I don't know how long we ran through the forest, but by the time we stopped to catch our breath, it was noon and the sun was high in the sky. We sat down in a clearing, stretching sore limbs and clearing our heads. It was cold, but I was sweating up a storm.
"Is everyone alright?" I asked. The girls both nodded.
"Man are we lucky that worked. I was worried the wires were crossed wrong." Ella said, sitting next to Elsa on a fallen tree.
"What did you do?" She smiled and explained how she had used some tiny snowmen to disconnect the chair's wiring and hook it to the guard's armor once they took their places. Her hope was that the shock of the chair would go through them, and not her. It was a slim chance, but it worked in the end.
"Such a smart girl. I'm very proud and very grateful you're my daughter." Elsa said, giving her daughter a hug and a kiss. Ella laughed.
"Thank you Mom." Elsa smiled. Then she turned to me, suddenly a little worried.
"Kris, Do you have any sense of where we are?" I shook my head.
"How's your mouth?" She rubbed the spot where Matthew slugged her.
"It's going to be sore for a while, but I should be fine. I might want to see a doctor though." She shook her head. "Are we lost?"
"Unfortunately, yes." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then started to formulate a plan.
"First, we need to get to Troll Valley. We can strategize further once we're there."
"Right. We should try to get there before dark. Stumbling blind through the woods won't help us."
"Yep. The real question now is, which direction is Troll Valley?" I looked up.
"Judging by the sun's position relative to us, it should be to the west. That way." I pointed to the left. "Assuming, that is, we went straight north."
"Good." Elsa took her daughter's hand. "You up for a little more walking, baby?"
"Yep! I can't wait to see Alice and the trolls!" The little girl squealed. I smiled; I couldn't wait to see my little princess again. I missed her so much.
We walked for about fifteen minutes before I spotted the familiar geysers that surrounded my childhood home.
"We're close," I said. Suddenly, Elsa stopped dead in her tracks.
"Listen. I hear shouting," she whispered. I strained, but did hear people yelling up ahead. I lead the girls to a small cliff overlooking the valley. We were shocked to see Matthew, Anna, and about six guards standing amidst the trolls. One of the guards had Alice under his arm like a sack of flour, her little hands tied together and a gag over her mouth. She looked petrified. It seemed she was trying to single Anna for help, but Anna either ignored or didn't hear the child's desperate plea. My blood began to boil, and all I saw was red.
"Tell me now!" Matthew shouted. Pabbie shrank back.
"Please, just let the poor baby girl go! As soon as we find the queen and the harvester, you'll be the first to know. But we currently have no clue as to where they might be!" The elder troll said.
"I don't believe you rock monsters for a second. That harvester grew up in this valley, raised as one of your own. You could never turn him in. Which is why I'm asking one last time, before I blow a hole in the brat's brain." I had my pistol aimed at him before I realized what I was doing.
"Kris! No!" Elsa hissed, trying to push the gun down. I pushed her away and refocused. I was gonna kill him. I was gonna blow so many holes in that ugly mug of his that it would be unrecognizable. But before I could pull the trigger, Elsa grabbed my chin and forced me to look her in the eyes.
"What are you doing!?" I whisper-yelled at her. I pushed her away again, only for her to freeze the gun. It became so cold that I couldn't hold it without feeling a burning sensation. "Why won't you let me kill him!?"
"Kristoff, listen to me. If you shoot at him, Alice is as good as dead. They have at least four guns pointed right at her. If yours goes off and they take it as a threat, they won't hesitate." Elsa calmly explained. I blinked; she was right.
"Alright fine. What do we do?" Elsa sighed and looked me in the eyes.
"There really is only one option. We turn ourselves in in exchange for Alice."