It was a grey day in the town, but despite the gloomy weather, there were many people out. Apparently the dampness was common for that area, and they were near a marsh. From Geralt, Elsa learned that the town made most of their profit from fishing and trade. She could have put that together, seeing all the boats lined up next to each other near the docks. She asked him if that had anything to do with the unusual name of the inn. The inn owner said that it was simply based off a legend he had heard as a boy. When he would go fishing with his father, he would hear stories of a giant squid that could take down entire boats. Instead of being scared, he was fascinated by the tale, and wondered what else could live in the sea.

He named his business after a childhood tale. But to Geralt, it was not just a story from childhood. It was what he grew up with.

Once Elsa asked what errands she could run for him, he gave her a huge load of fish. It was his last catch, and he wanted to sell it to the traders from the south that were currently in town. The fish smelled horrible, and stunk the whole place. But somehow, the stench seemed to blend in with the rest of the salty sea air around them. As much as Elsa did not want to carry the stinky, slimy fish, she did not really have much of a choice. After all, she tried her very best to keep every promise she made.

"Can I help you out there?" Tanya asked as she watched Elsa try to carry the first load to the market.

"No I think I have it under con-"

Elsa realized that was not really a question, because Tanya automatically picked up a huge bag of smelly fish. She grinned at Elsa. Despite her legs, she was not going to let Elsa pull all the weight. The queen was surprised but then appreciative of the unexpected kind gesture.

"Oh, um thanks. But you need to watch out for-" She was cut off again.

"I'll be fine! Watch, I've got muscles of steel!" Tanya flexed and then grunted as she picked up the heavy load. "I really do, I swear!"

Elsa could not help but giggle, and place her hand over her mouth. She was so cute, trying to help despite her legs probably hurting tremendously. Tanya was doing it to impress her; that was evident.

The queen was amazed at how, during the short time that had passed, the princess had changed her attitude toward Elsa. She was still somewhat rash, independent, and outspoken, but had become more open and calm. But again, that could have been because Elsa dropped the subject about her powers. Would she try to shut Elsa out again if she mentioned her magic? Any magic in general? She was curious, how much control did Tanya really have over her powers? Was she just lying to Elsa? The queen needed to know these things, if she was going to try and help the princess. If she actually needed any.

"See? No problem, my queen!" Was that supposed to be a pet name?

Dumbly, as if to process Tanya's words, Elsa repeated, "My queen?"

The princess stopped and looked at her. She was beet red. "I- I mean, Elsa. I'm sorry, I shouldn't be addressing you like that." She was stuttering and dropped a few fish.

Elsa laughed, making Tanya even more embarrassed. However, she wasn't laughing at her, but in her own embarrassment. "You can call me whatever you want, I'm your friend after all." It was the first time either girl had acknowledged the relationship that was growing between them.

Friend? Oh no, what if she doesn't think we're friends? What if she is using me to get back home to Aldyn?

What if she secretly hates me?

Or what if it's the opposite, she doesn't see me as a friend but something more?

Regardless, Elsa had to open her mouth and say something, without going insane from letting more silence go by.

"Yes, I see you as my friend." In Tanya's eyes, there was a hint of something she could not make out. Was it disappointment?

Oh no…

Elsa did not mean to friend-zone her.

"What I mean is," Elsa continued to fix up what she just said, "that I trust you as a friend. I haven't had many people come through my life. Only my parents, my sister Anna, her fiancé Hans and his reindeer Sven, and the snowman

Olaf. I'm sure you met them at the party… Well, they're the only friends I've ever had. What I'm trying to say is…" Elsa was picking up the fish from the ground that Tanya dropped. She rambled just like Anna did when she was nervous. It was something so unlike herself, but then, she had never really had these feelings before either. It probably just ran in the family. Probably.

Tanya finished her sentence, "…that you mean a lot to me."

Elsa had no idea why the girl meant a lot to her, or like where these feelings were coming from. But she was pretty certain only she was experiencing them, mostly sure at least…

Then she had an urge to do something she had never done before. But they were in the middle of a market, full of big, burly fishermen and traders, all probably watching the two strange girls as they attempted hauling fish. Anyway, her urge was foreign and ridiculous, she could not trust it.

"You mean a lot to me too," Elsa said. There. Sweet and simple.

The girl's eyes lingered on Elsa for a few seconds too long, before she focused back on what they were supposed to be doing. There was a twinge in Elsa's back, from finally dropping the first load of Geralt's fish on the dock.

"I'm pretty sure this is where he told us to put it," she said, eyes stuck on Tanya. Unfortunately for Elsa, she planted her foot on something slippery on the dock, and fell backwards. Stumbled back, the ungraceful queen flailed her arms as she fell into the cold water.

Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold.

Elsa quickly grabbed onto the edge of the dock, soaking wet. When she looked up, Tanya was right there, offering her hand. There was a twinkle in the girl's ocean-colored eyes, and Elsa was smitten. Was this what Anna felt like when she met Hans?

She grasped the princess' hand as she pulled Elsa out of the water, and up on her own two feet. Suddenly, Elsa felt clumsy and self-conscious. She did not remember the last time she tripped ever, though she had seen Anna do that before.

This was going to be a long day.

When Anna got back to the castle, she beat Kristoff by yards. Elsa was alive! What she had seen with the magical birds was proof that she, as well as Tanya, were alright. Where was Elsa? Was she safe? Did she get through the mountains? Why didn't she come back to the castle within a day, like she said originally? And then different scenarios ran through Anna's head. Was she hurt? Was she in trouble? Oh please don't be in trouble. What if she fell and can't get up? Or what if she's lost? Or what if…

The worst scenario yet passed her mind.

What if she is dead, and sent help before she died?

She could not let these thoughts control her. After all, there was really no way to know yet what happened with Elsa.

Anna burst into the castle and headed towards the main hallway. That was the area at least she saw them fly into. She zoomed past the castle workers who watched her and Kristoff, running in the halls, in utter confusion. In haste to catch up, Kristoff almost knocked down a cleaning maid, dusting the royal paintings.

"Oh look at that!"

It was Olaf's happy voice, coming closer and closer.

"They're so pretty, especially that fire one… Ouch! But don't touch!"

Anna saw the snowman playing with what she saw flying in the sky outside. The birds were circling around him, as he twirled as if he was dancing. As soon as he saw Anna and Kristoff, he stopped spinning, and opened his arms wide.

"Look what I found guys!"

"Olaf!" Exclaimed Anna. "Do you know if it's Elsa?"

"I don't think so, they look more like birds to me."

"I mean, do you think Elsa could have made them?"

"Hmmm I'll take a look!" Olaf whistled at the snow bird, and it flew down onto his finger, and ruffled it's feathers. Olaf inspected it closely.

"Let's see here… interesting, interesting…"

"So? Do you know?

"By the look of it… yep, yes! This one is definitely made by Elsa, that's what it told me at least."

Anna jumped up in the air with joy. She wrapped her arms around Kristoff as hard as she could, which even rivaled one of his big bear hugs. "She's still alive! I knew it, I knew it all along!"

"But that really hot one…," Olaf continued, confused.

"Tanya could have made that," Anna cleared up Olaf's confusion.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Kristoff piped up. "Look at all the detail! Your sister should definitely take up ice sculpting."

"How did they find Arendelle without Elsa?" Anna asked.

"Let me ask them!" Olaf exclaimed.

"You can do that?"

"Of course I can."

"It's because you're both made alive from magic right?" Kristoff guessed.

"No, that wouldn't make sense. I've known how to speak bird since the day I was made!" Olaf proceeded to make whistling noises you would not necessarily associate with a bird call. Anna and Kristoff both just looked at each other.

"Come here you little birdies, you little cuties you!" The snowman whistled to them as best as a snowman could. He then covered his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm asking them if they know where Elsa is," Olaf whispered.

"Can you ask them if she's alive? If she's alright? If she's hurt? Oh! Can they lead me to her?"

"Woah, slow down," Kristoff put his big hand on the princess' shoulder. "Olaf can only ask one question at a time.

But the snowman cut them off. "She and Tanya are both alive!" The birds continued chirping back and Olaf listened. "They are over the mountains… yeah… uh huh… across the sea…," he kept listening.

They were across the sea? That was so far! Why where they going that way, away from Arendelle?

"Yes… I see… so they are on their way to Aldyn!" Olaf concluded happily.

"What? Why aren't they coming back to Arendelle? Why did Elsa not tell us?" Anna said softly.

"Maybe she just didn't have a chance to. Or maybe this could be her way of trying to contact you," replied Kristoff.

"I guess… but I still have a gut feeling as if something else happened."

"I get gut feelings too, when I'm hungry. Anna, you have no idea if something else happened or not."

"Well call it sisterly intuition, but I swear, I just know something is off."

At that moment, Gerda and Kai walked into the room talking to one another. Once they eyed the birds, their eyes went wide and fell silent. "What in the name is happening here?" Gerda exclaimed.

"I'll go get the guards," added Kai. "Foreign magic has invaded the castle."

"No, wait!" Anna called waving her arms in a stop motion. "It's okay, really! It's just Elsa!"

