Frost and Horseshoes
A/N: I thought I would try something new. I haven't really seen this type of Elsanna story before and thought I would give it a whirl.
Also, don't worry for those of you who may have read my other story 'Frigid Heart', I'm not giving up on it. I actually have chapter 4 all done and I've already started on chapter 5 so no worries.
So, please enjoy what's to come and reviews and feedback are always welcome I love reading all of them:)
Chapter 1- Moving In
Anna was jolted from her nap as her uncles 2015 red Chevrolet Silverado passed over a bump.
Anna grumbled good naturally, "Really, you couldn't miss that one either?"
Her uncle Kai let out a deep chuckle as he glanced at her from the rear view mirror, "Sorry, sweet heart."
Her aunt Gerda looked back from where she was sitting in the passenger seat next to her husband, "He swears he didn't know of any other way to wake you."
Anna roles her eyes, "So a gently tap on the shoulder and a 'wake up Anna' seemed like the right way to go?"
Gerda laughed and shrugged, "Your uncle didn't think so, besides we're almost there."
Anna peered out the window. The only thing she could distinguish that was different from when her aunt and uncle had picked her up from the airport in Oslø, was now they were surrounded by a forest of dense trees on one side and rolling fields on the other. It was actually quiet nice.
Anna leaned between the driver and passenger seats to look out the front wind shield. "So," she asked her uncle not taking her eyes off of the deep bend they currently we're in the process of turning, "how many horses did you say you had?"
Kai rubbed his chin, "I believe 32 if I'm not mistaken."
Anna gapped, "I still don't get how you take care of them all."
Gerda chuckled, "They're actually not all peers. Me and your uncle only own three of them."
Anna furrowed her brow, "Then who owns the other 29?"
Kai smiled, "The people who rent out the stables and come and take care of them themselves."
Anna nodded, "Okay, so do you ever have to take care of the horses that aren't yours?"
Gerda shrugged resting her hands in her lap, "Well, sometimes."
"Only if," her uncle cut in, holding up a finger as if stating his point. "They're unable to make it there to take care of them themselves or if they go on vacation or something."
Anna nodded, smiling. "Can I ride one?"
Kai and Gerda exchanged a glance both adults smiling at each other.
Kai returned his gaze back to the road, shrugging. "Well, I dunno..."
His voice trailed away as Anna fell back in her seat, clasping her hands in front of her and shaking them as she begged, "Please, uncle Kai, please, please, please!"
Gerda laughed, "Just say yes before she explodes!"
Kai smiled in the mirror looking back at his niece who was still thrashing around in the back seat. "Okay fine, you can ride one of ours."
Anna gasped and jumped up, "Yes! Oh, thank you, thank you!"
Reaching around the drivers seat Anna one armed hugged he uncle causing him to swerve slightly, but he laughed good heartedly.
"I'm glad you're excited." Removing the young girls arm from around his torso. "But I have on condition."
Anna nodded and sat back, looking expectantly at her uncle.
The older man cleared his throat, "You have to promise to contribute. You can't be just lying around all day, you will do your part."
Anna nodded so far agreeing with his terms. Working on a horse ranch doesn't seem all that bad so far.
Her uncle continued, "Also, from time to time some of the helping hands might not be able to come and take care of their own horses, I'm leaving up to you to help out with those. Deal?"
Anna glanced up in the drivers mirror taking in her uncles serious expression. She nodded, "Deal."
Gerda clapped her hands together, "Oh, we're here!"
Coming around another bend the trees gave way to complete open grass lands. Fields dotted the distance, but Annas gaze was drawn to a large tan, wooded house. It was surrounded by a fence about the same color and as the truck slowed and passed under an arch paired with a gate that was open. Anna stared at a sign that read from where it was hanging from the top of the square arch by short chains: Arendelle Ranch.
Anna shivered. This was her new home. She couldn't help but feel her heart grow heavy in her chest at the reason why she was even here.
Four months ago Anna had been happy and care free. She had been close to finishing up her senior year of high school at Forest Prep in Wyoming. It had been the year of her life, filled with friends, fun, drinking and girls sometimes boys to throw her parents off. But mostly girls. Anna had been happy.
Until her parents left on that faithful trip over seas. They had been going on a business trip for the company her father had been CEO of, her mother his assistant. Her father co-ran Anders Inc. It was a top notch insurance business in Annas opinion. She had planned on following in her parents footsteps but that dream had all but been dashed when their plain crashed before it even left American soil.
Anna had been heart broken.
