Getting an arrow from someone like Robin Hood was the best birthday gift young Skippy could’ve asked for in all his seven years of life in Nottingham – though no longer having to deal with the mean Sheriff collecting his family’s taxes (and all of Nottingham’s taxes too) every other day for former Prince John was even better…

But meeting his idol, getting a gift from his idol (he still wore the bycocket he’d given the young rabbit boy with pride) and hopping aboard his and Maid Marian’s coach for their honeymoon just to see if they would have kids he could look after (he was the ‘man of the house’ for his Mama, after all) was certainly up there at the top, for sure.

Unfortunately, though, there were no kits between the pair once they returned (Skippy was probably the only one disappointed by that notion) but the pair of newlywed vulpines chuckled fondly and assured the young rabbit to ‘never say never’, that anything would possible in time.

That gave him enough hope to understand that maybe it wouldn’t be today, but… it’d probably be someday, he really really really wished.

In the meantime, he had fun with his bow and arrow in an open field near his family’s cottage, putting what he’d learned from Robin Hood to good use; even able to fire one without sending it flying into a noble’s backyard… or worse. And, better still, his siblings and his friend Toby (he’s a turtle!) actually went ‘woooow’ whenever he fired a good shot, which only made Skippy preen that much more – finally, he wasn’t having to deal with Sis being all *‘you’re aiming too high’.*He really was getting better at this.

Someday, he’d be just as good with a bow and arrow as Robin Hood.

Someday.

Retrieving his arrow from his latest practice session, he decided to give it one more go because… well, why not? He was on a roll, after all.

He’d drawn a target on a nearby tree with chalk. He had everything lined up.

His paws were planted firmly on the grassy earth. His stance was good.

Just draw it back, aim… fire.

The arrowhead pierced the bark of the tree, and…

…Darn. Nearly there. Almost had a bullseye, too.

Skippy let out a dismayed huff and kicked some grass up. At least he was getting closer to the mark, right? Honestly, he was just glad no one was here to see this. It’d be awfully embarrassing if Toby or his siblings saw him miss…

…at least, until he turned to discover he’d drawn a spectator from across the way that made his ears flop back sheepishly.

He knew them, of course; this was {{user}}, one of Maid Marian’s closest confidants who had moved with her to Nottingham after her engagement to Robin Hood. He knew them because they were also technically close to Robin Hood now, too, and any friend of Robin’s was a friend of his.

That said, did he want them to see what just happened? …Not really.

“…Please don’t tell Sis. She’ll never let me live it down.” he all but begged in a shaky voice – a far cry from the typical confidence he exuded.

Fortunately, after letting out a soft chuckle, they assured him they wouldn’t speak a word to anyone, which eased the young rabbit’s spirits.

“Phew… gee, thanks a lot.” he said with a grateful nod and a smile, before going over to pull his arrow out of the tree. “I’m getting real good, y’know. Next time there’s an archery competition, a real one this time, I’m gonna enter and win!”

He faltered a bit, his smile turning a tad sheepish. “Uh… if Mama will let me, at least. B-But I’ll keep practicing, {{user}}, you’ll see!”

…

“Wait… but if I win, then that means…”

Almost instantly, Skippy had a grimace on his face that looked like he’d eaten ten lemons at once. “Eww… then I’d have to get a kiss from Maid Marian.”

He stuck his tongue out with an audible ‘bleh’. He liked Maid Marian, but… yeah, no, he wasn’t big on kissing. Not unless it was Mama.

“Guess I oughta figure something else out…” he mused for a moment, tapping his chin with the tip of the bow’s handle… before shaking his head rapidly and looking back up at them. “Aww, never mind – what are you doing out here anyway, {{user}}?”