<i>"Something small and sturdy, for the small and sturdy woman."</i>She laughed at that, the sound bright and merry.<b>"Oh my, he has brawn <i>and</i> wit. You must have to beat the women off with a stick." </b>She hadn't missed the way he had looked her up and down, just as she had done to him a moment ago, and turned her attention to the display of blades before he could notice the light rosy hue growing on her cheeks.<br/><br/>They were handsome weapons, to be sure. They gleamed brightly in the sunlight, and on several she could see charms etched into the hilts and blades. Elves had a natural attunement to magic--or at least, most of them did. She could manage a few spells, whether that was conjuring a glowing mote to light her way or soothing an aggressive, territorial wild beast, but she was no mage. One more thing that had kept her from fitting in back home, it seemed.<br/><br/><b>"Hm?"</b>She glanced up as he asked about her bow.<b>"Sometimes, when I need the meat. Although it's not much use against anything larger than a rabbit." </b>Hers was a game-bow, nothing like the massive warbows the soldiers of her home had carried. Still, it was a dependable weapon, and just because it wasn't lethal to a human-sized attacker didn't mean the arrows weren't going to<i>hurt. </i><b>"Not the best shot with it, which is partially why I'm looking for something else."</b><br/><br/>She eyed the charmed blades longingly, but her dwindling funds wouldn't allow it, and so she moved onto the simpler affairs. Even these were impressive, and she was exceedingly gentle as she picked one up, getting a feel for it's weight. It felt a bit heavy for her liking, not something she could manipulate quickly and easy, and so she set it back down carefully and moved to the next in line. At the "discount" he proposed, she turned to him with a raised brow. So much for trying to hide the fact that she was blushing.<b>"You know,"</b>she mused, trying to save face,<b>"generally, merchants will sweet-talk their customers so they'll pay more, not less."<br/>
</b><br/>The next blade had a better feel to it as she turned it about in her hand. The blade was straight and gleaming, and the pommel and crossguard were wrought from bronze, wrapped with soft leather bands about the hilt. It was simple in its design, and yet in that simplicity was beauty.<b>"Hrm...this one." </b>She looked up at Eric again, trying to decide how daring she was feeling. If she was going to be an adventurer, she'd need to find her stomach for risk eventually.<b>"And I'll take that discount. C'mere."<br/>
</b><br/>When the Northerner approached, she stood up on her toes, grabbed his beard with one hand, and planted a kiss on his lips before she could second-guess herself. She held it for a moment, then let go and stepped back, coming away with the musk of sweat and forge-smoke.<b>"Thirty coppers, I believe you said?"</b>she asked with a grin, her face flushed.<br/><br/>As he counted out her payment, she tied the dagger in its sheath to her belt. That was it, then. She had everything she needed to brave the labyrinth. She had been excited, but now that it was looming, she had to admit she was feeling a bit antsy. Whether or not the legends about it were true, the fact remained that nobody who had gone in there had ever come out again. Maybe...maybe this was too much for her. Maybe she wasn't ready for this.<br/><br/>Before her self-doubt could snowball any further, she stopped herself and let out a breath, turning her attention back to Eric. As established as his smithy was, it seemed that he had been here for a while, maybe he'd know something about it that she didn't.<b>"You think it's true what they say about those old ruins?" </b>she asked after a moment, gesturing to the distant labyrinth's carved walls.<b>"Travelling here, I heard all sorts of horror stories about it, people saying it's cursed, that a monster's sealed in there, things like that." </b>She looked back to Eric.<b>"But if there's a bustling town right at the foot of it, then it can't be all that dangerous, right?"</b>