A/N: Before we begin, I wanna say thank you for all the reviews, I'm glad you all find this story interesting ^^
This chapter was originally going to be out sooner, but then life happened.
Oh, by the way, I don't own any characters, ideas, etc from Frozen, all rights belong to Disney. Only the plot line of this story is my own.
The next morning, Anna's appetite still didn't improve. She nibbled on a piece of bread, distractedly staring at the wall. She hadn't had an inkling of sleep the previous night after her dream and chalked her lack of hunger and general sluggishness up to sleep deprivation.
In juxtaposition with her idle body, the girl's mind was on overdrive. Her stomach was knotted while she desperately tried to figure out an excuse to go back to the shop. Lying to Kristoff again was not on Anna's list of okay things.
On the floor were both Kristoff and Sven, roughhousing as if they were brothers. It was a few minutes of relaxation before they got on with their day. The dog would lunge at his owner, tongue dangling out of his mouth like a wet noodle, and use said instrument to slobber all over his owner's face. Kristoff returned the favor by catching Sven and tumbling over.
Teal eyes steadily trained themselves on the commotion, but lacked the support of a mind to comprehend and process the images.
"Hey Kristoff," the red head tentatively started.
Pausing, he replied "yeah?"
Anna clutched her necklace as if it gave her strength. "I, um, I want to visit mom and dad..."
The man stood and took a couple steps towards his sister. "Sure, we can stop by on the way-"
"No, I um," Anna's voice was wavering. The memory of her parents still hurt like a fresh wound. "I was hoping I could just be alone- I- I want to talk to them."
Taking a moment to process the request, the burly blonde gently said "yeah, sure thing. I'll uh, I'll see you at the market later, then?"
A simple nod was her only response. Anna stood, getting ready to make the journey. This provided a perfect excuse for her to visit the curiosity shop, and she wasn't lying. She truly did want to pay her parents a visit.
The girl put on a black dress to pay her respects and was soon on her way to the cemetery. Even in the early morning, as the sun was just peaking out of the horizon, the summer heat hit Anna with the force of a wave due to her dress's dark color. The walk to the graveyard was only about a mile, but it felt longer in the blistering heat.
Because Arendelle was a small town, almost everyone had some sort of grave stone. Some were small and crumbling, the wear of time eroding them and covering them in moss. Others were magnificent, rooms that one could enter, laden with ornate carvings. It all depended on what the family could afford.
In their case, Anna and Kristoff could afford no more than one small memorial stone with the simplest of engravings. The girl approached said stone, solemnly kneeling before it. It appeared fresh in comparison to many of the grave markers. In chiseled writing, it read "Agdar and Idun."
As she tenderly reached out to touch the rock, a tear trickled down Anna's face. She felt restricted breaths forcing their way by a blockage in her throat, and began to sob softly. She knew there were no bodies below the memorial, but this was as close as she could get to them, and that may have been the most painful part. Though she lost her parents, Anna had no way to say goodbye to them. This obstacle made closure impossible, and kept the girl from completely moving on. Every time she visited, it felt just like the first time. The pain wouldn't go away, it never got easier.
"Mom, dad..." Anna sobbed out, voice just barely audible. "I- I..." She wanted to talk. In that moment, she longed more than anything to say something, anything. But she couldn't. She didn't know what to say.
Unable to stay and let misery soak farther in to her bones, the red head stood up and said a silent goodbye, moments later turning to leave. It was time to take a small detour.
During the walk, Anna's mind was plagued by thoughts of her parents, but the sickness was pushed aside the second that familiar store front came in to view. The depressing, old memories were hushed in preference of the more immediate, pressing matter: her nightmares. Or rather, what she hoped were nightmares.
It looked different in the day, the small window was cloudy, and the front wasn't so ominous. The wood appeared to be warped from exposure to the elements. Mind having switched gears almost entirely, Anna walked in. The same items were splayed about upon the shelves, nothing had been so much as touched. I guess this place doesn't get much business. The red head then remembered what Kristoff had said about it.
The light from the window died about halfway in to the store, creating an influx of darkness that appeared to be overtaking the building. On the desk was a flickering candle, oozing wax and barely clinging to life.
Anna glanced over the jewelery again, seeing the same staircase as before and suddenly feeling compelled to explore. For some reason, the thought of seeing where this woman lived excited Anna.
"Can I help you?"
