6 An Extension of Herself

At the age of 16, she was the strongest woman in her town and the only female hunter…..well secretly a female hunter. Her mother was not aware of this fact. She went out on many capture and locate missions with her 'uncles' and brother. They would always return with several sacks full of fruits, nuts, berries or a captured wild animal as a cover.

Her presence was essential in those type of missions since she manifested the innate talent to charm wild animals. One of the 'uncles' that saved her was an animal tamer class hunter. He was one of the few that could sway animals to follower his commands.

On Artemis' first outing this 'uncle' saw how she dealt with many wild animals. She would observe each creature, as they came across one, without making a sound. She would only interact with an animal in dire situation which needed the aid of a bystander. This is how she came across her future animal partner. He was a faithful partner with a kin nose for tracking.

A few days before her birthday, which was actually the anniversary of the day she arrived in Wisteria Town, she was in her back courtyard making her own bow. She finally learned the technique of making a certain bow. She did not see what was the big deal though. She was his daughter and a captivating hunter. So, she figured it was time to have her very own bow. After mastering the longbow, she practiced with the flatbow that some of her 'uncles' used, but she preferred the one the behemoth partner with.

Vincent's bow was a beauty to behold. The type of bow he curry favor with was a bow called a recurve bow. The power that bad boy packed behind the release were in a league of its own. The man that called himself her father refused to make her one even though it was going to be her 18th birthday soon. She had no other choice but to make her own. That was an even bigger chance since the behemoth did not want to reveal the technique on how to make one.

Later on, she realized that the recurve bow held an undeniable importance as a hunter. Only a few recurve bow existed as a statement of power, loyalty and talent. Being the only female and daughter of the head hunter made the possibility of her getting her hands one was slim. Refusing to give up she tired to work twice as hard at mastering the other bows and thrive to prove her loyalty as a hunter.

Of course, that was the easiest part since all the hunters loved her and were extremely overprotective. She was the daughter most always wanted. A strong daughter to replace their fallen sons. And a sister to the younger hunters that felt it were their duty as 'bodyguards' to protect their 'princess'. Her only obstacle was the behemoth himself. She was determined to demonstrate that she was trustworthy of his trust and serious about archery. The bow was not just a weapon for her own protection, but an extension of herself as a person.

This plan of hers took time, however, time was not on her side, so she did everything she could think of to achieve this goal in record time. Her undying determination payed off and she was able to learn how to make the recurve bow, although it was one of her 'uncles' that explained the steps to her. The behemoth was surely shameless for still refusing to tell her personally. With the knowledge in her gasp she worked idly on her new baby while her trusted companion was curled up at her feet to keep her company.

"Artemis dear, time for lunch. You can't do wood work on an empty stomach," announced a lovely voice from inside the house.

"Yes mother, I'm coming," responded a soft and melodious voice.

Artemis was a mute by choice and not because she was still suffering from her childhood's past. Being a mute had many advances, for example letting her get away with many things. She did not have to exchange with the other females about their appearances or their new accessories. It also granted her the ability to be a wallflower, listening, though not having to add to the conversation. She even played the mute card with the behemoth. The only ones she conversed with daily were her mother and her big brother.

After Artemis finish her lunch, she helped her mother clean up around the kitchen before returning outside to finish her craft. The sun was setting when she finally completed her new bow.

Astonished by the beauty of her new partner, she could not help but admire her own craftsmanship. The deep reddish brown wood, made from the bark of a red oak tree, was sanded down giving off a very smooth surface. The curved limbs of the bow gave off an elegant design, while the weight of the bow was heavier than a longbow, which was more to her liking. Now that her arm strength was better than when she was younger, she loved finding ways to increase her strength quality, so this heavier and stronger bow satisfied her ambition.

Having such a beauty within her grasp she felt exhilarated at the thought of shooting this masterpiece for the first time. Grabbing a few arrows that she crafted earlier, she gripped the riser of the bow firmly, as she took a solid stance before positioning her arrow to align with a post she normally used for training. Calming her breathing and all her muscles she drew back on her drawstring in silence. While her furry friend on the side line, observed her every move. He founded his new master to be very intriguing. With a single gesture the arrow was released into the air.

Swoosh...Th…thunk!

Swoosh...Th…thunk!

Swoosh...Th…thunk!

Loading and releasing arrows one after another all hitting their intended destination. She was quite pleased with the drawback strength and the speed of the arrow that was repelled from this recurve bow. As she was walking over to the post to remove the three arrows, from the target post, she heard a slow clap from behind her.

"Very well done my dear. Your training has improved at an outstanding pace. It's hard to believe you're the same scared little mute girl from 12 years ago," a husky and low voice praised her from behind.

Artemis looked back towards the direction of the voice with an indifferent expression looking at the behemoth, before turning back to remove the arrows that were wedged inside the target post. The furball mimic his owner with an indifferent attitude of his own towards the behemoth appearance as he released a yawn before laying his head back down.

"Silent treatment huh? Your dear old dad is doing his best to care, provide, and offer valuable advice, yet you treat me so coldly. I'm so heartbroken," expressed the husky man which did not match his usually demeanor.

"Honey stop teasing her. You know she doesn't like expressing her feeling or revealing her inner thoughts," a lovely voice uttered softly.

"Fine. However, that bow you made is a pretty good looking bow. Your quite handy with your hands. It might even be on par with my "Shadow Seeker" recurve bow," he said eyeing Artemis' new possession with a mischievous and curious smug.

With a firm grip, Artemis hide her new partner behind her as she glared into the behemoth's devilish eyes. Vincent released a hearty chuckle at the little one's reaction. Truth be told her reactions were very entertaining, so he would purposely provoke her occasionally. He did this mostly because of his demanding personality, but also to test her mental state. Before she would freeze up like a scared kitten around him, although now she glares at him like a tigress stalking her prey.

"I'll be leading a group on a scouting mission tomorrow. Now that you're properly armed, I'll leave the safety of your mother and the women of our town to you. Aid the rest of the hunters if there's an attack, but remember your mother is the most important person. Her safety comes first before anyone else," commanded Vincent with authority.

Artemis nodded while Trinity looked displeased. " Honey, you can't saddle her with that kind of responsibility. She's a girl herself after all."

"She's also the strongest girl in terms of physical strength along with a very intelligent mind. It takes her a good bit of time to gasp any new knowledge, however, she also able to adapt quickly to her surroundings. Your love for her is well placed, but she's not like the other girls in our town," Vincent explained with a strict expression. 'She also a better shooter than most of the hunters under me. This tigress should be nurture not isolated," he confirmed with himself.

"I understand, but she's my baby. It's my job to worry about her," Trinity said after walking over to Artemis to hug her. Artemis naturally accepted her overly affectionate hug by hugging her back with a smile.

'Baby?' he questioned. 'That little girl is a vixen in disguised. She even pretends to be a mute just to avoid conflict with other people. Clearly, I have underestimate you little one,' he thought with a chuckle. "I'm sure your 'baby' will be able to handle anything. No need to worry. Now let's call it a night," suggested Vincent before disappearing into their home.