Life in Oaken's Tavern was noisy and boisterous as usual, the sounds of drunken laughter and intoxicated joy permeating throughout the large yet cozy establishment. Men and women of all backgrounds could be seen chugging down pints of beer and ale, some daring enough to sip the famous Arendelle whiskey said to be capable of intoxicating a dozen men.

Or at least, according to Oaken himself, that was the stuff of weaklings. Oaken could drink that for breakfast! Or lunch... Or dinner...

Oaken grinned contentedly as he grabbed an empty mug from the sink in front of him, humming cheerily as he grabbed a rag to wipe it clean. Glancing appreciatively at his surroundings, he knew how lucky he was everytime he looked around the tavern. Ever since Oaken had opened his first business as a pitstop for weary travellers near the north mountain, he had been extremely fortunate to have met nothing but success.

Now, Oakyen dearest, his oldest child, is in charge of running that fine establishment. And quite well, Oaken might add. He had never seen such business since that big summer blowout! Now Oaken just had to prepare the rest of his family for business, which included Oakcan, Oakcen, and even Yenny, his youngest and most precious daughter.

Platinum blonde hair flashed across Oaken's vision, and he felt a shiver run down his spine, all tiny hairs on his nape standing upright at attention. Poor Yenny, his sweet sweet child. So innocent, so trusting, and to be taken advantage of like that!

Oaken damn near cracked the mug between his thick tree-like fingers as he furrowed his eyebrows in apprehension at the very thought. He would have to be careful of these- what was the word Elsa said? Ah yes, pedophiles… Time to up security.

Speaking of Elsa, Oaken's eyes shifted towards the back of the tavern, reserved for those who wished to drink alone or enjoy a quiet night in the candlelight. Frequently populated by lovers, old couples, and of course, the perpetual figure shrouded in darkness brooding at the corner of the tavern, illuminated only by a sliver of moonlight and dancing shadows cast in the firelight.

With a dark black cloak covering her entire figure, many would have mistaken her for the occasional fortune teller arriving to exploit weak-willed men of their fortunes. Of course, not many knew her true identity in these parts, but Oaken knew she was much more dangerous than those fools using crystal balls to sell their act.

Oaken couldn't thank the sorceress enough- she may as well have saved Yenny's life, killing that wretched and sorry excuse of a man. At the thought of the man that had come so close to touching his daughter, Oaken felt bile rise up at the back of his throat- regretting not only his inaction, but also at how he had found the sorry fellow…

"Thor fucking almighty!" Oaken whispered, or well, at least tried to whisper. His natural bellow echoed throughout the night, travelling everywhere for the trees and animals to hear and causing a squirrel to scamper from its tree.

Oaken couldn't believe what the Freya he was seeing with his own two eyes- even his auburn moustache and goatee were quivering, with both repulsion and fear. He had heard stories about the sorceress of Fjordmound of course, the power she wielded over ice and snow- the fifth and final element. The strength of a thousand men that she possessed. The superior intelligence and cold exterior flashed against a bewitching appearance exceeding the standards of beauty.

But he had never seen her handiwork in person. Not until now.

Standing at the back of his tavern, Oaken had never wanted to see anything else so much other than his own establishment. But he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight before him.

A painting of white and red, glistening crystals were twisted together to create a beautiful sculpture shining in the moonlight. Twisting and turning, Oaken had noticed the odd similarity between ice and bone-both were shining white in the moonlight, making it hard for him to tell where one ended and where one began. A mangled mess of the body had been suspended in midair for the night to see, entrails splayed everywhere and colouring the fresh powdery snow red with blood. In some sick fascination, it was almost as if she had created a christmas tree. If the tree had human flesh for decoration, ice for the vegetation and a face for the angel on top.

Even on closer inspection, Oaken could still barely make out his features. All of his features seemed pressed inwards, down towards the centre of his face, almost as if it were concave and bent inwards like a curvy dinner plate. Or if someone had punched him so hard his features were made to cave in to the centre, against his will.

Oaken's eyes finally left the mess before him and swept across the surroundings to the figure standing beside him, a whole head and some inches shorter. Her knuckles were distinctly bruised and red, a telltale sign of what had occurred to the man unlucky enough to have crossed her path. And touched his daughter.

