(a/n: sorry for the wait, took a bit longer due to work, sickness and other things. This part of the story is taken a bit longer than i originally thought but next chapter is the last in this part of the story. Enjoy and review!)
Ch.4: Cold Hearted Part: 2
Arendelle, Years ago…
It was the best day ever before one of the worst moments in Elsa's life occurred. That morning, the whole family had a delicious breakfast together.
Their father had taken care of business and had the whole day free and Jack had arrived at dawn to surprise them, having returned from overseas. The whole day was like a pleasant dream. The sun was shone bright and warm in the clear blue skies. The autumn air was cool but was warm enough to explore the outside world and so they did.
The royals took a pleasant hike up into the mountains until they reached a bluff that gave a grand view of the castle, the city, the harbor, the fjord and everything within sight that belonged to the kingdom of Arendelle. Anna and Elsa played around with together and with their elder sibling.
They ran and played for hours, chasing each other and having snowball fights. Their parents eventually stopped them so they could eat the picnic they had dragged all that way up the mountain. Packed away in the wicker basket was a small feast.
The food was so delicious that Elsa doubted that she would forget the taste, even if she grew to be a hundred. Roasted pheasant, baked apples, turkey smothered with an assortment of spices, and cooked trout. For dessert was an assortment of lemon cakes, chocolate pastries and cream puffs. It was a fantastic way to end their hike.
As they journeyed down the mountain, Elsa grew exhausted and couldn't walk another step.
Anna on the other hand skipped along happily as if she could continue on for a very long time.
She ended up being scooped up by her brother and tossed on to his shoulders. She squealed with delight "Jack!"
"Come on Elsa, you don't want to get left behind do you?" he chuckled. "Left out here in the dark scary forest?" "No!" declared Elsa.
Jack grinned, "If you fall behind, the wolves will get you!" "No they won't" laughed Elsa "I'll scare them off!"
"Indeed you will" said Jack proudly "You can scare off any monster with your magic". He told her to hold on and he took off running, passing Anna, mother and father yelling "Race ya!" Anna took off running after them laughing. The king and queen didn't participate in the race, but merely watched them race through the woods down to the end of the trail.
That night, Jack carried his little sisters up to their room to put them to bed. Elsa was ready to sleep but Anna was still as energetic as she was earlier that morning. She bounced around on her bed demanding that her siblings would come and play but Jack said that he was tired and it was bedtime.
Anna flopped down on the bed, complaining "But I don't want to go to bed. I want to play"
"You can play some more tomorrow" assured Jack. He pulled the large thick blanket over his little sister.
He gave both of them a kiss on the forehead and bid them sweet dreams but before he left, Anna stopped him "Wait!" "What is it?" asked Jack as he stood in the doorway.
Anna drew her knees up to her chest "Can you tell us a story?" "A story?" said Jack, arching an eyebrow.
"Please!" begged Anna, batting her eyes at him. Her older brother stared at her for a few long seconds then a smile appeared on his face "Ok, you'll get a story" "Yay!" cried Anna jumping up and down.
"But" continued Jack "once the story is finished, you have to go to bed. Got it?" Anna stopped jumping and nodded.
Jack sat down at the edge of Anna's bed and she crawled back under the covers and drew her knees up to her chest. Jack looked at both of his sisters "So…what story do you want to hear?" Elsa didn't care; she was elated from such a wonderful day, wanting it to never end. Anna bit her lip as she thought really hard to come up with a story she wants to hear.
Finally she exclaimed, "I know!"
"Which one?" asked Jack sweetly. Anna pointed to a skinny leather bound book that sat on her bedside table. Jack picked it up and read the embossed title aloud "Tales and Fables by Thomas Fisher?"
"They're all my favorite" said Anna. Jack shrugged "Ok than". He flipped through the pages until he found one that sounded satisfactory.
When he found one, he said, "Here we go. The Red Maiden of Lancaster." "I like this one" said Anna with a grin.
Jack read from the book. Anna listened intently and acted as if she were hearing the tale for the first time even though she heard it a hundred times. Elsa has heard the story herself a number of times but she loved it all the same. As she listened to Jack's voice, images of heroic knights, fair maidens and ferocious monsters began to play out vividly in her mind. Her eyes grew heavy but she fought to stay awake and listen. It was a difficult task in of itself.
Her brother's voice was like velvet and it soothed her to the point that she dozed off during the second half of the story. Elsa's eyes blinked open and she heard her brother close the book. He gave Anna a kiss on the head bidding her goodnight. He did the same for Elsa. Jack was almost out of the room but Elsa sat up "Jack"
"hmm?" he stopped and turned to face her. She asked, "Are you going away again?" a sad look appeared on his face and he said softly "I'm afraid so".
