The lone call of a blow horn sounded, dragging out the note in a low, rich tone followed by the even intervals of wood striking against tautly drawn animal skin in the hollow thumps of a drum.
Anna and Elsa jolted awake from their fitful sleep. It was a moonless night, the skies so clear that one could see the millions of twinkling stars overhead. But no one had been appreciating the constellations. The city streets were dark and empty, devoid of the usual streams of candlelight filtering through closed windows to light the paths. Like the city, the castle was quiet, almost lifeless. All the servants had been sent off nights prior, either to join the citizens heading towards the relative safety of the North Mountains or deep within the tunnels beneath the castle. Only Kai and Gerda had insisted on staying and it was the housekeeper who knocked lightly against the door of the royal bedchambers.
"Elsa? Anna? It's time." She announced solemnly through the wood before hurrying down the hallway.
Elsa untangled her limbs from Anna's and quickly crawled out of bed, her lithe form moving through the darkness to light a lamp on the dresser. They had spent the night wrapped around each other, bare skin pressed tightly against the other's, contented to spend the precious few hours of restless sleep they had close to one another. One of them would jerk awake after a few minutes of dozing, eyes frantic and heart pounding rapidly before snapping back to reality and desperately pressing a kiss to the other's lips as if needing to assure themselves that they were safe.
They dressed quickly; Anna donning on a thick woollen tunic and matching pants while Elsa stuck to thin loosely fitted cotton clothing beneath chainmail. Methodically strapping on the different parts of their plate armour, they silently helped each other with tightening the straps, ensuring that each piece was securely fastened before moving on to the next.
"Anna… about what we discussed last night… will you reconsider?" Elsa asked quietly as she sheathed Anna's long sword into its scabbard fastened to her wife's belt. While they were entwined in each other's arms last night, Elsa had very bluntly requested that Anna stayed within the castle walls, far away from the frontlines and Anna had nearly throttled her for it.
"Like I said last night, Elsa, my place is by your side." Anna sighed in exasperation. She understood that Elsa was worried about her safety. But what if something were to happen to Elsa when they were separated? Anna would be devastated. Elsa was her life as much as she was Elsa's and her idiotically selfless wife did not seem to comprehend that fact.
"I… I can't risk you getting hurt, Anna…" Elsa made a face of anguish at the thought. "I just can't." She repeated softly.
"Elsa." Anna cupped Elsa's cheeks with her gloved hands. "I cannot bear the thought if anything were to happen to either of us if we're separated. You're the only family I've got left. I'm staying by your side through this, Elsa."
Elsa averted her gaze but nodded reluctantly. The last time Anna had been separated from her family, she had lost her parents and Elsa had no intention of ever putting Anna through that sort of grief again. Inhaling deeply, she raised her head to meet Anna's gaze.
"There's something else then." Elsa stated softly, her gaze firm with determination.
Anna frowned. "I don't like the sound of this…" She knew that look. Whenever Elsa had on that expression, it usually meant Anna wouldn't like whatever the blonde was thinking.
"You probably wouldn't." Elsa agreed with a grim smile. "I've been thinking a lot about the trolls' message…" Elsa started slowly, her eyes intently watching Anna's reaction as she recited the verse. "Born of magic, a weapon in disguise; born with magic with the power to wield; one of fair hair the other bronze; united by blood and of bond. Only when two becomes one of mind, unleash from within a flaming ice." Elsa paused, letting Anna absorb her words. "I think I know what it means and how it can help our… situation."
Anna grimaced. "I really don't like where this is going…"
"I am the weapon, that much is clear and the only time I've had control was whenever I'm around you. The second line of the verse was referring to you. You have the innate ability to control me but only when we desire the same outcome." Elsa hurriedly concluded.
"So… what are you actually saying, Elsa?" Anna prompted.
"Use me. I can end this war in an instant." Elsa gently held Anna's shoulders. "Let's not shed the blood of our people. This war is a personal attack. Let it end with me."
"Elsa, we don't know what would happen after. Don't you remember the warning or are you choosing to ignore it? I won't do it. It won't work unless both of us agree. I will not make such a call with your life at stake." Anna vehemently shook her head.
