Chapter 1
13 years later
It was the sixth building that month.
The once burning wood was now encased in a thin sheet of ice, most of it having melted in the fire, but it had been enough to quench the flames. The new queen had seen to that. Now the work belonged to the cleaning crew as they worked to clear away the debris of what was once a warehouse.
Elsa scanned the building, straining to see if there was any part of it that looked more burnt then any other, a starting point. Her search turned up fruitless, the fire having destroyed too much of the building. According to the buildings owner, it had been empty at the time of the fire. He had been rather upset that the warehouse he just had built was now nothing more than charred rubble, though. On what started the fire, they were both clueless. All Elsa had to go off of was witness accounts, which even those weren't helpful. Most everyone else were either inside or asleep when the fire started.
The young queen stood by as the owner, a merchant, continued to bemoan the loss of his building. "This is getting out of hand!" He said, fiddling with the cuffs of his coat. "It was one thing when they were burning outhouses, but this!" He waved a hand at the remains of his building. "I want someone held responsible for this!"
"I can assure you sir, I'm preparing to have more guards patrolling the streets at night." Elsa said, her voice cool. "Believe me, catching this arsonist is currently my top priority." Somewhat satisfied with her answer, the merchant made a quick nod before excusing himself. Elsa released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She looked down, seeing once again the glint of frost at her feet. Glancing around, she draped the hem of her dress over it. Though she was doing better, being around people still made her nervous. Years of hiding away would do that. The stress caused by the fires wasn't helping.
Tension that had been gathering in her shoulders and neck began to creep it's way up. A headache, one of many, threatening to pound around in her skull. Elsa rubbed her eyes, trying to stave it off. She was starting to show her exhaustion. Looking down, she saw the ice around her feet creep further, peeking out from under her dress. That was it, it was time to quit for today. Food and sleep was all she wanted.
Telling a guard nearby that she was leaving, she began to head towards the castle when something on the ground caught her eye. Bending down, she picked it up. In her hands she held what appeared to be a large, triangular piece of... something. It didn't feel metal, but it didn't quite feel like wood either. The closest feeling Elsa could put on it was that of a fingernail, but thicker, and colored a deep, deep blue. Whatever it was, it was of organic origins. She rotated it in her hand, causing the sun to glint off the object. Biting her lip, she slipped it into the pocket of her jacket. Though she didn't know what it was, she had a feeling she knew who would. Food and sleep were going to have to wait, for now she needed to go find Kristoff.
For the first time in forever, it wasn't the knocking on her door that roused Anna that morning. She had been up rather early, much to the surprise of her attendant. Excitement flowed through her veins. Today was the day. The first party since Elsa's coronation. This time, no nasty surprises, no sudden winters out of season, and of course no princes like him. Yes, today would be much better.
The royal dressmaker had dropped off her dress the previous evening. It now hung upon her dress form, awaiting for Anna to put it on later that evening. For now she wore her usual day to day attire, braids draped over her shoulders. No need to put on her nice dress just yet.
Throwing open her door, Anna raced down the hallway towards the stairs. She skidded on the glistening, mopped floor as she made for the stairs. Jumping up, she landed on the railing, sliding down towards the first floor. Almost colliding with a maid upon landing, she shouted a quick apology over her shoulder as she continued on her way. She hoped she hadn't missed him.
He was usually gone before she even woke up in the late morning. She never got to see him until after he returned in the evenings. Today, she wanted to make sure she saw him at least once that day, beings she was going to be otherwise occupied that evening. She burst out the doors, making a beeline towards the stables. She threw a quick glance to where the sled was usually parked, finding it still there. Good, she just made it.
Upon entering the barn, she found him hunched over, working at Sven's hoof with a pick. The reindeer spotted her first, tilting his head to tap an antler on his owner's head. Kristoff looked up to glare at the reindeer, only to spot Anna making her way down the aisle. The scowl turned into a grin, and dropping Sven's hoof, he moved instead to lean over the reindeer's back. "Well, look at you! You're up before noon! Are pigs flying outside?"
