Chasing Shadows Chapter 1, a frozen fanfic

Frozen

Chasing Shadows

By Miracles79.

Chapter 1: Blade in Winter

Disclaimer: The characters used in this Fan Fic are owned by Walt Disney Animation Studios. I own nothing but the story that is contained within these words, if that.

Author's Note: For information on this story please read the Author's Note at the end of the chapter. But not before as it will ruin your enjoyment of the first chapter. Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy Chasing Shadows.

Snow.

A white canvas of snow blanketed the terrain, reducing the previously lush and green forest to a pale powder. The shapes of trees disappearing from view as they withered and decayed in the evening moonlight. Elongated shadows contorting the barren wasteland to give it a more demonic aesthetic. No sound emanated from these woods, not even the chirping of birds overhead. Life no longer had a place in this forgotten forest. Winter had long since claimed it.

Nothing could withstand the ferocity of winter's onslaught. After all, who could stand to be in a forest where gale forces winds could tear flesh from bone? Where hypothermia and frost bite were not only a possibility but rather an undeniable certainty?

The answer was simple; no one. No one would come to such a place.

"…"

At least not of their own free will.

"…"

As on this night, one lone figure could be seen standing among these withered trees. The figure was fully cloaked, her breathing shallow, her body undisturbed by the biting wind that tore at her rags. She stood motionless, a hand pressed against a nearby tree as her eyes roamed the waste. With careful precision, the figure manoeuvred past a fallen tree and further into the forest. The figure would stop on occasion and place her hands against the snow, eyes scanning the environment as undiscernible sounds echoed in the distance.

The sounds were hard to distinguish at first; in amongst the wailing of the wind and the echoes of starved wolves was… something else. The sound had an unmistakably human quality to it, but the figure could not tell from which direction it came. The sound seemed to reverberate around the entire forest, one moment it would emanate from the north, the next it would come from the east. The forest was playing tricks on her, she knew this well, but there was little that could be done about that. This was unfamiliar territory, even for someone of her reputation and skill.

Having decided her path, the figure waded through the deep layer of snow, each footfall requiring more pressure to allow her continued progress. With every step she took the figure's garb blew all around her, the wind inching its way through the gaps to a vast expanse of skin. The cold bit deeply but the figure barely even grimaced, her mind and body were now separate. She had trained for climates such as this. Winter would not claim another victim, not on this day.

Crouching as the figure passed through more forest debris, a sudden belching laugh stopped her in her tracks. The sound had come from nearby and, as luck would have it, the figure noticed a distant flame lying further to the west. That must have been where the sound had come from. Taking another look around her vicinity – with the familiar decaying forest being all she could see – the figure set a path towards the distant fire. Keeping herself small and to the ground, the figure took refugee behind a nearby rock and peered towards the source of the noise.

This was no lone fire to keep stragglers warm. No, the fire was positioned at the base of a large campsite. The campsite itself was littered with soldiers bearing a coat of arms that she knew all too well. This must be it, the figure thought, leaning back against the safety and seclusion of the rock.

Removing the mask that covered her mouth, the figure pierced her eyes together and searched the vast group of soldiers. She couldn't see him. In fact, it was so cold, and the mist that surrounded the camp so dense, that the figure had trouble recognising any of their faces. This was no good. She couldn't see anything from this far off vantage point. She had to get closer.

Ducking back behind the rock, the figure reached below her garb and pulled out a single thin blade. She held the blade close, its edge running along the length of her forearm and towards her elbow. This was her one advantage against these soldier's – the element of surprise her only ally. But the figure knew to stay her blade, for now, it would only be used as a last resort.

Leaning against the rock, wisps of strawberry brown hair escaping from her garb, the figure waited for an opening.

"…"

Not yet, the figure warned.

"…"

Now!

With as much secrecy as she could muster, the figure pushed herself from the rock and moved towards the camp. Analysing her surroundings, the figure positioned herself closer to the camp, using an overgrown bush as shelter. The voices were louder, more legible now. Surely she was close enough.

Leaning her head over the bush, the figure now had a clear view of the small camping settlement. But the sight that greeted her azure blue eyes was far from welcoming. The camp was practically infested by soldiers. The soldiers - clad in armour of various builds - could be seen drunkenly singing around a campfire, tearing flesh from a creature that spun atop a spit.

Damn it!

This was supposed to be a routine mission. A simple; 'locate the target and acquire the information by any means necessary' kind of mission. But no, things couldn't be as simple as that, could they? The Guild must have known about this, or had at least some inkling to that affect. Why else would they have sent her – the deadliest assassin of the Guild – on what appeared to be a simple retrieval mission?

The answer was obvious; they wouldn't. A mission of this scale would be left to the Guild's underlings or assassin's in training. Not the Guild's sharpest blade. Which meant… there was more to this mission then she had previously envisioned. Was that why they Guild masters had her told her not to open the scroll until after she had reached this destination?

Well, she was here now. So… no time like the present.

Reaching into her garb's innermost pocket, the figure withdrew the rolled up scroll and placed it on the ground. Cutting through the string with one swipe of her blade, the figure kneeled before it and surveyed the writing within.

