The Queen's heart pounded as she ran through the dark forest. She kept going and going even though every inch, every cell in her body protested against her feet moving another step. She ran deeper and deeper into the unfamiliar forest trying to avoid tripping and falling over protruding branches and tree roots. Every so often she stumbled and let out a gasp. But Elsa pushed forward, she wouldn't allow herself to be caught again not after the way she had been treated. She continued on taking short unsteady breaths, gasping and taking in as much air as she could. She ran faster and faster into the pitch black night. It would only be a matter of time before they realized that she'd escaped. She needed to make time in between herself and the forest hideaway where the thieves had held her hostage.
The Queen moved swiftly her heart threatening to pound out of her chest, her head spun she was disoriented not quite sure which way was which. Everything seemed blurry and her body begged for her to stop but her mind told her she couldn't stop, not for anything. She took shallow jagged breaths forcing herself to push her body beyond its physical limits. Being Queen she had never experienced anything like this before. Nothing in her usual royal life required this much energy. Elsa ran faster and faster into the cold night she had thrown away her high heeled shoes just after her escape and was now running barefooted through the dirty, rocky forest. Her bare feet colliding with jagged rocks and twigs but none of that stopped her, she knew that if the men found her they'd certainly do much worse than a few cuts on her feet. With that in mind the Queen pushed herself even further, she stumbled up small hills whirled passed tall trees and enormous boulders panting and struggling to breathe. Her eyes watered and her lungs stung, the blondes body could not take much more. Elsa felt her knees begin to lock she took a few more steps before collapsing at the base of the tree. Her body shook she was wracked with pain. Every cell in her body hurt, screaming for her to quit running. She'd been running for what felt like hours, with her body able to take no more Elsa promised herself she'd only rest a mere ten minutes before getting back up again in hopes of finding a village or town.
"One, two, three, four..." She began counting every second of the short rest she allowed her body to take. "Five, six, seven, eight." Once she got to sixty she would start back from one again and make a mark in the dirt to keep track of the minutes she counted. Upon reaching the seventh minute she heard screaming and barking.
No she thought, no... With every inch of her body in protest she had to gather all her strength and pull herself off of the forest floor and up to her feet. Slowly she began putting one foot in front of the other and then a little faster until she broke out into a run. The sound of angry men yelling to one another and barking dogs getting louder and louder behind her. The Queens bare feet pounded on the forest floor, she felt a rock pierce her foot and embed itself in her flesh. Elsa let out a small gasp but the adrenaline kept her going. 'Don't stop don't stop do not stop Elsa.' She told herself panting as she dashed in and out of trees trying to stay away from the forest pathways as she could. But no matter what turn she took the dogs picked up on her scent and ran after her, the noises getting louder and louder. The Queen wouldn't dare look back. She just headed further into the darkness of the night, only the stars and moon provided light and even that wasn't enough to see far in front of her.
She continued to run, but with her body wearing down she feared that she wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer. The Queen kept running until she noticed she was standing at the edge of a large cliff. With the men and their dogs practically on her heels she could risk capture and run to her left or right. Or take a chance and jump down into the void. Not knowing how far down she would fall. With a deep breath Elsa chose the latter and took a leap off the cliff her entire oxygen supply sucked from her lungs as she was falling, she kept falling and falling desperately gasping for air. As the world around her flew by in flash. Elsa landed with a harsh thud in a pile of old crunch leaves, wet dirt and dead shrubbery. She was lying on her back looking up at the stars in the sky and watching as men carrying lanterns passed on the cliff she'd just fallen from. She knew it was only a matter of time before the dogs would pick up on her scent again, she couldn't stay for long but the fall had taken a lot out of her and she needed some rest. She could only hope the dogs wouldn't realize her trail had gone cold for another few miles before they decided to turn back.
All Elsa could think about was how badly her back ached after the fall. She wondered weather or not she had been paralyzed. But thankfully her moving feet let her throw that thought away. Elsa let her eyes close everything went quiet, no men screaming or dogs barking.
Elsa yawned, feeling drained after her ordeal. She could remember the time she spent inside her little cell.
Elsa sat in a corner grime and dirt covered her body. Her hair a tangled and untameable mess. A gruff looking man sat outside her cell, eating a rather large meat sandwich. The Queens stomach growled loudly she longed to have some sort of substance in her stomach. But any meal she got only consisted of soggy bread and filthy brown water. Elsa didn't speak much and neither did the men guarding her cell. She had no idea why they were keeping her, or where exactly. The only thought how her mind was how she would get home to Anna.