Elsa frowned. Jack was always away on long journeys in far away places. She rarely got to see him, but when they did see him, the visits are short lived and were bittersweet.
The princess pouted "But I don't want you to go, you just got back". He smiled a little "I know but I have to, there are things that I have to do."
"Will you come back?" asked Elsa, hopeful.
Jack's smile widened "Of course, I always do". He walked over to her bedside. He knelt down and looked her in the eyes saying, "I'll be back, and when I do, we can go ice skating like we planned on".
Elsa's expression brightened and she held up her pinkie "Promise?" "Promise" said Jack solemnly, joining her pinkie with hers.
He tousled her hair and left the room, singing his favorite tune softly "…and who are you, the proud lord said…" his closed the door behind him carefully so he won't disturb his sisters. Elsa curled up under the blankets and sleep overcame her quickly. Her dreams were sweet and pleasant, the smile stayed on her face.
The princess was pleased over how the day went; completely unaware that that was the last time she would see her brother again and a week later, the second worst day of her life would occur.
Arendelle Now…
Panic filled the night at the castle. The men and women in the ballroom quickly dispersed, trying to make sense of the shocking revelations of the last few minutes. Some servants came and carried Genevieve to her sparsely furnished room and placed unconscious form on her bed.
A physician was summoned at once and he arrived quickly. He checked the witch's vital signs.
To the relief of everyone present, the doctor announced that her vital signs were stable but it seemed that she was put into a coma. There wasn't much that either Merida or anybody else could do at that point.
She went back to the ballroom and found James trying to fend off a fussy maid, who tried to help tend to his wound.
Merida sighed "James, your injured. Let them help you"
"I'm fine" insisted the thief, wincing a little, "I've had worse". The princess cocked an eyebrow "Really?"
James nodded "Oh yeah, if you got time I'll tell you about this one time where-"
Suddenly a woman came running through the ballroom screaming hysterically "It's snowing! It's snowing outside! The queen has damned us all!" one of the servants rushed after the woman to calm her down.
Merida frowned and she quickly rushed out of the ballroom.
Once Merida was gone, James managed to bandage his wound and he slipped away from the crowded ballroom to Genevieve's room.
There, he found her satchel underneath her bed after a quick search. He knelt down at the foot of her bed and dug through the witch's satchel, sifting aside assorted items she carried in the bag, a small handheld mirror, some bottles of potions, various pieces for makeup.
Suddenly he heard a soft voice "…James…" he froze.
He looked up at the witch lying on the bed. She still looked unconscious, with her eyes closed and her body didn't move. Then he heard her voice again "…James…" he moved closer to her side "I'm here".
At first there was nothing. Then he heard a faint trickle of words leave her mouth in a soft hiss.
He leaned in close to listen. What she said made him look at her in disbelief "You want me to do what?" she didn't say anything.
He sighed, "Look I know that I should, but this isn't my fight. It's a family matter that has nothing to do with me" again there was the soft voice and hiss of words.
James held up his hands defensively "Ok, ok. There won't be any needing of that" he frowned "Although, I don't know how you would do that considering your…condition". There was silence.
Suddenly, the witch's hand clamped onto his wrist and hissed her final word that sounded hoarse and faint, "Go!" Her grip was like iron but after her final word had escaped her lips, her grip slackened and her hand slid away. James was surprised by the abruptness and strength of her grip, considering that she has slipped into a coma.
But considering who she was, it wasn't very surprising. The thief swallowed and knew he was going to regret it but he acquiesced to following her final command.
He took the witch's hand into both of his and whispered solemnly to her "Don't worry…I will do as you ask. I will not fail you".
He resumed his search and found what he was looking for. It was a small glass bottle with a strip of parchment on it that read in elegant hand writing "Wellspring of Vitality".
He noticed that it contained a little bit. He sighed deeply and muttered a curse. If he had a full bottle he'll be fixed up in no time but with the amount he has now, he'll be able to maybe last a good few hours, maybe a day, and will probably make a full recovery if he doesn't over-do it. But he was glad that Genevieve had some left.
The thief uncorked it and he was about to drink but his eyes drifted to the witch, lying unconscious in her bed. Her face was serene and expressionless. Her skin looked very pale, almost as if all the blood in her body had been taken. It was almost as if she was a corpse.
James shivered and he prayed that the witch could overcome whatever is ailing her. She always comes through. Always.
He lifted the bottle muttering "Cheers" and he downed the bottles contents without another word.
Outside, the courtyard was packed with villagers all chattering. Merida caught her self as her feet slid around on a patch of slick ice.
