned with several birds, commending the strength and balance behind the bow, assuring her it fit his frame perfectly. When he asked if she planned on making one for herself, she nodded happily.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the design and structure of the bow she wanted to make for herself. She wanted something simple, like what she had now, but more fitting for her adult frame and hunting needs. He took a stick and drew out the basic design for her, making sure he understood what she was wanting before giving her tips about wood type and structure. When the sun had dipped too low in the sky for there to be usable light, she had bid him a good evening before she and Onyx went for a walk.

As they wandered through the tall grass, they talked about their plans to continue their travels and different areas they could renew their search for their tribe. The words of the Elder were still fresh in both their minds. They talked about the average travel speed of their tribe and given the direction they had been traveling where their destination might be. When Leo came bounding across the small field to tackle them, they chose to retire for the night and made their way back to the small hut. Curling up on the floor together, the siblings slipped into slumber.

The next morning was dreary. It was not raining, but the clouds were dense and the fog was almost too thick to see through. It would probably be raining by midday. Alex was noticeably absent when she made her way to the humid hut and she found it odd the young man was not prancing about, chattering about anything that popped into his head. Brushing the thought aside, she focused on sorting through the available wood in the hut, testing the tension and integrity of each prospective piece. She found one that she loved, but a knot in the middle of the piece ensured she would not be able to use it for this particular bow. Perhaps it would be good to use for accents on a bow, but the placement of the warp was in a point that would be receiving much of the tension of a bow, making it a bad option. She finally found another piece she liked, a cherry wood with just the right amount of give and a nice strong grain that was not likely to give out on her in a crucial moment.

Satisfied with her choice in wood, she removed the excess wood, roughly rounding and thinning the piece to better fit her desired specifications. Then came the arduous process of wrapping the bow to the mold, the leather strips stretching taut over the wood to secure it into the shape she desired. The peaceful process was relaxing, allowing her mind to drift as she tugged and pulled to make sure the leather was tight. Her mind went to needing to move on from the quiet village soon. Though she enjoyed it here, she missed her own tribe. The villagers here had been very accepting of her unusual features, making it a point not to stare at the ears or tail trailing behind the siblings, but it still was not home. It wasn’t the village healer with her raggedy fox ears or the Elder with his striped chest. She and Onyx both craved being around their own tribe again, and if they wanted to find their people, that meant moving on or hoping the Kimeer would pass back by one day.

She had finished wrapping the leather around the wood by the time her chest was heavy with the ache for her own people and she placed it in the oven hut before grabbing some roasted meat for she and Onyx and hunting down the wolf boy. Her brother seemed to sense her heavy mood and they retreated to the hut to eat in peace, Leo lying sedately behind them on the floor. Onyx pulled her close as they settled in for the night, comforting his sister as best as he could as she drifted to sleep.

---

The next day broke with the sound of raindrops on the hut, the spring rain making the grass and trees perk up and eagerly absorb the nourishing liquid. She was grateful for how warm the oven hut was, the dry heat sucking the dampness from her hair and clothes as she inspected her bow, testing the amount of moisture left in the bow. It seemed dry enough to continue on to the next phase but Lexi dreaded going back out in the chill clinging to the rain. With a huff of determination, she unwrapped the leather from the wood and grabbed the bag of sand before heading for the stream.

It was not a pleasant affair, the cold of the stream and the chill in the air was enough to have her seeing her breath in soft puffs, but she made sure not to rush through using the sand to smooth out the minor imperfections in the wood. She was meticulous in the sanding process, checking every nook and cranny to guarantee there would be no splinters or breaks in the wood. Once it was sanded to her satisfaction, she returned to the oven hut, taking advantage of the dry heat to warm up and get dry once more. She made a quick run to the humid hut to grab the string, choosing a sturdy one made of silken thread carefully woven together before jogging back to the oven hut. Normally, she would string the bow in the humid hut to help with the flexibility of the bow, but it was simply too chilly out to be soaked to the bone.

It took quite a while to manage to string the bow, her body still not used to the increased tension of the wood or the composition of the string. Most strings she had used had more elasticity to it, but silken string was unforgiving and difficult to work with. What felt like ages later, she managed to string the bow properly and she carefully tested the draw of the bow, her first smile of the day crossing her lips. Slipping out of the hut and letting the bow rest in the heat for a bit longer, Lexi went in search of a bowl of lard, finally finding what she was searching for in the cooking hut. She returned to the oven hut, glaring at the dark clouds that continued to pelt her with large drops, ducking into the warmth with a grateful sigh before settling in for her next task.

She wanted to make sure the bow would be appropriately protected from the elements, knowing wood would absorb water and possibly warp how it was molded. The village did not have access to some of the fancier materials to protect the wood, but lard often worked well as a protectant, assuming it was regularly reapplied. She dipped the edge of her skirt in the lard, using it to smooth the fat over the wood, polishing it as the wood soaked up the lard. Coat after coat went onto the bow until the lard was no longer being absorbed. As she was wiping the excess clean, the flap over the front of the hut was moved to the side and Alex ducked into the hut with a smile, though it was tinged with sadness.

The normally jovial young man handed her a small bundle of cloth and with a confused smile, she unraveled it to find silk ribbon dyed to match her eyes. Her breath caught as she looked at Alex, the redhead awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

“I figured you could use it to wrap the handle in. You know, to make sure your grip doesn’t slip.”

Lexi stood and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly before eagerly sitting back down to begin wrapping the handle with care. As she looped the ribbon around the handle, Alex asked about how the crafting of the bow had went and if she was excited to be moving on soon. It dawned on her that his downtrodden expression might be due to the idea of she and Onyx moving on to find their tribe and as she finished wrapping her bow, she embraced him again.

“We have enjoyed our time here and you all have taught us so much, but we need to find our tribe. We miss them, and need to let them know what happened to our parents. But maybe, one day, our paths will cross again. Besides, we won’t be leaving until the rain lets up. So I suppose you could always just hope for more rain!”

She gave him a teasing grin and he broke out into a chuckle, shaking his head as he reached out to pick up her now completed bow. He seemed impressed with the work, even commenting on how well the wood was protected by the lard and how there were no noticeable imperfections. Beaming at his compliments, she hugged him again before snatching the bow up. She pressed a kiss to his cheek before rushing to the small hut she shared with Onyx, eager to show off her new bow.


[1500+/1500]

Bow: