Chapter 10: Crystal
Anna yawned tiredly as she lay in bed. It was still dark out and she had no desire to get out of bed this early. She smiled as she remembered that soon she and Kristoff would be on their way to visit his 'family' as he so affectionately referred to the trolls as. She realized she hadn't been up to see them since the summer, when she and Kristoff went there seeking help for her freezing heart. She made a mental note to visit them more, and not just when she wanted their help. She genuinely liked them and Kristoff had grown up with them after all.
She stretched and slowly got up to get dressed. It was so dark that moonlight still shone through her window.
She hoped Elsa would be ok while they were gone. She knew the trolls were less then a day's journey and that they could make it back quickly if something were to happen. It wasn't that so much as Elsa's state of mind she was concerned about. She knew that being alone with her own thoughts was a bad mix for Elsa, no matter how vehemently she'd deny it. Her sister was the type of person who needed distractions. Without distractions she would get to thinking and obsessing, and Elsa already over thought everything as it was.
Anna sighed. She knew Elsa blamed herself for the whole Weselton ordeal. No amount of convincing on her part was going to get that out of her sister's head, and she didn't want her dwelling on it the whole time she was gone.
Anna pursed her lips and smiled. If she couldn't be here to be Elsa's distraction, she would have to go recruit a substitute distraction.
Anna chuckled as she scuttled out the door to go arrange for her substitute.
"Drake? Drake are you awake?" Anna whispered loudly as she knocked on his door.
She could hear movement on the other side of the door.
"Drake, I'm sorry, I know its early I just want to quickly…" She was cut off as Drake opened his door, looking like he just woke up.
Anna's eyes went wide as she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. She quickly put a hand up to the side of her face, as she turned sideways.
"Oh wow, sorry. Wow this is awkward, not you're awkward, I'm just... Sorry…" Anna finished lamely.
"Princess Anna!" Drake said equally as startled. "I… I thought you were Marek, or one of my men… I sincerely apologize…" He said as he went to grab a shirt.
"No, no don't be sorry… " Anna said as she peeked through her fingers.
"There, all decent." Drake said returning to the door. "Is everything alright? Is your sister…" He began worriedly but Anna cut him off.
"No, no everything's fine, I just wanted to ask you a quick favor." Anna said smiling sheepishly.
Drake looked mildly confused. "Sure, anything."
"Well, my sister has this problem. When she has too much time on her hands to think, she starts to obsess over things." Anna stated matter of fact. "She'll deny it till she dies, but I really don't want her stewing over the whole Weselton situation while Kristoff and I are gone." Anna said seriously. "Anyway, I was thinking maybe you could…" Drake cut her off.
"Be a distraction for her?" He said raising one eyebrow and smiling.
"Exactly!" Anna said louder then she meant to. She glanced around worried she had disturbed the castle at this hour.
"Don't worry, I won't leave her alone." Drake said sincerely.
"Good, and don't be afraid to be persistent. Elsa has this nasty habit of pushing people away because she thinks it's for their own good, but secretly she doesn't want to be alone. So if she pushes you away it's actually a good sign because it means she cares about you." Anna said in something that sounded like gibberish.
Drake chuckled; he didn't think he had ever heard a human talk that fast in his life.
"Oh and chocolate, she loves chocolate. You can't lose if you have chocolate. I'm pretty sure the only person who loves chocolate more than her is me." Anna said with a grin.
"Should I be taking notes?" Drake asked with a chuckle.
"Yes, yes you should. My sister is a hard nut to crack but with my help I think you just might have a shot." Anna said poking a finger at his chest.
"I would be lost without your guidance fair lady." Drake said with a slight bow of his head.
Anna chuckled. "Drake, look out for her. Really, ok?" Anna said turning on a serious face.
"I promise. I'll keep her safe, and sane." He added with a smile.
Anna reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "Thank you." She said sincerely as she turned to leave.
"You two be safe alright? If anything happens to you, keeping your sister sane is not going to be an easy task." Drake said seriously.
"We will." Anna said with a smile as she turned to walk down the hallway.
She made her way back upstairs to see if Kristoff was ready.
"Kristoff?" Anna said as she opened his door. He wasn't there. He was probably down getting Sven ready for the trip, she mused.
She decided to quickly stop in Elsa's room to say goodbye, but Elsa wasn't in her room either. That was strange, Anna thought. Elsa was usually up nights so she rarely got up this early.
She decided to go down to the stables to look for Kristoff.
"Oh wow! Geeze, thank you!" Kristoff said as he hugged Elsa. "This is amazing, she's going to love it!"
"There you two are! What's going on? I was starting to get worried…" Anna said as she walked into the stables.
Kristoff quickly put his hand in his pocket. "Uh nothing we…" Kristoff started.
