Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. Here I humbly present this new chapter for all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight. :)

yubima-chan: We shall see in this chapter.

Guest: Ross at this moment is 7 years old.

So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter to me and help me make the story better. :)

Having been on the road for a lengthy amount of time, Ross began to slow down his pace. His feet were beginning to ache and all he could see was an endless stretch of forest. At this point, he felt like he was walking in circles and it was getting darker and darker as the night progressed.

He summoned a ball of flame to light his path, only to extinguish it as he was reminded of the disastrous events that had transpired earlier that evening. Try as he might, he could not forget the horrified expressions of all those who saw his powers manifest. It was supposed to be a secret, privy only to him and his closest family and friends, but now all and sundry knew. How could he face anyone again after the revelation of such destructive potential?

Just then, a howl could be heard echoing into the distance. It was not uncommon to find packs of wolves roaming the forests of Arendelle, and they had been known to attack anyone who got too close to their territory. Immediately, a fireball flickered into life. He was tired, tired of failing and tired of running. If he had to be mauled by a pack of wolves, at least he'd die fighting.

"Awoooooo!" It was getting very close now.

Ross whirled around, brandishing the fire, only to come face-to-face with Fenrir. Before he could event react, the tame wolf had bounded over and pounced onto him, knocking him flat on his back. Fenrir then began to nuzzle and sniff at Ross, almost as if he was checking to make sure that he was unhurt.

"It's alright, I'm fine," Ross murmured, stroking the animal's soft fur.

A low whine rose from Fenrir's throat and he nudged his head towards the direction from whence he came as if say, "Let's go home."

"I can't," Ross whispered, his tone plaintive. "You know I can't."

Fenrir whined again as if to say, "Why not?"

"Because…" The boy prince blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall. "I'm good for nothing! With me gone, everyone can have a better life. Kai and Gerda wouldn't need to worry if I would accidentally set something on fire; Uncle Caleb and Uncle Lars wouldn't need to worry if I was taking my lessons seriously; and Mother wouldn't need to worry about having such an inadequate heir."

Green locked into green as Fenrir gave him a look that seemed to say, "Oh really?"

"Of course!" His chest heaved with emotion. "I mean, they have Thomas, don't they? Perfect Prince Thomas. He's already a better heir than me anyway. He's good at everything he does, everybody loves him, and he's everything I'm not."

Fenrir whined yet again and nuzzled Ross consolingly. Wiping his tears away, the boy hugged at him, comforted by the fact that there was at least one being in the world who would always stay by his side.

Watching from the sidelines, Thomas could not help but wonder how such a light-hearted event could have ended on such a horrible note. Fortunately, no one had been injured in the fire, and the castle staff had been able to extinguish it before it spiraled out of control. However, the actual repercussions were far more severe. Everyone was abuzz with the recent gossip over Ross, and Elsa was quite distraught despite Anna's best efforts to comfort her. Already, several search parties led by Erik, Anton, Franz, and Jürgen had been dispatched to search for the runaway heir.

"This is unbelievable!" he overheard one of the visiting princes remark, "I knew there was some off with that Rosenrød fellow, but I never pegged him to be such a freak!"

"Freak?" sneered another. "Demon, more like! Didn't you see how he shot flames out of his hands?"

"If he is a demon, he sure is a pathetic one," laughed a third, "I mean, did you see how he ran away like a sissy?"

"You know, for someone with such keen observation skills, you'd think you'd be more aware of your surroundings."

The gossiping teenagers looked up in alarm. "P-prince Thomas!?" And before they could even react, Thomas pulled back his fist and laid all three of them flat on their backs.

Even so, dealing such punishment did not bring him satisfaction All he wanted was to see Ross safe and sound. With that in mind, he left without another word, determined to bring his cousin home. If anyone could find Ross, Thomas was certain that he would be the right person for the job.

"Fenrir, what's going on? Where are you taking me?" Ross asked, puzzled by his pet's odd behavior. They had only been resting for a short bit, when Fenrir suddenly picked Ross up and flung him onto his back before speeding off to God knows where.

