Leaving the warm castle you venture once more into the frigid cold. Entering a forest you weave through the snow covered tress bowing down to the snow's power. Walking though the white stuff you're soon up to your knees in the stuff. Every now and again your eyes flicker to the heart monitor as the harsh wind burns your nose with every inhale. The forest is eerie silent apart from your heavy breathing, the light beeping of the monitor, and the crunching snow beneath your steps. Taking another step you sink to your wait. Frustration coats your expression, but you continue. To take your mind off the chill you being to run through what you've learned about the case so far.
Two siblings one cursed with powers of ice and snow like The Snow Queen, the other normal, but loved her sister dearly even despite the separation they endured. A self-proclaimed king who just the very thought of caused a chill to ripple down your spine. An ice palace, and Anna frozen upon the lake. Several questions plague your mind, but you focus on the few that have momentarily relevance. What caused Elsa to freeze Anna's heart – if you believe that Hans fellow? How exactly are you going to bring back summer and save the kingdom? And what to expect once you reach the ice palace.
Reaching the top of a hill you spot smoke further up ahead. You thank whoever may be listening and press forward praying for a fire. You arrive in front of a small cabin underneath a mountain of snow. Discovering a sign also covered you give it a smack and read, Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna. A small hopeful grin curves your lips knowing just beyond the door awaits something promising to fight the chill away. You only wish you had a chance to use the sauna, but the case comes first.
You enter hoping whoever this Oaken person is he can help you by providing info or have some clues on how Anna became a statue or why Elsa ran off. A voice calls you. Turning you find a short man standing behind a contour. A red bread upon his face, gentle eyes staring at you, placid smile, and tapping his fingers together. Nothing seems off putting about the man expect his vibrant sweater and matching hat. He speaks again his thick accent makes it hard to understand, but you do your best. "Yoo hoo, Big Summer!" You bite back the chuckle. Typical sells man trying to do business even in the formidable weather. "I have bathing suits, clogs, and a sunblock of my own design all."
You wave off the man's offer as your eyes flicker to a familiar sight upon the contour. Picking up the necklace by the green and black cloth you run your fingers over the symbol recalling where you've seen it before. It was subtle blink and anyone would miss it. You recognize it as a crocus which littered the banners inside the castle. You figure it as a sign of the royal family probably part of their crest. Holding it up in question you ask the man about it.
"Ah, a nice girl with red hair came in a few days ago and traded that for vinter clothes, some climbing supplies and carrots. She left with a very rude man and his reindeer up the mountain looking for someone."
Figuring it might be a lead you reach into your cloak's pocket pulling out a small pouch of coins hearing then rattle. Dropping it in front of Oaken he gazes at you in shock, but accepts the currency. "Take care stranger," he bade you farewell.
Back out in the freezing cold you placed the necklace into your cloak pocket flipping up hood you once again set off for north for the mountains summit.
Deeper into the woods you venture darkness slowly closing upon you. After hours spent in the cold you wonder if you will ever feel warmth ever again, or will you become another statistic in the frozen hell. Your thoughts of self doubt are interrupted by shrill alarm and rapid beeping. A savage chill ravages your body, the cold nips at any exposed skin, and a howl catches your ear. Using the dim light of the setting sun you squint seeing the yellow glow of animal's eyes. A wolf leaps out blocking your path baring fangs and growling. You notice how strange its fur is in the unusual snowy summer. Tuffs of white fur coats the wolf's body in a splotchy pattern, but normal black fur sits atop its head. The animals winter coat gives you pause for a second wondering if this is the effect of Elsa's powers. The wolf crotches down ready to pounce, but before it takes the leap the winds whistles causing the wolf to cease its action and perk its ears. Those vicious yellow eyes become blank in an almost hypnotic state. It head lulls to one side, tongue hanging out, and the wolf lowers it to the snow covered ground whimpering submissively. Unsure to what's going on you attempt to go around. Rising the wolf barks at you, not in warning as before, but different this time. Almost as if the animal is inviting you to follow it. Turning tail the wolf starts to head into the woods going westward. It looks back at you meeting your uncertain gaze, and moving its head towards the tree line. Shrugging you follow the creature having experienced stranger things during past cases.
