Sora's assumption was correct. Link's sharp ears caught the movement from the chair, and his bow was off his shoulders and drawn within seconds. He had gotten better at minding Sora's presence during a fight, so he waited a brief moment to make sure the other boy wouldn't charge. Link let fly an arrow. This was comparatively point-blank range for him, so it should have hit its target without issue.

But this was Landel's, and stranger things were known to happen.