Fateful Encounter

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Freya looked at him, slightly curious as to what he was doing. As he worked on the circle she realized what he was doing and left him to it. She couldn't help but smile a bit as he did that. "Thank you master...." She said softly, "Of course. I will defend you....and....if that is the way friends are....then I must admit I am nervous....I have been away from the world for many ages....I worry that I cannot fit in. I do not wish to make thee a target." She spoke in a soft, insecure voice. She wasn't as commanding as before but she didn't see a need to be, this was her friend....not her master. If he wanted to be her friend then she would have to give him her trust and inner feelings. Trust was already there since he was still technically her master.
 
It made sense that she was kinda afraid of the world. While he still didn't know how long she was down there, she was guarding her former master for a long time and the world must have changed a lot for her by now. He could almost feel that she was scared, and he didn't want to leave her with that. While she was distracted with her insecure feelings, he approached her and embraced her with both arms. It felt a bit cold because of her armor, but he didn't mind.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
Nathaniel couldn't help but to feel confident about the two of them. Freya was a good person after all, so there was little to worry about.
The hug lasted for a while, and then there was a moment when he wanted to break it, but he couldn't. Two strong arms kept him in place.
"Freya? We kinda have to go. ...Freya?"
He patted her back, wondering if she was lost in thought or something. It was nice to be close to her, which allowed him to take a good look on her blond hair and long braid, but it would be good for them to arrive at a safe location before it gets dark.
 
Freya watched him as she stood there but didn't process that he moved closer and hugged her. When she realized what he was doing, she happily wrapped her arms around him and stood there, feeling a little better. She couldn't bring herself to let go as she thought about how cute he was. However, his voice brought her back to her senses. She slowly released the adorable mage and was blushing lightly. "I apologize master. I did not mean to keep you there. You are right, we must get going. I am sure you would much rather be in a bed tonight rather than having to worry about camping." She smiled at him as she started to look around, "So....in what direction are we headed? I am afraid the years have changed much, the trees are much taller than they used to be.....I don't think....there were this many...."
 
Her blushing face was a sight he would not forget anytime soon. It suited her, even if the armor kinda didn't fit into the scene. He kept up his happy mood though, glad that nothing was wrong.
"It's okay Freya. And you're right, so let's get moving. Just follow me."
Nathaniel walked west, which could be told by the position of the sun that was shining on their backs. The forest had no road to lead them, which made their way through it kinda bumpy. Many strong roots were growing on the ground, and there were often bushes blocking their path. But they eventually made it through the thick parts of the forest and arrived not far away from a castle. A city was behind the big walls, and a lot of people as well.
"There we are. We're going to stay for one day, pick up a package in the morning, and be on our way to my home. Any questions Freya?"
If she looked ahead, Freya would see that there would be a lot of people. Not too much to be unable to move through, but there were too many to count them.
 
Freya smiled at him and nodded. She followed behind him calmly, easily making her way over the uneven terrain. She kept an eye on him, making sure he didn't trip over anything. Upon exiting the forest she saw the castle city and looked at it. She hadn't been in such a big city in a very long time. She wondered just how much she would stand out before Nathaniel's voice brought her from her thoughts. She looked at him and nodded.
"Only one that I can think of at this moment. Will I stand out too much?" She asked gently. She clearly cared about fitting in though it was for his sake, not her own, "I do not wish to attract unwanted attention to thee."
 
Nathaniel gave it some thought, and while her armor was a rather old designed one, something else would probably be of more trouble.
"Hm... I don't think there is much that stands out. But when people talk to you, you might not want to tell them your true origin story. It will attract way more unwanted attention than your armor. Aside from that, I'm sure you'll be fine Freya. Let's stay close though, just in case."
He was confident that she could handle it, and since he would be around, there was even less to worry about... or so he at least thought.

The city was really a sight to behold. After crossing the bridge, they would find themselves in a district with rather modern buildings ((for that time)). No damages on the buildings, and the streets were made of countless stones. They were somewhat even, and walking was not bothersome at all. About each 5th big building turned out to be a shop, ranging from blacksmiths, to various kinds of food stores, and even equipment stores for adventurers. While they made their way through the people, Nathaniel looked at Freya on occasion, making sure that she was still around, and curious if one of the shops or buildings caught her interest. The one Nathaniel walked into was a bookstore with a blue double door. From the looks of it, it used to be a mansion before the owner turned it into a bookstore.

As one would expect, the room was full of bookshelves, but they were not high. Just about waist height, so that no one could steal books so easily. It was also quite clean, but had simple wooden flooring. Stone would have been too expensive. The owner sat behind the counter, working on some documents while occasionally looking around. Nathaniel looked at Freya, having almost forgotten that she was new to a lot of things.
"Sorry, but I think I will take some time here. I'm not sure how interested you are in books, but take a look around. Let me know if you find something interesting."
Usually he would have suggested her to take a stroll through town, but he was worried about her. He could only imagine how much must have changed for her.
 
Freya looked at him and nodded. "Very well then Master," She said softly. She followed him quietly and looked around. The streets and buildings were amazing. She'd never seen so many shops before and found it fairly amazing. She didn't seem very interested in a specific building, she was just happy looking around. She made sure to stay close to him as they made their way through the crowd. She did stop for a moment, glancing at food stores. She was a little bit of a foodie so to speak and loved trying new foods. But she tried to keep her mind off of her stomach as they entered a bookstore. It was a nice little place and she had to admit it was nice. She looked at him when he spoke and smiled.

