18 First date

Hartley traveled at his leisure for the entire journey into town, by now there were long shadows spreading across the scenery, people were still busily going about their business and kids were playing in distant alley ways, their loud jovial laughter audible from the main road.

The overall atmosphere was still very lively, sunlight would last for at least another hour.

Hartley dismounted from his horse, landing with a puff of dust, he 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 next to a water trough 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 working behind the counter.

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. She brought out pieces of armour, explaining its the strengths to the potential customers.

As if he was caught under a spell, he couldn't stop 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, 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.

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 using a hooked index finger to beckon him closer.

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.

"I came to see if you can make a soft armor from this pelt" Hartley replied and proceeded to remove the pelt from his space ring.

Zhi Ruo looked curiously at the pelt and Hartley walked forward and handed it over. Zhi Ruo appraised the pelt with excitement, and exclaimed.

"This is a half step xiantian Giant wild boar pelt, but it isn't intact. I can probably salvage enough of it to make a one piece under armor for you but it will cost you 25 gold because the processing procedure is rather complicated."

Hartley bowed from the waist and said "thank you sister Ruo."

She then went to the back and put the pelt away and returned, Hartley awkwardly tried to make small talk, mentioning his life in the Lou clan and other things he thought would be interesting.

His clumsy attempt at entertaining the beautiful girl failed miserably, on a whim he then asked if she was free to have dinner at one of the restaurants he had recently learned of. She blushed, thought about it and then told him to wait in the shop while she finished up for the day.

Hartley waited patiently, when Zhi Ruo returned, she was wearing a one piece long green slim fitting dress, she wasn't as curvy as Zhang Shisu from Stellar mountain, but she did have curves.

Hartely watched as she glided across the room towards him, he noticed her two firm peaks slightly bouncing up and down as she walked.....

Now it was about dusk and the orange purplish sun was peaking from behind an overcast sky, the clouds were painted with an orange color as long shadows descended down in the backdrop, making a surreal scene of natural beauty that one might not notice unless they took time out to admire.

At the entrance of a restaurant there stood a couple, one wearing a red robe and the other wearing a long green dress that hugged her body like a mother protecting a newborn.

Above them was a beautiful red signboard caligraphed with the words "Dragon Stew Restaurant." They entered the establishment and were immediately greeted by a courteous waiter on call. Even though Zhi Ruo was older than Hartley, he had a mature demeanour about him that didn't look out of place.

They were escorted to the second floor and seated in the middle row, it was relatively empty and they settled into a table with two chairs.

Hartley didn't know much about restaurant quality food. He had survived his whole life on roasted meat, fruits and herbs, so he asked Zhi Ruo to order all the delicacies on the menu. They talked as Hartley tried all the dishes and drank a jug of sake prepared by the staff. As the evening progressed Hartley was in bliss and he had reverted back to a normal male teenager with a crush on a girl....

The dishes were spread across the table, Hartley tried everything, he was reaching for a serving of braised pork belly when he stopped in mid action, pupils darting back and forth like a careful deer at the edge of a river.

Hartley's face suddenly went serious, there was an overwhelming sense of danger coming from all directions...