Animation Source Forums

Anna smiled a bit and raised her hand to shake his. "It's nice to meet you, Channing." She said, finally putting his name to his face. She smiled deeper as she looked a bit deeper at his features. His curly blonde hair that begged for someone to comb through it and give it a good cutting. His eyes were beautiful and he was a bit more sculpted than she had thought before. His face and jaws were almost perfectly square with a bit of stubble on his chin, upper lip and cheeks. He needed a shave desperately. His whole hygiene needed a bit of attention now that she looked at him. Anna glanced him over again and again, trying her hardest not to stare to deep at him, afraid she would offend him.

He was a bit surprised at how she had actually offered to shake his hand, smiling a very faint smile as he took her soft hand in his. It was like holding a baby's hand compared to how hard and how big his hand's were compared to how small and soft hers' was. Channing brought her hand upward as he bent over, kissing her gently on the top of the hand to show respect. Though he was a rogue and, cared nothing of the princess' ranking or royalty, he still wanted to be respectful to her. Maybe they could be friends. No, that couldn't happen. Channing let her hand go as he began to think about it, shaking his head. I have a mission to do. Stick to it. He thought, looking over at the wall on the opposite side.

Princess Anna smiled some and felt her cheek bones get hot as he kissed her hand. Now, if I can get him to take me on his horse to a town or just for a ride I bet I could get away. She thought, though deep down she wanted to be here to investigate a bit more into this group of rebels and where they belonged. So that she knew where to send her knights to go and have them hung. Part of her wanted revenge while the other part wanted to leave these people in peace. She was so confused. "Channing. D-Do you think it's a bit too late to go one last freedom ride before nightfall?" She asked, looking the man over. Her eyes were warm and calculating, trying to buy their way into his trust with a simple fluttery of the eye lashes.

Channing looked at her and then the floor. A ride? He thought, calculating her chances of escaping from him. Very low. The taller shrugged his shoulder once more before walking over to the door and using the keys, that hung on his belt, to unlock the cell door. He was an untrusting man to others, a cold yet reliable bounty hunter. But to Anna he felt some sort of slight attraction, wanting to spend a bit more time with her and get to know her better. As the keys unlocked the cell door Channing pulled it open, stepping to the side as he waited for her to come out. Though this seemed like a pretty risky idea he was overly sure that she wouldn't try to get away. Besides, even if she was possibly able to out run him the guards and his dog Brock would catch her before she could get too far away.

Anna smiled a bit bigger when she noticed him unlocking the door, lifting her skirts and standing. She wasn't dressed for a ride through the forest on the back of a horse but she would be able to enjoy it anyway. She slowly made her way to the door and stopped, waiting for his directions on where to go. She needed to gain his trust before she stabbed him in the back. A simple yet powerful trick her parents had taught her to do. The young girl looked up at the older man and took his arm, trying to stay as close as she possibly could. The other men in the camp were carrying on with their chores, a few lingering around inside of the building as guards. They watched the two, unbelieving that Channing was taking Anna out on an actual ride through the forest.

Channing looked down at her just as she was grabbing his arm, unsure of what he should do next. He moved his hand towards her hand and grasped it gently, unaware of what he was doing. He walked with her down the hall and through the main entrance to the building, holding the door as he took the first step outside and into the sunlight that crept through the branches of the surrounding trees. Channing looked over and lead her to the stables where Vixen was being tended to, still tacked up from earlier. "Vixen." The man said, his horse trotting over to him happily. The men around him continued their work as they watched him from the corner of their eyes. He's crazy. They all seemed to think the same thing as they began to whisper amongst themselves.

Anna's heart stopped completely when he grabbed her hand, knowing that he was acting in a friendly manner. She smiled deeper and blushed, trying to hide her face as the big horse trotted over. She noticed some of the men stopping their work just to watch what would happen between them, Anna ignoring them after a few minutes. Her bright hazel green eyes traced every little detail on the horse as she extended a hand and stroked the beast on his nose. His soft warm nose. Though she refused to let go of Channing's hand. "So where are we going to go?" She asked, walking to the side of the big animal, waiting for some help.

Channing followed her to Vixen's side before helping the small woman onto his saddle, climbing up behind her. There were other horses in the stables but he didn't trust her well enough to let her ride one on her own. Channing put his arm around her waist and pulled her a little bit closer to him, trying his best not to smile as he kicked Vixen's side and they trotted off. Once he was about 10 feet from the camp he finally answered Anna's question, "To the lake, really quiet and peaceful out that way." He said, looking down over her as he held onto Vixen's reigns loosely.

