Chapter 14: On the Run

Anna needed a moment to catch her breath.

She had walked for miles before, but never this far, and never heading away from home. The fact that she was on the run with a dragon just sunk deep into her mind even more. But Anna was still holding fast to her decision, despite Elsa offering to bring her back.

The icy woman stopped walking and watched her mate. A part of her wanted to scold and yell, another part wanted to bring her back to Arendelle. But she remained silent, knowing there was no arguing with the redheaded princess.

As they both remained there in silence, Elsa allowed her mind to wander. Due to the sudden attack at Arendelle, she never had the chance to let it fully sink in that she was now involved with a human; a being so very different from what she was and yet somehow it had all boiled down to this. Her mate was a human and she had chosen that mate willingly.

The dragon waited for instinct to scream at her and mock her for this, but nothing came. Her mind was clear and she felt at peace. Somehow despite this clear difference and the oddness of this companionship, Elsa did not feel the least bit guilty or disappointed in herself. Perhaps now was a little too late to think of such things, but she could not help it.

After all, never has there been a dragon in history—reality or myth—that chose a human for a mate, let alone a friend!

As a dragon she expected to feel some sort of shame but somehow Anna made it feel so natural to be with her. Something had drawn the ice dragon to the feisty princess and whatever it was, it was hard to deny and it was irresistible even to the point that Elsa had come to refer to her with an endearment. Not even a great beast could refuse the thought of being with someone like Anna.

Elsa had never felt something so pure in her life, not even during her years as a hatchling. Like all others of her kind, she knew of humans and how they worked. But Anna's sudden appearance in her life seemed to change that perspective slightly. Though she still found it hard to fully trust humans, Elsa felt and knew that she could trust Anna with everything.

Just as Anna trusted her, a dragon.

Elsa did not realize she had been staring until Anna placed a hand on the dragon's snout. "Are you alright?" Her concerned voice broke Elsa out of her reverie and the dragon placed her large head on the princess's lap carefully and gently, much to Anna's surprise.

With a smile, she stroked the beast's muzzle tenderly and earning a happy purr from the dragon.

"I know you're still probably thinking I should go back home… If you are, my answer's still the same." Anna said as she continued to caress the smooth cold scales. In response, she heard Elsa growl briefly. As much as she appreciated how much the dragon cared for her safety, she wished Elsa would just have a little more faith. And most importantly, Anna could never bear the thought of the dragon flying off alone while on the run.

"Do pah jul Zu'u lost wah kos voth golah gein." Elsa sighed, puffs of cold mist flowing from her nostrils.

"You know…I still have no idea what you're saying when you talk like that." Anna said as she ran a hand along the beast's jawline, touching the ice shard-like spikes that protruded from her chin. They looked like real ice even though they were clearly not; the coldness of the dragon's body added to the effect. There was much beauty in a creature that many believed was dangerous and nonexistent. True Elsa had proven she could be dangerous back at Arendelle, but she had been defending herself.

Anna shuddered a bit when she recalled how Elsa easily turning those hunters into ice and shattered them with one lethal swipe, leaving nothing but many tiny chunks of ice behind.
She did not fear the ice dragon but it was still a rather shocking display and nothing like the princess had ever seen before. Anna shook her head, pushing away the images of that fight. Elsa was no monster; she was a living and breathing being just as everyone else.

"Perhaps…one of these days I could teach you," Elsa said after a moment of silence.

The redhead blinked and looked into the dragon's blue eyes. "You mean…teach me the whole dragon talk thing?"

Elsa huffed. "You will refer to it as Dovahzul."

Anna blinked and tried to repeat the word, "Dova…zool?"

The ice dragon nodded. "Dovhazul. In your tongue it means dragon language—but it is better that you refer to it by its true name."

"Yeah, Dova-zool does sound better…" Anna chuckled.

Elsa shook her head. "You have…much ways to go. If you are able to stay awake for longer than a few minutes I might decide to teach you how to speak Dovahzul."

"Hey! I don't sleep through all of my studies! I happen to like history—as I've told you before!" Anna said, pouting at Elsa's little jab.