ASSIGNMENT:

1). Locate the wolves of Cyradil

2). Locate their leader; Raphael Jacquez

3). Interrogate Raphael Jacquez until he reveals his employer and/or benefactor

4). Deliver a swift end to Raphael Jacquez and the remaining members of the wolves of Cyrdil

This mission is of the utmost importance. Failure to complete this task will result in your expulsion and death.

P.S. Anna, on completion of your task you are hereby ordered to continue your pursuit of Raphael's employer. Follow the trail. Wherever he goes, you too shall go. We will correspond in five moons hence.

Along with the thinly written message was a drawing of the target, one Raphael Jacquez. This man was totally different from the target she had previously been tasked with capturing. Secrecy and deception were not uncommon in her circles but it was still frustrating none the less. Why did the Guild fell it necessary to hide such important details to the last minute? Did they want to see how well she improvised? Was this another one of their stupid tests?

Enough! Focus… Focus!

Inhaling deeply, Anna took a moment to admire the carefully detailed portrait before she returned it to her garb. She would not need the picture any longer as his image had been implanted in her mind, he would not escape her scrutiny. Shifting her body to lean over the bush once more, Anna searched the crowd.

It didn't take long before her eyes fell upon her intended target. The man, Raphael Jacquez, could be seen nursing his flask while sat beside the campfire. He was joined by his men who contributed to the evening's festivities by singing drunkenly about the fall of Skriad, an old kingdom that was torched to the ground many years ago. The song was clearly popular among the men, seeing as it involved rape, slaughter, pillaging and the death of the once popular king at the hands of his enemy.

Anna watched each soldier's movements, recognising patterns or even the slightest limp that could play to her advantage. Three of the soldier's had their limbs loosely wrapped in bandages but, far better than that, almost all of the soldiers were heavily inebriated. A good sign.

Shifting position to get a clearer view of her target, Anna observed him with pierced eyes. He looked no more than fifty, a jagged scar reaching from the corner of his eye to the smooth contour of his chin. He wore heavy armour and a great sword on his back, his choice of weapon no doubt. Despite the singing of his command, the man continued to down his drink, smiling as the soldier's howled and sang songs of equalling vulgarity.

This would be difficult, Anna surmised.

Raphael showed no signs of leaving the group, so chances of isolating him from the rest of the pack were minimal at this stage. (An unfortunate set of events as that was Anna's preferred method of hunting.)

She couldn't simply charge into the camp and initiate open combat with Raphael and his entire guard, seeing as they outnumbered her twenty to one. That would have only led to her untimely death, and at the hands of inferior opponents no less. An embarrassment that she would not wish her name to be tarnished with.

"Okay, come on. Think. There has to be another way."

Hmm… She could try to sneak into the camp, eliminating as many soldier's as possible, before…

No, that wouldn't work either. The soldiers were too compact. A few remained isolated but the risk was too high. She would have been caught in no time, either in the act or in her attempts to hide their fallen comrades.

As Anna mulled over her options, she suddenly recognised another problem that would completely eliminate all previous methods of attack. Ducking behind the cover of the bush, Anna kept her ear to the ground and listened closely. Yeah, this would be a very significant problem. Their voices really did carry.

As Anna crawled towards the edge of her shelter, she leaned over and eyed the two cages situated at the corner of the camp.

As if one cage wasn't enough, Anna whined internally.

…

Inside the first cage - batting angrily against their small confines - were dogs, wild and feverish dogs. Their mouths stained with dry blood and bits of meat. Clearly trained to hunt and kill when the time called for it. This wasn't good. These vile beasts would have alerted the entire camp the moment they had seen her. No second chances, no 'Oh, I must have been seeing things' they would have brought the entire camp on her head.

"Well, shit!"

And if that wasn't problematic enough there was the appearance of the second cage, which rested beside the cage filled with rabid dogs. This cage held a human component to it, in the shape of several scantily clad women. The women were of varying ages; some very young (16 at the youngest) while others were much older. They had barely any clothing, goose bumps climbing up their arms as they froze in the cold winds.

Anna grimaced, they too would be a problem.

Much like the rabid animals nearby, the women would have also drawn attention to her. The only difference being that they would have not intended it on purpose. She would have to, somehow, avoid their line of sight too. It was unfortunate, and Anna understood their desperation, but it was not beneficial to the mission. If they so much as saw her they would have clamoured over one another to gain her attention, begging her to release them from their confinement. The commotion would have drawn the guards to her and then her life would have been forfeit.

Well look on the Brightside, Anna mused, at least I only have soldiers to contend with. No archers or mages to deal with. Happy days.

Struggling to come up with a reasonable plan, Anna observed the camp, looking for anything that could be used to her advantage. Anything that could sow the seeds to even the birthing of a plan. Anything that could…

...

…

"HAHAHA I told you," A soldier laughed, knocking over his friend's pint as he pointed to his retreating comrade. "The stupid mutt can't drink for shit! HAHAHA!"

As Anna watched the man stumble into the forest, puke falling on the ground behind him, a plan suddenly formed in her mind. This was it. This was her chance. The man was leaving the safety of the group. He was isolating himself. This… This was the perfect opportunity.

