Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.
Recap (since it's been... a while): Hans was a jerk as usual, but managed to accomplish something. Anna made a few dumb teenager choices. Iduna enabled her to do so (seriously, you choose now to be a cool mom?). Elsa... well, she sulked then she snapped out of it. You were very patient as I worked through some stuff. And I... well... *see Elsa*
Chapter 31 - The Rescue
15 May 2020
"I should leave," Anna said and she stepped toward the door. Elsa made to follow her, but Anna held up a hand to stop her. "No, you shouldn't wander around the castle."
Elsa frowned deeply at her. "I don't understand."
"I know," Anna said sadly. She looked at Elsa, really looked at her. A week without her and already it was as if her memory didn't do the blonde justice. All she wanted to do was stay in this room with Elsa, but she knew she couldn't. Especially not now that she realized Elsa had somehow found her way here, likely subconsciously in her sleep. "I'm not sure if you'll remember this, but just in case… stay home, okay, Elsa? I… I don't want you to come here."
She saw Elsa reach out to her, but Anna quickly exited the room and pulled the door closed behind her. Not a second later, the door re-opened on its own, but when Anna looked, the room was empty. Elsa somehow wasn't there anymore. The tears began welling up. She was truly alone in this castle in her mind now. She had tried dozens of times over her stay in the Southern Isles to gather the courage and knock on that snowflake decorated door, but tonight was the first time that she managed it. At first she was relieved to know she still had a part of Elsa with her, but now she feared she'd wouldn't be able to visit this room again. At least not while she was still held… sort of prisoner here.
With a heavy heart, she closed the door to Elsa's room then shut her eyes tight. When she opened them once more, she was again sitting on the bed in Astrid's room, the tears from her dream-like state running real rivers down her cheeks.
She caught sight of the pending sunrise outside of her window and glanced at the clock. Anna sighed. Yet another sleepless night, she thought. She couldn't sleep here. It was too warm and the sounds were all wrong. Her thoughts wandered to when she could finally be in her room in her home with her mother, instead of in Astrid's room in this strange house. She had already been in the Southern Isles much longer than she originally intended, but neither Uncle Rorik or Uncle Erik had been around. Anna was beginning to really worry about the both of them, which also did not aid her sleeping habits as of late. When she did find some rest, her dreams were filled with images of snow covered battlefields and the cries of the people she loved most. She'd wake in a cold sweat, her pulse racing quickly as if she'd run a great distance, and tears trailing down her face.
Reluctantly, Anna got out of bed and walked to the closet. Lars had gotten one of the maids to purchase her a whole wardrobe since she'd been brought to the Southern Isles with nothing. It wasn't much to her taste, but what of her life was anymore. She picked out a simple top and a pair of jeans then made her way down the hall to the bathroom. Thankfully, they had given her a bathroom to herself. Anna had never lived with boys before, let alone a whole mansion full of them, so she was glad to have this concession. She got ready fairly quickly and headed down to the dining room. Anna had learned pretty fast that this family had many people working on their grounds - from cooks to gardeners to housekeepers - and that nearly everything was catered to them. Upon entering the room, there was a small flurry of activity as a plate was set on the table and the chair she'd been sitting in these last several days was readied for her.
"Thank you, Martin, but I thought I told you that you don't have to pull my chair out for me," she said to the young man who was, essentially, a modern footman.
"Yes, of course, Miss Anna," Martin replied as he gestured to the chair.
"And you don't have to call me 'miss.' Anna is perfectly fine," she said after taking her seat.
"Yes, Miss Anna," he responded and headed through the door toward the kitchen.
She huffed slightly and picked up her fork. Admittedly, everything she'd eaten here was delicious, but she found that she just never had much of an appetite. She would take a few bites, but not much more than that; even dessert, which was definitely an unusual thing for her. As Anna pushed the food around on her plate, she thought about the interaction she'd just had with Elsa. She wasn't sure how Elsa had managed it. It had been so fleetingly lovely, but now it left a giant hole in her chest. There was this longing inside of her, like something within her was trying to reach out across the seas to find the other half of itself.
A distressing thought occurred to her. If she was feeling this way, was it possible that Elsa was as well? If she knew Elsa as well as she believed she did, Anna was sure she was suppressing all of her emotions right now. So it was likely that this worry was baseless, but the possibility bothered her nonetheless. Especially if Elsa remembered her dreams from last night. Anna, unable to at least attempt to keep Elsa away, pulled out her phone instinctively. Despite rarely turning it on, she kept it on her out of habit and in case of emergency. As it booted up, she considered what she was going to do.
