- Hold on tight. More strength in the shoulder. - the guy said again, looking at the not-so-successful attempts of the mercenary to pull on a long farosky bow.

- He's too tight. I cant.

As it turned out, Tessa's words that she knew how to shoot were a clear exaggeration, because judging by what Rey now saw, she had held a bow in her hands no more than a dozen times before.

The whole camp stood for a short halt - the horses needed rest and food, and this also applied to people.

The guy and the girl were now not a small distance from the total mass of mercenaries. Thirty meters ahead, Cess yawned lazily. His role was quite simple - to take upon himself the arrows fired by Tessa, which, if not enhanced by skills, could only cause him a slight itch when hit in a strong skin. But now, ten minutes have passed, and there was still no work for him.

You said you can shoot. - Sounded ironic remark Ray, who stood a step away from the girl.

- Shut up. I told you it was the bow. - snarling, she again tried to pull the bowstring, but she clearly did not have enough strength.

There was nothing to be done about it, but at that moment the boy remembered how he had been trained. Now there was no arrow in the girl's hand, so coming up close to her from behind, the guy put his hand on top of Tessa's trembling hand. She was seriously frightened, because of which she started up with her whole body, but she did not let go of her weapon, which was very commendable.

“Wh-what are you doing!?” Dont touch me! – even though she continued to stand still, she was clearly not happy with her current situation.

Rei ignored her protests and spoke calmly.

- Tighten your left arm, try your best to keep it taut.

Right after that, he gently pressed the girl's fingers that were holding the bowstring. With his other hand, he held the hilt of the bow, in case Tessa still did not have enough strength to hold it.

Even the guy with his strength had to put in some effort to fully draw the atanit-enhanced bow, so Rey didn't blame the girl, whose physique was toned, but still a little fragile.

The bowstring dug into her soft skin, leaving a distinct red mark, but Rey kept pulling. When the bow was about two-thirds cocked, it finally stopped.

- Are you holding? - the guy's breath tickled his ear a little, forcing the girl to tense even more. She herself did not understand why she reacted so sharply to a simple touch, but she could not help herself. Putting all her strength into her hands, she nodded her head uncertainly.

Immediately after that, the load began to grow, because Rei gradually relaxed his grip, giving the girl the opportunity to hold the weapon herself.

She lasted only five seconds, after which the bowstring with a pleasant rumble escaped from her fingers, which she immediately put into her mouth due to a strong burning sensation.

- Take a glove and continue. a stern voice sounded.

Raising a slightly offended look, Tessa nevertheless obediently put on a small leather glove and stood up again.

- Let's try with an arrow. Although it's a little early, I think you'll enjoy the feeling of shooting with such a powerful bow.

Following the advice, the girl took one of the arrows and put it on the bow. At that same moment, she again felt Ray's arms wrap around her body, causing another wave of goosebumps.

- Do you have to do it like this?

- Yes. Now focus.

Tessa could only sigh. She herself wanted to learn, besides, with all her desire, she simply could not resist the guy, because he was stronger, and angering him once again was very fraught.

The bowstring dug into her fingers again, but this time it didn't hurt as much. But now the guy decided to pull the bow completely. Only when there was a slight crackle of the bowstring, and the arrowhead was already a few centimeters from the bones of her fingers holding the handle, Tessa heard a voice next to her face:

- Try to aim.

Once again embarrassed, she nevertheless lowered her head and closed her left eye. Slightly lowering her left hand, she aimed the arrowhead directly at the torso of Cess, who finally became a little interested in what was happening, starting to wag his tail in satisfaction.

Tessa again felt the grip on the fingers of her right hand loosen.

- You can let go.

Without waiting a second, she opened her hand. The arrow flickered and darted forward with incredible speed. The girl's eyes practically could not follow her, but the huge black cat, as if playfully, raised its huge paw and unmistakably shot down the arrow. Cess growled contentedly and began to wait for the second shot, he obviously liked the little game. But Tessa froze, because the feeling that shooting from this bow evoked was really amazing.

She only woke up a little when she felt Rei back away from her. Turning around, still holding the bow with both hands, she looked at the boy.

- You should practice more. Or just take another bow, although I see you like this one.

The words made the girl completely come to her senses and her face again became dissatisfied.

- You think that I will return it to you only because it is still difficult for me to shoot from it. Do not even hope!

Chuckling, Tessa turned back to Cess. He was alert, waiting for another arrow, but noticing that the girl had just begun to draw an unloaded bow, he lay back on the grass and closed his eyes.

Ray, with a strange spark in his eyes, watched the girl's efforts. She was not even going to ask for his help, despite the fact that she herself could hardly pull the bow at least half. And he, thanks to his good mood, decided to relax for the first time in a long time, and the company of a slightly proud beauty was perfect for this.

Are you going to teach me or not? – with a reproachful glance at him, Tessa finally asked for help.

With a smile on his face, Rei replied:

- I showed you the basics. Then just train your hands. Besides, you don't like it when I touch you.

The caustic remark angered the girl a little, but since he was right, she could not say anything but the truth:

- I want to shoot more, so I'm ready to be patient a little.

- That's how. OK.

Tessa noticed the strange look of the guy, but he just helped her to cock the bow, so she decided that she was just imagining it. But now, after another arrow repulsed by Cess, the guy's hands slid, hugging her tightly. The girl squealed, but did not even try to break free, realizing the futility of this.

- What are you doing? – her voice was unexpectedly calm, which surprised the guy a little.

- Oh. Are you not afraid of me anymore?

"I can't beat you, so there's nothing to be done about your concern."

“You can’t consider me like this just because after so many months in the forest, I turned my attention to a beautiful girl.

Do you think I care about the reason?

- How cold you are. Or was I right and are you already in love with someone?

The question was unexpected, and the guy's next words surprised her even more.

If that's the case, then I won't bother you anymore.

Tessa had already opened her mouth to lie. But at the last moment, something stopped the word that was already ready to escape. Without understanding why, the girl froze in indecision for a few seconds. At some point, she felt the guy's lips touch her neck.

- Fine. I'm looking forward to the evening.

The girl remained standing, clutching her bow in her hands, and Rei and the panther returned to the camp, which was already preparing for departure.