Since waking, there had been silence.
Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, just that it felt… awkward. Elsa had tried to make conversation with her sister and she'd tried to talk too, but no matter what the topic, their words kept falling flat after a few exchanged sentences. Even questions about breakfast had been answered with a hum of acknowledgement rather than an actual word.
"Els… we need to talk about it." Anna spoke up as she finished packing the last of the stuff they brought into the carriage. Her sister finished summoning the ice horse at the front of the carriage and nodded at her work with satisfaction as she stepped away to meet her sister.
"I know we do, just… I'm afraid of everyone's reactions when they find out." Elsa confessed as she let Anna take her hands. She let out a sigh to help relax as she thought of their plan going forward. "I don't think it would be wise to announce our relationship… but I fear the implications of not doing so. The ball you suggested has no doubt already been planned, and I can imagine that more than one kingdom will be sending suitors for both of us. After the events at my coronation, I feel it unwise to incite anger toward us and our kingdom by entertaining the possibility that we will marry any of them, but at the same time I feel that to announce our courtship will only provoke those with traditional values or religious world views."
"Elsa, I think they'd all be better sports if they realized you wanted to be honest with them. That's what I'd like if I was them." Anna replied with a comforting squeeze to her sister's hands. "I say that we instruct the reception parties to inform them as they arrive that we have an announcement to make. Then on the first night, after everyone's had a couple of drinks, we announce that we're engaged. Sure some might get angry, but that's where you use that magical voice of yours to shift the topic on to something else."
"Right…" Elsa nodded slowly as she thought over Anna's suggestion. "I think I'll need to have a survey of the city first. If there seems to be a demand for same sex marriage, then we can blend in with the announcement of new legislation that will undoubtedly be noticed on the world stage. But this sort of thing is very tricky to handle due to the southern church's stance on the subject. It would mean interfering in it's affairs for the first time in over two centuries."
"Whatever you plan to do, I'll stand by you." Anna spoke, proudly puffing out her chest. "If they have a problem with it, they can just leave."
"It's not that simple, Anna. But thank you." Elsa laughed at her sister's oversimplifying of the subject. "For now, we can just play 'two sister's reunited after a long separation' to mask our relationship. That means no kisses on the lips, or inappropriate touching, but most other PDA's are most likely alright and to be expected. Such as hugging or… hand holding, or… maybe, kisses on the cheek?"
"Sounds good to me." Anna smirked as she pulled her sister closer. "After all, that rule only works when there are other people around."
Elsa felt her face blush as Anna pulled her into a kiss. She savoured the taste of her sister's lips for a moment before pulling away, willing herself to gain some self control. Her sister looked so happy with the new form of their relationship and Elsa herself couldn't fully repress the smile that stretched her lips, but she knew that they'd need to be careful. The world was far from ready for the progressive thinking that she had been raised with, or rather found by growing up alone, but Arendelle was one of the most progressive and peaceful countries in that world. Well, that was a bit of a lie. Arendellians tended to stick to the old adages that more or less stated that as long as it doesn't directly hurt someone, it's okay. She hoped that the few churches that followed foreign doctrines wouldn't create a problem as she knew the local religions wouldn't pose a problem since all they were concerned with was the honour of family and battle. Hell, some of the stories even made reference to blatant incest, though she supposed the gods could do whatever they wanted.
"Alright, let's go. We have a lot of work to do, so let's get going." Elsa pulled Anna up into the carriage behind her and set the ice horse in motion with a wave of her wrist.
After a few moments, Anna curled up on the seat next to her and seemed to fall asleep on her sister's lap while Elsa combed her fingers through her hair. She knew that the horse would carry them all the way back to the castle without her attention, so she found herself zoning out as she soaked in the moments before she'd have to hide her new relationship with Anna behind the mask the public would be expecting. Admittedly, that didn't change much at the moment, but she worried if that mask would in turn hinder the development of their relationship in the coming weeks.
As she pondered, the silence of the forest was punctuated only by the quiet crunch of the waggon's wheels and the ice horse's hooves as it was pulled farther down the path that wound back and forth down the mountain. At first, the silence was nice and comforting, but as snow and ice made way to the highest trees on the mountainside, the silence grew louder and louder.
Elsa found herself on edge as she looked out the carriage window into the green darkness that fell from the canopy above. It was as if she could sense something, but it was just out of sight. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled in a way that made her uneasy, and she started to gently shake her sister awake, hoping she'd be able to help quell the rising fear she felt.
"Are we there already?" Anna groaned as she sat up and looked around.
"No, but I feel like something is wrong." Elsa replied as she continued to carefully watch the passing trees.
"Hmm…" Anna hummed as she looked out the window too. "I don't see anything."
"It's too quiet." Elsa replied, hoping that Anna would understand her reasoning for being afraid.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you!" Anna announced happily, pulling her sister into her lap.
"A-Anna! What are you-" Elsa started, but fell silent as she felt her little sister's lips ghost over her neck. The sensation was admittedly delightful but the situation battled for dominance in her mind.
