By the time Ethan had turned back to look at the guild entrance there was already a group of about four men tripping over each other on the ground. One was more burly than the others, and definitely louder, as he was the one yelling and cursing at the others to get out of the way. Moving his gaze from the cluster on the ground he saw a woman in a uniform casually make her way out the front door. Her hands were one atop the other, resting at her waist with their fingers pointed toward them ground, and she had a smile on her face that, while pretty, didn’t seem very friendly.

When she appeared in the doorway the men seemed to crawl their way backwards with each step she took toward the top of the stairs. Though her voice was soft she raised it for those who were watching could hear her. Behind her a girl who looked to be a little older than himself peeked out from the side of the open door, watching the situation with what Ethan thought looked like an anxious expression.

“Was she involved somehow?” He thought to himself as he simply watched her. 

He couldn’t tell due to the distance and the shadows of the doorway but it looked like she may have been wearing some kind of armor, and her hair, which seemed a light brown was done up in a pony tail. Looking back toward the group he heard the woman talking.

“Now, per the rules of the adventurer’s guild, as punishment for your behavior you are forbidden from entering this hall or taking any quests for one weeks time.”

Her smile and professional posture remained but there was something under the surface Ethan felt. Even though she wasn’t looking at him he felt a chill slide down his spine that caused his whole body to suddenly shiver. 

“No way! A week? That’s too mu…. Eeek!”

The burly man had started to protest after he heard the penalty but was immediately cut off when the woman’s smile disappeared and her eyes narrowed. Even Ethan unconsciously took a step back when her expression changed.

“Have. A. Nice. Day. Now. Gentlemen.” 

She accentuated each word with a straight face and before she was even finished her farewell they were already scrambling to their feet and running toward the road Ethan was standing next to. 

He watched them approach and then run past him, his innocent gaze simply viewing what was happening in front of him. As the group ran past him the burly man noticed he was looking and looked like he wanted to yell something. Instead he made a “tsk” sound kept on running. Ethan watched them go with some curiosity but after a few seconds he turned to look back at the entrance to the guild hall. 

That’s when he noticed….

She was walking toward him!

What was worse she had already covered about a third of the distance between them. Gulp. He blinked upon actually hearing himself gulp and took a step back. He looked past her to see if that girl was still there but he didn’t see her any longer. Looking back at the woman she was once again wearing a smile, though her hands were still in front of her. If he wasn’t so terrified he may have found the thought of her shuffling towards him with her expression and posture rather funny if she picked up enough speed doing so. However, terrified he was, and humorous thoughts were no where near the front of his mind. 

The closer she got the more he panicked, looking around like a terrified animal about to be pounced upon and ripped to shreds. Even though her smile wasn’t as angry as the one she showed that group he still couldn’t get that scene out of his conscious. He lasted about three more steps before he turned and bolted away down a side street. 

The young woman had seen the boy when the troublemakers ran passed and upon looking closer had correctly deduced he was there to see the guild. She saw the fear appear on his face when he realized she was walking to him and as such tried to be as reassuring as possible by not calling out to him. Obviously that didn’t work because soon he took off like a rabbit that had just been found by a wolf. Raising her hand he was already gone before she could utter anything other than “wait..”

“Oh my…. What to do?” She said while frowning after he disappeared around the bend in the side road, or raised hand slowly lowering to rest against her cheek. 

He didn’t feel like she was attacking him, or that his life was in danger, so he hadn’t moved with speed anywhere close to that which he showed earlier. He just took off like a kid who thought he was in trouble and was really scared about getting caught. He soon slowed to a brisk walk after take a couple of more turns and looked around himself. Then he stopped dead in his tracks as he realized that he had no idea where he was or how to get back. Trying to remember the different turns he had taken while fleeing he ended up coming to a stop in front of a shop with a sign hanging above the door. 

Looking up Ethan made out an anvil and hammer suggesting that he was in front of a blacksmith of some kind. Turning to look at door he could see various pieces of armor and weapons through the window in its top half, confirming his suspicion. Taking a careful step forward he peeked through the window in the door, looking from side to side. He suddenly gasped we he thought he noticed some shields near the back wall and his normal shyness was replaced by eager excitement. 

Walking forward he carefully opened the door to the blacksmith and stepped inside to look around.