"Queen Anna!" Mattias burst into Anna's personal office. Anna whipped her head up from her desk, where she had been pouring over her letter to Elsa, which was taking far too long with her bandaged hands.
"The prisoner has escaped!" Despite his usual calm, he was frantic.
"What!? No!" Anna dropped her quill and leaped to her feet; she ran to the window, as if she could catch a glimpse of Hans. She turned back to Mattias, who stood attention.
"Order the borders to be closed. He must not leave this kingdom."
"Already done, Your Majesty."
"Every guard must be ready. Do not let them stand alone. He's dangerous."
"Understood your Majesty."
Anna nodded, and Mattias backed out of the room. Anna stared out the window again, the little flame of rage in her burned hotter.
"He escaped?" Kristoff's mouth fell open. Anna had gone to the stables, where Kristoff was tending to Sven. She stood with her arms crossed. "I don't know what to do now. I have to think…" She stared off at nothing, trying to think of how they could fix this.
Kristoff held his head in his hands.
"I should have killed him when I had the chance. He was right there." He groaned and stood, kicking a bale of hay. Sven nickered wearily. Anna didn't respond, not wanting to admit she had had a similar thought of her own. The little flame of rage flared in regret. She smiled warmly at her fiance.
"Kristoff you couldn't have have done that- that's not who you are."Anna said consolingly; she touched his shoulder, then recoiled. "ow…." she took her hand back. Her bandages had started to smoke. " Kristoff?" she said in alarm. He looked at her hand, surprised. It had begun to throw little sparks. Sven backed up. "What's happening!?" Anna started to panic, the pain of the flames was becoming overwhelming the larger they grew- her bandages crumbled into ash and fell to the floor. Sparks flew into the air and landed on the hay-bales around them, which started to smoke. Sven reared up in panic. Without hesitation Kristoff swept Anna up in his arms and rushed her outside into the snow. "Stay here, keep them covered." He said urgently as he placed her on a snowdrift and buried her hands in the snow. A cloud of steam rose over her face, and then he was gone. "Kristoff!" She shouted. He had run back into the stables, which were glowing with flames now. She waited, powerless to stop the fire. Every time she tried to move from the snow, her hands would flame hotter and she would have to plunge them back under the drift. "Kristoff!" he had been gone too long, the smoke was billowing now. It filled her nose and mouth, her lungs protested and she coughed desperately. The blizzard winds whipped around her, blowing ash into her eyes.
There was shouting now, guards had seen the flames and had come to help. Kristoff still hadn't come out. Now horses came galloping out of the stables and guards were rushing through the snow, pounding on the walls that crumbled under their fists.
"Here! He's here!" There was shouting and two guards came out of the wreckage, a limp Kristoff supported between them.
"Kristoff!" Anna called out. The guards brought him over to her and lay him in the snow. He was covered in soot, and here and there were holes in his tunic. His eyes were closed, ash clung to his eyelashes. Behind them people had brought buckets of water and snow to throw over the fire, and it had begun to die down. "Is he...okay?" Anna asked one of the guards who sat down beside her. She couldn't say the word 'alive.'
The guard nodded. "He was getting the horses get out safely. His reindeer was one of the first out. Lord Kristoff took in too much smoke, but he should be fine, your majesty." he bowed his head and signaled his companion to follow him. The two of them left Anna and Kristoff alone. "I'm so sorry Kristoff." Anna said quietly, her eyes fixed on his barely moving face. She stayed silent, until suddenly Kristoff began to cough and sputter- he opened his eyes and took a gulping deep breath. Anna gasped and threw herself over him, holding him tightly. "You're okay! Oh thank goodness." "Anna- Anna baby I...can't breathe." he wheezed.
"Oh sorry sorry." Anna pulled herself away from him while he sat up.
"Is everyone okay?" Kristoff asked, looking at the crumbling structure that used to be the stables.
"Everyone got out. Thanks to you." Anna started to touch his face, but drew back at the sight of her blackened hand, which, even though it had stopped burning, was still smoking menacingly. Kristoff eyed it as well.
"I know what we have to do." he said determinedly
The blizzard raged on, whipping sleet and snow into Hans' eyes and face. But he felt nothing. He ran across the frozen fjords, the ice cracking under his feet. He had one thought on his mind.
Find Elsa.
Kill Elsa.
It took a lot of persuading before the palace guards would let Anna and Kristoff go out into the storm alone. Even then, they weren't truly alone, as Mattias had insisted on following close behind on horseback.
