Up this close, Era was dumbfounded by how much taller Penny was. Or rather, how much shorter she herself was as a human. This constant re-adjusting for perception was disorienting her. And the ache of her arm wasn't helping either. The dragon was far less astute than she should have been and thus failed to anticipate Penny's perfectly reasonable question.
Was she new to town? Why was this so complicated? It left the dragon scrambling, delving after half-truths since they were the best she could do. "Um, yes. I only know one person here really. I just... I don't have any coins with me." The last was blurted out as the realization dawned. Humans used money. She couldn't even make a shopping trip; Era's mouth worked, opening and shutting like a fish, but no sound came. Maybe if she could manage the trip all the way back to where she'd stowed her stuff, but that would take much longer injured. And she needed the cover now.
As Era felt her fragile explanation crack, she knew she couldn't just leave it there. So she let her mouth run faster than her mind. "I mean, I would appreciate it if you could show me the herb shop, just so I know where it is. I think I'll probably require a few things." She looked down sadly at her arm. "But I'll need to ask Emi before I get them." Her head swiveled to the other dragon's very human residence. It was possible there actually were a few things she could pick up too. She'd have to ask. Later.