A/N: Another week, another chapter. Man, I never realized how much writing takes that... creative bug to bite you in the ass. I always figured it was as simple as sitting down and typing it out. Sometimes though, even though you know where things are going or what needs to be written, your fingers just won't type. Weird, I know. But hey, I made my deadline so its all good!
Abel: Yes, the long awaited bathing chapter. I really could have done more with it, but I didn't want to mess up the relationship or move things too fast. Who knows... maybe more baths will come up.
Okisawa Hinari: your excitement made me crack the biggest smile. I would say I hope you enjoyed, But i'm going to take a safe bet and assume you did. glad to know it.
Anon: Possibly the cutest thing I've ever written or will ever write. I actually rewrote that chapter a little bit, in the original she opened the door with no trouble. Glad I changed it.
misconstrued0892: always nice to see a new reviewer with something to say, and boy did you say a lot, in a good way of course. I'm glad you dropped in to give it a read, honestly I don't expect many people to read it, so i'm always happy to see another face in the review section. I hope I manage to maintain your interest.
DreamWalker: Uh oh. Milo is suspicious? Hmm. I wonder what the author has planned for him... Well, i guess we'll never know.
Nara375: Hey! Always nice to see you wondering what will happen next. Elsa should definitely learn to use her power. I wonder though, why doesn't she practice? It's almost like she's scared of it... hmm, If only I knew what the author was thinking. =)
That should cover all of the reviews from this week. As always, ty for your lovely reviews that put smiles on my face with every new one. Now, On with the story!
Elsa swung out, her blade being stopped with a strike from her opponent. She reared back, a thrust sending her forward. Her opponent dodged, like she expected and she quickly turned the blade, slashing it across his stomach.
"Elsa wins." Kristoff called out.
Elsa smiled as she looked to Milo who was shocked.
"You're getting really good." Milo said, impressed.
"I have a good practice partner." Elsa said easily.
Kristoff ordered the two to take a break, both of them lowering their stances and wooden swords. Milo was quick to begin firing off questions to Elsa, questions that involved Anna mostly. Milo was fast becoming a good friend of Elsa's. She wondered if it was because they were sparring partners that the relationship was growing so fast. She didn't really know, all she knew was that a week and a half of training together had her eager to meet him, whether it be for training or simple talking. She didn't have any friends in the castle, aside from Anna of course. However Anna couldn't fulfill that social need she required, the desire to talk and converse. Milo provided that need, the man loving conversation. Most of the conversation centered around his desire to know more about Anna, but Elsa was fine with that. The only problem was keeping up with the lies about her taming Anna.
"How far along is she in terms of learning English?" Milo asked.
Elsa hummed in thought. "There's still a lot to learn, but the more she learns, the faster it seems to go. She's smart." Elsa admitted, looking to see Anna standing off to the side, watching the training of other soldiers.
"Fascinating." Milo said, no hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Someone else did not find it so fascinating.
"Larsa." Kristoff called, walking up to the two with his crutches. His handling of them had increased, now able to move at a faster pace.
"Yes, Sir Kristoff?" She answered his call.
Kristoff nudged his head to the left. "Let's take a walk. I want to talk." He said, already beginning to move away with his crutches.
Elsa gave Milo a small wave and called Anna who followed her as usual. The three walked away, leaving Milo to practice alone with his wooden sword. Kristoff led Elsa away, walking through the main path of the training grounds to avoid an accident, like losing your life to the stray swing of a sword or arrow. Elsa found herself getting used to the sounds of training. It was almost invigorating. These were the sounds that normally came with her training sessions. It was only natural she associated them with her own training and progress.
"So… Anna still can't understand us?" Kristoff asked.
Elsa looked to him as he walked ahead of them. "For the most part, no." She shrugged. She had been teaching Anna a lot. The girl could identify objects and would sometimes do so, just to try and impress Elsa with her memory. However she still didn't understand sentences that were put together. Elsa was making some progress there, but it would take time.
"Good." Kristoff said, never slowing down with his crutches. "Because we need to talk about your 'pet', Larsa." Kristoff sneered a bit.
"She's not a pet." Elsa defended, already knowing of Kristoff's dislike for Anna.
Kristoff suddenly stopped and leaned in close to her to whisper. "I know that. Remember Larsa, you're not trying to fool me, I already know the truth." He told her.
