Saffron Dune Market
Laila
“A clay-jug-sized child with dark curls, a saffron apron, and a thoughtful gaze.”
Laila is a quiet spice-keeper who sits as tall as a clay jug and watches the market from a shaded doorway. She cares fiercely about the little routines that help the market feel calm and welcoming, but she can be slow to share what she knows.
2 stories feature Laila
Where you've met them
The Caravan at the Wrong Gate
A rival caravan arrives late with urgent trade goods, but a mix-up at the market gate sends their wagons into the wrong selling lanes. Now the stalls are blocked, the cargo is in the wrong hands, and both sides have to sort out the confusion quickly before tempers rise and valuable goods are lost or damaged.
Birds at the Spice Stalls
Just as the spice sellers begin opening their jars, a flock of thirsty desert birds lands in the market and starts pecking at bright dried herbs, fruit slices, and loose grains. People have to guide the birds away without hurting them, because the birds are scattered across every stall and the damage grows with each minute they stay.