Jacob still couldn’t believe that had happened. First hunting trip of the year got him nothing that would last a few days, but a stupid rabbit bite. At least the squirrel skin from lunch would be able to pay for replacement arrows once he tanned it and sold the leather. The few remaining rations from his last adventure were good enough to get him through tonight. It means he’ll have to check the traps again in the morning to even hope to get the supplies he needed for the caravan escort leaving in the morning. Well, either that or buy them from the caravan, but that would quickly eat into his profits for the trip! Worse than that, the guards kept insisting the dead man in the bushes was outside their jurisdiction since it was outside the city. He’ll just have to be even more vigilant on their trek.

*Ring-ring*

Jacob had almost not noticed walking into the local armory. After about a minute, an elven woman came out of the back drying her hands. Valphine Downfletcher was not only a good saleswoman who always knows which weapon would best suit her customer, and a mediocre smith at best, but she was by far the best fletcher in the village. No doubt due to some elven secret her arrows always flew straight, and quiet. Jacob bought from nobody else… if he could help it. The fact she was always so happy, and chatty when he came by and kept giving him an undocumented discount was just a bonus. He had been developing a significant crush on the young elf ever since she had first shown him around her weapons shop. In the 2 years or so since, he still didn’t build the courage to do anything, but everything from her voice, to the pecan colored hair that reached halfway down her back when freed from its usual ponytail made him wish that some of his more private dreams about her were a reality. He sometimes wondered if it was a show to attract male customers. She had to know the top clasps of a woman’s shirt were supposed to be fastened after all. Still, the smile that lit up the bodacious elf’s face on seeing him was enough to warm his heart and lift his spirits after the failed hunt.

“Hi! Welcome to… JAKEY! Hey! How was the hunt?” She couldn’t help but squeal out the name only she could call him, not that anyone else tried. Jake was by far her favorite customer, and she couldn’t pretend even to herself that it stopped there. Everything from his smile, to his voice, to his… “features” made her happy. She still remembered when her cheeks cramped all evening just because Jake had spent about 2 hours picking out a bow, and she couldn’t stop smiling. She suspected but had no proof that he knew which bow he wanted after 5 minutes but stayed the rest of the time watching her in his peripherals, not that she minded. More than the store had grown very cold in the winter months since the tracker had last warmed her door and her heart. She hadn’t done anything towards the pursuit of the hot young man, but her heart insisted she do something soon to make him hers.

“Hey Val! Not bad considering the time of the year. Got a nut job with an arrow early on, and a rabbit found one of my snares in the afternoon. The little bouncer played dead and somehow escaped though. Took a chunk of hand along with him”

“Rotten luck. Sorry” She said with a pout leaning over the counter, resting her arms and sizeable chest on the top. “Your furry wittle target swipped through your wittle fingers. How can I help?”

“Well, I got a spot in the party escorting the caravan tomorrow, but I’m a little short on arrows for a mission like that. Nobody puts them together like you do!”

“Well, of course not! Nobody can work a shaft and head the way I do” she said with a wink,” but maybe I can show you sometime. In return you can show me how you always get so dirty”.

Val was always making that sort of comment. Jacob didn’t really understand it though. Oh, he knew she was hitting on him, he just wished she would do so in a way that wasn’t insulting. Dirty? Really? I mean yes, he lost count of the number of days since his last washing, but he figured part of the escort would include a night at an inn where he can get at some clean water he wouldn’t have to drink from later.

“Maybe later Val, but for now just the arrows”

A little while later, Jacob was leaving with not 1 but 2 quivers full of Valphine’s best new arrows. He wasn’t sure how long he could continue using the best of the best while avoiding the dark back room of the armory, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to avoid it. All he knew for sure was he had escaped for one more night. And, he hadn’t spent all the money he expected to get from the squirrel hide for twice the yield. Speaking of which, the tanners should still be open, then off to the campgrounds. Once he was there, he headed straight for his favorite site. It was a peaceful spot on top of a hill in a corner made by a river and the woods. He got there just in time to set up camp with a small fire before the sun sank below the horizon. He fell asleep in his bedroll as usual, staring into the dying embers of his fire.