With one hand, Ross clung tighter to the animal's thick fur as he used the other to maneuver the fireball illuminating their path. Just then, Fenrir came to an abrupt stop and stood at attention. Peering down at him, Ross noticed that the wolf was staring at the forest trail, which had branched off. He hopped down and followed it, only to find that the rest of the path was blocked by several overgrown bushes. Undaunted, he pushed past the foliage only to be greeted a most eerie sight.

Beyond the underbrush was a small clearing, but it was nothing like the picture of pastoral utopia. Every bit of plant life within the area was withered and dead, not even a single blade of grass grew. The entire place was fallow as if the very earth itself was cursed with barrenness.

Eerier still, a single, lonely stake stood right in the middle of that forsaken place, surrounded by a scattered pile of charred sticks. Blackened and rotting, it was a grisly testament to the lowest point of human cruelty.

Ross swallowed thickly as he realized what he just stumbled into. These were execution grounds! Based on the history books, people who had been accused of witchcraft or heresy were often burned at the stake, but not before being horrifically tortured to confess. Still, there was one other detail that disturbed him greatly. The scorch marks on the stake and sticks were not as faded, which could only mean that this method of execution had been in use long after it had been declared inhumane.

Just then, there was a low whine and Ross turned to see Fenrir looking quite subdued. "Something bad happened here, didn't it?" he asked, rubbing a gentle hand on the wolf's shaggy head. "Do you know what it could have been?

Fenrir did not respond, but merely tucked back his ears and turned away. Sensing his friend's discomfort, Ross decided to leave, but not before uttering a short prayer for the poor unfortunate soul who had lost his life in that godforsaken place.

Panic now gripped the residents of Arendelle castle as yet another search party was dispatched. This time, however, their objective was to retrieve Prince Thomas. After the fire, a headcount had been conducted to ensure that there were no casualties, and that was then that they discovered that Thomas was missing. Of course, it did not take them long to rule out that he had died in the fire as it had been affirmed that he had been safely evacuated during the blaze. This led everyone to conclude that like Ross, Thomas had run away.

So instead of one, there were now two frantic, weeping mothers. Anna, in particular, had practically devolved into a fit of hysterics– screaming and ranting for the safe return of her "darling baby boy". Elsa, on the other hand, was near-catatonic and already a freezing wind had begun pick up. By this point, just about anything could set off the darker side of her wintry powers.

Just then, the doors burst open to reveal one of the castle guards. "Good news, your majesty!" he cried, "We found him! We found Prince Thomas!"

Immediately, Anna and Elsa rushed out the gates where they rendezvoused with a group of horsemen led by Franz cantering towards into the courtyard. And in Franz's arms was a small, pale, shivering figure bundled up in a heavy riding cloak.

"Thomas!" Anna cried, running up to him. Like Elsa, cold temperatures had never bothered Thomas, so to see him shaking like a leaf in the wind frightened her to no end. "What happened to him?" she asked Franz, "Why is he like this?"

"To be honest, I don't know," he replied. "He was already in a bad state by the time we found him out by the barrows."

"Anna!"

She turned to see Kristoff coming up from the path with Snehvide in tow. "I heard they found him," he panted, "Is he– Good Lord! Someone call a doctor! Now!"

As Thomas was being brought into the castle, accompanied by his parents and sister, Elsa turned to speak to her brother-in-law. "And what of Rosenrød?" she asked, "What about my son?"

"My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty," said Franz, "He has yet to be found. But rest assured that we will leave no stone unturned and that we will bring him home safe and sound."

Once the duo had left the execution grounds, Fenrir seemed to have perked up considerably, something which Ross was thankful for. Even with his relatively sheltered upbringing, he loathed to see someone –be it human or animal– suffer, and it pained him when nothing could be done to help them.

Now, Fenrir had taken yet another path, and here, Ross noticed that the canopy was progressively thinning and the ground was getting rockier. He pulled his coat tighter around him, not that it did much good in the chilly September night. Ross had never had much tolerance for the cold, and to make things worse, the wind was picking up.