Anna shifted her weight on the horse, leaning back on Channing's chest as they continued to ride along a trail that lead to the forest. She placed a gentle hand on Channing's arm and relaxed a bit more, ready to spring into her plan. She was thinking about it non-stop ever since they step foot outside. As soon as we stop and dismount I'll wait till he steps a few feet away from Vixen and then make a run for it. She thought happily. It's an arrow proof plan! I'll be going home! She thought happily, causing her to smile with her teeth and take a happy breath once again. Anna let her head rest on his shoulder.

As they rode through the forest Anna noticed a small black bird from the corner of her eye, smiling at it as she studied how the feathers glinted green when the sun hit it. A beautiful bird. Anna was so anxious to get her plan in motion that she could almost taste the freedom of running all the way back home again and being back in her kingdom. She waited patiently.

Channing brought Vixen through the trail and turned off on a smaller one, leading straight to a huge clearing in the beautiful forest. To his left there was a small lake there, which he had once been swimming in. It was a very beautiful and peacful place to be. Only then did Channing realize that Anna was leaning against him, pulling Vixen to a stop and slowly pushing her forward. Channing dismounted first and put his hands on Anna's hips, pulling her gently from Vixen's back once again. This time though, in a gentle and kinder manner. What everyone, including Anna, didn't know was that there were two graves dug not that far from the very spot in which they stood. Each one contained one parent of Channing's... That's why this place meant so much to him.

Anna smiled as she was pulled from the horse's back, holding onto his arms for stability until her feet touched the cool grass. I'll take my shoes off and run for the trees once he turns his back. She thought, holding his hand once more. "Out here is beautiful." She thought, letting go of his hand and twirling around in her dress. She smiled happily as the sun peaked through the trees, Anna standing just under it's light. Her eyes seemed the glimmer in the sunlight as her hair looked like a bright wheat field. Golden and perfect. The young female smiled and looked over at Channing once again. Anna could hear the birds chirping and the dogs in the distance barking in a small village, so peaceful and surreal.

Channing nodded, flashing a quick smile as he nudged Vixen in the direction of a field. The big horse whinnied and galloped happily away, grazing nearby. Channing turned back around to see Anna twirling around in her dress, catching her eyes as the sun reflected in them. She looked beautiful. When Anna looked back at him Channing caught her eyes and couldn't break the gaze, studying her. He opened his mouth to speak but no words were able to form, causing him to grin. Finally he was able to get from the trance she put him in and speak words. "Do you like apples?" He asked, turning to a tree and grabbing a few ripe apples off of the low branches. He had planted this tree here years ago, along with an oak tree a few miles away.

Anna could only stare back at him as her smile dropped then widened again. She giggled innocently before kicking her heels off and looking toward the lake. She smiled when she heard him talking again, "I love apples." She said, almost perky like. She trotted happily over to him and stood in front of the man, waiting to see if he would give her one or not. I've never seen an apple tree in the middle of a forest before. She thought suspiciously as she looked the tree over. The apples were bright red and plump looking and they didn't seem to have any worms in them or to have any bruises. She glanced over at Vixen then at Channing again. The horse wasn't that far away, and could be used to her advantage. Deciding against it though Anna calmly waited, patient till the right moment to break into her plan and make the journey back home. She didn't want to waste all of her energy on Channing.

Channing smiled again as she came up close to him, holding an apple out for her but soon pulling his hand in the air. Just out of her reach. He wanted to play around a little bit to see how far this girl would actually go just to have a good time. Vixen meanwhile galloped around and then returned to the lake, drinking the cold mountain water before finally returning to the fields again. Channing glanced at him and then back at Anna, smiling at the young lady. Meanwhile back at the hidden city a few knights, from the kingdom that Anna was taken from, came to see if Anna was there. All of Channing's men claimed they knew nothing about it and sent them on their way, away from the direction Channing and Anna had went. The knights fell for the trick, unknowing that their princess was only 2 miles away.

Anna reached for the apple just after he pulled it out of reach. She tilted her head and giggled, placing her hands on her hips. The determined Anna stood on her toes to reach the apple dangling just out of reach, reaching as high as she could and still not getting it. Anna tried to jump to get it and missed. She grunted and tried to reach again. She giggled once more before trying one last time. She fell into him, slowly raising her head up to see that she was closer than she thought she was. This was honestly the first man Anna had ever been with alone and she was unsure of what to do. The only man she was crushing on secretly. The only man who had ever kidnapped her. Though she wanted desperately to leave and escape back home part of her heart felt already attached this rebel, though she was unsure how.