This chapter was really hard to come up with! But I have! Small achievement achieved! Oh, they're seventeen in this chapter, just to let you know.
"This is it. The year everything changes. The year we escape into the wild, evil, terrifying unknown. The year our parents will want to yell off our ears. The year every single demonic being will be after us. The year we have to find four talismans, that we don't even know where they are. The year we face the supreme thing of malevolence." Anna told her sister, looking out the window. Elsa looked at the sixteen-year-old sitting opposite of her.
"Isn't your heart supposed to be filled with magic and light?"
"I wasn't finished. It's also the year that we run-off with our best friends. Just us. No bowing, curtsying, your majestying, and princessying. I still feel guilty, though."
"You know what they'll say! "Don't go! They're bad influences! It's too dangerous!" We can't let them know! They'll stop us!" Elsa countered.
"I know . . . but can I at least feel bad about it?"
"Sure."
"Okay . . . Hey, I think we're almost there!" Anna rocked in her seat, clearly excited.
"You won't turn Jack into a newt again, right?"
"It was an accident!"
"Of course, of course . . ." Elsa teased as their carriage came to a stop. Both girls weren't scared. They were petrified, and talking seemed to help ease the fear.
Elsa opened the door and stepped out, Anna behind her. Burgess was now a place of trading, hunting, and craftsmanship. Many shops and homes lined the streets, though most were closed. The mayor was greeting the royal family and almost everyone in the town was in the main hall.
Elsa and Anna walked carefully behind their parents, waiting to give their greetings to the mayor's family . . . which included Rebecca.
Rebecca herself had turned into a fine young lady, but she annoyed Elsa greatly. Anna knew why, but she also knew that if she merely suggested it, her sister would freeze her feet together. It had happened before, and Anna was not anxious for a repeat. But the reason Rebecca hated the older princess was because of Jack.
The close friendship between her sister and the boy was uncanny to Anna. It was as if they could communicate with their eyes, but they could all do that. Jack, however, seemed to see things in her sister that even Anna could not.
These thoughts flashed through Anna's mind as the two older girls curtsied to each other.
After the greetings had been made both families walked into the main hall. Nearly both families, as the two princesses were gone the moment they could leave. Straight to the old tulip poplar.
"How you been, Els?" Jack asked as they shook hands, while Kristoff and Anna exchanged knowing glances behind their backs.
"Well, it's nice to see you're not a newt anymore . . ."
"Hey!" Anna protested, as the other three laughed.
"That scared are you?" Kristoff asked Elsa. She nodded.
"Umm, yeah. We don't what or where the talismans look like and are. No one except us and Grandpabbie know about this whole journey thing. And when we come back, if we come back, what will our consequences be?"
"And you were telling me to lighten up." Anna mumbled, still miffed about the newt comment.
"Yeah, I mean what about last time you guys were here? We were attacked by at the least fifty monsters, and Jack nearly died . . ." All shuddered at Kristoff's retelling.
"Yeah, Devia's arrow got me pretty good." Jack pulled on his shirt to let them see a star shaped scar under his left collarbone.
"A couple more inches and I'd be dead. I owe you one, Princess . . ." Jack told Elsa. She gave him a weak smile. Elsa was the one who usually did the medical conditions, and she was good at it.
"I'm sure you'll save my life sooner or later."
"They'll be missing us . . ." Anna said suddenly, turning towards the direction of the town. No sooner than she said it than, the captain of the guard's voice rang out,
"Your majesties! Where are you!?"
"You and your prophet's sight . . . See you guys in the morning. We'll meet here. Els and I can whip up a snowstorm. By the time we're twenty miles from here, they'll just be realizing we left . . ." Jack's voice had a sad tone to it and Elsa realized he was thinking about his mother and sister.
"Hey, it'll be okay." She whispered to him, putting a hand on his arm. Jack nodded, but she knew it probably didn't help.
"Come on guys, let's go." Kristoff mumbled.
"W-w-would you l-like another biscuit, m-miss?" The young girl's voice trembled as she held out a platter to Elsa. Elsa gave a small laugh and beckoned the girl closer. She did and Elsa whispered in her ear.
"No thank you, but I should let you know that slumping your shoulders only makes it worse. Trust me, and if you want to make your mother and brother proud, keep your chin up." The girl's eyes widened and her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.
"How did you know that I have a brother?" she whispered back to Elsa.
"Oh, he talks about you all the time, but don't tell anyone I said that. Especially Jack, or he'll kill me in a snowball fight. Do promise, Ms. Emma." Emma looked at Elsa in shock but before she could say anything the mayor called out,
"I think we're fine here Emma." And the young girl nodded, gave Elsa a quick glance, and walked to another table. The mayor's wife watched Emma before talking again.