She paused for a moment and took in what she saw; a layer of ice and frost coated the door, the frame, the ground and everything around the entrance.
In the courtyard, the water in one of the fountains was frozen into a sharp, jagged shape that looked like a demon-like hand reaching out to snatch up some poor helpless soul. The peasants were all panicked and were chattering in hushed tones. Flakes of snow descended from the dark clouds above, the air was cooler and was growing colder still.
Merida shivered a little "What in the world?" "Snow?" said Hiccup in confusion.
The Viking appeared at her side. He extended a hand and caught a snowflake in his hand. Merida was shocked.
Just hours ago, it was a warm summer evening now it was cold as an autumn evening only weeks away from winter. Being able to change the temperature and to make it snow, it must have taken a lot of magic. Elsa must be a very powerful person and maybe equally dangerous.
A familiar, yet panicked, voice cry out over the chattering crowed, "It's snowing! It's snowing! The queen has cursed this land!"
Merida spied the tiny duke from Weselton, he stood among the crowd waving his hands frantically shouting "She must be stopped!". He turned to one of his guards and grabbed him by the front of his coat and pulled him down until they were eye to eye "You must go after her!"
"No wait!" cried a voice. Merida looked and saw Anna, Elsa's sister, standing beside him.
The little duke jumped behind his guards and eyed her suspiciously "You! Is there any sorcery in you too? Are you a monster as well?" "What? No, no, I'm completely ordinary" said Anna firmly.
The man she was with at the party stood beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder "That's right, she is" she shot him a look which caused him to add nervously "i-in the best way".
Anna turned back to the little duke "Elsa's not a monster" "She nearly killed me!" cried the duke, but the man who was with Anna said, "You slipped on some ice"
"Her ice" insisted the duke
"It was an accident" Anna put in, "She didn't mean this, she didn't mean any of this" the princess sighed "It was my fault, I was the one who pushed her…therefore…I should be the one to go after her"
"What?" exclaimed the duke and Anna's companion in surprise. Anna called on one of the servants and demanded her horse. Anna's friend tried to reason with her "Anna, you can't. Its too dangerous"
She shook her head "Elsa's not dangerous" one of the servants arrived with her horse, a large white stallion. Anna continued, "I'll go and bring her back and we can fix everything"
"I'm coming with you" decided the young man but Anna shook her head "No, I need you here Hans".
The young man, Hans, shook his head slowly "I…I don't want you to get hurt. I think you shouldn't go alone. The mountains can be dangerous and you'll need help searching for Elsa."
He turned and shouted "I'm asking for volunteers to join Princess Anna in retrieving the queen".
Nobody was really eager to step forward. Everyone in the square, guards included, avoided Hans' gaze. Merida scowled. Earlier that day these very people showered their monarch with love and affection and now they're cowering like frightened children. She couldn't blame them though. Merida was taken aback by the ice and now the snow. Nobody knew the depth of Elsa's power and now that she has been exposed, there's no telling what she'll do.
After a moment of awkward silence and avoiding eye contact, Merida raised her hand "I'll go!" all eyes turned to her.
She walked down the steps and marched up to Anna's side. Hiccup did like wise "So will I". Anna looked at the two in surprise "Who are you?"
"My name is Merida" said Merida then gestured to Hiccup "And this is Hiccup". That earned the Viking some odd stares but Anna had a broad grin "Thank you. You know what they say, two heads are better than one…well in this case there's three but-"
"Count me in too!" declared a voice.
Merida turned and saw James walking through the crowd towards them. Merida frowned "James, you can't. You're injured"
"What are you? My mother?" scoffed James "I'm coming too".
Hiccup gave him a look "Why do you want to come? You're a thief, this has nothing to do with you".
James glanced at the Viking and retorted, "This has nothing to do with you either and yet you're going" his gaze turned to Merida "Besides, I have yet to receive my pay. I need to protect my investment after all. No Merida and Hiccup, means no payment".
Merida wanted to argue with him. The thief probably had an ulterior motive behind his desire to join them and was probably still hurt from the ice spike. But the thief's face betrayed nothing. He was determined to come along.
Merida sighed, "Fine. You can come, just don't drop dead on us because I'm not carrying you back down the mountain" "Fair enough" said the thief, with a smile.
The guards brought some additional horses, some extra cloaks for the cold, and a bow for Merida with a quiver of arrows and a sword for James.
The three mounted their horses. Anna reigned in her horse and declared "I leave Prince Hans in charge" the crowd murmured and Hans looked up at Anna "Are you sure you can trust her? I don't want you getting hurt" Anna nodded "She's my sister, she would never hurt me".
