"We'll set up camp here for the night, by tomorrow night we'll reach the base." Elsa said look out upon an clearing in the woods "Remember to still be mindful of the landmines. You never know where The Order could have planted one."
Everyone walked up from behind Elsa and started setting up camp. It was a small clearing. A flat patch of ground covered with snow surrounded by high trees and a cliff side where you could hear a stream of water down below.
Anna was walking around the clearing looking up at the trees with Kris following close behind collecting fire wood.
" Hey this place is kinda pret... ". Anna was cut off as Kris jerked her because as she was about to walk off cliff. "Thanks. That could have been a nasty fall." Anna chuckled nervously. Peeking over the edge. "About 100 foot drop."
"It's at least 200. You have to be more careful." Kris said collecting the fire wood he dropped.
"Kris! Braids! Get over here and help set up camp!" Olaf yelled as he was putting up his tent.
"Braids?" Elsa asked looking at Olaf weirdly.
"What? Braids not working either?" Olaf asked. Everyone who had heard the exchange shook their heads no."Damn it. I will figure this out." Olaf said as he started thinking of more nicknames for Anna. He had been trying to figure out a nickname for het since they left the base. So far he has been coming up with some.. questionable choices.
"Olaf, will you let it go? The nickname is supposed to be related to something that you did on your first mission, not a physical trait. Like with Marshmallow." Elsa said pointing to Charles.
"I still don't approve of that!" He yelled from behind his tent.
"You learn to deal with it!" Elsa yelled back.
Hours later:
The sun has set long ago and the team had gone to bed. The camp fire was still blazing as alone figure sat staring into the flames.
Sitting on a log placed there earlier, Elsa sat alone with her thoughts as she usually did this time of night, but still aware of all things around her such as the silent breeze blowing cooling past her. The feeling of the snow under her feet and the small snow figure in her hand. A snowman.
Elsa looked down at the little snowman and a wave of nostalgia washed over her as she remembered how she and Anna would build a snowman at the first sign of snow. Anna was never really patient enough to wait for enough snow so it was usually a mud and snow man.
Elsa chuckled at the memory. Chocolate snowman she called them.
Crack
A sound from behind pulled her from her thoughts. She put the snowman down and put her hand on the handgun in her holster.
With one swift move Elsa jumped up, gun in hand, pointing it at the source of the sound.
"Wow Rambo calm down!" a voice came out of the darkness. A slim figure emerged and Elsa immediately recognized her. It was Anna. Her hand in the air.
"Damn it, Anna." Elsa said putting her gun back. "Don't sneak up on me like that."
"Technically I wasn't sneaking I just came out of the tent and you went all Mission Impossible on me."
"One more movie reference out of you and I will shoot you. What are you even doing up now? My watch doesn't end till at least midnight." Elsa said sitting back down at the fire.
"Yeah I know. I just couldn't sleep so I decided to see if you wanted some company." Anna said. "Can I sit down?"
"You're already here, aren't you? Have a seat." Anna sat down next to Elsa on the log.
They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. They kept their focus on the fire while Anna kept stealing small glances at Elsa. Elsa tried to ignore her but found herself asking
"What?" Elsa asking finally looking at her.
"Nothing." Anna said quickly.
"You obviously have something on your mind so spit it out." Elsa said maybe a little more irritated than what was necessary.
"I was just thinking of something Rapps mentioned earlier. Do you remember that time I accidentally started that small fight at the base?"
"Anna that wasn't a small fight it was a base wide brawl. We were still picking up teeth for weeks afterwards." Elsa said look back at the fire.
"That's beside the point. Anyway Red told me that causing something like that gets you immediately kicked out of training program, never to set foot on the base again, but I got of with a warning and bathroom duty. Why exactly was that?"
Elsa continued looking into the fire. Silence hung over them.
"Rapps also mentioned that you may or may not have been the one who had to make the decision."
Damn it Rapunzel. "Well I was in charge of your unit at that time and Mulan out of town that week the responsibility had become mine to decide what to do with you and Tinkerbell. I didn't want to send both of you away so I decided that bathroom duty for a few weeks would be punishment enough."
"Wow." Anna said in disbelief.
"What?"
"You had a perfect opportunity to get rid of me and you didn't take it. Even probably put your position as captain on the line, for me." Anna said look at Elsa.
"I never wanted to get rid of you, Anna." Elsa said look into the fire.
Anna looked into the fire. She doesn't want to get rid of me. She actually had my back. Anna thought happily. And she's actually talking to me, and not in her mean cold General voice. Almost as if, we're actually sisters. Of course we are sisters, it just doesn't feel like that all the time and...and I'm rambling in my own mind. It's been quiet for to long. I should probably say something!
"Thanks for having my back ."
"It's what sisters do. They look out for each other backs." Elsa said still looking into the fire, but with a smile.
Out of the corner of her eye Elsa could see tears forming in Anna's eyes. Oh no. Did I say something wrong?
"Are you okay?" Elsa finally asked
"I'm great actually. This is so nice. I wish it could be like this all the time." Anna said.
Elsa finally turned her head and looked her sister in the eyes and with a sad smile agreed
"Me too." But Elsa's gaze shifted from her sister's eyes to her forehead near her hairline where that blasted 4 inch white scar sat and mocked her. Flashes of that fateful night came flooding back. If Elsa wasn't already sitting she might have fallen down with the force of the flashing memories.
There is a reason you can't be around her! You are a danger to her! Elsa thoughts yelled at her.
Elsa looked away. Not being able keep Anna's gaze. "But it can't."
"Well why not? I mean..."
Elsa got up, turning her back to Anna taking a few steps forward. "Because it just can't."
Then something snapped in Anna. I've had just about enough of this BS from her. She got up and took a step closer to Elsa. "What did I ever do to you?" She asked pain and anger present in her voice.
"Enough Anna." Elsa said still with her back turned
"No why do you shut me out?! Why do you shut most of the world out?! What are you so afraid of?!" Anna practically yelled
What am I afraid of? I'm afraid of losing you! I'm afraid of holding your lifeless body in my arms again! I'm afraid of what can happen to you because of ME!!" Elsa though but all she could say is
"I said ENOUGH!" Elsa yelled as she abruptly turned around. In that moment Elsa felt a small gust of wind move past her left ear missing her by a hair but she saw Anna fall to the ground.
"ANNA!" Elsa yelled. She turned around pulling out her handgun to shoot whoever attacked them. There was no one to be seen.
Suddenly bullets rained on the small camp.
"Ambush!!" Elsa yelled ducking from the bullets. She then lifted Anna off the ground and rushed her behind two very large trees standing together. Elsa looked at her sister as she helped her sit up against the tree. She could feel a liquid running down Anna's arm as she removed her jacket to see the wound. "Are hurt anywhere else?" Elsa asked as she used her jacket as a makeshift sling for Anna's arm.
"I'm fine." Anna said as she tried to get up but felt Elsa pushing her down.
"Not a chance in hell. Sit here and stay put." The team met the sisters behind the tree ready to receive orders.The gunfire was quite but who knows for how long.
"Raps, help Anna." She moved closer to the group. "Charles you're going to stay here and protect them. Red that means you'll be teaming up with Rider. Olaf you'll be with them. Kris, your with me. Red take the left we'll take right and everyone stay alive." Elas and the other team members, crouch down as they descended into the woods. Distant gun fire could be heard just moments later.
