- Laith Taher 257
and missed. He tried a third time, but missed again as the
deer ran as quickly as lightning. Finally, a fourth arrow hit
the fast deer in the neck, only it was not Jarvis who threw
it.
He turned around in surprise to see who threw that
arrow. It turned out to be the Small One, as he was
watching Jarvis waiting for him to miss any target, so that
he could hunt it and prove to Jarvis that he was better than
him.
The Small One grinned, approached Jarvis on his
horse, and said with extreme malice, “Your archery skills
are like my grandmother’s.”
He made sure he exaggerated in order to hurt Jarvis
as much as possible.
Jarvis frowned.
The Small One laughed cynically. “I hunted with a
single shot what you could not hunt with three. You have to
admit that I am better than you at this, and that it would
take you centuries to be as good, or even half as good, at
archery, as I am.”
His malicious grin increased.
Jarvis’s frown was replaced by a confident smile.
“That is true. I am not good at archery and I do not need it.
Because it does not help much in a war, as once armies
engage, you need your sword and not your bow.
“Women can shoot arrows from a distance but they
are too scared to go near strong men and fight them with
swords.”