Her first instinct was to message Rapunzel, but Anna decided against that pretty quickly. She was certain the first thing her best friend would do was show Elsa the message and convince her that Anna was only staying in the Southern Isles to protect them. It was a truth that Elsa could not know. She considered her mother next, but after their last conversation, she wasn't sure she could even make it through a typed message to her. She went through her choices and knew there really was only one option. Clearing away the multitude of notifications that bombarded the screen now that it was on, she pulled up her text thread with Kristoff. Anna knew he was a good enough friend to her that he would do this favor, but also not friendly enough with Elsa to bring it to her.
Anna [6:36 AM]: Hey, Kris. Keep an eye on Elsa today, okay? I just… have a feeling that she might do something crazy. Do that for me, please? And stay safe.
She hit send and immediately powered off her phone once she was certain it had delivered. Anna had just slipped her phone back into her pocket and was picking her fork back up when the door to the dining room opened once more. Hans walked to the seat across from Anna and sat down just as Martin entered and set another serving in front of him. He didn't even bother to acknowledge the server's presence and began on his breakfast.
"Didn't sleep again last night?"
Anna looked up at him briefly before she settled her gaze back on her barely touched plate. "I got a little bit of rest."
There was a brief silence before he nagged her once more. "You're a terrible liar, you know? I'm actually a little surprised, and mostly disappointed, that the Ice Queen believed you. I was certain she'd have stormed our shores by now."
Anna didn't reply. She clenched her jaw and gripped her fork hard enough to bend slightly. Hans had been needling her like this since the day she'd arrived here. Trying to poke at the bear, for what reason she wasn't quite sure. Irritating her wasn't going to bring Elsa to the Southern Isles. She suspected he just enjoyed making her miserable for managing to foil his plans. Anna glanced up briefly and caught him with that frustratingly smug smile he'd had plastered on his face every day. With a huff, she pushed herself away from the table.
"I've had my fill. I need to catch the ferry to school," Anna said, nostrils flaring slightly with her anger.
"Or you could just ride with me."
"I'd rather vomit," Anna spat at him before she exited through the swinging door. She could hear him chuckling as she walked down the hall toward the front door, and her ire burned hotter in her belly. "Stupid, arrogant ass," she muttered to herself as she swung her new backpack over her shoulder and walked out of Manor.
Southern Isles High School was exactly what she expected it to be - hell with fluorescent lights. The other kids were unwelcoming, but she suspected that had a lot to do with her sudden appearance as a long lost daughter of the founding family. Her superior hearing made her very aware of what everyone was saying about her - 'I heard she only decided to come here because Ragnar Westergaard is sick,' 'she's probably shown up for the inheritance,' 'she's got some nerve coming now when all those brothers have a dying father to deal with.' Anna really didn't care what they said about her. All of her focus was trying to find a way to stop Hans and Lars before anyone from her chosen family could get hurt.
All of Anna's time not spent at school or in Astrid's room (not) sleeping, was allocated to researching in the Westergaard ancestral library. She was very aware that the accounts within it were highly biased, just as she was sure the ones in the Aren library were. Despite that fact, she combed through them, devouring every book about the Snow Queens and Empaths from history, looking past the implicit prejudice at the facts. She just knew the answer to her predicament had to be found in there somewhere, but all she was learning was that every great River Born that rose to power, no matter which family she was part of, was ultimately struck down by the Fifth Spirit. While Anna considered this an important fact, it wasn't helpful. She sloughed through tome after tome for information, but the library was seriously lacking. All she could find were references to a small island called Uldaria Isle, to a group of people called Northuldra, and the fact that the Fifth Spirit was only awakened when things had gone too far; meaning that the Fifth family wouldn't be revealed until she or Elsa became the legendary Empath or Snow Queen, respectively. And that was something that simply wouldn't happen, not if she had anything to say about it. There just had to be another way to end this feud.
Anna reached the docks and waited along with other younger Westergaards for the ferry that would take them to the island that was home to the three schools and the library. It was the only other island she'd been to so far, but she wasn't eager to explore anymore of the Southern Isles anyway. Anna stood a considerable distance from the younger boys; she was by far the oldest of Ragnar's grandchildren that took the ferry. She welcomed the cold wind that seeped in through her coat as she waited on the dock. Westergaard Manor was warm to the point of stifling. Though she was immune to the heat, it made her miss the chill of Arendelle. The cold reminded her of Elsa, and she longed to be back with her. The cold was as close as she'd get for now.
"Anna! Thank heavens! Are you alright?" Iduna answered the phone, panic clearly lacing her every word. "What number are you calling me from?"
