*slides this out from a pile of other folders*

This has been sitting for over a year now...it's time...

Story narration style thingy...sorry if it's confusing...

How did I get to this moment? This point in life where I just wanted to end everything? After all we've done and went through...I was going to end it all. If everyone saw me now they would be disappointed. I was supposed to be the leader, the one everyone looked up too.

I was hope.

Hope of surviving this suicide mission. Funny how I'm going to take that metaphor to heart… my heart. That's another thing. How do I explain the storm brewing in my heart if I do survive till someone found me? This coldness that has claimed my soul and was driving me to take my own life? Insanity has gripped me in its claws and there was no way I would get out of it without losing something. A part of my personality. I used to be lively and bubbly before this mission. Now I was barely human. I was staring my maker in the eye. Having a staring competition and I was about to blink.

So how did I get to this point?

Probably the moment I had said yes.

"Are you sure you want to embark on this ridiculous quest?" My Queen asked with a quirk of her delicately plucked eyebrow.

"Yes my Queen, I will take on this flight of fancy and bring to you the dragons head," I smiled as I bowed. My armour clinking as I moved. I could practically hear the smile in her voice.

"Wonderful, I knew I could count on my captain. Bring me this dragons head and I will reward you handsomely," I nodded my head.

"I would need to take my 5 best warriors if that is alright with you my Queen," I held my knelt position.

"Yes of course just see to it that you return quickly," and with that she dismissed me. I took my leave before placing my helmet back on my head and clutching the hilt of my sword. Reports of this dragon have been coming in from all over the land. It was terrorizing the villages and stealing livestock. Dragons hadn't been seen for over a millennium so it was no wonder it was written off as a hoax at first. But as more and more complaints filed in the harder it was to ignore. Walking into the barracks I flagged down my best friend and right hand.

"Merida!" I called and a redhead with wild curly locks strolled over to me with a tray of food in her hands.

"Aye Elsa?" She smiled and I grinned.

"Pack your things were going on an adventure!" Her eyes widened.

"No way, for real?" I nodded enthusiastically almost having my helmet fly off. She pumped her free hand's fist into the air and cheered.

"Can't wait! We haven't had an adventure since that whole marauders thing," she grinned making her way back to her quarters to pack.

"What's this I hear about an adventure?" I jumped at a male's voice.

"Hell Eugene, don't do that!" I growled thumping him on the shoulder. He just laughed.

"Is he being an idiot again Elsa?" I smiled to Eugene's girlfriend.

"He's always an idiot Rapunzel."

Eugene pouted.

"Yes, but he's my idiot," she smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Anyway you two should pack, we're going on an adventure," I grinned and they cheered much like Merida did. They ran off and I called on my other two warriors.

They aren't as important when they don't survive long in this retelling. I might not even be alive in the end of this, but we'll see. Anyway we embarked on this mission the day after and were well into the last known location of the dragon when trouble first found us.

"For the love of the Queen…Merida, stop playing around!" I growled as blood of a freshly killed werewolf dripped off my armour. Merida shot an arrow at a werewolf, getting it right in the eye with a growl of her own.

"I aint playin! My foot got stuck!" She yelled back. I thrust my dagger into a werewolf's heart before focusing my attention on the couple of the group.

"Eugene! Rapunzel! Get that mountain ash spread!" I screamed before slashing at another werewolf with my one handed sword. There was a distinct 'done' before the werewolves howled and fled and I relaxed.

"Thank the heavens," I breathed.

"Way to take yer bloody time guys," Merida said dropping onto the ground by the couple. The other two warriors joined.

"That was a close call. We should keep watch. First we'll get cleaned up, eat something then take turns, I'll take first watch," I said as I started to clean the blood from my trusty sword. Eugene made food while Rapunzel prepared tents for us. The rest of us were cleaning ourselves. Each had their own special weapon of choice. I had my one handed sword. Merida had her bow and arrows. Eugene had his throwing knifes. Rapunzel had her mace. The other two had normal swords. What made my one handed sword special from theirs? With a press of a button my sword turned into a bladed whip.

"Bloody hell this food is amazing!" Merida said around a mouth full of dire wolf stew. Eugene chuckled.

"Mer, you think everything tastes amazing," it's true the girl could eat dirt if she was hungry enough. Which she did once but that was the meads fault. I just shook my head as I sharpened my trusty sword. The moon was high and full so drakes were a possibility.

