1. Host

Anna pushed through the crowd towards the Queen, Hans in tow.

"Oh, there she is. Mom!"

#

She spun effortlessly across the frosted ballroom, snowflakes in her wake.

The frozen door burst open.

"What have you done?" cried the King, taking in the glistening walls.

She stumbled at the interruption. The Queen ran to her side.

"Oh, Ida," said Anna, taking her in her arms.

"What sorcery is this?" Hans insisted.

"It… it started a few days ago," mumbled Ida.

"Has anyone seen you? Answer me, child!"

"You're scaring her," said Anna.

"Don't you see?" said Hans. "If anyone finds out, it could cost us the Throne. She must be sent to a nunnery."

Anna tightened her embrace. "I'm not sending away my only daughter, even if it does cost you your precious Throne. She's all the family I have."

"It's decided," said Hans, turning around. "She leaves in the morning."

"I'm sorry, mommy."

"It's not your fault, honey" said Anna.

"Do I have to go away? I promise to stop."

"I'm never leaving you. Now hurry."

#

Anna rode into the night, balancing Ida on her saddle. She had visited most of her Kingdom, but not Levendstein valley. Common folk avoided it, spreading tales of elves and things going bump in the night. The nobles laughed at the tales, of course. But never led hunting parties there, either. Her own mother had been a firm believer. Anna wasn't sure what she believed.

Anna slowed the horse to a walk as the woods opened into a rocky clearing.

"Where are we going?" asked Ida.

"To get help," said Anna.

Ida looked around suspiciously. "Gerda said witches eat naughty children."

"I think they prefer chocolate," Anna laughed, trying to sound reassuring.

Anna stopped in the center of the clearing. "Hello?"

Nothing happened.

Dejected, she turned the horse around. She would run away before ever giving up her…

With a low rumble, an avalanche of stones rolled towards them from all directions. Ida dug her face into Anna's cloak as she struggled to control the horse. The stones suddenly stopped and stood.

"Trolls!" Ida squeaked.

Anna dismounted cautiously. "I didn't mean to trespass. Actually, I did mean to. Anyway, I am…"

"Anna, daughter of Idun, Queen of Arendelle," said a voice behind her.

The crowd parted for an elder troll walking with the aid of a staff.

Anna curtsied. "Are you King in this valley?"

The troll chuckled. "We have no kings here. Everyone calls me Grand Pabbie."

Anna lowered Ida from the saddle. "My daughter has been cursed. There was ice…"

Grand Pabbie gently took her hand.

"This is no curse," he said. "She is a frostling. Like her aunt."

Anna grew solemn. "She has no living aunt. My sister died when we were children. The illness that took my father took her shortly after."

"Your sister lives," Grand Pabbie insisted.

Anna fell to her knees. "Why would Mother lie?"

"She did her best to protect you, both of you. It was not an easy decision. She came to me the day the King died…"

#

Idun drifted out of the bedroom, the floorboards unreal. Things would be much harder now.

"Where are the girls?" she asked Gerda.

"Playing outside, Ma'am," she replied. "Should I fetch them?"

"No, that's fine," said Idun. "I'll go to them."

She found them by the shore, in a poor attempt at skipping stones.

"Girls…" She couldn't keep her voice from quivering.

"What's wrong?" asked Elsa.

"Your father…" She fought the lump in her throat. "Your father…"

Anna ran to her arms, sobbing.

Elsa's shriek pierced the air, blasting ice around her. Ice shelves grew beyond the shore, encroaching on the harbor. Idun cried out as Anna went limp, her hair streaked white.

"Anna!" Elsa called out.

"Run," said Idun. "Have the stables ready our horses."

#

Idun lowered Anna from her saddle.

"You are lucky it wasn't her heart," said Grand Pabbie, examining her. "She will be okay."

"Can you cure Elsa?" asked Idun.

Grand Pabbie turned to Elsa, standing by her pony. "There is nothing to cure. She is a perfectly healthy frostling."

