Nathaniel still found it hard to grasp just how much his life had changed. A few months ago, he'd been a young farmer trying to eke out a living on the outskirts of civilization. Now, he was being hailed as a champion, and many believed he was the Chosen One that would free the Valley of Mirth from the clutches of the evil Baron.
For the last month or so, he had been travelling in the company of Laenarisa, a Cleric who had offered to be his guide and advisor. The young woman had the services of the Temple at her disposal and was a well-read scholar, but she was quiet and rarely spoke. They'd just had an unpleasant encounter with some bandits, and while Nathaniel had managed to overcome them, she'd suggested that they should lay low in a small village for a few weeks and rest.
When they found a suitable village, Laenarisa decided to buy supplies and see if she could find some better maps of the area, and asked Nathaniel to hire rooms at the inn for them. He was now sitting in the inn's common room, sipping a mug of ale while he waited for her to return.
"Excuse me? You're new here, aren't you? I'd remember seeing you before," a sweet voice said. He glanced up to see a slim, attractive girl with blonde hair, wearing a simple cotton dress. She smiled. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
He smiled back at her. "I would be delighted if you did. Can I get you a drink? I'm Nathaniel."
"Thank you. I'm Thea."
She sat down next to him, and they started chatting. Nathaniel gave her his most roguish grin as she giggled at one of his lamer jokes; the day was turning out to be quite delightful, and it was a long time since he'd enjoyed himself so much.
"I've procured the maps, Nathaniel. Are you busy?" a voice said tersely. He looked up to see Laenarisa standing nearby, her eyes cold as she looked at him.
"Hello, Lenna" he said, smiling up at her. "Was there anything else worth seeing in the village? Thea, this is Laenarisa, a Cleric who travels with me. Laenarisa, this is –"
"Yes, well, I'm sure the young lady has some livestock she should be looking after, so we shouldn't detain her any longer," Laenarisa commented frostily. "Good day, Thea."
Casting a glance at Nathaniel, Thea rose and hurriedly left the table. Nathaniel studied Laenarisa as she sat down. "What's wrong with you today, Lenna? You didn't have to be rude."
"You are a very important person, Nathaniel. You cannot waste time on frivolities, or chatting to every peasant who walks past," she replied in a voice suddenly devoid of emotion. She waved a hand at the barmaid to order a drink.
"I thought we were here to relax and enjoy ourselves?" he said sceptically. "Doesn't sound like we're going to be busy, and I can think of few ways of spending my time that are more enjoyable than flirting with a cute girl."
She scowled at him. "Cute? Her? You really think so? No, Champion. A man like you deserves…" She glanced away, staring at the wall. "Someone better." She tried to hide it, but it was clear she was hurt.
As Nathaniel looked at her, a lot of things suddenly began to make sense to him. He could have kicked himself. "I'm so sorry, Lenna. I never realized how you felt. Believe me, I would not have flirted with her if I had known. I didn't mean to hurt you, and I'm sorry." He knew that she was intelligent, kind, and attractive, but her stiffness and reserved nature had previously prevented him from viewing her as a romantic potential.
Laenarisa blushed, glaring at him. "Don't be absurd, Nathaniel! I'm a pure, virtuous Cleric," she scoffed. "I do not have those kinds of emotions. I'm only travelling with you for the benefit of all mankind."
He grinned; there was something about the look on her face that suggested that, despite her words, he'd struck closer to the mark than she was comfortable with. He inched closer to her. She didn't shy away from him, but her face grew even redder, and the hand that held her cup was trembling slightly. "You're cute when you blush. Has anyone ever told you that?"
"I am neither blushing nor cute," she insisted. She glared at him, her face now almost scarlet.
He tutted. "That's a lie. A Cleric shouldn't lie, should she? How naughty. Maybe I should spank you."
For the last month or so, he had been travelling in the company of Laenarisa, a Cleric who had offered to be his guide and advisor. The young woman had the services of the Temple at her disposal and was a well-read scholar, but she was quiet and rarely spoke. They'd just had an unpleasant encounter with some bandits, and while Nathaniel had managed to overcome them, she'd suggested that they should lay low in a small village for a few weeks and rest.
When they found a suitable village, Laenarisa decided to buy supplies and see if she could find some better maps of the area, and asked Nathaniel to hire rooms at the inn for them. He was now sitting in the inn's common room, sipping a mug of ale while he waited for her to return.
"Excuse me? You're new here, aren't you? I'd remember seeing you before," a sweet voice said. He glanced up to see a slim, attractive girl with blonde hair, wearing a simple cotton dress. She smiled. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
He smiled back at her. "I would be delighted if you did. Can I get you a drink? I'm Nathaniel."
"Thank you. I'm Thea."
She sat down next to him, and they started chatting. Nathaniel gave her his most roguish grin as she giggled at one of his lamer jokes; the day was turning out to be quite delightful, and it was a long time since he'd enjoyed himself so much.
"I've procured the maps, Nathaniel. Are you busy?" a voice said tersely. He looked up to see Laenarisa standing nearby, her eyes cold as she looked at him.
"Hello, Lenna" he said, smiling up at her. "Was there anything else worth seeing in the village? Thea, this is Laenarisa, a Cleric who travels with me. Laenarisa, this is –"
"Yes, well, I'm sure the young lady has some livestock she should be looking after, so we shouldn't detain her any longer," Laenarisa commented frostily. "Good day, Thea."
Casting a glance at Nathaniel, Thea rose and hurriedly left the table. Nathaniel studied Laenarisa as she sat down. "What's wrong with you today, Lenna? You didn't have to be rude."
"You are a very important person, Nathaniel. You cannot waste time on frivolities, or chatting to every peasant who walks past," she replied in a voice suddenly devoid of emotion. She waved a hand at the barmaid to order a drink.
"I thought we were here to relax and enjoy ourselves?" he said sceptically. "Doesn't sound like we're going to be busy, and I can think of few ways of spending my time that are more enjoyable than flirting with a cute girl."
She scowled at him. "Cute? Her? You really think so? No, Champion. A man like you deserves…" She glanced away, staring at the wall. "Someone better." She tried to hide it, but it was clear she was hurt.
As Nathaniel looked at her, a lot of things suddenly began to make sense to him. He could have kicked himself. "I'm so sorry, Lenna. I never realized how you felt. Believe me, I would not have flirted with her if I had known. I didn't mean to hurt you, and I'm sorry." He knew that she was intelligent, kind, and attractive, but her stiffness and reserved nature had previously prevented him from viewing her as a romantic potential.
Laenarisa blushed, glaring at him. "Don't be absurd, Nathaniel! I'm a pure, virtuous Cleric," she scoffed. "I do not have those kinds of emotions. I'm only travelling with you for the benefit of all mankind."
He grinned; there was something about the look on her face that suggested that, despite her words, he'd struck closer to the mark than she was comfortable with. He inched closer to her. She didn't shy away from him, but her face grew even redder, and the hand that held her cup was trembling slightly. "You're cute when you blush. Has anyone ever told you that?"
"I am neither blushing nor cute," she insisted. She glared at him, her face now almost scarlet.
He tutted. "That's a lie. A Cleric shouldn't lie, should she? How naughty. Maybe I should spank you."