"I'm okay, mama. It's the landline here in Westergaard Manor. Who even has landlines these days is beyond me?" She attempted to keep her tone light, but she was very aware she was failing miserably. With a heavy sigh, she changed gears. There wasn't much time. "Mama, I need you to do something for me?"
"Anything, little duck. I know they're all gearing up to go after you."
"That's just it," Anna said softly. She took a deep breath to settle her resolve. "I need you to go stop them."
"Stop them?" Iduna asked. It got quiet on the other end of the phone and Anna realized her mother must have been anxiously pacing or organizing something to keep herself busy. "There's no way I'm going to stop them, Anna. It's only because I told Kai I'd let her handle it that I haven't called the Sheriff to report you missing! If I wasn't sure I'd only get in the way, I'd be on that boat to come get you myself! We are bringing you home one way or -"
"No, mom! Listen to me! Please," Anna whisper-shouted into the phone. She pulled the receiver from her ear to make sure she couldn't hear Hans coming. She'd found this phone in the servant's hall after he'd left her alone in the library, and hoped that he wouldn't bother looking for her there, but she couldn't be too careful. "They can't come here. It's not safe. Hans, he... When he was telling me about… everything… I felt… he won't stop, Mama. He wants Elsa to suffer. Kai and everyone there - they're understanding and kind. They don't want to fight so they make concessions when the Westergaards show up uninvited, but the brothers won't do the same. If Elsa comes here, they will attack."
"Anna, I cannot just let you stay there!"
"Please, mom! I just need time," Anna pleaded. She peeked around the corner to make sure no one was around. "Look, Uncle Erik or Uncle Rorik has to come back eventually. When they do, I'll have them bring me home, and then no one from Arendelle has to set foot in the Southern Isles. If any of them come before that… they'll get hurt, mom. I can't let that happen."
"No! I will not leave you to do this on your own, Anna!"
"I can't lose her!" Anna nearly shouted. She quickly put a hand over her mouth and looked up and down the hall. She pulled the receiver from her ear and listened carefully for any approaching footsteps. When she didn't hear any, she brought the phone back and whispered into it, doing her best to keep from crying, but the tears still streamed steadily down her face. "They're afraid of her, mom. And fear makes people behave irrationally. Hans' fear turned into anger and hate, and he won't stop until she's powerless. But I saw inside his heart, mom. I don't know if he'll stop even then, and the thought… the possibility that I could… that she could be… I can't let her do this for me. I can't let her give up her life for me. Please."
"Anna," Iduna's gentle voice came through from the other side. "From what I understand, this has been going on a long time. Even if your plan works, it doesn't mean it'll all be over."
"Exactly. That's why I need the time, mom. I need to figure out a way to keep them from trying something like this again; to find peace between the families once and for all. If not, Elsa will never be safe. I love her, mom."
"Anna, you're too -"
"No, I know what you're going to say, and you're wrong. I'm not too young to know that I love her. I'm not much younger than you were when you met dad. And - I know this is going to sound crazy but... I think we're meant for each other. Our bond, the entanglement of our auras… Nature brought us together for a reason, and I believe this is why. To finally bring peace to the families She chose to bless," Anna said in a quiet hurry. When there was no response from the other end, she took a breath and spoke as calmly as she could. "If you were given the chance… If you had known what his fate would be… If you had had the opportunity to save dad, even if all odds seemed against you, wouldn't you take it?"
A small gasp came from the other side through the receiver and Anna knew her mother was crying. "You know I would, little duck," Iduna finally said, her voice tight, and Anna could almost feel her mother's pain through the telephone.
"I can't lose her, mom," Anna repeated, her voice was steady and resolved. She knew she'd won this battle with her mother. All that was left was the war. "I don't think I'd survive if I did."
There was a long pause, but Anna was patient. Finally she heard her mother sigh. "Okay, little duck. What do you need me to do?"
The final bell eventually rang, much to her relief. Anna headed for her locker, getting jostled several times in the crowded hallway, a new emotion cascading through her at every touch. She'd been having a hard time controlling her empathic abilities - a lack of sleep would do that to a girl. She packed up her bag and trudged toward the front exit, eyes focused on the ground in front of her, her destination being the docks to catch the same ferry back to the Westergaard family island. Once Anna stepped outside, she took a deep breath. Despite it being late Spring, there was still a pleasant chill to the breeze and she pulled it into her lungs, finding comfort in it.
"Anna!"
Anna's head shot up at the sound of the familiar voice and she frantically searched the Quad separating the high school and middle school with her eyes. She finally spotted him on the other end of the lawn, waving at her and walking her way. Relief flooded through her and she felt the tears burning in her eyes as she ran toward him, almost forgetting to stick to a mortal pace in her haste to get there. Within seconds, she slammed into his chest and she felt arms circle protectively around her.