As he went back to walking, Elsa realized that she had in fact forgotten that she told Kristoff the truth the day Anna was saved from the gallows. He was the only person in the kingdom who knew that Elsa was no beast tamer and was in fact a fraud. She had no real control over Anna, the only control she had was the control that Anna gave. It scared her for a moment that he might tell others, but she realized that it had been some time since his learning of it and he had yet to tell anyone. Sir Kristoff kept her secret, though it seemed he did not enjoy doing it.
Well… at least he still thought she was a boy.
"Why do you have such a hard time accepting Anna? Others have accepted her. The maid who comes to our floor is very accepting of Anna." Elsa had a few others that she knew of as well. People such as Milo or Dr. Sweet seemed to have no problem with Anna.
"Oh I don't know." Kristoff said casually before suddenly turning his anger on Elsa once more. "Maybe because she tried to kill me on the battlefield."
Elsa did in fact remember that. "She was only riled up. She doesn't understand war yet. She didn't hurt you."
"She tried. The only reason she stopped was because you got in the middle." Krsitoff said, not understanding why Elsa could not see his point. "She's a wild animal."
"She is not." Elsa hissed. "She saved you from the demon."
"She savedyou from the demon. She tried to turn on me. Who else will she turn on in the heat of battle. In case you've forgotten we are at war. No one should have to worry about soldiers on their side going wild with blood lust and turning on them." He told her, feeling his points were rather justifiable.
"You were aggressive with her. I saw the way you walked up to her. Don't put it all on Anna." Elsa clearly remembered the situation. She refused to validate any of his points when all of them could be flushed down the drain thanks to his aggressive march on her from before.
"You really can't see, can you?" He asked somewhat in disbelief. "What will it take? For her to hurt you? Well I'll tell you something Larsa. It won't be a little bit of pain when she does. You think that weak stab to your shoulder hurt, just imagine her claws rendering you apart." He harshly said, wanting to make sure that point was driven home.
Elsa nearly shuddered at the thought of an angry Anna directed her way.
"She… She would never hurt me." Elsa said.
Kristoff stared at her for a moment. "I hear that same thing a lot in relationships between people. If there's one thing I've learned, its that people will eventually hurt one another. The difference is that most of the time when people hurt one another, they can make up for it or forget about it." He looked to Anna who had been staring at him the entire time. "The problem with your beast is that the type of hurt she'll do will either be permanent, or it will see you to the afterlife." He said.
Elsa just glared at him, wondering where he got off telling her what Anna would and wouldn't do. He didn't know Anna like Elsa did. Anna would never harm her. She knew this since the escape from the village and it was only solidified more when Anna's face turned to horror when Elsa ripped her arm away from her during the battle and cut herself on Anna's claws. The girl, despite not being the one to harm Elsa, had looked like she had committed the most heinous of acts and regretted it.
Anna would not harm her, of that, Elsa was certain.
"This conversation is clearly going no where if you cannot see Anna as anything other than a monster." Elsa told him.
Kristoff shook his head with a sigh, realizing that Elsa was just as stubborn as he was about this. He gave a small wave back from where they came. "Go back to training with Milo, you'll need your swordsmanship if you ever hope to stand a chance when she turns on you." And that was all he had to say as he walked off, crutches clacking away at the ground.
Elsa thought to say something at his back, but refrained. Instead she turned and walked away back towards Milo.
"What did he want?" Milo asked when Elsa returned.
"Nothing." Elsa growled as she picked up her wooden sword. "Shall we continue?" She asked.
Milo gulped at the sight of a clearly upset Elsa.
The training went on, Elsa blows coming a bit harder thanks to her mood. Over the next thirty minutes she would best Milo several times, leaving the poor guy to rub at the parts she had hit when the bout was over. He barely had time to assess the growing pain as Elsa was ready to start again. Sure, Milo won a few, but Elsa clearly was the better swordsman at the moment. Kristoff really wasn't kidding when he said that Milo had no experience. Neither did Elsa of course, but she seemed to pick it up faster than he did.
A blow to Milo's chest before, "I do believe that round goes to Milo." Someone called out.
Elsa turned with confusion to see a man she was familiar with. It took her but a few seconds to recognize the same knight that had once helped to save Anna at the gallows.