Drakes were smaller versions of dragons. Easily slain if you knew where their weak spot sat. Just for you I'll tell you. It's where the third plate meats the fourth on their throat. The plates don't cover its chest all too well. They're just far away from each other to stick a dagger in if you time it right. My compadres turned in for the night as I held first watch.

That's when things became real. When I heard the distant roar of a dragon.

The next couple of days were uneventful and filled with interviews as we helped to restore destroyed houses. The people were so traumatized we didn't get good enough answers. All we knew was that the dragon had four legs and two wings with the ability to breathe fire of course. It was big but not nearly the size of the ancient dragons. This one was almost as big as a house. That was about all we got from them. They had said we should head to the next town on the other side of the brook. Supposedly the dragon had gone that way. So after almost restoring a few houses we sat off again. I was leading on my white mare while Merida was at my right flank with her black stallion. Eugene and Rapunzel were at our rears with their white and grey stallions while the other two were behind them on their brown mares.

"Good thing it's a brook and not a bog hey Elsa?" Merida chuckled and I shivered.

"Don't remind me of that dreadful place Mer," I state through my teeth, a hand going to my left side.

While on a marauders hunt we chased them into a bog. There we encountered banshees and I had almost died. Now my left side had ugly scratches. Still ragged and pink, angry looking things. The sun was starting to set.

"We'll camp by the brook and leave at first light," I said and they gave me an affirmative. It was about in the middle of sunset that we arrived and Eugene made food while Rapunzel made camp. Merida took care of the horses and the other two gathered fire wood. Me? I did a perimeter search. Nothing seemed threatening when I was done.

"This is good Eugene what's it called?" Rapunzel asked as we ate.

"I call it salmon surprise," he said with a grin.

"What's the surprise?" I asked and he chuckled.

"I made it with mead," this guy was a genius. By the time we ate and drank we were rather tipsy. I was gazing at the moon when Merida spoke up.

"Hey Elsa...did you say goodbye to Kristoff this time?" I looked at the fire to avoid her eyes.

"No...He still wasn't back from his visit to his family," I whispered.

"But Elsa you could have sent a scroll," Merida said. I sighed and poked at the fire with a stick.

"You know how I feel about saying goodbye it gives-"

"Gives the inclination you'll never see the person again, yea I know, but with a dangerous mission like this don't you think it was a safe bet this time?" I growled and stood.

"Just drop it Merida," with that I took my sword and walked off into the woods to our side. How was I supposed to tell her that the reason Kristoff had gone to visit his parents were because he was angry with me? It was my fault after all. After the marauders incident...I had taken to sleep in the spare room and refused to be naked around him. I was ashamed of the scars on my side. Petty reason to have your loved one angry at you, but we have...had a very intimate relationship. He thought it was because I wasn't in love with him anymore.

Thinking of this now, I guess I wasn't.

You think this is irrelevant to the story, but it will make sense when we get there be patient. I'm the one going to probably die not you. Anyway, so I was in the small patch of woods near our camp.

I walked till I got to a clearing and slumped down onto the lush grass. I stared at the stars and the wilderness around me. I was about to drift off in my hazy mind space when a misplaced rustle broke the orchestra of night. With well-trained accuracy and speed I was on my feet holding my sword. Training while under the influence was a unique treat my army had to learn so that we were indeed prepared for anything. The sounds died down and I could hear my own heartbeat. A bit too rapidly to my likening, I should train more. My eyes caught movement to the side and I turned slowly.

"Who goes there? Mer, I swear if it's you I will beat you to a bloody pulp," I growled. She knew that if I wanted to be alone I should be left the hell alone. I narrowed my eyes as the silhouette of a girl formed. She was hiding behind a tree, peering around it. No, this girls hair was too smooth to be Merida.

"Make yourself known and I will not harm you," I tried. Maybe if I sat my sword down. I did that slowly but took care to place the hand guard on my foot so I could easily flip it back into my hands if I needed to. The girl took a step forward then another. I found myself holding my breath till moonlight revealed the girl to my eyes. She was gorgeous with very little clothing on. Momentarily I wondered if she was some kind of elf, but the lack of pointed ears dismissed that. She walked till she was with in arms reach from me.

"Do you live near here miss? The forest isn't safe during the night you know," I tried and she just tilts her head to me before reaching out. Her delicate fingers grazed the leather tunic I wore. I watched as she inspected the ribbon holding it together at my sides before focusing on the drake fang that hung from my necklace. Her eyes sparkled like the stars and I found myself lost. I was taller naturally, being taller than most women. She looked to be around Rapunzel and Merida's height.