Realising her chance could slip away at any moment, Anna tightened the hold on her blade and shuffled towards her prey. Anna moved at speed, carefully skirting the perimeter of the camp, using any available rocks or bushes as cover. Further into the forest she drew. With slower footfalls Anna located the lone soldier; heaving and vomiting against a nearby tree. Giving a small prayer of thanks, Anna tightened her grip around the blade and gathered speed.

It all happened in a flash.

As the man regained his breath - thankful that the worst was now over – Anna pounced. With an incredible swiftness, Anna removed the soldier's helm from his face and plunged her blade into the man's eye socket. The angle of the blade pushed itself into the soldier's brain, and he died upon impact, no sound leaving his lips. The man's body shuddered before going limp, his weight falling back against her.

The strike had been swift and clean but still Anna looked back towards the camp, making sure no one had followed their friend's path. The path before her was as empty as it had always been, just the familiar sight of withered trees swaying in the breeze. She could continue undisturbed. So with great care Anna placed the body down against the snow, face first to ensure the blood did not stain the metal or scraps of leather. Kneeling over the body, the redhead pressed against the gouged socket with a cloth.

She had to stem the flow of blood, the armour had to look clean and untarnished. Blood would have given her away.

Listening carefully for any changes in her proximity, Anna pulled off her garb and rested it on the branch of a nearby tree. The thin, tattered layer of clothing that remained on her person blew violently in the wind. A shuddering breath leaving her lips as the cold hit her full on. Rubbing her arms to stimulate the flow of blood, Anna moved to unclasp the armour and put it on one at a time. Starting from the breastplate – which had to be fastened to the arms – before finishing with the legs. The process had taken a little longer than anticipated and yet no one had come to check on their friend.

Hmm, shows how much they care about you, Anna shrugged, rolling her joints as her feet began to sink into the snow.

Boy, this armour was heavy, like, ridiculously heavy. She could barely even move in this thing without sinking. In a test of this armours range of mobility, Anna began to sway her arms up and down before proceeding to twist her hips side to side. Man, this thing had no mobility what so ever. Marching on the spot, Anna felt an immense pressure weighing down on her. Suddenly this plan didn't feel as full-proof as she had previously thought.

Well, it was a little too late to have second thoughts about it now. She was already in her armour and had just killed one of their soldier's. They would come looking for him if he – or in this case someone else – didn't come marching back to camp. Turning towards the last piece of equipment, Anna reached for the soldier's helm and grabbed it at the second attempt. The thing felt sharp in her hand but she ignored this fear and pulled on the helm.

Despite a little visual impairment Anna was relatively pleased with the ensemble. She looked just like one of those soldier's and nobody could prove otherwise. So – ignoring the obvious fact that the armour was slightly too big for her – Anna walked over to the deceased soldier and placed him behind the base of a massive tree. There were, unfortunately, no bushes big enough to cover his body so Anna had to make do.

Having completed this first step, Anna began to walk towards camp, her movement almost robotic in appearance. Yeah, she would really fit in. Thankfully, the soldier's didn't appear to be the brightest in the bunch, so Anna doubted they would realise her deception. Coupled with the fact that they were now clearly swaying, and looking very, very drunk – Anna looked like she was on to a winner.

As she approached the camp, Anna tucked a small blade beneath the cuff of her chainmail. It would remain out of sight, conspicuous, till the moment it was needed. Surveying her area, Anna caught sight of a lone man on the outskirts of the camp, completely unaware of her presence. So, with softer footfalls, Anna changed course towards the man, the blade lowering in preparation. In the blink of an eye, Anna had slit the man's throat and dragged him behind the shelter of a nearby tent. The motion had been seamless, the soldier's breathing no more.

On to the next one…

Creeping toward the edge of the tent, Anna sat in wait, analysing her next move. The largest group still remained preoccupied around the campfire, but there were now a few stragglers littered about the place. Not to mention a number of soldier's had either taken to bed or drunkenly fallen unconscious. All were now easy targets, each one of them evenly spaced out. She would have to be quick of course but she knew the odds were in her favour.

Eyes selecting her next target, Anna became momentarily distracted when she heard a loud pitched scream. Turning in its direction, Anna's features soured. A small group of soldier's had now turned to goading the women who were held captive in their cage. They threw old decaying fruit and bread at them, while others busied themselves with making very unflattering hand gestures. It was disgusting, of course, but for Anna this too could be seen as an advantage.

After all, the group of three would be keep themselves entertained for a while, leaving them, effectively, out of the picture. And through their actions the women would be occupied, unable to observe her snooping. She had to ignore them, for now, but she would kill those guards by the end of the night. Anna was certain of that.

Returning to her previous inspection, Anna selected a new target and stepped away from the small tent. Making sure to blend in, Anna drunkenly staggered across the campsite, picking up a stray flask from the floor to better fit the image. No one suspected her, everyone was either too drunk or believed her to be one of them. This was good, she could thin the herd significantly before pouncing on Raphael. It was only a matter of time now.

Reaching her target, Anna sat beside him, taking a drink from her non-existent ale. The soldier ignored her, his attention on the roasting rat on the fire. The fire was smaller than the main one, where the larger group remained, but it was a welcome relief. Taking her time, Anna reached for the short knife on the table while her other hand grabbed a spare, dirty bowl that lay beside it.