With that final command, Anna took off at full gallop. Merida, Hiccup and James followed suit. The group galloped at top speed through the castle gates and across the bridge. They raced through the village and followed a road until it diverted into a path that wound up hill through the forest and into the mountains.
Merida saw that the fjord and all the ships were completely frozen over. She shivered at the sheer impact that one woman's magic had on Arendelle. It made her think of Genevieve.
If Elsa was able to do all this, then what could Genevieve do? Merida pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand.
Elsa finally stopped running. Once she was sure that she was far enough, she stopped and gasped for breath. The cold thin air made her lungs burn but she eventually caught her breath.
The queen turned and looked out at the world beneath. Even though there were thick grey clouds gathering, she saw the flickering lights of Arendelle far below her. A mixture of anger and sorrow filled her.
Elsa was furious at herself for losing control and sorrowed by the fact that her worst nightmares had come to life. The people of Arendelle now see her for what she truly is and they fear her, maybe even hate her. The looks in their eyes, the horror on their faces, the way they drew back in fear was just as she had imagined it over and over in her nightmares.
Frightened people who once loved her and cared about her now turned against her, thinking that she was a monster. What made it worse was the fact that someone actually got hurt.
The ice spike impaling James wasn't intentional, that was an accident. But they couldn't have known. In the course of a few minutes, Elsa's life practically disintegrated before her eyes.
Now she was alone in the cold and snow, high above the clouds in isolation. What will she do now? Where should she go? She can't go back, they will never accept her. They'll probably execute her.
Elsa couldn't come up with a solution. She sighed deeply and said to no one "What do I do know?"
"That is a good question" responded a nasally voice.
Elsa jumped a little. She spun around and was surprised to see someone else. He was a year older than Anna, had jet-black hair slicked back and extremely pale skin that almost looked grey. He had coal black eyes that gleamed like the snow in the moonlight and he had a wide toothy grin. The young man wore a black velvet doublet, black trousers, and a black cloak that hung around his shoulders by a silver clasp.
He stood there in the snow about a few yards away from her. The young man stroked his chin saying, "That question perplexes many minds. Though in this case I believe the answer is obvious"
"I'm sorry?" said Elsa, frowning in confusion.
The young man swept his arm around at their surroundings "Look around you, you're free now! You can do whatever you want. Why would you want to go back?"
Elsa frowned at him "Who are you?"
The young man chuckled, which was a high almost mocking sound, "I'm sorry, how rude of me. My name is Harriman" he bowed low.
She looked at him suspiciously "What are you doing here?"
"Oh nothing much" said Harriman casually "Just admiring the sights and the weather here in Arendelle. I mean, an early snow like this? Its incredible!" Elsa took a few steps back from the young man, afraid that he was there to harm her but he held up his hand "Relax…I'm not here to hurt you"
"You're not?" asked Elsa, cautiously keeping her distance.
Harriman shook his head "No. In fact, I'm here to help you!"
Elsa frowned at him "How?"
Harriman paused for a moment, "Well, actually… I know somebody who can help you" He explained, "There is a certain person has dealt with people like you…people with powers, elemental powers specifically".
Elsa looked at him questioningly "There are others?"
Harriman nodded "Yes. Count yourself lucky that you weren't born with powers over flames or powers to control earth" Elsa nodded slowly. Hiding and handling fire would've been a nightmare. She quietly listened to the young man in black.
He continued, "You see, this sort of thing happens more often than you would think" he walked closer to Elsa. Elsa noticed that he didn't have any struggle moving through the almost knee deep, thick layer of snow that blanketed the ground like most people. He looked like he was gliding through it, with his cloak flapping around him in the chilled mountain wind like black raven wings.
He started to pace a circle around her "A child is born in to a happy little family. Then they learn said child has special powers. At first they are overjoyed to see that their little one is special. Then one day, they see that their darling little one is having trouble controlling it. It slips out here and there, minor incidents nothing harmful. The family ignores it at first, but then suddenly there is a terrible accident!"
Elsa's heart dropped into her stomach. This was all too familiar to her.
"A friend, maybe a family member, is harmed by the child's powers. Then the parents put their foot down" Harriman glanced sideways at Elsa, explaining nonchalantly "The reactions vary in each story I came across. One cast out their child into the cold cruel world, one family locked their poor child in an asylum, and the most tragic one where the family let an angry mob take their child and destroyed the poor dear".
The hair on the back of Elsa's neck prickled. All this resonated with her. The story of powers, the situation with the family, the accident, it was all eerily familiar. It chilled her to make her think that such horrid things happened to people with powers like her. Something about all this was just wrong…for instance there was Harriman. Who was he and how would he know about Elsa's predicament? Also, there was something about him that made her skin crawl and something in the darkest corner of her mind screamed "Run!" But she said and did nothing.
