A Lone Wolf

by Steph Jade(Beastforeverandalways)

*Disclaimer: All names mentioned do not represent the true persons. The cover photo does not belong to me. No copyright laws or personal privacy laws are intended to be infringed.*

Chapter 1

I never would have imagined my life to turn out the way it did. It's the most amusing thing about life- it always takes its unexpected turns, and I don't think it really cares about how you feel about it.

For me, life was full of twists and turns, and honestly, it wasn't always a pleasant experience. My story begins here; on the dark streets of Arendelle, where I snuck around hidden beneath the shadow of my hood. I had lived in the darkness for so long that I had forgotten how it felt to be out in the light. Back then, the world was my enemy, and I held tightly onto those two slick knives that always occupied my sides, just like how desperately I held onto dear life. I had a sponsor to please, and an enemy to kill. Even that was simply too much to worry about for a small child.

As far as I can remember, I was raised in a huge mansion located in the countryside.

The composed elderly gentleman, who owned the place, was known for his perfect manners, intelligence, and dignity. Normal people looked up to him. Only I wasn't a normal person. I knew him too well, I knew how he did business. I was at his knees back then, trained to kill from a very young age. When he thought I was ready, he sent me out on my first mission. The target was the head of a rival company. I was 6 years old.

Ironically, the job was much easier in the hands of a kid. Fun fact number one: children can disarm even the most heartless individuals. Taking them down is a cakewalk once they're off guard. To the victims, I was only an innocent, homeless orphan. When they finally realized who I really was, and why I approached them in the first place, it was too late.

I was a born assassin. Years of training had made me into a killing machine. I had grown numb from all the murder, I was as cold as ice. But my boss- my provider, the 'gentleman', and his men never failed to intimidate me by their mere presence. I was lucky that I was so good at keeping a straight face.

I dwelled inside that house for thirteen long years, until one day I fled during a mission. It wasn't planned, but rather impulsive. I knew I would be viciously slaughtered if I got caught. But what I also knew was that he was going to discard me in one way or another once I got too old to play an innocent child. I simply cut off that band on my ankle which I knew had a tracker inside, and took off in the middle of the night. I kept moving as fast as I could, stealing a few bikes and discarding them in seemingly random places in the process, until I reached the suburban areas of Arendelle.

Arendelle is a big country, and I had never been to most places, since I was active only in certain cities where the targets live. But after my escape, I can proudly say that I have stayed in every single town in every major city. I know all its' features by heart. I spent almost six years bouncing around different neighborhoods, terrified that someone would find me. I've been through death traps and very narrow escapes. But well, I survived, and finally settled in a suburban town called the North Mountains.

It was strange, since I could hardly see any mountains here. But overall, it was one of the best places I've ever lived in. Peaceful, clean, and large enough for me to stay undercover. It didn't take long for me to investigate the town, memorize the details, and all the people living in it. But hey, I'm not a creepy stalker. I'm just trying to live, that's all. People all have their dreams and purposes in life. What they want to do, who they want to be. Mine was always the same: to live. To survive. To have a tomorrow. I would slip into empty houses, and do what I need to do. Brush my teeth, take a shower, or even a quick nap. Sometimes take some pieces of clothing or lunch money. Enough for me to live off of, but too small for them to notice. I'm just a harmless little, addition. These people who live comfortable lives don't even realize all these minute losses of their property. Knowing their daily routine really helps, and I've always had a nice place to sleep, eat and rest. Okay, maybe not always, but most of the time. Pretty neat, huh?

I'd been living like that for a while now. This town was really growing on me, and I came to love every aspect of it. Ever since my escape, my routine was always the same. Two of my favorite knives at my sides, looking for a place to stay for the night, a little cautious about being noticed but never scared. I used to think that my last day alive would go on like this as well.

Until I met her.

It was a typical Saturday afternoon. It was a bit stuffy, so I decided to get some fresh air in the Central Park. Finding the most secluded area, I sat down on a bench under a tree. I pulled my hood further over my head- I didn't want to be bothered or noticed. Simply sitting there felt good, hands stuffed inside the front pockets of my hoodie, feeling the warm late-spring breeze brush against my skin. Then I felt weight shifting. I looked up, surprised, to see a beautiful girl staring right at me from the other end of the bench.

"Hi."

It was the first time I've been noticed by a stranger ever since my escape, and you can imagine how confused I was. A stranger; nobody were strangers to me in this town. Nobody knew me, but I knew them. My mind was storming with so many thoughts and questions, considering all the possibilities that this girl might actually be some hitman trying to kill me. My hands automatically tightened the grip on the knives hidden inside my clothes- a habit of mine whenever I found something threatening.

I must have been weirdly staring back, because the girl immediately pulled back her gaze. "I-I'm sorry, I disturbed you, right?" she stuttered, flushing a deep red and pushing strands of hair behind her ear, "I didn't mean to- I, I just moved in yesterday, and… just trying to make new friends. I'm really sorry."

I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to process those jumble of words. My fingers loosened. So she's a new girl. That makes sense. I should have just responded with a polite greeting and walked away. Honestly, when you're wanted by a pack of criminals, you really don't want to encounter anybody at all. But I think it was those eyes- those beautiful turquoise eyes- that pulled me under her trance.

"No, it's fine," I replied, and saw her whole complexion immediately light up.

"I'm Anna. Anna Christian," she said, holding out her hand. Damn it, the introduction. My entire brain frantically goes to work, trying to look for a decent name.