"Thank you for saving my daughter, sorceress. Words cannot express my gratitude- please feel free to stay here anytime instead." Oaken brought a hand to massage his temples, letting out a small sigh of annoyance as he grimaced at the mess he had both avoided and gotten himself into. He really needed a drink. Probably two.

A small grunt of acknowledgement was his only reply, and Oaken was filled with indebtedness to the person who had acted on his own simple words without accusation. He had been suspicious after all about that suave hair and dark set eyes, and had thought to alert her about it. Lucky for him, she didn't count favours...

"Henry" The figure beside him started forward with small meaningful steps towards the monstrosity before him, and Oaken recognized the soft tinkle in her voice that came naturally with each syllable. "One of the guards sent here by Oslo".

"Oslo?" Oaken muttered, adding this to his list of ever growing problems, "What business does Oslo in these parts?"

"I know as much as you Oaken" The cloaked figure hesitated before the artwork she had created, before raising her blood-stained hand and waving it in a single sweeping motion. In an instant, the ice vanished into thin air, causing the damaged body to drop to the floor unceremoniously with a soft thud against the snow. In the gentle moonlight, a trail of snowflakes softly announced their presence, shimmering and floating in the air. A tiny shred of evidence to the presence of magic, invisible to the untrained human eye.

But not to Oaken.

"But" The figure turned around, and the sound of boots crunching on icy snow filled the silence as she approached Oaken. With most of her face cast in shadow, Oaken could barely make out a few droplets of blood on the bottom of her left cheek, bright red unmistakable against soft pale skin.

"If I had to guess, I'd say he's here on a mission for the king." The figure passed in front of Oaken, treading forward back towards the tavern to seek comfort in its cozy warmth. Meanwhile, Oaken's headache had only managed to grow with every word. At this rate, his trusty winter hat would slip off at any moment.

"The king? What could he possibly want from here?" Silence resumed as she paused at the doorway, her head tilting slightly to meet Oaken's sturdy gaze.

"Me."

Elsa wasn't having the best day of her life. She had woken up with yet another nightmare of clashing swords and blood-soaked battlefields, the agonized screams keeping her awake throughout the night. Then, she had to search the entire forest for her cloak, courtesy of a few pesky animals that had ran off with it during her morning bath in the river. Next, the day was spent getting rid of a "monster" for a local village, which only turned out to be a giant bear with longer-than-normal claws and a blood-stained snout. Tracking the damn thing was harder than fighting it.

"Monster" her ass! Elsa snorted as she sipped her drink, enjoying the fresh kick from Arendelle's whiskey that kept her brain alive. That wasn't even a challenge, compared to the training she put herself through yesterday as punishment for nearly being recognized. It seemed even miles away from Arendelle, word of the missing princess had spread far and wide.

Then, she decided to drop by the cozy familiar tavern to see one of the few people she liked, only to have to frickin' disembowel a pedophile. Pedophile- a new word she had picked up from her travels to the North, amongst curse words and other things. Like whispers and rumours of Oslo's plan to topple the Arendelle kingdom, laying waste to the country in a bid for resource and reputation.

Elsa could see why, to be fair. Oslo's image had gone down the Northern river ever since that day, abandoned and ostracized by most of its trade partners. Oslo was far from self-sustainable, but through starving its people Oslo had survived. Barely.

Arendelle's defeat would only bring about good fortune for Oslo. Resources, manpower, a boost in reputation and even added security as the conqueror of one of the mightiest kingdoms in the peninsula. Oslo had to give it one final shot

Letting out a small groan, Elsa let her forehead rest on the table with a dull thud as she closed her eyes for a brief moment of respite. Sure she had run away a few days before the public marriage, but she still loved her country. Sure there were things Elsa would love to forget, but Arendelle had ownership of many treasured memories inside her mind- the only thing helping her get a good night's rest at times.

The old rustic swing in the palace gardens, the fields that stretched for miles, the loving smiles of her parents-

The telltale sensation of water droplets filling her eyelids brought Elsa out of her thoughts, and she cursed inwardly for this moment of weakness. This was acceptable back at her home, but not here! Especially not in a bar filled with strangers, strangers she could not recognize and identify.