"Fine. I won't force your hand. Please just promise me that you will reconsider if the situation calls for it." Elsa lightly caressed Anna's cheek with a thumb. "I can't bear the thought of losing you…"
"You won't. We'll get through this. Just you wait and see." Anna rose on her toes to kiss Elsa firmly, their armour clanking as they embraced awkwardly.
xxx
Kristoff stood at the top of the barracks' battlements overlooking the open waters. The entrance to the fjord and the merchant trading harbour leading off from the city had been sealed by four of Arendelle's warships forming a 'T' across the waterway; two blocked majority of the wide passage, anchored in a manner where their bows faced each other separated by a strip of space filled by the bows of the other two ships. The twinned long cannons of the two ships facing forward protruded from the bow while smaller cannons could be seen sticking out of the hull on the gun platforms; waiting to lay waste to any ship that dared sailed within firing range.
There was movement to Kristoff's right and he did not have to turn his head to know that Elsa and Anna had joined him.
"What's our strategy?" He asked as Elsa took the spyglass from his hands and raised it to her eyes.
Elsa peered through the glass, panning over the waters. The outlines of Weaselton ships could be seen in the distance, shrouded by fog and almost invisible beneath the cover of night. They were floating well out of artillery range, sails rolled up so they wouldn't drift too much. Elsa set the spyglass down and glanced around at her surroundings.
Even though it was barely three in the morning, her men were fully dressed in armour over thick winter clothing, their eyes clear and not hazy with sleep. Archers armed with longbows and quivers full of white feathered arrows knelt by the parapets. The drawbridge separating the barracks from the docks had remained lowered at her instructions separated by the portcullis that barred access to the thick steel reinforced wooden doors of the barbican. In the courtyard, the mounted cavalry waited patiently while foot soldiers armed with lances and swords stood in neatly formed rows. Hundreds of men, all poised and awaiting her instructions.
There was a bit of a scuffle then noisy footsteps as two foot soldiers tried to restrain a short figure emerging from the stairwell. Anna turned as an indignant voice, muffled by a helm snapped.
"Unhand me, you… you oafs! I am the Field Marshal's squire!"
"Olaf?" Anna called out, brows furrowed in sceptical recognition.
"See! The princess knows me! Let me go!"
"Release him." Anna instructed and the foot soldiers did as told, stepping back as Olaf shuffled over, his chainmail clinking beneath his tunic.
"Hi, Anna!" He greeted cheerfully, grinning up at Anna.
"Olaf?" Elsa, overhearing the commotion had approached in brisk strides. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay back at the castle." She chastised the boy, her forehead crinkling in frustration.
"I can fight! I've been your squire for years, Elsa. My place is here! With you and Anna and Kristoff!" Olaf insisted defiantly.
"Olaf…" Elsa sighed in exasperation, leaning over so she was eye level with the boy, she held him by his shoulders, a serious expression on her face. "We all have duties, Olaf. And yours is back at the castle."
"No." Olaf replied boldly. "My duty is to serve my commanding officer. And he's here. You are all here."
"Maybe we should let him stay." Anna suggested softly, kneeling by Elsa's side and touching a hand to Elsa's forearm.
"He's just a boy…" Elsa protested.
"No, he's not." Anna shook her head lightly, smiling back at an eagerly watching Olaf. "He's as brave as any knight. And I think he would make a fine one. Don't you agree?" Anna casted Elsa a look that literally dared the blond to disagree and as predicted, Elsa blanched.
"Good." Anna stood, pulling Elsa up with her. "May I?" She asked and Elsa nodded in resignation. Turning back to face Olaf, Anna smiled proudly at the squire.
"Kneel, Olaf." She instructed gently and he quickly dropped to one knee. Anna drew her sword, tapping the tip against Olaf's shoulders. "As Princess Anna of Arendelle, I dubbed thee Ser Olaf, knight of Arendelle. May you serve well and with honour all the days of your life. Wear the crest of our kingdom with pride, rise now, Ser Olaf and uphold truth, goodness and justice for which it stands."
Olaf could barely contain his joy as he rose to his feet, without hesitation, he flung his arms around Anna's waist, hugging her in gratitude before releasing her to embrace a surprised Elsa. Before either women could react, the newly appointed knight skipped off down the stairs to join the hulking frame of Marshmallow astride his destrier.
Anna glanced at Elsa, catching the blonde's affectionate stare as she watched Olaf's retreating form.
"Upset that I undermined your authority?" Anna asked in jest.
"Not at all. You did what I lacked the courage to do." Elsa stared out to the waters, watching miniature waves cresting as they approached shore.