Eyes turning towards the soldier, Anna grimaced as she saw specks of food dribble from his lips and to the floor. He was clearly famished, or had very poor table skills. The sauce matted his chin, made grimy by mud and the ale that clung to his breath. In fact, what made the image even worse was that he was eating the rat with the fur still on. Now, Anna knew very little about cooking but surely, surely, you would remove the skin before consumption.

Disgusting! I will take great pleasure in ridding you from this world, Anna thought.

However, just as she was about to strike, her eyes caught sight of another approaching soldier. So, being careful to reposition her knife, Anna stayed her hand. The time to act had passed, for the moment – Anna would have to wait just a little bit longer. So, trying to look like one of these disgusting rabble, Anna sat up and clumsily cut into the skewered rat.

"Oi, you,"

"…"

Anna bristled, her eyes falling to the man who was now standing far too close behind her. Fearing that her cover had been blown, Anna tightened her grip around the knife before turning her attention to the giant of a man.

The man, looked at Anna carefully, before motioning behind her. "Cut me a slice, piss stain. A big one."

Relief washing over her, Anna merely grunted in response and returned to work. Acting quickly. Anna started to cut into the meat before placing it in the prepared bowl. The fluids from the creature rushed down her arm upon contact but she refused to grimace or make any sounds of her displeasure. The rat had not even been properly cooked for god sake, in fact its blood was now seeping through her chainmail.

The soldier, however, did not seem to mind, and gave Anna a heavy slap on the back in thanks. The force almost caused her to stumble into the fire, had it not been for her quick reflexes then Anna would have joined the rat on the spit. The sight caused a few laughs from the nearby soldier's. Clearly this was how they treated each other. How had there not been a mutiny or at least a case of friendly fire?

Ignoring this thought, Anna busied herself with cutting another portion of rat. She was still being stared at by the other soldiers nearby. Their glances were not suspicious, but filled with humour because apparently her slip was the funniest thing of the whole day. How action packed their lives must have been.

"So, when do we leave?" One of the guard's beside her asked. Anna's attention switching to the conversation.

"Oh, won't be long now. Better enjoy the warmth while you still can, pup."

Laughing the soldier, nudged his neighbour. "Very funny. I doubt any place could be as cold as this."

"Are you kidding me?!" The eldest said, Anna's ears perking up as she listened in. "You wait boy! You think this is cold then I fear for you. You wait till we reach the docks."

"The docks? I thought we were entering a city?"

"We are boyo, one of the greatest cities in our kingdom. Full of wealth, riches… and little crime. No place like it, my man. Would be a paradise too were it not for that Queen."

Her attention no longer on the rat, Anna glanced towards the pair.

"The Queen? What's wrong with the Queen?"

"Well, how do I put this?" The man pondered, talking through his mouthful. "She's fucking insane. A hottie mind you but the bitch is fucking crazy. Has some… fucked up powers too. Created an entire army of these… I don't know… Ice… Monsters… wiped out all opposition."

"Holy shit! No… Wait… Your bullshitting me, aren't you?"

Laughing, the man put down his bowl. "No word of a lie. Girl lost her shit when she killed her sister. Then her parents. Uncontrollable now. She's a fucking tyrant. Her own people fear for their lives but what can you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," He continued. "She's paranoid. You leave without her consent then she'll send one of her monsters after you. Fucking killer that one, but not our problem. We are simply here to meet up with our contact then get back to Haven."

Intrigued by their conversation, Anna momentarily forgot herself before quickly turning back to the spit. It was a slip up on her part but one that did not draw any suspicion to her. A lucky break indeed. She was not acting like herself, this mission should have been completed quite some time ago. But still, what those two soldier's had talked about had brought more clarity to her situation.

So, they're planning to meet up with their contact? Could this be the employer that the Guild was talking about?

As the two soldier's resumed their talk – some poppy-cock about some mythical Queen - Anna leaned back and sat in between them. Both soldier's looked at one another, puzzled, but before they could ask what she was doing; a knife and blade were plunged into the back of their necks. Then, resting her arms around their shoulders, Anna leaned them forward and pretended to be in conversation. Several eyes turned in their direction but never stayed long, returning to their trivial talk, unaware that two of their soldiers were now dead. Thankfully, the blade and knife stopped the spill of blood from issuing forth – as they were still stuck in their backs.

When the time was right, Anna quickly removed the knives, and dragged their carcasses into a nearby tent. Once again, Anna held the blood at bay with the palm of her hand before placing them on separate sleeping mats. She replaced her hands with more cloth, which would stem the flow of blood for a time. It mattered little though. The soldier's would all fall by the time the blood spilled from their necks. Now three lay dead, Anna thought, seventeen more to go.

Washing the blood off her hands in a flask of ale, Anna moved out of the tent. No one suspected a thing. Unsurprising as, to any onlooker, it would have seemed as if three soldiers were holding themselves together as they staggered towards the sleeping quarters. Nothing amiss in that as many of the soldier's had returned to their beds in a similar state.

As Anna moved through the campsite, she noticed another tent much like the last one. A sleeping quarter of some kind. The only difference being that this tent was full of soldiers who were now fast asleep, dead to the world around them. The chance was too good to pass up. She counted at least three soldiers inside. So, surveying her area, Anna slipped inside and silenced them one by one. The odds were starting to look a lot better now.