"Uncle Erik, you're back! Thank goodness," she gasped through her sobs. She furrowed her brow and hid her face in his shirt when she felt herself get angry. "Where the heck have you been? You were supposed to be home several days ago!"
"I know. It was Gerda. She found ways to extend the negotiations and keep me out of contact," he answered, pushing her away gently so he could look at her. He wiped the tears from her cheeks, his expression apologetic. "But I'm here now, lille venn. Let's go. I'm taking you back home to Arendelle where you belong, but first, we'll need backup. We need to find Rorik."
"Uncle Rorik? Isn't he off on business too?"
Erik shook his head, concern clear in his eyes. "I checked in with his assistant. He's supposed to be on sabbatical, but Margerie, his wife, was told he was in Oslo on business. Neither of them have heard from him. I think he's being held in the basement dungeon."
Anna frowned. "Hans said there wasn't a dungeon in Westergaard Manor."
"Technically there aren't," Erik said as he led her toward the docks. His tone was cynical, a quiet disgust underlying his emotions. "We don't call them dungeons, but holding cells from our family's historical past. However, they are dark and dank and have bars. No matter how we try to spin it, it's a dungeon."
Erik helped her into his sailboat and she set her backpack down and began helping him ready the boat to cast off. She'd gone out with Elsa enough times now that she was well versed in sailing. "So you think that's where he is? I haven't heard anything weird in the house. Just all your other brothers when they're home, and the staff."
"There's several feet of solid stone and concrete separating the basement from the main floor of the house. When the Manor was originally built, they made sure any sounds from down there wouldn't permeate to the rest of the house," Erik answered as they pushed off from the shore. "For obvious reasons, of course."
A chill ran down her spine as the meaning of his words sank in. She just hoped that he was either wrong about Rorik being down there or that he was simply locked up and not being tortured in any way. "They wouldn't really do that to their own brother, would they?"
Erik looked at her sympathetically. "They've done worse."
Right, she thought. Of course, they have. Anna knew first hand what Lars, and maybe now Hans, was willing to do, even against their own brothers, to accomplish their goal. She had no father because of it. Anna hopped over to the main sail and pulled the rope tighter, causing the wind to catch it just right and increase their speed toward the island. When they docked, Anna spotted Hans' speedboat in its usual spot, but she wasn't worried. Erik was home now, and they would find Rorik. She'd be home in Arendelle soon.
Once they tethered the sailboat, she ran inhumanly fast up to the foreboding Manor. The skies were greying, an ominous backdrop to the great stone building. They quickly entered the house; the front door was never locked, there was no point when only family members (and their servants) were ever on this island. Erik led her down a hallway she'd not ventured down yet. He opened up the door at the end of the hall to reveal a darkened stone stairwell, and a draft washed over them. Without hesitation, Erik began to descend the steps and Anna followed behind him. The stairwell was cold, as if the overbearing heat from the rest of the house didn't reach this place.
After what felt like ages, they finally came upon a large, dimly lit room. Like the rest of the house, it was mostly made of stone, but instead of wooden accents, there was metal. Along the far wall hung multiple weapons - swords, maces, rapiers, and other things Anna didn't know the names for. There were multiple chains and bindings hanging from the ceiling, and along the wall on their left, several barred cells sat empty.
"It looks empty," she whispered, but then they heard coughing coming from the other end of the room. Anna shared a look with Erik before they both dashed to the end of the cell block to find Rorik in a rumpled heap in the far corner of the cell. "Uncle Rorik!"
"Anna? You shouldn't be in the Southern Isles," he said, and got up slowly. He looked frail and tired. "Why have you come here?"
"I was taken here by Hans last week," Anna responded.
"Last week!? Then we should get you home quickly. Erik, the keys should be hanging near the door," Rorik said before he succumbed to a coughing fit. Anna frowned with worry as Erik walked off.
"How long have you been down here?" Anna asked.
"I'm not so sure. I lost track of time without being able to see the sun," he answered. "What day is it?"
"May fifteenth."
"Then I've been here nearly two weeks," he said, coughing again. Erik returned with a large ring of keys and quickly opened up the cell.
"We need to take you to the doctor," Erik said, but Rorik shook his head in response.
"There's no time to waste. We must get Anna back to the Arens. She isn't safe here."
