Snippet #2406791

As soon as she said it was good for bruises he swiped it from her hand and put it in his bag. "You have yourself a deal." His shoulder wasn't to bad right now, but he knew it would stiffen up later and slow up his sword arm, which could be the difference between life and death up here. He readjusted his pack strap a little awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. He was happy that Lauren was being a little more friendly with him, even if Zander would give him hell for it later.

"I've uhh... Never seen you around before. How'd you end up in Willowspeak?" He was extremely bad at small talk, and this attempt was no better. He was so focused on not completely embarrassing himself that he didn't notice Michael posing his question to Ark. He was blushing a little, though it was hard to see in the snow. His last experience with women had been disastrous, also Zander's fault, and since then women made him unnaturally nervous.