He smiled tolerantly at her attitude. She was like a child in many ways. Accepting the drink, Archer took a drink before asking, "So it was basically you who raised the alarm. How did you respond so quickly? Most people were stunned to immobility." Maybe she had been chased by wolves or something growing up and learned the value of action.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the female warrior enter the room. She had taken her armor off and cleaned it. Now she carried it in a bulky load in her arms. Their eyes met and with the eyes that knew the eyes of another fighter, he motioned her over. She tilted her head, but came over. As soon as she reached them she commented, "She is a bit young for you to be flirting with. I thought men of your rank had more chivalry than that."

"I don't know, really. I guess when you see something that isn't supposed to be there, you run to the nearest places for help. Thats what I was taught.." She shrugged. Her parents had always been the protective type. Honestly, they probably only taught her that so she would never get into a disastrous situation. She took another sip of her drink. As the, now unarmored, woman came closer, she gave her a gentile smile. "Oh, no ma'am, he's probably old enough to be my father. There's no flirting going on here," Kalel giggled, "Anyway, I saw you helping the town as well. Thank you so much. We might not have pulled through without you." She stood up and moved one seat over so the woman could sit comfortably between the two of them if she wanted to.

-----

Jed had nearly finished making the blade for the new swords. As they lay cooling, he pulled out a pad and something to write with. Already scrawled out on the page were past records of what the town had done. There were shipments, crop recordings, and lists of items purchased from his shops. To the list, he added the arrival of the woman and the attack on the town. It was nearing the time for his monthly visit back to his base. He would leave tonight, but with all that happened, people might get suspicious. He folded up the piece of paper and stowed it away beneath all of his belongings.

Grinning at the young girl's enthusiasm, Clarissa accepted the seat and put her stuff on the ground behind it. Sitting down, she nodded to the captain, "Captain." He nodded back, suddenly looking interested about something, "Name is Captain Archer. You are a soldier or a mercenary?" She shook her head and grinned, "Just passing through. My name is Clare." Turning to the other girl, she asked, "What is your name? I think I missed the initial introductions." Accepting the glass of water a knowing waiter placed before her, she gladly started nursing it to regain the fluids such battles made one lose. If not through sweat, then through blood and tears.

"My name is Kalel. I own a little flower shop up the road a ways, maybe you've seen it? Its nice to meet you, though, Clare." Kalel shot Clare a grin. "Have you enoyed your stay here? Minus the attack, of course.." She wondered where Clare was staying, and if she planned to continue in the town rather than leave. If another group of rioters came through, the town could use her help. Kalel shifted in her seat to face Clare. She pushed her empty drink to the side and dug out payment for both hers and Archers drink. She would've offered to pay for Clare's meal as well, but she figured that water was more important for the time being.

Archer muttered, "A flower shop. How fitting." Then he buried his nose into his cup. Clare ignored him and smiled down at her, "I do know it. I saw it right before I went to join the defense of the town. It seemed like a delightful place. I was actually hoping to ask someone if there was a place besides this rather... boisterous... place to stay? I'd pay room and board of course. I was hoping to chill here for awhile. From the looks of things, the people here could use a little help. Some organization and there would be basic defenses against further attack. Like what you have for that shrine up on the hill." It was hesitantly said. She wasn't sure exactly what the shrine was for nor how important it was to the people. Still, the lengths they went for it should be employed for their own safety as well.

Archer looked up and more bluntly added, "This place is a death zone. No defense and open to attack from even amatuers. Those who attacked you were amatuers. They were not very organized and their light soldiers ran at the first sign of trouble. Their commanders won't send them back without proper warriors among them. Next time won't be so lucky for you." He stood up and motioned the bar keeper for another drink.

So Clare really was staying for awhile. "Oh, well if you need somewhere to stay, I'd be happy to oblige. My shop has a few extra rooms in the back incase I need to stay the night there. There's two guest rooms, and I only use one. Although.. The scent is soometimes overwhelming if you aren't particularly fond of flowers." She shrugged. Offering a place to stay was the least she, or anyone else in the town for that matter, could do. When confronted about the defensive state of the town, Kalel cringed and stared down at the floor. "I-i... Sorry. We just aren't fighting people. Nobody here knows how to defend themselves, I guess. We're hopeless." She bit her lip. It was pretty obvious. The town had little to no skills whatsoever other than farming and drinking.