So they set out, that little parade. Kristoff drove the sleigh while Anna sat in the back, her hands still smoldering but not burning- though there was a bucket of water next to her should they burst into flames. Sven pulled the sleigh, pressing forward through the storm. Anna huddled under a quilt, trying to block out the wind.
"Lord Kristoff!" Mattias shouted through the snow, "I don't mean to question your judgement my lord, but are you sure this is the way!?"
"Just a little further!" Kristoff called back. He peered through the snow, looking for...then he saw it!
"There! We're there!"
The vents in the valley kept back the snow, and green moss continued to grow. Sven nickered happily at the familiar place, and Kristoff himself couldn't help but smile. Mattias gazed about in wonder. "It's warm!" He exclaimed.
"The valley keeps in the heat from the vents, which keeps out the snow and ice."
Kristoff explained knowledgeably , climbing down from the driver's seat.
"Fascinating." Mattias' gaze followed the valley's cliff side as he dismounted.
"Kristoff, do you think they'll be able to...to do anything?" Anna looked around, her hands clutching each other while Kristoff lifte her out of the sleigh.
"I hope so. I'm sure they will." Kristoff backtracked at the worry on Anna's face.
He then turned to the valley walls and started shouting. "Guys! Come on out, it's me!" he walked around, knocking on boulders. Mattias looked at him suspiciously, his hand on his sword.
Suddenly there was a low rumbling and the ground beneath their feet shook. Anna looked down and her face broke into a smile of relief. Mattias jumped, unsheathing his weapon.
"No no no it's okay!" Anna held up her hands and a small flame burst forward. Mattias ducked and rolled to the ground.
"Sorry!" Anna said sheepishly, stuffing her smoking hands under her arms, the skin stinging. The rumbling grew louder and a stampede of boulders came into view from the far side of the valley.
"What the…" Mattias' eyes widened; the boulders created a circle around Kristoff, rolling in formation before finally coming to a stop.
For a moment there was only the sound of the wind ...and then...
"KRISTOFF'S HOME!"
The boulders formed the shapes of little people with rounded features and bright eyes. The valley was momentarily lit with the warm glow of the orange, green and blue stones they wore around their necks.
Kristoff's mother, a troll named Bulda, leaped onto Kristoff's back.
"I've missed you! Why haven't you come home to see us? What have you been doing in that palace!?" She clambered over his shoulders and stood on his head, looking, upside down, into his eyes. "Are you drinking water? Your eyes are cloudy." Kristoff smiled and picked her off his head. "I'm drinking I promise. But I actually need to see Grand Pabbie." Bulda looked past him to Anna, whose hands were clutching to her sides. She looked back at Kristoff. "You've got to watch out for this girl, you hear? She seems very," she lowered her voice "accident prone" Kristoff raised his eyebrows, then started to speak. But Bulda patted his cheek and turned her attention to Anna.
"What can I help you with, sugar?" Bulda walked over to Anna, who knelt down to receive a kiss on the forehead. Bulda pulled back, her nose twitching. "You smell like a forest fire. What have you been doing, my dear?" Anna held out her hands; her skin was burnt and charred, her palms still smoking from the blast at Mattias. "Oh...oh my." Bulda took the girls hands in her own and examined them. "Wait." She held up Anna's left hand, then touched the fingers one by one, until she got to the fourth, where a small golden band shone against her ashy finger.
A joyous cry rang through the Valley of the Living Rock
Once the excitement and the congratulations had calmed, Kristoff explained what happened- how Hans had attacked Anna, Anna interjected how she wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Kristoff, who blushed and became silent. "He's going to kill my sister if I don't find a way to stop him. Can you help us, please?" Bulda looked to her fellow trolls, then to Anna. with a nod, she took her hand and began to lead her away. "Queen Anna." Mattias stood in front of them. "It's alright, Mattias. I'll be just fine." Conflicted, Mattias stepped aside.
"Thank you." Anna said softly.
Bulda led Anna to a small cave in the side of the cliffs. From the cave came a soft glowing green light. "Pabbie?" Bulda stopped at the entrance of the cave. Anna saw there was a large fire in the middle of the cave, casting warmth and light upon the walls. The elder troll was seated next to the fire, eyes closed and muttering to himself. Bulda brought Anna in, then backed away slowly.
"Queen Anna." Pabbie did not turn, but continued to move his hands over the flickering flames of the fire. Anna sat on the stone floor behind him
"I've been expecting you to return."