It was time to leave.

Raising her head, Elsa wiped away the single tear that had managed to escape its confines before standing up and dusting herself off. As if Elsa had conjured him out of thin air, a familiar figure appeared out of nowhere, blocking most of her vision.

"Oaken?" Elsa turned her attention back to preparing for her departure, grabbing her leather satchel and trusty wooden stick. Both had seen better days, with clear signs that they had been used for a long time now. But that was part of their charm- after all, Elsa was fond of both tools. They had been gifts from her parents, meant to make her life more convenient when venturing out into the dark mysterious forests surrounding the castle.

Elsa didn't think they ever saw her using them for this purpose.

"Going home so soon, Elsa?" Oaken's thinly veiled concern was obvious, causing Elsa's fingers to tighten around the stick. She still wasn't used to this, this… care.

"Rough day" Elsa tried to sound reassuring, but she didn't know if it worked. She was too exhausted- mentally and physically. "Nothing to worry about. I'll be back soon."

"Good, good…" The big man twiddled his thumbs, and Elsa felt a tinge of guilt for the coldness in her voice. "Just rest well, and if you need more medicine feel free to swing by."

Elsa nodded her head, preparing to brush past Oaken and toward the large cedar doors. However, she found herself being blocked by yet another figure- one that barely made it to her shoulders. Yenny. Still dressed in her favourite yellow flowered dress, she looked barely worse for wear.

"Miss?" Sweet,shy and a filial child, Elsa was always fond of Yenny. Or at least, as fond as she could be of children. She just didn't understand how to interact with children, let alone talk to them for hours on end. She preferred observing them from a distance, letting someone else handle their theatrics while she remained a keen eye.

"Thank you for saving my life" Yenny shifted on her feet, and Elsa finally noticed the way she was standing. On edge, scared. Yearning for affection but scared to take it.

"Of course, Yenny" Elsa relented and knelt down to her level, lifting her face and shifting her hood the slightest bit to allow her eyes to meet doe-brown ones filled with innocence and longing. "You're one of the bravest children I have ever met. Your dad must be proud."

Elsa allowed herself to feel a small sense of pride when Yenny saw her face, giving a loud audible gasp and immediately covering her mouth as blood rushed to her cheeks. She didn't usually show her face, but for this child she would definitely make an exception.

"T-t-thank you, miss…" The child continued to gaze in childlike awe, "You're very pretty m-miss"

Elsa's heart burst with an emotion she found unfamiliar, nearly swooning at Yenny's compliment. It was one thing to be called pretty by men and women alike, but a child? That made Elsa happier than any other compliment made by any other stranger.

On impulse, Elsa wrapped the child in a quick one-arm hug before withdrawing, inwardly cursing at the sudden show of weakness. Emotion was weakness, but why did Elsa feel so contented when she saw Yenny's face light up with pure joy?

Returning the smile, Elsa tousled her hair before gathering her belongings. She didn't like how open she was being, but something about a child's smile always made Elsa putty in their hands.

Eh, screw it.

"Call me Elsa."

"Thank you for everything, really."

The blizzard had stopped, leaving behind light snowflakes dancing across the night sky and on Elsa's shoulders. In the dazzling moonlight, each one cast their own artwork across the ground, spinning together frozen moments of beauty for the two figures standing outside to admire. Elsa did suspect that the weather was affected by her powers, but she could never be too sure.

"I already said Oaken, it's nothing. You're one of the few good men left out there, and I'll be damned if I let them get to you too." Elsa gave a half-hearted shrug to the towering figure beside her, before turning to pet the rugged beauty in front of her.

800 pounds of pure muscle, Elsa loved everything about the horse that she had found wounded in the edge of the woods near Fjordmound. Injured badly from what she assumed to be a fight, Elsa had carried him home to the cave to tend to his wounds. Slowly but surely, Ryder had learnt to trust her, until now he knew she would never abandon him.

From his pitch black pelt and tiny strips of pale skin to his ice-white mane, he was everything Elsa had ever wanted. Strong, fast, reliable and intelligent. But, Elsa did wish he would help with gathering food every once in a while…

"She's all ready to go, Elsa, I made sure to give her a few extra apples for the road. Wherever you're going to, she'll make it." Oaken ran a hand over his snout, giving a small grin as he earned himself a lick and a snort as a reply.