Clare sighed in relief. Archer grunted as he took his seat again. They spoke at the same time, "I accept." Clare gave Archer a funny look as Archer smirked. Archer clarified, "I have a few days off since I was just on patrol. I can help with defenses." Clare nodded and turned to Kalel, "I will gladly accept the guest room. And help Archer with defenses too. Do you know where I can acquire a horse? I find that getting around in such a rural area will require faster legs than my own. My armor weighs me down and keeps me from sprinting or going long distance."

(( Saber? :o ))

Kalel piped up once more. "Actually, my family owns a ranch. We have a few horses there that you might like. You could borrow one of them for the time being." She bit the edge of her lip. "There are a few others horses around town, but they are too old to ride and aren't for sale. You could ask the Ricker family if you'd like. They might give up their horse.." She stood up from the barstool and flattened out the skirt on her dress. She was incredibly dirty and ridden with sweat from the work done before the raid. It was probably uncomfortable to the two that Kalel was unkept and borderline stinky. She pulled the, now dead, flower out of her messy hair and threw it in a pile of trash behind the bar. "Is there anything else? I should be returning home soon to fix this," She motioned to her appearance, " fix dinner, and clear out your room."

((Sorry, I'm using Archer and another swords female in another roleplay... based off of an anime I just finished watching. Didn't realize how strongly that got ingrained. At least I am no longer accidentally using characters from the anime Fairy Tail ^_^' hehe...he...))

Archer shrugged her appearance off, "No worries, lived with worse longer than a few minutes. I'm good. Will probably try to get the men still here together to plan." He turned and raised an eyebrow at Clare. She shrugged, "I'll finish this drink, go take a proper bath upstairs, then arrange with the innkeeper to have my stuff moved out to your place. Give me two hours I guess?" She looked at Kalel to see if that was okay or if the girl needed more time.

Kalel nodded. "Alright, ma'am. Ill meet you there. I'll have a batch of sweet cornbread and turkey ready when you arrive." She grinned, then shot a glance at Archer. "Maybe if you ask nicely, Clare will bring you some leftovers and ya'll can talk strategy.. or whatever military people do." She turned on her heel and left the inn. It was becoming dark, although it wasn't too far into the evening. It seemed all the chaos before had made the night more luminous and downright spooky than it really was. Upon reaching the family farm, she greeted each family member with a hug and kiss and began preparing the cornbread and turkey. Once they were prepped and put into the oven, Kalel scurried over to her shop and cleared out the back room. She scrubbed the room from top to bottom, making sure it was spotless for her new guest.

Heading up to her room after waving bye to Kalel, Clare went to get cleaned up properly. She wondered if a meeting would do any good tonight. A village changing their entire way of life wasn't easy. However running on the skirmish today, the least she should be able to accomplish was basic defense. Why were all the villages like this? They had no way to protect the common people at this rate.

After a proper bath, she started packing up her things. She didn't have much. Still, with her armor strapped on and weapons secured on herself, her hands were still full with a large bag in each hand. It would be nice to have a place to leave most of it while she was out on horseback. That is, once she got a horse. It could wait until the next day though.

*****

Archer finished off his drink and paid the barkeep. Then he strolled outside and headed down towards the blacksmith. Time to get more arrows ordered. He didn't want to have to rely on his short swords. The things were strong and good weapons, but he didn't have the skills to use them as they were meant to be used.

Reaching the blacksmith shop, he saw a few other farmers already there. No doubt to see about getting something besides a pitchfork to fight with. He sighed and yelled out as he approached, "Jed boy, got some more business for you!"

Hearing Archer's voice wasn't a very pleasant sound for Jed. He rolled his eyes. It seemed this guy was showing up everywhere. Hadn't the world seen enough of old Archer today? Jed shoved a few swords at the farmers who were calling for his attention. They paid what they could, which was much less than what Jed was asking for, and left. They would be back soon enough with complaints about the durability of the sword and whatnot, anyway.

