The small band of warriors was off early the next morning, to a surprising gathering. The villagers had gathered to see them off, supplying the horses with packs and supplies with enough to last them far longer than they need. When Elsa or the others tried to argue, to make the villagers keep their hard earned supplies, they were simply ignored. Everyone wanted to see them off safely and to a successful end. Some were sad to be parting with Gunnar and Roland, and Elsa could not blame them for that. They were two good men, and were likely valued members of their community. No one seemed to be blaming the Queen for taking them though, instead treating her as if she were one of their own, despite how relatively little time she had spent there.
"They owe you their lives, though they lost their homes," Ian explained, as a woman walked away from them after kissing Elsa's hands and bowing to her, leaving her feeling stunned and bashful. "You defeated those monsters, after all, and you risked your life to do so. They've all been visiting our little tent while you were resting, asking after you and wishing you well. These are very good people."
"I hope I can help them, in the future, after all this is settled and I might be able to return..." She watched the woman as she returned to her children, a young girl and two older boys, and they spoke to her in excited, hushed tones about her encounter with the Snow Queen. To the children, Elsa was a creature of pure magic, and she saw many of them staring at her with wide, excited eyes.
"I would like to return here some day as well, though they might move, and we could spend a lot of our time looking for them. I doubt they'll want to be found again, after all of this."
Elsa nodded at his words, then turned to her horse, gently caressing its muzzle as it leaned its massive head against her. It was a large beast, built for hard labor and long rides. But it was beautiful, silky cream colored fur mottled with blonder spots along its flank. Its mane and tail were blond and long, though tied into brains to keep them manageable and out of the way. Elsa knew it would hardly feel her on its back, but she worried about the rest of the weight it was carrying from all the packs and supplies they had prepared. It nuzzled against her hand and she smiled, patting it once more before she rounded its side and climbed up into the saddle gracefully.
Ian mounted his horse as well, a brown, older creature with thick, stout legs and a heavy set frame. It was not bred for racing speed, but it would certainly handle the rest of their journey without issue. And it had the instincts of any horse: if they needed to run, the horse was more than ready to do that. Gunnar and Roland were already on their horses, and trotting slowly toward the road, back toward Arendelle. With a few final goodbyes, Elsa and Ian hurried to join them, taking the lead and guiding the way.
Elsa could feel her nerves building, anxiety sitting heavily in the pit of her stomach. It weighed her down like a stone, and she was sure if she were thrown into water she would sink immediately. What would they find when they reached Arendelle? Would it still be there? Were they wrong? Or were they right? Was it already too late, and had Hans exacted the revenge he wanted?
It was going to be a long trip if she let herself dwell on her worry, and she would drive herself insane in the effort of it. She needed to keep her head clear, calm herself and focus on what she had to do. The things she knew, rather than worrying about the things she could not predict. They all had to be prepared for the worst, and hope for the best. She could not get Anna out of her mind, despite her best efforts. She was hoping, praying, that her sister would be there when they arrived. And she would be alright.
Ian glanced over at Elsa and saw how pensive her expression was, frowning. He was no mind reader, but he did not have to be, really, to know what she was worrying about. There was a lot to be afraid of, all told. He brought his horse closer to hers, reaching over to her and putting his hand lightly on her arm. She jumped and looked at him, though her look of surprise faded into a gentle smile as she nodded at him. She appreciated his concern, and did not mean to make him worry about her. The last thing any of them needed was more to worry about.
"How much farther do you think it is?" She asked, changing the silent subject. He let go of her arm and shook his head, looking up at the sky as he drew a map of the lands in his mind.
"We'll be there, at this pace, within two days. Assuming we pause for a few hours at night. We're going as quickly as we can, and there's nothing slowing us down. We just have to be careful of our horses, but I'm certain we'll reach Arendelle quickly."
"We better," Roland chimed from behind them, "my back side is not built for this sort of riding. I much prefer using my own two feet, if I had any choice in the matter."
"We could easily let you run behind your horse," Gunnar said quietly, "I'm sure it would appreciate the reprieve. From your whining, and your back side."
Elsa smiled as she glanced back at the two of them, spotting Roland as he took a swing for his partner, missed, and nearly unseated himself from his horse. Gunnar did not break his horse's stride, or even lean away from the swing, aware that he had never been in any danger. She did see him smile, though, and she felt her heart warming a bit more. With their companionship, the three of them together, she felt as though she finally knew what friendship was. With Ian beside her, supporting her with everything he could offer, she felt as though she were special. It was a feeling unlike any she had ever experienced before, something new. With him, she was not sure what she was feeling, but she was glad to feel it.
They rode tirelessly through the day and well into the night, darkness settling over the roads until it grew too deep for them to continue on. They were in a long plain, with nothing of note available to them in any direction, though they could not exactly see the horizons.
"We need to find some shelter," Gunnar said evenly, not sounding worried, though he never did.
"Aye, and make some food," Roland said with a nod.
"Before he eats his horse."
"I'd sooner eat yours, then leave you galloping. Hopefully you can run as fast as your mouth can."
"Well," Ian cut in, clearing his throat pointedly. They two boys quieted down, still respectful of the two royal friends they had somehow managed to make. "We'll have to keep going until we find shelter, there's nothing around here. Perhaps we can light torches and press on. I don't know if these roads are dangerous, or hunting grounds for bandits. I can't imagine where they might hide... but in the darkness, they might not need it.
