Nothing eventful happens overnight. Erik and Elsa bunk down in separate shelters for the night. Sarah's fleet makes its way towards the Southern Isles. Kristoff and Anna sleep peacefully for what is probably their last night in the castle. Nothing happens.
In the morning, Pabbie calls a counsel between all trolls to discuss plans for the future. All are attentive, knowing their very existence is at stake.
"We've got to make a choice," Pabbie says, pacing around. "Our very existence is at stake. We have two options: either fight and show the true extent of our magic, or go deeper into the mountains. If they find out about the deal, they'll decimate us. They'll see us as the ones who really ruined everything."
"No, we're not," Bulda speaks up. "It was Iduna. Don't beat yourself up. She's the one who wanted this."
"I feel our part, as I hope she felt hers," Pabbie goes on. "How do we want to handle this? Run or fight?"
"I vote we run," Bulda says. "Keep our ways secret. Wait for something serious."
"This IS serious!" Pabbie argues. "You heard about the black ice! This could be the end of life as we know it! We prolong it by making sure we're the only ones left."
"Let's put it to a vote right now," Bulda says.
"Okay, we'll put it to a vote," Pabbie agrees. "All trolls in favor of running to preserve our way of life?"
The crystals on the necklaces of about half of the trolls glow.
"And all in favor of fighting?" Pabbie asks.
The crystals on the necklaces of about half of the trolls glow.
"A split vote," Pabbie murmurs. "50-50."
"What do we do?" Bulda asks.
"We give each time to think it over," Pabbie says. "Take another vote soon. We've got a little time."
Meanwhile, the half-dozen ships come in sight of the Southern Isles. Sarah is on the head ship, wearing a satchel.
"Okay, everyone!" Sarah shouts, walking to the front of the ship. "We're just about there! We do what you did. Make a diversion up front. The twenty best fighters come with me. We break Hans out of there. Get him what he deserves."
"Uh, sorry to interrupt," a man named Dag interrupts, "but are you and Hans a thing?"
"What?" Sarah seems grossed out. "Eww, no! Don't be weird! I'm his adopted little sister."
"Adopted... sister?" Dag is confused.
"Yep," Sarah sighs. "Hans treated me like I was his sister by birth. He acted towards me the way he wanted his brothers to act towards him. We were more than adopted siblings; we were best friends. We grew up together. I watched him study the law. That's how I know he has the qualifications to be king. When he wasn't studying and I wasn't off on my own, we were away on some kind of adventure. And then all that was taken away, when he was so unfairly treated. Legally, he couldn't even be king. You were all idiots for thinking he could be. I'm gonna rant. First of all, there would've had to be a priest or witness present for the marriage vows to count. Second, even if he DID marry Anna, he'd have no legal power in Arendelle. He'd be the consort. When Anna died, nothing would happen to the power he never had during the marriage. Anyway, I'm his adopted little sister."
"How do we know you're not just trying to put the Southern Isles on the throne?" Dag asks.
Nearby crew nod agreeingly.
"'Cause I was born an Arendellian," Sarah answers. "I'm a patriot."
"If you were born Arendellian, how'd you end up in the Southern Isles?" Dag questions. "I don't know why we should trust you."
"I was sent there," Sarah answers. She looks down at her hands. "My mother couldn't stand the deal she made. She couldn't handle the thought of another daughter with powers. If Mother was cursed with powers, she would've suffered; but it's worse when it's your child that has to suffer with them."
"I can put two and two together, unlike Sigurd," Dag says. "You're our own princess."
"So you can trust me, more than you can my real sisters," Sarah says, smiling slyly.
"Then why didn't you take the throne for yourself?" Dag questions.
"I know who's qualified and who's not," Sarah answers. "I'm not."
"And you said 'another daughter with powers'," Dag goes on with his questioning.
"Iduna made a deal with the trolls," Sarah explains. "She was an outsider, a peasant. She couldn't marry Agnarr. So the trolls cast a spell over a couple people in royal positions, and they adopted Iduna so she could marry my father. But the price was high: all her children would have powers, given to them by the spirits of the Forest, and Mother couldn't help us, even though she knew about the trolls, who might. They said they'd kill her if she tried.