Kai relaxed once he heard the queen's name. "I swear ever since the queen took the throne, things have been odder around here. Sorry Princess Anna, I'm still getting used to this whole magical powers concept."

"Same," added Gerda in agreement. "I've raised you two from when you were babies, and I never had a clue. Your parents hid it well."

It was true that her parents hid it very well. She herself did not even know if any of the staff even knew. Her parents might have told those who they trusted the most, but then that would have been Kai and Gerda. They had worked there for so long, way before they were born. If their parents did not even trust Kai or Gerda, they almost positively did not tell anyone else. She was surprised though, Gerda was her mother's nanny and maid even when she was a princess.

You could have thought my mother would've told her.

"Yeah they did keep that secret hidden pretty well. Even during most of my life I had no clue. Of course I can be pretty oblivious at times." Kristoff chuckled, which in response, Anna hit him lightly in the arm. "Hey!" Anna lips turned into a pout, but could not help the edges of her mouth grow into a smile. Elsa was alive. Her sister, who she thought was dead, which tore at her heart for days. Now that she was sure she was alive, Anna was not going to take any chances. She was not going to risk losing her sister again to the unknown.

Once was already good enough. She had almost lost her sister a year ago, and she decided she wasn't going to take any chances.

Elsa needs me whether she knows it or not.

Or more like I need her whether she knows it or not.

"She did hide it well, but that wasn't the real Elsa. Hid it because she was scared of hurting someone, someone mostly being me. But now she's in trouble, I just know it. And I'm scared of her getting hurt. But I'm not going to just lock myself in my room and confine myself to my bed anymore. I'm going to go find her, her and Tanya, and bring them back to Arendelle."

"What!?" All three of them exclaimed at the same time. All of them except for Olaf, who was still mesmerized by Elsa's magic flying in the air. But once he heard them, he tuned into the conversation.

"No, not now, and not by yourself," Kristoff took Anna's hands. "Elsa needs you here to watch over Arendelle. You have a responsibility here and that's what's most important right now."

Anna let go of his hands and backed away. "What's most important to me is that Elsa's safe. Kristoff, she's my sister. My responsibility as a sister is more important to me than a princess." She cupped her hands together and brought them to her chest, as if to contain her heart inside. Anna narrowed her eyes, and her forehead creased slightly. "I thought you of all people knew that."

Kristoff with his arm still partially in the air was at loss for words. There was no way he could convince Anna that her kingdom needed her. He did not mean to hurt her, or even say it in that way. But deep down he knew it was true, and he knew Anna knew it was true as well.

"I don't want to stop you Anna, I'm not going to. But if you are going, take Sven with you. He's not like a horse, but he trusts you enough for you to ride him."

"I'll come with you too," Olaf added, tugging on Anna's dress with his twig hand.

"Kristoff?" Anna said sadly, waiting to see if her fiancé would accompany her or not. But knowing Kristoff, she already knew the answer.

"Someone has to stay here Anna. I trust Sven, he'll watch after you. I'll stay here and watch after Arendelle."

Anna knew Kristoff would stay behind. She knew it all along. And as much as she did not like it, hated it in fact, she understood. She was rash and quick to make decisions. He was careful, and thought through every decision.

She just nodded, as her eyes filled with tears. Anna did not want to leave Kristoff, but she needed her sister. Instead of crying again, she ran into Kristoff's arms. It was as if they were waiting for her.

"I'll go talk to Sven a bit, let him know your plan before you three head out," he spoke quietly in Anna's ear.

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Kai spoke up. Though he whispered it to Gerda, Kristoff could still hear, "After all, she is the last in the royal line."

"I know what I'm doing," replied Anna annoyed. She must have heard Kai too. "And I'm leaving my fiancé Kristoff in charge while I'm gone. I promise I'll be back, you can count on that. Hesitantly both Kai and Gerda just nodded and agreed to the princess' plans.

Kristoff went to Sven's own stable he custom built for him. It was not a stable really, more like a room where Sven could go in and out whenever he pleased. It was more like a personal room more than anything. The reindeer was sad, and at first did not want to. It was their first time being apart, separated from each other. But Kristoff was able to convince Sven how important Anna was to him, and persuading him with carrots did not exactly hurt either. When Kristoff was done putting on Sven's custom made saddle, and provided Anna with a pack of everything she needed, she came out in her riding dress with Olaf, ready to go.

Anna gave Kristoff a tight hug whispered in his ear, "I love you."

She got herself on the Sven, who Kirstoff could make out a look of awkward discomfort, and plopped the snowman right in front of her.

As she rode off, looking at her fiancé from behind, Kristoff whispered back, "I love you too. Be careful."