A/N: I'm a dirtbag for not updating for so very long, and for even continuing this abomination… Enjoy!
Chapter 25
"This is where they must have stopped," Anna deduced, as she observed the deep impression of horse tracks in the area.
Elsa watched worriedly in silence as Anna's bright eyes followed the tracks towards the edge of the main path.
"They must have crossed into the woods… But why?" Anna's words were hushed in a low murmur as she rode towards the gnarled path leading deeper into the woods.
Things were not looking good. Elsa wrung her hands nervously on her loose braid and edged closer to Anna's back. "I'm worried, Anna," Elsa whispered. "What if something happened to them?"
Anna turned to Elsa, and smiled. "Christian and Sig are Arendelle guards, Elsa. I'm sure they're fine. They must have decided to take a detour."
Always like Anna to be the positive one. But when Elsa searched deeper in Anna's eyes, she spotted a lingering cloud of doubt. "You're right," Elsa agreed, despite of what she felt in her gut.
Anna prodded the horse forward, but it took some effort before the animal obliged. The horse was unnerved, and Elsa knew that was never a good sign. In every horror novel she had read, frightened animals meant the presence of evil. "Ugh…" Elsa groaned, feeling sick with anxiety.
They pressed on down the narrow path. It grew increasingly dark as the looming trees enveloped them to the confined road. Elsa wondered how she went from being a recluse stuck in her room to feeling like a part of a poorly-written horror story.
As she pondered over how tumultuous the past few days of her life had been compared to her usually sedentary lifestyle, she was caught off guard when she suddenly heard Anna gasp in horror.
Elsa immediately shut her eyes. No, I don't want to look. Please… Her thoughts tapered off, when Anna yelled the name, "Christian!"
Elsa forced her eyes open and immediately her vision was filled with a bloodied Christian, barely standing up, but somehow still smiling subtly. Sig, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found. Elsa stared with wide, disbelieving eyes at Christian - badly wounded, but alive.
"Christian, what the hell happened?" Anna asked, even though she knew he was unable to speak. Christian's pale-blonde hair was soaked in red streaks of his own blood, seeping from a deep gash on the left side of his scalp.
Through his blurry vision, Christian could faintly see Elsa and Anna's outline. Was he dreaming? They had come back for him. They… came back. His thoughts made his cold body a little bit warmer before he slipped farther into unconscious. He stumbled forward, a dazed smile tugging at the edge of his lips. His will was strong, but his legs were weak, and they gave way under him. Christian collapsed to the ground before he could reach out to Elsa and Anna.
Anna and Elsa immediately leapt off their horse to rush to Christian's side. He was unconscious and his breathing was shallow. Anna inspected him for more wounds, but the major injury was the one on his head – an unmerciful cut from a blade.
Anna and Elsa attempted to lift Christian onto the back of their horse, but their tired bodies made the task impossible. They continued to try, but to no avail.
If only my power was super strength, Elsa glumly thought when suddenly a slight tremor vibrated the ground beneath them. The tremor grew more violent and made the ground rumble as if the beginnings of an earthquake.
"What the—"Anna exclaimed, as she felt her whole body rock from the force.
Elsa looked towards the tall thicket of trees – waiting for the worst – and with a low roar, Marshmallow came crashing through with—
"Olaf?" Elsa and Anna simultaneously said, surprised at the sight before them. Olaf was perched precariously on top of Marshmallow's head with his trademark grin as if he had no care in the world.
"Hi, guys!" Olaf cheered more cheerfully than a head cheerleader. Marshmallow and I were just chasing off this angry, dark-haired man who was hurting snowflake there."
Elsa looked at Anna in utter confusion. "By snowflake, you mean, Christian?" Elsa asked, and pointed to the unconscious Christian.
"Yep! Marshmallow and I both agreed to nickname him snowflake! Look at his shiny blonde hair, does it make it look his head is covered in snowflakes?" Olaf explained, enthusiastically. "Just like yours, Elsa!"
"And by angry dark-haired man, do you mean, Sig?" Anna was the one to ask this time.
