Chapter 40: A Day That Felt Like Peace
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
The sound of bolts hitting their mark echoed crisply through the training yard. One after another, the crossbow bolts struck dead center, right in the yellow ring of the three side-by-side butt targets. Even at fifty meters, the grouping was sharp and consistent.
I lowered the crossbow, releasing a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Cheers burst out from the side, and I turned to see Emir and Amira rushing over, beaming.
"Wow, my lady! You hit all of them! That was so cool!" Emir said, his eyes practically glowing with admiration.
"My lady, I brought you a towel and water!" Amira added, jogging toward me with a little skip in her step.
It had been nearly two weeks since that incident, and Amira’s health had improved significantly. She still looked a little pale, but her eyes had regained their light. Over the past few days, she and Emir had made it a habit to watch my training every morning like it was the best show in town.
"Thank you." I smiled as I took the towel from Amira and patted her head affectionately.
She leaned into it with a soft smile, cheeks flushed from the morning sun.
’She used to act so grown-up, like she had to hold everything together. But looking at her now... she’s still just a little girl. So cute.’