A wind rose in a place called North Mountain.
South and west the wind blew as the pale moon rose higher in a cloudless sky, south and west through the white topped mountains and rolling hills, through the trees with brown leaves and bare branches, into a city on a fjord. The wind brought no relief, no hint of warmth, much less spring. It only carried snow through the alleys and streets. South and west it blew, past the dock full of ships preparing to leave the city before the water froze, leaving them here for the rest of the winter, for there had to be trade even in these days. South and west, past the bridge with a closed gate. A few wagons stood on the bridge before the gate, and folk afoot shielded themselves from the snow driven by the wind. The gate was closed for them and for everybody else. Most had no idea why, only that the world seemed to turn somersaults one day, leaving the castle closed for all. Curiosity drove some here, while others were drawn by something they could not quite see and did not understand, and most of them were afraid, too.
Onward the wind traveled, past the gate to the lonely castle of finely worked stone of multiple hues that some said had been brought here from all over the world. Past the half-sleeping guards under the roof of a watch tower, through the courtyard and balconies. It knocked into windows, wanting to get inside. Waved a two-colored banner, with a flower on it. The symbol of Arendelle, some called it. The wind shook the banner hard and was gone, as if glad to be away.
A young girl named Elsa sat on the floor of a room with pale ceiling and light-green walls, with her back against the small wooden couch carved with entwined flowers of all things, wishing the wind lingered. She liked to watch the swirls the wind made with the snow in the night, illuminated by the moon. And she could only see them from this place, with it's high-backed chairs, dusty bookshelves and a great painting of her father that depicted him at his moment of coronation. For some reason her mother wasn't on it. Or on any that she knew of. Elsa thought the room was a bit colder than usual, at that moment. A large window stood in front of her, with a white frame of chipped paint. The ice from outside started to crawl on the corners of the glass. There was another window, a triangle with a pretty colored glass arranged in a flower, but it stood dark.
Through the cracks between the frame and the wall, the wind brought a scent that reminded her where she was supposed to be, the place she needed to be. In this room, all alone, her back to the south, where she could forget after a fashion. A tray lay beside her, with some cold tea in a porcelain teapot and some crumbled biscuits on a silver plate. She didn't need to eat much, but the process was relaxing. She poured a drink in the only cup and took a sip. It had a strange flowery scent to it, that reminded her of summer. She always forgot to ask somebody what it was exactly. With a sigh, she bounded to her feet, fixed the skirt of her simple deep blue dress and took a book from a shelf. "The Adventures of Farlain Farstrider" it said on a gilded cover. She read it more times than she could remember, but it still brought a little bit of joy, especially in a windy night like this one. Taking a smoking candle from a bed stand, she moved closer to the window, and sat on a chair beside it. It was her favourite reading spot. The moon almost never graced the bedchamber with its light, and today wasn't an exception. Placing the candle on the windowsill, she opened the book on the page where she had left it sometime ago and began reading, slowly and thoughtfully.
A wind knocked. Then again. Elsa glanced at the window, but saw no swirls of snow she so eagerly wanted to appear. Irritably, she continued reading about how Farlain climbed the great mountain in his smallclothes, with only a pickaxe and an eagle to help him. It was her favourite story, because at the end the hero rose on top the mountain, sweat rolling down his face, and roared for all his mighty lungs allowed to. She was sure that all the world heard him at that moment.
Knock. Knock. The wind persisted. Elsa closed the book, rose from the chair, placed her hands on the windowsill, and peered into the night. Some houses were still illuminated at this late hour, and some lights were moving along the streets. Looks like some people, just like she, didn't sleep this night. The snow lay everywhere, glistening in the light of the moon. The end of the year was close and people had already began preparations for an upcoming celebration. The wagons that stood near inns and taverns were probably full of food delivered from afar and the cheap drinks for peasants.
Some decorations were hanging between the light posts, fluttering in the wind. Wooden snowmen and little flags with Arendelle's symbol painted on them by local kids. The preparations were going smoothly, which meant that someday soon people would start dancing. It was a tradition of sorts, to dance all you can handle and anywhere you can reach. Some even did it on top of their houses, if the roofs weren't too slippy in this time of a year. Usually, people did it at home or picked up dusty ice skates and visited the the fjord, if the water was frozen.
Elsa sighed. There was fun to be had, outside of this castle. She had always wanted to participate in the festivities among the people. There wasn't that many options in entertainment while she was being isolated from everybody. Books and toys, mostly, but that wasn't enough to satisfy her longing.
She closed her eyes in frustration. As soon as she did, the wind knocked again. Startled, Elsa peered into t night but only saw a lonely owl perched on the watch tower beside the gate. She hoped to see her favourite snow swirls at least once today. That would make this lonely night so much better. She could make them herself, she realized. Nobody would see her doing magic at this hour. But it probably wasn't worth the risk. Light suddenly filled her vision. Covering her eyes, she looked up at the moon, it shone especially bright. She thought she saw a smile on its face, welcoming and warm. Few moments later, the light subsided a little and she was able to look at the disc without problems.
