Kristoff walked down to the stable were he would meet up with the messengers. However, they wouldn't be riding out on horseback. The way was far too rocky, and the several feet of snow would be a heavy slog for horse hooves. There would be one animal joining them, however; Sven. He was much better equipped for the terrain, and they would need a pack animal to carry the heavy supplies, and gold required to buy passage once they got to the port.

Most of the messengers were quite grumbly over their newest assignment. All Krisoff could think about is what a bunch of babies. The only woman he ever had any romantic feelings for is now a popsicle, and he was powerless to do anything about it. They–on the other hand-would be going home, to their wives and children. When he got back, he would make sure that every possible avenue would be explored in bringing Anna back to the realm of the living.

It was a long and dangerous trek over the mountain pass that would lead to Mariabronn, this route would not normally be used in winter. For Kristoff, it was no particular challenge. His rag-tag team of cohorts however, weren't fairing as well. They were all wearing Arendelle's guard uniforms, hastily taken from storage. Most people don't prepare for blizzards in July in this hemisphere. The uniforms were a poor fit, and these weren't really messengers. Just one of the many dignitaries guards who had volunteered, hoping to move up the pay scale by taking on such a dangerous mission.

One of the men from the Saxon delegation managed to twist his ankle slipping on a rock. While the sprain wasn't too bad, it would slow them all down, testing Kristoff's patience. He was used to doing things alone, now he's with a group of fifteen other men, most of which hadn't done anything like this before. It took three days of almost nonstop travel to get to the port, but they made it, with only one slight injury, and no one was eaten by wolves. The last day was also marking the edge of Elsa's frozen frontier, and summer had returned to them, marked by the stripping off of heavy woolen jackets and the like.

Kristoff couldn't help but think about Anna this whole trip, since it was just about the same route to the North Mountain. Her bravery and tenacity were such admiral traits, running off after her sister like that, with no preparations whatsoever. Their adventure would play over and over in his mind, causing him to lose his focus on the task at hand, but the trees began to thin and in the distance, Mariabronn laid before them.

After Kristoff got everyone settled in port, he asked around to see if anyone had knowledge of magic, and a possible cure for the Princess. Everyone seemed to know of a strange apothecary down by the wharf, called The Dragon's Spit. While people knew of its location, most folks found its proprietor a bit off his rocker, and felt it was a place to be avoided.

Anything was worth a try…

When Kristoff went thru the door, the first thing that got his attention was the assault to his nostrils. The place was filled with exotic birds and animals, trinkets from around the globe, vases and jars filled with strange liquids, all unmarked as to their contents. There was a vast array of pipes and smokables, and the wiry Asian proprietor had one clenched between his teeth, filling the air with a very sweet smell. Kristoff's first guess was opium. He'd got a whiff of the drug on numerous occasions down at the docks when loading ice there.

"Sooooo,…. Mr. Bjorgman, I see you finally made your way here, I've been expecting you."

"How do you know my name?"

"Word gets around. Let's just say a little birdy told me."

"Then you know why I'm here."

"I know a great many things, but not all things, boy. There is talk of a great tragedy befalling Arendelle, something to do with magic?

"Yes, the newly coronated Queen Elsa has the power of ice and snow, but she has little control over it. Arendelle is in the midst of an eternal winter."

"There was talk of another, a princess. What has become of her?"

"She was frozen into a statue. Elsa struck her with her magic."

"In the heart?"

"Yes."

"Oh my!" The old man slid a stool to the wall of books he kept behind the counter. He would occasionally dust one off while readjusting his spectacles to read the titles. "Ahah! Here it is." The book looked like it hadn't been touched in half a century.

"Oh, this is terrible! So terrible!"

"What?"

"The Prophecy, it is coming true."

"What Prophecy? I know Gran Pabbie spoke of a Prophecy once."

"Pabbie?! That old fool, this is probably all his fault!"

"Watch your tongue, old man! You're talking about my family."

"A long time ago, there was a tale of the King and Queen riding into the dead of night to go see Pabbie, something to do with a sick child."

"I was there."

"WHAT?!" the old man's face turned white. "What did Pabbie say?"

"He said that he recommended removing all magic, even memories of magic from Princess Anna. Then he warned Elsa about her growing power."

"No,…no,… this can't be happening." He started to flip thru the book, trying to find a certain passage. "Ha!, found it!" He took a moment to readjust his spectacles, and then a deep breath; he had great reverence for this book.

"Listen to this boy,… In the Kingdom of the Great Fjords, shall be born two sisters of royal blood. With powers of fire and ice, they shall bring a great peace upon the world. If their powers are not in balance, the world will become buried either in snow or in ash." Kristoff wasn't very knowledgeable about such mysticism, but he could see where this was going, and it didn't look good.

"But Princess Anna didn't have any powers."

"Don't you see, boy?, that's because Pabbie suppressed them, the fool!"

"So what does this mean?"

"It means the end of all things!" It was Kristoff's turn to grow pale. "You must take me to Pabbie now!"