Anna looked confused. He turned around to face her, illuminated from behind. Like an angel, Anna thought.
"You and your sister attract danger, it seems." The old troll looked sadly to her burned hands. "Yes, it seems we do." Anna sat up straighter. She was a queen, she wasn't a helpless little girl anymore.
Pabbie looked at her hands, then into her eyes. Wordlessly he dug his hand into a pouch at his side- from the pouch he drew a handful of powder, which he threw on the fire.
Images glowed on the ceiling of the cave.
"Your sister, her power and status were was caused her the most trouble. Her power was blessed upon her by Atahallen, you understand." Anna gazed in wonder at the softly glowing form of Elsa, first casting snow over her, then freezing the tidal wave that threatened to destroy their kingdom. "She did that? I never knew that…"
Pabbie nodded. "Her power was a blessing. Yours…" he threw more powder into the flame.
"Is a curse.- I have sensed this magic before, when a powerful, dangerous man lived in Arendelle."
The flames flashed a bright red; Anna covered her eyes, moving back from the flames that reached the ceiling. "I believe he is the one who has granted power to the man who attacked you."
In the smoke, thick and grey; the figure of a tall man with dark eyes appeared over head, then the image changed and Anna saw her and Hans, surrounded by a ring of fire. "It was in this moment this curse was placed upon you." Pabbie waved his hands, and the image changed. Hans was moving in slow motion, his hand aflame, grabbing at Anna's flesh. At the moment the image of Hans grabbed her likeness, Anna felt a terrible burning. She screamed, springing to her feet and clawing at her dress. Under her layers, her flesh burned a bright angry red- a hand print on her shin. "Please, please make it stop!" she collapsed on the ground, crying in pain. Pabbie waddled over to her and pressed his hands to the burn. The feel of his cold stone hands lessened the pain. He chanted in a low, slow voice. Anna felt herself become more and more sleepy...and then there was no longer a burning, but only a lovely warmth….
"Anna? Anna!"
Kristoff knelt beside his love, her eyes were closed and she looked unharmed, but she was barely breathing.
"What happened?" He turned from Bulda to Pabbie. Neither had any answer. "Did you heal her? Did you fix her hands?" He had run up to the cave when he heard her scream, but when he had arrived she was like this, sprawled on the floor. "Answer me!" He hated this. Would there ever going to be a time her life wasn't threatened? When her lifeless form wouldn't haunt his thoughts?
"I cannot...I cannot fix this, Kristoff." Pabbie lowered his head. Kristoff's shoulders dropped. "She is cursed, and the only one who can remove the curse is the one who placed it." Kristoff sat beside Anna. His gaze lingered on her blackened hands, and suddenly he saw red. Hans. "I'll make him remove it." He growled in a low voice.
"I'll make him remove it and then I'll tear him limb from limb."
Anna stirred and her eyes slowly opened. "What- What happened?" she started to sit up, Kristoff wrapped his arm around her shoulders to support her.
"My dear, this curse is too powerful for even me to remove." Pabbie explained what he had told Kristoff to her, while Kristoff helped her to her feet. Anna stayed silent, then thanked Pabbie for his help. "My queen, wait." Pabbie followed them to the edge of the cave. "I may not be able to remove this power, but I can help you control it." from his pouch he pulled a small stone, a crystal that glowed a bright red. "This is a fire crystal. It will help you command the flames and resist their control over you." he placed the crystal in Anna's hands, and from where it touched her skin began to change, the soot and ash faded away, the burns healed instantly. "The trolls use them to keep our forests from destruction, and it will do the same for you." Anna stared at her hands, the glow of the crystal illuminating her face. Kristoff saw something change in her.
They reunited with Mattias, who was sitting on the ground, deep in conversation with the trolls; a small troll had gotten ahold of his sword and was unsteadily swinging it.
"Mattias. We're leaving." Anna looked different,Mattias noticed, she stood taller, her face set. "I'm ready when you are, your Majesty." He jumped to his feet and and tried to get his sword from the little troll, who giggled, delighted, and took off running with it. "Come back here! I'll be right back, your Majesty!" Mattias jogged after the small boulder.
Anna smiled briefly before turning to Kristoff. The crystal was still clutched in her hand.
"We need to find Göran."
"Okay…" Kristoff paused. "But Anna, how are we going to do that? No one has seen any sign of him for-" he counted on his fingers "ages!"
Anna held out her hand, and a small flame erupted there. Kristoff stepped back.
She looked deadly serious. "I think part of me knows how."