"Thank you so much, sir, for your kindness. Please, let me pay you for the extra night." Anneka reached for the small bag she carried on her belt where she stored her money and searched, fingers grasping at empty air, vain hope that a few gold pieces would materialize. No, she had run out of money a long time ago. She had been running on luck and the currency of good deeds for the past few days, and miraculously, things seemed to fall into place when you wished hard enough. That couldn't be true, Anneka knew, but she believed that when you do good, good will be done to you, and so far, her life had been a living testament to that. So far, anyway.

"No, no, it was my pleasure, after you helped us clean so late into the night. Please, accept it was a gift." Old Man Keller bowed shortly and smiled, surprising Anneka. He had been rather curt the past few days, short temper and all. See, people were good to you if you were good to them.

"If you insist!" she said, shrugging her shoulders happily. She hoisted her backpack, worn out from long years of travel, over her back and embraced Old Man Keller. Caught off guard, he froze and stiffened, to which Anneka quickly jumped back. Oops, maybe that had been too far. She smiled apologetically and waved her hand instead. "Take care of yourself," she said politely, bending her head in a show of respect before she turned and exited the inn. She had stayed at this particular lodging for longer than usual: an entirety of five days. She wanted to travel and explore, and Anneka firmly believed that she couldn't do that without relocating often. Of course, it made for a rather large dent in her coin bag after a single month, but she always improvised. Somehow, things fell into place if she tried hard enough. She'd spent her fair share having to sleep in abandoned barns, but either way, Anneka made do. Surprisingly, and luckily, she was a quick learner and an easy adapter, adjusting to her surroundings like slipping into a new nightgown. 

It was time to start the process all over again, each time different than the rest. She adjusted the strap as she walked calmly on, surveying the crowd today and deciding to enter the marketplace. She didn't have any money on her, but it certainly couldn't hurt to examine today's merchandise. Maybe she'd even find a booth to buy a few of her belongings, although Anneka truthfully didn't know what she would sell. She would have to take on more odd jobs on her way to the next village. Oh, but that dress was rather fetching... and the jewelry, exquisite. And the daggers were awfully shiny... Engrossed in the day's plethora of offerings, Anneka wandered deeper and deeper into the marketplace, completely unaware of where exactly she was going. Times like these always reminded her of home: gazing upon beautiful items she would have gladly bought without a moment's hesitation. But she had learned, and surprisingly, had proved to be more adept at trading than she had expected.

An abrupt series of shouts jostled her out of her absorbed mindset, and without thinking, Anneka began to run towards the sound. By the time she got there, though, things seemed to have settled down - or at least, the main source of conflict was clearly over. A girl was sitting on the ground, people were looking at her in concern, and things were awfully confusing. A familiar thrill of excitement chilled her blood, the same sensation that overcame her when she was on the brink of a new adventure. She ignored it, however, in favor of rushing before the girl, kneeling in front of her and joining two others. Impulsively, she put a hand on the stranger's knee and furrowed her brows in concern. "What happened?" she asked, looking up at the other people who had obviously come to her aid. "What [i]happened[/i]?" she repeated before anyone had the chance to answer, her anger rising and seeping through her voice.