Strapping in the last of her belongings, Elsa turned to give Oaken a grateful smile as she gave Ryder a friendly smack on his rump.

"Many thanks, dear friend." Elsa didn't give this title to just anyone she met- Oaken was a person with genuine goodness in his heart. Not many people were like him.

With an air of familiarity, Elsa swung herself up onto her horse with practiced grace, settling comfortably in the saddle before leaning down to adjust her bootstraps. With the satchel slung onto her shoulder and her stick attached to Ryder, she was ready to leave. Leave for home, where her stash of chocolate awaited her. Thor knows she needed it.

"Elsa." Oaken's tone was as stern as always, but the tinge of fear in his voice caused Elsa to turn and lock eyes with him. Something was different this time. Oaken's fear shone through his face, and Elsa's gut twisted as she knew his next words.

"A war is coming. What are you going to do?"

Elsa felt a swooping sensation in her stomach as she processed his words, knowing full well the nature of what he meant. How much he meant. After all, he knew about her past. Her story. Her truth. He had helped her dispel any rumors about her, spreading false truths instead in order for her to walk around Fjordmound without fear. He was the reason why she could even work and earn a decent living.

Elsa owed him alot. But she remained silent, only giving him a slight nod before taking off into the night, the sound of hooves pounding against the dirt-covered road acting as her only reply to his statement.

She knew what he was asking. But she didn't know if she could give him an answer.

With a wave of her hand, the ice surrounding the cave disappeared into the night sky, glittering snow powder taking its place. Using her powers had become second nature, due to the arduous training she had put herself through. While she was certainly gifted to begin with, it was only through mental and physical strain that she pushed the boundaries of her powers.

With it, Elsa was also used to the familiar tingle in her hands that came with using her power, only growing in discomfort the more strain she put on her abilities.

However, this was the last thing on her mind as she strode forward, blanketed by darkness for a split second before being greeted by the familiar dim light of the cavern torches she used for her home.

Home. Elsa had another home too, many miles from here.

With a tired sigh, Elsa led Ryder to his resting place, a humble little stable built by her own two hands. He would be doing guard duty for Elsa as usual, what with him being close to the entrance of the cave. Giving a small snort in acknowledgement, Ryder stood still as Elsa loosened the saddle off him and grabbed her stuff, lightening him off his load.

He simply licked Elsa's cheek lightly, before trotting towards the water barrel near his stable. An acknowledgement of his job, something which he liked to give a disapproving snort about occasionally. Not like he could complain much anyway, the apples and fresh water Elsa provided did much to keep his grumbles to a minimum. Along with her control over the fifth element of the world.

"Nights Ryder, it's time for rest". Elsa gave him one last rub on his back, before striding towards the other section of her cave separated by a wall of vines and random vegetation. The one that led to where she lived, together with the cuddly sentient being she had created on accident.

Speaking of, where was that childish snowman?

"Olaf?" Elsa called out as she brushed past the curtain of leaves, stepping into her living room while throwing her satchel and stick onto the chair beside her. Home sweet home.

Elsa had designed this place- or really, when she said she designed she meant that she blasted through a gigantic rock formation purely using her powers. Everything was carved with her trusty ice blasts, something that had drained her almost entirely and made her take a break from life for 2 days.

Thankfully, Olaf had been activated by her body's self-preservation ability, which had created the adorable creature out of a distant memory in her mind and bestowed it with the power to think. He had nursed her out of the mini coma she had found herself in, saving both their lives in the due process. Who knew rocks were that hard to mold?

Together, Elsa and Olaf had managed to decorate the caves into a suitable layout perfect for living and working in maximum comfort. Or as much comfort as a cave could provide. There were different rooms connected by the living room- separated by doors and curtains alike. Despite the difficulty of hammering in doors into rock, Elsa HAD to put a door on certain rooms to prevent the snowman from barging in, who seemingly was not aware of the concept of privacy.

Especially during baths. Elsa remembered the first time-

All at once, a loud crash broke Elsa out of her thoughts, simultaneously answering her earlier question and alerting her to the sudden pungent smell that wafted in the air. Burnt...cookies?

