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"The Chadra-Fan are remarkably well-known for their crafts," Qui-Gon explained, as we made our way down the deserted road towards the village centre and the haridi. "We should take some time to see what they have to offer in the marketplace."

A faint sound that might have been a muffled grunt of protest came from Obi-Wan. Recalling his lack of interest in Chadra-Fan crafters when we had researched Chad before leaving Coruscant, I decided a barely suppressed grunt of protest was indeed what the odd sound had been. Unable to resist, I grinned at him cheekily, "Padawan, Jedi may not be interested in material possessions, but surely you should be able to learn a thing or two from a people's crafts?" Obi-Wan stared. When he didn't look away, I wondered if I had unintentionally insulted him. I hazarded a look at Qui-Gon and found his eyes flicking back and forth between me and Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master's mouth was twitching, almost uncontrollably, I thought. "What?" I looked at Obi-Wan. The silence continued. So did the stare.

"Padawan? I believe Stacey asked you a question."

Obi-Wan snapped out of his stupor. "You sounded exactly like Master Qui-Gon!" his tone seemed to be a cross between a pouting complaint and amused disbelief. I burst out laughing at his chagrin. Qui-Gon merely shook his head and quickly strode down the path ahead of us. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was trying to hide a huge grin on his face.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," I bowed slightly, "I've been practicing," I added in a smug voice, ignoring his glare. I shot a glance at Qui-Gon's back as I said this and couldn't keep the satisfied smile from my face when I noticed his shoulders shaking faintly. "Come on, let's catch up with Qui-Gon," I said, as I grabbed Obi-Wan's arm and propelled him down the path. The rest of the walk was spent in a companionable silence, broken only by the humming of insects and the rustling of foliage and long grasses in the wind. I could tell that both Jedi were relaxed and marvelled at how at ease I myself felt with these two men. Walking between them, I was struck by the sudden urge to grab their hands and swing my feet off the ground as I had done with my parents when I was a child. I shook my head slightly and grinned to myself, choosing instead to enjoy the scenery around us.

The marketplace was bustling with activity when we got there. Since we towered over the Chadra-Fan, everyone immediately noticed our arrival and a hushed whisper spread throughout the crowd. Qui-Gon nodded in polite greeting to the curious faces turned in our direction and gradually, the little beings returned to their business. I looked around, slowly taking in my surroundings. The marketplace consisted of open air stalls and makeshift stands arranged in roughly straight rows so that customers could wend their way easily past the merchandise. The smell of something delicious wafted towards us on the slight breeze, and our ears were assaulted by the chattering of Chadra-Fan. Although the little beings had stopped staring overtly at us, every few seconds, a smiling Chadra-Fan would throw a cursory glance in our direction only to quickly look away once it realized we had noticed. After a moment of standing at the edge of the bustle, Qui-Gon smiled faintly. "Are we ready, then?" he inquired. I nodded eagerly while Obi-Wan just returned his Master's smile. "Very well, just remember to be mindful. We are here to have a good time, but there are always lessons that can be learned." The corners of Qui-Gon's eyes crinkled as he said this, recalling our conversation earlier.

Without another word, the Jedi Master led the way down the first row of stalls at a leisurely pace, with me at his side and Obi-Wan following a few steps behind. Qui-Gon leaned down towards me slightly, speaking softly as he explained the uses of the various objects we saw before us and indicating the exquisite workmanship which made them so highly prized. Most of the items were easily recognizable -- metal jewellery, beaded and leather ornaments, clay pottery, wooden carvings -- but some of the more curious pieces seemed native to the Chadra-Fan alone and even Qui-Gon was at a loss as to their use. As we turned down the next row of stalls, I looked back and it was only then that I noticed Obi-Wan was no longer behind us. I peered over the heads of the Chadra-Fan around me and spotted the apprentice immediately. "Master Qui-Gon?" I inquired.

"Hmm?" Qui-Gon turned, his sharp blue eyes immediately following my gaze. He smiled and nodded in reply. "I too, am interested in what has caught my Padawan's interest," he said, answering the rest of my unspoken query. I laughed as I quickly retraced my steps towards the apprentice, Qui-Gon a few paces behind me.

When I reached Obi-Wan's side, I found him holding an oddly shaped object in his hands. It was slightly larger than his palms and consisted of a piece of thin, finely wrought metal, slightly curved, with delicate chainlinks attached to its sides. An assortment of coloured beads and tiny bells dangled from the edges of the piece. Curiosity was plain on the apprentice's face as he turned the object round in his hands, carefully studying the intricate patterns worked into it, the slight movement of his hands causing the bells to tinkle softly. The stall owner was an elderly Chadra-Fan male, beside himself in pride that his handicraft had caught the attention of a Jedi. Obviously, he thought that a sale would be an even greater reflection on his skills as he was busy trying to convince Obi-Wan of the merits of the piece he held. "What is it?" I whispered.

Obi-Wan shrugged imperceptibly, "Don't know," he whispered back. "But it's interesting..." he said in a slightly louder voice as he held the object up to the light, studying it closely.

"Ahhh, yes, very interesting, no?" said the vendor helpfully, overhearing Obi-Wan's description. "A bit small for you, but other than that..."

My forehead scrunched up as I tried to figure out what it was without actually asking. "Small?" I probed.

