Elsa's height seemed to be diminishing slowly to anyone who would have left and came back a few minutes later, but to her audience the answer resided in the snowy path she paced upon. Her feet creating deeper and deeper indents.

"I may not know much about people or how they work but I do know animals...well at least the ones I've encountered." Ryder admitted.

"Believe it or not Emil hated me when I first met her." Elsa did find that revelation very hard to believe. The man and that reindeer had a bond that rivaled even Sven and Kristoff's.

"How are you so close to her now then?" Elsa asked incredulously, ceasing her pacing.

"She didn't fit in well with the other reindeer. She was lonely and I felt a kinship to that." His previously despondent eyes lit up.

"It took weeks of me being stubborn and spending all hours approaching her, trying to feed her, she even broke my arm when I tried to ride her. Then I left her alone and we became friends."

"Wait what?" Elsa asked surprised.

Ryder nodded.

"I left her alone and let her approach me and that's when our bond began grow, slowly but I would take what I could get."

Elsa thought about this for a few moments. So many worries had plagued her mind since the dragon entered the forest. What if animals attacked her? What if poachers saw her and hunted her down as a prize? What if she was unable to hunt on her own and starved or succumbed to injury?

As if reading her trail of pessimistic outcomes Ryder spoke up a bit louder. "Now I'm not saying you avoid her at all costs but just try not to be so overly eager."

Elsa blushed. Had she been overly eager? Her answer was yes, yes she had been, but she never concluded that it was driving the dragon away.

She smiled attentively at him. "Thank you Ryder."

"You are most welcome, try not to get eaten also." He laughed at Elsa's heavy audible sigh as she walked from the campfire, hoping that her being eaten didn't become a customary goodbye that others gave her.

It was late but perhaps she could try her no hands on approach now. Was that still her being too eager? Maybe, but all of her visits had been during the day, if the dragon was sleeping she'd let it alone. Nothing said fervid like waking the object of obsession up in the middle of the night.

At their usual meeting place Elsa affectionately began calling Drage Den the dragon definitely was not sleeping since she wasn't even there, Elsa mentally pinched herself for not recognizing the nocturnal traits of the dragon's eyes. Her eyes much akin to a cat or more closely an owl no doubt. So of course she wasn't sleeping.

Elsa quickly jotted down her theory. The dragon's eyes widened when the creature wanted to take in more of the environment, not just during the night but also during times when curiosity got the better of her. This theory was backed by when the dragon was reading and her eyes pupils would expand to great widths or when she licked the snow pile Elsa had made for Bruni during their usual lunches together.

As Elsa scoured her brain for more evidence she sucked her teeth in frustration as another important detail shook the foundation of her hypothesis. If the dragon's widened pupils allowed it to take in more information then why did they slit so tightly when it was angry or irritated?

Elsa had even more examples of this occurrence, she knew humans eyes dilated during certain times of stress or infatuation. So the same could be said for a dragon's sudden contraction of the pupils to also be tied to its emotional states. "And who's to say it can't be both theories." She concluded aloud.

A snapped twig brought her attention back to her current position. She realized she had stopped in the middle of the woods to write her findings.

Hastily she closed and put the notebook back in her satchel.

Elsa walked for thirty minutes before a loud screech drew her head North. That sounded as if it came from the beach. She frowned.

Gently moving a bush's branches from her face she set her sights across the landscape until they settled on her dragon standing on a cliff side, dangerously close to the edge gazing out into the night.

"Couldn't sleep?" Elsa asked good naturedly, as she stood next to the dragon who didn't turn to acknowledge her presence.

The ocean seemed quite restless that night, as it splashed against the shore and rocks in a comforting sound Elsa would find herself being lulled to sleep to many nights.

"Is there someone out there waiting for you?" This question caught the dragon's attention, she turned to the spirit. Elsa noted her very large and dilated eyes slit just slightly. Then this time took notice when she turned back that the dragon wasn't looking at the horizon of the ocean but up at the stars.

Elsa's eyes trailed to the dragon's wing. It was the least worrisome of the dragon's injuries, it was old and wasn't so much as a wound as it was a terrible disabling scar. When caught before looking away she could see traces of a smirk on her companion's mouth.

"You miss flying huh?" She'd miss it too if she had the ability. So to see perspective Elsa thought about losing her powers. She chuckled aloud at the irony of the sadness it brought her now.

