Though the honey-blonde hardly ever showed it, so often free from the darkness of her own past, she most certainly was not immune to the sadness and the hurt which did on occasion manage to find her from time to time. Taking one look at Ellie, it was hard to think she might have endured all that she has. There is hardly ever a heavy or brooding expression to have the light in glacier blue eyes or the radiance of her smile so effortlessly given to the world and those in it faltering or fading from her gentle features. Far from naive in some aspects others might not think her capable of, she knows most look upon her and wonder how it was she could be so warm, bear her heart so openly to a world so terribly and wickedly wielding the capacity of raking its cold and fearsome claws over that radiant and very much pure surface. Many would think that the young woman was simply walking through a world she's created for herself, one that was delusional, like a child with an overactive imagination who would insist that their imaginary friends were as real as the sun in the afternoon sky or the white-haired man whom was sharing in this beautiful summer afternoon with the huntress. They might think her unwillingness to believe in the darkness which crept around almost every corner of the city, that almost unshakable fearlessness of what - or who - it was lurking there in the shadows nothing but the evidence that the young woman did not understand the way that the world works. All they care to see is the radiance in her carefree and warm smile, some welcoming it while others would practically wrinkle their noses in disgust or disdain only to believe that a rude awakening was in store for her, just waiting for the right moment to step into her life and shatter the world she saw and embraced so readily. But, she does know. She has had her world touched by the cruel hands of fate. No one would think, in but a single fleeting glance to the honey-blonde so eager to welcome anyone and everyone into her heart and her family who might need to be reminded that no one had to be alone, that she has lost so much. It was not something she spoke of often, and yet it was far from some sort of dark blemish in her past the young woman was trying to hide or pretend had never happened.

In reality, what perhaps even her nearest and dearest friend did not know, was that there were moments where she would find herself overwhelmed so suddenly with all that she and her brother have lost. There were nights, when she was alone and reading through that treasured cookbook, where the heartache became real again. It would leave Ellie with tears flowing freely, like rain on a spring morning, from those usually cheerful and warm eyes of early morning frost. No one save for her brother has seen her hurt so deeply in those moments when a memory would find her, and she might not be as strong as she usually was. Just as any young creature, Ellie missed the soft and melodic laughter of the woman she was such a close and clear reflection of or the proud smile and rare gentleness in the eyes of the the man who had always been there to help her realize the dream she wanted for herself. There were no worse to describe how much she missed her mother and father, how she would sometimes still have nightmares about the night her family became so broken and frightfully small, the world she'd grown up knowing and loving crumbling from beneath her feet and render her so lost and stricken with grief. How could she have not been so affected by the unjust killing of the two being who have only ever loved her with all their hearts, wanted only the best for her? Though she knew that time still moved on around her, there were times when it seemed like only days ago that she and Lazarus were taken to stay with one of their mother's friends, Toni. The older woman with dark hair so much like their mother's had welcomed them into her own home, having no one else to share that small yet cozy little home in Elkgrove with. It wasn't as though the siblings had any family who could have taken them in, the brother and sister too old to be placed into the system or foster care. Sometimes, when she would realize two years have come and gone since they were taken from her, suddenly thinking of how they would not be the two faces she would search for the day she was given her degree and the key to the future she's always wanted... knowing she would not look across the sea of parents and family cheering and clapping proudly as her classmates received their own diplomas and master's degrees to find her own amongst them, Ellie would suddenly feel that ache in her heart come rushing forth with such an intensity that there was no fighting back the feelings spilled over through soft sobs and saltwater tears. But this was not the Ellie the world has seen. It was not because she was ashamed or doing what she could to mask the pain her soul very much felt even after all this time. No, it was simply because no has had yet to be there in those moments of weakness to realize just how strong her heart truly was. And so, those who did not know the huntress, those daring to say that she did not know what the world was capable of doing, were content to believe only that which they could see.

