This was the last straw! This was the LAST time she was being forbidden from going outside! Years she has been trapped in this castle! Barely allowed to even interact with the servants let alone the people she was supposed to lead one day. It seemed the only family she had anymore were the tutors she saw every day. She understood her parents were protective but she was not made of glass, one could argue she was more than capable of handling herself outside the castle walls.
Since the day she was born she was treated with gloved and steady hands. Her parents barely held her, she learned many things quickly, that no toddler should be made to do. The King and Queen often promised and proclaimed their love for their only daughter, but at the same time, their distance proved to keep Elsa bitter and hold great contempt for her parents.
Even now, the crown Princess paced her lavish bedroom, frost climbing up the walls, glass cracking beneath the sheer cold and weight of the ice as it grew. Outside her window the sun shown down with warm rays, the trees growing red and yellow, green fading away with the coming fall. She blinked, slowing to a stop as she stared out the window and into the sky.
She'd tried to escape once before, but she was a child then, and she was discovered and returned to her room. Her parents had guilted her to remain then, to never attempt to stray again, but this time? No. No one would stop her this time. A smile flitted across her face, so full of mischief and cunning. She'd escape from this place, she wouldn't be forced into this cage any longer.
Night fell, and with it, a blanket of snow. She'd managed to concentrate hard enough to focus the snow mainly around the castle. She didn't want her parents or the guard following after her, and with most of the troops back from afield they wouldn't have enough superior man-power to chase her down. She sprinted across the fjord, donned in a dark dress, she knew exactly where she'd be going, north. She knew the tribes there would not look at her like a child, like a thing to be locked away under the pretense of 'protection'.
She'd made sure to melt her ice bridge as soon as she'd made it across the water, and now she trekked through the trees and up the various hillsides. The night was cool, but it didn't bother her like it would a normal person. For this she was grateful, it meant traveling in relative comfort for at least a part of her journey.
Elsa paused at a small creek-bed for a drink, dipping her unmarred hands into the water she cupped them, lifting them to her lips. She slurped in a most undignified way, but smiled as she drank at the thought. 'Mother would have kittens if she saw me now.' She froze as she heard a sudden sound. It was gone as soon as she'd heard it, though it did not mean she would relax. She stayed as still as possible, listening as best she could. There! As soon as she'd caught the bright yellow eyes of the wolf it sprung through the bushes, and like she wielded a weapon in hand she thrust her fists upwards, the whining cry filling the forest air as the wolf was sent into the air by a thrust of icey wind.
She glanced at her hands for just a shocked moment before turning to find four more beasts of the forest at her back. Slowing her breathing she took one step back, unsure if she really could fight them all off. Just as it seemed she would have to, they seemed to pause, glance into the sky, and then run off, their injured fifth companion limping after them.
Elsa frowned at their retreating tails, still on her guard, but then her eyes widened, a great force sucking the air from her lungs and suddenly she was in the sky, arms trapped at her sides as she was carried off. She was shocked, ironically frozen in the grasp of...of whatever this was. Blue eyes tried to look anywhere but straight down at the impossibly small earth beneath her, fear steeling her heart before the entirety of this event caused her to faint.
Red scales blended beautifully with the fallen leaves. The trees at this height of the mountain had completely shed, their leaves covering the forest floor with a significant copper-yellow blanket. The only indication that there was any sort of creature beneath the leaves was the very steady and very slight rise and fall of the great beast's breathing.
The great red dragon remains asleep, even as the sound of hooves beat against the mountain. The sound eventually stirs the great beast, its spinal-crest rising as it stretches and rolls, wings spreading to their full 40 feet, wing-tip to wing-tip. A clawed-hand rises to rub against their muzzle, huffing as the blonde man approaches astride a reindeer. Teal eyes glance down before giving a toothy grin as the furry beast playfully headbutted their side. The blonde man was tall, but even his head cleared just a foot beneath the dragon's shoulders.
"I have news. Looks like the Princess castle was surrounded by snow and ice. The King and Queen are safe bu-hey! When are you coming back!?" The dragon's eyes had widened and had thrown themselves into the sky as soon as they heard what he'd had to say. The man shook his head, turning to his companion who was snuffling the ground for something to nibble. "Sven, sometimes I wonder why we even bother..." He shook his head, climbing back onto his companion, continuing up and around the mountain towards home.
Ow. Ow..OW! Elsa's eyes snapped open as the pain became sharper and more pronounced. She flailed a moment, not sure where she was, eyes widening as...something fell away from her and down a pile of gold. Wait... Her eyes scanned her surroundings, eyes widening in shock and then fear. She was absolutely surrounded by piles of gold, jewels, treasures. She was in a dragon's lair...
"Dear Gods..." She mumbled, then turned her head as she heard movement. Whatever had been hurting her a moment ago was returning. The blue head of a dragon popped up, grinning toothily at her, its crest raised and fluttering. Their wings dragged on the ground, not lifeless, but they seemed heavy for their body. Elsa had studied about dragons briefly from her tutors, she knew they could grow as large as the castle, or as small as...well as small as the one before her now.
