you //still\\ have all of [me]~crystalfrost <3~

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend got some blankets from their hosts and then made a makeshift bed for himself on the floor by the fire.

[~echo~]

Anne watched for a moment and then went to the spare bedroom. She undressed to her petticoats and then went to bed

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend closed his eyes. It took awhile, but eventually he fell into a deep sleep, dragged down by exhaustion.

Not far away, a party of horses approached. Near the head of the party, next to his half-brother, rode Robin Stone, bastard son of Lord Arryn. His hazel eyes were hard... mostly because he didn't want to be there. He cared little about his Elend, and he'd rather not spend time around his brothers. Or anyone, for that matter. He hated the distain in people's eyes when they look at him.

[~echo~]

Deston, a ward of the house of Arryn, rode atop a powerful, midnight-black warhorse. He looked around, bored with the whole situation.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Robin glanced over at Deston and grimaced. It seemed he wanted to be there as little as Robin did. He turned his gaze back toward the road, spotting a village in the distance.

(LOL, wouldn't it be funny if Robin became a Robin Hood type?)

[~echo~]

(That'd be great xD)

Deston trotted in perfect time with his horse, looking at the rest of the party. "There's a village up ahead," he said. "That's likely where Elend went."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Do you even know why he left?" Robin asked. "I heard he ran away with a girl. A servant." Honest, Robin wished he had the guts to run away. Where would he go, though?

[~echo~]

"Yes, that's right," Deston said. "Scandalous, really," he continued, although he really couldn't have cared less.

Anne laid in bed, unable to sleep.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Robin fell silent, not in the mood to make conversation. He'd rather be back home, running around like a miscreant and pissing their father off. He watched the village grow nearer, wishing they were just there already.

[~echo~]

Once they arrived, Deston had the party spread out and start knocking on doors to find the runaways. He began as well.

Anne swung her legs over the side of the bed and walked ocer to the small, round window in her bedroom. She sighed softly, n
narrowing her eyes so that she was almost looking through her eyelashes to see.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Robin approached the door to the house Elend and Anne were hiding in. He pounded on the door, clearly impatient. "Open up!"

[~echo~]

Anne straightened quickly, gazing fearfully at the door. The old woman slowly got out of bed then hobbled over to Anne and Elend. "Quick, in here," she said under her breath. She gestured to a rug. She pulled the rug off the floor- there was a small, square door in the floorboards. She opened it. "Get in, now!" Anne quickly dropped into a dark, dank room and moved so Elend could fit.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend climbed down beside her. The area was tight, and his side pressed up against her. Hip to hip, knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder. He ducked his head so the woman could close the trap door.

[~echo~]

Anne held her breath for a few moments when the door was closed. The old woman put the rug on top of the door and then shuffled to the door. She opened the door a crack. "What? You've disturbed us in our sleep. We're old and can't move that quickly."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Official business from Lord Arryn," Robin said. He looked her up and down, one eyebrow raised. "We're looking for two fugitives. A young man and a girl. Has anyone requested shelter recently?"

[~echo~]

"There are twenty other houses in this village. They wouldn't come here," she said, her voice convincingly tired and gravelly. "No, nobody has come knocking."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Robin narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure, ma'am?" he asked.

[~echo~]

"Quite sure," she said, lifting her chin as though offended. "Now, let an old woman get her sleep."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Robin nodded slightly and stepped back. "Good night, ma'am," he said.

[~echo~]

"Good night," the old woman said, then shut the door. She leaned against the wall, her eyes tired. She drew shut the curtains when she shut the door and then sat down in an armchair by the fire.