Throwing her cloak off her body, Elsa made her way to the kitchen, where she was met with the most peculiar sight. Olaf, white snowman with carrots, buttons and all, in a flowery apron. With mittens on his stick thin tree branch limbs.

Elsa liked to think she was fairly composed most of the time, with years of training helping to create a mask of grace and regal beauty to hide her true emotions. Of course, there were times when this wasn't possible. Such as Olaf's failed attempt at baking.

Euphoria coursed throughout her body as she burst out laughing, the very sound echoing off the walls of the cave and filling the air with something heavenly altogether. Like the pure unfiltered joy of a child experiencing happiness for the first time, the atmosphere in the cave had suddenly brightened from a mellow one to a lively and merry one.

As her body shook with gentle laughter, Elsa faintly registered Olaf's eyes widening with contentment and joy before being tackled by the snowman. As his spindly arms wrapped around her body, Olaf's own sounds of mirth harmonized as one with her own giggles.

Olaf's warm body pressed tightly into the sorceress's own as their moods instantly brightened, a welcome ending for the dreary day Elsa had experienced. Plus, it certainly helped that Olaf gave good warm hugs. For a snowman who loved hugs, he was really really good at it. Heh.

"Elsa!" Every syllable Olaf spoke was filled with childish wonder and delight, something Elsa appreciated on those dark gloomy days that came too often. "You're back and it worked!"

"Worked…?" Elsa trailed off, her eyes leaving Olaf's freakishly warm body to survey the murder scene in front of her. The stoves and the cabinets had not taken any damage, thankfully. Most of Elsa's furniture had been brought in, assembled and installed by big burly men who didn't ask too many questions with the right amount of money.

Replacing them would be a chore, and while Elsa had saved more than enough in her personal accounts she was loathe to spend it without restraint and discipline.

"My main aim was to make you happy Mom!" At this, Elsa winced slightly, and quickly opened her mouth to correct her creation. She was not a mom, and he would have to get used to the notion eventually.

But she never got to stop him.

Seeing Olaf's grin made something warm stir inside Elsa's stomach- a pleasant feeling like drinking warm hot chocolate on a cold winter morning, unexpected but certainly welcome. So Elsa retracted her words and closed her mouth, choosing instead to envelop the snowman in an even tighter embrace to distract herself from the fuzzy feeling she had grown distant from.

The feeling of peace and contentment.

Sadly, everywhere else from the charcoal-fueled oven to the stone floor had sustained little to most of the baking batter and ingredients. The tray that once held the finished batch of cookies must have been dropped unceremoniously, hence the loud noise, as it lay face down amongst the piles of flour and sugar. Beside it, blackened burnt pieces of cookie lay strewn across the floor, decorating the floor with its disfigured bodies.

Elsa groaned inwardly, knowing full well that she could not let the sensitive little buddy know about her annoyance. The last time that happened, she had to spend a whole day comforting the little kid.

He really was like a kid, what with his unrelenting curiosity about the world and his freakishly innocent thoughts. At least she could just clean the mess up without much hassle, provided she had Olaf's help.

"Alright buddy, wanna go sleep?" Elsa broke out from their hug and knelt down to his eye level "I know you stayed up for me, so you must be tired"

"I'm not tired Elsa!" Olaf was just about to continue, but the telltale sound of his mouth starting to twitch showed signs of a yawn being suppressed. "I wanna, wanna...yawn... wanna hear about the bad guys you fought today!"

Elsa shook her head in mock disapproval, letting a quiet chuckle escape her lips as she guided Olaf towards the room. Ah, What the heck. Olaf was her creation so she could literally show her emotions to him. The mess could wait too.

Despite some flaws, Olaf was one of the most trusted and loyal companions she had found in the course of her life. Of course there were others, but most had gone ahead, leaving her alone to stumble in the dark.

A child, a teen, struggling to make sense of the powers gifted to her. Cursed with. Now an adult, Elsa was still trying to find her place in the world. Elsa rubbed her temples, knowing the moon was too high to make sense of her thoughts. She was tired and lethargic, wanting nothing more than to snuggle under her covers and hibernate.

But first, she needed to give Olaf his bedtime story.