Demari nodded before walking down the market street and away from the main stalls the sack slung over his back lightly. He was heading back towards his homes when he spotted a a stall that piqued his interest, it was a little stall owned by the paler peoples from deeper in the gorge.
Bright gems and gleaming metals drew him towards it, he paused looking over them, he wasn't usually one to be drawn in by flashy material goods, but there was something about these.
"You...didn't make these" Demari asked the person running the stall, "Where did they come from?"
The man nodded a bit "Ah...nay...I found them in the swamps..." He muttered.

Lusalma smiled at Velvela in thanks and stopped to consider her options. Considering that her family lived on the cliffs she didn't really see any need for large tree seeds. However, the fruits could be used to blend into food, shampoo, and other items... Pausing in her musings Lusalma glanced down the aisle in the direction that Velvela was pointing and smiling nodded her head in decision.
"What types of fruits exactly do you have? And may I say thank you very much for the advice for the soap tree and the acacia seeds." Stopping to smile in appreciation at Velvela Lusalma than paused to wait patiently for her response.

With a smile, Velvela nodded, waving her hand to her baskets. "Well, I have a lot of the standard local fruits. Kallah, catri, dates, fresh olives for pickling, we're almost out of quince and kumquats, we have some limes and lemons. It's not quite Loquat season, so we haven't got any- sorry about that." She grinned, picking up a small basket of berries, "We have some berries that we grew in the greenhouse- rare in these parts. We had to travel to find the seeds to grow them and we only get a few bushels every year. This is all we've got left. I also have grapes and about a measure or so left of trinse." Really, she hasn't got much left of the exotic fruits- maybe a measure or so of each- less on some.

Velvela moved back behind her stall, placing the basket of berries back on the table. "If you plant the pits of the fruit, many of them will grow under the proper guidance. The catri are good for smaller spaces, but the rest are larger plants and hard to grow. The exotic ones you need a greenhouse for and tubs of water to keep the air moist. Very finicky plants." She tapped her lips thoughtfully. "I do have a bottle or two left of hibiscus extract- that is nice for both perfumes and soaps."

Demari scratched his head deep in thought he knelt down speaking with the older man for a few moments in silence before purchasing a small pocket watch from him. He had never seen a pocket watch, clock work things were unheard of here. He didn't understand it but it intrigued him greatly with all of its odd characters and the strange hands that were stuck at Ten and Two. He held it on its gold chain swaying a bit as he walked before tucking it in his pocket.
An Idea dawned on him and he took off running towards his house, He was going to deliver the fruit to his mother and father first and then, he was going to pursue his own financial venture.

"I think I would like to buy the hibiscus extract and some catri than please, but may I ask how you manage too create a greenhouse at all? Did you, yourself make it or did your family help you?" Wondering while she asked if HER family would let her build a greenhouse, if they did the house hold chores would be so much easier!
Stopping with a sudden thought Lusalma asked in a thoughtful tone, " Do you know where the Healers stalls are?" Thinking that if the Healers knew of greenhouses than maybe her parents would think, with the brother training to be a healer, THEY had to have a greenhouse, just to be a proper healer of course >.<

Velvela chuckled and shook her head. "I didn't have anything to do with building it. It has been in my family for generations. We repair it when it needs it, but that is about it," she said as she pulled the small vials of hibiscus extract from behind the stall. She set the vials on the table before adding, "Those are 10 silver each by the way- so twenty altogether. I know it sounds expensive, but distilling extract is a lot of work and you don't need much."

She went to counting out the catri, "Ah, how many measures of catri do you want?" she asks, lofting her brows, "It is 4 silver a measure for the catri, but if you buy two measures, I'll give it to you for 7 silver." She smiles broadly at Lusalma as she holds her measuring basket half-full ready to complete the transaction.

"As for the Healers, I'm not really sure. There is an herb and brew seller down the way. Can't miss them- drying herbs hanging from the awnings, bottles and jars of all sorts." Velvela smiles, waving her hand in the opposite direction of the seed stalls. She leans closer to Lusalma, "I saw the oddest man earlier this morning setting up- he had these jewels he was selling- and he was so pale. very odd. I think he was from somewhere else. You may be able to find something interesting there."

When All was said and done Demari hurried back to the market, his sack empty and now doubling as a waist sash once more. He dashed down the steep cliff roads, he had wanted to take one of the camels but his father has told him no. He was in a hurry though he could see the sky growing orange as the day was winding down. Some stalls would stay open through the night, but he doubted the one he wanted would.
He hurried through the market street eventually slowing to a walk because of the traffic He grumbled as he drifted by stalls slowly fingering the watch in his hand, rolling it and palming it impatiently.