The dragon was the color of a robins egg, an orange mark staining its muzzle. Its nostrils flared as it approached, lowering its head and attempting to tuck in its heavy wings, but failing. Elsa attempted to stand on the haphazard pile of gold, but only succeeded in slipping about. At her flailing the dragon paused and tilted its head curiously, its ears flicking curiously back and forth before it grinned and took a step back. Elsa looked on warily, then gasped and slid down the hill when the dragon reared back on its hind legs and began to glow.
"Uuf! Damn...!" She could hear movement at the top of the hill where she'd left behind the little beast, but she wasn't about to stay and find out what that glowing was. She was on solid groundnow and so turned quickly, scrambling back onto her feet.
"W-Wait! Where are you going!" Elsa froze. Another person? Here? Dragons don't usually take prisoners... "Ma'am! Come back!" She shook her head, obviously some trick. Dragons were magical creatures, this was obviously some sort of trick.
"Leave me alone!" She moved as quickly as she could through the maze of gold and jewels. She took the chance of a glance back over her shoulder to see if she was being followed, but instead collided with a solid figure, sending herself and this stranger tumbling a few feet.
"Ow, wow...you're really fast...! You alright?" Elsa's eyes blinked open, just knowing she'd have a few bruises by the end of the day. If she lasted that long. She glanced towards the voice, blinking still at the young man before her. A fluff of white hair stood at all angles on his head, a shock of orange across the right of it. He was dressed in simple clothes, theywere sloppily patched up here and there, and filthy. "I'm Olaf! I like warm hugs!" He grinned goofily, but even Elsa in her wary state could find nothing but sincerity in that smile. She reluctantly took the hand held out to her, standing carefully. Olaf only reached her chest, her arms flew up as the strange man threw his arms around her and squeezed.
"H-hello...I am, ah...Elsa..." Olaf grinned and pulled back, nodding quickly.
"I know that! Hans said you made a mess of the Arendelle castle! How'd you do it? You really have magic?" His eyes were bright and shining with curiosity, but Elsa was still shocked about this young man at all. Was he? No...Dragons couldn't...could they? Olaf seemed to sense Elsa's nervousness and justgave a more mischevious grin before stretching his arms out and then relaxing again, heavy blue wings had sprouted from his back. Elsa's eyes widened and she stepped back quickly.
"Y-you can..I didn't...none of the books...oh gods..." Absolutely none of the books suggested this could happen. Dragons could shift? Could change? Even part way? This was...this was amazing. Olaf smiled and simply retracted those same wings back into his body, looking human once more.
"Yea! Humans don't know, we never show ourselves to them. Well, except now. Anyway, come on, before Hans gets back!" He quickly grabbed Elsa's hand, tugging her along as he ran throughthe maze once more.
"W-wait! Olaf! Where are we going? Who's Hans?" Her questions fell on deaf ears as she stumbled along behind the dragon. He stopped without warning, Elsa nearly colliding into him. "Olaf what are-oh.." Olaf was staring upwards, at the top of roughly hewn stairs was a huge dark brown dragon, the color of soil after rain. The webbing of their wings a blue-black, and their eyes were locked on the pair at the bottom of the stairs.
They were obviously not amused, making their way slowly down the steps towards Elsa and Olaf, the pair were simply frozen in place even as the huge beast circled them. It was huge, easily twice the height of any horse. Elsa was fighting back the urge to tremble, even as a rough muzzle nudged against, she stumbled slightly but kept standing. Olaf looked directly into the larger dragon's eyes.
"H-Hans, c-come on now..!" The dragon named Hans growled low down at the young dragon, snapping his jaws loudly. Olaf and Elsa both jumped at the sound and sight of those teeth. Like sharp daggers, only feet away. Hans reared back, ready to do...something, but he glanced up the steps that he'd just come in through and snarled.
Elsa looked up, and suddenly she cursed her stupid idea to leave the castle at all. Another dragon, red this time, smaller than Hans, but no less terrifying to look upon. She heard Olaf sigh with relief but she wasn't sure she felt the same about the situation. Suddenly there was a cacophany of growls, snarls, grunts, and all manner of sounds between the dragons. Olaf was looking back and forth between them, caught on their every word? Elsa had to assume they were arguing, the red dragon seemed calm, but Hans, he seemed more and more upset.
Finally the growls halted, Hans seemed to be deliberating quietly. Finally, Elsa gasped as Hans rudely shoved both her and Olaf towards the stairs. Olaf released a relieved sigh as he led Elsa up the uneven steps. The red dragon seemed pleased, Olaf was chattering once more as they got closer to the red.
"This is so great! You're so lucky, Elsa! Come on, you can get on first!" Elsa blinked at Olaf and then at the red dragon. It was kneeling, its wing lowered and looking at her expectantly. Elsa's eyes met the teal of the dragons, they were filled with...joy? Sincere joy, similar but so different from the sincerity in Olaf's eyes. Elsa found herself placing her foot in the notch of its wingbefore mounting it, justin front ofthe wings. Olaf climbed up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Grab her crest! It won't hurt!" The red huffed in agreement, raising its spinal crest slightly so Elsa had something to grab.