Six down… fourteen to go…

The herd had been thinned quite satisfactorily, and what's more none of the soldier's had even noticed the disappearance of their soldiers. With good reason too because, to their untrained eye, it would have appeared as if the soldiers had fallen asleep after a long day. They would never have suspected foul play. At least not until it was too late.

A few more and she could take them remaining soldiers on. Anna was an expert with twin blades, after all, and even ten of these so called veterans could not hold a candle to her. She had defeated knights single-handedly in open combat. There was no challenge here. No fear of failure to be had.

Turning her attention towards the soldier's near the cage – who continued their relentless abuse – Anna moved forwards. As she was about to close the distance, her eyes caught something in her peripheral vision. Lying against a large table were an impressive assortment of weapons of all shapes and sizes. What were these things doing here out in the open? Wait? Was this their Armoury?

Changing direction, Anna searched through the small inventory. A plan beginning to formulate in her mind. One that would make this boring – and cold – adventure a little more exciting. Enough with stealth, the time had come for some action. So, rummaging through the inventory, Anna picked out three small throwing knives and the last remaining bomb. The bomb in question contained some sort of gas - from what Anna could tell - but it was not written in the roster. The item was probably sneaked in, lucky for her.

Edging towards the seclusion of a nearby tent, Anna carefully removed her armour. The pressure exerted on her body now lifted to allow for a greater range of movement. In fact, she felt… lighter… lighter than she had ever been. Although the thin layer of tattered clothing offered little protection, Anna knew it would serve her better than any armour. None of their blades would pierce her skin, she was simply too agile. The armour, however, would have greatly hindered her ability to manoeuvre. She relied heavily on her agility and speed during battle, without it she would be killed immediately.

Taking a deep breath, Anna stepped out of the tent and turned towards the three occupied soldiers. In one hand, Anna held three throwing knives equally balanced along her palm, pointing at their intended targets. In the other, Anna held the bomb behind her back.

The time had finally come…

Time to play.

Exhaling, Anna opened her eyes and threw the three separate throwing at their intended targets. All died upon impact, the knives piercing the back of their necks, just under the gap of their helmets. As the three men began to fall to the ground, Anna threw the bomb up into the air with her left hand. Using the force of the first throw, Anna twirled in place, caught the bomb and hurled it into the large campfire with her right.

…

BBBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

The bomb ignited on impact, the detonation radius expanding due to the contact with the campfire. The force of the bomb caused the entire ground to shake, bodies were propelled backwards, blood spraying in a sea of red. Screams of pain echoed around the campsite amongst the static created by the blast. Soldier's gripped their bloodied extremities, limbs separated from their hosts and blood pooled onto the ground.

…

"Ahh! FUCK!"

…

"F-FUCK! M-MY LEG! MY FUCKING LEG!"

…

"Ahh! H-HELP! I CAN'T B… I CAN'T BREATHE! I CAN'T BREATHE!"

…

More soldiers came, crawling to their feet, all eyes set on the lone redhead with a set of twin blades in her hands. Among them was none other than Raphael Jacquez, unstained by the carnage that had befallen his comrades. Unsurprising as he had returned to his sleeping quarters far earlier in the night. Anna had been very well aware of that.

…

Nine down, five wounded… and six remaining.

The odds were now firmly in her favour.

"W-What happened?! Who are you?" Her target shouted, withdrawing his sword from its confinement the moment he noticed Anna.

He appeared stunned, the carnage that surrounded him had been unexpected and he simply couldn't comprehend what was happening. To further compound the issue there was a small slight women standing directly in front of him, a pair of blades in both hands. She was covered in blood, the blood of his men stained her tattered clothing. And yet she saw no fear in her eyes, no trepidation. Nothing but cold ice.

"Who are you?!" Raphael repeated, angered by the young woman's silence.

"That's none of your concern."

Laughing, bitterly, as he stooped to check on one of his wounded soldier's, Raphael glared back at her. "'None of my concern?' You have some nerve girl!"

"More than you know." Anna said, looking towards the young soldier who died moments after Raphael checked on him. The cries of his men and the roar of the fire all that could be heard within her proximity.

Scrutinising her silently, Raphael moved forwards. "You did this to my men?! You killed my men!?"

"…"

Gritting his teeth, Raphael continued. "Why? Is this some act of vengeance?!"

"…" Anna remained silent – uninterested – as she turned her eyes to look at the remaining soldier's. Some were already wounded from the blast, while others looked fearful; their eyes watering as they took in the crumpled flesh and burnt corpses all around them.

"Are you even listening to me!?" Raphael screamed, before a vindictive smile crossed his lips. "Did we kill your mommy and daddy, little girl?! Is that why you did this? Or did one of my boys spread your legs and give you a good fucking during our last pillaging run?!

"No."

"Really now," Raphael scoffed. "You could have fooled me, you come to me wearing torn clothing, after all."

"I would not be so concerned about my clothing."

"I'm not! I only wish to know why you have taken to robbing me of my men!"

"They were in the way!"

…

Scowling, Raphael looked back at the devastation. The dead lying in broken bits around the camp, cries of agony reverberating around the enclosed space. Half his men lay dead or injured, and this girl was the cause. This thin, dainty girl had been responsible for such an atrocity.