"And if I recall correctly, you told me it was mostly because you admire Joan of Arc and pay more attention when the lectures and lessons are about her compared to the other historical figures." Elsa retorted. Anna responded with a pout and puffing her cheeks up a bit.
The dragon blinked and glanced away. For some odd reason, that expression—while amusing—made her feel the strange urge to apologize and comply with whatever the redhead wished. "Hi bo wah kos dinok do zey…" Elsa muttered.

Anna stood back up and dusted off her clothes. "Well I'm ready to get going again! Come on!" She said as she picked up the supplies, began heading off. The dragon sighed and walked with her. Elsa had to admit that Anna's persistence was rather admirable, but it was still foolhardy of her to just leave home with almost no hesitation whatsoever.

She had warned the redhead so many times, but Anna kept reassuring her that she still planned on coming along. This was not going to be just a simple trip away from home; the dragon planned on hunting down Einon's location and confronting the hunter and his son.

They were hunting her the way that all dragon-killers hunted dragons, but the way Einon obsessively searched for his quarry, and the words he yelled out during the escape from Arendelle, Elsa realized he was after her specifically. But why? For what reason? She had never met or seen Einon before until now, and she always made sure to avoid all humans so there was no reason that Einon could be seeking vengeance or something of the like.

Anna noticed how the dragon seemed to be deep in thought, and on the verge of getting a headache. "Elsa? What's wrong?" She asked, placing a hand on the dragon's arm.

"I'm still trying to understand it all; Einon acted as if we had met before when we clearly had not. It was as if I was the only dragon he wanted. But how would he know I exist? Not exist as a dragon, but as…myself?" Just what was she missing? Everything seemed to make less and less sense the more she thought about it.

"You're thinking too much. I think you should just focus on what to do now before you think of the answers; maybe it'll come to you." Anna suggested.

Elsa blinked and realized she did have a point. At this rate, she knew she was never going to learn anything about the hunters who were after her. Not just yet, and the current focus should be getting as far away as possible. She should leave Arendelle territory and fly elsewhere, but that meant she had to bring Anna along the entire time.

The dragon mentally swore that she was going to fight whatever wished to touch and bring harm to her mate.

"You're right." Elsa said with a defeated sigh before looking around. She lifted her head high and took a whiff of the scents around her. Her senses were focused as she tried to catch any foreign scent, making sure nobody was nearby or following her and Anna.

Nothing.

The dragon relaxed a bit, but from here on she would have to act accordingly and cautiously, especially since she had her human mate to look after at the same time.

Anna felt the dragon gently nudge her forward from behind. She continued on, knowing Elsa was probably feeling worried, and perhaps just a little paranoid. But in a way, she could not truly blame her. She could not imagine what it would be like to be hunted down for whatever reason.

Still, Anna had to admit she was beginning to know how it felt, in a way. But it would not stop her from staying by the dragon's side. She too wanted to find the answers to all this, and hopefully see new lands as well as new dragons. It was an adventure!
She was no fool though; she was aware of how serious this situation was. She was the princess of Arendelle and now she was missing from home, taken by a dragon to who-knows-where. Anna knew the severity of it all, but she felt better off seeing the more positive side of things.

And so the unlikely pair continued their travels, getting farther and farther away from Arendelle.

During their trek through the wilds, Anna always took the time to observe Elsa carefully; she wanted to learn all about dragons herself, especially since she was now practically bonded to one. Perhaps she would also create her own personal journal about dragons. That sounded like a good idea to her.

Though Anna had gotten used to exploring the wilds of Arendelle, and climbing the North Mountain, traveling this far was a different matter altogether. She always resisted the urge to stop and catch her breath, not wanting to delay Elsa. She could tell the dragon was most likely going to lose it if she even felt the slightest bit of danger.

This was another observation Anna made; dragons were powerful and magnificent, capable of felling many foes. But they were not without worries it seems.
She had seen how Einon's men could not even damage Elsa's tough scales. It was as if the dragon was invincible! Perhaps she could ask Elsa why she was so worried if swords could not damage a dragon's hide.

When night came, Elsa suggested they take shelter somewhere until dawn. Anna felt relieved to hear that; her feet were killing her.

The dragon searched the area, her keen eyes taking note of her surroundings, even from a great distance. When she finally noticed something that looked like the perfect shelter, she led Anna there, knowing all too well that her mate was tired but had tried to hide it from her.
She appreciated Anna's efforts but at the same time she did not want to wear down her mate. After all, she had grown too fond of the redhead for anything to happen to her.