"After seeing Elsa's power and being confused about Anna's lack of power, when I was born, the monsters that were my parents sent me here. They were in good standing with the Southern Isles. Mother couldn't watch another one of her daughters grow up while knowing she couldn't help, or the deal would be broken. She was overall heartless. Selfish. Pabbie made everyone forget about where I came from. Everyone except me knew that I was adopted. I don't know why they didn't change my memory. Anyway, Iduna couldn't watch another one of her daughters suffer trying to control her powers."
"... And what are your powers?"
"Call it what you will," Sarah shrugs. "See, there wasn't really any power left to give me, once the Snow Queen and the fifth spirit had theirs. But Mother and Father didn't know that. After going two-for-two, they didn't wanna risk it.
"With parents in the Southern Isles who paid no attention to me, I went my own way. So I learned my power from others in other countries. I'm the last volva. The others went all power-hungry on each other and killed each other off when I was still young. Am I powerful? Sure, I am. The most? I doubt it."
Dag sort of backs away when he hears the word "volva."
"So, uh," Dag says, "A volva, huh? Like, a witch?"
"Call it what you will," Sarah repeats. "But a volva is generally good."
"Are YOU good?" Dag asks nervously.
"Maybe," the unassuring reply.
"I'll, uh," Dag says, "grab a spear or something to help with the show of force."
"We don't want anyone dying," Sarah says. "It's always a show of force. Unfortunately, Geirrod died for using his own show of force. I don't think he ever intended to fire that pistol."
In the mountains north of Arendelle, Sven pulls a sled with Kristoff, Anna, and Olaf on it, Olaf in between the now not-royals on the bench.
"So! This is nice," Olaf says. "The four of us, off on an adventure to find a new home."
"We know where we're going," Kristoff says.
"I don't," Olaf says ignorantly.
"We're going to the Enchanted Forest," Kristoff explains. "The Forest has all the space and resources Anna needs to practice her powers."
"Speaking of which," Anna says, "how do you know how to teach me?"
"On one of my many attempts to look into Pabbie's past," Kristoff says, "I saw him training other people with the same powers that you seem to have, but at different points in time. I'm guessing that maybe there's a chain of fifth spirits. I didn't wanna tell you so you could focus on training. Now that you've got the basics done and we actually have a moment to sit back and relax, I could tell you."
"I'm still confused about where that puts Elsa," Anna says, "and why I'M the fifth spirit but the spirits called to her, and why my power only started showing itself NOW and not earlier."
"I'm confused, too," Kristoff admits. "You're a tricky case."
"I don't wanna be a tricky case," Anna whines playfully.
"Well, what DO you want to be?" Kristoff asks in the same tone Anna used.
"I don't know," Anna keeps up the charade. "Something cool."
"Like an enchantress?" Kristoff asks, a tad more serious now but still jokingly. "Like you're gonna be?"
"I guess…" Anna says, coming back to reality. "I'd kiss you right now if Olaf wasn't in the way."
"I don't mind," Olaf says.
"You're fat for a snowman," Kristoff insults.
"Well, living in a castle for three years and three months did nothing for my weight," Olaf says. "I'm not moving, though."
"I'll kiss you later," Anna says to Kristoff, slumping in her seat.
"For now, though," Kristoff says, "you can practice." He rummages through the crates in the back of the sled and finds some dead branches he brought along for this purpose. He grabs one and gives it to Anna, making sure to come close to hitting Olaf without actually hitting him. "You can do it," Kristoff encourages. "Just remember what I told you before in the courtyard. That stuff, plus focus."
"Focus," Anna repeats. She clutches the branch in her hands. It's about a golf ball's size in diameter and a yard long. Breathing slowly with closed eyes, she concentrates on the task at hand. Slowly, a soft glow of all colors radiates from the tip of the branch as it gradually morphs into a rose. It continues modifying itself going down the stem over the course of a few long seconds. Feeling the golf-ball diameter become a much smaller one in both hands, Anna opens her eyes, seeing a rose where she held a branch. "Whoa," she says to herself quietly.
"What just happened?" Olaf asks, stealing the rose for inspection.
"Chemistry time," Kristoff explains. "She altered the energy in the really tiny, tiny parts that made up the branch. By changing their energy and making the different substances that make up the branch interact, she changed the structure of the branch into a living rose."
"Dead, technically," Anna points out, "since there's no roots."
"Right, right," Kristoff agrees. "This is just a start. From what Pabbie told other fifths, you'll become powerful enough to change even trees, and without touching them."
Anna looks down at her hands. "It's so hard to believe," she says, "yet I can. Somehow. I'll use it for good. God's gifts should be used for good."