"I'm not sure I'll be safe there either," she said quietly. The two brothers looked at her curiously, and she sighed, her eyes falling to the feet as she scuffed at the stone floor with the toe of the Chuck Taylors. "I had to renounce Kai's protection in order to keep them from coming here and falling into what was most certainly a trap."
There was a quiet moment as the brother's processed this information. Anna remembered her conversation with her mother again; how she had to plead with her to get the sisters to stay in Arendelle, how she had to explain multiple times exactly what to say to Kai and what thoughts to allow Kai to hear. The memories opened the still gaping proverbial wounds in Anna's chest and brought tears to her eyes. How are they ever going to forgive me? I wouldn't, she thought to herself. She was well on her way down an inward spiral when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up into Rorik's smiling face. Despite the clear malnourishment and dirtied features, she still found comfort in his expression.
"One thing at a time. First we get you home, then we figure out how to keep you there," he said. Anna nodded, and offered a small smile back. They began the trek back up to the main floor, stopping several times for Rorik to catch his breath. Erik had to help support him; Rorik was terribly weak from his time in captivity. "They left me there and never came back. No food or water. If it weren't for being River Born, I'm certain I would have wasted away sooner."
"We'll have Raps take a look at you. She'll fix you up in -" Anna stopped in her tracks in the middle of the foyer, the heat of the large fire burning in the hearth behind her engulfing her completely. She'd felt a tug, one just behind her navel. That oh so familiar, completely undeniable tug that was usually comforting, but right now made her heart freeze. No! Why is she here? She's not supposed to be here, she thought frantically. She met the gazes of both of her uncles standing in the open doorway leading outside, the fear and anxiety clear on her face. "It's too late," she whispered between panicked breaths, "Elsa's here."
"Oh, is she now?"
Anna spun around quickly and found Hans coming down the stairs from the second floor. He had a wild smile on his face, and his eyes were glowing red; whether it was coming from within or due to the reflection of the fire burning in the stone hearth, Anna wasn't sure. She took several fast steps backward until she could feel herself within arms reach of her two supportive uncles. Anna watched as Hans pulled out his phone and tapped out a quick message. A surge of defiance rushed through her. I've come this far. I won't let him win now, she told herself.
"I won't let you get to her, Hans," Anna said, attempting to steady her breathing and feigning confidence. "I will find Elsa and then we're leaving."
Hans chuckled, but it quickly grew into a maniacal sort of laughter. He doubled in half for a moment before his disturbing hysterics died down slightly, and he wiped away a tear as he straightened back up. "Oh, Anna, such naivety. Do you really think I'm not prepared? Nothing can surprise me now," he said as he strode slowly forward. "I was ready last week, but you bought me even more time. Time which I did not take for granted. I have thought of everything, accounted for every possibility. My well laid traps are now perfect." Hans stopped right in front of her, looking down with that smug smirk she really hated now. "The Ice Queen won't even know what hit her."
"What's up, Elsa?"
She was standing near the bow of the boat, grasping onto the rope of the mainsail as she stared at the island with a frown. They'd already circled the Westergaard family island twice, and she was frustrated. "Their ancestors chose this island wisely. From what I can tell, the only safe place to approach is where they've already built their docks. I was hoping to weigh anchor somewhere else so we could sneak in with less risk of detection."
"Oh, give me a sec," Kristoff said. He let out a high pitch whistle that continued to ring in her ears long after he finished. They waited several minutes, and Elsa's irritation grew with each second. She opened her mouth to say something, but Kristoff held up a hand to stop her. Elsa rolled her eyes, but caught movement in her periphery as she did so. She squinted up to see a bird heading toward them, it grew steadily larger until it finally settled on the port side railing. It was a rather large gull, and she eyed it curiously as Kristoff began speaking to it. "We're looking for somewhere to leave our boat. Any ideas?"
The gull started squawking loudly and Elsa winced and covered her ears with her hands in an attempt to stifle the noise.
"I'm sorry, could you slow down? I can't understand you," he said as he looked at Elsa apologetically. "I'm really much better with reindeer," he whispered to her before he gave his attention back to the over raucous bird. "No, not the place where all the other boats are docked…" he said and the bird squawked some more and Kristoff nodded. "Yeah, sneaky. Something like that." With a final loud squawk, it took off into the air, and Kristoff turned to Elsa once more. "Okay, follow him."
She looked at him skeptically, but she was willing to try if it meant the possibility of getting to Anna undetected. To her surprise, the bird led them to a tiny cove she'd missed before, tucked away behind several large rocks. Most sailors wouldn't attempt such a path, but Elsa had the spirit of the water on her side; the ocean would see her safely through. She expertly navigated the rocky inlet, narrowly missing jagged formations several times, but she managed to get the boat into the small cove and dropped the anchor. Elsa pulled out a lifejacket and held it up.
