Chapter 1: Vyrne the Taguel

"Step right up folks! this is a once in a lifetime opportunity at a once in a lifetime price!"

Anna stood atop her wagon with her speaking trumpet still held to her lips. She knew that is was a bit early to be waking people up. But she also knew that Early mornings were the best times for a good sale. She pursed her lips and yelled again. " Come on! I would never disturb the good people of Yilsse without a worthy cause! And believe me, the cause is very worthy!" Anna stopped yelling and looked for any sign of profit. For a moment, all was still. . . Then, she saw him. Out of the corner of her eye, Anna saw a villager peek out from behind his window. That was all the hope that she needed.

"Good people of Yilsse," continued Anna, now using her skills as a talented actress. "Tis I, the Anna of the Shepherds!" Here, Anna reached into her pocket and retrieved a pendant that was carried by the legendary shepherds in the days of their travel. she held it high into the air so that the people could see its gleam from their windows.

"I bring to you what is a supply of concoctions that can cure any illness in only a matter of days! Alas, it was a long and perilous journey. But it was worth every drop of pain that I had to endure. For I wanted to bestow these gifts upon you, my people!"

This time, As Anna stopped Speaking, she saw men, women, and children rushing out of their houses. Many of them were still in their nightclothes as they began to crow around the wagon. Anna now had everyone in the neighborhood under her spell. "All that I ask of you is two-hundred gold per concoction so that I may purchase the supplies needed to travel and gather the rare ingredients for Anna's medical miracle."

By noon, Anna had filled two bags of five-thousand gold each.

"Eight years and this old thing still works like a charm." Anna sighed as she stretched out on her wagon and held up the pendant that she and the other shepherds had bought at a thrift shop in Plegia for two and one-half gold. "Not bad for an early morning run." The merchant smiled to herself and decided to reward herself with one of her favorite activities-gold counting. Anna whistled happily as she mounted her horse and rode her wagon to a forest on the outskirts of Ylisse. As she rode, looking for a place to park the wagon, Anna couldn't help but notice the autumn leaves that were as golden as the coins inside of the bags that were stuffed into her wagon.

Could today get any more perfect,Anna asked herself as she whistled. She looked to her left and then glanced to her right. On her right, she spotted the most beautiful, golden-leafed tree that she had ever seen in her life. "That one," Anna exclaimed as she grabbed her horse's reigns and steered her wagon toward the tree. After reaching the tree, Anna tied down her horse and uncovered the wagon. She hesitated for a moment. Anna surveyed her surroundings carefully. Before she started counting, Anna wanted to make sure that she was alone. So, Anna check one last time after which, she began to unload the bags of gold from her wagon.

Once the wagon was unloaded, Anna uncovered the wagon. Even though she had done this plenty of times, Anna still found it hard to look at her wagon is such an empty state. even if it was temporary, the thought of an empty wagon haunted Anna's worst nightmares. Anna shook the thought out of her mind. She had come here to reward herself and that is just what she intended on doing. Anna emptied each bag's contents into her wagon and stripped down to her smallclothes. What Anna called "counting," any other person would call bathing in money.

Anna dived into her wagon of gold like A starving beggar would dive into a feast. Anna Squealed with joy as she flung gold into the air as if she were a child splashing in water. "Oh Anna," she laughed as she scooped gold into her hand and let it fall slowly back into the pool of money. "What are you going to do with all of this gold?" Anna flung gold into the air and let it plop back down into her wagon. "Oh I don't know Anna," she replied to herself. "But you're such a beautifully sly girl, I'm sure you'll think of something." Anna hung her head back and let herself dangle from her wagon. With her eyes closed and a smile on her face, Anna drifted into a peaceful sleep.

. . .

. . .

. . .

"Hey Lady!"

Anna let a small shriek of surprise escape from her mouth as she reached into her gold-filled wagon and drew a Levin sword on her attacker. It took her a second to come to her senses as she realized that her "attacker" was just a boy, a very frightened, nervous boy.

"What's the big idea," Anna asked furiously as she slowly put away her weapon. "Didn't anyone ever teach ya not to sneak up on a pretty woman? We can be very aggressive when threatened."

"I'm sorry miss," the boy said slowly with a gulp.

"Well," Anna asked. she sat up and flung herself out of her wagon. "whataya want?"

The young boy turned bright red. he had never seen a woman in her smallclothes before and his mother had taught him that it was impolite to stare. He looked to the ground and mumbled.

"Well," Anna demanded as she grabbed her clothes and began to dress herself. "Well?"

"it-it's just that I heard about you selling your miracle juice this morning but I was out getting firewood. my sister is really sick so I've been following you all day. I didn't think that I would ever catch up with you." The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sack of gold. "I'd like to buy some miracle juice for my sister please."

now dressed, Anna bent down and took the sack of gold from the boy. She opened the sack and poured the gold into her hand. "yeeaah, Sorry kido but you're short about one hundred and fifty gold."

"But, that's all that I have," exclaimed the boy with tears forming in his eyes. "I-I can pay you the rest later I promise."

"No can do," Anna replied as she slid the gold back into the boy's sack and tossed it to him. "I stopped dealing with credit a while back. Besides, a girl's gotta make a living you know." Anna began to refill her sacks with the gold that had been poured into the wagon. "I wish that there was something that I could do for you. Hope your sister gets better."

With that, Anna turned her attention to putting her gold back into her bags. carefully, she counted every single piece of currency to make sure that she wasn't a penny poorer than when she started "counting."

After thirty minutes, Anna brushed her hands togther and let out a sigh of releif. She had managed to put all of her gold back into her wagon. she wasn't missing a cent.

"Allrighty then," Anna said to herself aloud. "I'll do a quick market run and then it's off to-" As Anna turned to untie her horse, an unpleasant sight caught her eyes. The boy was still sitting under the tree with his head burried into his lap. "You're still here," Anna asked, the annoyance on her face burned bright red.

"Yeah," the boy Answered. "I told my mother to give me about a half hour to find you and get the medical miracle. She should be here in a minute."

"Where do you guys live again," Anna asked.

"Theves villiage," the boy replied. "The one you visited this morning."

Anna was silent as she mounted her steed. "Well," she said. "I'll see you around kido." With that, Anna rode toward the entrance back into town. After a few minutes of riding, Anna ran into a woman who was heading into the forest.

"Excuse me miss," said the woman.

Anna cringed. She hated being called miss. it made her feel old. "yes mam," Anna replied with an extremely forced smile.

"Have you seen a child come through here?" The woman had a concerned look on her face. Anna figured that she was probably the mother of the boy from earlier.

"Pale, over-emotional, and carrying chump change?" asked Anna as she pointed in the direction from which she had come. "I just saw him about ten minutes back."

"Oh thank you miss," said the woman as she hurried into the forest. . . There it was again, . . that word. . . Miss.

Ugh, Anna thought as she continued forward. I need a drink.