Dagon stepped out of the wagon. Without his armor the tattered tunic he wore beneath was visible. More than one of the tears was lined with a blood stain. In front of him the boney guard stood proudly over his catch, knife pressed against its neck.

"Release her throat," Dagon said. Reluctantly, the man withdrew the blade.

Dagon walked towards Elsa. His feet crunched through the dry grass, leaving slightly white impressions were he stepped. "You seem to have gotten yourself free, Queen Elsa. I now stand before you without armor or weapons. There is nothing between the two of us. Are you going to kill me?"

"No," Elsa said. "As long as you have my sister I am your prisoner."

Dagon stepped closer. "That's right."

Elsa squeezed one hand into a fist, pressing it against her thigh. "What about you? Are you going to torture me for escaping? Chain me up again so I can't move?"

Dagon moved back a pace. "Like you my answer is no. I see that binds cannot hold you. So as is keeping you locked up is futile. I see that now."

Elsa's hand tightened around itself. "Then are you going to kill me?"

The boney man looked hopeful.

"Again I say no," Dagon said. "I have use for you yet. So in the meantime I find I have no choice but to let you free. As long as you stay away from the prisoners and don't try to flee, or in any way go against me and my men, I will refrain from hurting your friends. Do I make myself clear?"

"I have a larger cell," Elsa said.

"You are a smart girl," Dagon said. "Stay out of trouble and do as I tell you. I will be watching you." Dagon turned and walked back into the wagon.

Once he was gone Elsa smiled. She could definitely make use of this.

-x-X-x-

"You had better wake up tomorrow," Hans said as he pulled the rope, hoisting the bag higher into the tree.

"Wake up? Knowing you I'll probably be saving us from some giant crazed animal while you're still snoring on the ground," Anna said.

"One would think you'd run out of things to say after two days."

"You're one to talk," Anna said.

"Let's just try to get some sleep. Then maybe tomorrow we can catch up with the Army of the Wastes so I can be done with all of this. Then you can uphold your part of the deal and neither of us will ever have to see each other again. Ever."

"That sounds great to me," Anna said. She wondered through the trees until she found a spot that was semi suitable for sleep. She laid down and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. This evening was chillier than the last.

Hans slipped off his boots and set them between them before laying down, contemplating how long he would have to scream to drive the sound of Anna's voice from his head.

-x-X-x-

An owl hooted off in the distance. Hans looked over at Anna. She was asleep and shivered slightly for the cold. The night was chilly and her shawl didn't provide much warmth. Hans looked at his own jacket. It wouldn't help much wither, but together they could work. Hans delicately reached over and eased Anna's shawl from around her shoulders and pulled it over himself, lying his jacket on top. He felt warm for the first time that evening.

-x-X-x-

Anna woke up to the early morning sunlight, and the cold. She sat up. Her shawl was gone. She looked around. When her eyes fell on Hans she saw him laying asleep with her shawl on top of him.

"That little-"Anna said, not even finishing her sentence.

She picked up an nearby pebble and threw it at him. It bounced off him without his so much as twitching but the assault had helped low off some steam. She considered throwing a larger rock, there were plenty laying around, but instead chucked another pebble. She picked up a third and tossed it to herself a few times. She reached over and slid it into Han's boot. Satisfied, she leaned back down. Just a little repayment for discomfort. As soon as her head reached the ground she heard a deep rumbling sound. She sat bolt upright and looked around. A huge dark shape rose up beneath the bag that hung from the tree. Anna kicked her feet against the ground, scooting backwards. In front of her the huge bear reared up and swatted at the bag with one peculiarly pale-colored paw. Anna's eyes opened wide as she stared at the beast.

"H-H-Hans," Anna she stammered.

Hans's head rotated slightly. "What is it?" he said without opening his eyes.

"It's-th-the bag,- your-behind-" Anna squeaked, "it's-b-bear, bear!"

Hans looked up. "What did you say?"

Anna pointed. Slowly, Hans's gaze followed the path from her finger and fell onto the bear. He scrambled to pull on his boots and grabbed a rock off of the ground.

"Bad idea," Anna said.

"Get away from that!" Hans shouted at the bear, ignoring Anna. He threw the stone at the bear, hitting it squarely on the head. The bear fell down onto all fours and roared at him. Anna leapt to her feet and grabbed Hans. She started to run, pulling Hans behind until hi feet caught up. The bear bounded after them, paws thundering against the ground.

"What were you thinking back there?" Anna shouted as they scrambled through the woods.

"Shut up!" Hans snapped back.

The bear charged after them, limping on one foot. A minor ailment that no doubt save both of them.

Anna and Hans burst from the trees and to the edge of a ravine.

"End of the line," Hans said as he came to a stumbling halt. "Got any brilliant ideas now?"

Anna looked around. They were next to a ravine that spread both ways deep into the woods. Trees lined each side, one of which seemed to have fallen across the gap. "Bridge!" she said pointing at the log.

"Are you crazy? We have no idea if that thing can hold us."

Anna ran towards it. "Fine, I'll go across. You wait for the bear."

Hans looked back to see the bear definitely closer than he wanted. He ran after Anna and onto the log as the bear burst from the woods.

"Feet steady, watch your step, don't look down," Anna said as they started across the makeshift bridge.

Hans was nearly doomed by a stumble. "There's something in my boot!" he said.

"Keep focused," Anna said. "Almost there."

The bear paced around the end of the log.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about what's in my boot would you?"

"Keep your breath even and spread your arms for balance," Anna said. She jumped off onto the other side.

Hans almost made it to the end before stumbling. A misplaced foot threw his balance off and sent him tumbling over the side of the log. Anna dove to grab him. Her hands clasped around one of his and she fell onto her stomach, dangling halfway over the edge. Less-than-soft-looking rocks stared up at them from the bottom of the ravine.

"You had better be worth this," Anna grunted as she have him a tug. She hoisted him up a few inches until he was able to grab onto the edge with his free hand. Once he got a hold Hans clambered onto the ground and pulled off his boot.

"You almost killed me," he said.

"Kill you? I saved you! You could at least show some appreciation."

Hans turned his boot upside down and a pebble fell out.

"Surely you don't thing I have anything to do with that do you?" Anna said with her best innocent face.

"I would thank you but since you were the one who almost got me killed in the first place it cancels out," Hans said.

"Hey, you have no proof that I have anything to do with that pebble."

One the other side of the ravine the bear roared.

"We had better get going," Anna said.

They both ran.

A/N I'm going to take this time to stand up on a soap box and say emphatically, NEVER DO THIS!
Both Hans and Anna would have flunked the "How to survive a encounter with a bear" test. If you want to know what one should do in such situations there are much better places than this story to look.