After a moment her hands found my face as they stroked over the almost invisible scars that littered my face. A gap on my right eyebrow, a thin line over the bridge of my nose, a cut in my bottom lip on the left side and double x that lapped on my right jaw near my ear. That one was the result of a marking I got after being held captive just before becoming captain. She seemed to be making a decision before smiling slightly with a slight nod. My eyes widened when I felt a pair of soft lips on the side of my mouth. The moment was short lived when I heard someone call to me. I turned to the worried voice of Merida and when I turned back to the girl she was gone. Had I been hallucinating? A frown etched itself on my face. No it couldn't have been I could still feel it there.

"Elsa, are you alright? You've been gone for longer than usual and it's your shift," she said with her own frown, but this one was in worry.

"Yes I'm fine, sorry the mead just got to me bad this time," I said picking up my sword before turning to Merida again. She gasped and pointed to the left side of my tunic. I looked down to see a symbol of a dragon scorched into the leather. That was where the mystery girl had touched first.

Oh if only I knew what it meant in that moment I might have just said to hell with the mission and gone back home. But alas nothing is that easy and I didn't want to be shamed for dropping out of a mission given by my Queen. That was far from the last time I saw the girl.

By the time we had the next village in sight we saw the dragon attacking. We rushed over on our horses. I ordered the two soldiers with us to gather the people somewhere safely and ordered Rapunzel and Eugene to put out fires. Merida and I sat out to attack the flying lizard. To say the beast was extraordinary would be an understatement.

Its scales glinted a brilliant orange while its wings were a marvellous teal. Its spikes where a startling white and its talons an infinite black. It landed on a house as we approached it. Its eyes...wow its eyes were an even greater teal. It gave an ear deafening roar and I could see its red forked tongue and sharp off white teeth. It swiped at us and we jumped off our horses. The poor things ran the other way; we'll get them back after. Merida shot an arrow at the beasts paw and it imbedded into its palm. It growled before spewing fire at her. She managed to do a duck and role the other way and the beast turned its gaze on me. It gave me one look before leaping to the nearby villagers a few strides away.

Why had it ignored me? It swiped at them sending a few flying. The other two jumped in to protect them just to be picked up by the dragons fore claws. Merida and I ran to them and as she shot at its hind leg and I grabbed its tale, it flapped its wings. I was half a house above the ground before it flicked me into a stable. All I felt was pain. Splinters stick where they could and a piece of wood pierced my shoulder. I watched as the dragon dropped my two soldiers to their deaths as one stabbed its hand. As we all looked to the crumbled bodies of the two men the dragon flew off to the mountains. Pain clouded my vision and I passed out.

I had not only got my shoulder pierced, but dislocated as well. Eugene and Rapunzel had minor burns and Merida was fine. We gave the two soldiers a proper burial. Things were slightly different from there. Our situation got more serious and we were determent to go up that mounting to put a stop to this beast. We just had to wait for my shoulder to heal up.

One night I had another encounter with the girl. I was doing rounds due to not being able to sleep. I had nightmares about my two men dropping to their deaths.

I was in the woods that separated the mountain from the village. This time she approached me a little more confidently but still weary of my sword.

I could see tear tracks down her cheeks as she neared me. She placed her fingers over the dragon sign on my tunic as she looked into my eyes. I could feel my own tears threatening to spill. She turned her gaze to my bandages shoulder and gasped as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. She buried her face into my chest as she bit her knuckles to keep her cries at bay. Her hair tickled my nose and I could faintly smell lavender. I wrapped my good arm around her and closed my eyes as I enjoyed the feel of another body against mine.

All thoughts about Kristoff disappeared. When her sobs quietened and stopped I kissed her forehead as she pulled away. I enjoyed her feather light touch as she caressed my cheek. Then she kissed me. All my fears and worries melted away as I enjoyed the first real intimacy I've felt in over a year. By the heavens, that was the best kiss I've ever had and I didn't even know her name or anything about her for that matter.

How long we kissed I had no idea, but when we pulled apart for air we rested our foreheads together as her hands rested on my chest and my good arm was around her waist. After what felt like forever she pat the dragon symbol and kissed my chin before walking away and disappearing back into the forest. It felt like part of my soul had gone with her and I was left with a dead husk of a body as our journey continued.