"Yes, yes, hard to tell what the right size would be from here, and I am guessing so. Of course, you would know better, eh?" His eyebrows quirked upwards inquisitively in my direction. "Let me see if I have a larger one..." the Chadra-Fan muttered to himself thoughtfully, his head disappearing behind the edge of the stall as he bent down to rummage among his wares.

"Know better? Me?" I said to no one in particular.

"Yes, you." Obi-Wan nudged me with his elbow.

"I don't even know what it is!" I hissed. "How would I know if it's too small?"

"A wall decoration perhaps?"

"I don't know...How could it be too small then?"

"We could ask..."

By this time, the vendor's head had reappeared as he picked up on our confusion. "Ahhh, you don't know what it is?" We both shook our heads. "It is one of the works of art that the Chadra-Fan are known for. Very delicate, yet strong and resilient," he smiled knowingly. "It is a pity that they are not as popular as they once were, but the young...they are not as interested in the older traditions. You know how it is..." the Chadra-Fan spread his hands out imploringly. "These pieces, like the one you are holding," he paused, wagging a finger at the object Obi-Wan still held in his hands, "are used more for ceremonial purposes now...like in weddings!" The little creature laughed happily.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." said Obi-Wan.

I snorted in laughter at hearing the well-known line, but my curiosity got the better of me. "Pardon me for asking sir, but what is it, exactly?"

There was an amused pause then, "Why, it's a ceremonial codpiece of course!"

The words were immediately followed by a loud cough behind us. We both whirled round to find Qui-Gon hiding his mouth behind his hand. I was not fooled, neither was Obi-Wan.

"You two..." Qui-Gon muttered under his breath, shaking his head in ill-concealed amusement.

Obi-Wan shot an embarrassed glance at his Master and looked as if he were on the verge of saying something when a loud interjection from the Chadra-Fan stall keeper drew our attention away. "Pardon me, young Jedi, but would you like the piece?" Despite my best efforts, I couldn't quite stop my giggle from escaping. "It might come in handy. Unless..." he paused, squinting thoughtfully in my direction, "Unless you've have already had your ceremony, then it would be unnecessary."

My eyes widened, then I blinked as his implication gradually sank in. "What? Ooh, no..." I looked wordlessly at Obi-Wan, hoping that the Padawan would be better able to deny the mischievous vendor's insinuation. The apprentice was blushing profusely, I noticed. It would have been a funny sight were I not in the same predicament myself.

Obi-Wan steadfastly refused to look at me as he waved aside the Chadra-Fan's persistent exhortations to acquire the object. "No, no, it is quite alright. It is a beautiful piece of work, but I'm afraid we...I...would not be able to appreciate it. Best to save it for a Chadra-Fan couple." Obi-Wan bowed politely, "Thank you, anyway." Still refusing to look at me, he clutched hurriedly at my arm, tugging me away. I followed his lead willingly, for I was far too occupied with trying to figure out whether to be amused or embarrassed by the incident to even think about where we were going. We stopped only when we had gotten several rows of stalls between us and the persistent stall owner. It took mere moments for Qui-Gon to catch up, weaving his way towards us effortlessly despite the throng of Chadra-Fan packing the narrow pathway.

The Jedi Master still bore an amused glint in his eye when he joined us. "Obi-Wan, I've not seen you this unsettled for a long time," he teased, winking conspiratorially at me. Obi-Wan simply flushed a deeper shade of red and glanced down at his feet. Qui-Gon gazed at his apprentice for a long moment, studying his Padawan's reaction. As he did so, the look on his face transformed slowly from amusement to one of thoughtfulness. Just as I was about to break the silence, the Master, as if sensing my intention, continued on smoothly in a light tone that seemed to belie the look on his face, "Well, shall we continue on then?" Without waiting for an answer, he stepped away, apparently intent on exploring the marketplace further and leaving us to follow him.

I squinted at Qui-Gon's broad back as he strolled off. "He's right you know, I've never seen anyone flush such a bright shade of red before," I said, the words leaving my lips before I thought to stop them. Immediately, I regretted saying that as I remembered how discomfited Obi-Wan had looked an instant ago.

There was a moment of awkward silence before the apprentice managed to compose himself enough to grin brightly. "That vendor was right about one thing."

I looked at him curiously. "What's that?"

"It would have been too small."

I gaped. So much for thinking that my words would embarrass him. He certainly had regained his composure enough to turn the tables on me. Laughing gleefully at the look on my face, Obi-Wan wheeled away after Qui-Gon. I shook my head in mild reproof, then bolted after him, complaining. "You have a nose for trouble, you know that?"

"I do not," came the instant retort.

"Do too," I replied, going along with the playful bickering.

"Well, alright, maybe a little," the apprentice relented somewhat, "but it happens more when you're around..."

"I refuse to believe that," I insisted stubbornly, as the both of us tagged along obediently behind Qui-Gon.

"What about that night in the Temple when you woke everyone up?" came the rejoinder.

"That wasn't just me, you were making just as much noise."

"And yesterday? When you tipped me off the wall?" Obi-Wan continued, as if I hadn't spoken.

"Well..."

"See?" he chuckled triumphantly. "It's you!" he peered sideways at me with a crooked grin, one which completely disarmed me and left me speechless. No matter, I thought, actions would do just as well as words -- I smacked him on his arm. Hard.

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