"Sir knight!" Elsa called out happily.
"I realize that I never gave my name during our last sighting with one another. Forgive my rudeness. I am Sir Gaston. To my friends, I am but Gaston." He told her kindly, flashing that handsome smile as he stepped a bit closer to Milo and Elsa now that they were not training.
"Sir Gaston. I am truly grateful for what you did for Anna that day." Elsa gave a bow, thinking it appropriate when in the presence of a knight and someone she was truly appreciative of.
"Think nothing of it. I only did what any honorable knight would do." Gaston said easily.
"I still thank you." Elsa said.
Gaston laughed at this. "Perhaps then you will honor me with a favor returned if it will clear your conscious."
Elsa was quick to nod, anything for the man who saved Anna from death.
"How about a quick duel? It seems to me you two are in need of more lessons." He questioned, looking between them both for a moment before stopping on Elsa.
"Me? Duel you? Oh no… I would not be a worthy opponent." Elsa said nervously.
Gaston shook his head. "Surprises come from anywhere. As a soldier, you will learn that." He told her.
"What did you mean by we need more lessons? I noticed earlier that you said I won, when Larsa clearly struck a killing blow to my chest." Milo finally said something, seeming as though he had been pondering this question the entire time.
Gaston gave a small nod. "Indeed you did." He put his hand out. "Your sword please." He asked for Milo's weapon, which was given to him. Gaston twirled the wooden sword with finesse, looking completely comfortable with it. "The truth of the matter is that you beat Larsa four moves ago." He then brought the blade to Elsa's leg and gave it a small tap. "You hit him here with enough force to sever a leg, not injure it. Besides, had you truly injured the leg, the fight would have most certainly had a different outcome. The amount of force and speed with which Larsa swung would not have been so powerful due to his wounded leg. Most of your power comes from your right leg, Larsa. Did you know this? It varies from person to person depending on their fighting style, however you lean into your right leg a lot." He told them both, having clearly watched the entire match before deciding to speak up.
Elsa was amazed. Had he really gotten all that information from a brief duel. Sir Kristoff said things like this, but never had he broken down Elsa's fighting style like this. Kristoff focused more on fixing posture and making sure your strikes were not wasted. He never told Elsa that she was using her right leg for everything.
"Hmm." Milo hummed. "I wonder how many more of these duels I would have won if I noticed things like this." He grinned at Elsa, thinking that perhaps he was not as bad as he initially thought.
"Not many." Elsa was quick to cue in, smile on her face telling him that it was all in good fun.
"Alas I did not see but the last duel you just did." He stepped away and brandished the wooden blade. "Now, about that duel. Perhaps I could show you a few things." Gaston asked, raising an eyebrow. He did not seem to be pressuring Elsa into doing it, but merely offering a kind suggestion.
Elsa quelled her nerves and gave a nod, getting into her stance that she normally took with Milo.
Anna watched on with narrowed eyes, her legs tense as though ready to spring into action.
"Your legs are too close together." Gaston began.
Before Elsa could even begin to try and straighten her posture, Gaston was already charging at her, blade at the ready. She tried to defend, but he easily saw through her and sliced straight at her legs. She winced, expecting pain, but found none. Gaston had stopped the blade before it struck true.
"With your legs too close, you are unable to move the way you need to, leaving you wide open for an attack." He backed off again. "Now, show me how you swing. Do not worry about hurting me, the armor is more than for show." He told her.
Hurting him would have been a miracle with all of that heavy armor. However Elsa found that hitting him in general would have been a true accomplishment as he parried all of her swings, sending her nearly tumbling to the ground multiple times. She had no idea how he did that. One flick of the sword and Elsa lost all of her balance, leaving her wide open for attacks that he did not do.
"You put too much weight into your attacks. You think that because I have such heavy armor, you will need a ton of force to pierce it." He told her, almost like he was reading her mind.
"Is this not true?" Elsa questioned as she backed off and tried to fix her stance, she was already breathing heavy. Her earlier training with Milo not helping her stamina right now.
Gaston gave a hearty chuckle. "True it is. But when your opponent knows exactly what you're going to do, you must change it up."
Gaston went at her, his arm up to come down with a slash. Elsa instantly put her blade up to block, only to have him lift up his boot and kick at her, He did not connect, seeing as he was not close enough, but Elsa understood what he was trying to teach.