The locals had said it would take us a week to reach the dragon's lair with the climbing we'd have to do. So we sat fourth as soon as the local doctor had deemed my arm fit to move again. By this time we were 6 weeks away from home now in total. I had bargained this to be 2 week's job, but underestimated what we were dealing with. Oh how I now wish I never took this mission upon me and my friends.

We travelled to the mountains till our horses could not continue with us. We left them in a clearing near a stream so they would be alright till our return. As trained horses they knew to wait for us. It was hard to climb certain parts of the mountain with my shoulder, but I got over it quickly. Years of being in the army has made our bodies heal faster and take more damage.

The next time I saw the girl we had made camp on a rather flat service on the mountain where a few trees and grass grew. Eugene made us some hare soup and we drank the rest of the mead we had on us. One last free night before reaching the dragon's lair. I had staggered away from the camp site while the others were passed out in their tents. I made it all the way to the other side of the woods. A nice distance to be alone so they won't hear anything, yet close enough to run back if I needed help. I just sat there on a fallen log staring out over the landscape when she sat next to me. I smiled to her and she smiled back.

"It's rather peaceful up here," I said slowly as to not slur. She nodded.

"A bit lonely thou," it's as if my mind knew what she was thinking as she nodded looking down.

"I bet you get used to it at some point," she shrugged.

"But after a longer while it gets lonely again huh?" She sighed and nodded again. I felt her head rest on my shoulder and rested mine on her head. After a while I felt her hand on my thigh and my body got heated. She lifted her head and I looked to her with a slight frown. Then she kissed me and I lost myself all over again.

My mind gets a little fuzzy here, but I remember snippets.

At some point we found ourselves on the grassy ground. Our bodies flush against the other. Our cloths were strewn about too. Moans and whimpers filled the air as our bodies moved against the other. Hands where between thighs and my free hand clutched her long red hair while her free hand clawed at my back. We worked up quite a sweat together. At one point she had her teeth in my nape as we went over the edge together, but we didn't stop there. It was as if we've been neglected our whole lives from intimacy like this. Now that we had found it we were reluctant to let it go.

At another point I had my head between her delicate thighs as I made her scream into the night air. She returned that favour gladly till I was the one screaming my release. No doubt both our throats were raw after that night.

The next morning my companions asked where I was the entire night and I told them that I had passed out on the other side of the trees. Merida had questioned the bite mark on my neck, but I had pretended not knowing how it got there.

I could tell they were starting to worry about me. I used to be optimistic and talkative. Now I'm just a captain that wants to get the job done. I guess I lost the objective entirely.

We had reached the gaping maw of the cave that was the dragon's lair two days later. It was big and dark. Eugene gave out torches to us while Rapunzel lit them on fire with her flint. I took point as usual with Merida at my side. The cave seemed to go on forever and ever. As we got closer to the back of the cave the more we could make out separate tunnels. We stopped at a two way so Merida and I went one way while Eugene and Rapunzel went the other.

"So what's the plan Elsa?" Merida asked after a while.

"Corner the beast then while I distract it you use your claymore to cut its head off," I said and she nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," we stopped in front of another two way tunnel.

"Well this sucks," Merida grumbled.

"Let's split anyway, were bound to end up together at some point, besides the walls are thin enough to shout threw," I said and she tightened her hold on her torch.

"Okay so scream if we find the dragon?" She asked and I smirked.

"You know it," with that we separated. After I had walked a long while I could hear the distinct growl of the dragon. I jogged to a larger opening from my passage and cursed that Merida's passage didn't open into this one. I ventured into the open space and saw the dragon asleep on a stone slab littered by carcasses of livestock. Smoke escaped its nose as it slept. This would be easier than I thought.

I slowly unsheathed my sword as I stepped closer. I sat my torch down on the ground after snuffing it in a puddle of water. No need to wake the thing up now is there? I was standing by its paw when I raised my sword to thrust it into the lizard's neck when suddenly it grabbed me. It sat up and studied my with its head turned to the side slightly to look at me. Its eyes shimmered in the dark like stars. It did not bare its teeth nor growled at me. Instead it made a careening sound akin to that of a whale mixed with the growl of a dragon. I was frozen in wonder to this alleged monster. Then the dragon turned its head to the entrance I came from and roared. I turned and saw my friend's rush to come rescue me. The dragon dropped me onto the stone slab and rushed my friends. It drove them back into the passage and its massive tale nocked a support beam making rocks tumble and close the entrance.