Nodding her head in understanding Lusalma smiled and stated Yes I think that 2 measures of catri would be a good choice...do you recommend anything else?" This was stated while Lusalma was reaching her hand into her money pouch picking out 27 silvers and thinking, 'I can get everything but there will be no change....bah who cares?' Glancing up with the silver Lusalma waited and extended the money with no qualms...after all, technically it was never hers.

Velvela smiles and nods, quickly measuring out the two measures of catri fruit. "Have you got a bag or basket for your purchases?" She smiles broadly, glancing past Lusalma as the day wears on. The sky has started to orange. She realized she would have to stay into the night- or at least a little while longer to sell off the remaining fruit. Well, maybe not all the way into the night if she kept up her pace of sale.

"That will be 27 coins." She smiles, at the coins already proffered. "Ah! Excellent. Thank you." She offers over the pair of vials of hibiscus extract. The bottles are simple, but the cost of said bottles was probably rolled in with the cost of the extract. She tucked the coins into her pockets with a smile.

Lusalma smiles and shaking her head says, "No but that's ok, I have pockets." Winking in play Lusalma smiles and waving behind her left the friendly stall keeper alone, maybe they would see each other again in the market place.
Walking back down the dusk darkening streets Lusalma followed Velvela's instructions and seeing the herb sellers quickly haggled a price, well not really haggle just bought, for the soap seeds and the acai seeds.
Putting all the purchases in her pocket Lusalma looked around furtively, wondering if her keepers were searching for her yet or not. Seeing no one Lusalma set off to the edge of the market.
Seeing a black cloth tent Lusalma quickly ducks inside and as she rises she sees the inside of the black tent, full of drapes and chests...perfect.
Looking around for a shop keeper Lusalma sees no one. Wondering when the stall owners would be back Lusalma starts poking and probing behind drapes and over chests.
Hearing a whisper of movement behind her Luslama looks behind herself.

There was mild panic and let down in Demari's eyes as he wandered the market streets, The stall he was looking for was missing.
He scratched his head, It wasn't that it had closed up, it just wasn't there. Over many years there had always been an old stall with a elderly man that ran it.
He called him self a Tinker, and said he would gladly fix any odds and ends that were brought to him.
He was definitely not one of the people of the gorge, his eyes had been a brilliant shade of green and his hair had been two toned from where some sort of dye was growing out over the years.
No one had ever questioned where the old man had come from, or even were he stayed while he was there. It was widely believed he slept in his stall during the markets and vanished into one of the caves when the rains came.
Demari paused by the stall where he'd bought the watch and then headed towards the woven goods looking for any sign of the man, he stopped by Velvela's shop for a moment and just sighed.
He watched as she felt with her customer before saying anything.
She spent her days in the market, while he did not, She saw more than he did so he figured it was a good place to start asking around.

This little hunch of a man was standing behind her. Lusalma didn't really know how to respond...after all HE was the one starting, unless- "What are you doing here? Don't go picking at other people's things!!" Glaring at her the new stall owner shuffled around her and smoothed the wrinkles left over from Lusalma's previous probes.
Blushing in mortification Lusalma ducked her head and looking at the hunched figure from under her bangs mumurred, "I'm sorry I didn't know you were inside, if I had known I would have just asked you for what I came to find...you DO have those knives right?" Frowning at her the owner mulled over her words before grinning and, cackling, headed towards a dimly lit corner of the black stall.

Velvela collected the coins from the middle aged man. It had been a good sell- he had bought 20 measures of Kallah fruit. She only had a few left now and it had definitely gotten her a good ways to being finished for the day. In fact, if she went home with what remained, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. She helped the man pack his camel, securing the baskets of fruit on either side so they balanced. A gust of wind caught her, kicking up some dust into her eyes. She winced, looking down as her eyes began to water with the particles in them. She blinked several times as another gust of wind caught her hair- her kerchief falling back from her hair. Luckily, it caught in her long hair and didn't fly off.

She sniffed, rubbing at her eyes as she made her way back to her stall to take inventory of what she had left. Taking off the kerchief, her hair fell loosely around her face in a mass of unkempt curls. She used it to rub her eyes, then tied it back on top of her head, knotting it at the base of her neck, her hair pulled through the red and purple square bit of cloth. it kept her hair from her face efficiently.