"Ha ha, you're hilarious." Anna rolled her eyes. She joined him in leaning on Sven's back, biting her lip around a smile. "I wanted to see you before you left for the day."
"I'll see you later tonight, won't I?" He asked, surprise washing over his face. She raised an eyebrow. "OH! That's right! Your party's tonight isn't it?" Kristoff mentally smacked himself. How could he have forgotten, she had been pretty much vibrating with joy after Elsa had come up with the idea. Not to mention she'd been talking about it for weeks afterward. "Well I appreciate the gesture." He reached up, brushing a stray lock of her hair behind an ear. She leaned her head into his touch as he let his fingers linger against her skin.
They began to lean in towards each other when the soft clacking of footsteps began to echo in the stable. Turning, they found Elsa walking towards them. "Elsa! Good morning!" Anna greeted her sister, running forward to give her a warm hug.
"Anna! You're awake this early? What's the occasion?" Elsa giggled, wrapping her arms around her, holding her close. She never got tired of Anna's hugs. They had almost thirteen years worth to catch up on, after all.
Anna made an annoyed grunt before pulling away, making Elsa giggle. "If you must pry..."
"Oh I must, I must."
"Gerda said I could go with her to get flowers for tonight. Plus, I wanted..." Anna trailed off, shooting a shy glance towards Kristoff. He blushed.
Elsa smiled a knowing smile. "I got it. I'm sorry if I interrupted anything, but you best be going. You know better than to keep Gerda waiting."
Anna nodded. She turned back to Kristoff, giving him a quick peck on the cheek good-bye. "If I don't see you tonight..."
"...I'll see you tomorrow." Kristoff finished, giving her a peck back. With one last smile to the both of them, Anna turned and hurried out of the stables.
Now Elsa turned her full attention to the ice master, a smile on her own face. "Good morning Kristoff." She curtsied, prompting him to bow back. With one hand resting behind his back, the other resting across his waist, he leaned forward into a deep bow.
"Good morning..."
"Remember, sweep your right foot back a bit."
He did as instructed. "...Your Majesty."
She beamed. "Good. Your form is getting better."
"I have a good teacher." He said, straightening.
She blushed. "Sometime in the future I hope to have some more time for your lessons, but with this arsonist..."
Kristoff's brow furrowed. "Don't tell me there was another fire."
Elsa nodded, her eyes skirting away from his to look at the floor.. "A warehouse, near the center of town this time." She reached into her pocket, touching the object she had picked up. "Kristoff, are you in an absolute hurry to get to the mountains this morning?" He shook his head. "Can you take me to see Pabbie?"
The trees blurred past them as Sven ran, pulling the sled behind him with ease. Elsa tried to not get tossed out, holding on to the sides as tight as she could. As they neared their destination, Kristoff pulled back on the reins. "So why do you need to see Grand Pabbie, your majesty?" Kristoff asked, sitting back.
"First off, it's 'Elsa'," She started with a smile, "second I found something at the warehouse this morning. I can't place what it is, but I think Pabbie might know."
It was a few minutes later when they finally came to the steam vents, Kristoff bringing Sven to a stop just short of them. Jumping out, he came around to Elsa's side, and extending a hand, helped her out. "Such a gentleman." He blushed again.
Following close behind him, Elsa wrapped her travel cloak tighter around her. Not because she was cold, but because memories came rushing back. Her striking Anna in the head. The panic in her parents faces. Fear as they raced towards this valley. It wasn't something Elsa wanted to relive. Her visit today wasn't about Anna or her powers for once. Though it could be for something much, much worse.
Rounding a corner, an assortment of large round boulders greeted them. Kristoff wandered out into the middle and let out a shout as Elsa watched. A deep rumbling followed shortly afterward as the rocks came to life, rolling towards him. Unfurling, one of the trolls let out an excited shout. "Kristoff's home!" With a cheer everyone rushed forward, eager to greet him. Shouts of greeting and gossip filled the valley as they all tried to get Kristoff's attention. Laughing, he finally managed to get them calmed down enough to get in a word.
"Yes yes it's great to see you all, but where's Grand Pabbie?"