Fortunately, shelter came in the form of a cave, and judging by Fenrir's demeanor, this was where he wanted to take Ross all along as he let the prince down and bounded up to the entrance, beckoning his human companion to follow him inside.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Ross asked as he gingerly crept up to the mouth of the cave. "What if there's a wild animal, or worse?"

Fenrir merely gave him a look that seemed say, "Are you serious? What do you think I'm here for?"

The boy gulped, taking a cautious step inside. "Alright then. I trust your judgement."

"Wow…" Ross whispered, admiring the marvelous sight before him. Fenrir had been right to bring him into the cave. Everywhere he looked, there were crystals of all shapes and sizes glowing with the rainbow palettes of the Aurora Borealis. "This is amazing! How did you know about this cave, Fenrir?"

The wolf merely yipped, as if to say, "I just do."

Ross darted around and between the stalagmites and pillars, his laughter echoing across the subterranean chambers. "Well, I must say you really know how to pick a place," he said in between giggles. "It truly is magnificent." And that was the truth. Never in his life had he imagined that a place of such wondrous beauty existed within Arendelle.

Just as he was about to explore further, Fenrir suddenly padded over to him and began whine and tug at his sleeve.

"What is it, boy?"

The wolf clambered up a series of rocky ledges, and whined again, motioning for Ross to follow him.

He raised a brow. "Really? Are you sure?"

Fenrir howled lowly in response.

"Alright, if you say so…" Ross then climbed after his animal companion, taking great care to watch his step in the dim light. But even with such caution, it was not an easy climb as he had stumbled and tripped a few times. Fortunately, Fenrir was there to aid him along the way, and soon after, they were able to reach a crevice from which they could feel gusts of fresh air.

As he stepped through the opening, Ross found himself standing high up on a precipice where was greeted by the most breathtaking scene. There, he could see the rivers, and fjords that marked the landscape, and out in the distance, a silhouette of Arendelle castle could be see overlooking the capital city of Christiana like a silent sentry, all illuminated by the pale white glow of the full moon.

"It's beautiful…" he murmured, awestruck.

And as he continued to take in the view, his thoughts then flew back to his family. Surely they must be beside themselves with worry by now. After all, he did run away from home. But at the same time, he was also afraid of what punishment awaited him should he return home. Would they scold him? Or would they shun him? Perhaps they might even deem him as a monster and lock him up for good!

He shook his head, banishing these negative thoughts. No… They would never do that. They were his family. Even if they were to punish him, it would be because of love and concern, not fear and hatred. And his mother, yes, she would be angry, but most of all she would be sad and worried that he had fled. Even now, she must be praying for his safe return.

"I'm such a coward…" he lamented, hanging his head in shame. It was bad enough that he had caused some damage, but what made it worse was that he had run away instead of facing the consequences. Worst still, he had upset his mother. His father, bless his soul, would have be most ashamed if he knew what he had done.

'Father, if you can hear me, please guide me. What do I do?'

As to be expected, there was no response and his frown deepened. Having grown up fatherless, Ross was not sure of what to think of the man. Many a time, he had dreamt of meeting him, knowing him, understanding him. While he, along with the rest of Arendelle, did mourn over the late king, he also wanted to comprehend the grief everyone else felt when they remembered him. Yes, it did pain him that he did not have a father and he wished that he could have him back, but above all else, he just wanted to have personally known him instead of having to rely on hearsay.

Everyone often told Ross that the late King Hans was an upstanding man. Growing up, he had heard many stories regarding the man's bravery, humility, and above all, his overflowing kindness. He also seemed to have been quite the able ruler as the people often spoke of the many good things he had done for them during his short reign, and this reverence was evident by the multitude of flowers that were left on his memorial. In other words, his father was be everything that Ross was not.

He sighed. Surely his father would have never fled at the slightest hint of trouble. He would have confronted his problems with nary a complaint, not just out family loyalty, but also because it was the right thing to do.

"It's not right, what I did…" he whispered. Slowly, he began to make his way back into the crevice. "Come on Fenrir, let's go home." The wolf merely yipped in reply and licked his face, and Ross did not know any better, he could have sworn that Fenrir looked proud that he made this decision on his own.

