'Is there anything like this, Kristoff?' Ryder asked, his voice just another sound within the night of the Enchanted Forest.

Kristoff lay on his back within a small clearing, hands folded atop his broad chest with a warm blanket over his body. Sven's large breathing form was next to his head alongside a herd of other reindeer practically engulfing the two young men as they slept in the centre of it all. It was kind of amazing, the rhythmic, practically harmonic sound of all the animals snoring soothingly somewhat mesmerizing to the mountain man.

'I mean, I can't say I hate it.' Kristoff admitted.

'Right? My people appreciate the value of my herding skills, but they definitely don't miss the chance to make fun of just how close I really am with these guys. Honeymaren's the worst for it.'

'Your sister, right?'

'Yeah.' Ryder followed up the affirmation with humour in his tone. 'But don't get any ideas, okay? She's been courted more times than I can count. I'm probably the only eligible bachelor in our clan that hasn't fallen for her at some point.'

'Well, you're her brother.' A sickening wave of nausea passed through Kristoff's bowels, his mind naturally wandering to the scene he had walked in on concerning Anna and Elsa too recently. It was so insanely unbelievable that the man could easily convince himself it hadn't happened.

But it did.

Because the way Kristoff's heart had sank couldn't be forgotten anytime soon. Even now, he felt as though his throat would prevent him from swallowing it was so tight with nerves and disbelief.

'Hah! Got me! Which makes it even harder for me to imagine anyone wanting to be involved with my sister in that way. She's brutal.'

'Really?'

'Man. Don't even get me started. I mean, we get along alright, but she's way stronger than she looks. Her massages are no joke. Those hands could crush rocks. Pretty sure she got the blessing of the Earth Spirit at birth or something. I've crossed her enough times not to get in the way of her right hook.'

'Heh. Girls can be surprisingly scary, I guess…' Kristoff grinned at the thought of Anna clocking Hans square in the face, sending the conniving prince right over the side of a boat in the water surrounding Arendelle. It was a fond memory. A moment that eventually led to Kristoff realizing just how much he cared about the younger royal sister…

'Hey.' Ryder's tone went serious. 'You okay?'

'What…?' Kristoff scoffed. 'Of course. Just tired.'

'The Rock Giants freak you out?'

'No. I mean, a bit, but I figured you guys know how to deal with them by now, right?'

'Mostly.' Ryder sighed. 'Although they never move at night. That was totally weird.'

'I'm sure the whole "taming" of the Wind and Fire Spirit is causing a ruckus.'

'True. True. True.'

A beat, with Kristoff closing his eyes since it was near impossible to see the night sky with so many trees surrounding him and Ryder despite the opening they utilized for the herd of reindeer.

'So, this Queen Elsa girl…' Ryder started up again, and a piece of Kristoff's heart bucked at the mention of the woman. 'She's the real deal, huh? She might free us from this place?'

'Hm.' Kristoff pushed away the urge to be immaturely bitter. 'Let's just say if anyone can do it, Elsa will, yeah.'

'You guys close?'

'In a way, sure.'

'How so?'

'Uh…' Kristoff hesitated, but something about Ryder did calm him, as if he really was talking to a kindred spirit; which he supposed wasn't terribly far from the truth considering the two men lay amongst a couple dozen of reindeer at night like it was the most normal thing in the world. 'I was…sort of with Princess Anna for a little bit there. So, Elsa basically came with the territory.'

'With Anna…?' Ryder shifted up so abruptly one of the nearby reindeer next to him grunted in annoyance. 'Wait! You mean, like, romantically? Lovers!?'

'Shhh!' Kristoff urged, although Ryder was only speaking in an excited whisper. 'Yeah. I was.'

'Man.' Ryder lay back down, sounding almost like he was sulking suddenly. 'I thought we were kindred spirits. What's with that?'

'Oh, don't worry. I'm going through life solo again. It's all good.' Kristoff sighed.

'But you don't want to be. And Anna clearly seems to care about you still.'

'…You think?'

'Maybe?'

'Thanks.' Kristoff chuckled at Ryder's inability to be sure. 'Real helpful.'

'I don't understand woman, my friend. That's a world I'd rather stay away from.'

'I thought so, too. But…I don't know.' Kristoff breathed out deeply again, rubbing his head and scrunching his eyes closed.

'Tell me. I can at least listen, right?'