Following the wolf it leads you through the woods to the opening of a cave. It barks into the darkness gaining an echo in return. It backs away allowing you pass. Giving the wolf a nod you enter finding a few torches a few steps in. Grabbing one you reach into your pocket withdrawing a lighter you've been carrying around in case such a situation presented itself. Lighting it you venture into the cave wondering what you will find. Outside you hear the wind howl, water drips onto the floor, every step echoes, but you have no complaints about the eerie darkness for the dingy cave provides much needed warmth.
The cave opens up and in the middle the dim torches light catches something large. Moving closer you discover it as a statue. Lifting up your torch you recognize the figure depicted immediately as The Snow Queen you saved long ago. You decide to do some exploring while you're there. Going to the wall the light reveals it's covered different colors of paint depicting various scenes.
Skimming your hand along the wall you discover ones that are familiar like your first encounter with The Snow Queen, the beast that turned out to be her father who sacrificed his soul to protect her, the Golden Child – Gerda saving the queen's son with a single tear. The next another adventure where you help the fire bearer Ross in his attempt to save his beloved Rapunzel and her lonely sister Belladonna. The giant creature attacking you both until finally Rapunzel sacrifices herself to stay and comfort her sister for eternity. Finally a series you haven't experienced. It starts with tiny rocks turning into small moss covered creatures. A family asking for help a man holding a small child, followed by one of the trolls erasing the child's memory. The final one gives you a sense of dread surrendered by dark pink, it appears to be a warning of sorts about snow covering the land in an eternal freeze. Looking closer you notice tiny unreadable symbols in gold.
"It's truly a shame isn't it detective," a soft voice calls to you. Whipping around you squint in the dim light able to determine a figure in the shadows. Holding up the torch you're able to discover the person in question's identity is in fact the Snow Queen herself. Titling your head you discover she is translucent. She walks towards you in slow strides and running her hand along the walls. The Snow Queen stops her hand under the third painting. She sighs forlornly, the air grows colder, and few beeps catch your attention. "It seems my own selfish desire to resurrect my son had not only cursed me, but granddaughter as well. The poor dear must be just as frightened as I was upon discovering the monster she might become. Fear is a formidable foe and the very few things can defeat it. Even then it still lingers, but as long as a ray of happiness is present there is a chance and the fear can be vanquished. She removes her hand, her deep swirling deep blue eyes meet you. She chuckled and the icy chills lifts. "Of course knowing you're here gives me a sense of calm. For I know if anyone can save their lives it's you detective." With one finally nod she vanishes back in the darkness.
Moving to the spot where she touched you examined it finding that the strange symbols were replaced by words. 'An act of true love can thaw a frozen heart', you read unsure how it will pertain to your case, but you make a note of it.
Knowing the cave holds nothing else for you, you reluctantly head back into the cold. With new information and more question than answers you venture on using the moon as your guide.
Further into the forest you take a moment to breathe. Under the pale moon's light you find yourself in a beautiful winter wonderland the tree limbs jingle like Christmas time bells as you pass through them. A once majestic waterfall frozen solid forming ridges overlapping themselves. Despite all the danger you have seen, you do take a moment to see the beauty of the winter as well. Knowing there is still a case at hand you carry on only once you make it through the glorious winter scape you arrive at a precarious and heart stopping area. Looking ahead you nothing by icicles jetting out of every flat surface offer by the land. Large protruding ones nearly reaching the sky and surrounded my more icicles to deter any possible visitors. Bypassing them you move on coming finding yourself stopped by a dead end. A mountain's face blocks your path and it seems there is no way around it. Knowing your climbing skills aren't good you decide and hope there is a way around the mountain. Finding a small passage you journey down it wondering just how far you have left before reaching your destination.
Rounding a rocky corner you stop dead in your tracks as your eyes catch sight of the castle in the rising dawn. Pink and purple rays of the coming sun cast down revealing the ice palace all the colors of the dawn shine down creating a rainbow of color in the clear ice. Looking down you find an icy staircase leading up towards the castle. Taking each step carefully you note the railing is shattered. Taking another step a might roar echoes, causing the ground to shake beneath your feet. Losing your footing you slide down the steps and a shadows blocks out the golden light. Turning around you came face-to-face with a gigantic figure, it reaches down with fail swoop grabbing you in its mighty claws, and carries you up to the ice palace.
A/N: Sorry for not updating this for awhile got busy and side tracked with other projects. Now there is a spoilers for the game Ballad of Rapunzel, but that's just one ending.