Now as they were making their descent, Ross suddenly lost his footing and slipped. Just before he could he could meet his impending doom, someone caught him by the back of his shirt. "That was a close one," said his savior as he hoisted him up to safety. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes…" Ross squeaked. "A b-bit shaken, but it'll pass. Thanks, uh…" His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates upon seeing the nonhuman features of his rescuer. "W-who and what are you?"

"My name is Grand Pabbie, and I'm a rock troll," replied the newcomer. "And you must be the elusive Prince Rosenrød."

Ross shrank back in alarm. "H-how do you know my name?"

"Everyone in the troll community knows who you are, Your Highness," Grand Pabbie replied. "And how could we not? After what your father did for us, we are eternally grateful to him and his progeny. But the better question is, what are you doing here?"

The little prince averted his gaze. "Er, well… You see, I sort of may have run away from home, then I got lost and Fenrir found me. He led me here, and just when I decided to return home, I fell, so here I am."

Grand Pabbie nodded in understanding. "I see… And who is this Fenrir, might I ask?"

"He's my pet wolf, but we got separated when I fell. Maybe if you could help me find him–"

"The honor is mine, Your Highness," said Grand Pabbie. "I'll help you find your pet, then take you home."

Green eyes glimmered with hope. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course!" replied the troll. "Your mother must be sick with worry. If she gets any more hysterical, there's the possibility she might unleash an eternal winter or worse."

Ross gasped in surprise. "She can do that?"

"And so much more," Grand Pabbie told him. "That is why it is imperative that you return home safe and sound."

"Awoooooo!"

"That's Fenrir!" Ross exclaimed. With a flick of his fingers, he increased the size of his fireball. "I'm here!" he cried, "I'm safe!"

Once boy and wolf were finally reunited, they were more than ready to return home and Grand Pabbie took it upon himself to accompany the two back to the castle. As they walked, Ross, ever the inquisitive one, began asking questions.

"Uncle Lars once told me that rock trolls live in caves and grottoes," he said. "If Fenrir and I intruded into your home, we didn't mean to and we're sorry."

The old troll laughed good-naturedly. "No need to apologize. You did nothing wrong."

"Oh…" Ross then scratched his arm. "So what were you doing in that cave?"

"I was searching for fire crystals," Grand Pabbie replied

"Fire crystals?" Ross echoed. "What are they?"

Grand Pabbie held up his pendant. "Fire crystals are very important in rock troll culture as they help us regulate our body temperatures as well as the flow of magical energy within us. Should there be an imbalance in either one, we would surely fall ill or even die."

"I didn't know that," the prince said earnestly. "I always thought that rock trolls were only weak against sunlight."

"Now you know," Grand Pabbie laughed. "That's the beauty of curiosity, you never stop learni–" Suddenly, he was cut short by a loud bang, and he stumbled to the ground, clutching at his chest. As Ross turned him over, he was horrified to find a good-sized crack on his chest, courtesy of a bullet shot. Shortly after, a group of men –castle guards, judging by their uniform– swarmed out of the woods, surrounding them.

"Your Highness!" cried the squad leader, "Thank goodness you're–"

"What did you do?" Ross shrieked, glaring up at him.

"We saved your life!" the man replied. "He was going to take you away and replace you with a changeling."

"No, he wasn't! He was taking me home, and you hurt him!" he half-screamed. He could feel white-hot emotions roiling up from within him. Already, the temperature was rising as his anger and sorrow intensified.

Grand Pabbie took the prince's hand in a reassuring grip. "Don't worry about me," he wheezed. "I'll survive. I've been through–" He gasped in agony as the crack widened further.

Ross began to cry. "I'm so sorry! This is my fault," he wailed. "If I had never run away, you would've never gotten shot in the first place." He collapsed onto Grand Pabbie's prone form, weeping bitterly.

Just then, something miraculous happened. As his tears fell, some of dripped down onto Grand Pabbie's wound, and much to everyone's wonderment, the crack began slowly mend itself until it disappeared altogether.