"Your sword is not your only weapon."
Elsa nodded and suddenly slashed out at him, Gaston was quick, his reflexes over years of training kicked in to have him block her blow.
Elsa smiled. "Expect the unexpected?" She asked, proud to land a blow that had finally been blocked instead of parried.
Gaston blinked, but soon he was laughing. "That, Larsa, is the most important lesson. Who is it that taught you that?" Gaston asked as he threw the wooden sword back to Milo who clumsily caught it.
"Sir Kristoff." She answered.
Gaston nodded at that. "Sounds like the first thing he would teach." Gaston turned to leave. "If Sir Kristoff is providing you with lessons then there is little reason for me to teach you as well. That being said, I must go. I simply saw the two of you training and decided to drop in." Gaston said.
"Thank you for your teaching Sir Gaston." Elsa gave another bow.
"Alas it was not much. Please, continue to train." And with that he left.
Elsa watched him go, looking completely star struck. Not only was he a kind knight who saved Anna, but also one who stopped for a moment to teach her. Sir Gaston was truly a great man. She thought this as she got into position with Milo again to continue practicing. She felt refreshed now, ready for more, ready to train and get better.
Anna did not share her views on Sir Gaston.
Anna had watched the man go, had noticed how he never made eye contact with her, yet it always felt like he was staring at her out of the corner of his eye. The man was some sort of snake, some sort of trickster. Anna could tell. While Elsa was fooled by his desire to train her, Anna saw it for what it really was. The man was flaunting his ability, showing it off to the more inexperienced. He was looking for praise, looking to shine bright among those weaker than him. Anna wanted nothing more than to challenge him and put him in his place. Something was off about him, that, Anna was sure of. She would not fight him however.
No, she would not take away Elsa's happy smile as she tried to imitate Sir Gaston in her duel against Milo.
The training did eventually have to end. Once Milo and Elsa grew so tired that they were sure they were doing more harm than good, they decided to call it a day and get something to eat. Milo offered for Elsa to join him in the mess hall, something she gladly accepted. Truthfully she had been eating in the mess hall with Milo for a few days now. It felt more comfortable for her. Whenever she had to take meals in the castle, she only felt bad for calling the maids and having them bring food to her. She was already using them too much she felt, seeing as she had them bring in water for the bath nearly every day.
The two left the training grounds, entering the castle's mess hall in the basement floor. The mess hall was large, and it had to be to feed so many soldiers that came in on a daily basis. The kitchens were closed off, but Elsa imagined they were huge as well with bustling activity as the servants and cooks tried to fill every order. Elsa and Milo both ordered their food at the counter and waited like they usually did. While there were servants that could bring food to the table, it was always safer to get your food at the counter. It was common for servants to mix up orders or deliver to the wrong table. Elsa took a look around as she waited, looking at the many tables with drunken soldiers jabbering away with tales of battle or fun. The place was lit with several torches and candles, making it not so hard to navigate around. The walls were stone, same as the floor. It made Elsa feel better to be in such a modest environment rather than her castle room. Things felt more realistic here. Or to put it in another way, it felt like the kind of place Elsa deserved to be in. She didn't deserve a fancy room in the castle just because of Anna. She was a soldier, one who should have the same rights as the others.
She wouldn't complain about the bath though.
Their food arrived, Anna's plate looking extra big thanks to the girl's appetite. Seeing as this wasn't the first time Elsa came here, the cooks had learned that Anna could eat quite the hearty meal. Speaking of Anna, most soldiers were too drunk or too into their conversations to really care that she was walking around. Sure, most were still scared, but there were a few sometimes who would ask Elsa questions about Anna. It usually consisted of her diet, but Elsa was always quick to assure them that she did not enjoy humans.
Elsa and Milo were about to take a seat at an empty table, when someone called out Milo's name rather loudly. Milo smiled at the voice, spotted who it was, and began to walk over, inviting Elsa to join of course. Elsa saw no reason not to and walked over with him. The table they went to only contained three people. One of them she instantly recognized.
"Dr. Sweet?" Elsa questioned at the sight of him, her shoulder remembering the pain of his stitching.