"Who knows what happens in the next hour. I'd rather he ride out knowing that he had achieved his goal. Besides, he deserved it. Any other squire his age would have already attained their knighthood." Anna squeezed Elsa's hand discreetly.
"I thought I'd have more time to train him myself…" Elsa sighed heavily.
"You can't keep him by your side forever. Have a little more faith."
"You're right. It was selfish of me. Thank you, Anna, for doing what I couldn't." Elsa smiled lovingly at Anna.
"That's what wives are for right?" Anna grinned back, nudging Elsa with her elbow.
They stared out at the silhouettes of the enemy warships in the distance.
"What do you think they are doing?" Anna asked after what felt like an eternity had passed.
"Waiting." Elsa responded simply.
"For? Reinforcements? For us to sail out to meet them on open waters?"
Patience had never been Anna's strong suit and she had just about reached her limit. Not that she wanted to jump into battle but anything, any form of action would be appreciated. At least it meant she could move with the flow, react to her instincts and not sitting around twiddling her thumbs.
"I don't know. But I don't intend to find out. We'll be taking the fight to them. But first, would you do the honours?" Elsa gestured to the men gathered in the courtyard. It was tradition to deliver a pre-battle speech, to lift the soldiers' spirits before the charge, to forge stronger bonds in the face of probable death.
"Gladly."
Anna strode to the edge of the curtain wall with confidence, taking in the faces of each man staring up at her and committing them to memory. Some might not live to see the end of the day while others will be waking to another nightmare tomorrow. Yet here they stood, unafraid of what was to come, willingly laying down their very mortal lives. She was beyond honoured to fight by their side.
"Gentlemen. Today, I stand before you not as the Princess of Arendelle but as your equal. Fight not for me or for your Queen. Fight for yourselves, for your family, for your comrades riding out into battle beside you. Arendelle is nothing without its people. Each and every one of you are what makes our Kingdom great. Draw your swords, raise your lances and axes. Make the enemy cower and regret ever thinking they could trample on our souls. At arms, warriors! Rain hell upon them!" Anna drew her sword, swinging it through the air to point out at the waters.
The sound of metal clanging against metal as men slammed their weapons against their shields of breastplates was deafening. Anna stood high above on the battlements, staring out with pride, her blood boiling in her veins from the heightened bloodlust stemming from the soldiers below. She heard Elsa shouting out an order, sending the men scurrying around the barbican.
Cries of "Raise the gate!" sounded and the cast iron portcullis was cranked up slowly.
"You are a natural. Remind me to leave all future speeches to you." Elsa whispered as she led Anna down the steps to the courtyard where their horses waited.
"Is this one of your ploys to wiggle out of your duties?" Anna whispered back.
Elsa grimaced. "Maybe. Let's just hope there'd still be a kingdom to rule then."
"There will be. You are a brilliant strategist, Elsa." Anna commented as she mounted her pale grey Fjord stallion with a white and black mane.
Elsa squeezed Anna's thigh in silent gratitude for the vote of confidence before taking the reins of her black destrier and striding briskly through the gate. She marched towards the end of the pier, her stallion trotting along behind her while the mounted cavalry spilled out through the gate in her wake. Looking out over the calm waters, Elsa stomped her boot into the wooden pier, a layer of frost erupting from beneath her feet and spreading down the wooden foundations and onto the water. The fjord froze with a soft cackle, layers upon layers of frost crystallising in spicules that raced across the waters to the enemy ships.
Ear-splitting cracks echoed across the frozen plain as frost crawled up the hulls of the ships, eating into the wood, the pressure so great that it caused some parts to collapse. As quickly as it had started, the ice stopped their spread after engulfing all eight ships, leaving spikes of ice stretching down from the tops of the masts.
An eerie silence enveloped the army gathered on shore as they remained still, awaiting orders. Their breaths steamed in the cold air as they exhaled, even the horses snorted out tendrils of opaque white clouds. But they were toasty warm in their winter clothing beneath the armour, the horses also donning thick woollen hoods. They were well accustomed to the chill. How could they not? When they have Elsa on their side, it was to be expected that they would play to their advantage and include their commander's ice powers within their strategies.
Elsa mounted her destrier, patting the stallion affectionately on his thick neck.