The owl, that had been sullenly staring at her before that, fluttered up from its perch and landed on the windowsill on the other side of the glass. Its eyes glistened in the dark, half-hidden in a lush white fur with some dark spots here and there. It appeared to shine in the moonlight. The bird strolled self-importantly from one side to another, while bending its neck to unusual degrees like a broken pendulum. Elsa stepped away, more from confusion than anything. She never feared any creature that sometimes took it's time beside her window, but not one acted like this. It was unusual. As if the bird was trying to find out all about her through the thick glass of window.
A few minutes passed, and the curious bird was still doing it's motions without a break. Elsa felt increasingly uncomfortable with each glance of these glinting eyes. Deciding that she had had enough of this, she knocked with her knuckles on the glass. Not receiving a response, she opened the window to make the bird go away. A chilling air burst into the room, extinguishing the candle. The cold didn't bother her that much, but the opened window felt somewhat strange to her. She didn't open it very often.
The noises of the night filled the room. Wind gently whistling, people talking heartedly somewhere, ships and wagons creaking. It was refreshening. Elsa couldn't catch any smell, however, as if chill and snow sponged them and kept them until spring.
The bird slowed down, looked around and stopped dead in its tracks. It didn't move a feather. It was like somebody had forgotten a stuffed toy there, so motionlessly it stood on the windowsill.
"Shush." she carefully said to the owl. "Go away. I'm sure you have better places to be than here."
The owl stared at her. Elsa thought she heard something rustling and creaking nearby, so quietly as if it wasn't meant to be heard . What's wrong with the wind tonight?
The bird snapped it's beak a few times, this close it was quite loud, and said "Why would i? It's so lovely down here". It's voice was muffled and deep.
Elsa clasped her mouth to not let a surprised yelp out. She never expected to meet a bona-fide talking bird, like in one of the Farlain's stories. Elsa took few moments to think and decided that if trolls and magic were real, perhaps there is nothing surprising that animals can talk. Well, maybe a little.
"Um. Hello." she said, glad that her voice sounded calm. She definitely didn't feel like it. "I suppose you can stay here. But can you please not look at me like that?" She really hoped the bird would listen to her, because it's stare was off putting.
"A hat for a cat or a cat for a hat. But nothing for nothing." said the owl. "I will listen to you and you will hear me out. How does that sound?"
Elsa couldn't imagine what a bird had to say to her, but it was only fair. So she said, slowly nodding in agreement, and the bird averted its eyes. Probably looking at a stray mice somewhere in the distance.
"Wonderful" said the owl. "So, how would you like to have the moon for a friend?"
"The moon? As a friend?" - Elsa blinked few times, unsure that she heard right.
"Exactly. You see, she can't ask you herself and that is why i was sent here instead" - said the owl, and breaking it's stony stillness, it scratched behind the right wing with one of sharp and pointy claws. "She is a bit shy, you see"
"Shy?" incredulously asked Elsa as she looked at the moon. It shone a bit brighter than usual, and that smile she thought she saw was still there. "How can the moon be shy?"
"I don't know. With pink cheeks and awkward looks, I suppose." The owl looked at the pale disc. "I ask again. Will you be friends with her?"
"I'm afraid i don't understand what you mean." answered Elsa, still confused about all that matter. She thought she heard the bird sigh.
"I thought this would be easier" said the owl. "It's quite simple, you see. She's quite lonely there, up in the sky. And she saw you staring at her every night. Day after day. I suppose she thought she could end this by becoming your friend, that's all."
"It all seems a bit crazy" - said Elsa. She couldn't fully grasp what was going on. The moon wanted to be her friend? How was that possible?
"I guess it is, huh. Anyway, it's not my problem. She just wanted me to ask you and I did it. Guess I'll be going now" hurriedly answered owl as it prepared to fly away by straightening wings.
"Wait!" said Elsa. She was too desperate for any friendship. Even if it meant befriending the moon. "Uh. I suppose I can be her friend." It did seem crazy. A lot.
"Wonderful" - said the owl as it flew away into the dark of the night, disappearing in the shadows behind the banner.
Elsa still stood there, with a confused look on her face. The city was a bit darker now, with less illuminated windows than before. More people had settled down this late into the night. She glanced at the windowsill and saw the claw marks in a thin layer of snow. It was a weird night. A weird night with a weird bird and a weird moon. Something rustled near the window. Leaning on her elbows, Elsa peered outside and looked around. She could see other windows from here, but all were pitch black except one. That was Anna's room. Elsa's sister always liked staying awake this late, probably playing with her new dress or doing homework. Elsa sighed. She seemed to do it a lot that day. Nothing happened, and the moon was still high up, still with that smile of hers. It didn't talk. Of course it didn't, it was only a moon, or so thought Elsa. She leaned back inside, shook off the snow from her elbows, and started to close the window. But as soon as her hand touched the handle, she heard a voice.
