"WHOOHOO!" Ana cried, racing a Labrador puppy down the beach. The energetic ball of joy was slowed down by the dry sand, too nervous of the ocean to get any closer. Ana was racing alongside the dog, but on the hard-packed, wet sand, solid under her feet.
A shoe in each hand, the 19 year old woman raced down the shore line together with her new friends, skirts above their ankles and toes bear, not worried about social etiquette.
When they made it to the bakery, overlooking the port, they slowed and called the coco-coloured dog back.
"Jona!" Alissa called, turning the god around. Breathless, the girls climbed back up onto the road.
Jessika pointed to the bakers front door. "I'm going to grab Ana and myself a strawberry jam bun each. I still owe her one from last week."
Alissa and Kayleen laughed.
"Is that from when she flogged you in marbles and in knuckles?" Kayleen poked.
"So much for being the best at both." Alissa giggled.
"It was beginners luck." Jessika defended. "Ana will be buying me a while lot of Jam buns in the future."
Mayleen, Kayleen's twin sister, piped in then. "Try an arm wrestle with her next."
Jessika looked confused. "But she won that this morning against Brown-Eyed-Wonder this morning, didn't she?"
Mayleen shook her head and they walked inside. "He totally let her win. Men with arms like that.. Christian wasn't even trying."
"It's Kristoff, actually," He turned around from the counter, with a loaf of bread in his arms. "And she's stronger than she looks."
"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear," Jessika laughed nervously along with everyone else. Mayleen let her hair drop in front of her face to hide the blush that came across her pale face, more than a little embarrassed about her comment of his arms.
They talked a bit with Kristoff on the beach, after all buying lunch, staying well away from that morning's arm wrestle and the comments from before.
It was just after noon that Alissa left.
"I have to help my father at the shop."
Kayleen and Mayleen had to head back as well.
"We promised to look after baby Sean this afternoon, so Ma could get some rest. He's still up every few hours." Their dog, Jona, left with them.
Jessika walked around town with Ana for a while longer, catching up with gossip from the town surrounding the brilliant castle, but after an hour or so, Jessika had to head home.
She stood on the side walk and sighed. Ana loved her new friends, but she was envious. Alissa had her father and four brothers, and they all worked in a watch and clock making and repair shop; Kayleen and Mayleen had their parents and three younger siblings, Sean was the newest addition, bringing the family closer by waking up every few hours; and Jessika was married to Jonathan, who had been away for more than a month. Jonathan had gotten back yesterday, and she was anxious to get back to him, particularly since the doctor suspected she was now pregnant.
Ana lived alone, orphaned, and denied her title and relation. It was moments like these that made her new life that much more difficult.
Ana was so deep in thought, she didn't hear her newest friend walk up behind her until he spoke.
"Hey, you alright?" Kristoff asked, watching her.
"What?" Ana jumped. "Oh, no, I'm fine." She smiled.
"Generally when a woman says she's find, there's actually something wrong, she just doesn't want to say anything." he smiled, knowingly.
Caught, the princess by blood dropped her chin and stared at the ground.
Kristoff thought the action was adorable. "May I accompany you back to the inn?" He asked, offering an arm.
She took it shyly, but she ducked into the post office to grab her letter, and did not accept the offered arm a second time.
Attached to the Inn was a stable for larger animals, and waiting impatiently in the first stall was Krinsoff's reindeer, Sven.
Snorting loudly, the creatures rubbed his antlers against the wood of the half door.
With the enthusiasm of a young man returning to his beloved doge, Krissoff all but tackled the head of his favourite companion.
Behind the two best friends, Ana followed in a more lady-like fashion, and calmly rubbed the tan buck around the ears when they had finished.
"So, this is Sven?" Ana asked. Their conversation that morning was not-quite-so-brief concerning the blind man's best friend.
Kristoff's grin grew and his dark eyes sparkled, realizing she remembered. "Yep!" he replied proudly. "Ana, this is Sven. Sven, this is my inn-mate, Ana." Then he did something absolutely bizarre. his voice changed and he made puppy-eyes at Ana. "It's very nice to meed you." Ana recognized it as a game of talking for an animal, she did it when she was young and lonely, but a full grown man...
Ana drew her hand back from the coat of the reindeer, seriously concerned.
Kiristoff saw her pull back and panicked. "O-" He started, groping for an excuse. "I love alone most of the time. It.. Ah.." he swallowed hard, raking his brain. "The game might help pass the time in the long winters up north?" He finally finished.
"Ah huh."" Ana responded, weary.
"It- It's stupid, I know." he blushed.
A smile played on her lips as she replied. "Yeah, it is."
Hearing the slight tease in her voice, he took no offence, but his blush remained.
After a moment, Sven gave a very solid head-butt into Kristoffs shoulder, pushing him off balance.
Instinctively, Ana reached out to grab him, but changed her mind as she watch him land on the cobblestone floor.
Se drew in a breath through her teeth as he moaned. "Are you ok?" she asked tentatively.
He sat up as shook his read, clearing it. "Yeah he just caught be my surprise." He stood up slowly. Ana turned to the deer and, in a stern voice, she reprimanded him. "Sven that was not a nice thing to do."
To her surprise, however, Sven actually dropped his head in what appeared to be remorse.
"It's alright." Krisotff jumped n before Ana could say anymore. "He just wants a carrot." He reached into his pocket to grab one out.
"Well, I don't think you should give him one." Ana stated plainly, making Kristoff pause.
"Why not?" the blonde man questioned, confused.
"Because, my friend, you'll only be encouraging this kind of behaviour from him." She explained.
"Oh," he looked at the reindeer, and took his hand out of his pocket, empty. "She has a very good point, boy." He told his friend. "That hurt."
If anything could prove to Ana that the deer could express emotion as well as a human child, the glare Sen gave the woman right then would have done it. But Ana wasn't looking at Sven, she was watching Krisotff's hair float in the light breeze around his face as the man petting is companion, watching is chocolate eyes focus on the animal and then on her face, watching as he opened his mouth, the words forming-
"Are you drooling?"
Ana snapped back so fast the rebound hurt between her eyes. "I am not!" she wiped her hand across her mouth anyway. It came away dry.
"I was joking." Kristoff's eyes sparkled. He had seen her lost in thought, her eyes focused on him, and wanted to impress her with a joke.
The comment still hit a mark, whether Kristoff intended or not. Quickly, Ana picked up her basket by her feet, picking out her letter and holding it tight against her. "I have to go." She fumbled as she walked briskly away.
"Ana wait." Kristoff called after her. "It was a joke. Ana!" He chased after her, racing inside. He paused at the bottom of the stairs as she reached the top. "I'm sorry, alright?"
The chestnut-haired girl paused too. "Well, it wasn't very funny to me."
"Ana," his throat croaked, "I was just, I don't know, I-"
Feeling a confession of love coming on, from his flushed face and awkward stance, Ana blurted out, before the could even think. "I'm engaged!" Her hand flew to her mouth as she stared at the blond boy at the bottom of the stairs, looking awkward and confused, right back at her.
She darted back to her room and locked the door behind her. She sat down on the floor with her back against the door, feeling extremely embarrassed.
Yes, I spell colour with a U and realize with a Z. (The Z needs more love, my language just doesn't love it enough) but hey, that's Australia for you. Mix of everything.
Really sorry about not uploading this sooner, my past week has been pretty busy and I haven't been all the enthusiastic to type out anything. (but my house in Minecraft looks amazeballs)
But keep reviewing, because it's awesome to know who is reading. Shout out to my Mum! Love you lots and I'm glad you love the story ^-^
Until the next chapter,
Peace out!