"Books are important for education," She replied warmly before she started to look around. Despite being a warrior she clearly knew the importance of books and was fairly literate for her status. She seemed to skim the titles and occasionally picked one up to look at. She was very careful and removed a gauntlet as she looked through the pages of the book. She was starting to get a feel for this time though her mind often drifted towards food rather than what she was reading.
 
There were books about various subjects. Whenever it was for a hobby, for a certain field of work, or general guides for travelers. This store had books about them. But what it also had was a quite nice selection of novels or almost all fields. What it didn't seem to have were books about practical magic. Fact was that it had them, but they were not allowed to be sold to anyone, which is why Nathaniel spoke to the owner.

Nathaniel walked up to Freya about 20 minutes later. He walked up from the side, and was curious if she found something interesting. He couldn't tell if she was the reading type, and if she was, he would have to admit that he would be curious about what she would be reading.
"Found something interesting?"
 
Freya found the novels and started to look though them. She found a little romance novel and started to leaf through it. When Nathaniel walked over to her, approaching from the side she glanced at him, noticing his approach. "hmm? Yes....though I suppose it's rather silly for a warrior. But it is nice to read tales of love from time to time," She said honestly.

She showed him the romance novel and then went to put it away. "I take it we are done here? I know not the reason for coming here but it seems we are leaving empty handed. Shame, books are good for training the mind." She said as she nodded in agreement with herself. She looked fairly relaxed and comfortable in the shop, so she wasn't feeling out of her element. For her, being able to read meant she'd be able to write correspondence for others and she also just enjoyed reading the tales of other warriors and myths. She was once well versed in folklore and usually enjoyed reading rather than hearing such tales.
 
Nathaniel noticed just how well she seemed to blend in. At least with her mind. Her armor still stood out. But it was nice to see that she seemed to be the reading type. By now he felt bad for not expecting her to be smart too, and made sure not to underestimate her in the future.
"I don't think it's silly at all. I don't read them often, but each is a precious memory. Once we are at home, you can read each book I have, but you should also take your time tomorrow and pick what books interest you the most.
And yes we will come back tomorrow. I just checked if the book I ordered is on its way. Our last stop for today will be the INN, but we have a lot of time until then. I am not sure about you, but I'm hungry, so let's go to the stores. You don't mind, right?"
Nathaniel was used to have the typical routine of 1 person, so he was not used to have someone around. Sure. Freya had some things to learn, but so did Nathaniel. It would take some time until he would get used to Freya's company.
 
Freya listened to him as he spoke. He really seemed to like books which was nice to hear. When he mentioned picking books she smiled a little. It was nice to see that he was so generous and kind; he was offering her a home and books for her. She was used to working and paying for her own things so she hoped that soon enough she'd be able to help him out and pay him back a little. Yes, she was his guardian but that didn't mean she had to be by his side at all times. "You don't have to get me any books. I am sure anything that you have will be satisfactory," She said gently before smiling, "I don't mind at all. Wherever you lead I shall follow, 'tis my role and happy duty. Besides, I do not see a reason to object to more wandering......and...maybe some food.." She added the last bit fairly quietly, her face gaining a slightly pink tone. She hated letting people see her more gluttonous side. She loved tasty foods and was always willing to try something new. She had a more cheerful smile on her face now though since there was going to be food involved.
 
As she blushed, Nathaniel noticed just how cute she looked. It made him smile, and he nodded at the thought of food.
"Alright. I know just the place."
Nathaniel walked out with Freya close behind him again, and they walked towards the center of town. There was one big building, and Freya would notice quickly that the people that walked out had quite stuffed stomachs. 2 Boys held onto each other, one a little drunk, the other just too full. And when Freya and Nathaniel would walk in, she would notice quickly why they were so full. The moment Nathaniel opened the door, a flood of aromas would blow past them. There was a really big buffet table, filled with all kinds of dishes. Filled paprika, fried meat, freshly baked pies, seafood soups, grilled fish, and a lot of other dishes as well. People grabbed a big tray, put food on it, and sat at one of the tables to start eating.
"This is an all-you-can-eat restaurant. What do you think?"
Nathaniel was curious about her opinion. He figured that she would be very hungry, and that a normal store was probably the wrong place for her. Not only had this restaurant had a better selection, but she could eat as much as she liked, with no strings attached. While she eyed the selection in front of her, Nathaniel paid their meals, and handed her a tray.
"Put as much food as you like on it. It's already paid, so eat as much as you like."
With the trays on their hands, they made their way around the big table. Nathaniel was not as hungry, so he just took a soup, some bread, and a slice of cake for him. He then led them to a free table, sat down, and looked at her tray, curious of what she chose for herself.
 
Freya followed after him happily and saw the large building. Then she noticed the people walking out looking so full they were practically drunk on food, one of them might have actually been drunk. When they opened the door she could smell all the food and a sparkle came to her eyes. She'd never seen so much food in one place. She looked at when when it said it was an 'all you can eat' place.
"All you can eat?" she repeated as she looked at him, "So....people eat as much as they would like?"
Her eyes seemed to light up more, as if she'd just died and gone to heaven. She gave him a quick hug before going to investigate all the food. She sniffed each dish, going for what smelled the best first. Soon her tray was piled high with food mostly meats and vegetables but she did grab a bowl or two of pasta which balanced on top of her meal. She sat down wherever Nathaniel had seated himself as she took far more time than he had. She sat down and set out her food before going and getting herself a bit of water to drink. When she was ready to eat she looked happily and soon dug in, starting with chicken and some carrots and potato's. She looked happy as she ate and it was clear that she hadn't eaten in some time and had quite the appetite.
 
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