"I'm distracting you, silly." Anna replied with a smirk that Elsa felt on her collar as a shiver ran down her spine when Anna's tongue licked the skin lightly.
"That… oh…" Elsa couldn't focus anymore. She couldn't turn her head with Anna so close to her, and the way her sister was suckling on her skin was enough to set her body on fire and her mind off of the outside world. It was pure bliss.
A loud roar made both royals jump a second before Elsa felt a shock to her system the likes of which she'd never felt before. Outside the front window of the carriage, A large bear with white markings on it's head and fur the colour of a starless night landed it's paw on the ground where their horse had once stood. It roared and jumped at the waggon, ripping the driver's perch from the front of the structure as if the hardwood was nothing but flimsy paper.
Anna shouted something that Elsa didn't register as she was pulled from the carriage's open door by her sister. Elsa followed Anna who was still holding her hand as they ran off the path and into the forest. Behind them, she could hear the bear grunting as it gave chase.
"Elsa! Kill it!" Anna shouted as she pulled her sister around a tree. The growls from the beast behind them kept increasing in volume as it gained.
Elsa didn't know what to do so she created a wall of ice with her free hand which the bear burst through after a moment. Elsa panicked and created a large spike of ice that burst from her hand and impaled the creature before sending it into a tree where it remained pinned. After a moment, it started smoking as if it were on fire.
"W-what was that?" Elsa asked breathlessly as her sister slowly approached the creature. She poked it's head, causing the smoking white piece that felt like bone to fall from the creature. A puff of black smoke exited the hole left by the bone and the creature disappeared soon after. Even the piece of bone slowly dissolved into nothingness before the eyes of the royals.
"I don't know but we need to get down the mountain." Anna said as she looked at the surrounding forest. "We should head back to the path."
"Anna, what if there are more of those things?" Elsa asked in worry.
"You took care of that one fine." Anna replied with a shrug. "Just do that again."
"I don't even know how I did that!" Elsa said in an exasperated cry. "I was terrified and it just… happened! It's not the same as if I were concentrating the way I was when I created the horse."
"Well…" Anna stopped and leaned against the tree she was passing as she looked back at her sister who stopped next to her. "Would you be able to make a sword with your ice?"
"Why would I do that? Neither of us are trained." Elsa dismissed the idea as she stepped over the root that Anna was partially standing on.
"Actually… I did train with the guards pretty regularly before your coronation." Anna whispered as Elsa passed, causing the elder sister to freeze. The questioning look in Elsa's eyes prodded her to continue her explanation, so she took a moment to find the right place to start. "I started training when I was twelve because Mom and Dad were worried that I'd start getting into even more trouble as I got older. Originally I was supposed to dance, but I saw the guards training and wanted to try. I kept joining them once a week after my dance classes, and then eventually it was just training. I figured it might be handy if I ever needed to protect you."
Elsa froze, looking back over her shoulder at her sister. She was still shaken from the encounter with the strange bear, but the fire burning in her sister's eyes was enough to ground her. She nodded and started focusing like she had when she'd created her castle of ice, except this time she forced that power to her hand where she created a thin cylinder of ice. From it, she created a cross guard that covered the top of her hand as the shaft extended past it.
"I don't remember exactly what a sword looks like, so tell me when it's long enough." Elsa spoke through her clenched jaw as she fought to keep her power flowing into the ice she held rather than exploding outward the way it wanted to. The cylinder kept growing inch by inch as a bright blue glow started to shine out from the core. Elsa focused all her power into the growing weapon until she felt Anna's hand take hold of her shoulder. She stopped her powers on instinct, afraid of hurting her sister again as she turned to look at Anna.
"It's length is good now." She replied with a supportive smile as she carefully wrapped her arms around her elder sister. "Keep going."
"Okay." Elsa returned her focus to the long stick of ice that was glowing a bright blue. She told the ice to form into a double edged blade, and the cylindrical core flattened and came to a point. Then Elsa let her powers flow freely through her arms, feeling it flow from her into her sister before it returned even colder as if Anna had amplified it's strength. She focused this new power along the edge of the blade, causing it to harden and crystallize like diamond. Then Elsa poured the last of her power into the cross guard and hilt, making it at least twice as hard as the blade. She felt her magic recede as she finished, and took in the final product. The sword was almost completely clear and seemed as thin as her hand, yet she knew it was strong enough and most likely had the power to shatter forged steel on contact. Even though she was still a novice with her powers, she could feel the power of a hundred winters howling beneath the surface, ready to provide one of the most destructive forces on Earth to its master, should it be called forth. The blade itself seemed to be engraved with some symbol that repeated around the very edge. On closer inspection, it was the crocus, the national flower of Arendelle with the signature crown at its center that identified it as a royal seal. She heard Anna gasp from behind her as she too took in the creation.