'True.' Kristoff shrugged, searching his head for the right words. He started slow but deliberate. 'It's brutal because…I thought I was fine on my own, but now that I don't have her, I feel like I'm…lost in the woods or something. Nothing seems real anymore. Up is down. Day is night. Right is left.' Kristoff bit at the bottom of his lip, recalling Anna's smile and picturing the way she used to turn when he was approaching her.

'Whoa. You had it bad, man…'

'Have it bad. Yeah.' Kristoff agreed. 'I never thought I'd be the one chasing her heart. Like…who even am I if I'm not her guy? I look back at my old life and it just feels empty in comparison. Sven is great; believe me, but…'

'Right.' Ryder admitted soberly.

'I thought we were just on a break, and I kept waiting for a sign from her, but she kept getting further away and now…I'm not even sure what path she's on anymore because I saw…' Kristoff clamped his mouth shut, embarrassment and shame overcoming his square features as he stared into the darkness with burning eyes.

'Saw what…?'

'Nothing.' He wouldn't do that to Anna. Or himself. Maybe he hadn't seen it right after all. Maybe if he kept convincing himself otherwise, none of it would be true anymore and he still had a shot. 'This journey…it's like I'm being left behind even though I'm right here with them. I know I should follow, and help, and guide Elsa and Anna as best I can but…I'm reaching and coming back with nothing.'

'And it hurts, huh?'

Kristoff nodded, realized Ryder likely couldn't see him, and then vocalized the confirmation with a slight tremble in his deep voice.

'…Yeah. It hurts.'

'If it helps,' Ryder started after a beat, dead serious. 'I've also been lost in the woods for all my life.'

'Ugh.' Kristoff shook his head. 'You're right. I'm being dumb.'

'No! No, no! I didn't mean it like that!' Ryder punched Kristoff in the arm. 'I just mean that…if you're going to help me out of the woods, then I'll do my best to help you too. Even if it's just to listen and bounce thoughts off of.' Ryder softened his tone. 'Is that okay? I know it's not much…'

A warmth filtered through Kristoff's system then, a feeling similar to that he had in relation to Anna making its way into his heart. Friendship. Trust. Mutual respect. Care. Kristoff instinctually knew he and Ryder were similar, but he didn't expect such a deep bond to develop so hastily throughout the span of a few hours. Had Kristoff opened up to anyone this quickly before? No. Not even Anna. Maybe there was something to be said about a comradery that clicked together so perfectly.

'No. It's plenty. Really.' Kristoff did his best not to think about Anna and Elsa further. It wasn't the time. He was being selfish. Ryder had been trapped in the Enchanted Forest for years. Decades even. His whole life, by the sounds of things. Kristoff could deal with his relationship with Anna after Ryder and everyone still trapped in this forest were free. Anna needed him to focus. Elsa needed him to focus. Sven needed him to focus. Ryder needed him to focus. He wouldn't give up on his feelings for Anna just yet, but he could at least put such notions on hold for the sake of those relying on him.

'Girls are complicated.' Ryder groaned, and it made Kristoff laugh to himself again.

'Isn't that the truth.'

'But they're not the worst…'

'Also true.'

Another break in the conversation, but this time, Kristoff wanted to shift the focus for the sake of his new friend.

'So, uh, what's the first thing you want to do when you get out of here?'

'Whoa.' Ryder hummed. 'Totally got chills there. Just the thought of being anywhere but in the Enchanted Forest is messing with my head. Lieutenant Mattias and Yelana talk about what the world is like, and they've even painted pictures for the Northuldra people that are interested, but I still can't get my head around it. Buildings as tall as mountains, yeah? Boats big enough to sail through the ocean? Hundreds and hundreds of people growing and sharing resources? Kings. Queens. Knights. Travelling…!' Ryder caught his breath, a notion of confidence and pride swelling in his tone. 'Yeah. Travel. That's probably what I'll do. I'll see the world. I'll bring some of my reindeer, too. The strong, young ones.'

Kristoff chuckled.

'That sounds about right. You seem like an outdoorsy guy.'

'You, too?'

'Oh, yeah. I do better camping it up than anything. I mean, hanging out at the castle wasn't bad, but nothing beats living amongst nature.'

'Right?'

'It's a big world though. Just make sure you're careful. It can be dangerous, too.'

'Oh, I know.' Ryder agreed. 'Nature must be respected. Ahtohallan has blessed us with wonderful land, but we shouldn't take advantage of its bounty.'