"Ah, the Overland family is a good one. Mrs. Overland is the finest seamstress that I have ever seen and her daughter, the shy thing, is quite sweet once you get to know her. Her son Jack has turned out quite fine too, so has his friend, Kristoff." The mayor's wife said glancing at her daughter as she said it. Anna felt Elsa stiffen beside her and the king raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, really?" He asked looking over at his two daughters. "Are they the two boys who always seem to have good lies and comebacks?"
"Yes, but they really are fine young men once you get to know them. Kristoff is extraordinary with the animals and Jack is skilled in the arts of black-smithing and carpentry. And both are good with trading and the young ones . . . Though Kristoff, the poor boy, is an orphan and Jack lost his father. It was really quite tragic and mysterious." She ended sadly. The king nodded, glancing at his daughters. The queen shook her head in amusement.
It was not if he had anything to worry about. Two common boys didn't have a chance with her daughters. But she looked around the room until she found the two young men.
They were sitting with several other boys and girls their age. She noticed that the little girl Emma was on Jack's knee, looking at him curiously. She examined the little things about them.
The way Kristoff seemed alert and on the edge of his seat. How Jack was sitting with his head raised slightly, as if he had an air of nobility around him. Both had a light in their eyes that made her smile and shake her head again.
The queen looked at her eldest and noticed how Elsa's eyes seemed to have a look of happiness and excitement in them whenever they came here. Anna too was more cheerful than usual, which created a perky and energetic atmosphere. Suddenly she saw that Elsa's gloves were off.
Were they always off? In fact neither of the girls had been around like they had been in the other villages . . . Strange.
"Well, we have a long day full of debating tomorrow, so we all must be going to bed. Goodnight, sir." The royal family stood and politely left the room, going to their different sleeping quarters. But not before the four friends eyes met, and gave each other courage.
"Come on, Anna!" Elsa hissed as she and her sister ran up the hill. Burgess lay peacefully behind them. Both girls were wearing trousers, shirts, and boots, garments Anna had created in two seconds.
"Took you two long enough!" Kristoff hissed at them.
"Well, you didn't have to sneak past twenty guards!" Anna reasoned.
"We have to go, come on!" Jack told them. But he paused and looked back before running off into the night. A gentle hand taking his arm made him glance to the front. Elsa gave him a soft smile, and he knew they had to go.
They put their hands together and focused. A sudden shot of blue ice went upwards, and the clouds thickened. The four friends ran off into the forest.
Then the snowflakes began to fall.
"Adgar, why would they?" the queen whispered through tears. Her husband shook his head in sadness and hugged her to his chest. They were gone.
Her two beautiful daughters gone. This morning. No one knew where they went. Or why.
A sudden pounding on the library door made the king call, "Come in!"
The mayor burst in with the captain, his family, the owners of the orphanage, and the Overlands. The king saw that the woman from the orphanage and both of the Overlands had tears in their eyes.
"What is it!?" The king asked sharply.
"We believe it was a kidnapping." The captain said grimly. The two royals stood up.
"What!?" The queen gasped. The mayor nodded solemnly.
"Yes, neither Jackson Overland or Kristoff Bjorgman has been seen. We've sent out search parties, but with all this snow-" The mayor began, but he was cut off.
"My big brother would never ever ever I mean never kidnap or hurt anyone!" Emma's nine-year-old voice shook with fury. Everyone looked at her in surprise and shock.
"Emma we-" Her mother started.
"No, Mama! He wouldn't and you know it and Kristoff would sooner jump off a cliff!"
"We've had maids search the girls rooms for clues, but face it Emma, most of the evidence points to your brother and his friend." The captain tried to soothe the young child.
"They would never." A sudden soft knocking made Rebecca quickly open the door. One of the maids stood in the doorway holding a small wooden object.
The king quickly thanked her and shut the door, not noticing it hadn't closed all the way, and began to examine the small item in his hand.
"What is it, Adgar?" The queen asked nervously. He shook his head, and rapidly found a note glued to one side of the cube. He read it to the rest of them.
The others would kill me if they knew about this, but I think you deserve a right to know the truth. It's hard to tell, but I can show you . . . To unlock this, repeat the first word that comes into your head.
Love, Anna
The king thought for a moment then whispered something to the cube. Nothing happened.
"Could that have eve-" The captain stopped and the king dropped the cube.
The wood had turned into a light blue, and smooth something. Then the king recognized it.
"Moonstone . . ." he said aloud. Then in a burst of light the moonstone seemed to dissolve into thousands of pieces of a sandy looking substance that floated into the air. It formed into a flat, rectangular . . . window of some sort.
"What is it?" Emma whispered. No one answered. As no one knew.
Then the image started to play.
Ta-da! Cliff hanger! Quote: "Sometimes people choose to leave not because of selfish reasons, but they just know that things will get worse if they stay." Unknown. By the way, I've gotten over a thousand views! Yay! Chapter eight will be up soon I promise.