"A frostling?" said Idun. "If you are suggesting that her father…"

"No, her father was human, that much is clear," said Grand Pabbie. He turned to Idun. "But yours was not. There is wind in your bloodline, though it did not manifest in you."

"Is there nothing you can do?"

"Her power will only grow", said Grand Pabbie. "If she stays, we can help her control it…"

#

"At her deathbed," said Anna, "mother kept calling for Elsa. I thought her mind had gone, but she might have been trying to tell me. I must see her."

"I'm afraid she left," said Grand Pabbie. "When she earned her moon crystal she traveled north seeking Noatun, ice hall of the wind lords."

Anna considered this. "Can you spare some supplies? I'm going to find her."

"We can do better," said Grand Pabbie. "Elsa is our family too. Bulda, could you get him, please?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to disturb," said Anna. "And I'm not sure my horse could carry…"

"Don't worry, I come with my own reindeer," said a blond young man.

"I like reindeer," said Ida.

"Elsa abandoned us, remember?" said Kristoff. "What makes you think she even wants to be found?"

"I'm her sister," said Anna, "of course she wants to see me."

He frowned, but Grand Pabbie frowned more.

Kristoff shrugged. "Fine."

#

Sven tugged the sleigh through the worsening blizzard.

"Don't you wish you were back in your cozy castle?" asked Kristoff.

Anna looked at Ida, sleeping among the supplies. "I can't go back. If he can't do it quietly my husband will reveal her secret, force me to send her away."

"Doesn't sound like much of a husband."

"I was young. And foolish. And did I mention young? We had just met and gotten engaged and…"

"Wait, you can't get engaged to someone you just met," said Kristoff.

"That's what mother said. But she got ill. So we waited, and we married. The fairy tale didn't last."

"So why did you stay with him?" asked Kristoff.

"I thought it would be best for Ida. Though I clearly got that wrong too. I'm… not very good at this."

"Hey," said Kristoff, "Ida is lucky to have you."

Anna blinked away a tear. "Is that a light?" she asked, changing the subject.

#

The bell jingled as Kristoff walked in, stomping his boots. Anna followed with Ida sleeping in her arms.

"Hoo hoo," said the wide grinning man behind the counter. "Here to take advantage of our big summer blow out, yah?"

"Actually," said Kristoff, "we'd like to spend the night in your stable."

"We can pay, of course," added Anna.

"Yah, you can stay in the stallen," said Oaken. "Breakfast included!" He slammed a jar of preserved fish on the counter.

"That's very… generous?" said Anna.

"Family recipe," Oaken beamed. "Crazy to be out in this storm."

"We're looking for a place called Noatun," said Kristoff. "Ever heard of it?"

"Oh dear," said Oaken. "Seeking wind spirits and snow witches, are we? Sorry, there is nothing north of here. Noatun is a story for children."

"Well, thanks for the fish," said Anna.

#

The storm-churned landscape glistened in the morning sun.

"Winter is beautiful!" Ida cried from atop Sven.

"Sure is, honey," Anna called from the sleigh. She turned to Kristoff. "Do you wish you were back in your cozy… troll cave?"

"You know, it's actually been nice talking to another… Ahem. Sven and I share a hut, I'll have you know."

"Don't you get lonely?" asked Anna.

"Why would I? Reindeer are better than people. They don't abandon you."

"Like Elsa?" asked Anna.

"You think she wants to see you because you're her sister. Well, I'm her brother. We grew up together."

"I wish I still had a sister, growing up," said Anna.

"We were really close when we were little," said Kristoff. "But as we got older she started to shut us out. I never knew why. Her power started to get out of hand. And then she left."

"What did you do?" asked Anna.

"I moved on. Earned my moon crystal. I'd always wanted to be an ice harvester, but the capital being under permanent winter kind of crashed the market. It did spike demand for firewood, though."

"Did you ever try going after her?" asked Anna.

"I…"

"Look, that hill is shining!" cried Ida.