"Are you a strong enough swimmer to make it to shore, or do you need this?"
Kristoff shook his head. "I don't know if I should be offended or not," he said lamely.
"Just making sure," Elsa said with a shrug and she stored the lifejacket back in its place underneath a bench. "Now, neither of us has been here, and from sailing around the island, it's pretty large. I'd expect that the main house - their ancestral home - is somewhere near the center of the island, as far away from any point of ambush as possible. I'm almost positive that's where we'll find Anna."
"Okay, so what's the plan here? Just… sneak around the island until we find the biggest house?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Elsa said with a frown. She was really beginning to regret not grabbing Liv. Elsa was sure Liv could come up with something better, but she was confident in her decision to not involve her family. She couldn't face it if any of them got hurt because of her. Not after what happened to her parents.
"Sure, sure… And once we find the house?" Kristoff asked lightly, as if he were free of concern.
Elsa sighed. "I… I don't know. Kristoff, really… I'm kind of out of my depth here. I'm usually methodical. Always calculated and thorough. I rarely act rashly or impulsively. The only times I seem to is when Anna is involved, especially when she's in danger," she said, rubbing her forehead with frustration. "I… I'm not used to…"
"Winging it?" Kristoff guessed when Elsa seemed to be at a loss for words. She sighed, her eyes downcast as she nodded in response. Kristoff placed one of his large hands on her shoulder and waited for her to look up at him. When she finally did, he sent her a goofy sort of grin. "That's fine. You brought me along… well, I forced you to bring me along, but that's beside the point… you weren't going to get me off this boat without a fight… though you'd likely win in a fight," he rambled. He shook his head to stop the slurry of words and met her gaze once more. "My point is - I'm great with winging it. I thrive at improvising. We're going to get her back, one way or another."
Elsa looked at him, suddenly thankful that he was there with her. She never thought she'd ever be grateful for this oaf of a boy, but right now, she understood why Anna had such an attachment to him. He was good and kind and optimistic; very much like the girl they were about to risk their lives for. She took a deep breath and nodded once more. "You're right. We'll find a way; we just have to. I just wish I had a plan. Coming without one was irrational."
"Well… Love is irrational, and it makes perfectly rational people do irrational things," Kristoff said with a lopsided grin. "I mean, look at me. I'm here with you because Anna is the best friend I've ever had… well, aside from Sven. So the best human friend I've ever had… And I might not be the most rational person, but -"
"Kristoff," Elsa said, holding up a hand to cut him off as she did. "We really should get going before someone discovers us and we lose our stealth." Kristoff pretended to zip his mouth and gave her a little salute. A small, amused smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. She had to be honest with herself, she was glad for his company. "And thanks… for the pep talk and for forcing me to bring you along," she admitted to him.
"It's nothing," he said, that goofy grin back on his face. "Now, let's do this thing."
Without further delay, they both dove off the side of Elsa's sailboat, The Nokk, and swam to shore. Elsa felt her confidence rise slightly once she was on the island. She could feel Anna through their bond and it was giving her strength. She turned in the direction that her bond was leading her.
"She's this way," Elsa whispered over her shoulder to Kristoff as she walked along the shore toward the northeast.
"Are you sure? There's no way to know that for -" Kristoff stopped speaking abruptly as a wall of fire about twenty feet tall erupted in the distance in the direction Elsa had indicated the moment they stepped up to where the rocky shoreline began to fade into a grassy area with a sparse smattering of trees. He gulped hard and nodded. "Okay, yeah. She's probably that way," he commented, eyeing the foreboding fire barricade, and continued to follow Elsa toward it.
They walked slowly through the lightly wooded area, taking every precaution to be as light footed and unseen as possible. Soon enough, they spotted a tall chain linked fence through the trees that surrounded a paved area, half dedicated to a couple tennis courts and the other half a full basketball court. On the eastern side of this fenced area was a large open field, the lines and goals indicating that it was currently being used as a lacrosse practice field. Beyond this recreation area was an open lawn that led straight to the fire wall that Anna was suspected to be held behind. Elsa ducked behind a tree and crouched down. She turned around to look at Kristoff and indicated for him to join her.
"We should stick together. It doesn't look like we'll be able to rely on trees to give us cover for much longer, so we must be quick through the open areas," Elsa said in a hushed voice. She peeked around the tree once more, determining the best course of action. "I think we should go around the western edge of the tennis courts and not across the lacrosse field. We'll head straight for the fire wall, and I'll try to freeze a section long enough for us to run through."
