Snippet #2702346

Since the very morning that Elliot had awoken to find himself in the Ashlands, he had sworn that they would not shape him: That he would hold true to the Liberty beliefs of his father and brothers before him, serving as a good Agent would regardless of his ability to claim such a status.

But despite his firm resolve, it simply could not be so: His hair had grown longer, and his cheeks more freckled from long hours of outside chores and explorations. His muscles had grown sinewy and lean, no longer coddled by the completeness of Liberty’s regimented diet for growing teens. He was quickly becoming as adept with a skinning knife as he was with those meant for combat, and had stopped shirking away at the sight of meat. The most prominent change by far, however, was his attitude.

The Ashers they lived with had been his bane for the first few days he knew them; waiting for their hospitality to end in his family being murdered while they slept.

But the assault never came, and the knife under his pillow migrated to under his bed. He let himself be taught by Lyda, who knew what foods were good to eat and where to find them, as well as how to best keep the bunker hidden. His fondness for Crystal, a girl his age, had grown, though he was loath to admit to it.

She was quick and clever, no doubt due to her unruly upbringing, but it held some charm in its unpredictability.

The exact type, really, that lead to her tossing open the bunker hatch and springing out just as he was heading in. The surprise, followed by the impact of her body against his, threw his balance backwards. Elliot took a step back to catch himself, faltered, and then collapsed like a folding chair in slow motion, spilling the armful of tools he had been refreshing (for Mariana forbade metalworking inside) crashing into his lap.

“Where the hell are you going?” he snapped, though there was nothing harsh in his tone. Blowing the hair from his eyes, he righted himself and offered her a hand. “Mom’s gonna kill you, if you run out on dinner again."