"Six years ago I would have happily surrendered my magic no questions asked, but now my abilities help my people and my family, the power that once was my own prison both mentally and physically now is the source of my freedom. No more a curse but instead a gift given to my mother for saving my father. I suppose flying was never a curse for you though..." An ear twitch was her response.

"Or are you looking for your July birth constellation? Cause if so unless you were born on the 1st you won't spot it." The dragon rasped folding her ears as Elsa chuckled.

Bruni took them both by surprise when he zipped by lit aflame. This mesmerized the dragon who called out and followed, Elsa ran after them.

Bruni led both his friends to the beach below careful to remain a good distance from the shore. His dragon friend still lay chase to him. Even with the limp she kept a good speed but anyone could still see the hindering it caused. Elsa only hoped she didn't strain the old and now puss filled wound.

Bruni allowed himself to be caught under a gentle paw but as soon as it was lifted ran away. The dragon rolled onto her back with a groan kicking her legs in a clownish fashion, as if she were a turtle flipped on its shell. She let her tongue roll out of her mouth. Bruni approached her mouth slowly peaking inside. When close enough a cloud of grey smoke was blown at him causing swift retreat.

Elsa tilted her head and grinned genially as they continued to play.

Small rocks blended into sand, the dragon squished it with her toes as if testing the texture. She stared at Elsa as she created an ice bank to sit on careful to not get any sand on herself.

She wasn't too fond of it like Anna was when they came to the beach, it always caused her to itch when it got stuck in her clothes and shoes.

As if having an intuition of her disinclination to touch it, the dragon approached her. Elsa feeling the ulterior motives in her movements leaned back slightly. "Hey..." She greeted lamely. A low and deceptively innocent mewl answered. The dragon then dug the side of her paw into the sand.

Before Elsa could question it sand was flung at her head causing her to yelp and stand sputtering to spit it out and wipe it from her face and hair.

A strange sound reached her ears as she wiped her tongue on the sleeve of her plain white ice tunic for a last resort to remove it from her mouth. Seeing the dragon stare at her with a jovial expression allowed the woman to conclude she was laughing at her.

Shaking her head she smirked and placed her hands akimbo. "So that's how it's going be huh?"

The dragon pranced in circle then crouched low readying to run. Elsa hid her hands behind her back so the dragon couldn't see the magic emanating from her fingertips.

Her wings lowered in disbelief when something wet splattered on her head. Shaking it away she saw Elsa readying another snowball and set off down the beach turning to see Elsa did give chase.

Taking the opportunity to slow and turn she threw more sand at the woman's torso when she drew close enough, then galloped down the beach. "Ah! Oh get back here you giant gecko!"

Bruni munched on a beetle thoroughly entertained by the snow and sandy battle that erupted before him.

The ammunition was traded for water when the chase led to the ocean as they splashed and rolled in the waves. Elsa lost her footing when readying another attack and crashed down into the water surfacing to find the dragon laughing at her again.

Comeuppance was swift when a wave filtered the salty and bitter water into her mouth which was spat out. Leaving her tongue dangling, the dragon retreated back the shore wiping it with her paw in almost the same manner Elsa had earlier.

Elsa giggling approached taking pity on her plight. She doused the dragon's mouth in snowflakes larger than what she provided for Bruni. With a little tail flick droplets of water plastered on her forehead. "That's a very unique way of saying thank you." she snickered.

When settled she became aware how close they had become, she could feel the warm breath of the dragon who seemed to also notice this as well. She made no move at all but saw the conflict in the dragon's eyes. She sat up on her haunches looking between her paws and Elsa. Seeming less agitated at their proximity and more so frightened with her quickened breaths.

Elsa's eyes drew to her leg and then wing. For the past few weeks she had thought it was an animal that had inflicted them. A human did this. All evidence pointed to such.

At close inspection she spotted a green arrowhead, that was jammed in the dragon's leg. She raised her hand to it slowly looking up at the dragon who was watching her carefully. She sat there frozen as Elsa's hand without touching her enclosed around. Quickly Elsa yanked it out drawing a pained roared from the dragon who licked her bleeding leg clean. "Sorry." She winced.

Elsa examined the weapon, it had jagged teeth running on both sides, ensuring great pain to whoever was its target. She knew the stone was neither emerald or peridot. What caught her attention was the strange writing within a symbol, two mountains resting upon clouds that had a waterfall pooling into a lake below surrounded by tall stick like trees.

