his heart was pounding in his chest. He took several deep breaths trying to calm his nerves. And of course that is when the first dummy sprang up behind some bushes.
Jonas pivoted smoothly to the right, drawing back the string and firing quickly at the moving target. Since the bust was on a bent stick it continued to sway back and forth after it was released. Jonas’s arrow seemed to be on target but the dummy was shaking so badly that it missed it by a finger’s length. Jonas swore softly, quickly drawing another arrow and launching it towards the target again.
Just as he released the second shaft he heard movement to his left. He kept moving forward as he drew again, pivoting to his left and finding his target. He released the shaft, shuffling forward to take cover behind a tree. He knew that in a real combat situation the enemy might be returning fire and that it was important to take cover when it was available.
Lambeck had taught him to always move, always look for cover. Never stay in one spot, even if it was only a few feet to the left or right. If you are stationary you offer an easy target for an enemy. Sometimes the difference between life and death was just inches.
Jonas glanced back at his first target noticing that his second arrow was embedded in the dummy’s chest. He drew another shaft, nocking it quickly before stepping from behind the tree and moving quickly but surely down the trail. The second target he had hit swayed gently back and forth and Jonas noticed that his arrow had stuck into a wood branch under the bust. He swore softly as it was not a killing shot. It would have hit a man in the groin or a leg, enough to maim him temporarily, but not necessarily enough to take him out of the fight.
But Jonas had gotten control of his nerves. He was focused, his heart beat smoothly, and his bow arm was steady. Slowly he breathed, his eyes scanning the forest in front of him like those of a hunting cat.
Right in front of him, no more than five paces away, sprung a third dummy. Jonas drew back firing just before he dived to his right over his shoulder so he wouldn’t damage his bow. In the real world an enemy that close would surely have a weapon with which to fire, so any hesitation would have cost Jonas his life. His aim was true and his arrow hit the bust dead center, penetrating all the way through and disappearing into the woods.
But Jonas didn’t have time to relish his skill as the two trees in front of him came alive with movement. He noticed two different dummies peek out from behind the tree. They did not extend very far from the protective cover of the tree, which caused Jonas to chuckle slightly as he thought of the complaints from Ballick and the rest of the men who were charged with holding the dummies.
Jonas fired quickly, shuffling forward so as not to stay stationary, and drawing another arrow. His first arrow took the closest dummy in the face, but just as Jonas fired his second arrow the last dummy ducked back again behind the safety of the tree. Jonas’s arrow flew by harmlessly as the dummy popped back out on the other side. But Jonas had already strung and drawn back a third arrow just as the dummy reappeared. Jonas’s bow twanged as the shaft was released. The range was close and the arrow slammed into the bust knocking it from the grasp of whoever held it. Jonas heard a surprised yelp from someone behind the tree and he guessed it was Anders.
Then Jonas heard a screaming charge from behind him.
Jonas spun, simultaneously drawing another shaft, and saw a wooden bust of a man running at him with all speed. The dummy was made of planks of wood and it came complete with outstretched arms, legs, and even a head. It was made extra wide so the person holding the dummy from behind was completely shielded.
From the sound of the scream it must have been Lambeck. He was only ten paces away and charging him with wild abandon. Jonas released the shaft, smiling at the satisfying thunk the arrow made when it struck the dummy dead center.
Jonas’s eyes grew wide as the dummy kept coming. Hastily he fumbled for an arrow and got