Most of her friends and family had came to the funeral. The head of Anders Inc. even came, giving his condolences. The man by the name of Westerguard said that she would always have a place at Anders Inc. if she ever wanted it.
She thanked him and took up his offer for a later date. She needed to get her life together.
Graduating from Forest Prep, Anna contacted her aunt and uncle who lived all the way in Norway and they arranged for her to come live with them for awhile. Anna didn't know and personally didn't care about how long that was going to be. All she wanted was a fresh start and what better place to do that then on a horse ranch in Norway. An entire ocean between her and agonizing memories.
Anna was jolted from her memories as her uncles truck came to a stop. Hopping out Anna gazed around wide eyed.
Wow this place is huge...
Looking around Anna tried to take it all in. In front of her sat a huge wooden house. Personally Anna loved the color. The tan wood sat well with the country atmosphere. Her uncles truck parked in front of the open garage attached to the house off to the right, her aunts black 2015 Chevrolet ss sat parked inside.
Anna couldn't help thinking to herself. Man they get all the nice, new cars, don't they?
Looking off more to the left Anna spotted what looked like a mini parking lot. In a cemented area sat cars of all kinds. Anna guessed it was for the people who rented out the stables.
Anna herd stones crunch under boot from behind and felt a warm hand rest on her shoulder. "Wanna tour?"
Anna looked up at her uncle smiling, "Sure!"
Gerda waved them good bye as she ascended the stairs that lead into the house. "Have fun you two. I'll get dinner started."
Anna waved back, "See you later!"
Following her uncle, he lead her in the opposite direction of the parking area. Coming up to a large barn that Anna could clearly make out the distinguishable whinnies and nays of countless of horses inside.
Kai stopped short, his open hand resting in the center of the two large dark wooden doors that lead inside.
"You ready?"
Anna nodded, "Yep."
Her uncle smiled as he pushed open the door and Annas mouth hung open. Kai couldn't help but laugh.
Anna stepped inside trying to take in everything at once. The stables want on for what seemed like forever. A stall in each side. Every few stalls there was a door that lead out into the large pasture or a tool shed that supplies were kept in.
At the end of the barn sat an even larger tool shed. Kai explained that's where all the equipment and special feed you would ever need was kept.
Off the the right sat a very large door that pulled back up to the ceiling as if it was used for truck stops. An identical door sat adjacent to it across the length of the barn. Seeing as the on door that was open reveled a large storage of hay, Anna guess what they were for.
Anna looked over at her uncle, who was looking at her a wide smile stretched across his face as he waited for her reaction. "Uncle Kai, this is amazing."
Kai smiled, "I knew you would like it."
Anna rushed in for a hug, wrapping her arms around her uncle slightly plump belly, "I love it!"
Her ruffled her hair, "I'm glad." Turning back toward the long hallway they had just walked along he called back, "You can explore for yourself if you want."
Anna looked around excitedly, "O-okay." She just hopped she wouldn't end up getting lost.
"Just keep your phone on you," he added. "I'll call you when dinners ready."
Anna nodded, "Thanks!"
Then he uncle was gone, disappearing down the long hall and threw the door they had come in.
Anna took in a deep breath. Actually not minding the smell of the barn. I was a mix between the wood chips used as the bedding for the horses, hay and some other not so pleasant things. But still, Anna liked it.
Walking up to the nearest stall she peered in to see a beautiful bay colored horse. It had a darker main, tail and legs. It raised its head to reveal a white face. Anna quickly recognized that this breed was a Døle Horse.
Anna reached her hand out and the creature approached. Scratching beneath its chin, the creature whinnied. Seeming to enjoy the attention.
Anna smiled, "You're such a good boy."
"He's actually a she."
A voice behind Anna made her jump.
Startled as she was Anna was still completely caught off guard by the beautiful girl that stood in front of her.
The girl who had scared Anna stood just a few feet away. Anna was surprised she haven't herd her approach. To Anna the girl seemed a few inches taller and Anna suspected she was older.
Taking in her appearance, Annas gaze was drawn to the golden halo that sat on her head form where the sun was hitting her bright blonde hair threw the window. The girls hair sat up in a neat bun, her bangs covering we forehead. Anna glanced down, the girl was wearing a icy blue plaid long sleeve shirt, though the sleeves were pushed up past her elbows. Below sat a white tank top that made the girl look both pale and tan if that were even possible.
Annas gaze slid down her denim clad legs. Her jeans seemed to fit her like a second skin, hinting at the toned legs underneath. Her out fit was toped off by a pair of brown boots. To Anna they looked almost like riding boot, but these weren't black like most were and they were dirty and scuffed up. The boots rose up tightly half way up her calves and she wore a pair of matching gloves.
