Old friends new places

[Horu]

"There you go Ms. Floris" Horu said as he fixed a new post to the old woman's flower stall. The old one hand been charred and was irreparable. When that dragon attacked its fire hadn't exactly stayed confined to one spot and the dragon hadn't only sent flames into the city square. there was damage here and there scattered all over the kingdom.

Ms. Floris' flower shop had been one of the victims of the dragon fire and Horu had just finished helping her rebuild the market stall. She was an elderly woman and a widow so she had no one else to help her with such repairs. So he lent her a hand. "thank you young paladin, for the help. If you have any lady friends I'd be happy to give you a free bouquet as repayment." He smiled and replied, "Oh there is no need It was my pleasure." He said as he turned to walked down the street.

He was wearing hes normal garb. A pearly bright and shining suit of Platinum scale mail over a cotton tunic, and leather pants. He Also war iron grieves and Leather hiking boots that where actually lighter than they looked. Buckled to his belt was a long curved sword, and tied to his back was a kite shield. Now that he was up and walking he checked that his sword was clear in its scabbard and in place. With all the problems here there where bound to be people ready to take advantage of the unprepared. He kept his eyes open for signs of trouble.

[Lady Joanna Magnus]

"I dare you to try that again!" Joanna called out as she slid back through a crowd of people, brandishing her duel bronze blades. A man with a spear came at her, jumping off of an empty manure rack. Joanna side stepped the man and hit him in the back of the neck with her right blade hilt. Another man jumped at her with a spear as well, with that she just cut through the spear shaft and kicked the man into a pig pen across the way. Joanna laughed to herself as a bucket of pig feed fell off the wall in the pen and onto the man's head.

She put her blades together and placed them back in their scabbard. "Thank you miss!" a group of young boys shouted out, most of them swooning. "It wasn't a problem, they shouldn't be bothering you young men anytime soon," she said in her trademark heavenly tone. Joanna gave a smile towards the group and began to walk away. She raised a brow when the group fainted in unison. Not something she was entirely unused to.

Joanna watched as a man with a kite shield walk away from a flower stand after having fixed a fire torn stent. From the distance, Joanna couldn't see that it was her old friend Horu. Joanna smiled and fixed the green and gold crest crown on her forehead. She moved over towards the flower shop and looked over the flowers. "What a lovely collection you have miss," Joanna said politely to the elderly woman owning the shop. Joanna was almost begging the gods that the old woman wouldn't greet her with "Oh Lady Joanna!".

[Horu]

The older woman looked up at the lady who had complimented her flowers with a smile. She had just watched what had happened between Joanna, the thugs and the three boy7s that where getting bullied. She had been one to stand up for those kind young men. They where one of the few that didn't go out looking for trouble. But al she could really do was Try telling the thugs off. A fat load that did.

She felt a Pang a jealousy for she was no longer strong enough to give those scoundrels a good thrashing while the younger woman was, but it was a jealousy she felt happily. "Why thank you my dear. I hope you like them because you'll probably be their next." She chuckled a little, "I suspect those boys will be my next customers." She finished smiling happily.

Just then Horu turned too see what the commotion was over by the pig pen. And saw a few men, that use to be armed. Face down in the trough. And Then he noticed the reason for their predicament. He walked up to his old friend. "Now miss I don't think i can condone violence on my watch." He said with an air of humor and mock authority.

[Lady Joanna Magnus]

Joanna quickly turned around at the voice. "Horu!" She shouted happily, she hadn't seen him for a good long time. The small woman came up and hugged her friend with such a glee it disappointed the young boys who were already whispering between eachother about who they thought the man Joanna was with was.

"How have you been?" She asked in her normal gentle tone. She gave the man a warm smile and while she was awaiting an answer from the man she bought herself a fine little flower and put it behind her ear. She hadn't seen a flower in over a month due to the snow on the mountains and the beast that was terrorizing her people. Had the grand sage let her fight, this beast wouldn't be a problem anymore.

"What do you think?" she said with a giggle, modeling the flower she had just purchased.

[Horu]

"Joanna!" He said in return as the embraced. He watched her by the flower and place it in her hair. Odd, how one minute she was a hardcore warrior, and the next the a giddy little girl. The old lady gave him a look that said 'say she looks pretty or else.' he had to stop himself from laughing and his snickering along make her give him an even harder look. He smiled knowing that know one knew her stature and said. "You look as pretty as a princess."

