Armor up!

Heading out of the door, I grab Cecilia's hand and drag her for a few meters. She is asking questions, but doesn't resist at all. Around the closest corner, I stop and start to explain where I am taking her.

Ce:" I got something to show you, well - two things actually."

Cia:" Why were we running off of the others this fast then? The thing you want to show me won't run away right?"

Slightly amused because I thought she'd react like this, I respond:" No, but others will be running there soon, so I wanted to be there first. Can you put this on for a while?"

I hand her a small piece of cloth, to cover her eyes. It is slightly see through, so she could see where we are going, what is happening and so on. I doubt that she is comfortable without seeing anything yet, even with me. Obviously I thought about it before and prepared a cloth that doesn't limit her in that way.

Cia:" Alright..."

Slowly she puts it on, so I start leading her a bit forward again. The brutal truth that most books are concealing is: If the person you are leading doesn't see anything, it is impossible for said person to walk without stumbling. Wiping the remains of the original plan I had, I pick her up and carry her myself. I can see, after all.

The smith wasn't too far away, so we reached it in a matter of minutes. In front of the door, I tell her to stand up normally again - which works... With flaws. I open the door and warn her, so she doesn't hit her head on the rather low ceiling. She ducks and misses it barely.

Ce:" Wait here for a second. I'll be right back."

She looks really uncomfortable with me leaving, but it was just a few seconds I was going to be gone. Polka hands me a thing I secretly ordered the day I got the helmet for Saphira. It was just as light as I expected, exceeded my expectations in other things.

I put it down in front of her, then allow her to take the blindfold off. She opens her eyes looking at the most beautiful peace of armor mankind has ever seen. Her favorite color, dark purple was weaved into every part possible - the armor itself shined in a fading purple, progressively less colorful towards the middle. And on the chestpiece there was an amaryllis in purple and white, spreading up to her shoulders. Amaryllis was a flower she told me about before, how she found it in the woods as a kid and how it got to be the first flower she ever took care of.

On closer look, the entire "plant" was made of runes. Not the usual human decorative runes, but actually magical leprechaun runes. I had no idea how to read them, but I was sure it was a strong effect. The magic flow coming from the flower was strong.

Cia:" Is this..."

Ce:" Your new armor. As soon as my new one is finished, they'll match."

Cia:" How did you - who am I asking. You always find a way to do things."

Ce:" You noticed it already?"

Cia:" Scales of a Sindragora are absolutely legendary, said to be unbreakable."

A bit flustered by her overstatement, I tell her that I managed to break a piece before. And I got scolded for wasting such a valuable material.

Cia:" How will yours look like?"

Ce:" Lavender and lilac. Those were the only flowers I could think about, which I actually knew..."

Cia:" Where have you seen lavender around? Even the capital is too far north to grow them."

P:" He didn't see him, from what he told me."

Cia:" How..."

P:" He told me that you smell like these two flowers. I never saw or smelled them, but it does sound plausible. The flowers he showed me do fit your smell."

Cia:" You chose the ornament of your armor based off my smell?"

I couldn't think of any answer that could make it less embarrassing, so I kept my mouth shut and blushed. Damn, the other thing I was about to show her was by no means less embarrassing. It was a Saphire bracelet, with marks of the representative families. Two of them at that. Normally these are used for arranged marriage between two families, but in our case - I was about to promise her marriage if we survived. And she wanted to, of course.

P:" Cough... Should I get your armor and those other things now aswell?"

Ce:"... Did you just say cough? Sure, I'll have to manage somehow."

The long time unused mental passage between Cecilia and my thoughts was used for once. " What is he going to get there?" " My armor seems to be ready aswell and something that I need to show you directly." With that, I shut down the thoughts for the absolutely first - and probably last time. It felt strange to be alone in my head again. It was... cold.

Polka was more considerate than I thought. He handed me my armor and put the bracelets into a small pouch on waist height. I put the armor on, shoes last - with a simple plan.

If I closed my shoes last, I was already on my knees. Makes it less excruciating. I hope. I close my eyes and close my shoe entirely false, then pull the bracelet out - but before I even could get the second one, Cecilia grabbed the first one and ran off. Is that a good sign? Is it not? What is that supposed to mean?!