Chapter XXI: Into A Cage

The girls slid down, below the actual ground. They descended into complete darkness, not being able to see anything. The only sounds they were able to hear was the sound of their bodies, sliding down on a hard, angled surface and the sounds of their own screaming. They were confused to what was going on. All they knew was that they were sliding in darkness, down into the unknown where they expected strange dangers to find them there.

Anna was able to keep a calm mind when she was sliding down. She was able to feel the surface they were sliding on, and if she was not mistaken, it felt like wood. Why would a wooden slide be underground, Anna thought to herself. The slide they were going down was completely artificial, and Anna knew that for sure. The question she should've been asking herself was who made this? It obviously didn't belong with nature. Was Scarves and Hats responsible for this? If not, who could be?

The slide they were going down was quite large; large enough so that both girls were able to slide down side by side. They were able to feel each other's presence as they went down in darkness. That made them feel slightly better, knowing that they wouldn't have to go through this alone. They found comfort in each other's presence, despite the fact that they were both screaming at the top of their lungs.

The girls could feel the sides of the slide. The sides of the slide were curved upward to keep things from falling off of the slide. Anna realized that they would not meet their demise from the slide since the makers of it made a safety feature like that.

Anna was thinking about what awaited them at the end of the slide, assuming that there was an end of course. Rapunzel kept thinking "We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!"

After sliding down straight for a few seconds, they finally felt their first turn. The slide turned to the left, and the girls knew that because they felt their bodies go down a sharp turn. A turn was not surprising at all since they highly doubted that that much of the ground was hollow in order for the slide to continue going straight.

Rapunzel would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying herself. Despite the fact she was screaming, she was actually having some fun. She had barely experienced going down slides like this, and she wanted to try so many knew things. The adrenaline that came with coming down the slide filled Rapunzel with joy. Since it was dark, Anna wasn't able to see Rapunzel's arms up in the air. Rapunzel didn't want the slide to end, but that was something she knew wouldn't come true.

Anna would think Rapunzel crazy if she found out her friend was enjoying herself during such a predicament. She wouldn't know how long the slide would last, and she didn't know what awaited them. That made Anna worried while Rapunzel wasn't keeping the negative things in mind.

The slide then did strange things. They took different turns, sharp turns as well, curves and small hills. They copuld've swore that they also went through a loop as well, though they didn't see how it would be possible, it sure felt like it. Rapunzel enjoyed the slide of doom better and better as it went on. Anna's screaming got more intense.

Then, the girls slid off a little ramp and dropped onto another slide, hurting their rears when they landed. This time, the slide went straight forward, angled down. The slide was now getting smaller, forcing Rapunzel behind Anna. Now, the girls couldn't slide down side by side.

Ahead of them was a small light. Anna tried her best to focus on the light at the speed they were sliding down. The light got bigger and bigger as they neared it. Anna then realized that the light wasn't getting bigger, but they were just getting closer to it. Soon, Anna was close enough to see that the light was just a hole, with light coming from the other side of the hole. The closer they got, the easier it was for them to see that the slide continued beyond the hole. Things became more visible as they neared the hole.

The wood they were sliding down became more visible. The girls were able to see the nails in the wood. Soon, they found themselves sliding through the hole and into a large, hollowed area underground. To their right was nothing but a large wall of stone that was anything but smooth. When they looked to their left, they found that the slide they were going down was at a high level of elevation compared to everything elsa around them.

The girls were sliding down in a ginormous cave. Big would be an understatement. It was easily two and a half times larger than Arendelle Castle. Below them, they saw many small tents set up. Though there were many tents set up, they were all fairly spaced out, making things look less complex and more organized. There were fires set up all around and that explained the light. In the center of the cave was a large bonfire pit, or a makeshift hearth. Men and some women were scattered all over the cave participating in different activities. Many of them looked up at the slide and at the girls.

Anna found that the slide she was going down went around the entire cave on the edge. She wondered how in the world could this small "community" be built underground. It would seem impossible if someone proposed the idea to Anna or Rapunzel. Somehow, these people managed.

They were sliding down on the far left side of the cave. They were able to see a large turn on the wall ahead if them, and the slide would end in the left side.

