Cheers filled the bar as Anna slammed her twenty-fifth mug of ale onto the table. "That'll be seventy-five gold please," she said with a smile.

The brute sitting across from her took out a burlap sack and tossed it to Anna as he admitted defeat. "alright boys," Anna yelled. "Who's next? or are you going to let this pretty little face bleed you dry?"

"She has to be ready to spew by now," yelled a voice in the crowd.

"You're right," another gruff voice agreed. "She can't possibly drink much more."

"Now's our chance to get our gold back," stated another man. In a matter of moments, the whole tavern was ready to charge at the chance of getting Anna's winnings. Men and women alike lined up at her table to take a shot at the confident merchant's drinking contest. Things seemed to be looking up for the tavern-dwellers. After all, Anna had already had more than twenty mugs of ale and the odds did seem to be in their favor. So, one by one, the people in the tavern Accepted Ann's challenge and one by one, they all lost their stomachs, their pride, and their gold. After about an hour, Anna was the only one in the tavern who could afford another drink.

Anna slammed what was her two-hundredth mug on the tavern bar and laid her head on the wooden surface.

"I'd-," started a nauseous Anna as a hiccup interrupted her. "I'd like another please."

"Come now Anna," said the bar-tender as he brought Anna another mug of ale. "don't you think that you've had enough for one night?" The bar tender looked at his friend with worried eyes. "Besides, shouldn't a beautiful woman such as yourself be trying to settle down?"

"Settle Down?" Anna asked as if she had just been called miss again. Anna looked up at the young bartender and laughed. "Look inigo," she said, regaining her composure. "There's still a lot more gold for this merchant to make."

"Come now," Inigo insisted. The young bartender walked over to where Anna sat and leaned on the wooden surface that separated them. "Don't tell me that the thought's never crossed your mind."

Anna turned her mug up to her mouth and began to drink. As the Ale flowed down her throat, Anna's mind began to ponder over the bartender's words. As a matter of fact, Anna had thought about settling down quite a few times. Although, the thought usually only bothered her at night when she was on long trips. But, here it was today. . . for the second time.

Anna's mind flashed back to earlier that afternoon when she had encountered that young boy's mother. On the way into town, Anna had wondered if she would ever look like that one day-like a mother. Would there come a day when she would care about something or someone more than money?

Anna slammed the empty mug of ale onto the bar as she shook the thoughts out of her head. "Nope," she replied with a smile. "I'm not the 'settle down' type kid. you'll understand when you're older." Anna stood up from the bar. She figured that she'd better take her leave if she planned to get to the next town early enough for another morning sale. "Well I gotta get going, kid," said Anna as she stood from the bar. she reached into her pocket and flipped a gold coin into Inigo's open palm before heading toward the tavern exit.

"Umm Anna," Yelled Inigo from the bar. "This is only one gold."

"Too big of a tip for you?" asked Anna.

Realizing how lucky he was to even get a tip from Anna, Inigo swallowed his words and tucked the coin away before she could come back and take it from him. "happy travels!"

Anna gave Inigo one last glare before continuing to the exit. Okay, Anna thought. No tip for him next time I visi-

Just then, Anna's thought were interrupted by the most devastating words that she had ever heard. A man crashed into the tavern. His arm was bleeding and his body was scratched throughout. But that's not what pierced Anna's heart. The man spoke words that Anna had never even dreamed of hearing.

"Miss Anna," the man said, clutching his injured arm. "I'm sorry but. . . your wagon's been stolen."