"Kristoff." She called out and the broad blond rode up alongside her on a charcoal grey stallion. "Have the archers hold their positions on the wall. We'll split our forces into three battalions. Lead the vanguard and have Marshmallow take the rear. Anna and I will take the middle and lead the charge."
Kristoff nodded and rode off, barking out orders.
Elsa smiled grimly to herself, hoping fervently that her strategy would work. Arendelle was known for its naval fleet. It was no secret that their military prowess was second to none in all of the kingdoms. As such, Arendelle would be expected to engage in naval warfare and subduing enemy forces on open waters. Based on that theory, Elsa would expect the Weaselton warships to be artillery heavy, armed with cannons to sink Arendelle's ships. The cannons have been taken care of. Her ice would have rendered any gunpowder based artillery useless with moisture. The ships were stuck in ice, making jumping overboard suicidal and even if anyone did survived the fall, the only place they could run was out into open waters behind them. That left the infantry men on board and even those would eventually succumb to the cold. If they had been prepared for the low temperatures, then all that was left was for Elsa to lead her men forth and eliminate them. Weaselton warships never stood a chance. She was more worried about the unknown number of forces hiding within the forest south of Arendelle.
But even that, she had prepared for.
It had been Anna's idea. As her wife had casually pointed out one evening as they pondered over military strategies, Arendelle technically had two armies. The first had consisted of highly skilled men, kept on a retainer and bound by duty. The other was Elsa alone whose powers made her stronger than a hundred men.
As the army stood on the edge of the frozen fjord, a hundred of Elsa's snow golems had begun trekking through the forest; their misshaped bodies surprisingly agile as they slipped between the trees, silent as the fall of a fresh coat of snow. The golems had only one goal in their sentient minds; to track down hostile forces and drive them back across the border where they belonged. Elsa had never been particularly fond of taking lives. She had seen her fair share of deaths over the years but hardly saw the need to deliver the killing blow.
Drawing her sword, Elsa pointed it forwards and led the march down the ramp of packed snow and onto the frozen waters. She had deliberately created an uneven topmost layer of frost, the rough grain ensuring the horses and the foot soldiers did not slip as they walked on ice. The procession panned out abreast, a thick line of steel with Arendelle's royal colours of green and purple fluttering on banners moved steadily towards the enemy's ships.
It was a good twenty minutes of marching, with only the sound boots crunching against the frost underfoot before the outline of the ships loomed overhead. Up close, the Weaselton warships were encased in a thick layer of frost, spicules of ice growing out at awkward angles and appearing an opaque white under the limited lighting from the stars.
Elsa's keen eyes noted that one warship had deliberately run aground against the shoreline, a thick wooden gangway lowered from the ship's deck onto the sand. It quickly became clear why the ships were floating almost aimlessly so far out. They were unloading something. Potentially troops to join the Southern Isles forces camped out in the forest. Either way, it must have been something crucial to gain the upper-hand if they had been willing to sacrifice a ship. Nonetheless, Elsa's golems would find them.
There was a flicker of light as a torch burst into flames, casting an orange glow over the cloaked figures of a party of five that moved carefully across the frozen fjord as they approached Arendelle's army.
Elsa held up her hand, tugging lightly on the reins and her stallion halted. Behind her, the procession slowed to a stop, maintaining their battle formations. The little blip of light bobbed as it moved closer, barely discernible through the fog and the darkness; the weakly burning torch held aloft by the leading figure almost getting snuffed out by a chilly gust that sent the little party hunkering down in their thin cloaks.
"That's close enough." Elsa spoke up when the figures were ten feet away.
The leader of the group lowered the hood of his cloak, the flames from his torch casting its warm glow over his face. He stared unflinchingly up at Elsa, his eyes dark beneath a face with greying stubble and a head of closely cropped grey hair. He was wearing the maroon colours of Weaselton beneath the drab grey cloak, the hilt of his sword protruding against his side. His companions spread out behind him, their faces concealed beneath their hoods.
"Prince Hans of the Southern Isles sends his regards." The man greeted, his voice carrying a malicious tilt.
Elsa almost laughed, barely containing her amusement before she responded coldly. "I did not realise that Weaselton was under the Southern Isles' rule."
The man had the audacity to sneer. "Why would you. You are only concerned with bedding the Arendelle princess."
"If I were you, I'd choose my next words carefully." The thinly veiled threat hung in the air as Elsa's eyes narrowed in barely concealed rage.
