Sentinel's Soft Wood Longbow

Sentinel's Soft Wood Longbow rests on the bench with a quiet authority, its limbs carved from pale, softly veined wood that catches the lamplight in a warm, almost honeyed glow. The grain runs in slender, deliberate arcs, like wind-blown wheat, and the surface is matte, not slick, inviting a careful touch rather than a casual grip. A slender leather wrap around the grip feels smooth and well-worn, as if many hands have learned the exact balance of this weapon. Along the upper limb a faint sigil is burned into the wood—a sentinel’s eye encircled by a ring—visible only when the candlelight catches the line just so, a mark of watchfulness that refuses to forget its oath. The string, tight and taut, sings a soft whisper when plucked, a promise of speed released in a single, clean motion. In all, it looks as if it were carved not just to be used, but to be trusted. Lore says the bow was forged where forest and road meet, at a crossroads watched over by a lone sentinel who cherished the land’s quiet integrity more than the noise of conquest. The craftsmen who raised it from timber believed the soft wood—lighter and more forgiving than hard spring timber—would carry the archer’s intent as surely as wind carries a leaf. Some swear the bow remembers the footsteps of those who carried it, or that its grain shifts ever so slightly to accommodate the archer’s stance after long patrols. Whether truth or tale, the sentiment matters: a weapon that feels part history, part companion, ready to accompany a hunter through dusk-lit paths and sudden ambushes alike. In battle or patrol, the Sentinel’s Soft Wood Longbow finds its voice in its restraint. It isn’t the loudest member of a ranger’s kit, but its reliability is unmistakable. The draw is smooth, the release even, and the flight of each shaft seems to know exactly where it is meant to go. It rewards patience and steady aim, favoring those who weave movement with breath and sight rather than those who rush to pull the trigger. For scouts who linger on the forest edge or wander quiet hill trails, the bow becomes a natural extension of hands and will, a tool that helps preserve stamina over long climbs and longer watch shifts. Its balance makes it especially effective for hitting mid-range targets with precision, while its lightness keeps it commandable in rapid skirmishes where every second counts. Prices drift through markets like rumors, carried by traders who know the road as well as the trade routes. On a bright morning, a wagon stopper might tell you the Soft Wood Longbow is worth a fair coin when done with care, and that through Saddlebag Exchange it can fetch a price that reflects its history and utility as much as its edge. A buyer may inspect the grip for wear, test the draw for smoothness, and listen to the string’s sigh when plucked—an instinctive ritual that makes a buyer feel the bow is about to become a partner, not a possession. When the deal is done, the bow slides into a new traveler’s hands, the old stories continuing in the crack of the release and the whisper of wood against air, ready to write a fresh chapter on a new road.