As they slid down, things became more clear to them below. All of the tents served a purpose. One particular tent had racks of weapons including swords, spears, and axes outside of it, and the inside of the tent mirrored the outside. It was some sort of armory. Another tent had tables set up on the outside of it, and scraps of food were left on them. It was a kitchen or dining area. Each tent served a different purpose such as a sleeping place, training ground, and other things. Anna and Rapunzel could see how people were able to survive down here. They had everything they needed.

Anna and Rapunzel found themselves nearing the ground as the slide was coming to an end. Their screaming ended earlier when they went through the hole. It was replaced by awe. They weren't looking forward to meeting the ground. Everyone wore clothes similar to that of Scarves and Hats. It would also be a bad thing if they acted the same way as Scarves and Hats did.

The end of the slide got closer and closer. They girls were able to see that a small greeting party was awaiting them. About ten armed men stood at the end of the slide, which looked like a normal end to a slide by the way, awaiting for the arrival of the girls. This didn't look good from their perspective. As they got closer to the ground, the men quickly dragged in a large cage on wheels and put it at the end of the slide, where the girls were going to go. They opened the door to the cage so that the girls could slide into it.

This wasn't the welcoming party Rapunzel was expecting. She hoped people would be a little more stoked about their arrival. Anna, on the other hand, expected as much from these strangers. The girls slid into the cage when the slide ended, Anna was the first. When Rapunzel slid into the cage, she bumped into Anna, who was less than thrilled with that.

After Rapunzel got in the cage, the men quickly dragged it away from the slide and closed the door. It was big enough to contain both girls, and give them some room to stretch. Some one put a lock on the door, meaning Anna and Rapunzel were trapped.

"Let us go!" Anna said, shaking the cage.

None of the men answered. They started to drag the cage away from the slide, bringing the girls with them. Anna was able to see that there was a long ladder about one hundred meters directly in front of the slide which led up high. She looked up to see where it went, and she saw that it led through a hole and continued. She assumed that that was the exit to the place.

Anna and Rapunzel were shaking the cage as it was moving, making it harder for it to be pulled and pushed, but it didn't seem to bother the men too much. The cage was in a square shape and one man was on each side of it, moving the cage in a particular direction. The other men surround the cage with their weapons drawn.

As they were being dragged along, the girls studied the things around them. They looked at the tents set up and the activities done in them. They noticed how the people were treating one another. Most of them seemed just as fit as Scarves and Hats was, even looking similar, wearing similar clothing. The women wore similar clothing, but the figures of their bodies ranged. Most of the people looked menacing, and they looked like they wouldn't hesitate to cut the girls' throats out.

Many of the people were focusing on the girls as well. Most of the women gave the girls some dirty looks while others just ignored them though they were aware of their presence. Some of the men gave the girls menacing looks while pointing a weapon towards them while others made kissing faces towards them. Something told Rapunzel that she didn't want to get involved with those men.

Anna and Rapunzel kept asking questions to the men around them, yet they were always left with no answer. The only thing they got close to an answer was a grunt.

The girls were able to see their destination; the center of the entire cavern Where the large fire was located. There was quite a large space empty around the fire, making a large circle in the center of the cave, and the girls' cage was put at the very edge of the circle.

When their cage was halted, they continued shaking the metal bars, but to no avail. One man took a chain and wrapped it around one of the wheels, and he then wrapped it around a large nail sticking out of the floor. They were now stuck with no hope of getting out.

The girls hated being kept prisoner. They've both experienced it at least once in their lives, and those weren't necessarily the happiest times they've had. They wanted answers and they expected for someone to provide it to them.

The men then crowded around in front of the cage, in between the cage and the large fire which was approximately one hundred meters away from the cage. They all just stood there, watching the girls with angry eyes.

"You can't do this to us!" Anna said.

"We want answers!" Rapunzel said.

"Answers which I will happily provide." said a voice coming from behind the group of men. The voice belonged to that of a man with a British accent.

The men then dispersed to the left and right, clearing the wall for another man. A rather young man, who looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties with very light brown hair and eyes that matched his hair, walked up to the cage through the opening his men had created. The newcomer wore clothes that differed from that of the other men, as they looked more fancier than the others, but not as fancy as to indicate any form of wealth. He had one sword strapped to his side and a crossbow to his back.

