Chapter Eight

Elsa shook her head. The feeling of that barbarian's hand on her wrist still lingered on her skin. The heat that came with the touch dizzied her further. She brought her hand to her cheek. Even there, the warmth lingered.

She puffed out a breath. "So much for acting like a Queen. I have to keep my distance from her." But how could she keep her distance and interrogate her in the morning? She needed more information before she could do it properly. Elsa wandered over to the window and gazed through the glass. Outside, the moon lit up the fountains in the courtyard. She needed more information. She leaned closer to the window, the night chill permeating through to her skin. About them. About dragons. Perhaps, if she could get more information about the dragons, she could speak intelligently with this woman instead of going along with everything she requested.

Like talking. In the middle of the night. With only her nightgown on and no guards to protect her. Elsa rolled her eyes. What in heavens name was she thinking?

She walked to her dresser and pulled out her blue overcoat. Slipping into the coat, she grabbed her boots and opened her door once again. An image of Astrid, the barbarian woman, being dragged away by Elsa's guards swam up in her mind. Of those lovely blue eyes staring back at her. Of the longing she saw there.

Elsa had paused at the doorway, swept away by the memory. The longing….

But not for her.

Of course not for her.

Elsa shook herself slightly and slid her feet into her boots, bending down to lace them up. She wandered down the hall, heading for the courtyard below. The guards would most certainly ask why she decided to visit this strange dragon in the middle of the night. She would have to make up some excuse. Yet, she did have an excuse. The barbarian wanted to know about her dragon. And she'd probably be angry about being taken away so forcefully. In order to gain her trust, Elsa would make sure the dragon would survive the night… and much longer afterwards. While she trusted her guards, they would have no choice but defend her home if it came to it. Her first order when dealing with this newcomer… keep Anna safe… would trump all things.

She quickly and quietly traversed the hallways of her home and soon pushed open the door leading to the courtyard. A burst of cold air hit her face, her neck, swirling under her coat and her nightgown. She smiled. The cold never bothered her. In fact, it felt nice to be outside, out of her room, out of the heat that lingered there.

Out of reach of that barbarian's touch.

Elsa rubbed her wrist then shook her head.

Far out of reach of that woman's touch.

Astrid sat with her back to the tiny window and cursed.

Longing. Gods. How could she call the look on the Queen's face right before they took her away a look of longing? It was a look of anger more like. Of fury in those ice blue eyes. Astrid had said something wrong or done something to upset the Queen and now she would pay.

How could she have been so stupid to talk to the Queen like that? It was hopeless, hopeless. She slammed her fist into the ground, only succeeding to hurt herself in the process. She was hopeless as keeper of the peace. It wouldn't shock her if the Queen had called a meeting and was discussing the swift removal of Astrid's head. Sneaking up on her in the middle of the night. Making demands. What was she thinking?

A memory of Elsa pushed up against her chest, captive in her arms. Holding her close like that?

She could still feel the cold of the Queen's skin on her own. Of how good it felt to be chilled like that.

What was she thinking?

Astrid stood. She couldn't sit any longer. Couldn't stay still any longer. Anger coursed through her, not at these people, not at the Queen, but at herself. If Hiccup were here he would know what to do. He would talk calmly to these people. He would be rational. But he wasn't here. She was.

She scanned out the window, briefly, as if that would help her situation, to see outside, a place she would probably never see again because of the stunt she pulled that night. Movement caught her eye. The Queen. Elsa strode across the courtyard, heading for the corner, heading for Stormfly.

"No!" Astrid yelled. Surely, the Queen wouldn't take it out on Stormfly. But with her in the prison, who else could she attack?

Elsa's boots crunched over the gravel as she traversed the small space to the makeshift holding pen. The ice cage sparkled in the moonlight. Bars thicker than two of Kristoff's arms and a roof heavier than three carts held the creature in, yet both guards eyed her warily as came nearer.

"Your Highness, please don't come any closer," the female guard said, position herself between Elsa and the dragon.

"Yes, the creature is dangerous," the second chimed in, heaving her sword onto her shoulder.

Elsa nodded. "Thank you for your concern."

But she ignored them and went straight over the bars, placing a hand on her ice cage. The cage would hold. The strange dragon seemed to be sleeping, head tucked under its wing, tail pulled close to its body. It's breathing had evened out, its huge sides rising and falling. Up close Elsa could admire its coloring, how the blue of its back melted into the white of its stomach. How the horns, so bright yellow in color, brought out the yellow of its wings. How the coloring continued even to the tip of its tail. The dragon looked… pretty. Even the spikes looked less deadly now.

What had that barbarian called it? Called… her?

"Stormfly," Elsa muttered.

She pressed a hand over her mouth. What if the dragon heard her?

One of the guards moved next to her and gave her a sideways glance. "Did you say something, your Highness?"

"No." Elsa's stomach twisted. Lying? To her own people? Over something so trivial as a name. What was she doing? She turned to the guard. "Actually I did say something. Stormfly."

"Storm…fly?" The guard replied.

Elsa nodded. "Apparently this creature's name is Stormfly."

The other guard sidled up next to her and stared at the dragon. "Why should it even have a name? A creature so fearsome as this shouldn't be granted the privilege of having a name."

"This dragon is our prisoner's pet," Elsa said, more forcefully than she had intended. The guards titled their heads. It struck her for the second time that night that she was defending the wrong place, the wrong people. She was Queen. Queen of Arendelle. She had a right to this place and none other. Elsa continued, "But we should keep it locked up."

The guards exhaled.

Elsa titled her head towards the dragon. "Has it done anything… particularly interesting since it's been captive here?"

"Nothing, your Highness."

Elsa sighed. How was she supposed to learn more about these creatures if it don't… well… do anything? "Have you given it food and water?"