The Weaselton soldier smiled. "This is your only chance to surrender. The generous Prince Hans has offered to spare your people if you have your men lower their weapons. You'd be wise to give up the throne, Queen Elsa."
"I decline."
"Wrong answer."
The man flung the blazing torch towards Elsa who promptly froze it in mid-air extinguishing the flames with a dismissive wave of her hand. But the motion had its intended effect. At the signal, loud battle cries erupted from within the decks of the ships and men began descending onto the frozen fjord from ropes.
The enemy forces swarmed onto the fjord, swords drawn as their archers took up positions on the ships' upper decks. Elsa quickly conjured up a heavy blizzard over the ships, pelting the archers with sleet and whipping their arrows off its trajectories to clatter harmlessly onto the iced over fjord.
Raising her sword high into the air, Elsa bellowed at the top of her lungs. "CHARGE!"
Elsa dug her heels into her stallion's flanks and the beast lunged forward. The cavalry responded to her command and the distance between both armies closed quickly. Within seconds, Arendelle's cavalry tore through the ranks of Weaselton's infantry in a mess of flying bodies. The enemy troops that remained standing were soon engaged in hand to hand combat with Arendelle's foot soldiers, staining the frozen fjord with blood.
Anna yanked hard on her horse's reins and the beast turned. The enemy's soldiers that had jumped out of the way were recovering, pushing themselves to their feet and cautiously approaching her. Quickly dismounting, she slapped her stallion hard on his flanks, sending him galloping though the group of soldiers as he made his way back to shore. Taking advantage of the momentarily distraction, Anna slammed her boot into the shoulder of the nearest soldier that had fallen on to his knees, sending him face first into the ice and knocking him unconscious.
From her peripheral vision, Anna spotted the flash of Elsa's platinum braid that had come loose of her white and blue plume helm several feet away. Elsa had dismounted as well, her sword slicing through the air to check an enemy's swing. A snarling Weaselton soldier lunged at Anna, blocking Elsa from her line of sight. Anna swung her long sword in an upwards swing, catching her attacker on the wrist and sending his weapon clattering onto the ice. Without missing a beat, she slammed the brass knuckledusters of her sword hand into his face, his nose crunching loudly from the impact before following up with a punch at his throat that sent him staggering backwards, breathless. Her path now clear, Anna made her way through the mass of bodies engaged in battle, heading towards where she had last seen Elsa.
It was complete and utter chaos. Steel meeting steel rang across the frozen fjord, mixed in with grunts of pain and exertion. Anna's eyes had long adjusted to the darkness, enabling her to see as clearly as day, yet she could barely make out who were the enemy and who were her allies. She pushed through the crowd, sidestepping or ducking beneath wild swings of a sword, occasionally engaging and disarming any attackers who impeded her progress. A wave of relief flooded through her as she finally caught a glimpse of Elsa's braid again and like a moth to a flame, Anna redoubled her efforts to reach Elsa.
As Anna approached, it quickly became clear why Elsa chose to wield a one-handed sword with her non-dominant right hand when she did not carry a shield. Elsa used her sword both as her offense and defense, checking blows or striking while ice blasted from the fingers of her left hand. Anna had never seen anything as beautiful yet terrifying at the same time. Elsa's unique fighting style was flawless; each strike of her sword or blast of her magic leaving her attackers maimed or restrained in a lump of ice. Despite the enemy's intent on killing her, Elsa did not deliver any fatal blows; showing mercy to the very people who would not hesitate to take her life.
Elsa turned then and her eyes met Anna's.
"Duck!" Elsa shouted in warning.
Anna immediately dropped into a crouch as an ice spike soared over her head to pierce through the shoulder of an attacker that had crept up behind her. The man collapsed to the ground, grimacing in horror at the length of ice that had skewered through his shoulder, shattering his collarbone. Anna slammed the hilt of her sword into his helm, knocking him unconscious.
"There. You're better off asleep for now." Anna muttered
By the time Anna had rose to her feet, Elsa was covering her flank and they stuck close to each other, protecting each other's backs, taking out any enemy who dared enter within striking range.