"I will take great pleasure in gutting you little girl," Raphael said, motioning for his men to circle the perimeter. "Or maybe I'll let my men take turns before you die. Chain you up and make you our personal bitch. How does that sound?"

"No, thanks," Anna replied, voice even, unaffected by what was happening. "I don't swing that way."

"Oh, a lesbian, hey. Don't you worry, little girl. Me and my boys will help fix your deficiency, ain't I right boys?!"

"Hell, yeah!"

Eyes darkening, Anna twirled the blades between her fingers. "It's hard to touch what you cannot see. And harder still to touch when you have no fingers."

Now completely surrounded, the soldier's moved in, Anna standing completely still as she looked only at Raphael. She could sense his aura of victory before that battle had even begun, he believed her feeble and weak. That would soon change.

"This one has some fight, boss!"

"Doesn't she indeed. Looks like we won't be getting fresh pussy tonight, boys. A shame to waste such good material but that's the price you pay for slaughtering my soldier's."

Grinning, Anna took a step towards Raphael. "I don't care about your boys. This has nothing to do with them."

Pausing, Raphael halted his troops, and watched Anna closely. "Then why are you here? If not to exact your own revenge…"

"Didn't you know?" Anna questioned, crouching in position as she prepared to enter combat. "I came for you, Raphael Jacquez."

Startled, the man in question backed up and stared at Anna. He had clearly not expected this. Very few knew his real name, after all.

"How do you know my name?"

…

Smiling, Anna scrapped her blades together and said…

…

"The Assassin's Guild sends their regards!"

"K-Kill her! Kill her! Kill her now!"

Alarmed by their general's terrified pleas, Anna made the first move. Sprinting towards the nearest soldier, Anna palmed away his wild swing before stabbing clean through his bicep. The blade retracted from his muscle in a flash – the man's cries of pain barely having time to issue forth – before she manoeuvred around his body and delivered the final blow. With her body facing away from him, Anna drove her blade into the back of his throat. His previous cries cut short as his body became lifeless.

"No!"

In an outburst of rage another soldier came hurtling towards her, his blade descending on her. The swing, like the one before, left him completely open. It was wild, predictable even. So, twirling the deceased soldier so that he rested at her back, Anna shielded herself from the heavy blow. The soldier's lunge connecting with the shoulder of his fallen comrade. The cut so deep that it was now stuck in place.

Realising this, Anna quickly discarded the deceased soldier and moved forward. The soldier swung wildly again – with his fist – and Anna met it head on with the point of her blade. The blade sunk through the knuckle, the echoed screams of pain mirroring those of his friend, before Anna kicked at his knee. The impact caused the soldier's knees to buckle but that was the least of his worries. Directly below his eye line was Anna's second blade. And before he could realise his fate, the blade pierced his throat.

Withdrawing her blades from the solider, Anna parried Raphael's strong swing. She had little time to rest, however, as another blade entered the fray. A middle aged, wily veteran, was now forcing her back into the main campsite, her feet stepping on blood, guts and limbs on her retreat. Anna paced herself, analysing her opponent's moves, as well as his strengths and weaknesses.

Kicking his blade away, Anna was about to deliver the killing blow when another soldier swung in her direction. With little time to react, Anna spun over the season veteran, using his back to roll onto her feet. It was a well-timed move as the sword had made contact with her hair. The roots almost being yanked out. That had been close.

Stepping away from the two soldier's, Anna continued to parry several more wild swings. Both soldiers were surprisingly un-coordinated as a team - getting in the way of each other's swings more often than not. Anna sensed opportunity.

So, blocking the veteran's swing, Anna spun around his body, her blade slicing the edge of his stomach. Not missing a beat, Anna swung herself around his body and delivered a two footed kick to the second soldier's mid-drift. Using the veterans back as a springboard, Anna rolled over to the young man and thrust her sword deep into his chest. The young man gasped in agony, blood spilling from his lips.

Turning while in motion, Anna quickly raised her weapons to catch Raphael's sword in between her two blades. Smiling in his direction, the young assassin swept his legs from under him before summersaulting away. Raphael's wild swing cutting clean through the air as Anna flipped and landed on her feet.

"Get back here you fucking bitch!"

Turning towards the noise, Anna sized up her new arrival. The man was heaving, blood dripping from his injured arm. He must have been one of the unlucky casualties in the early bombing, Anna thought. Twirling her blades between her fingers, Anna parried his incoming swing and jumped back away from his wild punch. He was a feisty one, no doubt. Clearly being led by his heart rather his brain, a poor move.

Trading blows, Anna spent the time judging his ability, while the man only had death on his mind. Recognising his weakness, Anna ducked underneath his wild swing and, while spinning, delivered two sharp swipes with both blades to his wrist. The man's sword fell to the floor and before he could make even the slightest grumble, Anna sliced before ends of his throat with her twin blades.

All that was left now, where the veteran and Raphael. The other soldier who had previously been here could be seen sprinting into the forest. Now, she couldn't have that. So, spinning her blade so that she now held its handle, Anna watched the progress of the retreating figure. Her concentration was marred, however, by several incoming swings from the two remaining soldiers but Anna knew the retreating man was still within distance.

