Frozen Short Stories
Ice Master and Deliverer
Kristoff flung the large chunk of ice onto his sled. He wiped his brow, which was odd since it was so cold out. The aurora danced over his head, and a gentle snow was falling. He looked up at the moon in the sky. He'd have to get back to Arendelle by morning to make this delivery, and the Kingdom was at least a two hours journey by sleigh. He'd have to hurry.
He patted Sven's muzzle, "Okay, boy. Let's get back." The reindeer nodded. Kristoff hopped on the sled behind him, and the two friends took off. Kristoff reflected on his job. Jeez, it was a hard one. Waking up at the crack of dawn every morning, hitching his sled to Sven, and riding out to the frozen lake. Then, he'd harvest ice until nightfall, and ride to Arendelle. He'd like a new way of making money, but this is all he had to keep a roof over his and Sven's head. Even if it was just a tiny house on the outskirts of the Kingdom. Since he was a little boy, the Trolls had cared for him. He'd seen the little get cured of her frozen head, and after that he'd stay with the Trolls. When he turned 18, he'd moved away, and decided to take up Ice Harvesting. It seemed like a great choice, as he'd been doing it since before he could remember. Now he was 21, and striving to get by. He had food, and a decent house, but barely.
The friends arrived at Arendelle just at sunrise. Kristoff removed his hat, and studied the square. There were a few people preparing their shops for opening, and he could smell food baking. He looked towards the Castle. The gates were shut, as always, but there was smoke coming from the chimney. Somebody was cooking there, too. Ribbons hung from the houses and street lights, swaying in the breeze. Kristoff remembered.
Today was Coronation Day. Duh. He reached into his pack, and pulled out a list. His daily Ice Harvesting schedule...
-Harvest 22 ice blocks from the Lake. Check.
-Deliver 10 ice blocks to the Castle.
-Deliver 3 ice blocks to the Baker.
-Deliver 4 ice blocks to the Butcher.
-Deliver 4 ice blocks to the School.
-Harvest Mountain Ice for the Queen's Coronation.
Simple enough. Kristoff led Sven through town, dropping off deliveries at the Baker, Butcher, and Schoolhouse. He received his payment, not much, but enough. He returned to the square. Everything was bustling now. People were decorating, celebrating, buying and selling goods and having friendly conversations with each other. He loved Arendelle.
Ships docked by the tens, and soon the whole bay was flooded with white sails and various flags. Kristoff pulled his sleigh up to the docks. He had earned a break. He threw off his coat and hat, and pulled up his sleeves. He reached into his pack in the sled, and produced a carrot. Sven began to drool. Kristoff grinned.
"What do you want, Sven?" he asked.
"Gimme a snack!" Sven said. Kristoff had taught him better.
"What's the magic word?" he asked.
"Please?" Kristoff smiled and handed the carrot to his reindeer, who took the whole thing into his mouth.
"Ah, ah, ah! Share!" Kristoff tutted. Sven spit out half the carrot. Kristoff took the carrot, and took a bite. Some people gave him odd looks, but Kristoff had known Sven long enough that they shared everything. Kristoff petted his reindeer on the head, and reached for his list again. The last item of business... Kristoff scanned the list. Ah!
Harvest Mountain Ice for the Queen's Coronation. Mountain Ice? Who needed Mountain Ice? There was only one place to get it, the North Mountain. Kristoff scowled. He was really hoping for a day off. Oh well. He folded up the list, and led Sven to the square, where lines of people had begun to form, leading up to the gates of the Castle.. They'd open soon. If he was lucky, maybe Kristoff would even catch a glimpse of the Princess or the Queen. Probably not. He wasn't what people would call lucky. He'd probably never see the the Princess. Everybody said the royal Sisters were so beautiful, and Kristoff wanted to see for himself. The Queen, now Princess, would make one public appearance in front of the Kingdom before the Coronation, and Kristoff had to see who their future leader was. There was a lurching sound from the gates, and they slowly slid open.