She stood as still as a statue in the snow. Harriman stopped and he turned to face Elsa "Elsa…I know this seems hard to believe but I truly have been sent here to help you"
"Ok" said Elsa, unconvinced "And just how would you help?"
"I'll take you to my employer" said Harriman with a sweet smile "She can help you. She's helped many others like you and within a matter of moments, you can have your life back". He extended a grey hand to her "All you have to do is come with me. A few moments and all of this will be nothing more than a bad dream".
Elsa thought for a moment. It was all to good to be true. It could be legitimate and everything could work out. But that sickly feeling was still there and everything else within her agreed that Harriman may not who be who he had presented himself as.
Elsa inhaled and said to the young man politely "Thank you Mr. Harriman, but I'm afraid that I have to decline your offer. It is generous but my problems are my own. This doesn't concern you or your employer".
Harriman's expression, for an instant melted into one of disappointment then slowly returned to that eerie toothy smile "Oh well…that's a shame".
Elsa looked into his eyes and noticed that they burned with a dark intense anger unlike any she has seen before. His face was carefree and all smiles but she could feel that burning anger seething underneath, waiting to erupt. He didn't erupt as she had thought.
Instead, Harriman brushed his cloak aside and he made a polite bow "I am terribly sorry that you would not accept my employer's offer…" he straightened up and said darkly "But I have a feeling that you will change your mind…once the torches and pitchforks come out. That's always a good persuader". He giggled and he sauntered past her towards the edge of the precipice.
Harriman glanced over his shoulder to her "See you around Elsa" and he strolled over the edge.
Elsa rushed over to the edge and saw nothing but the earth far beneath the mountain and no Harriman.
She shivered. The cold may not have bothered her, but that eerie prediction and the mysterious man in black sure did.
"Elsa!" called Anna, her voice echoed among the silent trees.
The four were currently trotting up a mountain trail through a few feet of fluffy snow. The sun was now in the sky, burning brightly and reflecting off of the white landscape and into their eyes.
Anna called out again "Elsa! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to push you away!" again nothing.
Merida scanned the winter landscape around them for any sign of Elsa but saw nothing but white. She glanced over and saw that Hiccup was just as vigilant while James sat slightly slumped in his saddle, looking very bored and a little tired. Anna tried again but her voice echoed back at them.
The princess sighed "Elsa…"
"We'll find her" assured Hiccup "We just need to keep looking" "No offense, but I doubt that screaming her name would help us" said James.
Hiccup shot the thief a glare "You have any better ideas?"
"Why yes, I do" said James, gloatingly "For instance, we need to find her trail"
"What a fantastic idea!" gasped Hiccup sarcastically "Since your such an expert, why don't you find Elsa for us? In fact, why don't you stop this winter in the while your at it?"
James and Hiccup continued to go back and forth. Merida grounded her teeth and eventually when she had enough of their bickering, she snapped, "Will you two shut it!" the Viking and the thief immediately went silent. There was a loud snap and a huge clump of snow dropped from a nearby tree in front of Anna's horse.
The horse suddenly reared back on its hind legs, whinnying in fright and threw the princess of his back.
With that, the horse galloped off into the white forest. James snickered a little until Merida glared at him, silencing him instantly. Merida trotted over to her side and offered her help.
Anna accepted her offer and climbed up and rode onward with Merida.
The four rode in silence for a good part of the morning, occasionally they called out for Elsa but silence and echoes responded to their calls. At one point Anna pleaded with her sister to come back and offered a heartfelt apology but it all fell on deaf ears.
The sun soon sank beyond the horizon along with the temperature. Once the skies darkened, the cold winter air got much colder. Merida, Hiccup and James were cold but the cloaks they were given offered a degree of warmth that Anna didn't have. She still wore her ball gown and was for the most part exposed to the full force of the winter air.
She shivered furiously "I-I wish m-my sister had t-tropical climate powers instead of ice powers. Warm s-sun, s-sandy beaches…" she rubbed her bare arms trying to warm them as her teeth chattered.
James nodded in agreement "I'll say. Unfortunately life doesn't always give us what we want".
Anna sighed deeply then glanced at the thief and then to Hiccup "Thank you for coming with me…all of you, I didn't expect it to take this long"
"No problem" said Hiccup "We don't mind helping you find your sister".
Merida nodded "If any of us had missing family members, we would want others to do the same for us". Anna noticed that James had a somber, pensive look on his face. For a moment, she could've sworn sorrow in his eyes but it immediately vanished and he urged his mount to trot ahead of the group.
