“The store sits at the corner of the old market lane under a cat-eyed sign that reads 'Harbin's Sundries and Provisions' in faded gold paint. Inside, shelves climb to the rafters stacked with coils of rope, neat rows of glass vials, and a patchwork of travel gear. The owner, Mira Harbin, is a compact human shopkeeper with ink-dark hair shot through with silver, a practical leather apron, and a collection of brass rings on both hands. She speaks fast and shrewd, knows the going price for a mule and the price of a potion by scent alone, and always offers customers a small cup of strong spiced tea while negotiating. She tattoos tiny tally marks on the underside of her left wrist instead of keeping a ledger, and she has a carved wooden cat that 'guards' the till. Mira is fair but uncompromising; she will haggle for bulk orders and quietly refuses to sell certain enchanted items to anyone who looks like trouble.”