Chapter 2

Cloud awoke the next morning to the sun shining in his face through the window of his bedroom. He scrunched his eyes shut and gave a sigh, snuggling deeper into the covers on his small bed. He listened to the sound of birds outside in the trees and horses out in their pastures. He was lulled by the noises and slowly started to sink back into sleep when a sudden thought hit him. He jerked up and threw the covers off his body. He had forgotten about the cold however, and gave a sharp hiss at the sudden shock of freezing morning air. He quickly moved to the small closet in the side of his room. Reaching in, he pulled out a threadbare shirt, a torn pair of pants, and his jacket: his everyday attire.

As he slipped into the humble clothes, he gave a small sigh of exasperation. The caravan was supposedly heading into town today. He would try to make some sales so he and his mother could get by more easily. Winter was just around the corner and they still needed to stock up on food. But food meant money was needed, and money meant selling one or two of their best blooded horses. It was nothing personal, simply business, and yet Cloud hated dealing with some of the sharper tongued, worse tempered merchants. He hated the idea of selling his mother's and his horses to those men, but that was what the creatures were raised for. They were of the breed found only in his area. Every time a newcomer would ask what breed the magnificent creatures were, he would always state with pride "The Nebelhuf horse." The Nebelhuf breed received its name from its incredible movement; they floated across the ground like the fog of the mountains they inhabited and called home.

My village is nestled in the Nibel Mountain Range, like I said earlier. But it does have a name, although few people outside of town who aren't merchants bother to remember. The name of this little speck of land and people is… Nibelheim. My mother once told me that the name came from a language lost to the world long ago. Apparently, "Nibel" came from "Nebel," which meant fog. "Heim" meant home. But like what happens to most languages over time, some of the words were spoken differently. It seemed like such a mysterious name though… "Home of Fog." It was much too mysterious for that little scrap of civilization.

Cloud trudged his way over to the barn in his usual morning ritual as the cold air nipped at his nose and ears. He pushed the barn door open and it gave a long held out groan as it swung on old hinges. He walked into the calm, almost holy presence of horses in the morning hours. He walked over to the left side of the barn and peeked into the stall.

"Fantasia?" he called softly. An aged sorrel mare with a roaned left leg poked her blazed face over the wooden wall and gave a soft blow on the young man's face. Cloud smiled and stroked her straight face lovingly. The mare shut her eyes in bliss as she felt his familiar quiet hands. After a couple of minutes, Cloud stepped away from Fantasia's stall and took several steps to the stall next to it. He leaned over and gave a quiet murmur.

"Kat? Where are you, pretty girl?" A young sleek silver mare appeared from the shadows, light leaking through the walls of the barn onto her faintly dappled coat. She gave him a small greeting nudge on the hand with her velvety nose before turning and heading back to her napping spot in the dark. Cloud gave a barely audible chuckle and stepped up to the last stall on this side of the barn. A pretty snow white face peeped over the stall door before giving a loud call in Cloud's direction. Liquid onyx eyes gazed at him happily as the young mare bobbed her head, demanding his attention.

She was my favorite mare by far. Her coat turned as white as a dove's feathers at the age of two years old, which never happens. She had the biggest, darkest eyes I had ever seen. Her face was gorgeous but not extreme like those of some other Nebelhufs I had seen. She carried herself proudly and she always had the most confident temperament of the herd. She was an incredible creature in every conceivable way. And it's because of that, I think, I lost her that day.

Cloud admired all the hustle and bustle of the merchants setting up their temporary shops on the edge of the main part of town. Ever since he was a little toddler, all the strange sights and languages the merchants brought with them caught his attention and fascinated him. The local farmers would sell their produce and the merchants would sell their various goods, ranging from luxuries like sugar and beads to simple every day necessities like hair brushes for the ladies and a form of paste for the teeth.

That deer would have been great for trade today, Cloud thought. But dragging in illegal game and being caught by the authorities would be a bit much to handle, he decided as he appreciated the view from atop his well behaved stallion, Nabi. Despite the fact the teenage Cloud had a mare and gelding in tow, the mahogany bay stallion always minded his manners and behaved perfectly despite the distraction. However, standing at the edge of the giant puddle of people was exciting for the young horse and he pranced on the spot, his three white feet flashing as he stared with ears up and eyes bright into the crowd.