The four crested a hill and came to a halt. This search was beginning to look futile and fruitless. So far the only results that came of this search was one lost horse, coldness and fatigue.
Just as they were ready to turn around and go back, Anna pointed out a small sliver of smoke streaked against the white landscape that smeared out some of the stars in the sky.
"Maybe its Elsa" said Anna "Or some travelers" pointed out Hiccup
"Either way, we should check it out" said Merida.
The group made their way down the slope and rode across a cold stream that had small shards of ice floating down the way. James splashed some of the icy water on Merida and Anna as he galloped by, which earned him some glares. The thief smiled meekly and apologized but they rode by, giving cold silence.
The source of the smoke came from the chimney of a humble log cabin with a warm amber light shining from the windows. James and Hiccup hitched their horses to posts holding up the wooden roof that protected the deck and the front door. Merida and Anna had a hard time dismounting, due to being partially frozen from being soaked a few minutes earlier.
Stepping up to the front porch, Anna noticed a low hanging sign and brushed away the snow that covered the inscription.
Hiccup read aloud "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post" some snow fell off of the last little bit of the sign "and sauna" "Ooh" said Anna, perking up a little.
Without a word, the half frozen princess rushed up the short steps and hurried into the trading post. Merida and Hiccup followed after her.
James moved to follow but Merida stopped him "Watch the horses"
"No way, its freezing out here" complained James. The princess fixed him a stern look then he sighed in frustration "Fine. Just get some gloves so our fingers don't fall off".
She nodded and she followed Hiccup inside.
Inside the log cabin was a whole deal warmer than outside. The trading post was small, filled with shelves holding various items with price tags and labels. The entire room was filled with warm amber light that came from dozens of lamps that hung all along the walls and the fire crackling in the hearth. A faint scent of cinnamon drifted around on the air. The warmth melted away the cold from their bones and thawed Anna and Merida.
Hiccup inspected the trading post and some of the items sitting on the shelves, when suddenly a voice piped up "Yoo-hoo!"
Hiccup and the others turned and saw a hefty man in a green, wool long-sleeved shirt sitting behind a counter. He had a jolly pudgy face, a ginger mustache and wild red hair tucked underneath a green wool cap. He waved a hand "Yoo-hoo! Big summer blow out!" he gestured to some of the items hanging on the wall behind him and the counter "Half off on swimming suits, clogs, and a sun balm of my own invention" he held up a small red bottle and a big friendly smile appeared on his face "Ya?"
Anna and the others stood there and looked at the merchant blankly. "Oh great" said Anna slowly "Uh…for now how about boots, er, winter boots and dresses?"
"And some extra gloves?" added Merida, trying to warm her numb hands with her breath. The merchant noted the attire of Anna and her companions. They were covered by a thin layer of frost and ice that glittered faintly like diamond shards in the warm candlelight.
He nodded "That will be in our winter department" he pointed to the far end of the room to a bare section of wall that had some pegs where a coil of rope hung next to a lone climbing axe. On a shelf beside them, there was a small folded stack of winter clothes and boots that looked appropriate for a woman of Anna's size. Sitting on the shelf above it, were a few pairs of moleskin gloves. Lastly, there was a pair of snow shoes but looked rickety and used.
Anna nodded "That will work". She waddled over and picked up the boots and dress "I was just wondering…has there been another young woman, I don't know…the queen perhaps, pass through here?" the merchant shook his head "the only ones crazy enough to be out in this storm is you and your friends dear".
She placed the items on the counter and was ready to perches the snow gear when suddenly a tiny bell rang and the door opened.
Out from the cold came a large figure covered entirely in white, had broad shoulders and was taller then Merida, Hiccup and Anna. The new comer brushed some snow and small chunks of ice off of him and sighed heavily. "Except you lot and this fellow" added the merchant. He held up his bottle of sun balm "Yoo-hoo! Big summer blow out!"
Anna and the others watched as the man lumber into the trading post. He brushed past Merida and Hiccup marched up to the counter. Anna backed right up until she bumped into the counter. The newcomer spoke, his voice was gruff and muffled by the frozen bandanna covering most of his face "Carrots".
Anna frowned in confusion then the man nodded "Behind you". She turned slightly and saw some carrots sitting on a shelf that was built in under the counter.
The princess grinned sheepishly "Oh, right!" she slid out of the way "sorry". The man grabbed the carrots and tossed them onto the counter. He turned and went over to the winter gear and grabbed the climbing ax and the coil of rope.
The merchant spoke cheerfully "Oh, a real howler in July. Wherever could it have come from?"
"The North Mountain" muffled the man as he placed the ax and rope on the counter along side the carrots. "The North Mountain?" repeated Anna softly.