Wow.
Kristoff never expected them to actually open. Maybe it was just a rumor? Maybe people had told one another that the gates would open? Maybe only royalty could enter? Kristoff didn't care. He led his reindeer to the gates. A spritely young woman in a green dress whisked past him, but Kristoff didn't give it a second thought. Everybody was excited today. Apparently some more than others.
The castle grounds were soon full of crowds, admiring the castle and and the scenery.
"Presenting..." a voice rang over the crowd. Kristoff and Sven both perked their ears. This was it.
"Princess Elsa, of Arendelle."
The balcony door above the crowd slowly opened. Nothing happened at first. But then, slowly, a slender woman appeared from behind the door. She wore a turquoise and black dress, and the first thing Kristoff noticed was her hair. It was very, very, light blonde. Kristoff remembered.
All those years ago, in the Troll's domain, he'd seen her. The two Princesses and the King and Queen. The memory had almost faded from Kristoff's mind, but seeing her made it all come rushing back.
This was Alsa... Enna? Kristoff couldn't remember. When the Castle gates had shut years ago, communication was cut off between the Royal Family and the Kingdom. Other than the occasional address from the King, nobody knew what happened in there. Now the gates were open, and the Royal Family were known once again.
Elsa.
That was her name. But which one? The older one, the soon to be Queen, or the younger one who had gotten hurt years ago. Kristoff shrugged. The Queen looked like she was reminding herself about something. If only Kristoff were Royalty. He could attend the party tonight, and eat all the food he wanted. Then he'd sleep till noon every day... That must be the life. But he'd be at the party tonight, even if it was to drop off some ice. He'd have to make the most of it.
Wait, the party!
"Sven! time to go, buddy." Kristoff said, pulling on his reins. The reindeer moaned, not wanting to go.
"I know, I know. Come on. We'll be back by nightfall. We're going to the North Mountain."
Kristoff heaved the pickaxe into the side of the mountain. He pulled the other pickaxe up, which was attached to the rope, and flug that one in too. He continued doing this, working his way up the side of the North Mountain. The sun began to set. He looked down, and saw Sven, waiting patiently for Kristoff to return. Kristoff lifted himself up the final lip of the mountain, scrambling onto the freshly fallen snow. He got to work, digging down into the powder. He molded seven squares into the snow, and packed it down. He lit a small fire a few yards away from the molds, and melted some snow down. He then waited until the water was almost frozen, before pouring it into the molds.
He sat by the fire for a few minutes, strumming his lute. Night fell, and the winds whipped up a bit. He went to check on the molds, and noticed they hadn't frozen by now.
"Weird." he said to himself. He looked down to check on Sven, who was curled up asleep on the sled. He smiled, and went back to his fire. He sat there for a while before the winds really started to pick up. His hat nearly blew off his face when he checked his molds next. They were frozen solid. Good. He tied one end of the roped pickaxe around a block of ice, and lowered it down into the sled.
"Sven! Look out, buddy!" Kristoff called. The reindeer stirred, and awoke. He moved the sled in the direction of the ice block, and Kristoff set it down into the sled. He did this six more times, before he started working his way down the mountain. Kristoff mounted the sled, took Sven's reins, and the two began walking until they heard something.
"Sven... Do you hear that?"
"Yeah, it's coming from over there." Kristoff interpreted.
"How could you possibly know that?" Kristoff asked Sven. Sven shrugged. Kristoff listened more intently. He could definitely hear something now. It sounded almost melodic. Like singing. Kristoff studied the mountain, looking for anybody or anything who could be making the music. He saw footprints leading from the cove behind him into the ridge of the mountain.
"Oh no." Kristoff said. Nobody was safe up there, not even Kristoff. The snow was so deep and the ice under the snow was so thick, it would be easy to fall off the ridge all together. Kristoff got off the sleigh, and told Sven to stay put. He took his lantern, and followed the footprints.