"I can always make us a shelter," Elsa's soft tone joined the conversation, and the three boys turned their attention to her in a heartbeat, each one staring at her through the darkness as if she had just spoken in a brand new language. She could feel their gazes, though she could not clearly see their faces, and tried to clarify. "Out of ice?"
"Wouldn't it be cold?" Roland asked, frowning. He had not brought too many blankets.
"No, it would be quite warm. Would you like to see?"
There was a challenge in her tone that no one present could ignore. She wanted to show them all, and no one among them had it in them to deny her. In fact, now that she had put the idea out there, both Gunnar and Roland were keen on seeing more of her magic, after witnessing it in the battle before. She was a captivating oddity in their world, and it was not every day they had the chance to witness true magic. Ian had seen her magic quite a lot already, but would never consider himself used to it.
"If you cam," he said carefully, "that might be the best idea we have. We'll build a fire for some food and light. Gunnar, get some torches going so we can see."
The man did as he was told, retrieving the torches from the pack on his horse's side. He got off of his horse, struggling to light the first torch for a moment, though he managed it as the others were gathering wood and kindling from the clearing around them. The plains had little to offer, but they managed to scrounge up enough wood to feed the fire for the night. It almost looked as if some of the trees that used to stand here had been knocked down, to keep it vast and empty., and there was a lot of dead wood scattered about.
Once the torch was lit, creating more light to see by was easy. They lit the fire and Roland unpacked some of the food they had been given. Fresh meat, which he cooked over the fire, as well as vegetables and fruits to accompany the meal. While they were working on that, Elsa picked a nice spot nearby to build their igloo for the night. It was as good a name for it as any, a den made of ice, though it was unlike anything any one without magic would ever be able to create, short of carving into a massive block of ice to dig out a cave.
Gunnar elbowed Roland, who was already preparing a punch before he followed the other's gaze and saw Elsa standing with her palms out slightly at her sides. He could see glimmering snowflakes swirling around her hands. She took a step forward, just one, and brought her arms forward and around in a circle before they met before her. She then lifted them upwards with a jerking motion, as if tugging on invisible strings. Then she was moving, dancing almost, as graceful as they'd ever seen. It was easy to get enraptured by it, and all three men found themselves watching in awe as ice rose up from the ground, curling and interlacing, arching over itself in thin waves until it formed a smooth semi-circle with a comfortably large mouth, larger on the inside beyond that. The ice was solid and opaque, letting in enough light to make it comfortable and not completely pitch black. It was close to the fire, though it was not the type of ice that would easily melt.
She turned to look at the boys, smiling at them and bowing her head, half bashful, half proud of herself for putting those dumb looks on their faces. Watching the blush that started at Ian and ran through Gunnar to end with Roland was enough to make the Snow Queen laugh out loud.
"That was incredible, Queen Elsa," Roland said, and Gunnar nodded. Both men moved to examine the igloo, holding their torches close and looking over the beautiful markings in the ice. It was art, though they had very little reference and experienced for that stuff. Ian stood beside Elsa, smirking at her.
"Show off."
"I have to use them for something," she said, holding her hands up innocently. She truly did love her powers, and liked being able to use them in times of peace. Fighting was not her favorite thing to do, and she was not built for destruction. But creating? She not only enjoyed it, but it was useful. They now had a shelter, after all, and it would be warm and comfortable, with enough space for the four of them, though she was still coming to terms with the idea of sleeping in one space with the three of them.
She knew she could trust them by now, though, and was trying not to be embarrassed or awkward about it.
Returning to sit around the fire with the other three, they finished preparing their small meal and served the cooked meat around. Elsa was not expecting much, but the camp fire meal was still good, and it made her feel better to have a full stomach. She could relax a little, sipping on a cup of water while Roland and Gunnar shared a small amount of wine, though Ian had declined as well. Elsa could not shake her worry, but there was nothing they could do for now. The journey would have to continue in the morning, only a few hours away. Sighing softly, Elsa stifled a yawn as best she could, but failed spectacularly in hiding how tired she was.
"You should take your leave, my queen," Gunnar said gently.
"We'll do our best not to wake you when we retire. Looks like there's plenty of room in your little ice house for us all." Roland smiled and nodded his head leisurely, enjoying his much needed chance to relax. It felt like an eternity, though he was sure he had only known the Queen for a few days at most, and they'd never had to deal with monsters before all of this. Though, the trade off seemed more than fair. He was on an adventure with a fascinating, beautiful young woman who could use magic and was as demure and polite as could be. It was the kind of adventure he was thought he had far outgrown, but it seemed he was wrong there.
"Good night, Roland, Gunnar. Ian." She smiled at them, eyes lingering on Ian for a moment before she bowed her head and then got up and got her blanket from the packs on her horse. She made sure the horse was comfortable, patting it affectionately and wishing it goodnight. The igloo was warm, as she had predicted, the air well insolated despite the space she had created under the dome of ice. She set her blanket down on a place opposite the entryway, so the others would have room to enter and move without fearing about stepping on her. Soon enough she was curled up under her blanket, feeling calm and quiet. Safe.
To her surprise, sleep came easily to her. She drifted off about a half hour before Ian came in, laying down nearby to her. He was protective of her and almost wanted to just stay up and keep watch, though he knew they all would need their strength. He closed his eyes and fell to sleep shortly after, laying near to her, but not too near. Roland and Gunnar wandered in at their own paces, setting down their blankets and falling to sleep in turn. There was enough room for them all to sleep without rolling on top of each other.
In theory, any way.