"The angry man was wearing a guard uniform and was hurting snowflake who didn't even try to fight back…" Olaf's enthusiasm died down a little – it must have been strange for a snowman to witness such a horrid act. Olaf had to learn about the real world someday, Elsa couldn't help but think.
"Where is Sig? Why would he do this to Christian?" Elsa asked.
"Thankfully, Marshmallow and I came along in time and stopped the bad man," Olaf proudly said. "Well, Marshmallow did most of the work and we even tried to catch him, but the man was too quick. Right, Marsh?"
Marshmallow growled lowly in agreement and looked disappointed in himself from being unable to capture Sig.
Olaf changed the subject, "I ran into Marshmallow while I was looking for you two. You both left without bringing me along… and Marshmallow too," Olaf's smile faded and he looked genuinely sad, so did Marshmallow.
Anna looked at Elsa and they both realized they had in fact left Marshmallow behind when they left Oaken's and, Olaf, when they were captured by Lady Alexandra.
"Oh, you two, we didn't mean to leave you," Anna spoke, while Elsa remained silent. "It's… It's just with all that's going on, it's been tough keeping track of everything and everyone. We're really sorry."
Elsa honestly forgot all about Marshmallow and Olaf. She didn't want to tell the truth and she didn't want to lie either, so she just stayed quiet. Instead, she gave the two snowmen an apologetic look.
Olaf's expression transformed from hurt to downright ecstatic. "Aw, you two. We understand, you just went on a little shopping date didn't you?"
"Shopping date?" Elsa said.
"Yeah, I see you got pretty new outfits!" Olaf pointed out.
Elsa looked at the clothes they picked out at Oaken's. Elsa was wearing a blue ensemble suitable for traveling in the freezing mountains – it was furry, puffy, but too large for her. Anna's outfit was a more fitted and sophisticated version of Elsa's, but in a subdued green color. Elsa personally thought she looked like a blue bear, while Anna effortlessly looked good in hers.
Marshmallow and Olaf giggled at Elsa's new look, but Anna had no choice but to interrupt them – they had no time to spare. "Please, Olaf, Marshmallow, can you help us carry Christian back to Arendelle."
Olaf and Marshmallow paused and looked sadly at Christian's limp body. "You betcha. You know what to do, Marshmallow," Olaf said, as Marshmallow easily scooped Christian in his large hand. Marshmallow cradled Christian like a fragile baby bird. The scene would have been endearing if it wasn't so bizarre, Elsa thought.
"Olaf, you came all the way out here from Arendelle by yourself?" Elsa asked.
Olaf smiled. "Yep! I followed the large footprints in the snow Sergei left behind."
"You ran into Sergei… and Lady Alexandra?" Elsa hesitated, afraid of the answer.
"Yep," Olaf recalled. "I saw them come out of the woods - the crazy lady, her bodyguard, the man with sideburns, and Sergei. Sergei was the only one who saw me as we passed by each other, but he just grunted. I think we're friends!"
Elsa tried not to sigh hopelessly as she tried to wrestle vital information from Olaf.
"And Arendelle?" Elsa couldn't stand not knowing anymore.
"Arendelle has gotten very bright and hot recently. There are pretty, wavy orange and red waves all over the place," Olaf described the current situation in his own childish and naïve way.
Shit, what he means is fire. Fire everywhere. Elsa's stomach churned from stress and anxiety. She caught the same fear reflected in Anna's eyes. "Elsa…" Anna worriedly whispered.
"I know… We have to get moving," Elsa said, and helped Anna up off the ground. She brushed loose snow from Anna's hair, and tried not to look in her eyes. Seeing Anna scared, and not being able to do anything about it crushed her spirit. All she could do was find a way to put an end to this freak-show once and for all.
"Come on," Elsa took Anna's hand, clutched her cold fingers tightly in her palm, and helped her on the horse.
Anna simply followed Elsa's lead and tried to catch her eyes, but Elsa kept on averting her gaze. Once on the horse with Anna at the reins again, Elsa whispered in Anna's ear, "Please, take us back home."