The next chapter of Frozen Fire and Ice

Chapter 6: Wolves

Elsa followed the smoke pillar on her horse to a small little lagoon, with a tiny streaming waterfall. Sitting in the middle of a small, black circle of ash was Hazel, crying. Elsa dismounted her horse and climbed down into the lagoon, towards Hazel. Hearing her footsteps, Hazel quickly turned till she was face to face with Elsa, fear in her eyes.

"Elsa?" she said.

"Hazel," Elsa said with softness in her voice, "It's okay. I've come to bring you back." She took a step toward Hazel, but she put her hands up to stop her.

"No!" Hazel said, "Don't come close! I don't want to hurt you." Elsa took a tender step forward.

"It's okay," she said, "I know you're afraid. I was afraid too. I thought my powers were a curse. But I learned to control it, and I know you can too." Elsa was four steps in front of Hazel, but she didn't step back, or show resistance. She sniffled, tears streaming down her face.

"I wanted to tell you," she said, "That's why I asked you to come to Incendia. It was the only place I could tell you without scaring everyone." Elsa understood.

"And that's why-"

"I didn't think Anna would've understood. She was only a baby."

"Hazel, Anna believed in me, and I know she'll believe in you too." Elsa pressed her palm on Hazel's cheek to calm her.

"I'm sorry." Hazel said.

"Look, what happened back in the castle is long past right now."

"No. I mean before, sixteen years ago." Elsa was a bit confused. Sixteen years ago? What did Hazel do sixteen years ago that she's so upset about? Before Elsa could ask, they heard a sound. Elsa's horse panicked and ran away as they hurd a series of thuds. Kristoff's sled finally pulled up right on the edge of the lagoon. Anna was sitting there, holding a still smiling Olaf.

"Elsa!" he said happily, "and Fire Girl! We finally found you! Happy ending!" But Anna wasn't exactly happy.

"Elsa! We got to go!"

"What's wrong?" Elsa said.

"Wolves!" Kristoff answered. And sure enough, three growling wolves appeared behind them. They stopped and stared at Elsa and Hazel at the bottom of the lagoon. Easy prey. Quickly, Hazel created a small wall of fire with her hand to keep the wolves away and they ran straight for the sled. As soon as they got on, Sven started running, pulling the sled along with him. The wolves gave chase, growling and snarling with their huge, yellow teeth. Anna grabbed hold of a supply bundle and threw it at the wolves, knocking one of them back.

"I got one!" She said excitedly. At that moment, Elsa shot a huge snowball formed from her hands and knocked three wolves back. She quickly turned to Anna.

"I'm sorry," she said slyly, "Did you say something?" Anna scowled. Show off. Sven did a sharp turn, which caused the sled to tilt. Hazel almost fell off the sled, but saved herself by holding on to one of the sled sides. However, she accidentally set fire to that side, which Elsa quickly put out with her ice.

"Elsa," Kristoff said almost angrily, "kindly tell your friend not to burn my sled!" Suddenly, Sven fell of a small ledge, flipped over and landed in the sled as it slid down a hill. The flip knocked off Olaf's carrot nose, which fell of the sled and rolled down the hill just behind the sled. Olaf screamed and jumped for his nose, his face getting flattened by the rolling ground. Anna and Hazel quickly pulled him back, nose in his stick hand, his entire face twisted like a swirled sundae Elsa made once with strawberry and vanilla. Suddenly, more Wolves, probably ten at most, joined the chase and the sled became overwhelmed. Hazel, was starting to get really scared.

"Elsa, listen I'm really sorry!" she started to yell. "It's my fault!"

"Hazel, I forgive you!"

"Me too!" Anna chimed in.

"No!" Hazel said desperately, "It's my fault you got your powers! I made you the Snow Queen!" Elsa didn't fully hear what Hazel said.

"What?"

"I said I-" Before Hazel could finish, the sled bumped into a rock which made it tilt violently, causing Hazel to fall off. She rolled partly down the hill, but managed to land in shrubbery. Elsa cried out, wondering if Hazel was still alive, but a flame escaped from Hazel's hand and hit her in the chest. She fell backward onto the sled in pain, as Anna rushed to help.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I think so," Elsa said painfully, "But I feel…warm." That's when Anna noticed her hair. Streaks of Elsa's blonde hair were beginning to darken to brown. Even her skin began to darken, almost as if it was melting. Anna must have not been good at hiding emotions, because Elsa gave a concerned look.

"Something's happening isn't it?"

"I don't know," Anna said, "It's almost as if you're-" Olaf chimed in before Anna could finish.

"Hey guys?" He said, "If the Earth is round, we can't fall of the edge of it right?" Kristoff looked confused.

"Why would you say-"

"CLIFF!" Anna yelled in horror. Right in front of them was sheer drop, the bottom totally invisible by a thick layer of fog. Instinctivly, Kristoff unhooked the still strapped Sven and told him to jump first. He ran for a bit down the hill, and then leaped, barely missing the other side. Then, after tying Elsa, Anna, and himself to a rope, he counted to three, and they jumped as the sled plummeted down the cliff. They missed the edge, but fortunately the rope they were tied to was attached to a grappling hook that caught the ledge, causing the three to dangle on the rope on the other side. Olaf slipped and fell, reminding the others to hang on. Anna wasn't too worried; Olaf can survive any fall since he's made of non-melting snow. But the grapple hook wasn't going to hold them forever. Kristoff tried to climb, but the hook began to slip. Elsa was particularly concerned.

"Anna," she said, "that hook's not going to hold!"

"Of course it is!" Anna said, "Kristoff knows what he's doing!"

"It won't hold all three of us." Anna looked down at Elsa, her hair almost completely brown and tears lining her face. She wasn't liking where this was going.

"No!" she said, "It's going to hold! Just hold on!"

"Anna," Elsa said, "I'm sorry." Anna began to choke with tears.

"Elsa," she choked. Elsa made a small ice shard with her finger, which was slowly melting.

"I love you," she said as she cut the rope with the shard and fell down into the fog.