Shipwrecked
As the ship was buffeted mercilessly by waves, one of the crew members went to break the news to the only passenger.
"Are we sinking?" she asked fearfully.
"I'm afraid so, ma'am," he answered, "but fortunately, there is a port nearby. We should be able to get to safety."
She nodded.
"We'll be able to continue our voyage to Farfalla, but it may take a few weeks to restock our supplies and arrange your passage on another ship."
"Very well." She managed to smile. "I'm sure Arendelle is a wonderful kingdom."
"Gather anything you may need, but try to pack sparingly. We're lucky to be escaping with our lives, but we won't have the chance to unload any cargo."
After she had packed a few essential items, she made sure she had plenty of ink and paper. She had intended to journey to Farfalla and write a story about the widowed king's recent marriage to Queen Królowa. It was what gave her the greatest pleasure in life: traveling to other kingdoms and hearing their legends or learning about the lives of the people there.
This delay in Arendelle was unexpected, but she was determined to make the best of it. While she was here, why not learn the stories of Arendelle as well?
Within half an hour, she had arrived onshore with the crew. She was a bit shaken, but grateful to be alive. Surely after she had recovered from her fear, this too would make a good story, a thrilling adventure for future generations. As if mocking them, the sea was calm without the slightest trace of the tempest that had damaged their ship beyond repair.
"Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs."
She turned to see who had spoken. Not at all startled to see a talking snowman, she immediately hugged him.
"It's nice to meet you, Olaf. I'm Lene, and I like good stories." She smiled as she noticed the permanent snow cloud that hovered over Olaf wherever he went. "I've never seen a snowman this early in autumn before!"
"Queen Elsa can make snow and ice and all things cold," Olaf explained, "but I prefer summer!"
"I do too," Lene replied. "Whenever I get too hot, it's always easy for me to cool down, but when I get too cold, I can never warm up, no matter how close I stand to the fireplace."
"But you like snowmen, don't you?"
"Of course, Olaf! I love snowmen, especially if they can talk."
"What brings you to Arendelle?"
"Shipwreck," she answered. "I was on my way to Farfalla, but there was a storm, and it was either come here or sink."
"Don't worry! I know what will cheer you up! Why don't you come to the wedding?! I'm sure Anna won't mind! Oh, there's nothing like true love to make everything better!"
Lene brushed back a strand of her hair. "Do you know the name of this port, Olaf?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Do you know a place I can stay?"
"Yeah. Why?"
Before she could respond, Lene heard another voice.
"Olaf, who is it?" Princess Anna approached the group.
"Your Highness." The captain of the ship bowed. "We were fortunate enough to find your port during the storm. We hope you'll forgive the intrusion. We won't be here long."
"I'll ask Elsa if you can stay in the castle!" Anna offered. "I've never met anyone from…where did you say you lived?"
"Autoare," Lene answered with a curtsy.
"What's it like there?"
"We have a lot of flat land and small towns," replied Lene. "I'm afraid there's nothing too exciting there. We don't have mountains or fjords or coastline like Arendelle, but that's the beauty of traveling. You get to see different lands and share a connection with people and places you've only read about, and then you get to write your own stories. I've been trying to learn the legends of other kingdoms."
"We have plenty!" Anna smiled. "You must have quite a few tales yourself since you've traveled so much!"
"Oh…um…well, I guess you could say that…"
"You and I are going to be great friends! I know it!"