"This is amazing Elsa!" Anna gasped in delight. Elsa carefully turned the blade over in her hand, feeling the weight of the ice in her arm. She could imagine that she wouldn't be able to wield the weapon for very long, but if Anna was to be believed, then it shouldn't be too much trouble for her.
"Here…" Elsa waved her hand over the blade and a sheath of ice materialized around the blade and sealed to the cross guard. "All you need to do is order the blade, and it will let itself be drawn."
"Ooh, cool!" Anna took the offered item from her sister and as a test, tried to shake the blade loose. It didn't move from it's prison of ice, and Anna smiled as she slipped it into her travel belt. When she rested her hand on it, she could feel the power inside it and it slid freely from the sheath into the air. She could feel the air around her arm freeze as she held it. She could feel the temperature continue to plummet to unnaturally cold temperatures until she replaced it in it's sheath. The air seemed to crack as the cold returned to the normal chill that was the result of their altitude on the mountain. "It's amazing! Thank you so much!"
"Thank you, Anna. You helped… but be careful, you should be able to tell it not to release any of it's energy if you don't want it to. I'd be fine but anyone or anything else within range could be killed easily by the winter's power. And I'm not quite done yet." Elsa turned and took both her sisters hands.
Anna looked on at her sister in confusion, seeing her eyes glow blue with the power of the winter fighting to be released. Then she felt a stab of ice on her arm. She looked down and watched as a small rectangle materialized against her forearm and bands of ice wrapped around to bind the small piece to her arm. Then the bindings cracked and separated slightly, allowing her arm to relax before the bindings sealed themselves back into place with new ice. She watched as the rectangle on the outside of her arm grew into what appeared to be some sort of spear as it stretched backward and forward with sharp, glowing points. Then the points expanded vertically, creating what she could only imagine was a shield. This ice was see through for a moment before it frosted over, and she could tell that Elsa was making it as hard as she could. The weight was still light but she could tell that the armour was meant to protect her from anything that could possibly harm her. Regardless of the power that might have been behind it.
The top and bottom of the shield curved as it finished growing, the edge of the very top and bottom turning sharp as if they were meant as additional weapons. Anna looked at the piece in awe as she felt the power resonating across her body from the shield to the sword and back again as if the two items were communicating and sharing their power. She could feel the way they bent to her will as if silently waiting for orders.
Elsa sighed and collapsed into her sister's arms, exhausted from the extensive use of her magic when she wasn't used to it. She watched as the glow in the sword and shield disappeared as the winter trapped within fell into hibernation. She'd instructed it to wait until it was called forth to avoid harming anything that didn't pose a threat, but she knew it would remain vigilant to protect her sister against anything she wouldn't see.
"Elsa, are you okay?" Anna set her sister down on the root of a tree and knelt next to her. She kept a hold on her hands in concern as she waited for a reply.
"I… just need a moment." Elsa panted as she felt a warmth spread inside her. She'd only felt a sensation similar to that once before when she'd learned of her parent's deaths. Her room had been filled with so much of her ice and snow that she'd literally drained herself of the winter. She'd been happy for a moment to be free of the curse, but that had turned to horror as her power had come back twice as strong. "I think I used too much of my power."
"Take your time." Anna replied, pulling her into her arms, the shield she'd created resting on her back as if Anna was already protecting her.
"Anna, I want you to know that I made these because you asked me to. Not because I want you to protect me." Elsa said as her breathing evened out. She could feel the last of her power swirling as if desperate to be released, but held on to it since she knew it might be needed in the near future if the prophecy of 'great evil' was coming true on the mountain. "I'm not sure if I can defend us like I did again, but I'll try. That sword is a last resort, understand?"
"Elsa, you can be such a worry-body!" Anna giggled into her ear. "I'll let you protect us, but if I feel like I have to, then I'll step in. I'd step in without any weapon at all if you were in danger, but I think everything will work out much better with these."
"That means a lot to me Anna." Elsa replied, remembering the fateful day her sister had done just that, stopping Hans from killing her and letting herself be frozen solid in the process. She pushed that dark memory away as she felt the power of winter slowly start to build back up within her, giving her back the strength she needed. "Let's go back to the trolls. Let's find out if this bear was related to that omen they spoke of."
"Sounds like a plan, milady!" Anna stepped back and offered her hand to her sister. Elsa smirked as she took the offered hand and pulled herself up, swiftly placing her lips on her sister's.
"Since we won't be able to for a while." Elsa whispered as she broke away and started leading her sister back to the path. They'd be on foot from now on, since she didn't think it wise to create another horse to pull the broken carriage. Anna wrapped her free arm around her sister's waist as they walked, allowing Elsa to rest as she was guided around the forest roots and trees. She let Anna lead, the ice shield giving her the appearance of a knight as it reflected the light that filtered through the canopy. Elsa noted that the forest was still silent and remained on her guard, reaching out through the winter air to find anything that wasn't supposed to be there. She found nothing in the immediate area, but remained cautious. After all, she hadn't sensed the bear either.