"Well, look who it is, and he's even brought company." Dr. Sweet said happily, noticing Anna walking behind her with her own plate of food. "Gotta tell ya, it does my heart good to see her with her own plate. I'd hate to be snapped at again." he said in good fun, the man really seeming to have no problem with Anna.
Milo and Elsa took a seat at the table, Anna of course taking a seat beside Elsa. She eyed everyone up for a moment before deciding they were no threat at the moment and digging into her meal.
"Wow. Do you see her teeth? It reminds me of a piranha." One man drawled, his hair being shaved on the sides while the top was free to grow.
"I think she is beautiful." A shorter man said, his buckteeth standing out to Elsa.
"Yeah. Good luck with that. I'm sure she'll savor you with a nice white wine, I think." He told him.
Milo suddenly realized he'd forgotten something. "Oh, introductions. This is Vinny." Milo pointed to the man with the shaved sides to his head, the one who spoke in a drawl. "He's in my squadron, same as Mole over there." He introduced the second man as well.
"Mole?" Elsa questioned.
"Yeah." Milo said, ignorant to why she would ask for his name again.
"What did he do to get a name like that?" Elsa questioned, not believing for a second that it was his real name.
"Trust me on this one. You don't wanna know." Dr. Sweet spoke up, frown on his face as he looked to Vinny. "Vinny, Don't tell him. You shouldn't have told me, but you did." He looked back to Elsa. "And now I'm telling you, you don't wanna know." Dr. Sweet said with finality as he went back to eating.
Vinny shrugged his shoulders as Elsa looked to him. "You can be daring if you want to. I'll tell you though, you're gonna want to hear it before you eat lunch, seeing as you might lose it." He told her, eyebrow raising in challenge, daring her to ask him about Mole.
Elsa decided that she didn't want to know.
There was a silence for a moment as the sound of the soldiers at other tables filled the room. Well, that and the sound of Anna brutally cutting away to make large portions of meat to stuff in her gullet.
Vinny stared at the gruesome display for a moment before it seemed to remind him of something.
He looked to Dr. Sweet. "You know, she reminds me of your ex-wife. She had quite an appetite on her too."
You would think that The Doctor had heard the greatest joke of all time with the way he laughed.
Elsa was now wondering just what his ex wife was like as she seemed to recall Dr. Sweet making a comparison as well.
Elsa found it surprisingly easy to get comfortable at the table. With both Milo and Dr. Sweet, it seemed easy to convince the other two that Anna was no harm. It helped that Anna was preoccupied with her own plate and not interested in anyone at the moment. Elsa had been worried about meeting other people with Anna following her around, but it seems people were having an easier time adjusting now that she had been seen walking around the castle and training grounds with Anna more.
Even after all of their plates had been finished, including Anna, they all stayed to continue talking. Elsa learned that Dr. Sweet was in fact good friends with Milo and the two at the table. There was apparently another girl that normally got along with them named Audrey, however it seems she was not here right now. She was supposedly a part of the kitchen staff. She also learned that Vinny had a taste for gunpowder and all things involving explosions. Why? Well she wasn't sure, he mentioned something about a boom and laundry. Mole had been very quiet, most of his time was spent staring at Anna. Elsa almost thought it was cute that he had developed some sort of crush on her instantly.
Elsa knew he had no chance however.
"Seeing her full, puts me at ease, just saying." Vinny commented, watching as Anna contently rubbed at her full stomach while leaning back with her eyes closed.
"On that, we can agree." Dr. Sweet spoke up.
"She's not so bad guys. I've spent days with Larsa and she mostly just stands there looking uh… strong?" He tried, looking to Elsa for help.
"She's only bad if you rile her up." Elsa told them all.
"What exactly does riling up entail?" Vinny asked.
Elsa shrugged. "I am her master, so threatening me is a quick and easy way." Elsa said, having to keep up with the lie that she tamed Anna.
Vniny nodded at this. "You must have an easy time on the battlefield then." He commented, not in a mean way, but simply as a comment.
Elsa took it a bit differently, though she knew how he really meant it. It hurt to know that she indeed relied on Anna for everything when it came to fighting. If Anna hadn't taken a liking to her, then she would have been dead before she ever even reached Anna's village. She tried to deflect the thoughts with the knowledge that she was training to get stronger. She wouldn't need Anna forever and soon maybe even she could protect Anna.