"Elsa Frost," I replied, shaking the girl's hand. I silently laughed at myself. I mean, Frost? Is that even a name?

Well, I've never really had a fixed name. Different names for different people, but this name- Elsa- was the one I kept to myself. My so-called, coworkers, called me Ice. Elsa was the name I had given myself when I was a kid. It was a private thing.

I don't even know why that name popped out of my mouth, but the girl was nodding and smiling, so I guess she was buying it. I tried to smile back, but my facial muscles, so used to my usual poker face, stubbornly refused to let that happen.

"So uh… Do you live near here?" she spoke up again, trying too hard to sound cheerful. I pondered for a moment.

"Well… Around," I said, trying to dodge the question.

"Oh. My apartment's ten minutes from here," she continued, "which is great, 'cause I can come out here every day! North Mountains is so cool, I also found this huge artificial waterfall over there." This time I didn't need to think.

"It is a great city," I commented. The first honest thing I said to this girl.

"Yeah," she smiled contently, "Do you come out here often?"

Yes.

"No," I replied almost automatically. Her face drooped a bit, although it managed to maintain its smile.

"Oh."

There was a long uncomfortable silence.

"I guess I'll just… go now, then," the girl spoke up again nervously, standing up. "Maybe I'll see you around?" I turned my head towards her direction once more.

"Maybe some other time," I answered, doing as best as I can to form a smile. It came out more like a smirk. I stared at her retreating form for a very long time.

That's the first time me met. Awkward but rather surreal, if that's how you put it. It was the first time I had talked to a stranger. It was the first time I had felt that connected, to a stranger. That feeling, that connection- it terrified me.

For days, I banned myself from visiting that park, or going anywhere nearby. I stayed at my shelter, planting my eyes on whatever book I could find. There was a house that belonged to a nice elderly couple, who literally went on month-long vacations every so often. I used to clean their house while they were gone to show my gratitude for "letting" me stay, avoiding the living room which had the anti-theft sensors activated. The best thing about their place was that they had a whole room filled with bookshelves- it was like a small library. That room was always the first place I would visit whenever I snuck into their house. It used to feel like heaven when I curled up in my favorite spot with a book I had picked out for myself.

But after meeting this girl, I couldn't even focus on what I was reading. The words would just slide by and never sink in. Not able to contain myself, I wandered over to the park again. It was about a month after our first meeting.

As always, I pulled on my hood and walked only in the shady areas. It had gotten pretty hot outside- well, the weather never bothered me anyway. The first place I visited was that bench under the tree. The place we had met for the first time. Of course, it was empty.

My way-too-elated heart faltered a little, but a second later my reason came back. Coldly laughing at myself for letting my mind slip, I immediately turned and started back. As I tried to walk away, forcing my stubbornly refusing feet to move, I heard a voice. An excited voice. The voice I was looking for.

"Elsa!"

I turned, this time more like a reflex.

"Hey," I replied, my voice husky from unuse. She beamed at me, as if I were her best friend in the world.

"You're here again! How have you been?" She asked enthusiastically.

"Okay. You?" I replied, trying to smile back.

"I'm doing great! School started, and everybody's so nice. I think I'm getting along pretty well. But most of my friends live on campus- you know, at ANU. So sometimes I miss their secret nighttime parties and stuff, but it's okay. It's been really great, actually-"she trailed off, as if something else came to her mind. "Oh! I brought sandwiches, you want some?" She gestured at the picnic basket that hung from her right arm.

"Sure." I said. She sat down on the bench, gesturing at me to join her. I watched as she hastily opened the basket and pulled out a bag of sandwiches. She handed one to me, and pulled out another for herself.

"I made 'em myself," she grinned proudly, taking a huge bite out of the sandwich. I bit off mine too.

"Mmm, they're really good, thanks," I commented. She blushed. There was an awkward silence as we munched on our sandwiches. My brain was all jammed up, and I couldn't think straight. But this was the moment I had been longing for. She was the one that occupied my mind every second of the day. I had to be better than this. Or at least try.

"So… You go to Arendelle National?" For the first time, I started the conversation.

"Yeah," she smiled, "freshman. Go Reindeers."

"Reindeers? Really?"

"Yeah. They're actually really cool animals," she laughed.

"I see you're already brainwashed," I mused.

"I am not," she giggled, "Where do you go?"

"I was homeschooled. Didn't go to college," I added, "sort of."

"Ooh, I've always wanted to be homeschooled! High school was not fun," she said, making a face.

"Believe me, homeschooling is just as terrible," I commented, "worse, even."

We talked until sunset. To be honest, she did most of the talking. I don't know if it was something about her personality, and I still can't put my finger on it, but there was something so magnetic about her; by the end of the day, we were talking as if we've known each other for a lifetime.

We never made future promises, but after that my routine changed. Every Saturday afternoon, I would go out for a walk and "accidentally" bump into Anna. We would sit down somewhere. She would talk about school. Friends. Parties. Chocolate. Or update me on the gossip about people I've never met. It's only been a couple of months since our first encounter, and I've never been this close with another human being. She enlightened me of the joys of being with someone. I've always been something of a lone wolf, always keeping my distance. But being with her makes me feel so much more… human. Now my smile is not as awkward, and I've become more talkative. She was like a single ray of sunlight that came into my dark life stained with blood. The sensation was new. Real.

And I liked it.

A/N: My second Elsanna fanfic. This story has been brewing inside me for months, and I'm really excited to finally being able to publish it. Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter!