"Make way! Move!" Elsa watched the soldiers and guardsmen fill the village upon marching horses. Elsa eyed the beautiful animals, she had always wanted a horse of her own. They nearly trampled those who dared walk in front of the charge. As usual she helped her papa sort the rations that was to be given to them with a shawl her mother made her wear whenever she left their property.
"Elsa?" Her papa called searching for something through the cart. "Yes papa?" She answered wondering what he was seeking out so frantically. "Where are the eggs?" Elsa's insides dropped as she numbly stared down the horizon. Her father apparently knew the look all too well running his hands over his thinning black hair. "Papa I am so sor-"He grunted putting a finger over her lips. "Stay here, I will run and fetch them, if the soldiers ask tell them your father went to fetch them."
"And if they don't notice the eggs are missing." Her father smiled brightly at the prospect gripping her chin gently. "Then we have been blessed and this season will be a prosperous one." He whispered then then turned running off down the road.
A loud chatter of boisterous laughs drew Elsa's attention back to the soldiers who were mucking about getting humor from kicking a chicken. The captain sniffled approaching her cart. As Elsa's anxiety rose the temperature happened to drop. The captain looked up and around trying to detect any traces of the wind but felt none. Shrugging it off he examined the cart contents with a hum. Then spoke in a voice that caused the maiden to flinch. "Where are our fuckin' eggs?"
Elsa took a calming breath folding her hands before her. "My father-"Her sentence was cut short when the soldier sharply peered up with an intense stare. His entire manner changed when he got to leering at her straightening up. He licked his lips placing a hand upon his belt.
"Well now you certainly have changed since last season haven't ye?" He drawled encircling her. "Forget the eggs…" He chuckled suddenly pressing himself up against her backside. "I'd gladly take you instead."
Elsa reigned in herself in to react more calmly and respectively. Stepping forward gave the captain a chance to smack her rear. The other guardsmen took notice to what their captain sniffed out.
One sneaked around pulling her head shawl off. "Eh get a gander at her pretty hair, looks like snow." He commented. Elsa tried to take her shawl back but he waged a finger at her. A light snowfall began drawing the captain's eyes to the sky once more. "Huh guess winter is coming early this season." He mused. Elsa used this as a means of distraction to escape but it was foiled when a brutish guard grabbed hold of her arms pulling her back to him.
"No!" She cried out struggling. He only laughed at her fruitless resistance. "Where do you think you're going snow girl, we haven't had any fun yet." Elsa's breath hyperventilated as they drew in closer, none noticed the soft glow that began to resonate in her palms.
Instantly Elsa felt freedom at the sound of a pained groan, she glanced behind her to see who struck the guard. "Kristoff!" She cheered, but the joy of seeing her friend was short lived when he was overtaken by guards.
She searched the cart and grabbed her father's staff preparing to strike one the guards in the head. She swung her arms above her head when a forced had stopped the attack.
She looked back to see it was the huntsman with his typical somber expression. She slowly let go of the staff allowing him to return it to the cart. He roughly yanked the captain off the young man knocking him out with a swift blow to the neck. The others turned their attention to the assailant.
Elsa rushed to Kristoff helping him up. He groaned massaging his swollen jaw whilst she watched the hunter with his impressive form tackle the remaining guards to the ground. They kept an eye on the dangerous rouge gathering up their rations then swiftly leaving.
He huffed rolling out his neck then turned to Elsa regarding her with his dark blue eyes. Elsa bowed to him gratefully. "Thank you Reidar." He held up a hand looking over his shoulder. "No doubt they will return, you two go about your business I'll handle this." He ordered, his voice gravel and dark.
When he saw the younger ones hesitate he responded more firmly. "Go! I will alert you father." Kristoff tugged Elsa away from the village down a bank into the woods.
When they were a distance away he finally spoke. "He so wants to bed you." Elsa gasped smacking his arm. "Ugh stop please, he never talks to me. In fact I think he doesn't like me, he always frowns when he catches sight of me."
"Look Elsa I am a man and I know men and he wants you in his bed." Kristoff argued. "That's so not true." Elsa retorted.
"Which part?" Kristoff asked glancing at her. "The I am a man part or the I know men part or the he wants you in his bed."
Elsa got a mischievous shimmer in her eyes. "All of it." She earned herself a bump of the shoulder. When his old worn sleigh came in view she felt a poke at her back.
"Hey Sven!" She said excitedly petting the reindeer. He tried to lick her face but she pulled away. "Oh no you don't." The girl chortled rubbing his snout.
"Come one Sven come here boy!" Kristoff called to his friend hooking him up then offered to help her get in but she backed away.
"Nah uh." She shook her head. Kristoff tilted his head. "Why not?" He asked observing the sleigh.
"Why?" Kristoff have you seen that thing, it sways when a wind gust hits it, I'd rather walk." Elsa crossed her arms, the man simply shrugged taking a seat.
"Suit yourself." He chimed spurring Sven into a trot of to the lake.
When he arrived, he spotted Elsa sitting upon the bank watching the water. "Wha-how?!"
She turned with a cheeky grin. "See even me walking as slow as possible is faster than that old thing."
He growled getting out, unhooking Sven, then grabbing a satchel he sat next to his friend pulling carrots out. He handed one to Sven held on out to Elsa who raised a brow. "Why must you question everything I do or own?"
"Because everything you do or own is questionable Kristoff." Elsa replied calmly. "Was this one in Sven's mouth at any point or given time?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously a she slowly took the carrot.
"No!" Kristoff defended growing flustered. "Or wait no this one wasn't" He switched their carrots taking a chunk out of his. Elsa groaned offering the vegetable to Sven who happily accepted it.
"You shouldn't be so picky as if you were some princess or royal or something you are basically slowly starving." Kristoff said with a full mouth.
"Speaking of which how was Arendelle's capital?" He shrugged not really seeming impressed. "Nah it wasn't really anything special, a lot better than here but here is where I can be just myself without worrying about offending some aristocrat or whatever." He leaned back relaxing his hands behind his head.
"Nothing else?" Elsa probed knowing he was hiding something. He peeped from under his hat caving.
"Alright well you probably won't believe me but I uh I meant the princess." Elsa's eyes widened. "What was she like?"
"Well she wasn't exactly what you would expect nothing like a princess at all, I found her sneaking out of the castle and took her for a ride in my beaten-up sleigh as you call it, see if it's good enough for a princess then why not you?"
"She's either blind or insane." Elsa concluded. After a moment of silence Kristoff confirmed. "Yeah she's nuts, but great at the same time."
Elsa groaned shaking her head. "Gods Kristoff you're in love, now why did you have to go and do that for?" She bemoaned.
"I am not! It's just she's well…I don't know I can't get her out of my head but don't worry I won't entertain the idea someone like me ever being with someone like her." He seemed crestfallen but Elsa knew better than to give him hope, in this village there was none, men worked, women married had children, then everyone died.
"It's how the world works Kris, we work for our betters than we die, sure there are momentary reliefs but getting too attached makes it harder to leave when it's time, none of us are special because when we die a new person will come and replace us so it's like we never left." Elsa watched snowflakes fall upon the water, she guessed the soldier was right winter was coming early this season. Humans were so different than snowflakes, they all were different and missed when gone, their presence meant so much.
"Wow you are really a joy to be around sunshine." Kristoff remarked sarcastically, Elsa grinned laying back with him.
It was dusk when she walked back home yearning nothing more than to use her last candle for this month to curl up under her cot and read the book her papa gave her.
When she opened the door to her home she stopped in her tracks upon seeing Reider sitting with her parents at the table.
Her mother smiled greeting her daughter whose brows were scrunched in confusion, she kissed both Elsa's cheeks.
Her father stood up along with the hunter shaking hands. "Elsa as you know this is Reider," He nodded respectfully to her. Elsa studied his strong face, this was the first time he was not sporting a grim frown. "He has asked for your hand…I agreed." Elsa blankly stared at the table unmoving. Her mother wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Married to such an honorable strong man means you will never go hungry, he can take care of you." Her father said.
"Elsa, I look forward to our ceremony tomorrow." Reider said in a smooth voice excusing himself from the house, carrying his usual large crossbow upon his back. She looked back at the still opened door observing the man's green cloak and trousers.
"Well my daughter what say you?" Her father asked. Her mother decided to answer for her. "What could she say, all the women in the village would give their left foot to have such a match, he's handsome, adventurous, brave. It's like in one of your little fairytale books. Oh, the beautiful grand we'll have." She dreamily said.
"Hush woman I want to hear what Elsa thinks!" Her mother's deathly glare made her father shut his mouth. "I mean uh please allow her to speak." He quickly corrected.
Elsa took a breath, she was amazed at how numb she felt on the subject, she knew this match would only bring her family up and it the notion of never going hungry and adventure sounded pleasant. "Very well father." She finally answered in a monotone.
"Very well? Is that all you have to say?" He asked slightly shocked. Elsa nodded retreating to her room. Her parents watched her with hope that this was only the first initial shock explaining her stoic behavior.
With a huff, Elsa laid upon her bed, her book long forgotten beneath the cot. She closed her eyes hoping to fall asleep but felt something cold and wet graze her cheek. She opened her eyes looking up to see it was snowing…in her room. She was tempted to call out to her parents but ruled against it.
Had the goddess of winter Skadi come to comfort her?
She looked out the window for some possible explanation for the snow, she audibly gasped. There standing at the small broken fence surrounding her home was the green eyed stranger. Their eyes shined into the early eve was that even possible?
Elsa laid back down questioning where her life was headed, the conversation she had with Kristoff whispered through her mind, the truth of reality made her lip tremble, but for some reason knowing someone was there even if they were just apart of her imaginations proved to be a small comfort.