His face was cleanly shaved, with no beard or mustache. He was also rather handsome, in the menacing sort of way. He was about Elsa's height, taller than both girls yet shorter than Kai and Kristoff. His build was rather fit, not looking as buff or stocky as the other men the girls have seen but about the same as Kai's body build. He raised his hand up to about where his head was, and the men then all walked away, leaving the girls and the new man alone.

"Our two weapon collectors warned us that you might be coming." The man said.

"Who are you?" Anna asked.

"Ah, yes, I forgot. I am familiar with you yet you aren't familiar with me." The man said. He spoke so sophisticatedly, as if he weren't a thug like everyone else. "My name is Lance." He stuck his hand into the cage, hoping for a shake although the girls did not dare touch his hand. The smile he had on faded, and he took his hand away.

The girls didn't know whether or not to trust Lance. He seemed as though he was a thug just like everyone else, and they don'l like being friends with thugs.

"What is this place?" Rapunzel asked.

"You are currently in my base, or rather, home." Lance answered. "Not necessarily the most ideal place to have a home, but it works well for us."

"Let us go!" Anna said. "We didn't ask to be here, and it's illegal to capture someone like this in Arendelle, especially princesses."

"I can't just let you go. Besides, it was you who stumbled upon the little trap we set up." Lance countered.

"Why did you have that trap up there?" Rapunzel asked.

"To capture animals, and unsuspecting people like yourselves." Lance answered.

"What do you do with those unsuspecting people?" Anna asked with angry eyes.

"That depends on how much they're worth." Lance answered. "If our bosses don't want them, we get to decide what to do with them. Sometimes, we gut them like fishes." Lance unsheathed his sword and stuck it in the cage while the girls crawled back. "Sometimes, I give them to some of the men who dying to have fun with them. Sometimes, we make them work until they've outlived their usefulness."

None of these options seemed good to the girls.

"What are we worth?" Anna said.

"Don't worry about it, princess." Lance said. "The bosses will probably want you."

"Who are your bosses then?" Rapunzel asked.

Lance guessed he was able to share the information with the girls, seeing the things that they could do with it was very limited. But, he had feeling the girls, hopefully, already were familiar with his bosses.

"Take a guess." Lance said.

"Cade and Lilith." Anna answered.

Lance clapped his hands sarcastically. "Good detective work, Princess. Yes, that deadly couple tell me and everyone else here what to do."

"Speaking of that, who are you guys exactly." Rapunzel asked. "Hired help?"

"We are the loyal men and women of Cade and Lilith. We're the Bandits." Lance answered.

Anna's eyes widened, knowing now who they were. It all made sense to her now. The way they dressed. The way they fought. They mirrored the Bandits she encountered those many months ago. "I thought your organization was dead." Anna said. Rapunzel didn't know what Anna was talking about, but she figured this wasn't the time to ask questions.

"What you thought and what was are very different things." Lance elaborated. "Yes, King Lyre did previously instruct and ordered the complete decline and disbandment of the Guild, or the Bandits if you prefer. Many of us still resent him for that. He expected for us to just bugger off and continue our lives differently, but I tell you, that wasn't the case. We had just lost the only home we've known for many years. We all stayed together, even after the King's order, and Strife took charge as our leader."

Anna remembered Strife, or as Kai called him, Deren. Strife wasn't necessarily the nicest guy.

Lance continued his story. "We laid low for a while. We stayed in different underground bases, such as this one, after Lyre disbanded us, all located in Teranhall. Then, Cade and Lilith rose up within our ranks, and led us side by side with Strife. When we assumed Strife died, Cade and Lilith were the only leaders we had left."

"Why them?" Rapunzel asked. "You all easily could overthrow them."

"Do you really think it's that easy?" Lance asked. "Those two are the most deadly people I know currently. Their skills even surpassed Kai's, of course, that was after he abandoned us."

Rapunzel remembered how Anna told her about Kai's dark past. She believed he was justified in abandoning these people.

"They ordered us moved to Arendelle, where we all are." Lance said. "All of us."

That wasn't good for the girls.

