Down on the lower decks of the canal, she found Elgrim’s Elixirs. The shop was cramped, but Elgrim and his apprentice Hafjorg kept barrels of Salt Piles and fish that the dockworkers harvested daily. Thistle knew the "Riften secret": she did a small favor for Wujeeta at the fishery, which allowed her to take the low-cost ingredients scattered around the docks for free.

Thistle moved through the misty morning of the Whiterun stables, the smell of lavender and horse manure thick in the air. For an aspiring alchemist, the "best" place was never just one shop; it was a circuit.

She started at Arcadia’s Cauldron, just past the main gates. Arcadia was reliable—she always had Blue Mountain Flowers and Wheat for basic healing draughts. But today, Thistle needed something more potent. After trading some standard Restore Health potions for more supplies, she caught the carriage to Riften.