"As her master, you must know of her personal tastes. Tell me, do I have a chance?" Mole asked, speaking for the first time to Elsa.
Elsa decided to avoid that question.
After awhile, both Milo and Elsa left the table. The others deciding to go back to their respective jobs or posts as well. Milo was such a low soldier on his squad that he was basically given free reign to do whatever he wanted, seeing as he was rarely called upon. This gave him time to hang around Elsa and train with her so much. Elsa sure wasn't complaining, finding it nice to have another friend besides Anna to talk to. The two were walking outside, through the training field. No plans to train really, but with no destination in mind, they let their feet decide for them.
"So, how did you like my friends?" Milo asked.
"Quirky, but fun." Elsa told him easily.
"I think we all have our quirks. I mean…" He cut himself off on purpose, jabbing a thumb towards Anna to tell of Elsa's particular quirk.
Elsa laughed. "Yes, I suppose."
"I've got other friends I can introduce you to sometime. Maybe even help Anna to make some friends." Milo said.
Now that sounded pleasant to Elsa's ears.
"Yes, I would like that." Elsa said as she looked to the side to find Anna walking alongside her, looking around.
She looped her fingers into Anna's hand, gathering the girl's attention for a moment. At first Anna said nothing, but she gave a small smile and a soothing growl before looking off again to look at the surroundings. Elsa wondered what sort of friends Anna could make. Ariel seemed like one, but so far it was hard to tell how Anna truly felt about her. It seemed that whenever Ariel came around, Anna was more expecting chocolate than the girl's presence. Perhaps that should be her next goal.
Maybe Anna could use a friend besides herself.
She didn't know that Anna would indeed find a friend, someone who would gift Anna with something that was invaluable to her.
"The famous Gypsy is in town." Ariel said.
It was the next day, Elsa having just been awoken by Ariel. Elsa had given Ariel instructions some days ago to wake her up at the same time every morning if possible. She wanted to get used to these early wake up calls she was getting. Being a soldier and having training to do, it seemed like a good idea.
"What?" Elsa asked, frowning a bit as she stretched her arms after being woken up.
"There's a famous gypsy known for her fortune telling and magic." Ariel seemed excited. "They say she knows everything about the future and that she is willing to tell you your future or solve your problems for a small fee."
"What's a gypsy?" Elsa asked.
"They are people who travel around. I hear they are most noted for fortune telling, however this gypsy also knows magic." Ariel was practically bouncing on the spot.
Elsa reached over and roughly shook a snoring Anna. There was a snort and grumbling as Anna woke up, hair looking a right mess since Elsa decided to take her braids out last night.
Ariel giggled. "A lovely morning to you, Anna." She said, doing her best not to laugh at the sight.
"Hello, Ariel." Anna responded, not understanding the other redhead, but at least knowing how to greet her.
"Can the gypsy really tell the future?" Elsa asked, somewhat intrigued.
"I hear she has never been wrong about anything. She's famous for a reason." Ariel said. "I'm going to get a reading later with some of the other maids once we are off duty."
Elsa nodded. "I see. Well, thank you for the wake up call, Ariel." Elsa thanked her.
Ariel gave a bow before leaving, her excited footsteps being heard down the hall as she wanted to hurry and finish up her rounds so that she could leave.
Elsa looked to Anna.
"Want to go see a gypsy?" Elsa asked.
Anna just stared at Elsa, looking tired and comical with her lion's mane.
"Me too." Elsa said, yawning.
It took awhile to leave, seeing as Elsa had to fight with the beast that was Anna's hair. She somehow managed though, having experience in this fight and having defeated the monster before. She felt rather proud of her time as she tied Anna's hair into braids. She even had her own hair done, letting Anna brush at her hair until Elsa decided it had been long enough. She placed her own hair into a single braid, tossed it over her shoulder, and was ready to leave.
The two left the castle, heading towards the plaza. Ariel had not told her where the gypsy was, however Elsa had heard two maids conversing over the matter in the halls. Apparently the gypsy set up shop somewhere in the plaza. At first Elsa assumed she might be hard to find, however it turned into the opposite. As Elsa entered the plaza, she found a long line that led to a modest sized, but very glamorous looking tent. Elsa had no trouble getting into the back of the line, especially seeing as she had Anna wearing her cloak again. The most she had to deal with was the wait and the chatter among the peasants in line.