"They will be," Kristoff says. "They will be."
In another part of the mountains, far away, Elsa is fretting about what to do next while Erik is leaning against a tree, patiently listening as he carves a stick into a knife with a knife.
"The trolls aren't helping," Elsa panics, pacing while snow falls lightly and uncontrollably from her hands, "and I don't know what to do. I've got to find out what the black ice is all about."
"Look, is there anyone besides the trolls you can talk to?" Erik asks.
"I could TRY Kristoff, but I doubt he knows anything," Elsa says worriedly. "I mean, the thought crossed my mind, but he only looked into my memories ONCE. Pabbie, though— he altered memories."
"I'm just sayin', it might be worth a shot," Erik says.
"Maybe?" Elsa says. "Oh, I don't know. I don't know! I don't know anything!"
"Hey, calm down," Erik advises, looking up from his carving. "It's not the end of the world."
"But what if it IS?!" Elsa exclaims. "What if it IS the end of the world? I've NEVER used black ice before, and I almost threw the world into unending winter without it. That's it," she says, trudging through the snow in a southward direction. "I'm going to Arendelle. I'm going to talk to Kristoff."
"Hold up," Erik says, running after Elsa and pocketing his knife and carved-knife, "aren't you, you know, not willing to risk going back there?"
"I'm going," Elsa says, determined, "and I'm gonna find out what's going on with my magic. Maybe it was emotion that changed my ice, but I don't know. That's why I have to find out. I have a theory, but I need more."
"Please don't go," Erik pleads. "Don't risk it."
"Look, I got in and out of the library without being seen by anyone who wasn't already specifically looking for me," Elsa says. "I can get in, find Kristoff, and get out. You're not gonna stop me."
"If I can't stop you, then let me go with you," Erik says.
"You can watch from outside," Elsa offers, "but there's not really a place for you with my job. No offense, there's just not."
"Yeah, I guess so," Erik agrees. "What if you're caught, though? Are you gonna use black ice again?"
"Let's hope not," Elsa says, continuing back towards Arendelle.
Shortly thereafter, the Arendellian fleet reaches the Southern Isles, raising war flags and even firing a couple cannons. Quickly, the Southern Isles dispatch a ship of their own to negotiate with the invaders. Those on the negotiation ship are struck with fear upon seeing six boats loaded with yelling, armed men.
Meanwhile, below deck on the head ship, Sarah is getting a boat ready for launch. Twenty men, including Dag, arm themselves with weapons.
"Will you tell us what's going on?" Dag asks Sarah. "Like, EXACTLY what's going on? This all seems off to me."
"While they barter upstairs, we'll sneak out undetected," Sarah explains. "Take the long way around. These negotiations will take a while."
"Hold up," Dag says. "'Barter?' Is that we brought all those crates of supplies for?"
"Yes," Sarah answers. "They're all things we had surplus of, anyway. Now we can trade for some regional fruits. Have you TRIED the fruit drinks we make around here? They're amazing."
"I'm sure," Dag says. "We've been following you blindly for about a day-and-a-half now. You're way too cryptic, way too confusing. I don't know why we even listened to you in the first place."
"A spell," Sarah says, smiling to herself. "Mind control. Wears off gradually. You can know, now that we're here and there's nothing we can do but follow through with the mission."
"Possibly," Dag says, "or maybe we can put an end to this right here and now. First, you use mind control—"
"I told you about it," Sarah interrupts. "Of course, that was after the fact. I was hoping I'd gain some trust by telling you. I'll also tell you that most other potions are different kinds of healing potions. Anyway, I hope you understand why I didn't tell you about my trickery."
"I do, but I don't like it," Dag goes on. "Second, you make us bring these boxes onto the ship without telling us why, and finally, instead of invading, we're just making a show of force."
"Didn't wanna have to do this without you," Sarah sighs, "but I will."
"Wait, what?"
Sarah pulls a "Mantis" on the guys, touching their foreheads in quick succession. With each touch, the one touched falls to the floor, sleeping.
Then, Sarah opens a sort of garage door on the back of the ship and pushes the smaller boat— a rowboat— out, mustering all her strength to push so much wood out a slightly-upwards slope. After a minute of strain, the boat is in the water. She grabs a couple paddles and makes way for the main island ahead.