Backing away from the two, Anna parried Raphael's incoming swipe before spinning him around and kicking him directly into the seasoned soldier. Both collapsed to the floor, their arms and legs entangled as they struggled to get to their feet. Finally a moment of respite.

"Arghh! I'll fucking kill you!"

Ignoring the man's cursing, Anna turned and threw her blade into the forest towards the retreating figure. With little time to admire her skill, Anna returned her attention to the immediate fight. Twirling her last remaining blade, Anna correctly predicted their next moves. Flipping over the veteran's wild swing, Anna then ducked under Raphael's two handed slice before running her blade across his Achilles heel.

"AHHH!"

Not satisfied with this, Anna swept his feet from under him so that he landed back first, his heavy armour forcing the breath to leave him. Good. He would be incapacitated for a while.

Returning her attention to the last remaining soldier, Anna quickly jumped out of the way of his attack. He had thrown a short sword in her direction but had missed once again. Picking up his sword the seasoned veteran sprinted towards her and entered into battle. Anna was forced to dodge and parry his heavy barrage of offense, finding little time to strike back at the present moment.

He was relentless now, spurred on by fear and anger, but she could already see the signs of exhaustion washing over him. She, however, felt no such thing. Her breathing was still even, no heavy breathing could be felt passing her lips.

So, predicting another wild swing to her throat, Anna ducked and pushed her blade through his abdominal wall. The man gasped, a spray of blood falling on her hands, agony etched on his features. Staggering, Anna pushed the blade from his stomach and drove it into his throat. The man's body falling to the ground, lying limp at her feet.

…

All was quiet now.

…

Kneeling to collect her blade, Anna looked around her vicinity. She could see that the retreating figure from before had not escaped her ire. Her blade resting in his back. Standing up, Anna wiped the blood off her shoes and blade with the fabric from a nearby tent. Raphael continued to grasp at his ankle, his sword lying forgotten at his feet.

"I-I should have known," Raphael grimaced, blood dripping from his nose and mouth. "I knew the Guild would send someone. But… I never thought it would be this soon."

Turning her eyes towards him, Anna continued to clean her blade. She had time, his wounds were only superficial after all. He would not bleed out for a while and, in this case, her precious blade took priority.

"So, wanna go another round? Or are you going to start talking?"

"Ahh! I yield! I yield, assassin. Here," Raphael grasped his sword and threw it in her direction. "As proof."

"Okay,"

Walking towards her target, Anna pressed her blade against his throat, her other hand grasping the front of his armour. "I came here for one reason, and one reason only. Where is your contact?"

"Contact?"

"A group such as yours could not operate without a backer or benefactor. Who is it? Were you planning to meet him?"

Grimacing, Raphael glared at the assassin. "Who says we need… a benefactor! We are the wolves of Cyradil. People…"

Pressing the blade so that it drew blood, Anna spoke. "No, you were the wolves of Cyradil. Your company are dead. The last remnants of an unremarkable group lay scattered around this camp. You have no one left to hide you. Speak his name, now! Speak his name and I will let their legacy live on through you. Do you understand me?!"

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You can't… but you can trust the Guild of Assassins. You can trust the code we Assassins are sworn to uphold," Anna said, her eyes focused. "The Guild have authorised me to spare your life but only if you give me the information I seek. You can walk away a free man. You can brag about being the last survivor of the Wolves of Cyradil to any who will listen. Just give me a name."

Gritting his teeth at the pain, Anna quickly relinquished her knife. She may have been a little too eager there, would have been a bad turn of events were he to die. Immediately, anyway.

"I can't. He'll know I betrayed him and my family will pay the penalty. If my life means the death of my wife and child… Then I choose death a hundred times."

…

"Ahh! Boss! Someone! Help… Help Me!"

Turning towards the sound, Anna noticed a guard clutching at his bloodied leg. It had been ripped apart by the blast and yet he still lived. He had shown remarkable resiliency, most of the soldier's had succumbed to their injuries long ago and yet he remained. Suddenly an idea came to mind, it was dark and twisted but it might just work.

She needed a name, after all, no matter the cost.

Walking towards the crippled soldier, Anna grabbed him by his tunic and pulled him across the ground.

"What are you doing?!" Raphael screamed, watching as his soldier was dumped at his feet.

Before he could utter another word, Raphael's great sword pierced the man's thigh. His screams echoing across the barren wasteland, Anna eyes never leaving Raphael's as she dug the blade around in a circular motion.

"Enough with the bullshit!" Anna screamed, ignoring the cries and pleas from the fallen man. "You are a cut-throat. A rapist. A murderer. You move from women to women, family to family and take what is not yours to take. Why should I care about your family? Why should anyone care?"

"Please… Please stop… Let him go…"

Realising his attention was elsewhere, Anna removed the great sword from the man's leg and pulled him closer. With a hand around his throat, Anna leaned the bloodied soldier towards Raphael.

"Why, when I talk about leaving your family for dead, do your concerns race to this boy? Do you even have a family, Raphael?"

