Piper Cloudspire reached into the biscuit tin beside her while her eyes focused on the gravel road ahead. She blinked in surprise when her hand found nothing inside. Upon checking, she realized the biscuits were all gone.
"I guess I need to do some shopping," Piper muttered, tossing the red biscuit tin aside. She tugged on her horse's reins to slow them down, then reached for her map from a woven basket beside her and studied it. "I should arrive at Fernwick after passing through this mountain path. I wonder what kind of troublemaking kids I'll meet in that little town. Even though I could tie their hands together before they manage to steal anything, it still annoys me."
Though she was a girl traveling alone with four white horses pulling her two-story caravan, Piper was almost always safe. Besides her good luck, she was equipped to defend herself.
The caravan wheels crunching over gravel slowly brought Piper closer to the town's settlement. She smiled and waved at children peeking out from their yards, their curious eyes wide.
One bold child ran toward her. Piper tugged on the reins, bringing the horses to a halt.
"Are you Piper from the famous Cloudspire Wisdom Shop?" the child asked excitedly. He was around eight years old, with a peculiar fringe curling at the center of his forehead. Freckles scattered across his cheeks, giving him a mischievous look.
"Yes, I am the famous Piper Cloudspire," Piper said with a flourish, gesturing dramatically to herself. She hadn't expected news of her to have reached such a small town. "You're quite clever for recognizing me."
"Oh, I guessed right!" the boy exclaimed, his eyes widening. "I want to buy a magnifying glass and a telescope from you!"
"Of course you can buy them," Piper replied, glancing around to notice the area was still quiet. Only a few children were playing, and now they were approaching Hollyhock, one of her horses, timidly. "Who knows? You might become a detective someday," she teased with a wink.
The boy laughed. "I don't want to be a detective when I grow up. I want to be like you!"
"Now that's an excellent dream," Piper said cheerfully. "I'll open my shop. But … do you know a place with fresh grass and a little stream so my horses can eat? They're too shy to admit it, but they must be hungry by now."
"Oh, yes! Just keep going straight, and you'll find a meadow. Are you going to set up your shop there?"
"Yes. Now go back home, grab your money, and tell everyone you see to come visit my shop at the meadow," Piper said.
"Alright! I'll go get my money!" the boy shouted, running off. Hearing him, the other children did the same, rushing toward their homes, leaving Piper smiling in satisfaction.
"Don't forget to call everyone to come!" Piper called as she urged her caravan forward again.
The boy's directions were accurate, and Piper easily found the meadow. People who saw her along the way gave her curious looks, but Piper waved at them with her confident smile. The sign on the side of her caravan reading Cloudspire Wisdom Shop would eventually make everything clear to them. At least, that was what usually happened in towns she had visited before. Even if they had never heard of her, the phrase wisdom shop would inevitably draw them in.
Once she reached the meadow, Piper unhitched Hollyhock, Dahlia, Bluebell, and Atlas from the caravan and let them graze. Meanwhile, she opened the back window near her cushy driver's seat and jumped inside.
Her caravan had two floors. The lower floor housed the items she sold, while the upper floor was her private space. On the ground floor, every item was organized and arranged by category. Piper removed the wooden panels serving as shutters, then carried out several wooden crates and arranged them beside the caravan.
It didn't take long for the townsfolk to gather. They browsed through the items in the crates and boxes. Piper was careful to keep rare books and antique items inside the caravan.
As the crowd grew, Piper happily answered the townsfolk's questions.
"You can play it with your friends!" she told a child curious about a toy. "It's called a yo-yo. Do you know how to use it?"
Piper demonstrated her yo-yo skills, drawing laughter and applause from the children around her.
"That's a pocket knife! Isn't it handy to have in your pocket? I once heard about a chicken that died because its foot got tied up with string, and the person who found it struggled to untie the knot in time. Pocket knives are quite useful in such situations!"
"These books are treasures you won't find in this area. If you like adventures, you should read this travelogue by Shawn Roocoster."
"Yes, that badge is from Prisalia. I once visited that country with this very caravan! And if I couldn't go, I had a friend there send it to me. Rest assured, it's not fake."
Meanwhile, customers who had heard of her before eagerly snatched up Piper's Signature Goods. These handcrafted items, adorned with a charming PC logo, were her bestselling products. The most popular were leather journals, followed by postcards, magnifying glasses, badges, pens, stamps, and mini storage boxes.
As evening approached, Piper grew tired, though she never stopped smiling at the enthusiastic customers. Even those who came just to browse were welcome, as Piper enjoyed sharing the stories behind her goods.
When the sun was setting, only one customer remained—a woman around forty years old wearing round glasses. She approached Piper with a book and a pen she wanted to purchase. "I'd like to buy these," she said.
Piper stated the price and accepted the payment. "Thank you for shopping. Do you know of any good restaurants around here?" she asked.
"Um, yes. You can try Rule's Kitchen," the woman said, giving Piper directions. But then she paused. "Ah, but … there's no inn nearby. It's a shame because the nearest one is quite far from here."
"Oh, that's alright. I usually sleep in my caravan," Piper replied with a broad smile.
"I don't think you can do that here. Fernwick is very dangerous at night. I suggest you be cautious. They … won't hesitate to kill anyone still wandering outside after dark."