By going around the long way on a small boat, she goes undetected to the main island over the course of a couple hours. The time is now around 2 in the afternoon, and the sun is extraordinarily hot. She has to land at a beach a long way from the negotiation party, because the closest beach was armored with fighters, ready to fight the war-flagged ships. Dashing across the beach and kicking up sand as she goes, she quickly comes upon horse stables. Just behind those is a prison, two stories tall. Sarah grabs a couple potions from her satchel and finds a bowl in a stable. She mixes the potions together, and they form a hot, bubbling red mixture. She lays the bowl down at the prison's front door, running back to the stables for cover and putting her hands over her ears.
"3, 2, 1…" she counts down to herself, timing up perfectly with the explosion at the front gate. Prison guards rush to the front, leaving few in the rest of the building. Sarah hates to use potions like that, seeing as she's got a limited supply on her and only wants to use them for emergencies. However, without twenty men, a diversion is better than going in by herself. Fortunately, many of the prison guards on the inside go to the front to investigate.
Sarah climbs to the top of a stable then vaults into the prison through a nearby window, undetected. After a minute of weaving through different halls dotted with doors, she comes to the end of one hall. At the end is a door, guarded by two men, armed with rifles.
"You're gonna want to let me in," Sarah tells the guards, "or there'll be consequences."
"How about… no?" One guard says, eliciting a mean laugh from the other.
Sarah charges the guards, who raise their rifles. They both shoot, one bullet just missing her head and the other hitting her in the left shoulder. She comes to a sudden stop at the impact, but recovers quickly, running at them again. As the guards cock their guns, Sarah reaches them and roundhouse-kicks them both in the jaws, knocking them out. She kicks the door in, and inside, his hands and feet cuffed and connected to a chain nailed into the floor, is Hans, who doesn't seem all that surprised.
"What took you so long?" He asks Sarah. Seeing her bullet wound, which is bleeding pretty badly, he adds, "you don't look so good. You okay?"
"Yeah, give me a second," Sarah says. She reaches into her satchel and grabs a vial, shaking it. She pops off its cap and drinks its contents. "I'll be better in a few minutes," she tells Hans. "Woulda come sooner, but Arendelle was too stable. Well, like, ninety percent of people weren't happy, but no one revolted. Now, you're going to be the king."
"I deserve it," Hans says. "Thanks for breaking me out of here."
"No problem," Sarah says. "Uh, give me a second. I gotta grab a key off of one of the unconscious guards."
Sarah grabs a key off of one of the unconscious guards and uses it to unlock Hans from his chains.
"So what exactly happened that night?" Sarah asks Hans once he's freed.
"I don't remember," Hans says. "It's like I was mind-controlled."
Sarah puts her hand on Hans's forehead. "Good to have you back, brother," she says.
"Yeah, you too, but why are you putting your hand on my forehead?" Hans asks.
"I'm looking at your past," Sarah explains. "When you were at the books for weeks at a time, I would sometimes go to Arendelle, 'cause you know no one looked after me except you. Pabbie— he's a troll— helped me cast a temporary mind-control spell on a lot of people, in exchange for me finding and killing Elsa once you're on the throne."
"Trolls are real?"
"Yep. Anyway, Elsa used black ice, which is extremely emotionally charged and works much more quickly at freezing things than 'normal' ice, according to Pabbie. That's all I know, and I made the deal to put you on the throne. You deserve it, and there's a bunch of turmoil, so they need a king. And, from seeing your memories just now, I can see that, yeah, the spirits controlled your mind to save Arendelle."
"Makes sense," Hans shrugs. "But what do THEY want with Arendelle?"
"Beats me," Sarah says. "We should probably get out of here before more guards show up. Luckily, a bunch of them are probably still investigating up front. Though, a few of them probably heard the gunshots, but not hearing anything after woulda made them think I was dead and being disposed of."
"Speaking of gunshots, you're already healed," Hans points out.
Sarah moves her left shoulder around a little. "Yep, seems that way," she agrees. "You good? Need a healing potion?"
"I'm fine," Hans says. "Now let's get out of here."
Sarah and Hans escape through a nearby window, undetected. When they reach the beach, Sarah doesn't see something.
"No, no, no…" she says.
"What is it?" Hans asks.
"There's supposed to be a convoy of ships waiting for us," Sarah says. "They must've left by now. All I've got is a rowboat. We could try stealing one of the Southern Isles's ships."
The silhouette of a horse on the water approaches quickly.