Elsa turned her attention back to the dragon. She didn't seem furious or angered, just in pain and shockingly was the one to approach Elsa in a shy manner when she put the arrow away in her satchel.

Elsa half smiled. "Hey..." The dragon looked at her, she appeared completely vulnerable. It hurt to see. Elsa used to see it in herself. "I used to fear people as well, for opposite reasons however... I was afraid of hurting them. You're afraid of being hurt by them.I can tell you not all humans are bad, I know this for a fact. I know some of the most amazing people, who are brave, loyal and full of love." Elsa placed her own hand on her chest.

The dragon glanced down at her paws then to Elsa again. "When you're ready, and only then." Elsa turned to leave when Bruni crawled up her body taking his place in her hair, turning she glanced over her shoulder smiling. "Goodnight."


"The only problem with your discovery is whoever shot her, if they're still out there..." Kristoff didn't need to finish the sentence for Elsa to know what he was implying. She nodded gravely facing forward. Elsa took the arrowhead to Arendelle. There wasn't really anyone she could ask, as her dragon for now was secret between herself and her closest friends, not that she expected anyone outside of her circle to have a answer for her anyways.

She immediately began investigating numerous books and scrolls about Norse runes, but this rune was not Norse. It Had very distinct lines that Elsa didn't recognize. It frustrated her when she realized it was assuredly a different language and how small her actual knowledge of the world was.

Kristoff gave slack to the reigns and turned to her. "There's two ways this could go, if they are out there and come here then we could take them down so they don't hurt anyone else." Elsa nodded rather quickly, she liked that outcome. "Or they could come here find the enchanted forest, exploit it, kill the dragon and go after you next, which isn't too far fetched since they managed to do that much physical and mental damage to a dragon that breathes fire." Elsa stopped herself from nodding absent mindedly. This was one of the times she didn't appreciate Kristoff's blunt nature. "So what're we going to do?"

"Well if they are out there and track her here whether she leaves or not won't matter and it seems more of an advantage if she stays and they come for her."

"How so?" Kristoff asked, incredulously.

"I could protect her." He opened his mouth once and nodded. His silence was loud.

Elsa took her weight off of her elbow and slowly looked to Kristoff. Feeling her scrutiny his eyes quickly darted toward her.

"What?"

"What what?"

He relented with a slow exhale. "Elsa you..." He searched for the proper way to continue, Sven glanced back at them and bellowed, he then looked to Elsa who had a single brow raised. "Are a rescuer through and through."

"But?"

"But sometimes, not always, but sometimes it does tend to get you...into trouble." He finished the last part quickly, wincing.

Elsa scoffed quietly. "Anna gets into trouble, only now she can't be grounded due to being queen." She crossed her arms.

Kristoff shrugged focusing on driving. "You take turns."

"Example?"

"The bear that tried to eat you while you released it from a trap."

"He stopped trying when I got him loose."

"Those hunters that tried to kill you."

"They were hunting out of season, and I was just supposed to let them?"

"The lynx kittens from the north mountain."

"That cave was going to collapse, I couldn't just leave them in there."

"The madly in love Elk bull."

A tense silence followed.

"You promised you wouldn't bring that up again." Elsa mumbled.

Kristoff chuckled at the blush that took over her cheeks. "Look all I'm trying to say is, you and Anna are more similar than you are different, and you both worry each other and I have to be the one who wakes up in the middle night to take Anna to the enchanted forest cause she received a letter from Gale that her sister was possibly suffocating in a cave collapse. I haven't had a nap since the day I met you two."

Elsa sat up and responded in a way that reminded Kristoff that she used to be a queen. "I refuse to take responsibility for your obscure sleeping patterns."

"Fair enough, but I mean I would prefer that I wasn't woken up to Anna crying that her sister has been spit roasted by her own pet lizard."

"Kristoff..." Elsa began, exasperated.

"Elsa..." He copied her tone.

"Just promise me that, if it ever comes down to your safety or even your life and being a savior... You'll choose the former."

Elsa quiet was all the response he needed but at least she had heard his words and wouldn't forget them.

The rest of the way was either in light conversation or a comfortable silence the two always shared when alone together.

When they arrived Kristoff helped Elsa out of the sleigh. "Let's hope Grand Pabbie has some answers for us."

Yeah, Elsa thought looking at the green Arrowhead. Let's hope. She had a feeling that whatever the answers might be she wasn't going to like them.