Both princess and dragon approached a cave and Anna stopped. "This is…a bear's cave, maybe?"
"Don't worry; it's abandoned. I can't smell the stench of any animal in there," Elsa reassured, gently nudging Anna into the cave with her snout.

"Wait! What about you? I know this cave's a little too small for you, but aren't you coming inside?" Anna asked, looking back at her companion when she realized that Elsa made no move to enter the cave with her.

Elsa shook her head. "I'll stay out here, where I can also keep watch."

Anna frowned at that; she was not going to have any of it. Even dragons needed to rest, that much she was certain of. "Can't you just stay in here? For even…just a little bit?"
The ice dragon wanted to protest, but one look into Anna's eyes—a fatal mistake to make—Elsa found herself sighing in defeat.

With a triumphant smile, Anna reached her hand out and the dragon slowly reached a claw down in response.

The moment they touched, Anna now found herself facing Elsa's human form once again. It was still a little surprising and perhaps disorienting at times whenever she transformed since it was so instantaneous. But she was getting used to it. In fact, seeing Elsa's quick transition from human to dragon was quite amazing to see, although it happens with a blink of an eye. It was still quite a sight to see a dragon, only to then see a woman, and vice versa.

Anna took Elsa's hand and pulled her into the cave where they both sat down for a moment.

After a lengthy silence, and noticing her mate was shivering a bit. She moved closer to Anna and the redhead was all too happy to nestle close to her companion. "I'm sorry. I would probably be more helpful if I knew how to control fire." Elsa said.
Anna shook her head. "No, this is fine. And it's not even that cold, really!" She pressed up against Elsa's chest and rested her head on the icy woman's shoulder.

Being this physically close to an ice dragon—human form or not—should have made one feel colder, but instead Anna felt safe and warm. When she said this to Elsa, the disguised dragon found it odd, and hard to believe.

"Maybe it's because deep down, you're just a big, sweet, warm softie." Anna said with a smile as she interlocked her fingers with Elsa's before bringing their hands up to her lips and kissing her companion's knuckles.

Curious, Elsa turned their hands and carefully mimicked Anna's actions; she pressed her lips to the back of Anna's hand, kissing it before giving it a gentle lick as well.
The redhead smiled blushed. It seems that having a human form won't stop Elsa from doing dragon things.

After a while, Anna stood up. "I better get some wood or something, to start a fire." Elsa nodded and got up to follow her.

They wandered a few ways from the cave, gathering as much sticks as they could find for a fire. After a while, Anna had a bundle in her arms already, and so did Elsa who then returned to the cave immediately with the redhead following close behind.

"I hope this would be good enough." Anna said as she began to set up a campfire. Now all she needed to do is somehow ignite a flame.

Elsa sat by and watched as her mate tried to start a fire. Anna stumbled about as she attempted to start a fire in different ways. It was amusing to watch until Anna finally managed to start a little flame. The redhead blew on it a bit until the flames spread and turned into a proper campfire.

"Hah! I did it!" Anna said proudly.

The pair sat close to the fire and watched as the flames danced. Anna glanced at Elsa, noticing how the flames were reflected in her blue eyes. They looked so enchanting, and it made Anna's heart race just looking into those eyes.

The icy woman glanced at her. "Is something wrong?"

"Hm? Oh, no. I was just…admiring your eyes." Anna said, feeling like she had fallen into a trance.

The disguised dragon tilted her head curiously. "Yours are…more fascinating."

It was strange how drawn they were to each other despite everything, especially their obvious differences. But now it felt as if none of it mattered, like it had never mattered from the beginning. Perhaps…it was fate?

Anna lifted a hand and slowly traced her fingers over Elsa's lips. Even a cold ice dragon could be gentle and warm it seems. She leaned in closer until their noses brushed against one another. The soft touches drew out light dragon purrs from Elsa. The redhead leaned in closer until their lips touched.

Even though they had already kissed before, it still felt like a whole new experience to Anna. To her relief, Elsa was responding and it seems that the dragon had learned and improved since their last kiss, and it felt wonderful.
The kiss deepened and the princess inwardly wondered how the disguised dragon would react to the sudden change of pace with this intimacy, but to her pleasant surprise, she was met with eager lips and tongue; it felt like the icy woman was just allowing instinct to take over.