"Magic?" Hans asks, unamused.
"I… don't know," Sarah says.
It's the Nokk, and, upon reaching Sarah and Hans, gestures for them to get in the nearby rowboat. The adopted siblings get in the rowboat, and the Nokk gives Hans reigns made of water to use. Hans sort of shrugs and takes the reins, and they're off, as the Nokk takes them towards Arendelle with speed.
Sarah maneuvers to the front of the boat and gets on the Nokk's back, touching its forehead.
"What in the world are you doing?" Hans asks confusedly.
"Feeling feelings and thinking thoughts," Sarah replies. "While you were gone, either as a kid or in prison, I learned magic. I'm a volva now." After a moment, Sarah tells Hans what she felt: "The water spirit's helping us get back, so I can kill Elsa. She must be really, really dangerous."
"Would the Nokk help us if the convoy was there?" Hans asks.
"No," Sarah replies, "it wouldn't have since we would've… still been on their good side? Oh, no."
"What?"
"I knocked out like twenty guys. They must've figured out it was me, so now they're trying to ditch me, since it's way too far to row to Arendelle without dying of thirst. Using the wind and currents is much faster, but not as fast as this."
Meanwhile, on the ships headed back to Arendelle, Dag is talking loudly to the forty or so men on his ship.
"I say I deserve to be our new captain and our new leader," he exclaims, "because I'm the one who got 'Sarah' to open up about her past. I'm the one who found out about Iduna's deal with the trolls. I'm the one who got us to ditch her, after I was the one who saw that she was going BY HERSELF to the island without twenty fighters, who I took charge in finding. My conscientiousness, my leadership, my taking-charge proves that I should be our leader!"
Dag is met with cheers from the men on the deck, and word is shouted and spread quickly over the other ships. Politically speaking, things are pretty fluid right now.
Erik and Elsa have made their way to the base of the mountains, a waterway being all that's between them and the castle's back door.
"Elsa, do you know where he is for sure?" Erik asks.
"No, but I'll find him," Elsa replies. "He couldn't have gone far."
"What about this," Erik suggests. "I go into Arendelle and ask around. See what I can find. I'll come back and tell you."
"That'd work," Elsa says, "but it'd be kind of suspicious if you come back here."
"Well, what about the wind?" Jack wonders. "I could write you a note or something."
"Yeah, that might work," Elsa says.
Elsa makes a quick ice bridge for Erik to pass over. Once he's on the other side, she evaporates the bridge and hides behind a tree, while Erik sneaks into the castle. ****After the castle was stormed, it became open freely to anyone and everyone as a sign of the new times and since there weren't really any guards (no need). Kristoff and Anna were only allowed to stay in the castle as their living place till they found another location to call home.
Erik makes it through the castle and over the bridge to the village quite easily. People see him, but no one suspects anything. Once in the village, he sees a shocking sign. He rips it off the building it's on and reads it to himself quietly.
"'Wanted: Elsa of Arendelle, dead or alive'," he reads nervously. "'Reward of a hundred thousand credits. Bring justice to Arendelle. Bring justice to Elsa.' Oh, no, no, no, no, no…"
Erik folds the flier up and whispers quietly for Gale. The wind is completely absent. In his hurry, he pockets the sign and walks through the village like nothing ever happened, looking for someone who might be knowledgeable about the consort's whereabouts. His constant head-turning attracts the attention of Sigurd, who was informed of suspicious activity. Sigurd meets Erik in the streets, hoping to find some reasoning behind the head-swivelling going on.
"Sir," Sigurd nods to Erik.
"Yes?" Erik asks, looking up.
"Are you alright?" Sigurd inquires, sounding neighborly.
"Yeah, I'm good," Erik replies. "Are you?"
"Just fine, thank you," Sigurd says.
"Say, while you're here," Erik says, "do you know whatever happened to the queen and the consort?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I'm just wondering. Not everyday there's a bunch of turnover in a government," Erik chuckles.
"Right," Sigurd says.
"Well? Where are they?"
"That's none of your concern," Sigurd shakes his head.
Somebody approaches Sigurd and gestures for him to talk for a moment separately. They whisper too quietly for Erik to hear what they're saying, before Sigurd returns to Erik.
"Everything okay?" Erik checks.
"Were you courting Elsa?" Sigurd questions.
