18 First date (1/2)

Hartley traveled at his leisure for the entire journey into town, by now there were long shadows crawling across the scenery, people were still busily going about their business, there were kids playing in distant alley ways, the over all atmosphere was still lively.

Hartley dismounted from his horse held the reigns and walked towards the busier sections leading the horse. As he reached the armory shop he tied the horse to a wooden post and entered.

Inside the shop were a few customers milling around and looking at wares, this shop was mostly for custom armor but there were a few ready to buy pieces on display around the shop, there was a slim girl around 20 years old with shoulder length flaming red hair, Hartely stood quietly and waited for her to deal with the prior customers, he gazed on as she moved daintily behind the counter and into a backroom.

As if he was caught under a spell, he couldn't stop from staring, admiring her slightly slanted eyes small nose and pink lips which seemed to be painted on by the brush strokes of a devine artist.

Hartley came back to his senses, he was stood there statue-still, there was a funny feeling inside his loins, He was actually aroused.

When he was weak and living at the foot of the deserted mountain he had seen some ruffians bring a woman close by and had their way with her, he never understood why they seem to take so much pleasure from making the woman scream and moan.

That memory was pushed to some distant corner of his mind but he just now had a flashback. For the first time in Hartley's life he blushed with embarrassment and as he looked up.... His and Zhi Ruo eyes met and his blush went from his neck to behind his ears and onto his cheeks.

He had just had his first teenage awkward moment.

Zhi Ruo had finished tending to her customers and then noticed someone standing still at the back of the store, he had the striking blue eyes she would never forget, dressed in red robes with a black rose on the right breast, his eyes were out of focus like he was standing there only in body, his mind was far far away from here so she waited patiently...When his eyes regained focus, he blushed all the way to his neck, Zhi Ruo hadn't expected that and involuntarily let out a slight giggle.

”How can I help you today” Zhi Ruo asked as she regained her calm.

Hartley had no particular reason for coming, he fumbled around with a response in his mind, then he remembered he still had the giant boar pelt that the Black Bear had killed on their last encounter.