Perhaps, driven by curiosity, a lot of people were gathered for the trial of the improved crossbow.
The new weapon was shorter than the first, and the curve of the prod looked almost delicate beside the heavy yew.
Braka drew the string back with his lever and set a bolt in the groove, and Kael placed the same battered shield against the same post, but this time at sixty paces.
The shot made a sound like a hammer striking a bell.
When they walked out to look, the bolt had gone through the hide and the wood and had come out the far side, where it stood quivering in the dirt with half its length showing.
A cheer went up from the villagers behind them, loud enough that a flock of birds burst out of the nearest trees.
Valen picked the bolt out of the ground and turned it over in his fingers. He looked more thoughtful than impressed.
