That night, the group, animals and all, stayed in a small, dark cave, the wind biting and cold. Snow flurried around outside, hiding the forest with a thick white sheet of soft powder, and it was impossible to get out.
The Storm raged for days, and it felt like an endless attack from above on the travellers.
"Happy two-week birthday, Mia," Anna said as she looked at her sleeping daughter fondly, stroking the soft, fluffy hair on her head. It was soothing and calming, and reminded the young mother of petting a little kitten.
"Here, Anna." Kristoff offered her a plate, with a piece of fish, topped with a tomato sauce, on it. Anna looked at her husband's plate, and Odd's plate, and she sighed when she noticed her small portion was much bigger than the other two.
"Kris," She said, "What about you and Odd? You must have half of what I've got. Come on, take some of mine."
Kristoff shook his head.
"Both me and Odd agreed that you need it more than us, for Mia, as well as yourself."
Anna frowned. "I know," She said, "But it's my fault we don't have any food left."
"Don't worry." He told her, "I'm sure this storm will clear up soon"
Anna raised her eyebrows at him, questioningly. "Hopefully." He admitted.
A sudden gust of wind blew through the small cave, and snow whirled around the people. Odd was occupied looking for any food near to the entrance of the cave, where the storm was just bearable for a few minutes.
"Brrr..." Anna shivered, and she felt so glad that Mia couldn't feel the cold. Taking a bite of her fish as she shivered, shifting closer to Kristoff to try to warm up, snuggling into his side.
"The fish is nice," She said, savouring the taste and chewing slowly, so that it would last longer. "Although, I'd much prefer some bacon."
Kristoff looked at her, grinning. "Are you sure I can't tempt you with a peanut butter sandwich?" He asked, and Anna mimed vomiting.
Gently pushing him, she said, "You know I hate peanut butter!", and then she took another few bites of her meal. Shifting over to Sven, whose wooly coat was like a rug, Anna wrapped a blanket around her, Kristoff and Mia, and then she looked at her husband sadly, suddenly upset.
"Oh, Kris," She said, and she absentmindedly began to tickle Mia's head. "What are we going to do? We haven't got any food, and-"
Kristoff pulled her closer, and softly stroked her shoulder, reassuringly.
"We'll just have to try and... try and go out in the storm. We'll do it together, and we'll all be okay."
Anna nodded, then clenched her fists.
"Now." She said, and she smiled in appreciation at him for reassuring her. "Let's go, and find Odd, then we'll just have to tough it. Mia'll be fine, because she doesn't feel the cold, and we'll just layer up." Laying Mia in Sven's antlers, she got up and pulled Kristoff to his feet, determination shining in her blue eyes.
Sven rose also, and Anna retrieved some more clothes and wraps from the saddle bag. She fashioned herself a new dress from a blanket and some rope, and Kristoff put on another pair of trousers, along with a supposedly wind proof jacket. Anna then found another blanket which she gave to Odd, who wore it like a cloak, and then, after picking up Mia, she mounted her mare.
"Let's do this!" She cried, too confident for her own good.
The moment the group stepped outside, the icy wind bit harshly at their cheeks and hands, and Anna felt her injured ankle ache in complaint. Pushing her mare on, they slowly progressed, the strong winds making each step seem like a marathon. The horses and Sven were snorting in frustration, and Kristoff led the group to a large forest, out of the clearing.
The trees in the forest provided some shelter from the wind and snow, but the conditions were still deadly.
Over the wind, Odd called out, "My mother always used to say that snowflakes were fantastical beings, disguising themselves as snow so that they would be treated equally."
Anna laughed a little, but the chill stung her throat.
"Well, these snowflakes sure don't seem to like us!" She cried back.
Eventually, the snow got too thick to walk through easily, and the riders had to dismount and clear a path for their steeds. It was freezing, cold work, and by the time they reached another clearing, they felt like the weather held a personal grudge against them.
As they slowly hiked through the snow, which now reached Anna's waist with ease, Kristoff paused, and hiding his face from the snow, he began to stamp his foot.
"C-c-c-come o-on, K-Kristoff!" Anna yelled, stuttering, when suddenly, Kristoff disappeared from sight. The princess and Odd made their way over, and saw a large opening in the ground.
"Strange..." Anna said to herself, and called out to Kristoff, "Hold on!" She then held Mia close to her, who was now wide awake, and jumped down, ending up landing on her rear and sliding down a spiralling slope.
Standing up and dusting herself off, she barely avoided being missed by Odd, who had followed her down, and went over to Kristoff, on the other side of the small room, to check he was okay.
In the middle of the room, lay a small chocolate cake, and next to it lay a large, hot pheasant and a bowl of vegetables. There was also a small plate of dried banana chips, and Anna's stomach growled hungrily at the sight, while her mouth watered.
A sudden thud shocked the Princess back to reality, and she looked over to see Odd lying in a heap on the floor. By the looks of it, he'd passed out, or fainted.
A thundering sound came from the direction of a small door way, and a large man stood before them, staring.
"Who are you?" He demanded in a raucous, scratchy voice.