@Scytherwolf; @Soups;

Episode 42: The Not-so-Greatest Show on Earth! (part 2)


The next day, the theater hummed with activity as the cast and the crew gathered for rehearsal. [Wow...we get to work in here?] Tarina gasped as she looked around the majestic theater in awe. [The Fireside could fit in here and there would still be room!]

"Yes, we will be working in here." Brock smiled. "All we're doing is playing a huge game of dress-up so we can tell a story. Unlike at home, we'll have people watching us play."

"So when people are going to be watching us, we have to practice how the story will go." Dawn explained. "So we'll be practicing over the next few days."

"You know the story of Robin Hood, right?" Ash asked.

Tarina nodded. "One of her favorite movies." Brock smiled. "And not the Disney version featuring Pokemon."

"Has she seen the version from the 30's? Or any of the old film serials?" a voice asked.

Dawn whirled around to find Conway arriving in the backstage area. "How did you get here so fast?"

"Oh, I have my ways..." Conway replied with a grin.

Dawn shuddered. I don't know how he did that, but it's almost creepy the way he joined in our conversation like that...

[Are you gonna be a minstrel?] Tarina's voice snapped Dawn back to reality.

"Yeah..." Brock replied. He took his harp and started a relaxed melody. Come and listen, ye gallants so free,
All you that love mirth to hear,
and I will tell of a hero,
a hero of Nottingham fair...

A hero of Nottingham fair... Keely joined in over a flourish.

As Robin Hood in the forest stood
All under a greenwood tree...
There he spied a fine young lad,
As fine as fine could be... Brock went on.

Robin, Sir Robin, as fine as fine could be... Keely echoed.

Just then, Paul and Conway dashed into the room, startling Keely. "Hold! Who sings in such a clarion voice?" Paul demanded.

"It was no ordinary song, milord--he was singing of Robin Hood!" Conway replied in character.

"I heard him plain as day--'Robin, Sir Robin, as fine as fine could be'." Paul noted.

"This has to be the rouser, for he has the harp in his hand!" Conway made a grand gesture to Brock to prove his point.

"Now wait a minute!" Dawn cried. "We haven't even started rehearsals yet!"

Paul was unfazed. "So? Nothing wrong with a little practice before rehearsal, is there?"

"I don't know if that was even practice..." Ash mused. "It looked like the real performance."

"I'll have you know that I have been practicing my lines, Wonder Boy." Paul replied. "And here you are wasting your time with archery training when you could've been working on your lines."

"I have so been practicing my lines!" Ash shot back.

A whistle diffused the impending argument. "Okay, break it up, break it up!" the director called. After pulling Ash and Paul apart he instructed the others "Let's head onstage and get started."

---------

As the cast and the crew hurried to get ready, a stagehand explained to some children their role in the show. "After Keely introduces the show, you guys will be gathered around at stage right. When Paul and Conway run in and threaten to arrest them, act scared."

"How scared?" a girl asked.

"A little scared. They're threatening to lock them in the dungeon for a long time because of their song." the stagehand replied.

"That's a silly reason to lock them up!" another girl protested.

"Can we tell them not to hurt the minstrels?" a boy asked.

"That's a great idea!" the stagehand smiled.

The director clapping calmed the chaos. "Okay--let's start with the opening scene." he began. "When you're ready." he instructed Brock.

Brock acknowledged the director with a nod, and started the calm melody from before. Come and listen, ye gallants so free,
All you that love mirth to hear,
and I will tell of a hero,
a hero of Nottingham fair...

A hero of Nottingham fair... Keely echoed.

As Robin Hood in the forest stood
All under a greenwood tree... Brock went on.

There he spied a fine young lad,
As fine as fine could be...

Ash applauded as he emerged from the wings in a ragged outfit. "Bravo, Keely! That was pretty good!"

"Well, I am playing a minstrel's apprentice, after all, so it's only fair I get to sing too." Keely smiled.

"If you and Brock are minstrels, how come you don't LOOK like minstrels?" Paul challenged.

It dawned on Keely that neither she or Brock were in costume. "Excuse us a second..." Brock assured the director. He motioned for Keely to follow him and dashed backstage.

"Forgetful memory count: 1!" Paul announced.

"You're actually keeping a tally of mistakes in rehearsal?" Ash gasped.

"Only the major ones." Paul smiled--one of the rare times Ash had seen him smile.

After a few seconds, Brock and Keely returned in costume. Keely wore a brown and green tunic with gold trim, white sleeves, black leggings and brown shoes. Brock had on his Fantasy Stage costume, plumed hat and all. "That better?" he asked Paul.

"Much." Paul replied.

"Does Ash even know how to shoot a bow?" Conway asked.

"Well..." Ash mused before hurrying to the prop room and returning with a bow.

"Arm guards, too." Dawn reminded Ash. "You were doing great with Brock yesterday..."

"Got them!" Ash showed some armguards to Dawn.

Dawn smiled as a combat trainer approached Ash. "The director asked me to help you review how to shoot a bow and arrow." she explained.

"Sure." Ash smiled, following the combat trainer to a target set up near stage left.

"Keep in mind that every bow is different." the trainer reminded Ash as she retrieved her own bow. "The more flexible they are, the better they are."

Ash took a moment to admire the trainer's bow. I love that almost red color, and the leaf inlays...

"Watch me shoot first, then I'll explain what I was doing." the trainer instructed Ash, nocking her bow as she spoke.

The theater went quiet as the trainer fired her shot. "Whoa..." Ash balked when he saw the trainer had hit the bullseye. "You're good!"

"Thanks." the trainer smiled. "I've gotten to train big stars and ordinary people alike in the way of the bow."

She turned business like again. "Let me show you what you need to do to hit the bullseye."

Ash nodded, and took his place at the target. Remember what Brock said about the stance....

The trainer observed Ash's stance. "Almost perfect. It might help if you bend your knees a little."

She went on "Next, take your bow and find the center of the bowstring. This will help you find the actual center of the bow."

"Got it." Ash replied as he followed the trainer's directions.

"Once you find the center of the bow, you nock an arrow, take aim at your target, and then let the arrow fly." the trainer went on.

Ash nodded, readied his shot, and fired. He saw that it had landed on the edge of the outer yellow ring. "Good! But I know you can do better." the trainer smiled. "This time, I want you to aim at the bullseye, and see the arrow flying through the air and hitting the target."

"Okay..." Ash readied another shot and fired again. This time, his shot landed on the inner blue ring.

"Almost." the trainer coaxed. "Visualize it a little more."

Ash prepared another shot, training his eye on the target. It felt like time had slowed down as he fired.

Cheers and applause alerted him that his arrow had landed on the bullseye! "Very good, Ash! Nice shot!" the trainer smiled.

"Thanks..." Ash giggled, flattered by all the attention.

"Do that again!" Dawn requested.

(Ash nodded, and fired another shot, which landed very close to the bullseye. "Very nice." the trainer smiled, pleased with Ash's quick progress.

"Think you can do that same thing when you have hundreds of people watching?" Conway asked with a grin.

"Relax, I'll be fine..." Ash assured Conway, aware of Dawn's unnerved look.

"Famous last words..." Brock smiled, making the theater ring with laughter...

To Be Continued...