Merida cocked an eyebrow. A vague lead but it was something. If they did it right, they'll be able to find Elsa and be home before nightfall tomorrow.
"That will be forty" said the merchant. "Forty?" repeated the frost covered man "What, no ten"
The merchant frowned and shook his head "Oh dear. You see, this comes from our winter stock" he tapped the rope and ax "and you see supply and demand have a big problem".
The man scowled "You want to talk about supply and demand problem? I sell ice for a living". Merida glanced out window and saw a large sled that carried huge pile of well-cut ice blocks in the back.
"Oh" said Anna "That's a tough business to be in right now, I mean really…." the man glanced at her and her mouth closed and she looked away nervously "Ahm…that's unfortunate".
The merchant shook his head "The price is still forty. However I will throw in a free visit to sauna" he glanced to his left to the far side of the room to a window "Yoo-hoo! Hi family!" "Yoo-hoo!" replied a chorus of voices. Merida caught a glimpse of a small family through the fogged window, sitting around in a warm sauna looking happy and comfortable.
"That looks nice" muttered Hiccup.
The frosted man sighed "But ten's all I got. Can you help me out?" the merchant paused for a moment then shuffled the items around and he tapped a beefy finger on the carrots "Ok. Ten will get you this and nothing more". The frosted man sighed and muttered something under his breath.
Anna piped up "Um…excuse me, but what happened on the North Mountain, did it seem…magical". The man lowered the bandanna and looked at Anna "Yes". Anna saw that the ice harvester was around her age, had a large nose, reddened cheeks, brown eyes and golden blond hair. He then said, "Now, back up as I deal with this crook here".
Suddenly the room got very silent. Anna head creaking and she saw the merchant stand. He was a lot taller than she and others originally thought. He towered over all of them, the newcomer included, to where his head almost bumped against the ceiling. His expression looked like the prelude to a terrible storm.
The giant merchant asked slowly "What did you call me?" the ice harvester repeated himself then suddenly a pair of large beefy hands clamped down on his shoulders.
The trading post's door slammed open and the merchant carried Kristoff out. The ice harvester's head bumped against the low hanging sign and suddenly he was sent flying through the air and he landed back on solid earth. The snow cushioned his fall but not by much. "Goodbye!" said the merchant rather cheerfully and he retreated back inside.
Kristoff groaned and he pushed himself up then reoriented himself. Back out in the cold night with none of the items he needed and he pretty much made himself look like a fool in front of that girl.
Sven galloped up to his side and began to sniff him over. However, the reindeer pouted and made some sounds, which Kristoff knew meant, "Did you get the carrots?"
Kristoff sighed, "No Sven, I didn't get your carrots". The reindeer groaned loudly and sat on his haunches like a dog.
The ice harvester smiled "However, I found us a place to stay" he nodded to a large stable that had warm orange light coming from it. As the two approached the stables, Kristoff saw a young man his age was feeding a trio of horses with some oats by lantern light. Kristoff and Sven entered the stable. The young man gave Kristoff a friendly nod, which he returned.
Sven settled into an empty stall while Kristoff rested his cold, tired body against a mound of hay. It had been a long day of harvesting ice blocks and braving the abrupt blast of the blizzards. He was still numb from the cold and from the laborious day. Though the trading post was a far cry warmer than the stables but the stables were warmer and a lot better than braving the cold night on the mountain.
He frowned and silently fumed about the merchant. "Hey" said a voice. He blinked and he looked over and saw the other young man standing there with the lantern at his feet.
He smiled "Rough day?" "Yeah" nodded Kristoff "Ice Harvesting all day and that merchant not willing to bargain" The young man shook his head "I don't envy you".
Kristoff leaned back on his pile of hay "What about you?"
The young man shrugged "Hired to help somebody to find somebody, then I foolishly volunteered to help someone else to find somebody entirely different in one of the most bizarre snow storms ever and in unfamiliar territory". He smiled a little "Then again, it could've been worse…much, much worse".
Kristoff nodded in agreement. The young man walked over and picked up a bucket of almost frozen water and carried it over to the horses. He brushed aside his cloak and rolled up the sleeves of his green coat continued to tend to the horses. Kristoff tried to relax and get to sleep but he couldn't help but notice something.
There was a strange looking scar on the young man's arm. It was roughly the size of a large coin and looked like it was seared into his flesh. Kristoff frowned. Whoever this guy was, he must've been through some hard times. He wanted to ask about the scar but thought it impolite to pry.
After a few long minutes, Kristoff couldn't get to sleep. He sat up and he went to his sled and retrieved his lute. The ice harvester settled back into his spot by the hay mound and strummed a few cords. The young man asked without looking at the ice harvester "You a musician?"
