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

[~echo~]

She blushed a little bit. "Sorry... My true accent comes out sometimes."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend smiled,, and without saying anything else he swung himself into the saddle and kicked the horse forward, away from the stables.

[~echo~]

Watching him go, she blinked once, twice. What a curious young man, she silently commented. She shrugged to herself and then walked back into the muggy stables. Stopping at one stall, she smiled and clicked to the horse inside to come towards her. An ebony stallion stepped forward and whickered softly. Anne smiled, only truly content when around the gentle giants. She scratched the horses nose, gave it a bit of unwanted carrot, then walked off to fufill her duties.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend trotted his horse out through the Gates of the Moon and then clicked his tongue, urging the animal into a canter. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the wind blow across his cheeks and through his untidy hair. It felt good to feel so... free. He rode for nearly an hour, just touring the country side, before returning to the Eyrie.

[~echo~]

Anne was mucking out all the stalls while this was happening. There were at least one hundred horses in the stable and she was filthy before she had even a fourth of the stalls down. She sat down on the ground in front of a stall to rest for a second.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend hopped down from his horse and then led the stallion into the stables. He was surprised to see her still there.

[~echo~]

Anne didn't notice the boy she was so exhausted. Her eyes were closed and she was rubbing her sore arms, then heard his horse's footsteps. She looked up. "Hello, Elend. How was your ride?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"It was... refreshing," Elend replied. "If you would please unsaddle him and rub him down." He held the reins out for her to take.

[~echo~]

Anne nodded and stood, taking the reins from his hand and leading the horse towards its freshly-mucked stall. She untacked the horse an ten rubbed it down.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"See you around, Anne," Elend said, flashing one of his bitter smiles before leaving the stables.

[~echo~]

The girl looked at him and nodded. "See you," she said softly. She patted the ward's horses neck before returning to her duties mucking out the stalls although she was utterly exhausted.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend returned to his room, hoping to spend some time on his own before dinner, which his father would make him and all his siblings attend. He hated family dinners.

[~echo~]

An hour later, Anne had finished all her duties in the stables. The sun was going down and she made her way over to the gate around the courtyard. She looked around, noted that she was alone, and then climbed up the tree right beside the wall. She gazed out over the town below and the wilderness beyond. What she wouldn't give to be free to do what she liked, like Elend. She sighed and climbed back down, walking to the servants' baths to wash up.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend spent his time reading a book. He liked to read, almost anything he could get his hands on. It helped pass the time of his dismal life.

[~echo~]

After Anne was clean, she walked back down to the kitchen. She was immediately handed a tray with dinner and told to bring it up to Elend. She sighed and walked back upstairs to his room. She leaned the tray up against the door and knocked up on it.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend glanced up from his book and frowned. Who was at his door? It couldn't be time for dinner already, could it? He set his book aside and walked over to open the door. "Anne?" he said, surprised.

[~echo~]

Anne laughed in spite of herself. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, but your dinner was to be sent up," she said with a grin. "Where do you want your food?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Elend cocked his head and then pointed at the little side table beside his chair by the fireplace.

[~echo~]

Admiring the luxury of the room, she took a little more time than was necessary to place the food on the table and then quickly scurry out. Curtsying before her departure, she smiled at him. "Good evening."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Good evening," he said formally before taking his seat against in his plush armchair. "And thank you."