Anna swung her feet gently above the water and leaned back on her palms, letting her face take in the warmth of the sun. She felt as if she could fall asleep like this, but her excitement wouldn't let her mind relax. The Northern Belle was setting out tomorrow and Anna was going to be on it, one way or the other. It was a simple ship, not built for the famous sea battles that Anna had heard about, but she figured it was her first step into adventure.

Anna desperately wanted to live the adventures she had heard about- valiantly sailing through storms and fighting bravely aboard a majestic sea vessel. She wanted to be like the heroes she had heard about, fighting against pirates and discovering wonderful new lands and experiencing foreign culture.

It was hard for her to imagine anything other than the city she had grown up with, but with the amount of time she spent watching the docks she had seen so much variation in the people and clothing that it boggled her mind. Anna wondered just how big the world was when she saw all these people doing their business, all tied together by the bonds of the bright ocean. She wanted to be one of those people, standing on a forging dock making children wonder at her red hair, which she heard is unheard of in other parts of the world.

Yet, even as much as she wished to be a hero and an explorer, a legend to look up to, she couldn't deny that all of her favorite tales were of pirates, and her favorite pirate gang was by far of the ship the Ice Maiden. Most people held a decent respect for pirate tales, out of fear. Anna though- she couldn't help but admire their feats with true longing to witness them herself.

She memorized the myths of the Ice Maiden- it could sail undetected, ambushing ships and leaving them in shambles. The crew was rumored to be made up of giants, with hands big enough to crush a skull in one fist. The ship was said to be the fastest vessel in the ocean, and the cannons had the most deadly accuracy. The inescapable attack of the Ice Maiden was the most feared thing in the ocean, for once you were targeted by her there was no escape.

But the true trademark for the Ice Maiden was the beautiful woman Captain, said to be a transformed mermaid seeking revenge for all the tyrannous men who thought they ruled her domain. Or she was a seductress, luring men into her traps with her beautiful voice and holding them captive with her eyes as she stuck them through with her sword. Another myth even said she had been a born a regular girl, but her mother bathed her in blood and salt as a child, making her the relentless and heartless Captain she was to that day. There were so many mysterious and outrageous theories surrounding her they made Anna's head spin. She didn't rationally believe any of them, but that made it all the better. How incredible must a person be for such rumors to be made about them?

It made Anna giddy with excitement. She wanted a part of that life. She wanted to become someone that people could look up to. Now she was a nobody- a clumsy and useless nobody at that- but in her dreams of the ocean she could become someone more.

Invigorated by her own thoughts Anna stood and took off towards where the Northern Belle was docked. She was going to become a part of the crew no matter what.

OOOO

She hadn't really thought this through. Not at all. It was not typical for a girl to be accepted onto a crew period, let alone one as inexperienced and as clumsy as herself. This was not going to go well.

"Can I help you?" A blonde sailor asked when he noticed her staring wide-eyed at the Northern Belle towering above her, though he didn't even pause his job of stacking large crates.

"Oh, who, me? No. I mean, yes." Anna stuttered, "Uh,"

He scowled a little as he struggled with a crate, "Out with it."

Anna cleared her throat nervously, "Can I speak with the captain?"

"No." He replied, setting down the crate with a final thud.

Anna was thrown for a moment, he said no, just like that? She had thought she had been prepared for failure... She lowered her head, repeating to herself she expected that. She should have known she wouldn't even get to set foot on the ship before her dream was squished. But then she thought of the heroes she looked up to- how would they have responded? The captain of the Ice Maiden certainly wouldn't let a mere sailor stand in her way, so Anna wouldn't let him either.

"I would really like to speak with him." She tried again, voice wavering with uncertainty.

The man paused stacking crates for a moment and raised a curious eyebrow at her. "What do you want with the Captain?" He seemed at least a little interested now.

"Uh, I'd like to join the crew."

"You think you could survive on a ship?" he waved dismissively at her, obviously indicating her thin body.

Indignant Anna puffed out her cheeks and frowned at the man, "Of course I can, I'm stronger than I look."

"Sure, right." The man nodded, obviously not believing her. "A little twig girl like you would snap in the wind."

"I would not!" Anna insisted, placing her hands on her hips. "I am tough!"

The man smiled cockily, "Okay then, prove it. Arm wrestle me. If you can last even ten seconds against me I'll take you to see the Captain."

Anna nervously eyed the man's biceps that appeared to be the size of her head. How could she back down now, though? Her pride wouldn't let her, even if she felt like she was about to loose very badly. "A-alright," She accepted nervously.

The man nodded silently and rested his left elbow on the stacked crates, and when Anna stepped forward to place her forearm next to his she really understood the difference between their sizes. He was some bull of a man and she felt like a mouse next to him.

Anna cupped his hand, ignoring the defeat staring her in the face, bracing her body and steadying her breathing. "One… Two…" He counted down steadily, "Three… Go!" Anna flexed her arm and shifted her weight to oppose him, but with a wrenching pain in her shoulder her hand was smacked down. She had lost in a second.

Anna pulled back and shook the pain out of her arm. "Sorry. But really, it's for your own good." The man said, offering her an apologetic shrug.

"Look out!"

Anna acted on instinct, springing into the man and shoving him down. When she regained her senses she was on the blonde man's chest, and she quickly rolled off and looked to where he had once been standing. A smashed crate had fallen onto the deck, splintering into thousands of fragments.

"Are you alright? Kristoff?" Another sailor clambered onto the dock, panic clear on his face. "Thank the gods, Kristoff, you're okay. I'm so sorry." He said when he saw the unharmed but dazed sailor still lying on the dock.

"Well damn," The blonde sailor noted flatly. "Thanks,"

It took Anna a moment to realize he was addressing her. "Oh, no problem. I-I mean, you're welcome." Anna reached her hand down and helped him up. "Anyone would've…" She faltered at his incredulous look. "What?"

"Hell, I feel like I owe you something now."

Immediately jumping at the opportunity, Anna leaned forward eagerly, "Would you take me to see your captain then?"

The man let out a hearty laugh, "You're ruining the heroic and noble image you had for a total of ten seconds already, but I suppose I can't refuse you now, can I?"