Armored Heart Chapter 2

Challenge 8- Shopping

Despite how stoic she was, Robin couldn't believe how excited Kjelle was when it came to shopping for armour and weapons.

Author's notes: Well this took longer than expected. I had a tough time getting the story to feel right. And I couldn't get what I wanted written in under 550 words. So from now on the limit will be 650 words per chapter because of it. I'm trying to keep each of these short so they can be written quickly but maybe i shouldn't care about keeping a limit to the length so much. The next challenge will be number 19 Formal Wear, so that should be fun to write about especially Kjelle in formal wear. In the meanwhile enjoy this chapter.

Each morning Robin ran though a 'ritual' of tasks before breakfast. He took stock of the rations they had available. He paid attention to anyone that wasn't feeling happy and helped cheer them up. Last of all, he inspected the weapons and protective gear in the armory. With a frown Robin noted that the armor they had was in poor shape and there was a shortage of spare weapons. As he wrote down what he needed to buy Robin remembered Kjelle's enthusiasm for weaponry and armor. He realized that she might be able to help him find the best stock available and decided to ask for her help.

Robin found Kjelle by her tent, polishing her set of armor and inspecting it for any signs of damage. As he approached her, Kjelle turned to face Robin and smiled.

"Hello Robin, what brings you here?" Kjelle asked. "After some extra training? Our last session left you bruised and limping home on one leg, but I'm impressed you didn't give up despite that."

"Thanks, but please don't remind me of it. It took me days for the bruising to dissapear." Robin said with a shudder. "But that's not why I'm here. Our armory is a little under stocked and I need to visit the local blacksmith and resupply. Since you know so much about weapons and armor would you like to help me shop?"

"I'd be happy to!" Kjelle said eagerly as she stored her armor away in her tent. "Let's get a move on and find that blacksmith!"

"Heh, thanks Kjelle." Robin said. "You've really excited about this, aren't you?"

"Naturally. I adore armor!" Kjelle said with a grin. "It's both a battlefield tool and a work of art that I never tire of looking at. And with my knowledge and expertise finding the best pieces of armor and weaponry will be easy for us."

"In that case what are we waiting for?" Robin said as they walked off.

Upon entering the blacksmith's store, Robin was impressed by the many different types of weapons and protective gear the blacksmith had on display. Kjelle took a few minutes admiring the suits of armor and gauntlets on display before she showed Robin how to identify which weapons would last longer in combat, and which pieces of armor were better manufactured from the others. With her help Robin had a much easier time picking out the best gear the blacksmith had to offer, who promised to have Robin's purchase delivered to camp early the next morning.

"I didn't know you were the kind of person who liked to shop Kjelle." Robin said with a laugh as they made their way back to camp.

"Normally shopping is too girly for my tastes." Kjelle answered. "But this is armor we're talking about! Its smell, the sound it makes when you walk in it and the comfort it provides you is wonderful! So it's an exception to that rule."

"You showed me that there's a lot more to armor than I thought possible. I'm...rather impressed. But can you give me your opinion on these?" Robin said as he pulled out a set of leather gauntlets. Kjelle took a close look at the pair before trying them on.

"They feel perfect. They're tough enough for combat, but not so tough that they restrict movement." Kjelle said appreciatively. "You saw how badly I wanted this pair, didn't you?"

"Guilty as charged." Robin said bashfully. "Consider them a thank you for helping me."

"For a gifted fighter you're pretty soft." Kjelle said with a roll of her eyes, but the smile she showed him was quite sincere. "I…like that about you. But I hope I don't turn soft because of it!"