The other girl approached, "Her names Emma."
Anna swallowed as the blonde beauty grew closer, "I-is she yours?"
The blonde nodded, coming to a stop beside Anna and reaching her hand inside the stable and scratching Emma gently on the bridge of her nose. Retracting her hand from inside the stall, the girl answered. "Yes she's mine."
Anna nodded, "Cool."
The girl turned toward her furrowing her perfect eye brows together, "Who are you exactly?"
Anna blinked somewhat forgetting her name for a second. "Uh, what?"
The other girl giggled, covering her mouth with a gloved hand as she did so. "What's your name?"
Anna thought that her giggle was the most beautiful thing she had ever herd and the way she covered her mouth with her hand so elegantly, almost made Anna swoon.
The blonde girl removed a glove from her left hand and extended it toward Anna. "My names Elsa, by the way."
Wow, Anna thought, she even has a beautiful name too.
A few moments went by and Elsa shifted awkwardly since Anna still had yet to returned the hand shake. Anna quickly realized how stupid she must look.
Grasping the other girls hand Anna was caught off guard by how cold it was. It's like the middle of June and 85 degrees out, how is she even cold?
"My names Anna."
Elsa nodded and smiled, "Oh so you're Anna."
Anna couldn't help but like the way her name sounded rolling perfectly off Elsa's tongue.
"Kai and Gerda have talked none stop about you coming here."
Anna felt a bit shocked as she released the other girls hand, "They told you about me?"
Elsa nodded, putting her glove back on, "Yeah. They seemed pretty excited."
Anna shifted, "What did they say exactly?"
Elsa shrugged, "Not much. Just that their niece from America was coming to stay for awhile."
"Did they say why?" Anna asked anxiously.
Elsa shook her head, "No, why?"
Anna shrugged, "Never mind, it's not important."
Annas heart felt as if it was going to burst out of her chest. Why was she so worried if other people besides her, her aunt and her uncle knew about why she was staying here?
Because, a voice spoke in the back of her mind, you're afraid they'll pity you just like everyone else at home had.
Elsa looked over at her horse and shrugged it off, "Okay well," she slowly started to back away, "I better get back to work."
Anna blinked broken from her thoughts. "Okay, see you around then?" She asked hopefully.
The blonde flashed a smile, "I'm sure you will."
Then was gone.
Anna sighed as she watched Elsa walk out of the barn and into the summer sun outside. Annas gaze glued to her hips all the while.
Holy hell, Anna thought to herself, she was gorgeous.
A vibration in the back pocket of her shorts made her jump. Grabbing her phone and swiping her finger across the scene to accept the call. With out looking to see who it was Anna answered the call, "Hello?"
Her uncles voice rose from the other end, "Dinners ready."
"Okay," Anna replied.
"Well hurry up," her uncle joked over the line, "before it gets cold...or your aunt eats it all!"
A loud protest from her aunt somewhere in the back round and the laughter of her uncle made Anna smile.
"Hey, Uncle Kai?" Anna asked trying to gain back his attention.
Her uncles laughter died down, "Yes, what is it sweetheart?"
Anna swallowed, "Who's Elsa?"
"Well," Anna could hear her unlike shift something around in the back round followed by the clanking of dinner plates. "She one of the few full time employees we have. She along with another young man moved in permanently into the ranch not to long ago."
Annas breath caught in her chest, "She lives here?"
"Yep," her uncle replied, "why?"
Anna shrugged, though she knew he couldn't see her, "Just wondering." Opening the main barn door and latching it behind her Anna made her way toward the house. "I'll see you in a few, okay?"
"Okay, hurry up hungry-pants!" With that her uncle ended the call.
Anna smiled both happily and sadly at the old nick name.
Mom and dad used that all the time too.
Looking around Anna spotted the unmistakable head of platinum blond hair in front of what looked like a place where people would stay. A guest house of sorts.
She was carrying a large box of something. Lifting it over her head, without a struggle and handing it to a muscular darker blonde haired man who stood atop another box on the back of a black pick up.
Annas mouth grew dry as she noticed Elsa's shirt ride up her stomach at the motion, revealing a flat stomach.
Anna looked away a blush forming on her cheeks.
This is going to be a long day.
A/N: There is is chapter 1. I've actually had this idea for an Elsanna fic running through my head for awhile and I just really wanted to get it out there.
Chapter 2 should be up soon and I would love to hear what you guys think.
If you have any questions or ideas either PM me or get ahold of me on tumblr if you have one. My tumblr name is aqueenthatisfrozen.