Elsa tentatively reached out and held onto the crest, they were stiff, and yet warm? She was gentle at first, but once the dragon turned in the dark tunnel and began her quick trot she tightened her grip.
"Olaf..where are we going?What just happened?" Olaf grinned in the darkness, opening his mouth to speak but a quick bark-life sound from the female beneath them cut him off.
"She'll tell you once we get there!"
"Get whe-aaaaaa!" Suddenly the dragon was sprinting and a light in the distance turned from a fuzzy circle to a full bright sky. Wings unfurled and she threw her arms about the huge neck of the red, rising further and further away from the ground. Olaf was laughing happily, arms up above his head, his knees holding easily to the back beneath him.
Elsa refused to loosen her hold, even when the dragon evened out and the flight smoothed out. She was up in the air, gods knew how far from the earth, on the back of a bloody dragon! She trembled, her fear manifesting in frost along the dragons neck. It stretched and turnedits neck in discomfort, but did nothing more than glance back at Elsa. The blonde metthe beasts eye again, saw an understanding, and sudenly she felt them slowly descending. They were closer to the earth now, flying slower. They were still moving, but Elsa was relieved to be moving at a safer speed at the very least. Did the dragon really understand her? Could this one change as well?
The ice princess tilted her head back just slightly, eyes peeking over her arm. She could see the tops of trees, and in the distance the very faint outline of the North Mountain. That Hans dragon had carried her farther than she'd realized. She glanced back towards the red curiously, wondering where they were going, how they were traded. She had come to that conclusion anyway, all that posturing back in Hans' lair was them bartering, or arguing. In any case it seems the Red one, but did Elsa? Or was she still in danger?
It was quite a bit longer before the red dragon began to lower once more, spiraling down in a slow decline, landing quietly on a wide flat ledge that overlooked a huge valley. Olaf hopped off, holding a hand out to help Elsa down as well. She took it gratefully, taking a few hurried steps back once the Red stood back up and seemed to lope away. She watched as it extended its wings and spinal crest, shaking itself out like a dog fresh from a bath before it rolled in a pile of rough gravel. Olaf grinned and changed as well, joining the larger beast in a relaxing scratch in the tiny stones.
Elsa watched them curiously, tilting her head slightly, arms crossed across her stomach loosely. The red was playfully snuffling Olaf's belly, the blue dragon playfully pushing back with its claws on her muzzle, at one point one got caught in her nostril, causing a sneezing fit. Elsa caught herself giggling at this, and then blushing as the dragons focused on her once more.
"S-Sorry, I...I mean, th-thank you. But I should go...I-if that's alright.." Her hands were clasped over her chest now, watching the dragons watch her. Or rather, she watched the red, eyes locked together. She could see something different in their eyes, she wasn't sure what, but it was there. As the female approached she remained where she was, until the red was standing just a foot away.
Elsa watched the dragon lower themselves so they werelaying on the ground, their head tilted down, nose oh so gently brushing Elsa's hands against her chest. Tentatively she released one hand, fingers brushing across the leather nose, then upwards, the soft flesh turning to soft and then harder scales until her fingers found the base of her horns. The dragon began...purring! It was purring! Elsa couldn't help but smile at this, the dragon nuzzled against her hand, tilting until the red found a sweet spot with Elsa's fingers, giving a loud and happy groan at the attention she was recieving.
Elsa smiled softly, relaxing as she continued to touch and give scratches to the dragon, the great beast even rolling over, silently asking for belly rubs. Elsa let out a sweet laugh, hands and nails rubbing firmly but gentlyagainst the tough, yet warm belly. The female's tail swiped back and forth, tongue lolling from its mouth like a great big dog. Finally it slipped away from Elsa who was kneeling on the ground now, and trotted about before stretching and rearing back much like Olaf had done earlier. In a flash of light the dragon shrank and was no longer there. Instead a young woman, no older than Elsa if that, stood before her, all smilesand red hair and freckles. She approached Elsa andheld a hand out to the bewildered princess.
"Hi. I'm Anna!" Elsa stared up at this woman in awe, blushing when she caught herself staring before gently taking the hand offered and pulled herself up.
"Thank you, Anna...I'm-" Anna grinned and shook her head, tugging Elsa into a firm and gentle hug, lifting her easily offthe ground and spinning her, causing Elsa to hold her just as tightly.
"I know who you are, Elsa! We all do! You're our Snow Queen! My...My Snow Queen." Anna blushed at her own statement, and Elsa found herself blushing as well once she was set down. No one had spoken to her like that, with such reverence. With such...such love?
"S-Snow Queen? Yours? I don't understand..." Anna smiled and shook her head, taking bother hands in hers gently, giving them a soft squeeze.
"I know, it's okay. You will. Come with me and I'll tell you everything you need to know..."