Anna swung her long sword in an upwards arc, catching the chain of a flail that a visored enemy knight swung at her skull. The spiked sphere of the striking head scraped with ear piercing shrieks across the top of her helm as it wound itself into a tangle on her sword. Yanking hard downwards, she pulled the knight towards the ground, dropping her useless sword and drawing his from the scabbard on his belt. With a firm thrust, she stabbed the off guard knight below his collarbone and shoving him off the blade with a push kick to his breastplate. As the knight fell, Anna sliced through the sinew and muscle in the back of his ankle for good measure.
Anna should have been petrified. Greater men have been known to freeze up in the face of their first battle. But she was empowered by her men's cry for blood as they struck down the enemy with ease. The fight was growing increasingly one-sided; Weaselton's forces no match against Arendelle's. It felt like they had been at it for hours, both factions pushing against the other; Weaselton's efforts painfully futile as they suffered crippling losses when in essence it had only been mere minutes. Their archers were indisposed by the never ending blizzard and without an artillery line to back up their infantry; Weaselton troops were outnumbered and overwhelmed. Victory was just but a moment away.
"Elsa!" Anna screamed, drawing the blonde's attention to a rapidly growing fire in the distance.
Anna had caught the whiff of smoke earlier and found it odd that the sky appeared to be lightening but hadn't given it much further thought. Now it was blatantly obvious as to the source of the burnish orange glow; the forest south of the castle was up in flames, black smoke from incomplete combustion curling into the sky.
Elsa gave the blaze a cursory glance, her mind analysing their situation. Only a handful of Weaselton's soldiers were still standing but their numbers dwindled rapidly, falling beneath the swords of her men in a spill of blood and guts. Her eyes search for the tell-tale piles of armour that indicated a knight, counting them off quickly. Including the one that Anna had stuck down and the two that she had almost fatally maimed, four more laid in pools of blood with the sole remaining knight currently being pummelled into a mess of broken bone and bruised flesh by Marshmallow's fists. Eight enemy knights, presumably one to lead each ship. That was far too little and the numbers worried her, so did the number of dead or wounded Weaselton troops lying in their own blood on the frozen fjord. However, there wasn't time to ponder. The fire, if left unhindered will burn through the forest rich with dried autumn leaves, brittle branches and oil rich fir trees, perfect as kindle. It would no doubt spread through the city, heading towards the castle battlements and trapping her men on the frozen fjord with fire on one side and open waters on the other.
"Fall back!" Elsa cried out. "Fall back to the Keep!"
The men echoed her command and began moving as a unit towards the shore, pausing occasionally to put fallen men out of their misery with a quick stab of their swords into weakly beating hearts.
"Anna." Elsa touched her hand to Anna's forearm, slowing the redhead. "Lower the gates and head towards the battlements."
"Why are you telling me this?" Anna's brows furrowed in confusion before her eyes widened in understanding. "No. You're not going into the forest."
"I have to. It's our only option."
"Take the vanguard with you." Anna insisted, begging now.
"No, I can't do that. The flames will be too hot, they will just be riding to their deaths."
"So would you!" Anna snapped back, fear for Elsa's wellbeing evident in her raised voice. "Can't you just summon a snowstorm over it?" Her eyes were wide with desperation now.
"I can but it will only serve to smoulder it temporarily. I need to put it out at its base."
"Can't your golems do that?"
"They melted." Elsa admitted, her voice softened as she continued. "I need you to stay in the castle and hold it. Arendelle's defense is in your hands now. I'll be back soon." She smiled lightly, hoping her confidence would sooth Anna's worries.
Anna clutched desperately to Elsa's arms, reluctant to agree but she saw the validity in Elsa's words. There was no other choice, not if they intended to win this war and honour their men who had fallen in sacrifice to a victory. Pulling off her helm, Anna threw her arms around Elsa's shoulders, her lips pressing fervently against Elsa's.
The kiss was one of desperation and longing; both women fearing that it might be the last one they shared. When they parted, Anna leaned up to brush her lips against Elsa's again and again before stepping back, smiling bravely.
"Come back to me."
Elsa smirked. "Don't I always?"
Breaking into a sprint, Elsa nimbly leapt into the air, a majestic ice snow leopard bursting from the frozen fjord beneath her. She landed on its back, fingers gripping its neck and the beast surged forward in a streak of white and matte black of Elsa's armour.
Anna watched until Elsa reached the opposite shore and disappeared into the tree line. Hurrying up the snow ramp and through the gates to her waiting men, she began shouting out orders.
"Lower the gates! Raise the bridge and make haste to the castle!"