Elsa brought her horse forward to stand close to Kristoff; the hooves making crunching noises as the horse walked in the soft snow. Kristoff had gotten off his sledge, and was inspecting the passage with a frown. He sighed, his breath fogging, and looked up at the jagged ice covered mountains on both sides.

Elsa looked back at their men. The horses were shuffling around uncomfortably in the deep snow, and the men grimaced as they rubbed their hands together and blowed into them. Kristoff was right. These men and horses were experienced in battle on the warm ports of Arendelle, but the snow mountains were a different thing. The General brought his horse forward to stand next to hers.

"I hate to say this," he began, "but, how much further?"

"Just across this ravine," Kristoff replied, gesturing at the mountain pass in front of him, "A little less than a kilometer."

"We're almost there, then!" Elsa exclaimed, relieved. The snow wasn't bothering her, in fact it made her feel as though she were in her element. But she couldn't watch everyone else suffer.

Kristoff continued to watch the ravine with uncomfortable eyes, and eventually the General asked, "What's the catch? Get on with it."

"I could have sworn this pass was a lot wider the last time I was here. Now it's covered in so much snow. Usually very little snow collects here, because the shape of this mountain blocks it out." After a pause, he added, "It's too narrow. We will have to continue by foot."

Elsa got off her horse, internally relieved. Her back was aching. She decided that on the way back she would ask for a ride on Kristoff's sledge. "Let's get going," she said, "Everybody is freezing just standing around here."

The General got off as well, but his face grew serious, and he watched the mountains on their both sides suspiciously. "Almost in all battles involving mountains," he said, "There is an ambush in the passes. You can easily trap the enemy in the small space."

Kristoff was nodding in agreement. Elsa blinked, then said carefully, "But he's alone. And doesn't know we're coming."

"If he launched a fireball in there," Kristoff said, "He could melt all that ice and drown us."

"I could freeze it back," Elsa said confidently. She was not going to be afraid of Hans again. She had to defeat him - for her family, her kingdom, and Jack.

Kristoff and Elsa looked towards the General. He grimaced, and said after a thoughtful pause, "I'm not happy with the situation, but we can't really go back. This needs to be done. We'll proceed, but cautiously."

They tied all the horses to some snow covered trees, and Kristoff asked Sven to look after them. Elsa tried not to roll her eyes at the exchange. She was fond of Sven too, but Kristoff treated him like a person, and that was a little weird.

With an unhappy frown and his sword unsheathed, General Garrison led the trek through the pass, with Kristoff and Elsa directly behind him, and the remaining men coming up behind. They plowed awkwardly through the soft snow; their boots digging deep holes. After a few moments of slow, dragging steps; they get used to it and started moving faster. Elsa watched the peaks on their either sides nervously, her hands raised the entire time. They walked on in the silence of the mountains, only the sound of their heavy breathing filling the air.

Half an hour later, Elsa noticed the end of the ravine, and her shoulders relaxed. That was when she realized how tense all her muscles had been. The General walked out the pass into the open, raising his hand to indicate them to stop. Slowly, he gestured forward; and Elsa and Kristoff came up alongside him to notice some tents outside a large cave in the valley.

Elsa heard a splash, and turned back to see a large amount of water falling into the ravine. The soldiers, who were all still within the pass, looked up in panic, their sword hands going slack as they wondered how to fight. Quickly, Elsa sent a blast upward, freezing the liquid, and it drifted down as snowflakes. She watched it snow in the ravine in confusion. She looked up again to notice empty barrels on the edges of the cliffs of the ravine.

"Water?" she asked, confused, "Why would he throw water at us?"

The General gave out a long relieved breath, "For a second there, I thought it was some corrosive liquid. I did not want to see my soldiers melt before my eyes."

The snow had fallen on the soldiers, and melted against their faces. A loud, disturbing moan erupted somewhere in the back, and they started looking around uncomfortably. Slowly, one by one, all the soldiers started collapsing on the ground, clutching themselves or the snow around them as they cried and screamed.

The General ran to his men, grabbing at them and trying to understand the source of their pain. In front of Elsa's eyes, the General let go of the man he was holding, and dropped to all fours, his face filled with anguish.

"What's happening?" cried Elsa, rushing towards them, but Kristoff grabbed her arm.

"Whatever's happening, is happening in that ravine. Let's stay out of it."

Elsa felt heat at her back, and whipped around. Hans stood behind her, holding a blazing fireball. She heard Kristoff pull out his sword next to her.

"What have you done to them?" she asked angrily.

"Guess," he responded with a chuckle.

"I'll make you regret this," Elsa said through gritted teeth.

"How did you put it last time?" Hans asked with a thoughtful expression, then said, "Ah, yes," as he spread his arms wide, "Take the opportunity. Try."

Elsa noticed the sudden silence, and realized the moaning had stopped. The men had all stood up, and now filed out the ravine and stood in a line in front of Hans, shielding him. Their faces were blank, eyes distant. Elsa watched them in shock; her gaze stopping at the General. "What the heck," muttered Kristoff next to her.

"Come on, then," Hans mocked, "Blast through my human shields."

"What have you done to them?" Elsa asked again, her heart hammering in her chest. Adrenaline pumped through her due to the fear and the urge to fight. Only Kristoff was left beside her. How would they get Hans without hurting the men?

"Nothing. Yet."

Elsa heard a gunshot, and Kristoff dropped beside her. Elsa cried his name and bent beside him, trying to determine where he'd been shot.

"No, please, no," she begged, tears forming in her eyes.

"Relax, it's just water," Hans said, "Just like the others." Elsa looked up at Hans, hatred clear on her face. She was afraid to attack as long as she wasn't sure what exactly was happening to all her people. "So," he continued, "it would appear your to-be brother-in-law is also under our control now. Watch him join his comrades."

Kristoff stood up, his face blank. Elsa stifled a cry. Watching him this way was frightening. Hans had got everybody. She was alone. She had to save them. She couldn't let them get hurt. Elsa fought with her facial expressions as she watched Kristoff join the soldiers. She couldn't let her fear show. She could do this.

"Thank you for bringing us this army," Hans said, "and also for falling so readily for the news of some villager 'spotting' me here." Elsa's heart shrunk, and Hans gave her one of his 'genuine smiles' that Anna had fallen for. She pursed her lips; wondering how to get to him from around her men; wondering whether if she defeated him, they would return to normal.

"Now, my friend here could get them to work around my camp," Hans said, "Or he could make them shoot each other or simply jump off the cliff." Another man arrived, emerging as though from the shadows. He wore black completely, and had piercing, jagged features - sharp nose, pointy teeth, dark black eyes. Elsa lost the few flickers of hope she had been carrying within her - he had backup; dangerous looking backup.

"What would you prefer?" the man asked, his eyes sparkling threateningly. A soldier broke off from the group and started walking towards the cliff. Elsa watched in horror. She couldn't defeat both of them in time to stop the soldier, not with Hans and his fireballs.

"Don't hurt them," she begged, and the soldier stopped in his path.

"Then go and sit down in that cell we've made for you," Hans instructed, "And refrain from using your pathetic powers."

xxxx

Hans and Pitch have played their move! Hope you guys enjoyed the scene. For those of you missing Jack, we see him next chapter! Pl let me know what you think of the story so far!

TFAArtfreak: I just had to mention, I can't help laughing every time I read your reviews. You have a seriously hyperactive imagination, and a very sharp mind. It's amusing reading all your speculations running in all directions, especially when some of them are accurate! :)