As the last of the farmers scurried out, Jed peered up at Archer. He carelessly threw the money he had just received into a small pouch. "What now?" He spoke, his voice as rough as ever. He absentmindedly dug under his fingernails with a knife while waiting for Archers response.

-----

After Kalel finished sweeping the cobwebs off the ceiling in the guest room, she put away the broom and made her way back to the farm. The turkey needed at least another hour, but the cornbread was just perfect. She set the pan on the stovetop to cool. Hopefully Clare would enjoy the meal. Kalel left the turkey in the oven for awhile longer. She hopped into the shower and tried her best to fix her current disheveled appearance.

Not liking Jed's tone of voice, but needing him more than not, Archer bit off his sassy remark and took his time answering instead. "I need more arrows. Good ones this time. I want them to fly straight and true without crumbling. Think you can handle it this time around?" Archer glowered at the man while mentally hitting himself for sounding so crude. When would he ever get to being a better people person around men. The women he could handle, but men... they were awkward to interact with if not in battle.

*****

Heading down the stairs, Clare dragged her bags to the counter and paid the barkeep. Then she picked them up and headed out the door. Walking down the dusty road, she looked ahead and saw the pretty little flower shop. It was a delicate building in contrast to the events of earlier. Feeling suddenly more like a girl and less like a warrior, Clare smiled and dropped a bag so she could knock on the door.

"Already wasted the lot?" Jed scoffed. He clipped the knife back into a holster on his waist. From the time Archer had last picked up arrows, which was an obscenely short amount of time ago, Jed had only crafted another two arrows. He huffed and meandered into the back of the shop to grab them. Grunting, Jed practically threw the arrows on the table. He pushed them toward Archer and stepped back arms crossed. Just to be safe, and try to show that he had completed more work, Jed also fetched a few normal arrows that were readily available to the public. He knew Archer wouldn't even take a second look at them, but it did make it seem like Jed was actually productive.

-----

Kalel spotted Clare waiting at the flower shop. Kalel was furiously braiding her dripping hair while half-running to the shop. Apparently, Clare was able to ready herself much faster than she had anticipated. She tapped Clare on the shoulder as she reached the shop. "Howdy! Sorry for my tardiness.. I'm a little slow sometimes." She shrugged. Kalel eased her way between Clare and the door, which was easily accomplished because of Kalels size, and thrust open the door. She moved into the shop. "Do you need help with your bags, miss?" She turned backwards. It was incredibly rude of her not to ask.

Shrugging as he picked them up, Archer looked them over. He didn't really have a choice. He had used almost all of his other arrows up. He would have to check in with the blacksmith at the main camp and see if he could get anymore there too. It would be a bit before he did another patrol around to the other villages on his route. So getting arrows from them was impossible. Not even glancing at the ordinary arrows, he gruffly said, "This will do." Pulling out his money pouch, he started counting out the coins.

*****

Clare smiled, "No thanks, I got it. But thank you for offering." Following the younger girl inside, her nose was flooded with the various scents of flowers and she looked around admiringly. That such a little person could carry the weight of caring for so many lovely plants amazed her. Her eyes took in the glimmer of green in the fading light with random petals laying under their former plants. It was homey in it's own way and she felt her muscles relaxed marginally. While still enjoying the tranquil sight, she softly asked, "You work here by yourself?"

Jed nodded. He bundled all the arrows together and shoved them further toward Archer. While waiting for Archer to pull out the money, Jed figured he could strike up a conversation. Maybe, if he played his cards right, some new intel could make its way into the conversation. "So... Have you been slacking, or what? Why did the town get attacked?" Jed cleared his throat. He figured the entrance to the town would be heavily guarded for the following days. If Archer mentioned something about the stationing times for the soldiers, Jed would be able to safely sneak away to his camp. However, he figured nothing of the sort would come up into the conversation.

-----

Kalel nodded, "Well, yeah. I mean.. there's not too many women in this town young enough to care about things so 'stupid' as flowers. Most people my age, at least the girls, are up at the inn working the bar for suitable men. I swear.. All they care about is men and alcohol." She scoffed. Kalel pushed open the door to Clare's new room, and opened the window to let some air rush in. "If you want a gentle breeze, leave this window and the door open, and.." She picked a few pieces of lavender off a nearby plant, "... this is incase you have trouble sleeping. Its calming, and after today, we could all use some."

