Name: Arabella Sunshin

Age: 16

Apperance: but she has tan skin

Village: at the cliffs

Personality: sarcastic, funny, secretive.

You'll find out the rest as we go on.

Name: Ah'diel Ramus
Age:18

Village: With in the gorge
Personality: Sarcastic, Serious

Ah'diel walked down the paths of what was know as the midway market. It was where the Two tribes of people congregated to trade goods and news. Behind him trotted two large rams that his father had asked him to bring to his booth. Today was a big day, it was the last day of Market, soon the rains would come and such trades would have to be carried out on the thin cliff side paths.

Arabella sight as the heat beat down unkindly on her. This was the last place she wanted to be- the tribe to tribe market carrying the thick woolen shirts her mother wanted her to sell. She could feel in the air this was the thick calm before a rare desert storm; the air was heavy with heat and the air presure left a strange feeling in her ears.

Ah'diel was used to this heat, his body had been conditioned to it living in almost direct sunlight all his life. He paused by his fathers livestock booth and passed the reigns to the older man.
His own looks reflected a younger version of his father.
"Dad.." He asked looking up at the soft fluffy white clouds that were gathering on the horizon "How long till the rains start for sure this time?"
"I give it a day" His father answered tieing the sheep to a post.

She went to the stand she shared with her neighbor who was- as always- away and flirting with the man 8 stands over. Her sweaters sold well as they always did before the rainy season- they were gone in no less then one hour. Now the sun was beating down directly above the market as she made her way to the smelly livestock section. Her mother had told her to buy a sheep or a goat for more wool and some milk because Letti, their old ewe, was sick and her milk was little. She walked up to a stand where a men and his son were selling round and healthy goats.

"How much?" Arabella asked.

Ah'diel looked up and smiled at the young woman.
"Pa?" He called pulling on the older man's sleeves, "Pa We have a customer?"
The older man looked at Arabella and shrugged "It's bout time you handled some customers, so you take this one."
Ah'diel groaned a bit and nodded he turned to Arabella "Prices Vary depending on the animal" He said his hands in the deep pockets of his baggy tanned pants, "Some animals are worth more than others."

Arabella pointed to one large female goat with thick white wool- perfect or what her mother needed. "How much is that one?" The boy seem honest enough but he was from a rival tribe- she could tell. People from opposite tribes often ended up overcharging one and other for no reason.

Ah'diel looked over at the large goat and walked over looking at tag on her ear. It was nothing more than a thick rope with beads on it to mark each goats quality
"This one here huh.." He patted the goats stomach and knelt down "She's carrying twins at the moment So that's one mother goat and two babies..." He seemed to be doing sums in his head "Well the chance of two babies if all goes well..." He muttered as he leaned on the goat a bit.
He was also factoring in how docile the goat was and trying to recall the success rate of her births. "She should be sheer-able through the rains, it might get difficult as time passes though since you won't be able to lay her down...Sooo I'm leaning towards About...500 Silvers" He said standing up.
His father grunted a bit, Ad'diel just waved him away a bit and just smiled at Arabella.

500 hundred silvers was a very fair price with a goat carrying twins- especially one so fit and healthy but anyone who didn't haggle at the markets was eternally branded a push over. Arabella felt bad messing with a kind boy like this- obviously one of his early sales- but a reputation is a reputation- and hers was a ruthless cheapskate when it came to the market.
"You're not serious! 500? I have to eat too, you know! I'll take no more then 450." She winked very discreetly at the boy, invisible to his father.

Ah'diel simply shook his head "I think its a very fine deal, This goat will be laden with milk soon and will give you three for the price of one" He grinned a bit holding the beasts horns a bit "I'll go no lower that 490" He said.
It was his first sale, but for years he had watched his father and mother berate the customers rather efficiently, sometimes even getting more than their original asking price.

Arabella pursed her lips trying to look as though she thought this was an awful price. "I will give you 480- the goat is pregnant and there's a chance I may loose the mother and the children." The sweaters had reaped more then 630 silvers through much the same means as this... pushing the bidder as high as possible but giving just before they went to find another stall. Sh tenderly lay a hand on her- goat- to- be's head.