Kristoff nodded his understanding before he leaned slightly out from behind the tree. Checking that the coast was clear, he dashed to the next tree about thirty yards away. Once there, he waved Elsa over. They continued this way, taking turns leading and being careful to not be spotted. Elsa looked around the current tree and was both relieved and worried to see they were almost to the edge of the fence surrounding the tennis court. She could feel that they were getting closer to Anna, but the trees ended at the fence line. They'd be out in the open then, but at least they hadn't run into anyone yet.
Wait, Elsa thought suddenly. Where is everyone?
"Okay, I'm going to run to that shed on the other side of the courts. I'll wave you over if it's clear," Kristoff said as he peered around the tree as well.
A sudden sense of unease filled Elsa. It made no sense - the wall of fire implies their presence was known, but there were no Westergaards to be seen. "Wait," she hissed at him just as he stepped out into the open. "Something feels -"
She didn't get to finish her sentence before the world was suddenly thrown into chaos. An explosion went off about ten feet in front of where Kristoff was standing. In a split second reflexive reaction, Elsa threw her hands up, erecting a massive wall of ice between the boy and the fiery blast. It wasn't enough however, the ice shattered instantly, throwing ice shards everywhere as they were both blown back from the force of the detonation. Elsa felt herself slam into a tree before falling prone onto the ground.
Ears ringing and eyes slightly unfocused, she slowly lifted her head. The haziness within her vision cleared and she saw Kristoff sit up about twenty feet away. She pushed herself up, wincing slightly from a pain in her right shoulder when she put pressure on it. She gave it a few tentative rolls both forward and backward, assessing the damage as she walked over to Kristoff who seemed to still be in a slight daze. Her shoulder smarted, but she determined she'd live.
"Are you hurt badly?" Elsa asked when she reached Kristoff. He looked up at her and she could almost see the lights come on in her head when the reality of the situation came back to him. She watched as he patted himself a few times, first his head, then his chest and legs.
"No, I think I'm fine. Just a little shocked," he said and stood up. He looked around at the rubble and the sizable crater left by the explosion. "Who blows up their own yard?"
Elsa didn't get a chance to answer as a line of fire as tall as the flame wall in the distance shot toward them. She quickly shoved Kristoff out of its path and jumped out of the way. The heat from the fire was incredible, and she found herself dashing backward to escape it. Staring up at this new barrier of fire with defiance in her eyes, she shot a blast of magic at it, but it didn't make an impact. She tried several more times, putting everything she had into it, but only managing to make a small window that quickly closed back up.
"Elsa!" Kristoff shouted to her from the other side of the flames. "Follow the shoreline toward the north. I'll meet you around the other side."
Elsa looked to her left, her eyes following the wall down the way they'd just come from all the way to the shore. It effectively cut off the most direct path toward the north. "Okay," she yelled back before she took off to the east, skirting around the chain-linked fence around the basketball court once more. She cut back toward the sounds of the ocean once she reached the edge of the open field, darting through a small thicket of trees before she came upon the shore again. She paused, hunching over in relief, with her hands on her knees, as the heat of the roaring fire was replaced by the nip of the sea breeze on her skin. Elsa took in several deep breaths, allowing the salty ocean air to clear the smoke from her lungs before running along the pebbly beach.
"Hans said we should be able to intercept her here."
Elsa skidded to a halt at the sound of voices ahead, coming from around the bend in the shore. She quickly scanned the area and ducked behind a whitewashed log just as footsteps drew nearer. Steadying her breath, she chanced a peek around the end and saw two Westergaards she'd never met before she quickly ducked completely out of view once more.
"If she was coming this way, we would have run into her by now," the man with hair a similar shade to Anna's said. "The kid must have miscalculated. Wouldn't be the first time."
"Yeah, you're probably right," the first voice grumbled out of the mouth of the man with an auburn goatee.
The footsteps then seemed to turn and fade in the direction that they'd first come. Elsa sat still a moment longer, waiting for the sound of the crunching steps on the stony beach to get further, before she snuck out from her hiding place. She decided the beach was too open and took a tentative step backward toward the tree line, keeping her eyes where she'd last seen the men to make sure they didn't change their mind and double back her way.
Crack.
Shit, Elsa thought and looked down at her foot to find it atop a broken twig.
"Did you hear that?" Elsa heard the voice of the bearded man once more before hurried footsteps began to crescendo, coming right in her direction.