"So, the men who helped Cade and Lilith kidnap those people were you guys?" Anna asked.

Lance nodded. "Not necessarily my men, but those were Bandits nonetheless."

"Wait, so there are other Bandits out there?" Rapunzel asked.

Lance smiled. "I believe I've said enough."

"So there are more caverns like this?" Anna asked.

"Not by a long shot. This place is special. The way it's hollowed out is completely natural. We were just lucky enough to find it and settle in it." Lance answered. "Impressive, is it not?"

"Impressive isn't the word I would use." Rapunzel said.

"Oh?" Lance asked.

"This is a place where thugs, murderers, liars, and other despicable people commune." Rapunzel said. "No matter how it looks, this is a place filled with dark deeds and people. In my book, that's not impressive."

Lance gave Rapunzel an angered look, something Anna was worried about. Then, Lance closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting go of the anger he had on Rapunzel. "We're all entitled to our own opinions." Lance said. "I don't believe I recognize you."

"That's because she's not from around here." Anna said.

"That can be said about a lot of people." Lance said. "What is your name?"

Raounzel wasn't ready to give away something that important to Lance, no matter how charming he was acting. She didn't trust him enough, and that was something no one could blame her with.

"Does it matter?" Rapunzel asked, rudely. "I'm still going to be stuck in this cage."

"Well, it matters for you. It'll tell me your worth." Lance countered.

"I thought you said your bosses already want me." Rapunzel argued.

"I said that about Princess Anna, not you." Lance said. "I ask again. What is your name?"

Rapunzel really didn't want to share anything else with Lance. She wondered if Lance ever even heard of her. She knew there would be a negative outcome either way as well. One option probably led to her becoming property of Cade and Lilith. The other option led to another, unknown fate. She really wanted Anna's guidance for this, but she realized that it wasn't Anna's decision. She couldn't let Anna choose her fate for her.

Then, it hit her. Anna's fate was already decided, and Rapunzel would be able to help her avoid it. They would be better of together, and together, they would find a way out of their predicament.

"My name is Rapunzel." She told Lance.

"Ah, I've heard of you. The Princess of Corona." Lance said. "Yes, Cade and Lilith would definitely want you."

"Sure, go ahead, give us to them." Anna said, bravely.

"You seem rather excited to see them." Lance said.

"Not remotely." She revealed. "But, the guards Elsa sent will save us for sure. They won't stand a chance."

"Do you know where those guards are now?" Lance asked.

"On their way to save the people you kidnapped." Anna answered.

"So you think..." Lance said.

Rapunzel knew that Lance knew something they didn't. He had information that would be vital for the girls, and they intended to find out.

"What do you mean by that?" Rapunzel asked.

"The coordinates Cade gave them were folly." Lance revealed. "Right now, they're all held captive at a base owned by Bandits."

Anna suspected as much. She couldn't believe that the guards were sent so blindly into danger. She blamed herself for not being too cautious, though she knew it wasn't her fault. She wasn't going to point a finger at Elsa either since she knew her sister did what she had to do.

"How do I know you're not lying to us?" Rapunzel asked.

"You don't." Lance answered. "But, why would I lie to you about something like that? It's not like the information is going to be useful to you at all."

Well, at least they've gained something during this entire experience. They at least know that the coordinates were fake, and that the guards were held captive. Anna really hoped that he was lying, but she had a feeling he was telling the truth.

"Wait, so if the coordinates are fake, does that mean the monarchs aren't there?" Anna asked.

Lance nodded. "They're with Cade and Lilith in a place far away from where you thought they were."

"Where is that?" Rapunzel asked.

"Don't worry." Lance said. "You'll see. We'll take you to them."

"We're not going anywhere with you!" Anna said.

Her words wouldn't get them anywhere. These men weren't as compassionate as King Lyre was, and they were much more hardened. They would pretend to be dead when Anna would try to plead her way out. Now, she didn't have a say in the matter. Her fate was no longer in her hands.

"We leave in two days." Lance said. "After Arendelle's doomsday."

Lance walked off, away from the girls. Two men from the sides came in, with spears drawn, and stood a few meters in front of the cage, seemingly standing guard. It was clear that they could do nothing to save themselves. They were trapped in a metal mobile cage with men around every corner. Even if they were able to escape the cage, they would still be overwhelmed by the Bandits.

