Chapter 12 Summary

Matt continues to admire the bow that Attean often carries over his shoulder on their trips into the forest. Matt remembers shooting a bow and arrow during his earlier childhood, and he decides to make one for himself so that he can get more meat to go with his fish. Practicing with the crude bow and arrows, he cannot make the arrows fly straight or true. Watching his failing efforts, Attean finally shows him how to make a proper bow from the proper wood and how to make a bowstring for it. He also shows Matt where to get the right wood to make arrows.

Matt practices with his bow daily, and he finally gets so that he can often hit the target he has made for himself. He promises himself that the squirrels that seem to mock him will think better of...