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Naveen trotted towards his next destination, pulling a small cart of his wares behind him. If the information he'd been given was good, there were some more... prosperous Azrien nearby. If they were interested in what he had, maybe he could get something rare for it. Some oats or other equestrian delicacies would be nice; it had been quite some time since he'd had some.

Cynthia was having her mane brushed by one of the maids, when she heard someone announce that someone with a cart was coming into the town. She thanked the maid for doing her hair, then she went to see who this new person to their dwelling place was. She trotted out of the stall and waited by the road, her golden hooves sparkling in the sunlight.

Naveen's keen merchant eyes fixed on something gold sparkling ahead of him. As he grew closer, he studied the black and cream-colored mare that the golden hooves belonged to. She wasn't moving, and she was watching the road... was she expecting someone? He smiled as he stopped a few feet from her, his little wooden cart squeaking at the sudden halt. "Looking for someone, Princess?" he asked smoothly.

Cynthia's eyes fixed on the stallion as he approached her and she nodded her head to him.

"I had heard from one of the servants that there was someone with a cart coming through town. So, you could say I was waiting to see you, since I was curious to see who you were and why you were here,"she replied. She looked at the cart, not thinking it looked like much, but she had learned not to judge something by outward appearance.

Servants? Just how well-off was this mare? "I see," he said simply. "I'm Naveen. I'm a traveling merchant of sorts." He turned and pulled the wooden cover off of the cart to reveal its contents. There was bundles of different types of plants in one part, various little trinkets in another... He had a bit of everything. "If you see anything you like, feel free to tell me," he said sweetly.

Cynthia bowed her head respectively to the stallion, then she started to look over the contents. She saw a plant she had never seen before and she looked quite curious.

"Excuse me, but what exactly is this plant? I do not think I have ever seen something quite like it,"Cynthia spoke softly, the plant smelling quite sweet and pleasing to her senses.

Naveen looked over at the plant she was inspecting. "Oh, that one? It's a vanilla orchid." He smiled brightly at the mare. "Humans can use parts of it in baking, but I prefer the flower."

"It is quite a beautiful flower indeed, I can certainly see why you would like it so much. It smells so wonderful, it would look lovely in my hair or in my tail,"she mused out loud.

She was interested. That was good. "It would indeed," he agreed, his gaze unable to keep from lingering on the polite mare for a few moments. "Would you like it?"

Cynthia thought it over for a moment, before gently bobbing her head in reply to his question.

"Yes, please, I would like to have such a beautiful flower. How much would you like for it?"she asked.

Naveen tilted his head. "That depends on what you're offering." He smiled. "Quite frankly, I mostly barter. It's easier for business." After all, not many Azrien were very well off, and there were countless Azrien that lived nowhere near humans; there wasn't exactly a common currency.

Cynthia was not used to bartering, she always had enough gold to pay for anything that was needed. She looked thoughtful, trying to decide what this stallion might like in exchange for the flower.

"I must admit, I am stumped what you might want for the flower. Is there anything you want?"Cynthia asked.

Well, that was odd. Naveen smiled. "Something of that would be of equal value. That's how bartering works." He tilted his head questioningly. "Have you never traded before?"

Cynthia shook her head gently at the question, letting him know she had never traded anything before.

"No, I cannot say I have ever had to barter before in my life. I have always been able to pay for anything I wanted or it was a present I received,"she replied quietly. She was embarrassed she did not really understand something that seemed so obvious to the other.

The more he stood there, the more Naveen realized how naive and sheltered this mare was. Maybe... "Hmm... well, this might seem like a sudden question to you, Princess, but have you ever been outside of this town?"

Cynthia looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook her head to Naveen.

"No, I have never been outside the town, not even to see what was out there. I have been here since I was born, always provided with anything that I have ever needed,"she admitted.

Naveen thought for a few moments. She'd always been provided for, always stayed in the same place...
How boring.
"I think I've thought of a price for this flower, Princess," he announced. His coral-colored eyes lit up as he smiled at the mare. "Actually... for that and as many of these flowers as I find along the way... I would like to take a trip with you. An adventure, if you will." Yes, this was probably similar to breaking a priceless painting out of an art collector's mansion, but in this scenario, it was possible--and even probable--that the outcome would be favorable.

Cynthia tilted her head curiously at the suggestion, her hearts pounding at the idea of going on a trip. Part of her was scared because she was not sure what was going to happen out there, but part of her was excited to see more of the world than her town.

"Yes, I think I will accept that price, it sounds very interesting indeed. I would love to see what else is out there and find more of these flowers,"Cynthia finally replied decisively.

Naveen smiled. She looked sure. That was a good sign. A half-finished journey was worse than no journey at all, in his opinion. "In that case, Princess..." He carefully picked up the flower by its stem and then placed it in her mane. "Might you grace me with your name?" The beautiful mare was going to be his traveling companion, after all.

Cynthia had lowered her head a little, making it easier for the stallion to put the flower in her mane. Then she blushed lightly, feeling bad she had forgotten to introduce herself earlier.

"My name is Cynthia, I am very sorry I did not tell you before. I really should remember my manners, but I got so caught up in your speaking,"Cynthia explain softly.

Naveen chuckled. "I do cause that reaction occasionally." He replaced the lid on his cart before turning to her. "So, Princess Cynthia, are you ready to embark on a journey with me?"

Cynthia thought about it, wondering if she was really ready to go on this journey. She smiled softly and nodded her head, definitely ready to go out and have an adventure.

"Yes, I am quite ready, is there anything that I need to grab?"Cynthia asked.

Naveen chuckled. "All you need is to have your wits about you, Princess, and you'll be just fine." In hind sight, he probably would've realized that a pampered mare like Cynthia wouldn't be a good mix with the traveling life of few luxuries, but at the moment he was simply planning on making up for her lack of traveling experience with his great expertise with it. With a 'come on' gesture with his head, he started forward.

Cynthia whinnied a good-bye to those she cared about, before she walked after the male. She wondered what they would see and experience, her interest growing as they walked.

"I just hope we do not run into any danger, since that would be horrible,"Cynthia spoke quietly.

"We'll be fine," Naveen reassured her. "There aren't too many dangers out here besides the storms, which we can avoid with the correct timing."

"Oh good, I would hate to think we would run into such trouble out here. So where do you plan on taking me?"Cynthia asked. She felt the sun's warming rays and she smiled softly.

"Well," Naveen began after a few moments of thought, "I thought we could head towards the mountains. The terrain's a little hard to navigate at times, but it's worth the effort." There were some amazing places hidden away in the mountains' nooks and crannies.

"Alright, sounds like a nice place for us to explore. Maybe we will find something special,"Cynthia smiled. She tried to think of what they might find, very curious to see.

Naveen smiled back. "That would make the trip more exciting." How long this adventure would last, he had no idea, but he hoped to make it as close to the best-case scenario as he could. This was going to be a wonderful new adventure.

Shhh! We're working on it!