The First Meeting

In the beginning there was a boy and a girl of a young age. Though they were not by any means the richest people in the land, they lived comfortably and their income came from their families hard work. Both born in the same small village where their ancestors had once lived, they became friends when they were only 3 years old, when Trustar was learning to talk and Amoura was still quiet.

Their respective families were at the market with the rest of the town in the early morning and it was Amoura's first time at the busy stalls. At first she was frightened of all the people and the creatures making so much noise, there was too much going on and she was used to small numbers of people she was familiar with, not large crowds of strangers. As she felt her heart quicken with panic, her mother drew her close and explained that these were her friends and not strangers. There was her neighbour, Mrs.Harvey, with her flower stall. Amoura recognized the bright blossoms that ran along the border of their property with hers, and the aroma was calming. Mrs.Harvey smiled and put a daisy in Amoura's small hand.
"What do you say honey?" But Amoura stayed silent and looked at her flower with deep interest. Her mother sighed.
"I'm sorry she's still not speaking. I don't know what else to do."
"Think nothing of it Rosa, she's still a sweet little thing. I'm sure any day now she'll just start chirping like a bird and you'll think back to this wistfully."
" I hope you're right." And she thanked Mrs.Harvey for the flower and took Amoura back to their own stall where her father was selling their cloth. Her father was wrapping a large bolt of wool in a deep indigo for the old Mr. Yew, who Amoura also recognized because he had helped her father with an ill sheep last month. He was a kind man whose eyes crinkled when he smiled, just as he was now looking down at Amoura. She regarded him warily, but then couldn't help but smile.
"Oh little lady, what have you got there?"
Amoura held out the daisy to him, and he leaned down to sniff it. "Very pretty. Here darling, such pretty things should go together." And he took the flower and gently placed it in her hair. "Lovely. Thanks Nathan, I'll see you next week then."
Amoura waited patiently on a overturned crate as her mother and father tended to the small stall and their customers, swinging her small legs over the edge of the wooden box and watching the people go by. Finally her father had a free moment. He came over and picked her up, " hello my flower. I have someone I want you to meet. Rosa, I'm going to go introduce her to the Depinds youngest, I don't believe they've met yet."
Her mother was folding cotton. "Try and get her to speak Nathan. I still haven't heard her say a word."
Her father carried her away through the tall stalls full of different smells and colours. "You take your time love," he said gently so only she could hear. "I know you'll be ready soon enough, maybe you'll find you like this fellow enough to say hello? He's your age and I've seen him here a few times now. His parents run the vegtable stand up here. Hello Jacob, how is the business today? I've brought my daughter who is looking for a friend, I wonder if you can help me?"
Jacob returned the knowing smile and called out a small boy from behind the back of a stack of crates. The boy had dark hair and dark eyes lined with thick lashes. He was friendly and immediatly said hello in an older tone and manner than was expected for his age. When Amoura's father set her down in front of her, they were the same height.