'So, even though you've been trapped here for so long, you don't hold it against Mother Nature or whatever?'

'Never.' Ryder scoffed. 'Her children, maybe, but they're only trying to tell us something, and Elsa can actually hear their words, right?'

'I think?'

'Well, even if she doesn't know exactly what the spirits want, she's a lot closer to figuring it out than any of us. Yelana says she hasn't heard the land of spirits cry out like it did when Elsa awakened the elements since she was trapped in the forest. Your queen is more than a little special. I mean, I've never known anyone to command the elements like she does. It's incredible!'

'…She's definitely something.' Kristoff could admit.

'Which makes the spirits' behaviour all the more confusing, in my opinion. Shouldn't they be happy she's trying to figure out what's wrong? Are they just confused after waking up? I don't get it…'

Kristoff agreed, but wasn't sure how to respond. He did his best to calm his friend's nerves.

'One thing I know about Elsa and Anna? They don't back down from a challenge. This might be one of the toughest things they've ever faced, but you saw what Elsa can do even when her tank is empty; imagine her at full strength. With Anna's support, those two are unstoppable.'

'Fire and ice. They contrast yet compliment one another so perfectly.'

Kristoff found the comment a little strange.

'I mean, yeah. Elsa has ice magic, I guess, and Anna's hair is…red?'

'And she's immune to fire.'

'…What?' Kristoff shuffled up suddenly, the urge to sleep immediately impossible.

'You saw what she did, right? She hugged the Fire Spirit and didn't get burnt.'

'Isn't that because the Fire Spirit didn't want to hurt her?'

'Mm. Maybe. But when she was holding the little salamander, one touch almost burnt my finger. How else could she cradle the tiny guy like that? She has an affinity for fire. It's obvious.'

'I…uh…don't know about that. Maybe the Fire Spirit just really trusts her? Anna has never been able to use magic. Believe me; she's tried…multiple times.'

'Yeah?' Ryder still didn't sound convinced, but he wasn't the type to argue over something he didn't have enough information on. 'Well, you'd know. I guess it's possible to have such a bond with the spirits. Us Northuldra used to, after all.'

'Right…' Kristoff often did wonder why Elsa had powers and Anna didn't, however. They were sisters. Born from the same mother and father, right? It didn't seem proper for one of them to be so blessed and the other…not.

A lengthy pause between the men then, and Kristoff almost wondered if Ryder had finally fallen asleep.

'You gonna get her back?' Ryder started again, notably drowsier.

'…I might try.' Kristoff admitted.

'You should.'

'Yeah?'

'You obviously love her. It's worth a shot after everything's over. I could be your wingman…before I start traveling the world and such.'

'You'd do that, huh?'

'Uh, of course!'

Kristoff laughed again, punching Ryder lightly on the arm.

'Thanks. I appreciate the talk.'

'Any friend of reindeers is a friend of mine, buddy.'

'Right back at you.'

'I've never fell in love myself, but I know it's something that can move mountains. That's…uh…what the stories say anyway.'

'I used to think it was all an exaggeration, but Anna…' Kristoff breathed out slowly, his chest aching. 'Yeah. She changed everything. I'd do anything for her.'

'Sounds amazing!'

'It is.' Kristoff grinned. 'Maybe we'll find someone out there to give you the same feeling. How's that sound?'

'Whoa! You think? I don't know. I'm getting nervous just thinking about it…'

'Yeah. That doesn't go away. Not for guys like us…'

'Great.'

Kristoff and Ryder laughed.

'Good night, Kristoff.'

'Night. Thanks again.'

'Anytime.'

Ryder passed out practically immediately thereafter, his snoring incredible but nothing compared to Sven and the rest of the reindeers'. Kristoff fortunately found it more soothing than not. His talk with Ryder concerning Anna had helped somewhat, but the fact the mountain man didn't feel comfortable discussing what he had seen in Elsa and Anna's tent the night before didn't allow the conversation to truly progress. What did it mean, really? And why did part of Kristoff feel so confused beyond the obvious implications of the act? As though…he was missing something outside his ability to grasp?

A sharp pain shot through the man's head, and he openly grimaced, shaking any thoughts of doubt remaining. He needed to have a proper talk with Anna regarding what he had seen…after he helped her and Elsa with their mission of freeing the Enchanted Forest and saving Arendelle.