Rapunzel was sitting by the unlit fireplace with her knitting needles in hand. She had asked for nice wool for her birthday so that when winter came she would be extra toasty, but there was still enough yarn in the house for little projects: mittens, hats, and the like.

Elsa was in their shared room, practicing with her snow magic, though she didn't tell Rapunzel that. Rapunzel knew by how cold it had gotten in the house, cold enough to force Rapunzel to cuddle in her own hair with Pascal. She wouldn't tell Elsa that though, if Elsa knew she would quit practicing all together.

Ever since the house was made two years ago, Elsa did nothing else major. Sometimes Rapunzel would see an ice flower or a tiny snow sculpture hidden away in corners of their room, but these would always melt within the hour. It was such a shame, they were always so beautiful, so delicate.

Rapunzel set down her knitting and started to uncurl her hair from around her. Mother had been gone for four days now, she would nearly be to town. It was the dead of night, and she would need another week to return. Considering how fast she has been aging recently, probably more.

"I know it's insensitive to think that, Pascal," she quickly told her chameleon friend, who was rather miffed about not having the warmth of the hair anymore, "But we can't ignore Mother's age forever. We may never get a chance like this again," she walked purposefully across the ice floor to her room.

"Elsa!" Rapunzel called, sliding across the floor so she could collide with the bed. Elsa, caught by surprise, dropped her hands and stepped on whatever ice sculpture she was trying to create this time.

"Rapunzel? I thought you were knitting. Is it time for bed?" Elsa asked, her voice shaking a bit.

"No, not yet. But I thought, and hear me out," Rapunzel grabbed Elsa's shoulders and bent down so they could be eye level, "what if…we went outside?"

"Rapunzel," Elsa took a step back, pushing herself away without the use of her hands. She had gotten in the habit of wearing gloves ever since the accident, though she never wore them when practicing. During these times she would just be extra careful with where her hands were.

"Oh come on Elsa! Mother is gone, and she won't be back for at least a week. It's dark outside, no one is ever even around here! We don't have to go far, let's just go lie in the field! What Mother doesn't know won't hurt her," Rapunzel reached out to touch Elsa's shoulder again, but Elsa stepped out of reach.

"You can go outside, I won't tell Mother," Elsa said. She then headed over to her dresser and fished out her sleeping gown. Rapunzel sighed and followed suit, looking for her own pink nightgown.


Kristoff woke both Flynn and Anna in the morning. Anna grumbled and didn't move for 10 minutes, though she continued to confirm that she was, in fact, awake and just resting her eyes.

Flynn also didn't appreciate the early morning call, but he was used to it and helped the Mountain Man take down camp and set up the sled.

"See here Ginger, this is exactly what I mean when I say you are not ready for the real world," Flynn commented as Anna sat up for first time since being awake.

"I am growing girl and I need my sleep more than you two," Flynn had no doubt that she would have plopped back down and fell asleep again if her pillow Sven wasn't being attached the sled.

By the time they hit the road the sun was already fairly high in the sky.

"At this rate it will still take us two more days to reach the top of the mountain," Kristoff commented as their sled tried to maneuver through the thick forest.

"That's still shedding a day off what it would be walking," Anna said, making a face at the word walking.

"Well, we could take off two days if we leave when the sun is still rising," Kristoff muttered to himself, but only Flynn heard. Anna was too busy trying to tie her hair in the wind of the sled, since the boys didn't let her take care of it back at camp.

"Can we just ride through the night? That will get us there before tomorrow morning," Flynn suggested, more than eager to make the trip as short as possible.

"It's possible, but I don't want to push Sven too much," Kristoff looked with deep concern for his reindeer friend, and Flynn decided not to pursue the subject. The whole talking to the reindeer thing really weirded him out, no need to learn more about their relationship.

They rode until a little past noon, when they stopped for lunch and water for Sven. And, despite their loss of time because Princess Anna was a late sleeper, something she was making up for in mockery, Flynn was actually feeling less pessimistic about their prospects. He was sure that they wouldn't find any lost princess or anything, but he thought that maybe once they got to the top of this mountain Anna would give up, and let him bring her home for a hefty fee.

Gothel did not expect that sled to move as fast in the summer. The trio got a jump on her, and though she wasn't aware how fast they were moving she had no problem tracking them. The sled pulled up grass wherever it went, all she had to do was follow the tracks.

She was two days walk from the top of the mountain, but Gothel knew the herbs of this mountain well. She made a point of learning them when they first relocated. And she knew there was an herb found on this mountain that gave a person energy, energy like no other.

Normally she wouldn't use it, as the crash afterward was horrible and really left her craving a song. But with it she could move through the night without sleep, and get to the top of the mountain by the morning.