Erik feels as if his heart both stopped and quickened at once. "Uh, for a little bit," he says, adjusting his collar, "but I didn't intend on marrying her. It was sort of a, uh, see-how-we-like-each-other kind of deal. So, not really 'court'..."
"Do you know where she is now?" Sigurd inquires, pretending not to care.
"Nope. No clue," Erik says. "We're kind of done now. Split just before Anna gave up the throne. Elsa could be anywhere."
"Hmm. You seem to have dropped off the face of the Earth after Anna gave the throne up," Sigurd comments.
"Are you sure?" Erik keeps up his lie. "I've been around. I was part of the group that stormed the castle."
"Oh, were you?" Sigurd asks suspiciously.
"Yeah, I was," Erik says proudly.
"Okay, then," Sigurd says. "I'll be seeing you around…" He pauses for a name.
"Oh. Erik," Erik offers his hand.
Sigurd shakes it. "Sigurd," he names himself, walking away.
"Hold up a second," Erik calls. "What about MY question?"
"No clue," Sigurd calls back. "None of us know."
"Okay. Thanks," Sigurd says. He walks around in Arendelle for a few minutes, acting as if he's going somewhere so he doesn't look suspicious. Every few moments, he whispers for Gale, but it's a windless day. On every other building or so, there's a ransom sign for Elsa. About ten minutes later, he makes his way to and through the castle, no one suspicious of him.
Out back, Elsa makes him another quick ice bridge to get back to her, evaporating it once he's on her side. Per the norm, they get behind trees.
"Find anything?" Elsa asks.
"Nothing about Kristoff," Erik says, "but there was this—" he gets out the poster— "on a lot of buildings."
He gives Elsa the poster.
She looks at it worriedly. "So they ARE after me," she says. "There's gotta be people looking for me. Maybe in the mountains. I've gotta go far. Far away. Save myself."
"Where to?" Erik asks.
"I don't know," Elsa sighs, leaning against a tree and putting her hand on her forehead. "I don't know anything. I can't do anything right."
"Don't talk about yourself that way," Erik commands. "You're just gonna hate yourself."
"I already do," Elsa says with a breaking voice.
"Is there anything—"
"No, Erik, there's not," Elsa interrupts. "I guess all this is proof that I'm better off on my own, someplace where I can't hurt anybody with taxes or ice, black or otherwise."
"Where do you want to go?" Erik asks.
"I don't know," Elsa says, crying.
"We'll figure something out," Erik promises.
"You seriously think you can come?" Elsa asks through her tears. "You can't! I mean, you're a great boy and all, but I can't let you ruin your life for someone like me. Especially when we've only known each other for like a month."
"How about this," Erik suggests, taking Elsa in his arms. "I'll be in Arendelle. I'll find out what I can about black ice or, more likely, Kristoff's location. I'll come and find you."
"You would?"
"Yeah, I would. Where are you going to be?"
"I can't tell you," Elsa says, "in case they try to figure it out from you. No offense, but I don't trust you THAT much."
"None taken," Erik says. "I'll find you, though."
"What if you meet a girl you like better than me—" Elsa begins.
"I won't," Erik assures. "Sure, there's the whole we've-only-known-each-other-for-a-month thing, but I'm not an idiot. I'm gonna be focused on finding out about the black ice, since I kinda wanna make sure you're not gonna freeze Arendelle again."
Elsa is slightly amused, but doesn't show it. "I should go now," she says.
"Okay," Erik says sadly. "I love you."
For what's actually their first time, they kiss, knowing that if they don't now, they might not ever. It's just what Elsa needs to know that she's not fully alone, and that there's someone who will hopefully be helpful to her. If he isn't, or if someone breaks him (not literally), he won't know where she is.
Erik goes back towards the back door of the castle, walking across the water on another ice bridge from Elsa. She evaporates it and quickly runs into the mountains, being extra careful to look out for anyone trying to capitalize on the prize for her capture or death.
"I know where to go," she says, hoping someone is listening but knowing no one is, mostly speaking out loud to help herself mentally. She ducks and dodges jutting branches, running between the trees. Suddenly, she stops, getting an idea. She throws some snow ahead of her from both hands, and it rises to form a living snow horse. She then notices, on the ground, the flier for her capture.
**I must've never let it go,** she thinks, **and I must've dropped it to use my powers.**
Elsa gets on the snow horse's back and rides off quickly into the mountains in a northern direction, hoping to escape anyone who wants to bring her in, dead or alive.