Ah'diel rubbed his head looking exasperated "You make a good point and that's why I lowered the initial price before. Our goats are the finest in this area! 800 is our normal asking price for a female such as this! I'm already at my limit" He said shakeing his head, though his frown could not mask the grin in his eyes.

"Fine. I will give you 490 silvers, as requested." She smiled and handed him the money plus 15 more silvers- she was feeling generous. She added quietly in hopes the father wouldn't hear "I think you be a very successful business man with a little practice. It was nice meeting you."

Ah'diel smiled and took the silver "I Learn from the" best miss" He said pocketing the extra 15. "
He leaned down and untied the goat's bridel "She's had babies before you shouldn't have any complications" He said as he handed her the rope with a grin.
As'diel's dark eyes met hers for a moment "If your on the same side of the cliff as us we could send some one when the birthing occurs" He offered.

Arabella smiled. "i would appriciate that. I'm on the left side- you?"

Arabella strangely had to press back a blush at seeing the grin on the boy's face; it was a smile that made her want to draw in closer. She turned away, faking a cough as she tried to swall the strange feeling.

"My name is Arabella Sunshin."

Ah'diel nodded a bit "We're also on the left" He said with a soft smile "My name is Ah'diel Ramus" He extended his hand on this note hoping she would shake it.
Behind him his dad was chuckling softly as he brushed some of the animals.

Ah'diel pointed to the cliff face "We live up by the road up to the plateau's top...Since we have to take the goats up there everyday..my family has lived there for generations."

Arabella shook his hand and kept the pink out of her cheeks.

"I'll let you know when the goat is ready." She said, her voice oddly quiet. This conversation seemed surprizingly intimate for her even though it was about the less then lovely episode of goat birth.

"I'll see you next market, I suppose."

Ah'diel nodded "Alright" He said releasing her hand, his smile remained on his face though.
His father walked over and laid a hand on Ah'diel's shoulders "You'd best hurry up, The clouds are drawing closer Ah'diel...I Need your help getting the rest of the stall down so we can leave quickly when the rain comes."

"Wait!" Arabella said. "Let me help you. My house isn't far and... I hate to see such fine animals caught in the storm." She had no clue why she said it but the words hopped out of her mouth without warning and she suddenly wanted nothing more then to stay with Ah'diel and his goats.

Ah'diel smiled and nodded a bit "If you want" He said as he started undoing the stall.
Ah'diel's father handed Arabella a couple of ropes "Alright little miss...if you want to help go around and attach these to the goats bridles...then tie them to a post...We'll walk them all up when we're done packing up."

Ah'diel was busying himself taking up the makeshift stalls they'd used to corral the goats while they were there. Not so much to keep them from running off as to keep them from being stolen.

Arabella did as she was told, she wanted to be helpful after the bargain and she also wanted to stay near to Ah'diel and do what she could for him. She placed things where the belobged and set up things as she was bid. It felt good to work after such strange feelings had ravaged her.

Ah'diel grunted in surprise and licked his thumb a little, a sharp wooden stake had sliced a shallow cut across his thumb.
They used the stakes to hold the rope pens up, and they were long and sharp so they could be driven into the ground with ease and would stay in the ground.
He tore of a scrap of canvas and wrapped it around the new injury.
They had finished taking down the shop and the corrals , now they were loading them onto a couple of older goats who had been breed to carry small loads.

Seeing the blood on his finger Arbella asked "You okay?" She bent over to help load up the goats- injuries were normal around here but sadly infections were often. She was pleased he seemed to know how to bind a wound and cover it to keep off infection. She always carried a small vail of disinfectant but she saved that only for deep cuts.

Ah'diel nodded a bit and strapped the last of the stuff onto the two large goats who bleated in protest.
His father grabbed the Goat's reins and started to pull them towards the cliff sides. Ah'diel handed Arabella a couple of ropes.
"The goats will follow the two in the lead just fine, We just tie them up in case of thieves" He said "If you feel a rope go slack just call out or something"
With that he smiled and picked up his own set of ropes, each set had about five goats on each side.
This morning it had been twenty on each rope set but they'd sold most of them through the day.