The guards pointed at the far end of the cage. There was a trough full of withered vegetables and a bucket filled with brown water. Elsa wrinkled her nose. Even from here, the offering looked disgusting. Not fit for even the pigs that roamed the far grasslands.

Elsa turned to the guards. "I told you to take care of it."

The guards exchanged glances. "We… did, your Highness."

"This is not good enough. Get some of the leftovers from dinner," Elsa ordered. "And a new bucket of fresh water."

The guards lingered at the cage, motioning to the dragon. "But, your Highness."

Elsa drew herself up to her full height. "Go."

The guards nodded and left, dashing to the kitchens.

Astrid tried to peer around the bars on her window but she couldn't see where the guards ran to. Why were the guards leaving the Queen alone with Stormfly? If the Queen… if Elsa wanted to kill Stormfly wouldn't she want witnesses to her act? Wouldn't she want as many people to see her power?

Shaking her head, Astrid turned back to Stormfly and prayed to all the gods that she would stay calm.

"Please," Astrid whispered. "Please, Stormfly, just behave. I'll be better tomorrow, I promise. I won't do anything reckless like that again."

Elsa turned back to Stormfly and leaned on the cage, pressing her cheek to an ice bar. But why? Why was she being so nice to this creature? Because if Anna's dragon got lost she'd want someone to take care of it? No. The muscles beneath Stormfly's hide rippled with each breath it took. Its pointed teeth stuck out from between it lips. A puff of smoke trailed out of its snout. This dragon could certainly take care of itself.

Because she wanted to understand. She wanted this dragon to be peaceful. She wanted this prisoner to be peaceful. She wanted to evade a war. And taking care of this barbarian's pet might be a good way to do so. The barbarian… Astrid… seemed so concerned.

Footsteps behind her caught her attention. "Elsa, there you are!" Elsa turned.

Anna, clad in only her nightgown, rushed towards her. Flying close behind her was the miniature ice dragon. Anna skidded to a stop next to her, hugged Elsa tight, and then caught the ice dragon in her arms.

"Anna, what are you doing out here? It could be dangerous." Elsa tried to pull her away from the sleeping creature, but Anna wouldn't move.

Anna spared only the barest glances to the bigger dragon. She held up the miniature dragon, who cooed at Elsa. "I've thought up a name for my dragon. I'm going to call him Icicle."

Elsa nodded and reached out to pet Icicle. But the miniature dragon's gaze had locked onto the cage. Anna, too, turned towards the sleeping beast.

Stormfly's eyes slid open. In a heartbeat, the creature was on its feet and had latched its long claws around Anna's waste, yanking her into the bars and holding her in place. Icicle bleated. Anna screamed. Breathing in deep, its bright yellow eyes locked onto Anna. Inches away from the dragon, Elsa could see the scales on Stormfly's face, the way her lips resembled a beak at the tip, the ridges that raveled up to her nose-spike, the burgundy around her eyes. Stormfly opened her mouth, a deep rumbling started in her chest. And Elsa could see a flame curling in the dragon's throat. Elsa gasped. A flame that would surely kill her sister.

"Please don't," Elsa choked out. The dragon wouldn't hear her over the roaring in its chest. The dragon wouldn't understand her. The dragon couldn't.

But Stormfly titled her head, angling her mouth away from Anna, and stared at her once more.

Surely the dragon couldn't understand her. But she kept talking anyway. "If you kill her, you could start a battle between our people."

Stormfly narrowed her eyes.

Elsa swallowed her fear. "If you kill her, my guards will kill you. And they will kill your rider. They'll kill Astrid. Under my orders."

Surely the dragon didn't understand. It couldn't.

And, yet, Stormfly closed its mouth and let Anna go. Backed away.

The breath Astrid had been holding escaped her in a whoosh. Her tension eased away. Her muscles relaxed. She sagged against the window frame. Thank the gods.

Elsa breathed again. She tried to pull Anna away from the bars, but Anna didn't move. Instead, lips trembling, she said, "Now, there's a good dragon."

Icicle bleated again, bearing his tiny teeth, and glared at Stormfly. He wrapped himself around Anna's neck and sat on her shoulders, tail and claws curling down by her heart. Anna petted him, her fingers slipping down its skin.

Still, Elsa pulled her little sister away from the cage. Even thought the dragon didn't fire. Even though the dragon backed away. Even though they seemed to have a tentative connection. Anna was still her little sister.

"Your Highness!" Her two guards came running back, one laden with a heaping pile of fish, the other heaving a sloshing bucket of water. "Is everything okay?"

Anna and Elsa looked at each other. To Elsa, Anna seemed fine, fired up in the face of death. And so, Elsa turned to her guards and said, "We're fine. Give the dragon its new food and water."

The two sisters walked into their home. And Elsa, who looked back only once, nodded her thanks to the dragon who did not kill her sister. Stormfly bowed its head. Perhaps it was to eat its new food, but… perhaps not.

Yes, Elsa decided, there was much to learn about these strangers. And tomorrow morning, she'd tackle the barbarian.

Astrid allowed herself a small smile. At least for tonight, they were safe. Tomorrow, she'd deal with the Queen.

SQ: I know. I KNOW. It's been forever, once again. But grad school, guys, it's tough. Like before, burn me or freeze me, at least I got a chapter up, right? I hope you like the name I picked for the little ice dragon. (Thanks, Oaden!)

Thanks for all of the followers and favorites thus far! I'd love to see more comments, though, to see how you, my lovely readers, think this story is progressing. My one worry - it's too slow on the romance aspect. What do you think?

Until next time! (Again, hopefully sooner. I am taking 13 credits this term instead of 9, though, so possibly not.)