"Kristoff was just hooking up Sven to the sleigh, and I came down to see you off." Elsa interjected calmly, glancing at Kristoff.
Anna's eyes narrowed. "What are you two up to?" She asked suspiciously.
Kristoff looked nervous.
"Anna, I'm just a little worried that's all. I don't really like you two going off like this right now." Elsa said earnestly.
"Well, we'll be fine, Sven will protect us. Won't you Sven?" Anna said, dropping her suspicion as she went to pet Sven.
Sven leaned his ear towards her happily as she scratched it for him.
"Besides, if the trolls have some magic that can help us out we need to know about it." Anna said seriously.
"No, I know your right. Just be careful all right. Both of you." Elsa said sternly as Kristoff got in the sleigh.
"We will boss." He said saluting towards Elsa.
Anna walked over and grabbed Elsa's hands. "You'll be ok while were gone?" She asked.
"Don't worry about me right now. Just be careful and have a good time." Elsa said with a smile.
Anna narrowed her eyes. "No thinking and no obsessing while I'm gone."
"What? I don't obsess…" Elsa started.
"Ah! I have ways of knowing." Anna said cutting her off. "I have eyes everywhere." She said exaggerating the word everywhere.
"Anna that's creepy." Kristoff said from the sleigh.
"Alright no obsessing." Elsa said with a chuckle.
"Perhaps you could take this opportunity to, I don't know, better acquaint yourself with Lord Drake?" Anna said innocently. "And his rather nice physique." She said under her breath as she coughed.
"Anna!" Elsa said with a look of disbelief.
"What? I'm just saying, the man is well endowed." Anna said holding up her hands defensively.
"Ok, I'm gagging over here can you two please discuss this at a later time. Preferably when I'm not present?" Kristoff said with a tone of disgust.
"Alright, please be careful." Elsa said seriously as she pulled Anna into a hug.
"I love you." Anna said.
"I love you too." Elsa responded, as she rubbed Anna's back.
Elsa released her and Anna got into the sleigh with Kristoff.
"Take care of her Kristoff." Elsa said directly. "And good luck." She added with a smile, looking directly at Kristoff.
He smiled back at her as Sven pulled them off into the darkness.
Elsa stood there and watched them go until she lost sight of them.
She glanced around. If she left now, she could make it up the north mountain and back by nightfall if she moved quickly.
She went over to the horse section of the stable and walked up to her white mare.
"Hi Crystal. Hey girl." Elsa said, stroking the horse's nose.
She had ridden Crystal since they got her when Elsa was a teenager. Her father had bought her as a pony and Elsa had named her. She used to come out and ride her when she would have her panic attacks. Riding Crystal had somehow always helped calm her down, and would help her focus enough to get her powers and her panic under control.
When she got a little older and had started having panic attacks more frequently, she began taking Crystal out at night. They would go up into the woods and Elsa would let her powers go. Crystal loved it, and they would ride around in the snow, exploring anything and everything until the Sun would come up and melt her ice. She was free when she was with Crystal.
Other then her parents, Crystal was the only one who she had been able to share her powers with for all those years.
"What would I have done without you, huh?" Elsa said as she materialized a handful of snow that Crystal began to immediately lick up.
"Are you ready to go for a little ride like old times?" Elsa asked as she stroked Crystal's head.
The horse neighed happily as Elsa unlocked her stall and began leading her out.
As she turned around with Crystal she saw Drake leaning against a wood post with his arms folded.
"You weren't thinking of ditching me now were you?" Drake asked raising one eyebrow.
"How long were you standing there? You could make a noise you know..." Elsa said putting a hand on her heart.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to frighten you, your just... You're a fascinating person to watch." He said sincerely.
"Queens I've met don't usually tend to horses. Then again, you're not like any Queen I've ever met before." He said with a smile.
"Crystal's special." Elsa said as she stroked her long mane.
"So it would seem. So which horse do I get?" Drake asked with a tone of excitement.
"Why don't you take Mucker over there." She said with a chuckle as she gestured to a brown horse a few stalls down.
"Why's he called Mucker?" Drake asked.
"You'll find out." Elsa said with a smirk. "Besides, he's the only one who can keep up with Crystal here."
"Well then I guess that's my boy." Drake said cheerfully as he walked over to bridle Mucker.
Elsa mounted Crystal and waited for Drake to join her. He was exceptionally good with horses, she noted. Some people treated them like mindless, unfeeling beasts that were put here for the sole purpose of being used. She never had a tolerance for that. Crystal was as much a living, thinking, feeling being as she was as far as she was concerned. She was glad Drake seemed to appreciate horses as well.
"Are you ready?" Elsa asked as he trotted over.
"I hope so." He answered as she took off out of the stable. He gave Mucker a quick kick and was off into the darkness after her.
