Disclaimer: I don't own any Frozen characters.

Chapter 2

Elsa rode hard through the burning streets. She was still weak from her exertion on the blizzard and slouched forward in the saddle. Every turn produced people calling after her, raising their hands to try and get her attention, all crying for help. Elsa wanted to stop but every time she looked behind her she could see a reaper closing in. She knew there were at least a dozen of them, all looking like ancient warriors that had risen from the dead.

After a series of twists and turns through narrow roads and back alleys, Elsa escaped through the city gates. Out on the main road she summoned the strength to raise up in the saddle. She pushed her horse to its limits, her bare feet pressing tight into the leather stirrups. The pouch that Ingo had given her was still clutched in her hand. She struggled to tuck it into the inner pocket of her robe.

The road up ahead split into three paths- one to the port, one to the neighboring town of Hersted, and one to the depths of the forest. She chose the path into the forest. The trees grew tall and thick here. Hardly any moonlight shone through the canopy. It was a warm summer night and the forest was silent except for the furious pounding of her horse's hooves. Elsa didn't know what she was going to do. She didn't even know what she was running from. Could these reapers be harmed?

The war horn sounded. Elsa looked behind her. Through the darkness she could see large black shadows weaving in and out of the trees, each one punctuated with a glowing green coil. Supposing she did manage to escape the reapers, what was to prevent them from going right back to Arendelle? No, she needed to deal with them. She didn't care what that Ingo man had said. Running away wasn't going to solve anything.

Gripping the saddle horn with one hand, she raised her other hand over her head and materialized a long spear of ice. As the spear grew she felt her energy drain. She aimed the spear and then with a flick of her wrist sent it hurling towards one of the shadows. It missed by several yards and shattered into a tree.

Dammit.

She tried again and missed. It was too dark and she was too weak to aim properly.

Suddenly her horse snorted and came to a sliding stop. It reared, turning away from the path. Elsa was nearly thrown but she gripped the horse's mane and held herself close.

"Easy, boy," she said. She looked down the road to see what had spooked him. At first there was nothing, but then she saw the shadows shift.

A reaper emerged from the darkness like a monster out of black water. He was truly enormous. The horns of his helmet curved down. Like the other reapers, there was nothing to his face but a black void. The pauldrons of his armor were lined with craggy spikes, as were his black lobstered gauntlets. His horse's reins were chains and they jangled softly when the horse moved. Two more reapers emerged at his flanks.

The reapers that had been chasing Elsa brought up the rear and in moment Elsa found herself surrounded. The reaper with the horned helmet reached for the green coil of chain at his hip. The other reapers followed suit.

Lassos.

Elsa turned her horse about searching for a possible escape through the circle. The horned reaper threw his lasso. Elsa deflected it with a quick dart of ice. She thrust her hands down and shot icy blasts against the earth. Already scraping the bottom of her energy reserves, the exertion left her dizzy and she slumped forward in the saddle. From the ice patches, two large snow golems unfurled themselves. They were armed with thick ice shields in their chests and long ice claws.

The golems immediately began attacking the reapers closest to them. The distraction gave Elsa half a heart beat's respite, just long enough for her to form another spear of ice and send it sailing straight into the face of the horned reaper. The reaper was knocked from his horse and fell to the ground with a tortured cry.

Elsa saw her chance.

"Go, go!" She kicked her horse and trampled over the wounded reaper. She was too weak to hold herself upright now, too weak to even hold the reins. She clutched the horse's mane and prayed that her feet in the stirrups would be enough to keep her balanced.

The horse veered from the road and headed straight through the forest, weaving through the trees. Branches whipped at Elsa's face and snagged her robe. Behind her rose a collection of angry howls. At least she knew now that the reapers could be injured, possibly even killed. It gave her a bit of hope. All she had to do was keep away from them and try to pick them off one at a time. She would have to pace herself.

She was still formulating a plan of action when her horse stumbled. He screamed and Elsa was thrown from the saddle. She landed hard and rolled across the thick grass until she hit the base of a tree. Groaning, she lifted onto her elbows and looked up to see what had happened. The horse was on his side, thrashing wildly. Wrapped around his hind leg was a glowing lasso. The lasso pulled taut and the horse was dragged back into the darkness.

Elsa growled in frustration, feeling more rage at her weakness than at the reapers. She grasped at the tree and hauled herself up on shaky legs.

"What do you want from me," she shouted. "What is it you want?"

She rolled off of the tree and continued to stumble her way through the forest. Shadows moved around her again. She managed to reach a small clearing where the moonlight gave her a better view of her surroundings.

A reaper emerged from the trees before her. This one had the spired helmet, the one who had sounded the war horn. His lasso was already in his hands. He spun it once and loosed it upon her. Elsa dodged it, but then there was another one, and another. One of the lassos landed around her neck and tightened before she could tear it off. She grabbed it with both hands and pulled. Another lasso circled her waist and pulled her back. She fell and did not have the strength to get up again.

The reaper with the war horn approached and grabbed her legs to wrap his chain around them. He then turned Elsa face down and tied her arms at her back. Elsa could still move her hands. She tried to grab the binds and use her powers to freeze them off, but nothing came from her touch. She opened her hand and tried to spawn another snow golem. Nothing happened, not even a spark of frost. There must have been something about the lassos that negated her powers.

The reaper gagged Elsa with a rag and then covered her head with sack. He grabbed the chains around her waist and lifted her like a suitcase. He carried her to his horse and saddled up, settling her across his lap. Elsa did her best to stay calm. If they were just going to kill her they would have done it. She bit down on the rag in her mouth. It was filthy and tasted like dirt.

Stay calm.

She felt the reaper knee his horse and they set off. Elsa focused on keeping her fear in check.

Just stay calm.