Chapter One ~ A Start

"I found something really nice at the Trade Depot. And I almost didn't go, since its's always so crowded! Glad I caved, though. The end result was definitely worth it." ~Nadi

She hadn't thought it would end up the way it had. She hadn't thought her attempted escape from a damn routine would blow up in her face, forcing her to go back and forth between the two same places. She clearly hadn't thought she'd be indefinitely wedged in a tight schedule.

Finally considered old enough by her family to travel on her own — which was a feat in itself, having begged for years ever since she was sixteen — she had pounced on her first occasion to see the world on her own. She was, after all, the only daughter of a successful trading family. She was well-versed in the 'art of trading', as her father often proudly stated, and her family was ecstatic about her feigned interest in trading. Besides, her parents gave her the option of backing out whenever she wanted, knowing that it was a rough living — they hired other people for a reason.

Anything to see beyond her home's borders, she often told herself.

That simple statement kept her going. She had been told to set up her booth for ten in the morning, and to close up at nine in the evening. She had also been given a nearby designated area in which to store her packed cart for the night, as well as a rather large stall for the elk that had pulled along the cart. She had learnt before she left that the local restaurant closed at nine and and a half in the evening, so she wouldn't have time to grab a bite to eat there afterwards.

The town in itself was breathtakingly beautiful; a healthy mix of the unique and the mundane. Many flowers bloomed in its every corner regardless that it currently was the peak of the summer season and fresh, clean air wafted throughout the entire place. The nearby mountains and hills cut the skyline with delicate precision, while trees covered every inch of earth that wasn't dedicated to farming. She could catch, sometimes, the shimmers of a river in between the generously-leaved trees.

Sure, she wasn't exactly travelling like she yearned for, but it was a start.

The local chef — Raeger, was it? — came to see her at her booth a for a few minutes, apparently in a rush, to tell her that he kept the kitchen opened a bit longer for traders. She was welcomed to show up after she had packed up her things for the day. Needless to say, not wanting to munch on bread, berries and cheese three days in a row, she graciously took up his offer.

Looking around the plaza, the young woman was slouched over her own stall, glancing over at Sakura and Rose country's. During her first few hours, she had been flooded with curious customers. Now, not so much. She glanced at her watch, wondering how much time was left before she would close up her booth for the day.

"Hiya there!"

Startled, the girl looked up to see a beaming young man standing right in front of her. His ginger hair was hanging in unkempt angles, likely mussed up by the wind, and there was a band-aid stuck to his cheek. She sweetly smiled back.

"Hey," she greeted him back as she straightened up. "Welcome to the Maple country booth, how can I help?"

He laughed, extending his hand for a handshake. "I'm Fritz, what about you?"

"Azalea," she softly replied, taken aback with how enthusiastic his handshake was versus her usual mellow one.

"Good, good," he nodded, smiling. "I'm a farmer, y'see, and I was wondering was seeds you had in stock for the summer."

Azalea nodded in turn. "Blueberries, blackberries and purple morning glories," she counted off, simultaneously pointing at the display seeds in question.

"Ooh, I'll take two pouches of each please!" Fritz exclaimed, wildly grinning.

The trader stifled a chuckle as she counted how much gold it would cost the farmer, reaching out for the small pouches hidden away in her stall's compartments. She mused how many farmers there were in this little town — he was the fourth one she'd met thus far.

Fritz talked to her a bit more after that, happily blabbering about this and that, asking for her input here and there. After he left, Azalea figured he was a nice guy, a dedicated extrovert but a nice guy nonetheless. She watered the few sprouts she had brought with her: a sugar maple tree, a lilac tree, and a lime tree. It was rather hot out, and she didn't want them to dry out with their small earth containers.

It was now quiet at the trade depot, the sun having set about an hour or so ago and the young woman noticed that the other two traders were slowly packing up. She had spoken to them earlier, and she knew they were both leaving for their respective countries that night while she still had two days left. She decided to follow suit, since it would save her some time later on. She was already hungry, used to dining much earlier…

The day was over rather quickly after that. Once packed up and ready to leave for the night, Azalea decided she'd head over to the restaurant before checking into the inn, just to keep Raeger from having his kitchen up and running too long. She pushed open the door, an adorable little bell chiming as she did so. The chef promptly greeted her with a kind smile, meeting her at the door. He led her to a stool near the open-styled kitchen — the only seat in the restaurant that still had cutlery and the likes before it.