Anna snapped out of her daze, heart skipping a beat. She jerked her head to the side as she gasped, locating which corner of the store the familiar voice came from. Suddenly, it was really hard to think. "Yes, I um, I was just looking at these..." the red head caught sight of little nick-knacks made of wood. She had no idea what they were. They were vaguely human shaped, and creeped Anna out. "...things." She looked back over at the pale woman, hoping that her excuse worked.
Disbelieving eyes stared back at Anna, making her shift under their weight. "Okay." The shopkeeper looked back down at an old, dusty book she was reading. It looked ancient, and several of the pages were torn, the title worn away over the years.
Anna pretended to be interested in the things she found, but would glance over at the blonde several times a minute, unsure of what to say. She just knew she needed answers.
She was definitely noticed, and promptly ignored.
A couple tense minutes later, the strange woman's voice stole the figurative spotlight. "Why'd you really come back?" There was an air of hostility in it, one that made goosebumps stand up all the way down Anna's spine. The same primal instinct to run as before surged through her body. Anna wondered it a rabbit facing a predator felt the same way.
Anna clutched the necklace. The woman saw. "Well, the necklace you gave me, I- I've been having dreams about you since I got it." In that moment, the red head wished she was a hare being hunted by a cat.
Surprisingly, the shopkeeper didn't seem vexed. For just a second, her face revealed concern, it was written like a scarlet letter on her forehead. But then, she masterfully gained control over her demeanor, summoning an air of irritation to float around her. "I'm sorry, I can't help that you're fantasizing about me."
The red head's mouth hung open dumbly for a solid three seconds. "I um, I- no, not that kind of dream, scary ones!" Anna's cheeks burned like a blood red flame, scorching her features. "Nightmares, they're nightmares!"
"What do you want me to do about it?"
Fighting with herself, the girl ripped her new, beloved necklace from her body and held it at arm's length, hands shaking. "Take the necklace back."
The metal rattled in the brief silence. "I can't."
Anna felt relief and hopelessness. "Why not!?"
"Because, it doesn't work that way."
"What are you talking about? You gave me the necklace, why can't you just take it back?"
Through the carefully controlled outer shell of this woman, the inner, more human part showed, if only briefly. "Get out of my store."
Taking a single step closer, the red head pressed farther. "No! Not until you explain what's going on."
That was a mistake.
"I said GO!" The woman lunged forward with lightning speed, startling Anna in to squealing and nearly falling over. Leaning in, the hostile shopkeeper growled. "Or I'll make you." She was so close that her breath licked Anna's chin.
The proximity between the two acted to increase the weight of fear pushing down on the red head, relentlessly placing boulder after boulder atop her chest. Blue eyes pierced the girl so intimately that she could swear she felt physical pain. It was like the woman was reading Anna's deepest, darkest secrets. The primal point was the only working section of her brain, flight winning the battle against fight.
Before she even knew it, Anna was running to the door, shoving herself off of shelves to keep her balance. Just as she was about the cross the threshold into the safety of the outside, she stopped dead.
"Wait," Anna called as she spun around, "what's your name?"
The shopkeeper sent arrows with her eyes, narrowing them as if to intimidate Anna to death. She stayed mute for far too long, animosity spilling from her very being.
Why did you ask that? Why didn't you just leave? Anna kept silently yelling at herself as she came to her senses and swung the door open. Despite her internal conflict, the girl knew exactly why she asked for the stunning woman's name. Simply that: she was stunning. Just as the portal was closing behind her, she heard the same, soft, soothing voice she heard from the woman two nights ago. One that wasn't burdened with the weight of hatred or bitterness.
"Elsa."
Anna froze just outside the door in disbelief, silently repeating the name to herself. Okay, why'd she tell me that if she's so angry with me? Why'd she even get angry with me? Anna carried a hopeful guess for the answer to her first question, but hadn't the faintest idea for the second.
From the safety of shadows, Elsa watched through the window while the red head walked down the street. She couldn't decide on the tide of emotions spilling through her. She was scared, annoyed, stressed, hopeful, and everything else all at once. It was mixing like a witch's brew in her stomach, bubbling and steaming, boiling over with a repulsive flavor.
But she had learned over many years not to be hopeful and proceeded to kick herself for giving in and telling that girl her name.
I need to be more careful.
After two days of checking his dagger, steering to correct the course, and analyzing a map, Hans finally determined where the instrument was leading him.
He emerged on deck, map in one hand, dagger in the other, and summoned the captain of the ship.
"Captain, set course for Arendelle."
There were no questions. "Yes, your highness. We will be there in under a week's time if the winds favor us."
The prince nodded. "Let's hope they do."
A/N: Guess what, the next chapter is from Elsa's point of view.