As Lanced walked away, he thought about how the girls weren't in a fit to get out. They acted more tame than he originally thought they were going to act. He just shrugged it off and thought nothing more about it.

"That's how you get answers." Rapunzel whispered to Anna. The two girls then made a quite high five. They were basically playing twenty questions with Lance, and he was stupid enough to cooperate and answer most of what they asked.

Anna recapped what they knew so far. She knew that Cade's coordinates were fake, and was a trap, and that the sent guards were now captured. She also knew that Cade and Lilith were holding the kidnapped monarchs somewhere else, somewhere they didn't know. At least it was more than they came in with.

"So, how are we getting out of here?" Rapunzel whispered to Anna.

All of the hope they had vanished when Anna answered "I don't know."

Things didn't seem to be going well for them. They were now captured by their adversaries who now had the upper hand. The Southern Isles' Navy will fire upon Arendelle tomorrow, and they weren't even close to proving their innocence. Also, since Kristoff and Eugene were headed towards the coordinates' location, it was likely that they were to be captured as well. They didn't know what to do. They didn't know if they were even able to do anything. Even the frying pan, which Rapunzel still had on her as they didn't confiscate anything from the girls, wouldn't help.

All seemed to be lost, but, the girls and the Bandits didn't know that Kai was on their trail.

Author's Note: Special Thanks/ Acknowledging Fans

Before I start giving shout outs, I want to ask a few questions which I want all of you to answer. Yes, that means you too, Bob. Here they are:

1. Since Kai is on their trail, do you think he'll do what Kristoff and Eugene did and go to where he thinks they're headed? Or, do you think he'll play it smart with his tracking skills? So, basically, when Kai is forced to choose between left and right on where the path splits, will he go left to where the girls want, or do you think he'll go right to where the guys went? I obviously already know the answer, but do you? You may give a quick answer or elaborate on it.

2. Lance claims that Cade and Lilith are by themselves with the monarchs. Do you believe him? Or do you think Cade and Lilith are closer than anyone thinks? If not, where do you think they are? I, again, already know the answer. The first user to guess their whereabouts before the next chapter correctly gets a small leak about something about my next project (PM of course). Thanks for taking the time to answer if you're considering it.

We're about halfway done with the story by now if not more. I would like to thank the users who currently have this story on their favorite list as of July 15th, 2014. I'd like to give them a shoutout.

Thank you Alexandra The Snow Princess, AllAmericanSlurp, AnnaDahl, Austaprime1025, Awesomegirl3, DaleJr.88, ElsaWinterFrost, FrozenAddict15, FrozenFairyTales, Frozenisthebestever, Jblockman1, LordCanadian, MariMarshofArendelle, Pabulover123, RoxasFrost, SnowQueenElsaOfArendelle101, .52, gelgela29, and stautz21. I'd like to thank all 19 of you for added this story to your favorites, it really means a lot to me knowing you like my story.

I'd also like to thank those who at least followed my story which includes everyone above plus AstridStarryNight, Black Betty81, Disneyfan14, DoctorWhoXX, Flowerpot28, Gggc, TheIncredibleMrSauce, botcrusher, and fredbs999.

If anyone wants me to remove their name from this special thanks, please PM me about it and I'll take your username down ASAP. Although I don't really read other fanfictions myself, I'll ask you to check out some of the work done by these talented individuals.

Last but not least, I'f like to thank the guests who read my stories. I haven't forgot about my faithful guests. Thank you Guest number 1, Guest number 2, Guest number 3, and perhaps most importantly, Guest number 4. Please don't get jealous Guest number 5 if I didn't mention your name, which I technically did. Oh yeah, I'll also like to thank guests 6 through infinity as well.

Thank you for all of the support so far. Reviews, once again, are appreciated. News for other projects will be released soon. Also, in a later chapter, I'll post a quote that will give you guys the overall theme and give you guys an idea for the plot for my next story. Ciao.

P.S. I'll have another special thanks for new coming people who favorite the story after July 15th on a later chapter, also I will be acknowledging my most loyal readers on that same chapter.