Looking at the summer menue, she picked out something she had never tried before that also seemed quick to whip up as she made small talk with Raeger. Their occasionally flirty banter, mainly focusing on her first day at the Trade Depot, continued as the chef prepared her order. She had to admit he was very handsome, though that's where her mind halted; he obviously firted for the fun of it. She saw no harm in indulging him. A spiced fragrance wafted from the heating dish, and it didn't take long before Raeger set the porcelain plate before her. He knew how to bring out the best flavours; a content smile spread across her tired lips as she bit into her forkful of spicy curry.

"Have you ever tried this with a dash of maple sugar?" she blurted out, as the chef resumed placing washed cutlery into their respective containers.

"Is that a habit from your home country?" he cheekily inquired, as he stood before her, the counter in between the two of them. "Or one of yours?" he added with a teasing hint as he leaned in closer to her.

She chuckled. "Sweet and spicy go well together," she shrugged, taking another bite of her lovely meal. "Not that this truly needs anything else."

"Flatterer," was his only reply, though he was smiling, as he straightened back up. Then, something flashed behind his eyes and his smile widened, as if he had just remembered something. "I've been meaning to ask you, would you have any recipes from your home to recommend?"

Azalea's eyes in turn lit up, glad to be able to share what she loved most about her home: the sweet cuisine. "Yeah! There's sticky lime fish, maple syrup fish, butter tarts, nanaimo bars…" She counted off a few more dishes on her fingers, briefly explaining of what they consisted.

"I'll be sure to pop by your stall tomorrow," the chef concluded, as he took away the trader's empty plate. "Any dessert? Though I wonder if what I have available could ever compare with your sweet tooth-ed cuisine." His tone for that last part had become quite theatrical.

She smiled and giggled, only to sass out, "Shut up and gimme ice cream — lemon."

Raeger mock-bowed, complying with, "Your wish is my command, Princess."

"Yeah, don't call me that again, you flirt!' she shouted at him, amused, as he disappeared into the kitchen's walk-in refrigerator, though not before sending a cheeky wink her way.

As she closed the restaurant's door behind her, sour lemon ice cream still deliciously tasting on her lips, Azalea smiled at herself. The morning had been so busy, yet she managed to meet practically every one of the city's locals. Her first customers were people curious about her home's wares, as well as the two present, regular traders that were maybe planning on reporting to their own superiors for a potential new trading partner. Some of the locals came around later after the big morning buzz had calmed down, the four playfully rival farmers all seeking new plants to add to their respective, mighty armada.

Pushing open the inn's door, the man behind the counter sent her a nice smile. "Hey there, Azalea, was it?" he kindly asked her as she neared him. She simply nodded, hiding a yawn behind the back of her hand. "I'm Maurice," introduced himself as he handed her a small, metallic object. "Here's your key," he continued. The number two was drawn on its head with a black sharpie, and the girl figured her room was number two. "It's on the second floor, alright?"

She nodded once more, smiling appreciatively. "Good night," she sang with a quick, childish wave of the hand as she headed towards the staircase.

"Yeah, you too! See you in the morning," he mellowly concluded with a short wave of his own.

Azalea hummed a reply with a slightly tired smile before disappearing upstairs. It was about ten in the evening, though she did her best to keep quiet. Jet lag was horrible, and this time she didn't even bother hiding her monstrous yawning. She swiftly slid the key into the lock, a dark metal moulding of the number two neatly nailed onto the dark wooden door, and carefully closed the protesting door behind her. She placed her essentials' bag onto the nearby table, zipping it down to grab her toothbrush and a change of short night clothes.

Her usual nightly routine over and done, she walked up to the window and opened it, looking out outside. She could see a bit more of the quiet little town, finding it a bit odd at first that the ground was level to the second story until she remembered the stairs right next to the inn. She deeply breathed in, a tired smile spread across her peach lips.

Yep, it definitely was a start.

A.N.
This is an idea that just hit me as I was playing the game earlier today, while I was reading Nadi's default speech in town. I'm actually focusing on my Neil/OC fic, The Bass Clef, but I'll continue this one too at the same time since both are actually really fun to make up. I'll try to update each week, but no promises… I don't post half-assed work! :3

Any constructive criticism is very much welcomed!
~SjelTheif