"I… Of course I…"

As he spoke Anna's blade rose to the boy's throat. "No more lies. I know you do not have a family. A man as barbaric and proud as you would never allow himself to be tied down. You love the freedom. I'm sure you have children but you could care little about them. They were no doubt the least of your intentions."

Looking at the scared expression of the young soldier, Raphael conceded defeat. "Alright… Alright… You're right… I lied about the family."

Smiling, Anna nodded in agreement. "Good. Now we are getting somewhere. So, I will ask again. Who is your benefactor?"

"I… I can't… Please…"

"And why not?"

"Because," Raphael whimpered. "Because I don't know who he is!"

"…"

Desperation taking over, Raphael tried to repeat himself but only blood left his lips.

"Please… I don't know who he is…"

Mulling this over, Anna relinquished her hold around the young man. "Then tell me where you were going? I know you were going to meet someone at the docks? Is that your contact?"

"H-How?"

"I listened," Anna replied. "Your men like to talk. Now tell me! Which City were you going too? There are three main cities to the north of this mountain. Which one were you headed too?"

"Will… Will you let me go if I tell you?"

Considering this, Anna nodded, egging him on to continue.

"Fine. The contact… The contact is in Arendelle. We were supposed to meet him in two days at the docks in Arendelle."

"How would he know who you are? Did you have to do something at the Docks?"

Grimacing in pain, Raphael answered. "Yes, we would meet behind the shop called… called… the Twins emporium. He said he would meet us there."

"I believe you, thank you for the information."

…

"So, you'll let me go?" Raphael asked, grimacing as he attempted to lift himself up to a seated position.

"Me? Yes. Those girls on the other hand," Anna said pointing to the beaten and caged women in their cell. "They might not be quite so forgiving."

Watching as Anna walked away from him, Raphael eyes shot open, his hand reaching for a weapon that was no longer there. "Wait! No! You gave me your word! An Assassin's word is law! You have to abide by it!" Raphael screamed at Anna's retreating figure.

"Your right! An assassin's word is law," Anna said, resting a hand on the door of the cage. "But laws can be open to interpretation, and this is mine."

And with those final words, Anna opened the cage. The women staggering out into the open for the first time in months. Overcome with joy several of the women hugged and thanked Anna for her heroic rescue. They didn't even seem to notice the carnage around the campsite, even though they had seen it first-hand. Perhaps their time in captivity had made them numb to the violence and cruelty of the world.

"Thank you! Thank you! You… You don't know how much this means to me! Thank you! Thank you so much! How… How can I repay you?"

Turning to the women, Anna arched her neck over to Raphael. "Take your time, and make it slow. And make no mention that I was ever here. Say you were rescued by a knight from some far away kingdom. But do not tell them that I was here. If I find you have told anyone then I will be forced to kill you and your family. Am I clear?"

"Y-Yes!"

Satisfied, Anna motioned for the women to move and move they did. One by one each picked up swords, axes and even sticks as they approached the grovelling general.

"Assassin! Assassin! You gave me your word! Come back, Assassin! Come Back – Argh!"

Stepping into the forest once more, Anna pulled the blade from the cowardly soldier and moved further in. She quickly dressed in her garb, the small amount of warmth greatly appreciated in these cold temperatures and marched towards her new goal. Arendelle.

"Arendelle, huh?" Anna mused. "Never been."

Author's Notes:

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Chasing Shadows. I've been contemplating whether to write this story or not and eventually decided to give it a go. I only spent a few hours today and yesterday writing it so there are likely mistakes and grammar errors littered throughout this chapter. My apologies for that. Depending on the response to this story I might make this one of my main stories, much like I did with the Succubus, but I'll have to wait and see.

Now, a little information on my plans for this story. This story will be Anna x Elsa. For the sake of the story I cannot say whether it will be incest or non-incest. That would be a spoiler that I'm not prepared to reveal until much later in the story. The themes will be romance, adventure and a splash of humour. The reason why the Age Rating is M is because of the detailed description of fighting and sexual scenes. Like all of my stories there will be no Rape. So have no fears about that worry.

The characters are also noticeably different. I will try to keep their personalities as best as I can but I wanted to add a different element to their characters. Anna, as you know, is a member of the Assassin's Guild and more will be explained in time. Also, this has nothing to do with Assassin's Creed, the popular video game. This is not a tie-in. The Assassin Guild has different codes and beliefs which will be revealed in due time.

This story was actually inspired by several different things. Frozen (obviously), Elder Scrolls, Fable 2 (The good one) and Daredevil (Netflix). Don't ask how all those things contributed to this story because even I have a hard time connecting them all :P

Elsa will be appearing shortly but the immediate attention will be on Anna. The story will be told through Anna's perspective. I hope you will grow to like her character because I want to make her a bad ass fighter who has little equal. Her personality will have certain changes but not drastic ones, I hope you will like what I have planned for her. Elsa and Anna will also be involved in a number of sexual situation (Also they are exclusive to each other) but that will happen a little later on. I want to make this story interesting and entertaining, fingers crossed.

Any questions feel free to ask them and I will answer to the best of my ability. All criticism and praise is welcome and I will respond within three days.

All the best and I hope you enjoyed this first chapter.

Oh, if anyone would like to Beta this story I would be grateful for the assistance. I still have much to learn and my previous experience with Beta's has been incredibly beneficial.