#brightwindsbarony

"Oh, or that! SO many possibilities..."

And soon the Baroness and her art students at the hold are racing with ideas

(Fade to wonder)

"Let's get down to pew pew, to defeat, the scum! We're gonna learn archery, because melee's kind... of dum! " The Owl pooka is not a natural singer but he worked hard on the lyrics "Your teacher has more horse sense, then any other you knew! You may be missing from far away, but you bet, before she's through.. Miss Rose, will make an archer... out of YOUUUUUUU" Stew's voice warbles

Rose says "Stu? If you keep singing, I'm going to let Irene shoot the blunt arrows at you and take any fall out the Baroness might give about it. Just saying"

"Oh, it'd be fun to have an arrow battle! Could we put, like, bean bags on them?" Irene pipes up from under a table.

There seems to be some kind of elaborate fort being built, using books and a chair. Pastel ponies guard the ramparts.

"I don't see why not" She says "Safety gear and such, and seems like good practice to me" Rose says "And yes I was going to offer practice, though, outside"

"Probably helmets. Don't want to shoot any eyes out." A wee pegasus is placed on the corner.

Stu has stopped singing, but says "Thank you, thank you, remmeber to tip your satyress"

Rose looks over Irene's work

And smiles at the pegasus "You know, it's possible some centaur out there has wings?"

"Ooooo..."

The little ponies have candy-colored manes and tails, with Real Brushable Hair. Several of them are braided with ribbons.

She eyes the ponies. Ross told her the girl loved this stuff. Made a suggestion she's STILL not sure about

Stu mutters sometthing about scabs violating avian unions

"I bet if Bachdion or Earl visit again, you guys could try flying. Wayfare is the art for travel."

"Is it?" Intrigued "Flight might be nice" She considers. "I think Ross and Nessa are taking to the magic more"

"Well, I think just about every changeling has a little magic. I bet you'd like Wayfare or Primal."

"Maybe I would. What magics do you have, Irene?" She asks

"Oh! The best ones!"

She claps her hands on her thighs, and then together, making a little schoolyard rhythm. Soon, the little ponies bob up into the air and do a little parade around Rose's upper half.

"Legerdemain, you can move things, or make copies of things, and if you are really good you can make chimera..."

"That's DELIGHTFUL" She says

"And chicanery, I can make illusions and.. shh... I can turn invisible."

"That would have come in handy in some of my past jobs" She admits "Are you sure you even need archery?"

"Well, if the bad guys come back..."

The ponies dance back to their fort.

"MMmm okay. well, we should probably go out and practice again then. Who knows, maybe you'll find ways to mix archery and magic. but first learn it by itself and then later get fancy, okay?"

"Okay!"

And they gather things and headoutside Rose is firm but fair.

As teachers go. She also understands you can't expect the same level of focus from kids you do adults

One of the ponies comes along, and stands on top of a fence post to watch.

There may be some impromptu rivalry between Irene and Stu.

Stu also takes a shot at shooting, though he's not as good as the agile handed Piskie.

"Hey, hey, have you heard about Paul Bunyan, who shot an apple off his son's head?"

"That wasn't Paul Bunyan, that was Dick Cheney" Stu says

"I thought it was William Tell, BUT who knows, Paul Bunyan did a lot of things " Rose says kindly "Now, Irene, remember to put some arch into it if you can. Gravity can work for you if you know how"

"Okay!" Cheerfully. She.. tries, and it does shoot UP, magnificently!

She gets ready to pull the girl out of the way should it fall STRAIGHT down

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeoooooo."

"Okay, maybe not too much Arch. More like this" She shows her with a shot of her own

"Notice how it still went all the way over?"

"Right! Like..." Irene is a good mimic. It comes much closer to the target.

"Very good! " She says approvingly "Stu?"

She turns to see Stew clutching at his chest, the red stain from his own arrow spreading across his shirt

"Oh my god!" Rose almost leaps to the boy's side

Irene squeaks, eyes wide. "I didn't mean to!"

"It's not your arrow honey, I saw where yours went.. " Rose says "Now don't pull it out Stew it's..." Suddenly her eyes narrow "is.. is this Ketchup?"

"I spell it with a C" he answers and nods. It would appear he put the arrow through a ketchup packet by his own hand in his shirt