Elsa watched the man eat, a small piece of meat dropped from the sandwhich and she crawled over, reaching her tiny bony hand out of the cell.
"Ay' there missy what'a you think you're doing." He grumbled as the Queen recoiled her hand close towards her chest. "Boss ain't gonna be to 'appy with ya. If he learns yer sneakin' bout like that. Try to behave yourself now, don't wanna have to be punished do ya?"
Elsa gave him a glare.
"Ay don' you be glarin' at me."
The Queen retreated to the back of her cell in tears the only light provided was a small lantern outside the cell near the mans feet. She could still see the meat the had dropped right next to it. The scent filled the air and made her stomach growl. She pondered weather or not she should try and reach for it again.
She began feeling a few drops other cheek. Mumbling and muttering Elsa came back into consciousness to discovering it was starting to rain. The Queen pulled herself up slowly her body screamed back at her in protest but she knew that she couldn't stay out in the rain for long. So she gathered her energy and used the support of a small tree to help her gain her footing. Her legs wobbled and her breath shook but she was now standing straight up.
Elsa put one foot forward and screamed the rock in her foot made it extremely painful to walk and it was embedded so far she could do nothing to help herself ease the pain. Elsa took her hand off the tree slowly and carefully putting one foot in front of the other wincing as her injured foot made contact with the ground each time. Her heart was racing and her legs shook. She kept concentrating on the thought of getting to safety, and keeping her balance as she navigated through the thick forest. Rain poured down faster and assaulted her body pounding down hard and soaking her hair and remaining raggedy clothing.
Elsa saw shelter a few feet away consisting of a few fallen trees with some bushy branches overtop of them but figured she should keep going as the men who captured her probably retreated back for the duration of the rainstorm and this would be the best time for her to get ahead of them. So she trekked on her clothes seemed to get heavier with each step, her foot now ached even more and she could do nothing about the rock now wedged deeply inside it. After many hours of walking she saw tiny lights in the distance. Elsa was relieved she could get help, find out where she was and perhaps clean herself up and have a hot meal.
Upon getting closer to the lights Elsa saw many small houses and little shops. Hardly anyone was in the streets but all the lanterns on the porches were burning with flame. She could see smoke rising from some of the fireplaces. By now she was ready to collapse but she managed to walk up to one of the houses and knock on the door.
A older man opened the door he was probably around the age Elsa's father would be now.
"Who is it dear?" A woman's voice called as she approached the door taking in Elsa's appearance.
"Please... Please help me." Elsa said shaking "these people... These men they captured me..."
"I can't help you." He cut her off almost immediately
"Can you..." Elsa stuttered
"No, get off my porch you'll be nothing but trouble." He hissed signalling his wife to go back inside. "Get out of here." He said in an angry tone the man gave her a glare and she backed away. "Those men you're talking about, can only bring trouble around here, I don't want anything to do with them."
"Please, please I need help." Elsa cried "can you at least..."
"No." He spoke sternly "You will cause nothing but trouble for me it's you're own damn fault you got yourself captured." He stepped outside "now get off of my property!" He yelled at her his face turning red. Elsa slowly backed away and heard the door slam behind her. She trembled as she limped down the street up to a new house. Someone in this village had to be willing to help her.
The Queen took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "What do you want?" The old man growled at her.
"I was hoping you could help me." She said her voice shaking.
"I don't help dirty beggars. Get off of my property! Get a job you dirty little whore." The man grumbled Looking at her with such distaste.
Elsa stared at him shocked she'd never been spoken to in such a manner. Before she could even reply he slammed the door shut. Elsa was so stunned she was left on the porch standing in complete shock for about a minute until the old man came back. "I said Get off my property!" He yelled waving a cast iron cooking pot in his hand.
"S...sorry." Elsa backed up walking down the steps she quickly moved away from the mans house something hitting her hard as she left, and then she realized the man had thrown the pot at her. Elsa tripped over her own feet as she wasn't paying attention to what was in front of her.
She tried three more houses one of which didn't answer and another two of whom had no interest whatsoever in helping her. Exhausted and completely drained The queen spotted an old shed. She dragged her aching body out of the rain and sat next to a woodpile in the dirty, musty smelling woodshed. She leaned against the wall and cried herself to sleep. She thought of home, and of Anna , that she might not ever make it back to Arendelle and that nobody would ever know what happened to her. She didn't even know where she was now and since nobody seemed to be willing to help her. She worried she might never come close to making it home.