"Hello" - said somebody in a sweet voice, - "Do you really want to be my friend?"
Startled, she looked at the moon.
"Um. Hi", - she answered awkwardly. The whole situation was absurd, but sometimes you just have to roll with it to find out where it goes, - "I'm Elsa. The daughter-heir of Arendelle. And you are...?"
"Oh, um, I am the Moon, of course. Nice to meet you, Elsa" - said the voice. It sounded a bit differently now, younger.
Elsa couldn't believe her ears. A bird is one thing, but the moon? Elsa wasn't sure if she was going to faint or go to sleep and pretend it was all a dream. There wasn't anybody else talking, so she had to assume it was the moon.
"My pleasure" she said feeling light-headed, and did a small curtsy. She imagined how she must look like at this moment, talking with nothing and paying respects to the moon. "An owl said you wanted to be my friend, if i understand correctly..."
"Yes, he was talking on my behalf. I never talked with humans before, so i felt a bit shy. Thank you for not freaking out" said the moon. Nothing moved on its face.
"Why me?" asked Elsa. The whole thing felt strange.
"Because i saw you sitting there in your lonely room, night after night. You were always staring at me, expecting something and i never figured what you wanted from me. I never saw you with any other humans, so I thought you might need a friend." said the Moon. Her voice kept changing with every sentence, if only a little.
"But what if i don't need any friends?" Elsa said, feeling bitterness in her throat.
"You wouldn't have accepted the owl's request, otherwise. Everybody needs a friend. In one way or another. Some find it in their family, others in people around them, and some find them within themselves. And some befriend the moon, i guess" The Moon giggled. It was weird to hear such a human emotion from it. Only now Elsa realized that the voice wasn't coming from afar, but sounded very close, like they were few meters apart.
"You sound like you know me" she said protectively. She wasn't used to people or anybody knowing much about her, aside from parents.
"I do know you. I watched you every time the sun set down. I saw you laugh and cry and grieve. And you watched me, expecting something with those pretty eyes" - said the Moon.
"You must be mistaken. I never expected anything from you" - said Elsa confused. What was she talking about?
"Then, say, what do you expect to see in the dark of the night? I'm the only one there"
"I was looking for a wind" said Elsa, finally getting a grasp of this misunderstanding. "The winter's wind, today. It brings me swirls of ice and snow, memories and scents. They are beautiful, illuminated by your light."
"A wind, huh? Well, did you know that i control it?" asked the Moon.
Elsa nodded. She did know that. It was mentioned in Farlain's adventures, not counting countless studying books. But those weren't nearly as fun. "Does that mean you can bring them here? The swirls, i mean." - she said excitingly. Perhaps being friends with the moon wasn't the worst idea.
"Then it means you will be my friend?" - said the Moon
"I don't really have a choice, do i?" - Elsa smiled. She felt warm, for some reason. She never had a friend like this before.
"You have a sister, don't you?"
"Well, i do. We used to be best buddies, but now we're separated. I don't want to talk about it."| Elsa said sourly, hugging herself.
"Don't you love her?"
"Of course. I really love her. It's complicated." - Elsa said, her voice trembling for a moment. Ice started to slowly crawl in a sporadic pattern from her shoes.
"I'm pretty sure she loves you too. " - said the Moon, her voice younger than ever. She sounded as if she was no older than Elsa, - "Do you still want to see the swirls? I think it might cheer you up. We're friends, after all."
"Yes, please, that would be nice" - said Elsa, calming down. There was no reason to add any incidents to this strange night.
The Moon didn't answer, however. Instead, something creaked, whistled, and in its light the snow swirls appeared. Swirling, twirling, like white snakes playing in the pond full of light, they danced and danced. It was like seeing magic. She could do things like this with her own power, but seeing them in nature was far more impressive. There was some strange beauty in it that she couldn't describe. The Moon smiled and smiled, with it's warm distant face. The show didn't last very long. Everything ended just a minute later, followed with some loud creak, something breaking and some distant coughing. The wind was weird tonight. She knew why.
Elsa grinned. She didn't do that often, especially since her parents had died. But today she had a reason. A talking owl and a talking moon, she thought with a smile. It felt like a dream, a pleasant one for a change. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced again to the silent moon, said "Thank you", closed the window and added "Friend" under her breath and chuckled. Elsa suddenly wanted to sleep. She took the book from the chair, placed it on a shelf and undressed. Lying under a blanket on the couch, she still saw the swirls dancing, even as she closed her eyes. And the moon's warm smile made her think of Anna. She grinned again. A few more years, she thought, just wait.
If somebody was there at that very night, they could've seen a deep furrow in the snow on a slanted roof under the window to Elsa's room. It ended abruptly, right on the edge. If they would just glance below, they would see a person sitting there, coughing through a smile despite being half-covered in a snow. But nobody saw it that day, except for a silent owl and an ordinary moon.