She was lying down on the grass trying to get some sleep, but she couldn't, she just won't stop thinking about that kiss . Slowly with her finger she touched her lips she could still feel the depth of Sly's arms around her. She closed her eyes and dreamed that she was back in the castle looking from her balcony room to the ball room downstairs.
Anna was smiling. It was her first ball dance and she was so excited to be there . She was wearing a long navy blue gown that reached to the marble floor and her hair was tied in a circle bun shape. She looked at herself in the mirror so excitedly, it was every girl's dream to present herself in her first ball dance. She could wait until she was going to be chosen to dance with one of the suitors.
She carefully picked up her gown and went down the staircase with her high heeled slippers ,she felt so awkward walking slowly down the stairs. Suddenly she fell down on the floor. She looked at everyone whispering, "Ha she still does know how to walk with her high heeled shoes so she tripped. Her mother helped up and yelled , " I told you to practice how to walk with them before you wear them. Instead of wasting your time, take care of the animals."
Anna felt so embarrassed that she got up and ran off to her room sobbing and crying on the way .
" Anna, hello Anna are you with me?" Anna looked around and she was still lying down on the grass and next to her was Sly. He held her hand and helped him get up.
Anna replied, " Sorry I dozed off for some time." Sly replied, " Missing your life in the castle."
Anna placed her hands on her waist and said, " Not at all! I chose to leave and I am actually glad that I left." Anna continued to say, " Now enough with that didn't you say before that one day you will teach me how to fight."
Anna said, " Yes I wasn't joking about that and lucky for you today is the day." Sly smiled at her determination, " Ok just wait a sec." He went inside the bushes and Anna began to wonder what he was going to get." He got out and had a long wooden stick and took out his knife pocket and began to sharpen off the end of the wood. After he was done he handed it to Anna. Anna was amazed, " Boy you just crafted an arrow."She took the arrow to observe it , " Now how is this going to help me defend myself? "
" Now that is a good question and I am going to show you how?" He quickly crafted another arrow which took him a few minutes and handed it to Anna , Anna observed and said " Wow that's so fine." Now both Anna and Sly had an arrow . " Let us begin practicing." He went to a tree and took out a chalk pen ,then he drew a circle on the bark of the tree and told her," This is where your aim should be at."Anna looked at the circle and threw it to reach a far distance but it just landed only a few feet from where she was standing.. Sly laughed, " Not bad for a total beginner . You should aim harder, look at me and I will show you." He carefully approached her and placed his hands on hers and his body side by side with hers ,her heart began to beat faster she could smell his minty breath beside her ear. His muscled arms were wrapped around her thin boned shoulder then his thick hands covered her soft skin. Sly instructed her push rather than release.
Anna released the string and the arrow flew off and missed its target. " Ooops. I missed it , sorry?" She was upset, Sly answered, " It is ok you just need practice. " He went forward to fetch the arrow and to his surprise it turned out that Anna did hit something; it was a squirrel and it was lying dead on the ground. He looked and saw Anna was far from him knowing that Anna would be upset by seeing this dead squirrel that she killed and he hid it behind his back . Anna came closer, " I am hungry I am going to fetch some fruits for use to eat." He nodded his head and said, " What a great idea?I will follow you soon."
When she left Sly thought that now was his chance to cook the dead squirrel and eat it while Anna was distracted in searching for food, he held up the dead squirrel by the tail and said, " You are going to be a wonderful meal for today." Then Anna came to his mind and her words were echoing in his brain," I love animals and I don't eat them and you have to promise me that while we are together you will not eat animals.
Sly might be a thief but he never breaks a promise, so he put the dead squirrel on the ground and went to look for her.
Finally he found her ,laughing. He noticed that she was trying to climb a tree with her but she found it difficult with her dress. Then she heard footsteps and she turned around and there was laughing. She said, " Don't you say anything funny? I am trying to get some berries and cherries." He laughed, " For breakfast I feel sorry for the poor man who is going to marry you because is going to starve to death." She went down carrying her berries and cherries and gave some to Sly, " Very funny , when I get married I am going to marry somebody who shares my values." Sly said, " Good luck in finding him and when you do please introduce me to him because I will be the first person to congratulate you."
" Oh, find us a spot to eat while I go fetch some water from the well." He agreed , So Anna strolled down towards the well and on her way she stumbled onto a dead squirrel. She screamed, " Oh little squirrel who would have done this to you." Hearing her scream Sly ran to see what the commotion was about and realized that Anna found out about the squirrel. Anna looked at Sly who didn't seem shocked at all at the sight of the dead squirrel and angrily asked him, " Are you responsible for this? You just gave me your word that you would kill any animal as long as we are together." Sly tried to explain ." Anna, I swear to you it was an accident." Anna didn't want to hear any of his explanations and he stormed off .
When she was alone she began to think it was a big mistake leaving the castle meeting a man who does not share her values about animals. She just wished he would respect her values and how she was wrong to think that he would. She thought to her self she would go back and burry the squirrel when she found the dead squirrel she bent down to see the arrow and that made her realize something ,she looked up to estimate the distance the was at and she covered her face and shouted, " It wasn't Sly who killed the fox it was me. '' Sly heard her sobbing from a far and went to her and placed her arms around and said, " It is ok everything is going to be just fine."She stopped crying and looked into Sly's face and said, " I am sorry I accused you of killing the fox while it was me all along." He looked into her watery eyes and with his fingers he gently removed her tears and placed his face close to hers and kissed her.