Fully healed, Grand Pabbie could only stare up at an equally wide-eyed Ross. "Your Highness…"

The citizens of Christiana were overjoyed to see the crown heir's return. Raucous cheers could be heard as Ross and Grand Pabbie, mounted on Fenrir, paraded through the main thoroughfare. With them were the guard squadron who had found them in the forest, and were mow being lauded as heroes by the townsfolk.

Upon seeing her son, the very first thing Elsa did was to run over to him and envelop him in her warmest embrace. "Ross, my little king!" she cried as she fussed over him, checking for any injuries.

"Yes Mother, I'm here…" he whispered, returning the hug. "I'm sorry I ran away."

"We'll discuss it first thing tomorrow," she said. "For now, I'm just happy to see you safe and sound."

"I'm glad to be home, Mother," he yawned.

"I know." She smiled and ruffled his hair. "It's been a long day for all of us. Let's get you to bed, shall we?"

"Your son is quite a remarkable child," Grand Pabbie observed as a sleepy Ross was ushered to his room by Theresa, Gertrude, and Yvonne. Everyone else had retired for the night, leaving him, the queen, and Fenrir alone in the Great Hall.

"I suppose he is," Elsa agreed. "I mean, you'd be hard-pressed to find another child who can shoot fire out of his hands like Rosenrød does."

"Not that," said the troll elder. "For you see, not too long ago, I had come across a prophecy that could be linked to your son. I warn you though that you must take it with a grain of salt as prophecies are notoriously vague and could hold multiple interpretations. After all, you are no stranger to that."

Elsa nodded, thinking back to the near-fatal mistake her father did when he had begun cloistering her away shortly after Anna's accident. As well-intentioned as he may have been, she could not deny that Agnarr had been far too hasty for his own good.

"Very well," said Grand Pabbie. He raised his arms and conjured up a magical mist with wispy images inside. "This is what the future holds for Prince Rosenrød:

"A prodigal son, Arendelle's heir

Lies and treachery he must beware.

A mystery to solve, six islands to save

As well as his kin from the cursed grave.

Just when all is lost in that darkest hour

He shall banish all ills with the sword of power.

"His journey ahead is laden with pain and woe

In this perilous path, are many a foe.

It shall transform him

His destiny awaits.

The path has been chosen

He shall meet his fate."

Elsa blanched at the troll elder's words. "W-what are you saying? What does this mean? Does this mean that Ross will–?" Her anxious expression contorted into that of horrified anguish. "No… NO! Not Ross! Not my son!" She collapsed onto the floor, weeping bitter tears.

"Your Majesty, It's very vague–"

But in her sorrow, the queen was deaf to Grand Pabbie's pleas. "Leave!" she screamed, "Have you not troubled my family enough? You horrible troll! How dare you do this to me!"

"It's not my doing–" he tried to reason, "All these have been predetermined even before Prince Rosenrød came be. He was chosen by fate herself."

"Then I shall fight fate," she declared, her features taut with frozen fury. "In my weakness, I had lost my beloved Hans, and I'll be damned if I let that happen to Ross. As long as I live and breathe, no harm is to come upon my son, and I will fight tooth and nail to keep him safe. You'd best remember that."

"Queen Elsa–"

"I've heard enough," she hissed. "Leave now."

With a heavy heart, Grand Pabbie did as she commanded. At times, the gift of foresight could be quite the burden as the visions were not really 100 percent accurate. Rather than the concrete future, what he saw was the variable future as there were many other factors that could come into play. 'But did I make the right choice by telling her?' he pondered.

He could only hope that he did.

Beta writter: Nightrain and Brownstone.

To be continued...

Authors note: Yes Ross is home! This little adventure was needed, it is the first step for Ross as kids his age are still emotionally immature to make such decisions and take such action. So by taking making this decision on his own he has shown a great deal of maturity for somebody his age.

Now that that it is shown that trouble is brewing, right now the question is when will it happen... To know you will have to wait and see, so please review and stay tuned for the next chapter as Eugene and Rapunzel will ask Elsa something..