Anna moaned and gripped Elsa's shoulders as the passion between them began to slowly intensify.

Elsa leaned forward; her dragon instinct was calling out to her, telling her to dominate. She had Anna on her back on the cave floor. The redhead did not seem to mind at all and just pulled her even closer until there was barely any space left between their bodies.
Their lips continued to dance and caress one another while the princess gripped and pawed slightly at the ice dress, enjoying the sounds of Elsa's deep, rumbling purrs and growls; it felt so exhilarating to know that even if she were in a human form she was still very much a dragon, capable of doing what dragons have always been capable of. Anna ran her fingers through the white-gold locks before pulling Elsa down for another kiss.

The sounds of birds and other animals made Elsa stop and lift her head up immediately, leaving Anna breathless. The disguised dragon growled and her eyes narrowing as she stared into the distance, at whatever may or may not be out there.

"Elsa? Elsa what's wrong?"

Much to the redhead's dismay, her companion stood up and headed outside, returning to her true form the moment she was out of the cave. She watched as the dragon tensed and stood vigilantly by the entrance.

Anna got up and left the cave as well, moving to the dragon's side. "What is it?" She asked, looking up at the icy beast and then following her gaze.
When nothing emerged or came at them, she stroked the dragon's arm gently while hushing and reassuring her, hoping to calm her down. "It's alright Elsa, it's okay…" She soothed the beast.

Elsa growled before she leaned down towards her mate and nuzzled her snout against the redhead's cheek. "Maybe its best if I stay outside…"

Anna looked like she wanted to protest but was gently nudged back inside while Elsa positioned herself in front of the cave entrance and laid down, keeping her eyes peeled and blocking the way for any would-be attackers.

With a sigh of defeat, Anna went to sit by the fire once again.

It wasn't long before Anna needed to eat something, and the dragon knew it. Only then did Elsa move away from the cave entrance.

"Can you hunt?" Asked Elsa.

Anna nodded. "I'm pretty good… I guess."

That was good enough to the dragon as she began to head off in search of prey. Anna stayed close, bringing her sword along. This was going to be the first time she would see a dragon hunt; she mentally wondered if Elsa would be as aggressive as the time she fought the hunters back in Arendelle.

Only one way to find out.

The scoured the area for any signs of potential prey, until the dragon stopped and crouched down as low as she could possibly go. She was now a hunter, with the intention to bring down whatever she could get her claws on. Beside her, Anna crouched down as well.
As a dragon, Elsa's eyesight was much sharper than Anna's as she was able to spot a deer a fair distance away. She looked at Anna and nodded over to where she saw the deer, and although the princess could not see it, she knew the dragon was onto something.

Anna watched as the ice dragon moved slowly; each step was silent and deliberate, surprising for a beast Elsa's size.

Soon, the pair was close to their target. Anna was finally able to see what the ice dragon was intending to hunt down. It was going to be tough; even though Kristoff had helped train, she still felt reluctant to plunge a sword into an innocent animal. But now was not the time to think about that. This was a matter of surviving the wilds now. She was no longer close to home; she was far away with only Elsa by her side. One way or another, she was going to have to hunt for real.

The deer remained oblivious to the danger it was in, happily feasting on the grass while the predators stalk closer until they were close enough to give chase without alerting the prey too soon.

Elsa remained perfectly still, keeping her eyes on the prize. She saw the deer lift its head to take a cautious look around before it let its guard down once more. This would be the perfect chance, but she had to time this right. She then glanced at Anna and pressed a claw to her own lips, gesturing for the princess to remain silent. Anna nodded in understanding.

The ice dragon crept closer until she found an opening. She then charged out from her hiding spot and the deer broke into a sprint, panicked at the sudden attack.
Anna left the hiding spot as well and watched as the dragon easily reached for the prey and stomped her large paw over the deer's entire body before bringing her fangs down to smother the animal.

Elsa smothered the prey only a little until she was sure it would no longer is able to get back up. Then, she lifted her head and looked over at Anna expectantly.
It reminded the redhead of how predatory animals taught their young how to hunt and kill prey. She knew Elsa was urging her over to finish the deer off herself.

Feeling a little reluctant, Anna made her way over to the deer. The impact of the dragon's attack left it defenseless and helpless. It let out little shrieks as it struggled to breathe. "Sorry…" Anna said as she unsheathed her sword and lifted it above her head, ready to drive it into her prey. The animal let out a shriek once more before the life faded from its eyes.