He noticed the Boys behind her talking about him under their breath, and held back the urge to stick out his tongue. Being around her made him happy they where old friends. Or near equal rank really just different cliques. She was in a palace running the city he wasd in a temple and in the street protecting people with what he had. And they where from different cities. He had traversed hers a few years ago. Before he earned his armor. And that's where they had met.

then being a little mischievous said. "The I think you could use more than just one flower." He said it loud enough for the boys to hear and wondered if they would take the hint to give the old lady some business.

[Lady Joanna Magnus]

Joanna covered her mouth as she let out a soft giggle. "Why thank you Horu," she said, smiling to him. She brushed her pale hair from her face and over her shoulder. She had missed him during her entrapment at the palace of Talrin. She had such a great people, but the thing terrorizing her land made the head sage forbid her from ever going to fight the thing and put her under near constant watch to make sure she did as she was told and not fight.

At this hour, they couldn't afford to lose their protector although she felt inadequite for not doing her duty. Although, Horu had no idea about her special... well, ability. Joanna was never one to gloat or bring up things needlessly. Joanna turned a light shade of pink when Horu mentioned she probably needed more than one flower, "Oh please, I don't need anythi--," she started, being cut off when one of the boys shoved Horu away and they all were looking at her love struck and holding various bouques.

[Horu]

Horu smiled at his little scheme. Instead of taking the old woman's offer of a free bouquet he had gotten the boys to buy the flowers for him. He wasn't the one giving her the flowers, but he was the reason she was receiving them. No, he wasn't in love with her or anything it just made him happy to see her happy. Right?

The woman must have noticed what he was doing because she gave him an annoyed look as she sold her flowers to the boys. "Your welcome." He said to both of them but he was looking at lady Magnus.

[Lady Joanna Magnus]

Joanna was suddenly caught off guard by all three boys, around 17 she estimated, started asking her to marry them. Of course, Joanna was honored but she noblely declined, looking back at Horu a few times with a playful look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I'm already taken by this noble knight," she lied.

Joanna wasn't usually one to tell a lie, but she had to think of something to get herself out of this situation as well as get back at Horu for implanting the ideas in the boy's heads.

[Horu]

Her comment wasn't what he expected and he had to think really fast before he started blushing. He decided to submit and play along. He grinned and said "She sure is." He pushed back through the small crowd and draped an arm around her shoulders. Then with out thinking he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. He would apologize later.

[Lady Joanna Magnus]

The only problem at the moment? The boys obviously saw right through her little story. "Oh yeah?" one called out, crossing his arms, "Kiss eachother in public then," he said. Another chimed in, "And none of that cheek pecking stuff!" First thing that came to mind in Joanna's head? Oh Shiz-biz-didily-doo.

Joanna looked to Horu before moving. Yes, she was concidering going through with the Boys' Dare. Joanna did have a bit of a soft spot for Horu, but she wouldn't admit something like that, well, not now anyway.

[Horu]

Horu was suddenly finding things to be getting rather uncomfortable. Yeah he and Joanna where friends. Romance was possible, but but he didn't expect their friend ship to go that far. He was having trouble forming a coherent thought to express that would get him out of this mess.

It was the Flower seller that saved him however. "What, so you you lad's can oggle their show of affection like some kind of perverted attraction? I can tell you that's no way to thank any one for saving your hides." she nodded over at where the fight with the thugs had taken place. "now you boys leave them be before i go tell you parents what trouble you've been up to."

[Lady Joanna Magnus]

Joanna was frought with relief when the old woman came up and shooed the boys away. She brought her hand to her chest and soon after gave a long, closed-eyed sigh. Joanna looked over at Horu, somebody had to break the tension. She laughed. A full, "We just narrowly escaped doom," kind of laugh.

"Thank you miss," Joanna said, smiling at the old woman. Joanan brushed her white hair from her face and fixed the forehead crown adoring her head.

[Horu]

Horu smiled and nodded his agreement with Joana's sentiment, as he too breathed a sigh of relief. "Nothing to it deary. You two make a lovely couple you don't need to go showing off to anyone" She said missing the point a little. He looked back at Lady Magnus and realized his arm was still around her and he quickly removed it."Well... that was fun."