Karla realized she was still holding my hand and removed it, holding it at chest level for a moment before putting it on her lap. I simply curled my fingers into a loose fist as if I was still holding something. The moment wasn't unpleasant but it sure was awkward, especially with Sharpclaw still giggling.

Ory got up and cleared his throat. "We got to get going." He said. "C'mon Sharpclaw." "Aw! I was having fun." Sharpclaw grumbled. Karla and I both smiled. The boys left and we each reserved a room at the inn to spend the night. We needed a place to sleep and this was as good a place as any. Being off the beaten path we were unlikely to come across any unwanted company. We ordered a light meal and started talking about our choices for the next day.

"Wolf, do you have any idea what to get yourself?" Karla asked. I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head slowly. "My sword doesn't have enough power." I replied "I can't seem to land the blows with enough force." "Aren't you supposed to make precise attacks with a sword? Maybe you're not using the right skills to make it effective." Karla suggested. "My agility is too low compared to my strength. Only my brute force attacks have any real impact." I answered. "You could get a shield. That would really help you block incoming attacks." She suggested again. "That wouldn't solve my problem with the sword. I really need to get something different." I sighed. Karla proceeded to batter me with suggestions.

"Two handed sword" "It's still a sword."
"Dagger?" "Too small."
"Spear?" "Too long."
"Mace!" "Not for me."
"Pole arm?" "Too long, didn't I say that already?"
"Flail." "Ouch, too vicious."
"Dagger." "Didn't you say that already?"
"War Hammer." "Too much like the mace."
"Battle axe." "Hmpf."
"Pitch Fork?" "Huh. What? No!"
"Spoon?" "That's … now you're just messing with me."

Karla would have continued and gotten far sillier had I not stopped her. "Wait. Go back two." "Battle axe?" she asked. I nodded and waiting for her opinion. "Big stick, dual blades, hack and slash, somewhat barbaric, what do you want to know?" she said slightly discusted. "I know what it is. What do you think of me using one?" I insisted. "I think you're crazy." She said bluntly, looking at me to see if I was serious "Ok, whatever. It certainly isn't my pick of weapon, but it does fit a strength based fighter." "It does, doesn't it?" I said as I sat back relaxed in my seat, satisfied that it would be the right weapon for me. Karla just sat there shaking her head. It was obviously not her cup of tea. "The battleaxe will be good against a single large target, both for blocking and for massive damage. It will also be good with groups of creatures as a swing can hit more than one target. Even considering the slow sword skill recharge." I detailed, trying to get Karla to accept my choice. I was obviously more enthusiastic than she was.

"Ok Mr. Satisfied, what about me?" Karla said. I shook myself from my reverie. "You do wonders with the dagger, but it's mostly good for stabbing and you always have to get so close to your target." I stated. "I know. The daggers have always left me wanting for a little more reach. I need a sword, a long sword probably. What do you think?" Karla looked at me hopping for my ok. "No." I said slyly. "No? Why?" she scowled. "Not just a sword: a katana! I bet you could do wonders with one." Her eyes lit up. "A katana? I didn't even consider it before." Karla said enthused "It's probably effective against an agile creature and I can almost guarantee a hit against a slow one. It won't do as much damage as your battleaxe, but I can keep my stabbing skills and I should get good slashing skills as a bonus over the dagger. Yeah, I could handle that." Karla said as she smiled broadly . "Look who's the satisfied one now?" I said.

We sat there for a bit finishing our meal discussing how our battles would have been different had we switched weapons earlier. We had no plans for the evening so there was no rush and it's not as if anyone else needed our table. As our conversation died down to nothing, Karla, not knowing what to do with herself, got up and said "Well I guess I'll just go to bed." She turned and headed towards the stair. "Karla." I called after her, not really knowing why. She turned to look at me, "I ..." I hesitated as I felt my face get hot. "Oh never mind. Sleep well." I said reluctantly. "Good night, Wolf." Karla said before turning back and heading up the stairs.

I sat back in my chair feeling a little disappointed; wondering why I gave up asking her to stay up tonight. We had nothing planned, plenty of time, and for all intents and purposes a private place to spend the evening. It would have been nice to sit and chat. Even if we spent most of our time together, we knew very little about each other. I couldn't muster enough courage to ask her about herself. She had already made a scene when I asked about where her name came from. But it would be nice to know a little more.

I got up around mid-morning, which didn't feel right. Not that I slept badly or anything, the night was quite restful. But I thought I would have been woken up by Karla banging on my door. Was she sleeping in this morning? That would have been unusual. I went down to the inn's common room, which was empty except for the NPC owner and a waitress. Karla was nowhere to be seen. I was too groggy to worry about it, and anyway it was safe enough in town. I guess she needed a little time to herself.

I sat at a table and the waitress came over. "Can I take your order?" "Coffee?" I asked hoping for a miracle. "I'm sorry sir we don't have that." The waitress said. Of all the things that were chosen to be included in this game, why did they not include coffee? Some days I hate this game more than others. Bugs attack you, you never have enough money, you're never satisfied with your level, or your skills. But all that is dwarfed by my most basic desire for a drink of infused dark roasted beans. "Why can't I get a coffee?" My inner voice cried out in despair.

"I'll take a strong tea please." I say with an exaggerated smile, as I try to hide my disapointment. It's a good thing NPCs can't read body language. The waitress promptly trotted off to the kitchen and returned with a pot of tea and a couple of cups. "Tea is best shared with a friend." I told myself as I again wondered where Karla had gotte to. She was free to go and do whatever she wanted, of course. But I'd gotten use to her being around.

The inn door opened and I saw a woman enter the inn. She put her hands on her hips, looked around the common room then headed straight to my table. I looked up to see who it was. I stared with my mouth agape: Karla had changed her look.

"Well, you like?" Karla asked. She was wearing a full leather breastplate that went down mid-thigh in the front and the back, circled with a belt at the waist. Under the armour she had a tight fitting burgundy long-sleeved shirt and straight skirt that went down below her knee on the left and the back but only mid-thigh in front and on her right side. She also had matching over the knee socks and a pair of tight fitting boots that stopped just below the knee. Hanging from her belt on the left side was a brand new katana. The most striking change was her hair. It was now jet black with a strand of white in front and to the side.

"You look fine ... uh nice ... uh very nice." I managed to say, still surprised by the change. She twirled in place to show off her new gear. "I didn't wake you `cause I wanted to surprise you. And by the way you're ogling me, I'd say I was successful." She said teasingly. I quickly looked away and rubbed the back of my neck. My face was burning. "Oh good you ordered tea." Karla said as she sat down and poured herself a cup. She sipped slowly while keeping her eyes on me; a mocking smile ever present on her lips. She was thoroughly enjoying herself.

After our tea we headed out to the marketplace and I found the weapon I was looking for: a double bladed battleaxe, approximately one meter in length, with a comfortable, two handed grip. It also could be gripped anythe whole length of the handle to hold on to when blocking. As for armour, I opted for a metal breastplate, shoulder guards, wrist guards and a pair of leather boots reinforced with metal plates on the shin and around the ankle. My choice was less stylish than Karla's but it suited my needs. "Shall we go try out our new equipment?" I asked Karla as I slung my battleaxe on my back. She smiled, and tapped the hilt of her new katana.

"Let's see what this baby can do."