Chapter Three

Stormfly lunged in front of Astrid. Even the Nightmare tensed. It seemed their dragons didn't like this newcomer.

Astrid moved closer. She slipped around Stormfly and crouched down. The miniature dragon titled its head at her. Beautiful. She had never seen anything so beautiful. The blue coloring on its wings practically glowed.

"It's a new species!" she whispered. "It has to be, look at its markings."

"And how it was a snowflake and now it's a dragon." Hiccup replied. He moved a little closer, too, sidling next to Astrid.

The miniature dragon darted away to the far corner of the arena, curling itself up, pulling its wings up to its little oval head. Its bright blue eyes widened. Even from this distance, Astrid could see it trembling.

"Maybe it doesn't like both of us at once." Hiccup slipped in front of Astrid. "I'll approach it first."

"What?" Astrid nudged him with her shoulder. He could be so— Astrid stopped herself. No need to get angry. Not right now. After their breakup, though, she tensed every time she came near him. And he seemed awkward around her, too.

But this seemed excessive. The dragon didn't seem to mind when she got closer, only when Hiccup did. Didn't he notice that?

"Just let me," Hiccup muttered. "If it's a new species, I have a better chance of getting closer to it than you do." He paused, his eyes widening.

Astrid arched her eyebrow.

Hiccup raised his hands. "That's not what it sounded like."

"Fine. If you're so great, then approach it already."

"Thank you." Hiccup smiled at her, but she didn't return the gesture. He inched closer to the white dragon. It curled up tighter, tucking its snout under its tail. Astrid moved closer too, she couldn't help herself. Hiccup towered over the creature now. He knelt.

"Don't be afraid." Hiccup reached out, almost touched the dragon.

The dragon flicked its tail away from its face and uncurled in one fluid motion. It bit Hiccup on the finger, sinking its white teeth far into his skin, then dashed away. Hiccup yelped and yanked his hand back. The chains rattled as the dragon flew to them.

He waved his bleeding finger in Astrid's face. "It bit me!"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "You scared it."

She glanced at Stormfly and the Nightmare. Both had calmed down. It seemed they didn't need to be frightened of this new dragon. Its entrance had just startled them. She glanced up. The white dragon watched her, blue eyes glowing from the firelamps. If she could just get it to come down.

The dragon glowed, melting into a snowflake form and drifting to the ground. Once there, it crystallized again.

"Fascinating," Astrid murmured.

Astrid knelt next to the dragon, admiring its design. Blue ice formed swirls on its thighs, ridges poked from its snout and back. It pulled its wings around its body and scooted away from Astrid. But it still watched her with wide piercing blue eyes. And it didn't tremble.

She slowly reached out her hand, fingers extended, then stopped mid-way. The dragon puffed a few ice crystals her direction, displaying its teeth in the process. An aggressive gesture. But understandable. It was tiny after all. She pulled her hand back and pushed it to the ground instead. The dirt gritted against her palm. A rock pushed against her skin. But she kept it there. Maybe the dragon wouldn't be so afraid if the gesture came from below. She slid her hand closer to the tiny dragon.

The dragon watched, its ears pricking up. It tilted its head as Astrid stopped an inch or so away. They could almost touch. Astrid wanted to move faster, to run her fingers over the dragon's wings, to form a bond. But the dragon hesitated. So she did, too.

The dragon lowered its head, eyes latched onto hers, and nudged its snout next to her hand. It closed the gap, pushing its snout onto her fingers. Astrid smiled. She ran her hand as gently as she could over the dragon's snout, down its neck, over its wings. Cold. The dragon was so cold. But smooth, too. Its scales smooth as ice. The dragon cooed.

Hiccup knelt too. The dragon jerked up and stared at him. It flicked its eyes to Astrid then back to Hiccup. He reached out once again, but the dragon moved away, sliding closer to Astrid instead.

Astrid laughed softly. "It likes me."

"Yes, it does." Hiccup frowned.

The dragon perked up, bumping its head against Astrid's arm. It glared at the sky. With one last look at Astrid, the dragon took flight and zipped past the chains, its wings glinting in the firelight.

Astrid rose. "Wait!" she cried.

Stormfly bounded over to her, lowering herself so Astrid could climb on. Astrid did so, pulling Stormfly around, then glanced at Hiccup.

"Go," he said. "But don't travel too far. Not at night."

Astrid nodded. Stormfly crouched, then burst upward, swishing her wings down to gain altitude. Astrid knew she should listen to Hiccup. She knew she should listen to the Chief of Burk.

But she also knew she would go as far as she needed to in order to follow the little dragon.

Anna's birthday morning flew by. Elsa grimaced when she looked at the time, 11am. They were supposed to give gifts half an hour ago. Elsa twisted the piece of paper in her hand. As Queen, she would give a simple speech to honor the Princess of Arendelle's birthday. As Anna's sister, Elsa didn't want to mess up. She searched the sky. And she really wanted that ice dragon to come back.