Another boulder rolled through the group, coming to a stop just short of the ice harvester. Unfurling, Pabbie greeted him. "Hello Kristoff, how are you my boy? How's Anna?"
"I'm fine, and so's Anna. Ice is all gone from her heart." Kristoff said, a sigh of relief echoing from the trolls surrounding him.
Pabbie smiled. "Good, good, glad to hear it. Though I'm guessing your visit isn't a social call? What can I do for you my boy?"
Kristoff shifted his feet. "Well, it's not what you can do for me..."
"I was the one who wished to speak with you, Pabbie." It was only then did everyone even notice Elsa standing there. Taking a deep breath, Elsa stepped forward, throwing back her hood to reveal her white-blonde hair. Hushed voices surrounded her as the trolls whispered amongst themselves, wondering who she was. From what she could gather, they were thinking she was Kristoff's new girlfriend. She pursed her lips to hide her amusement.
When she reached Pabbie, he bowed low. "Ah, your majesty, Queen Elsa." The trolls confusion turned into complete shock upon realizing who she was, some even bowing out of respect. "And what can I do for you? Any issues with your powers?"
Elsa shook her head. "I think I have that covered." She flicked a wrist, allowing a wisp of snow to form and fall. "I have something I wanted to show you." Kneeling down, Elsa reached into her pocket. "I don't know if you are aware, but we've been having a series of arson's popping up in Arendelle."
"Ah yes, and they've been escalating, I'm guessing?"
Elsa nodded. "Though when I went to go investigate the most recent one, I found this." She took the object out of her pocket, now wrapped in a scarf. She handed it to Pabbie, who proceeded to unwrap it. "I have no clue on what it is. I was hoping you would know?"
Pabbie removed the object from it's wrapping, and gasped. Well, that wasn't what I wanted to hear. Elsa thought to herself as he turned the object over in his hands.
The elder troll took a deep breath before he finally began to speak, his eyes never leaving the object in his hands. "Oh yes, yes I know what this is. Though it has been decades, no, centuries since I've seen one. I had hoped I would not see one ever again." He sighed and shook his head, holding it up for the others to see. A collective gasp rose from the other trolls.
Elsa began to get nervous, the air around her growing colder. "What is it Pabbie?"
"It's a scale. A dragon scale."
The ride home had been a silent affair, Elsa lost in her own thoughts. The scale once again in her pocket. She had hoped that learning what the scale had been would ease her mind, but it had done the exact opposite. If Pabbie was right, they had a bigger problem on their hands than simple arsonist. A nudge against her arm pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up to see Kristoff scanning her face, trying to get a reading. "You okay?" He had felt the chill in the air when they had spoken with Pabbie. He knew what it meant.
She shrugged. "I don't know what I had hoped Pabbie would say. Though I can say, this wasn't what I wanted to hear." She had rattled her brain since they left to try and remember the old stories. The old Norse tales of dragons that she had read as a child. None had come to mind, she would have to do some reading once she got home.
The gates of Arendelle appeared faster than she thought, the walls looming over them. Kristoff once again pulled the reins back, stopping Sven just short of the gate. "I'm gonna drop you off here if that's alright, Your..." A sound of protest from Elsa, "...Elsa."
She smiled, hopping out of the sled, draping her hood over her head once more. "I'll be fine walking from here, thank you Kristoff."
"Hey." Kristoff scooted over on the seat, reaching out to touch Elsa's shoulder. "I'm not quite sure if this helps, but for what it's worth, I think that dragon made a big mistake messing with the Snow Queen."
She smiled. "Thanks."
He smiled at her before she turned towards the gates. "Oh, and Elsa." She stopped and turned. "Get some sleep. You look exhausted." With one last smile, he snapped the reins and was gone, leaving Elsa to stand there dumbfounded. She chuckled after a moment, realizing he was right. Exhaustion was beginning to creep into her limbs. Though she had hoped to do some reading, she knew at this point she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the words. Sleep first, THEN dragons. But the question of the day kept popping into her head the whole walk to her room. How do you deal with a dragon?