If they did know what she'd lost, the tragedy that was the part of her heart so well-hidden beneath the seemingly endless flow of compassion and adoration for the little joys that life would bring, then perhaps instead of wondering if she had any idea about exactly how cruel the world she lived in could be, the question would become more a matter of how she could be the way that she was. How could she love so unconditionally, trust without so much as a fleeting hesitation, how it was that she could find it in her every day to smile as brightly as she did. It was really quite simple, truthfully. While the huntress was not what some might consider the definition of strong, she was in her own way. It had been the sheer magnitude of what she'd lost that night that taught her to love like there wasn't going to be a tomorrow for her. Life was too short, even for those like her and her brother whose time in this world was only defined by the dangers they might dare to place themselves in. Did it not take a fiercely strong heart to love instead of act as a blackened and wounded harbor for hatred and distrust? Every soul had their own way of coping, of enduring life's challenges. Everyone was fighting to keep their heads above water one way or another, after all. Some had to go their entire lives living with a terminal or incurable disease. Others did not even have the privilege to say that they knew who their family was, where they'd come from. When it came right down to it, were all beings not struggling through some sort of battlefield? There were those more fortunate than others, very few who've yet to bear the scars of years lived and memories both good and bad made. Too many were homeless, ghosts on the cold streets and dark alleyways of the city, no one ever seeming to notice them or their pleas for help, whether written on cardboard signs or through hushed voices asking for a chance at a task to earn a warm meal or a couple dollars that could make all the difference in whether they went hungry another day or not. Ellie saw all of this, not just in the human world, but also in the animal kingdom and the supernatural realm. It was in seeing the grateful smiles of those she helped, the blankets she made for those without proper shelter, knowing that even if her kindness went vastly unnoticed and maybe even unappreciated, she was still making a difference to someone somewhere. Her mother had always told her to fight fiercely, to never lose that light in her heart that was so rare, always able to shine even in the darkest of hours.

She watches gleefully as the man now sitting cross-legged with her beneath that oak takes the scone from the pastry bag and takes his first bite, the quiet sound of satisfaction only further brightening glacier blue eyes. Neither the huntress or the man knew one another well, and yet from what Ellie had been able to understand about her friend, he was not one for expressing his thoughts and feelings. This she was entirely used to, her brother very nearly only capable of expressing whatever it was that annoyed him in whatever moment he found himself in. Or, as of late, his displeasure when the honey-blonde would ask if he'd seen her best friend anywhere recently. So, whenever that ever so fleeting shift in Frost's disposition came from something she might do or say, it elated the young woman. Her words have him turning those absolutely stunning violet eyes to her own of icy blue, seeming thoughtful for a moment before nodding with that signature slight simple upon his lips as he indicated some degree of acceptance at such an invitation."It would be so much fun!", she remarks then, having to of course contain that ever-radiant excitement so as not to allow those hopes of her to rise a touch too far."We should plan something one of these nights for sure", she adds, her voice ever-bright as she practically beams to the man. Oh, how terribly easy the huntress was to please! And yet, she took joy in just about anything, so such a trait only made it all the easier for those to satisfy her. Even just a smile while passing by was dangerously capable of triggering that excitement in the young woman. As her expression shifts seamlessly from excitement to curiously, long lashes blinking as if to add such emphasis to her intrigue, she watches as Frost looks up from the scone and back to Ellie, a glimmer of surprise flickering across his features. His query hardly unsettles or embarrasses the woman, though, instead seeing another sweet smile dancing across her lips."I suppose I haven't really tried. It's never been something that mattered much to me", she answers truthfully. Yes, she was entirely aware of her brother's own keen senses, the man easily able to distinguish the difference between individuals, but when differences hardly made any sort of difference to the honey-blonde, why would she bother worrying who was what? It seemed like a silly question, the answer even more obvious, but ever-honest Ellie never really had the chance to be trained in honing those senses so untouched.

Listening with all the intrigue any one being could possibly have when Frost begins to explain that it was not a hobby, but rather his job, she is quick to find a small fragment of his past within those tenor tones. A mount? Of course, being the way that she was, Ellie can't keep herself from wondering more about the were side to her friend. Did it seem... weird, having a bit placed into his mouth? What was it like, being saddled and ridden by a hunter? Goodness, the questions were never-ending. She wonders then if that perhaps explained his rather immediate liking for those carrot cream cheese cupcakes she'd made all those weeks ago, if perhaps it was why he seemed to so thoroughly enjoy the apple cinnamon scone she'd given him as thanks for deterring the man from forcing himself into the honey-blonde's company when it had been very much unwanted. There was no denying that she was curious how different their minds were, not in the sense of their human outlook, but more along the lines of how he saw the world and the people in it. Weres, they were a hunted species, one that her father's council was often keeping in check when their numbers might grow too great. He offers her a name that she has not heard before. Alexander. He was a dark hunter? And what did that mean, if this man was High Commander? Was there a special title for Frost as well? Surely he was treated equally, or else there would be more disdain within her friend as he gave her a small peek into what his world was like. He poses another question before the young woman, and she shakes her head gently."I'm sorry, I can't say that I have", she replies, a subtle note of apology within her words. Should she know? Were they well-known? How the questions just seemed to keep coming at the huntress, brushing against her thoughts as she attempts to take everything in."It sure sounds quite serious. But you must be proud of your status", she says with words laced in curiosity at first before shifting into that familiar warmth she so often held about her. She could have sworn there was a sense of pride somewhere in the man's voice, and yet perhaps she was misinterpreting? Maybe he simply took his responsibilities seriously, the latter seeming just as likely as the other.