Hearing what sounded like a gruff conversation coming from the man, Archer looked up surprised. Wasn't like Jed to do more than sulk or grumble. Still, Archer had to admit that he wasn't looking forward to returning back to town. A meeting at the tavern would not be pleasant after today. It would be productive, but not pleasant. A few minutes delay returning wouldn't harm anything. Besides, this blacksmith was a part of this town. He probably needed reassurances just like everyone else was going to need.

Pausing thoughtfully, he slowly replied, "Well Jed, the countryside is large and raiding parties have a tendency to not draw as much attention as a large army might. Though this village is closest to the army encampment, it can't rely on the army for protection. So everyone will have to work together to make it a more defensive place and thus less desirable to attack. Are you coming to the meeting?" He looked at Jed and raised an eyebrow.

*****

Gingerly reaching out to accept the lavender, Clare looked down at it with a slight wonder to her eyes. Looking up at her hostess, she asked in youthful uncertainty, "After the meeting tonight, could I move a flowering plant into my room. I find the delicate petals a miracle after violent life I have lived..." She remembered suddenly the meeting and gasped, "Oh! The meeting! We are meeting over in the tavern. You should come with me, please. I'm not used to the social ways of these border villages..."

Jed nodded in agreement. Honestly, this town was worthless. Even becoming slightly more powerful in the defense area still wouldn't amount to much compared to Jed's army. Still, it would prove to be much more of a challenge when his horde came.

"Yes, I'm coming. Do I have to accompany you there and hold your hand like a child?" Jed retorted. He stoked the coals in the forge. They should last until the meeting ended. If he added a few more and left the lights on, nobody would suspect he was gone when he left to visit the commander. After the meeting, he could easily sneak away. "Coming?" He motioned to Archer.

-----

Kalel grinned and nodded, "Yes, of course. Any one you'd like." She put her hands on her hips. "Well, I don't usually go to the late night meetings. It's mostly all drunk men... but, because you're going and I want you to feel safe, I'll go." She absentmindedly pulled off a lily from a nearby plant and pinned it into her still dripping braid.

So much for being nice to the guy. He was constantly trying to twist a thorn in his side. Taking a deep breathe and letting it go, Archer followed Jed out of the shop. Once they were outside though, he increased his speed so that they were walking side-by-side instead. This guy seemed to not like anyone around here. His attitude was horrible. Deciding to throw one barb back as they neared the tavern, Archer casually mentioned to Jed, "With your attitude, one would almost think you were the enemy trying to kill all the innocent people here."

*****

Laughing at the thought of the smaller female protecting her, Clare put an arm around Kalel as they walked out. "My dear, you are welcome to stay by my side any day you like. Who ends up protecting who though is a matter of opinion. By the way..." Clare's eyes caught side of the heavily walled hill on the other side of town with a stone temple on it's mount. "What's the story with that shrine. You all have gone to great lengths to protect it, but, your village lacks the same necessary defense."

Jed shrugged off Archer's comment. He didn't bother to respond. Instead, he increased his stride to reach the tavern faster. He didn't have time to bother with Archer, much less the public. He hoped the meeting would be over nearly as soon as it started. Upon reaching the tavern, he shoved open the door to reveal a group of shouting villagers in torn clothing. They were obviously angered by the recent turn of events. Shouts could be heard from all around as they went back and forth with snide remarks.

------

Kalels giggles slowly faded into silence as she too glanced at the stone temple. "I'm not sure, really.. But I do know some things. My grandmother told me that it had been there even before she was born. It's kind of like an ancient shrine to the town. I don't know the full story, but I believe it's an omen that symbolizes our ancestors. They, or... well, it, protects us from drought and other natural occurences. In return, we protect it. Most of the children think its an old urban myth, but I believe it's true." Kalel sighed and shifted uneasily on her feet. "That's just one side though. Others have a different take on it. Let's just say it's important, okay?"