"Hey you-" Kristoff said quietly, but stopped. There, on the mountain, pillars ice rose from the ridge, causing a massive rumbling. The singing continued. The rumbling shook Kristoff, and sent him sprawling down the ridge of the mountain. He spotted something that he could grab onto. It was...
A bridge?
Kristoff took what he could get, and wrapped his gloved hands around the pillars of the bridge.
"Sven!" Kristoff called. Nothing. Kristoff hefted himself up, carefully. It was bridge, but it was still ice. Kristoff remembered. It was an accident like this that had changed his life.
All those years ago, he and his father had been up on the North Mountain, cutting ice.
"Alright, Kristoff, ready?" he asked. His father was a big man, with bushy brown hair and a beard.
"Yep!" Kristoff lifted the small block of ice onto the black sleigh. His father lifted a much larger block of ice with a "thud" next to his son's.
"Alright, son. We need to get back home before it gets too dark.
"Okay." Kristoff agreed, leaping onto the sleigh. They'd have to buy food, again. Ever since Kristoff's mother died, his father tried to cook food around the house. Lutefisk, Mutton, and other meats. Kristoff loved the mutton, but the pickled fish didn't really tickle his fancy. His father was the only one he had, now. And they were best friends. Inseparable.
"Go, Sonja!" his father called, and he whipped the reins. His father's reindeer started forward. They'd known each other since they were kids. Kristoff's grandfather had given him a newborn calf, Sonja. They'd grown up together. And now, Sonja was about to have calfs of her own. Kristoff was exited to see what a baby reindeer looked like.
The sleigh shifted on the snow ever so slightly.
"Don't move." his father snapped to attention. Everything was silent.
"Dad...?"
"Kristoff, please. Don't move. It's okay, Sonja... Alright, keep going. Slowly." he said. Sonja inched further, and the sleigh lurched to the right, closing the gap between the sleigh and the edge of the mountain ridge. The back end of the sleigh now hung off the edge of the cliff, about a five hundred foot drop into the snowless stone below. Kristoff panicked, and tried to move to the front of the sled.
"Kristoff, stay put! Sonja, stop..." his father ordered. Kristoff froze where he was, and clutched his father. The sled inched further off the side of the cliff. Kristoff could see his father panicking. He suddenly threw Kristoff out of the sleigh, and cut Sonja's reins. He remained in the sled.
"Kristoff, take these! Lighten the load on the sled!" his father said, throwing him various packs and supplies. The back of the sled lifted slowly off the ground. The way it was balanced there, any slight move by his father would be disastrous. His father tossed him bag after bag, until the sleigh was empty.
"Alright, Kristoff. I'm coming." his father promised. He took one step, and the sleigh lurched back.
"Dad!" Kristoff called. His father panicked at the sound of his voice, and lurched back again. This time, nothing was there to stop the sled. It slowly tipped over the side of the mountain.
Kristoff ran, and took hold of one of the legs of the sled.
"Kristoff, let go!" his Dad called.
"No! We need to go home!" Kristoff called. His father was balancing, as if to keep the sled from doing the inevitable. If he moved at all, he could risk killing his son, too.
"Kristoff... Make sure Sonja gets a lot to eat, okay?" he asked.
"We're going home, Dad!" Kristoff called, eyes squeezed shut, trying to pull the sleigh back to safety. He was just too small. The weight of the sled was beginning to wear on him. His grip loosened.
"Make sure you tell everybody... Keep the house warm, and find food, okay?" he asked.
"Dad!"
"I love you, Kristoff."
The boy let go of the sleigh, exhausted. The black sleigh made a loud creaking sound, and it was gone. Kristoff couldn't believe it. The wind whipped up around him and Sonja.
"Dad!" he cried over the cliff. Nothing.
What would he do now?
Emotionless, he mounted Sonja.