That is where we find ourselves now my dears. I've been stuck in here a good while and the sounds of battle have disappeared as they moved further and further away. I feared that my friends didn't survive seeing as I have not heard of them or the dragon for that matter. What if they were dead but one was bleeding out after killing the beast? I clutched my dagger tighter in my grip. If that was the case then ending my own life would save me from starving to death. I had already removed my chest armour to make it easier. My gauntlets lay beside it and I stroked my free hand over the dragon symbol on my left breast of my tunic.

Might as well end this agonising wait. I lifted the dagger as I clasped it with both my hands. I was ready to plunge it into my heart when my blood ran cold. The growl of the dragon entered my ears before I was picked up and forced to drop my dagger. I stared into the teal depths of the beasts eyes.

"Go ahead dragon! Just end this already! Kill me like you did my friends!" The dragon put me down gently and backed away with a whimper like that of a wolf. I felt myself grew desperate and angry.

"Why won't you just kill me?! You attack everyone but you leave me alone! Why?!" Hot angry tears streamed down my face. The dragon flicked its eyes from me to the ground a few times before nudging the symbol on my chest. It made that careening sound again. I just frowned at the creature before my eyes widened. The dragon transformed into the girl I've been seeing late at night. Her hair the brilliant orange from the dragons scales. Her eyes those breathe taking teal. There was a white streak in her hair that looked a lot like my hair and it matched the spikes on her dragon forms back.

The...the girl was a dragon? She walked to me slowly tears evident in her eyes. She rested her hand over the dragon symbol. Like the night I had spoken to her I could sense what she was thinking.

"I was chosen to be your protector?" She nodded.

"And I'm the only one who understands you," she nodded again biting her lip. She took my hand and placed it over her heart.

"Because of me you can turn back into human after you were cursed," she placed her hand over my heart.

"And you love me," I breathed. She nodded and kissed my chin. How could I stay mad at this adorable beauty? Still she did hurt and kill people.

"What about my friends?" I asked her and she looked to the side of the cave.

"They're outside and okay?" She nodded then turned her attention to the ceiling. There was an opening and when I looked to her again she was a dragon. After collecting my armour I got on her back and she flew us out. There my friends were busy forming a plan to rescue me. The dragon hovered above them.

"Hey guys!" I called and they looked up.

"Elsa!" They yelled drawing their weapons. I pat the female dragon's neck and she landed. I stepped forward and clutched the arrow of Merida's bow.

"Don't she's just scared," I said as the dragon cowered behind me.

"She? Yer bloody friends with that thing?" Merida asked with a sneer.

"It's more complicated than that," the dragon transformed back to the girl and I pulled her in under my arm.

"I'm her protector," I said resting a hand over the dragon symbol. I saw Rapunzel eye the girl for a very long while, her face pensive.

"Oh my gods! I know who this girl is!" She suddenly shouts and pulls her bag closer and rummages through it. I frowned and tilted my head. She pulls out a scroll; it's torn and worn, almost falling apart.

"This is Anna Summers; she's been missing for a few years now!" Rapunzel says and holds the parchment up beside the girl. The drawn picture was of a much younger girl, but I could see where Rapunzel had sketched her a little older.

Rapunzel and Eugene usually handled missing people when not going on selected missions. Eugene would ask around and use connections while Rapunzel usually kept an up to date sketch of how the missing person would look like each year, especially if they were children.

All the while Merida was gripping her bow, her eyes narrowed to the smaller redhead, she didn't say anything.

"Well that's great! We can get her back to her family," I smiled, but saw Anna hesitated.

"Elsa, this missing poster isn't from us, it's from another kingdom. They gave each kingdom one," Rapunzel hesitated and I frowned.

"Then we take her back," I say slowly, not understanding. I got this feeling that this story was not yet over and that it had merely begun.

"Elsa, she's the princess of the Summer Kingdom," Eugene said slowly and my eyes widened. I looked to the redhead and she looked away.

The Summer Kingdom has never played nice with use. Our Kingdom was called the Winter Kingdom. Everyone knew that hot and cold were both so intense that placing them together never made sense.

Never intended for this to be more than a one-shot type of thing, but when writing the ending, I couldn't find a way to end it on a good satisfactory note...so I guess it's still continuing...

Don't expect a fast update, shit takes long okay?

X3