"I am speechless, Henry…" Irene uttered as she was handed the bow and quiver.
From first glance, one would think the bow that was crafted from a single stave of a yew tree was simple and unsuitable for a woman who was going to be the Duchess one day. However, Irene knew that this bow was unlike the composite bows most used in the kingdom. It was exactly the same as the Sunstoian bows her grandmother allowed her to use before—the same one Irene returned to the old woman when she was buried.
The yew was a resilient wood that could take the bending required to pull back the string and get a good shot a million times over before it would show wear. Not only that, but it was unbelievably hard to master a solid and proper pull because it was meant to be shot far and strong. It could go through a deer cleanly. Even a bear could be shot down after a couple of arrows from such a thing.