A breach in the swarm of people appeared and Cloud quickly took his chance, urging Nabi onward into the crowd. As the three horses and young man waded through, people began to step out of the way, not wanting their toes to be crushed by the energetic, snorting horses. Finally Cloud spotted a stall to tie the three horses by. It wasn't much, just three poles holding up another three logs to make a three sided box, but it would have to do.

He tied the gelding and mare next each other and tied Nabi on another side, keeping the gelding between the stallion and mare. He trusted the stallion's manners, but didn't want to taunt him with a mare just in reach.

A little skirmish between the horses is just enough to scare off any of the inexperienced handlers, though, Cloud thought to himself. He gave a deep sigh as he lowered himself to the ground and leaned his back against one of the stall's poles, shutting his eyes and preparing to wait for the sight of well pedigreed horses to attract the attention of potential buyers. He didn't have too long to wait.

"Oi, young man!" Cloud cracked open an eye. "Mind if we take a look at them horses there?" A tall bearded man stood before him with small woman and little girl standing a little behind him. "We're looking for a nice family pet, and I wondered if maybe one of these horses would make a decent companion for my little Lily here." The little girl blushed and hid behind her mother.

Cloud looked up into the man's eyes and said flat out, "You realize how much one of these is going to cost you, right? I mean, geldings are the cheapest, but even then, it's not a small price." The tall man gave a surprised and then wary look at Cloud, waiting for the young man to name the price. "The gelding will have to go for 15,000 gil," he stated simply. Too much emotion had never worked in the sales business for Cloud.

"Ack…" the man murmured. "Can we take a quick look at him, at least? I would like to admire him though, he is quite the handsome horse." Cloud nodded his consent and the small family walked over to admire the gelding. They ogled over him for about a minute before Cloud's curiosity got the best of him, making him get up and watch their reactions to one of his favorite horses.

"Look at his hair, daddy! It's so pretty!" the little girl squealed as she ran her hand through the horses pale blond mane. She looked so happy as she ran her hands down his neck, marveling in the softness of the rich orange coat. Cloud's hard salesman front cracked at the sweet sight. The little girl gave a giggle as the gelding lowered his head and snuffed her jacket, steam blowing out of his nose like smoke from a dragon in the cold weather. Cloud couldn't help himself as he walked over to the two.

"His name is Ebriz."

"Ebriz?" The little girl looked up at him in surprise. "What's that mean?"

"It means 'pure gold,'" Cloud answered.

"I can see how you came up with that name for him," the small woman murmured, as she took in Ebriz's pale blond mane and tail, rich orange fur, and white feet.

Cloud debated in his head over the next few minutes as the family continued to admire Ebriz. Should I let them take him? I could lower the price… they'd make a wonderful family for him, I'm sure. But, we need the money… His indecision was killing him. His brow furrowed, and he bit his lip as he weighed his options. Finally, a good heart tipped the scale.

"I can bring down the price to 10,000 gil."

The tall man looked up. "But… that's still a bit high to me." He frowned.

How far can I let the price drop? Cloud thought uneasily. "How about 9,000? That's honestly as low as I can get the price, sir. I'm sorry, but we need the money." His eyes widened. Crap, didn't mean to say that out loud!

The man gave a nod of understanding. "Very well, 9,000 it is. I'm so grateful for your help. We will take the best possible care of him." Cloud nodded and gulped before glancing over at the little girl and horse. Her delight was obvious as she laughed and cried, hugging her new friend around his neck. Cloud relaxed slightly.

It was little acts like this that caught her attention. I think that's what made me stand out from all of the other boys in town. She could see right through my façade, unlike the others. She saw the sensitive side of me. I'll never tell her, but I know she knows.

As the family walked away, the tall man leading Ebriz with the little girl perched on his shoulders, Cloud turned to start attending his last horse to sell when he spotted her. A cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck, but his expression didn't change. A girl around his age stood about twenty yards away, her form partially hidden by a cart. She brushed a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear as she watched the young man. Her wine colored eyes met his sapphire and sky orbs before Cloud severed the contact and turned around, appearing to all the world as apathetic to the girl's staring. But an internal battle of thoughts raged in his head.

What is she doing here?