More well wishers spilled through the open gates and onto the already crowded castle grounds. Elsa silently thanked them. The more the merrier… or rather, the more the better distracted Anna would be. Her younger sister greeted them in her usual cheerful fashion, hugs and grins all around. Elsa nodded to a few stranglers waiting their turn to see the birthday girl. She caught a snippet of their conversation as they passed.

"A whole year older!"

"And still more beautiful than the last."

"Yes, that dress is simply lovely."

Dressed in her favorite green gown, Anna did look pretty today. Her hair was up in a bun, done by Kristoff's mother, Bulda. For a stone troll, she had some magic to those fingers. Anna greeted another set of well wishers, a couple it seemed, their hands twined together, and shot a glance at Kristoff, who stood by her side.

Elsa smiled and caught Kristoff's eye. He nodded, then glanced away. He tugged at his coat, a bulge in his chest pocket shifting. Elsa, too, looked away. The ring. His ring. The one he would give to Anna. The special birthday gift Elsa couldn't possibly top. Not that it was a competition… but she did want her gift to be special, too. She fingered the necklace hidden in the folds of her dress. The pendant simply wasn't enough. Elsa glanced upward again, willing to see an icy glint in the cloudless sky.

The constant hum permeating the grounds since early this morning dimmed. Elsa glanced down. All eyes had drifted to her. She straightened. Oh heavens, had she forgotten something? Had one of the royal councils given an announcement she missed.

Then Anna bounded up to her. A tendril of brown hair slipped free of her bun. "Elsa, is it time for the gifts? Everyone's wondering."

Elsa tucked the stray hair behind Anna's ear, a sisterly gesture. Too sisterly perhaps for such a great occasion, but she didn't care. And neither would Anna. Anna's smile broadened. Elsa slipped her hand into Anna's and whispered, "Yes, Anna, it is time for the gifts."

She raised her voice to the crowd. "Before we begin with the celebration of gifts, I would like to say a few words."

Anna stepped back and bowed. Elsa always wished she wouldn't. But it was customary.

Elsa turned to the crowd. Tucking the slip of paper into her dress, Elsa cleared her throat. She knew what she wanted to say. "Today is Princess Anna of Arendelle's nineteenth birthday. Today, we honor royalty, as is customary. But more than that, today, we honor a wonderful woman. One who saved Arandelle from the eternal winter. Today, we honor the woman who saved you all."

Anna bit her lip and opened her mouth to speak, but the crowd cheered, drowning any words out. The crowd eventually fell silent.

"And today, we honor my little sister," Elsa continued in quiet voice. "Let us make this the best birthday celebration she has ever had. Let's start with the opening of the gifts." Anna whooped, then clapped a hand over her own mouth. Elsa smiled. "As it is obvious that is what the Princess has been waiting for." The crowd laughed. Bulda and the rest of Kristoff's family rolled quietly into the grounds. They remained in rock form, hidden from view. Elsa took a deep breath. She tilted her head to Kristoff. "If you'll begin."

Kristoff stepped forward. Elsa's stomach did a flip, her hands tingled. Her chest even tightened. He's not asking you, idiot. Calm down. She forced a smile and focused on the pair. She didn't want to miss a second of his proposal.

Anna went to him. The crowd formed a half circle around them. Kristoff took Anna's hand in his and swallowed, visibly. Elsa half smiled. So she wasn't the only nervous one.

"Anna of Arendelle," Kristoff began, "I have known you over a year, and have cherished every second of that time with you. I have gotten the privilege of knowing all your quirks. I know you are impatient. I know you are feisty and cheerful. I know you have an intense want for chocolate that can't be filled. And I know I am in love with you."

Anna smiled, tightening her grip on Kristoff's hand.

Elsa's eyes watered. One of her maids tugged on her sleeve and passed her to a tissue. She nodded her thanks and dabbed her eyes.

"And I also know I can't stand a second without you. You bring so much joy into my life, so much happiness and fun. And if you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life making you happy, too." Kristoff slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the box. He knelt and opened the box. The ring glinted. Anna gasped. The crowd did, too. "Anna of Arendelle, will you marry me?"

Anna didn't wait even a heartbeat. "Yes!"

They hugged. The garden erupted in sound. Elsa dabbed her eyes again. No crying. Not here. Not in front of her subjects. Thankfully no one really paid her much attention.

Worry gripped Astrid's stomach. Stormfly was fading fast. And who could blame her? They had been flying nearly all night long and most of the morning. They had never been this far away from Berk before. Of course her dragon would tire. But what really irked Astrid was how the white dragon never seemed to. It flew ahead of them the entire time. When they stopped, it would, like it was some sort of game, but the miniature dragon didn't seem worn out at all.

How was that possible?

Stormfly heaved, spiraling down then opening her wings when she found an updraft. The wind carried them high. Higher than the tiny dragon. Higher than the clouds even. The faint sound of cheering filtered through the white.

"What is that?" she muttered. Stormfly shook her head.

Astrid aimed Stormfly down again. They flew beneath the clouds and dipped lower still, following the little dragon. Astrid focused on the glinting creature. She didn't want it to transform into a snowflake and drift away.