She must have stood in line for at least an hour before it was finally her and Anna's turn. She entered the tent with Anna, finding that the inside was just as small as she imagined.
"I normally only read one person at a time, but something tells me you two are connected in a way that will not allow this." The gypsy on the other side of a crystal ball said to Elsa. The large hood over her head leaving Elsa to try and picture her face based off of her voice. Which she had to admit sounded lovely.
She took note that the gypsy actually looked to her instead of Anna. Almost as if she knew Anna couldn't speak.
Elsa had been skeptical the entire time, but she figured it could have been fun to take Anna out to do something. Elsa thought the idea of fortune telling was ridiculous, that magic in general just did not exist.
Her ice begged to differ.
With the gypsy wearing a long cloak and her hood up, the only thing visible were her darker skinned hands.
"Um… I heard you could-"
"Tell the future? Do a bit of magic? Yes, yes. I do it all, snowflake."
Elsa nearly choked at the name. It was something her mother called her when she was very young.
"H-how did you-"
"Know what your mother called you so very long ago? It's my job dear." The gypsy chuckled.
Elsa decided to challenge her. "Then you know exactly what I want then." Elsa said, lifting her chin to show something… pride maybe? Defiance? She didn't know, she just didn't like the idea of the gypsy knowing everything while she knew nothing.
The gypsy held out a hand. "And you know what I want." She said easily.
Elsa reached into her pocket and procured a few coins. She just so happened to have them after making bets with Milo on the outcome of several duels. She lost some, but she won more. This reminded her that she should probably get some of that money that she normally sends to her family.
The gypsy took her coins, weighed them and smiled beneath her hood.
"Not my normal price I charge, but since you're so gracious as to give a few coin extra, I see no reason not to give you something extra as well." The gypsy smiled.
Elsa almost grew angry and demanded her change, however part of her was curious for some reason.
"For what you have given me, I shall give you some special advice."
The gypsy put her hands on the crystal ball, smoke billowing inside of it. She rubbed away at it for a few seconds before humming in thought.
"My first piece of advice is not to take things at face value… for example I don't need this ball." She lifted the ball up and off the table, revealing that under it was some mechanism that created smoke. "It's for effect, dear." She smiled.
Elsa was about to demand her money back.
"My second piece of advice, the last and most important…" She looked to Anna. "One day you're going to need this girl for something, something important. She will fail you… my advice is to not let your heart control your actions." She told Elsa, though her eyes stayed on Anna.
Elsa furrowed her brows. Anna? Fail her? The thought seemed ridiculous. Anna seemed capable of doing anything. Besides… what would Elsa trust her with besides something of combat? Anna wouldn't fail in combat. The gypsy said it was important, but what important task would Elsa ever give to Anna?
"Now… For the fun part." The gypsy actually reached over and removed Anna's hood. "No need to hide yourself, young one. If I was afraid of what you'd do to me today, I would have not set up shop to begin with." She said kindly.
Anna simply stared. She felt no aggression from this woman and decided to show none back. There was something about her, something familiar. It was something she felt with Elsa everyday.
"You… know of Anna?" Elsa asked.
"Have we not already established that I know both of you and everyone who steps into my tent." Then the gypsy removed her own hood.
Elsa watched as black hair spilled out over chocolate colored skin. Huge green eyes stared back, along with thick and dark brows.
"This is just so that our young friend feels more comfortable." Then the gypsy turned to Anna. "To you I will give no future readings, seeing as you don't care for it. I will give you a gift though, a small one, one you can manage without losing your mind." Then the gypsy stared at Anna.
There was silence for a good ten seconds.
"Um..." Elsa began.
"She's hungry." The gypsy told Elsa.
"What?"
"She's hungry. The two of you never had breakfast before coming." She looked back to Anna. "Yes, I agree, she can be thoughtless sometimes."
Elsa watched as Anna's eyes widened, the girl leaning forward more, as if in disbelief.
"That's right." The gypsy said.
"Elsa! Elsa!" Anna suddenly called, fingers pointing at the gypsy.
The gypsy laughed a good laugh. "That's a fun reaction."
Elsa furrowed her brows as Anna began to pull at her, pointing to the gypsy, trying to express something to Elsa.
"What did you do?" Elsa asked the gypsy, her defensiveness for Anna starting to kick in.