She looked up to see Demari. She smiled broadly at him, waving him over. "You need more fruit? I haven't got much left."

Demari just shook his head "You spend your days in the market right?" He asked leaning on the stall's post, "There was a man here, the past few years, used to fix things, baskets metal links, You haveing a green house and all I kinda though you might have used his services as well.." Demari continued.
Then he held up the pocket watch he'd found its scuffed surface still gleaming a bit despite the general ware and tare "I wanted him to take a look at this thing I picked up and I was wondering if you'd seen him at all during the market?"

Velvela listened to Demari's description. tapping her lips for a moment as she thinks on it. "Ah! You mean the Tinker! Yes, we have had him help us with our greenhouse. He showed us how to repair the irrigation. Very clever man. We traded him several jars of wine and a few of preserves for his services. Very reasonable." She bobs her head as she recalls him through story.

She knits her brow, "He is usually around the market- but he stopped showing up several days ago. Perhaps he is preparing for the rains?" She chuckled, adding, "Or avoiding them." Her expressive mouth stretches into a wide smirk. "I wish I could help you, but I haven't seen him for...let's see...ahhh... six days already."

She looks at the sky as it darkens to a burnt orange color, the wind gusting again. She moves forward to look at the pocket watch. "Oooohhh! I've never seen something like that. Sometimes the Tinker would come by and tell tales of metal gadgets. Do you know what it is supposed to do?" She licks her lips as she stares at the device curiously. She grins, "Don't tell my folks, but I would give him fruit in exchange for stories about his gadgets. He told me about something that could carry you from place to place like a camel, but was made of metal and wasn't alive. I loved hearing his tall tales. But maybe they weren't so tall. Do you think little metal wands on the inside move?"

Demari bobbed his head a bit as he listened to her "I don't rightfully know what it does....I don't even have a clue" He said staring at the face of the watch. "It looks like its for telling people things with numbers" He said still staring at it, "I was hoping he'd be here so he could tell me and fix it, I was gonna give him one of the baby camels for it..." He said with a laguh.
The Wind hit him hard he could hear people complaining now and some hurrying to pack up shop.
"This isn't looking good" He muttered looking at the purple blotches in the sky that were drifting in from the Desert, "The rains might come tonight"

Velvela's curiosity was put on hold with the next gust of wind. She rested her hand on her head to keep her kerchief from blowing off again. "Hmm- you're right. I ought to pack up. If you help I'll give you what's left of the berries if you want them. There aren't many- enough for a bit of a snack." She smiled at Demari. "It's too bad, I really wanted to check out one of the traders today, but I may only have time to get the meals and dried meats now. Did you see the stranger with the pale skin and the jewels? Goodness. I wonder where he was from to be so wealthy that he can sell jewels?"

She paused, "Actually, I'll throw in the leftover trinse as well if you help me out with that. You could buy me four measures of dried meats while I buy meal? After we're done packing up? I have money of course." She looked at Demari with hopeful eyes for a moment, before they flicked to the sky with a shadow of worry.

Demari nodded and smiled "what kind of person would I be if I turned down that offer" He said tucking the pocket watch in his sash "I Spoke with the man though" He said as he reached starting to untie the roof fabric "He's not rich, he's a scavenger" He said distractedly "He's the one I got the thing from." He moved from one post to the next he assumed she was packing the whole shop up.
It wasn't unheard of for some to leave the main structures up to be washed away though.

"Really? A Scavenger? Where did he scavenge those gems from?" Velvela's eyes sparkled at the idea of it. "And that metal thing. It's pretty. Maybe it calculates sums or something?" She shrugged, unhooking the awning cloth from the poles. She rolled the cloth around the two thinner cross poles that held it up, attaching them to the side of her camel- one on each side as sort of a balance. It was clear by the set up of the bridle and saddle where the baskets would attach.

Velvela started moving the baskets to her camel, placing the lids on them and consolidating the fruits, placing one basket in another if she could. She kept the trinse and berries easily accessible so she could give them to Demari. The table at the stall was little more than a series of boards on top of a couple of cheap, old barrels- probably scavenged from last year's market. She had disguised the shabby table well with her colorful cloths (which found their way into one of the baskets). "We can leave the uhh...table, but I should try to get the corner poles. Hard to get nice straight poles."

The whole stall didn't take too long to take apart and the corner poles balanced themselves well on her pack animal along with the baskets. She smiled, offering the last of the trinse and berries to Demari, "For you help- it would have taken me twice as long without it." She smiled broadly, "Shall we head over to the meal and meat stalls? They're in the same direction, we can meet between them when we're done."