"Let's go home." he said. The reindeer obliged, and began trudging through the snow. Halfway back to Arendelle, Kristoff fell asleep.
He woke up in the warmth of his house, in the middle of the living room. He looked up, and saw Sonja in the corner, huddled. She had a bunch of little reindeer gathered all around her.
"Sonja!" Kristoff laughed. He looked at the baby reindeers, and found one sitting far away from it's mother, huddled up near the fireplace for warmth.
"Get to your mother this instant." Kristoff scolded playfully. The calf only looked at him, tired. He wanted a reindeer like his father.
His father.
Kristoff collapsed to his hands and knees, and immediately began sobbing. He was gone, Kristoff knew it. He didn't know how to handle that on the way home, but now his emotions got the better of him.
"Dad..." he sobbed. The baby reindeer inched closer to the boy.
"What?" Kristoff asked. The reindeer let out a little honk.
"We're alone now. Me you and your brothers and sisters." Kristoff cried. The reindeer cuddled closer to him. The warm fur brushed against his face. His father had a reindeer. Kristoff needed one too.
"You're a lot like your Mom, you know?" Kristoff sniffed, getting to his feet. The reindeer did the same, a little wobbly at first. "I'll name you after her..."
"Sven."
A pair of antlers appeared from over the bridge. Kristoff clutched them, as Sven helped him up. The two fled from the mountain, not looking back. The snow picked up, and Kristoff pulled up his hood. His body was completely covered in snow from the tumble he'd taken.
After a few hours of riding, Kristoff yawned. He'd been up all night. He needed a place to sleep, and a place to restock. He'd forgotten his pickaxe and rope in all the confusion. He saw smoke rising in the distance. That was Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna. He never stopped there before, but now was as good a time as any. Kristoff stood Sven to stay outside, as he opened the door. He was greeted by warmth and a voice.
"Yoo Hoo! Big summer blow out!" he was a blond man, larger than average. He sat behind the counter, apparently helping a customer who had already been there. Good, slow service. The other customer was definitely not dressed for the weather. She wore a shoulder length dress, and the bottom half of it was frozen. Kristoff found it funny. He retreated to the back of the shop for supplies.
"Carrots." Kristoff ordered. He didn't have time, he had to be back in Arendelle by morning. The other customer didn't move. She blocked the carrots.
"What?" she asked. Kristoff rolled his eyes.
"Behind you."
"Oh, excuse me." she said, moving out of the way. Maybe she wasn't impolite. Maybe she was just awkward. Kristoff threw the carrots onto the counter, and retreated back into the store for the other supplies.
"Quite the howler in July, hm? Where ever could it be coming from?" the shopkeeper asked.
"The North Mountain." Kristoff said. Whatever was causing this weather, Kristoff had experienced it a few hours ago. Kristoff got the rope and pickaxe he needed, and went back to the counter.
"The North Mountain...?" the customer asked herself.
"That will be forty." the man said. What?
"Forty? No, ten." Kristoff said.
"Oh dear, that's no good. See, this is from our winter stock, with supply and demand we have a big problem-"
"You wanna talk about supply and demand? I sell ice for a living." Kristoff said, motioning to his sled outside. The other customer piped up.
"Ooh, that's a rough business to be in right now- Uh, I mean, uh, that's unfortunate." she said, quieting down.
"Ten will get you this and no more." the man said, taking the pickaxe and carrots back, and pushing the rope forward.
"Did anything up there seem... Magical?" she asked. Now that he thought about it, the pillars of ice rising from the mountain and the singing were kind of magical. Kristoff pulled down his hood.
"Yes!" Kristoff had had enough of this shopkeeper. He was being cheated, he knew it. But the other customer had grown on him. She wasn't rude, just confused.
"Now back up, while I deal with this crook here." Kristoff motioned to the man. He slowly rose from his chair. Seeing the man upright, Kristoff saw how toned, solid, and large this man was. An intimidating specimen.
"What did you call me?"