The gypsy waved a hand. "A sprinkle of magic, you know the kind." And the way the gypsy said that was enough to assure Elsa that the gypsy did in fact know about her ice.
"Why is she acting like this." Elsa asked, still being pulled on by Anna in what she was beginning to learn was excitement.
"Wouldn't you be excited if you finally met someone who understood you." She looked to Anna again. "Don't pull on her, I'm letting her know what's going on."
And like magic, Anna let go of Elsa and gave her full attention to the gypsy.
"You… you understand Anna?" Elsa looked completely confused. "But she hasn't said anything."
"We don't need words with this way of communication. I'm only talking so that you can follow along." The gypsy told her. She looked to Anna. "Oh calm down, I'm still paying attention to you."
"What is she saying?!" Elsa asked, now she too needed to know, her excitement at the idea of understanding Anna was something she didn't realize she would have so much of.
The gypsy turned her eyes to Elsa. "A lot. Poor girl has had no way to express herself for a long time. If it eases your mind, half of it is about you." Then she turned her eyes back to Anna.
Elsa felt something strange in her stomach. Butterflies. Anna was talking about her? Anna was thinking about her? The thought shouldn't have been shocking. Anna spent all day with Elsa, it would make sense that she would talk about Elsa.
Still, she nearly blushed at the thought.
"Okay, calm down young one. I've got other customers to attend and you two have taken up too much time already." Then the gypsy turned to Elsa. "My final gift is more an extension of the one for our young friend. This is less for you and more for her, but i'm sure you'll appreciate it." Then the gypsy flicked her hand at Elsa. "I'm sprinkling you with magic dust, do not be offended." The gypsy said, smile on her face telling Elsa that this was more for effect, rather than her actually doing anything with her hand. She turned back to Anna. "There. You two go have fun now, it will take effect soon. Remember though, it will not last forever."
Anna seemed to be communicating more.
"Ugh! Enough. You're such a chatter box. Yes, It will work on her, now go." The gypsy demanded.
Anna suddenly lunged at the gypsy, forcing the woman into a hug. Elsa watched, fascinated at the display of Anna hugging someone without being hugged first.
The gypsy rolled her eyes, patting a hand on Anna's back.
"Yes, yes. I'm your friend now. I get it. Now please, go." She said, trying to sound fed up, but Elsa could see the cracking of a smile on her face.
Elsa decided to show a bit of mercy.
"Stop, Anna. We're leaving." She commanded, standing up as much as she could in the small tent that had forced them to sit down once inside.
Anna obeyed, a big smile on her face as she exited the tent with Elsa.
"Well… that was something. I wish we could have talked with her longer, it would have been nice to know what you were actually saying." Elsa said as they began to walk away towards the castle.
Anna was staring intensely at Elsa.
"What?" Elsa asked once she realized.
Elsa suddenly felt as though something were tickling her mind before,
Elsa.
Elsa looked around, wondering where the voice came from.
Elsa. Look.
Elsa looked around again. For a moment she thought she was going mad. That is until she looked at Anna, the girl's face still looking intensely at her, as though she were waiting for something.
Elsa. Me. Me. Elsa.
Elsa realized the voice was feminine, the quality of it sounded like it could maybe even belong to…
"Anna?" She asked skeptically, looking like she didn't believe it.
Anna's face lit up.
Elsa! Elsa! Me! Hear me?! Me!"
Elsa suddenly began to feel lightheaded. She reached up and touched her head as the words continued, closing her eyes to try and gain some focus.
Elsa! Me! Look! Me!
"Stop it, Anna. You're making me dizzy." She paused as the words left her lips. Something in her mind had already figured it out, but Elsa still didn't believe. "You… you're making me dizzy. You… Anna?" She looked to Anna.
Me! Elsa, hear me! Me speak! Elsa!
Elsa stared with wide eyes, her head feeling dizzy, but the message being clear.
She could hear Anna. She could understand Anna.
"Anna… is that really you?" She questioned aloud.
Anna's face was so bright that Elsa feared the girl might tackle her in a hug, unable to contain her emotions.
Me! Me hear Elsa! Me speak! Elsa speak! Me Hear!
Elsa just stood in disbelief. The gypsy really had given a gift to the both of them.
The gift of communication.