The ice dragon looked pleased, though Anna needed a moment. She looked at her now bloodstained sword and sighed. This was the first live prey she ever killed, but it was necessary; still, she hoped she could avoid killing another human being. That would was a terrible thought.

Elsa easily picked up the carcass and carried it back to the cave.

Once they had returned to their camp, Elsa pushed the deer's body into the cave for Anna to enjoy while she once again took up her position at the entrance to guard it.

Anna felt reluctant to just have the entire deer to herself—she could not possibly finish an entire deer; it was huge!—with Elsa just standing guard outside. She decided to share the meat and the rest that were left uneaten would be packed up as rations for the journey. With that in mind, she sat by the fire and began carving at the deer's carcass, cooking the meat over the flames.

The silence was beginning to drive her crazy; it was no fun just sitting around and talking to herself in her head, especially when she had someone to talk to just right outside!
While she waited for her own portion to cook, Anna grabbed some of the meat and stepped outside where the dragon continued to guard the cave from any intruders or perhaps the hunters.

"Elsa? Here, I want you to have some too." Anna handed some of the meat to the dragon; it looked too little for a large beast to feel satisfied, but it was better than nothing.

"Nid, Lokalaat." Elsa said, shaking her head. "You need to store that for later. I can go on days without food easily."

Anna frowned and tried to offer the meat again, but Elsa insisted. Dragons could go on for a long while without eating, and right now she wanted Anna to look out for herself. The princess sighed in defeat and returned into the cave. The meat was cooked already and now she could enjoy having her stomach filled for now.

Anna could not sleep.

She felt restless the entire night, even when she managed to keep herself warm. She could not find it in her to just close her eyes and get some rest before she and Elsa continued on their way tomorrow. She knew she needed to get some rest but it didn't feel right to her.

Elsa was still guarding the cave entrance and had not moved away unless Anna needed something. The redhead looked towards the entrance and let out a loud sigh. This was not doing her any good! Anna stood up and headed towards the entrance.

The dragon was curled up in front of the cave, already sleeping but also ready to attack if she sensed any sort of threat.

Anna walked over and gazed at the sleeping dragon for a moment before she walked around the large forearm and settled between the beast's arms. The redhead then sat down and leaned against Elsa's chest, nestling against her. Being so close to her made the princess feel safer, and warmer.

Elsa opened her eyes and blinked before she noticed Anna falling asleep against her chest. The dragon wanted to tell her to return inside the cave, but seeing her mate at peace like this… She did not have the heart to disturb her.

The ice dragon lowered her head onto her paws and curled around Anna, keeping her safe for the rest of the night.

Hey readers! Miss me?

I apologize for the long wait, and for the shortness of this chapter. College has gotten more complicated and at times I find myself in a rather sour mood at the end of the day, but writing helps me unwind.
I wanted to keep this chapter short because I felt if I continued straight away from here, it was going to turn into a muddled up mess. I want to tread lightly while also making sure I don't ruin the story for myself and everyone else. So I apologize if you feel this chapter is kind of slow and kind of boring; I feel rather conflicted about this chapter as well.

Don't worry; I am working on another chapter right away after this one.

A little tidbit: Whenever Elsa shifts to human form, sometimes she is in male clothing and sometimes she is in her ice dress. Her outfits change depending on the area or situation or simply because Elsa feels like wearing certain kinds of clothing in her human form. Being a dragon, the only thing she finds important is that humans cover themselves with clothes and so to her, the fact that men wear certain clothes, and women wear another, it does not matter to her.

Thanks for supporting this story, I really love writing it. And though I am getting a little slow with these, rest assured I am always working on my stories whenever I have the time, even for a little while.

Oh yes, I want to give a big thank you to a certain someone who actually drew pics of Drage Hjerte! You know who you are! I thought they looked amazing and they really inspired me to continue writing despite whatever I am going through. Thanks for the love and support for Drage Hjerte and keep being awesome!

Until then…

Dovahzul (Dragon Language):

"Do pah jul Zu'u lost wah kos voth golah gein" – "Of all humans, I had to be with a stubborn one."

"Hi bo wah kos dinok do zey" – "You are going to be the death of me…"

Nid - No