She studies Demari for a moment. "I really appreciate this. You're saving me a good deal or trouble and time."

Demari just nodded and smiled as he secured one of the baskets he'd helped with "If you'll lend me the baskets they are in so I can run then to my home I'd appreciate it" He said.
He chewed his lip a bit "He...said he got them in the swamps, but I really don't know if I believe him...if he said he'd gotten the gems from the caves I'd believe that..." He muttered as he started to walk towards the other stalls.
All around them others were doing the same, some with more worried faces than other.

Velvela nodded, "Of course. I have some carrying baskets you can borrow. That isn't a problem. I trust you to get them back to me when you can."

As they walked through the market- with the people packing and scurrying about with worry on their face, Velvela listened. "The swamps? Jewels in the swamps? Huh...that is odd. Though, I have to admit I am curious." She laughed brightly and shrugged a Gallic shrug.

"Ah...the dried meats stall." She dug some coins out of her pocket. She leaned closer to him, handing over the coins. She spoke in a soft voice, laying out a 'battle plan'. "For four measures, you shouldn't have to pay more than 15 silver. You should be able to haggle him down to 12, but 15 is reasonable. With the weather turning, you may even be able to get cheaper. People want to leave now and they're packing up. To carry back less they'll part with the goods for less." She grinned at Demari and nodded.

"I'll meet you back here after I get the grains I need." She scratched her camel on the neck, murmuring soft crooning noises to him as she did.

Demari nodded a bit "Sure" He said "I bet I can get them down to nine" He chuckled walking to the meats stall.
He smiled at the man and leaned on the man's table and grinned "So my father sold you those camels" He said softly as he began the bartering process. It wasn't long before the two were shouting and waving their arms a bit, they sounded like they were fighting but they were really just doing the normal thing.
"ten silvers is as far as I'll go!" The man argued.
"Its hardly fair for you to sell my own animals back to me for such a highprice!" Demari argued.

Velvela took her camel to the cereals stall and started her haggling for the meals her family would need for the rainy season. She drove a hard bargain as she haggled over the various grains she would need. But she had been doing this since she was old enough to come across the trails by herself. And before that, she and her older brother had done it together.

"Alright, seven measures for 20. No more on that. But on the other I'll pay 30 for 8 measures." Velvela stood her ground. The wind picked up in a sharp gust, the very beginning of the metallic smell on the breeze. At the smell of ozone, she knew she had the deal The vendor grunted in ascent and they shook on the deal. Velvela handed over the coins and prepared her baskets for the grains.

It wasn't long before she was on her way back to the meat stall. She knew she got good deals because she was here all the time, but she didn't care. It was part of the marketplace, the very nature of the place.

The next gust of wind didn't have the smell of ozone on it, but Velvela knew it was coming. She would probably be able to get home in time.

She hoped.

Velvela arrived back at the meat stall and smiled at Demari, watching the end of his excited haggling. She smiled to herself, watching. She hadn't expected to be quicker than him, but she could see why. She loved watching aggressive haggling.

Demari threw up his hands in mock defeat "Fine fine my good man! eight silver it is" He sighed looking exasperated as he handed over the silver coins "I still say its not worth it" He said taking the meat and turning back to see Velvela, He just smiled and shrugged handing her her change.
He took the meats basket in his arms "I did better than I thought" He chuckled.

He shuddered a bit at the smell of rain and thunder on the wind, "It's going to be a bad rain this year...Good for the crops but definitely bad anyway...there are going to be frogs everywhere.."

Velvela grinned at Demari, "You sure are quite the haggler. Though I think maybe you were helped by the coming storm a bit. I don't get to see people get so...uhh...excited about haggling over meat. It's a nice change." She beamed at Demari as she accepted her change from the purchase, dropping it into her pockets. She leaned over to start putting the dried meats away in her pack baskets, trying to balance them with the grains already in the basket.

"It's going to be a bad rain this year...Good for the crops but definitely bad anyway...there are going to be frogs everywhere.." Demari said with a shudder.

Velvela nodded in agreement. She looked toward the sky, it was close and almost threatening. "Thank you for the help. Are you going down the passes as well? Maybe we could walk a ways with each other." She frowned slightly, "Though, you probably want to get home before the winds start up too bad. The winds, then the rain..."

((Sorry I didn't post yesterday, bad thunderstorms + computer = bad))