Again, their conversation takes another effortlessly to the book that she held tenderly within her hands. It was perhaps the most precious thing the young woman owned, that book etched with her mother's handwriting and allowing for some amount of comfort to wrap around her heart in such a way that it helped when she was missing the older woman. Frost chuckles softly, and even just the quiet sound of it has Ellie's smiling brightening, glacier blue depths illuminated in wordless response to it. How she would live for every chance she had to make the man laugh or smile! But again, that was simply Ellie. Her favorite gifts to give were smiles and hugs, compliments and words of encouragement where they might be wanted or needed. He goes on to reveal that he was vegetarian, and frankly, now that she knew him to be a werehorse, that made all the sense in the world to the huntress."Oh, I don't mind vegetarian dishes! I love non-meat based food just as much", she assures him then, her smile remaining upon her features as she ponders just what he might enjoy for dinner. She truly did want to have him over one of these nights!"I'd love to have you over for dinner! You could even bring a friend, or girlfriend. Or wife", she adds with equal excitement. She didn't want for it to seem like she was flirting or asking him out, not because she didn't think he was handsome or something, but simply because in her mind, he probably had someone special in his life. Many people did. She had several special people in her life, naturally. Plus, if he did have a special someone, a significant other, that would make things much more sensible and easy for Ellie to invite him over without having to fret over what Lazarus would think. Odds were, having another woman in the house and knowing that Frost was not interested in her like that would keep the dark hunter from getting suspicious like he always seemed to. Not that Ellie gave him much of a chance, always keeping the identities of her friends neutral so that he didn't decide to try and find them or something. His next words have the huntress giggling brightly once more, like the babbling of a small brook weaving its way through a tranquil forest."Well, I could certainly make more for you. Or for dessert. But I think dinner should be a little more nutritious", she replies with light-hearted and innocent amusement dancing over her words.

She hadn't exactly anticipated his next question. Mostly, because none of her friends have really ever asked her about why it was that she enjoyed being a waitress at the Beachside Bar and Bistro. Now that she thought about it, the friends of hers that knew exactly what the young woman was were Lani, Vhal, and Frost. She doubted that Adelaide had any idea of the honey-blonde was a being designed to guard the balance between the natural and unnatural. Ludo had yet to ask her, and yet she was hardly trying to hide this part of who she was. Really, anyone that observed her would likely never mark her for anything other than human, and she could very well have stayed as such. But, she hadn't. There is a slight frown that finds its way upon Frost's features, coaxing from the woman a look of concern. Had she said something wrong? Or was it concern for the loss of her parents? He doesn't leave her wondering for long, placing before Ellie. Yet, they hardly upset her, all of them perfectly valid and a necessary part for him to know more about her just as she wanted to know more of him."To be honest, I underwent the change because it was family tradition. My brother was expected to, being the heir of our father's council. I didn't have to, but I just... did it, I suppose. It seemed right at the time", she begins, her gaze growing thoughtful as she looks away from Frost and across the part to the children playing, as though she were staring into the middle distance as she thinks carefully, searching for the answers within herself for a moment before looking back to Frost with a gentle smile."I've always wanted to help others instead of hurt. I want to be an elementary school teacher one day, so I guess 'the hunt' really hasn't ever called to me. Besides, I feel like I was given the power to heal for a reason I just don't know yet", she says easily then. There was no regret or remorse for the path that she saw for herself, no shame or embarrassment as she revealed that dream she'd chased for as long as she could remember. Heck, she doesn't even hesitate to share with Frost the gift that she wielded. She was proud that she could help others, heal broken bones and save lives if there was ever a moment in time where she might be needed."What about you? Are you happy, doing what you do?", she asks him in turn, her voice genuine and warm, entirely and truly wondering if there was something more than he wanted out of life, if he might have even given any thought to such a thing as his future, where it was he saw himself one day.