When the noise grew, Astrid finally looked down. She gasped. They had flown to a land mass, and a huge one at that. Even from this high, Astrid couldn't see the other edge. Why was the little white dragon flying here, though? It didn't seem to have a dragon population. No, Astrid looked closer. No dragon had ever been here before. The houses were old and multiple stories high, the castle, undamaged.

Astrid pulled Stormfly up, higher than the little white dragon. In the distance, on the side of a mountain, a structure reflected the light. Did the little dragon belong there?

Astrid flew over the castle, careful to angle around the gardens so Stormfly's shadow wouldn't give them away. The people beneath them seemed too distracted anyway. A couple stood midst all the rest, hugging everyone. Their laughter carried up to Astrid. But a lone woman stood apart from the masses. The way she held herself, she had to be royalty. Stormfly dipped lower, low enough for Astrid to see the curve of the woman's body and the way her elegant red dress caught the light.

The little white dragon seemed to notice the same woman. It cooed.

Maybe it just got distracted.

The dragon plummeted to the ground, heading for the woman.

Astrid cursed. Maybe it got really distracted. Astrid swooped down, too.

After much hugging and hand holding and thank yous from Anna and Kristoff the place settled down once more. Anna ran over to Elsa and gave her a hug.

"Congratulations, Anna." Elsa smiled.

Anna hugged her again. "Thank you."

Elsa looked away, rubbing her arm. She didn't want to give Anna the necklace at all, but certainly not after all that fanfare. Why did she have to let Kristoff go first?

Anna tugged her around. "Did you have a gift for me, too?"

Elsa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Yes, but she didn't want to give it to her. Or maybe she could pass by her turn and give the necklace to Anna later on. Elsa shook her head, but Anna didn't get the hint. The crowd quieted.

Stuffing her hand in her pocket, Elsa's cheeks grew hot. "Anna, I don't know if…"

Anna interrupted her. "I'll like whatever you give me, Elsa. Anything at all."

Elsa drew out her hand, the necklace clasped tight in her fist. If only she could fling the gift away and try again. Or if she was wishing she might as well with for the dragon to come back. Her little ice dragon. She reached down and held one of Anna's hands in her own, intending on dropping the necklace into it. The little ice dragon, the one she had been searching for all last night and had given up hope for this morning, plopped down onto Anna's hand instead.

The crowd yelled. Some rushed away. But Elsa focused on her little sister's reaction.

Anna yelped. She dropped the dragon. It fell. Elsa tried to catch it, but the dragon slipped through her fingers and landed in a heap on the ground. One of its wings twisted oddly beneath it. The dragon bleated.

Elsa crouched down and propped it back up again. The dragon held the wing out from its body. Elsa winced. "I'm sorry, little one. I'll fix it, okay?"

The dragon looked at her with such sadness in its eyes Elsa just wanted to hug it. But that would just hurt it more. Besides this little one didn't really like contact very much anyway. Not yet.

"Sorry!" Anna, too, knelt down. "I'm so sorry. I just got scared and I didn't know what to do and I didn't realize it would be a live dragon and I didn't know you'd actually build me a dragon in the first place and-"

"Hush, Anna. Let me work."

Anna fell silent. Elsa summoned her powers. Ice crystals formed in between her hands. She pushed it towards the dragon, focusing the snow on the wing, mending the break. The wing healed. The dragon cooed and nuzzled against her hand.

But the crowd's screaming grew louder. More frantic. This wasn't how she pictured her gift giving at all. Yes it was a live dragon, but an ice one for heaven's sake. The people of Arendelle should be okay with it. They loved Olaf. Elsa rose. But her subjects weren't looking at her, they were looking above her. Elsa looked up just in time to see a burst of fire rocket down.

Elsa pulled Anna behind her, stepped over the little dragon, and put up her hands. She called up her powers and formed an ice shield. Flames barreled into the ice, heat seeping through even though Elsa put up more and more layers of cold to protect them.

When would this fire end?

Suddenly it did. But her shield warped her image of the attacker. It seemed like there were lots of them, flying around. But that couldn't be right. She shattered her ice. Only one creature attacked Arendelle. Only one terrifying fire-breathing dragon attacked. And atop the dragon rode a woman. A woman clad in leather battle gear, complete with a double-sided ax twice the size of Elsa's head strapped to her back.

The dragon swooped down once more.

SQ: Okay so they didn't technically meet, but they SAW EACH OTHER danggit! I tried. I really tried. But I loved where this section stopped and decided to stop the chapter here, too. Hate me if you'd like, but I will have them meet in the next one. Thanks for all the followers and favs thus far!

Sy Itha and Michelle - I know you wanted to know more about Astrid and Hiccup. That won't come until later on, but I promise it will come.

KAOSmaster - Thanks for pointing that out. There is a reason they're acting so off. I touched upon it a little bit in this chapter, but more will come later.

What do you think will happen next? Will there be 1) an epic battle between fire and ice, 2) an epic battle between Elsa and Anna, or 3) an epic battle between Stormfly and the still-unnamed dragon?

Have a lovely Fourth of July weekend!