She had no choice but to make a run for it. Elsa turned on her heel and darted into the trees up a steep incline. Fear rose in her chest as she heard the men gaining on her. Elsa was fast, but it seemed that these Westergaards were faster. Suddenly, her foot caught a small hole in the ground, causing her to trip. She dug her hands into the grass and dirt, gritting her teeth and clenching her eyes shut, to keep herself from sliding all the way back down the hill she'd just dashed up. When she felt her momentum stop, Elsa could hear the men - they weren't far now. She opened her eyes and spotted an opening in the side of the hill. Glancing behind her shoulder, she army crawled as quickly as she could toward the opening.
The crevasse was just big enough for Elsa to slip her slender body through, side stepping into an open cavern just as she spotted the tops of two ginger heads between the trees. She quickly shuffled further into the cave and felt the air get exponentially warmer with every step she took. She stilled as the footfalls came closer, holding her breath in hopes to not make any noise. In a flash, two figures ran right past her hiding spot. Elsa closed her eyes in relief, wiping the sweat away that had started beading on her forehead in response to the intense heat with the back of her hand. Releasing her breath, she made her way back toward the sliver of a cave opening.
Out of nowhere, a figure blocked her path. The man with the goatee grinned at her and Elsa felt her heart stop from fright.
"Hello, Snow Queen," he taunted. "Thank you for making this easy."
He quickly made a fist and a throwing motion toward the ground just at the mouth of the cave. Flames quickly erupted, completely cutting her off from the outside world and slowly creeping toward her. Elsa stepped back from the wall of flame as it pushed her way, but stopped abruptly as she came to a ledge, the small thin passageway suddenly opening up into a large cavern. The heat in the cavern was overwhelming. She gazed over the edge to find a river of molten rock bubbling and flowing deep below.
"Of course they live over a volcano," Elsa muttered to herself with dissatisfaction. "Why did I expect anything less?"
She looked all over the cavern, and spotted one other opening in the wall opposite to where she currently stood. Elsa turned back toward the path she came down, breathing heavily as the heat in the space weighed her down like a heavy blanket. She gathered her strength and sent a huge blast of icy magic back down the narrow passage. She managed to push the wall of fire back significantly before her stamina gave out and the wall of fire came back toward her even faster than before. Elsa shook her head. She wasn't going to be able to fight this active fire - not with the heat around her. She hated the heat, it dried up the air, making her powers far less effective and much more taxing to use. No - there was no escaping the way she came.
Elsa turned around and looked once more at the only other exit… the passage fifty feet across the cavern with the river of lava standing in between. She dug deep, pulled every ounce of strength she had. She pictured a bridge in her head - narrow to save energy, but thick to combat the heat in the room, a low border with a simple handrail. Elsa could see it clearly in her mind's eye as she gathered everything she had left, opening her senses to the barest hints of water she could dredge up. With a calm exhale, she extended her hands in front of her and willed this sleek, elegant, icy bridge into existence…
But nothing came.
She tried again, but came up with the same results. The oppressive heat in the cavern was drying up all her energy - there was no water in this air to draw from. With a frustrated yell, she threw her hands in front of her once more, but all she managed was a pathetic puff of snow that melted and evaporated in the superheated air before it could even fall to the ground.
The ground… when did Elsa's knees meet the ground? The edges of the vision began to blur. The rocky terrain dug unpleasantly into the heels of her hands, but she could hardly feel it. The only thing she could feel was the heat. Elsa always hated the heat. It was the very antithesis to her whole being. It drained her, weighed her down. The only time she ever enjoyed the heat was when she was with Anna.
Anna… The image of the spunky ginger girl flashed in her head.
'Hang on, snowbug! Don't give up,' a familiar voice came to her from the back of her mind.
"Anna…" Elsa whispered as she felt a small tug. Anna… I'm sorry, Elsa thought back lazily as the world began to fade to black.
A/N: Okay - first off, I'm so sorry for two reasons: 1. It's been like... 5 months and 2. After 5 months, I leave you with ANOTHER cliffhanger. I can say though - writers block and self doubt is not the business. However, the comments and messages have been so supportive and encouraging, that I finally got through it and started writing again. So thank you all! I'm not sure when I'll give you another update. I want to say it won't be 5 months from now, but I don't want to make empty promises. The next chapter is half done, but I' work full time while also teaching a class at my alma mater. I'll have more time once the class lets out for summer. So it'll get done when it's done, but know that I'm working on it and haven't lost sight of this. I'm still planning on making it a series, but I'm going to make more realistic goals for the rest of the adventure.
Thank you to my (ever patient and supportive) sister for BETA-ing this chapter over and over... and over again.
Thanks again to everyone - especially anyone who commented checking in, sent me a message, or have just stuck around this long! I hope you're all staying happy, safe, and healthy!