"Hey, wake up, lad. We're here."
Emer felt a hand grasp her shoulder, shaking her gently and waking her from her sleep. But even so, she already knew they had reached their destination without even having to open her eyes. The scent of the sea salt in the air made it clear that they were finally in Cerenis, and for once, the wagon she had been riding in had stopped.
Emer sat up on the hard wooden bench, stretching her body and blinking the sleep from her turquoise eyes, and then smiled as she took in her first glimpse of the busy port.
"I reckon this is your first time here?"
She reluctantly tore her eyes away from the city and turned towards the wagon's driver, an aging but kindly merchant. Still smiling, she replied, "Yes, I've never been here before and I must say, I would never have been able to get here so quickly if it wasn't for you. I can't tell you enough how much the ride means to me. Here, let me pay you..."
Emer then reached into one of her pockets and pulled out two gold coins, but the merchant man waved them away. "No need to pay me. Your company was enjoyment enough during such a lonely trip. Besides, I have a feeling you may need that gold more than I do."
So with that, Emer pocketed her gold once again and thanked the man again and again until he waved her off, too, grinning and shaking his head. When the merchant left to sell his wares, Emer went back to admiring the busy port, taking in the clear blue sky and the radiant afternoon sun and the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. Shifting her backpack on her shoulders, Emer threaded her way through the crowds, occasionally looking at what the other merchants were selling with mild interest.
That is, until a chicken flew past her, nearly smacking her in the face as she ducked just in time. However, before she could react, a young boy ran straight into her, bowling her over and into a nearby crowd. Several women cried out in alarm and even a few merchants complained of being disrupted while making their sales as Emer got back to her feet, rubbing her sore backside. Glancing around, she saw the boy that had run into her dashing away into the distance, chasing after the chicken. She sighed. No use in going after him, then.
She apologized to the disturbed crowd around her and, feeling the urge to disappear on the spot, decided to find more open space, preferably without chickens.
And then, as she looked around, she saw the glint of silver hair shining in the sunlight. It was a man, sitting amidst several barrels with scrolls of paper, a quill, and some ink. Was he another merchant? She couldn't see what he was selling. Perhaps he was selling the paper and ink? He didn't seem to have very much, but Emer was in need of more ink, as her own ink bottle was nearly empty. She had been slowly adding to her map of Serendipity, drawing in various details and cities and villages, as well as roads and pathways.
"Hello, there," she said. "I couldn't help but wonder...are you selling ink?"