"Not really" admitted Kristoff "Just a hobby". He put down the water bucket and he walked over to Kristoff and sat down beside him. He waved at Kristoff "Keep going, I need to take a break anyway".
The ice harvester nodded and played a small tune that he and Sven made up, a little song of how reindeers are better then people. That made the young man grin. Once the song was done, Kristoff played a few chords of a familiar song he heard from a customer and the young man cringed a little.
The ice harvester stopped "Something wrong?"
"Nothing" said his audience "Its just…for starters you're playing it wrong"
"Oh?" Kristoff raised an eyebrow
"Secondly…an old friend use to play it, as did my mother, so…it brings up a lot of memories". The ice harvester frowned "Oh, I'm sorry".
The young man offered a hand to Kristoff "Mind if I try?" "Sure" said Kristoff, handing over his lute.
The young man strummed for a moment then he began to play a slow, mellow tune. "Here's how you play it" he said with a small smile.
He then sang softly "And after the storm…run and run as the rains come. And I look up…I look up…I look up. On my knees and out of luck, I look up" Kristoff was surprised at how well the young man played and sung, which made Kristoff wonder if he was a traveling musician. "….you must know life to see decay. But I won't rot…I won't rot…"
Kristoff's eyes began to grow heavy and he noticed that Sven had already dozed off. He almost drifted off to sleep as well, when suddenly the stable door opened and let in a burst of cold air.
Kristoff bolted upright by the sudden change in temperature and by the sudden creak of the door. His eyes blinked open and he saw the half frozen girl he encountered at the trading post. The red haired girl accompanied her and the one guy dressed in leather armor. The young woman now wore winter appropriate clothes, instead of frosted ball gown.
There was a gleam in her eyes and a warm smile her face. Oh this ought to be good thought Kristoff.
Meanwhile at Castle DunBroch…
Queen Elinor paced back and forth restlessly as Fergus stomped back to the main hall. The queen spun around "Fergus?"
"Nothin'" grumbled the king "they didn't know anything". He marched over to the dais and plopped down into his throne. The king was weary and his nerves were frazzled.
He questioned the troupe of performers who arrived with the thief for a good part of the last few days, but they were oblivious of that the thief infiltrated their ranks. At first, Fergus was doubtful but he eventually believed their story when they discovered the real jester, bound and gaged in the back of one of the wagons. He corroborated the performers story and the king allowed them to leave.
Fergus wanted more answers but they couldn't give him any.
So they spread out and searched so more. Valka and the Vikings took to the waters and forests, the other lords and clans joined the search as well but they were running blind. They could be anywhere by now and who knows what the thief had planned for Merida.
Fergus pushed his fears down and he tried his best to remain optimistic but so far, his hope was fading quickly. Now that night has come and their chances of finding Merida have shrunk.
Elinor sighed deeply and sat by her husband. The king took his wife's hand and said solemnly "Have faith love, we'll find her"
Elinor nodded absentmindedly "I…I know Fergus…its just-" "Your majesties!" cried a voice.
One of the guards came running into the great hall. His face was red and drenched with sweat. The man pointed towards the entrance to the hall and wheezed, "Your majesties…forest…someone…see…you".
Fergus frowned and he rose from his throne. The king followed his guard out of the castle and they rode off into the night and towards woods.
A fair distance away from Castle DunBroch, in the darker and denser part of the woods, Fergus found Lord Macintosh, Valka and a large party comprised of both Viking and Scottish warriors. All of them were armed and had gathered around a trio of cloaked figures. They were at the bottom of a steep hill that had a trickling stream that ran through the forest at the foot with a narrow dirt road that cut through the greenery.
Faint, pale moonlight filtered through the tree branches and mingled with the warm orange glow of torches that some of the men held. Fergus dismounted and he approached the group.
Valka noticed him and joined him. Her expression was wary and alert. Fergus nodded to the circle of armed men surrounding the three figures "What's all this?"
"During our search, we came across this lot" reported Valka. She glanced back at the trio "They attacked some of our men, some wounded but nothing too serious. After all the confusion, they said they wanted to talk"
"Oh, what about?" asked Fergus. The Viking woman looked at the king "Merida and Hiccup". The king's looked at her "Oh?"
Valka nodded "Aye. They said they can help us" the king scowled "We shall see". Fergus approached the circle.
The wall of men parted a little and he stood before the three cloaked figures. They all wore matching cloaks, that a greenish, brownish color that helped the cloaks blend in with the forest around them. The three were roughly the same height and wore hoods that shadowed their faces.
Fergus had an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Something about these three didn't seem natural. He couldn't place it exactly but his instincts warned him to be careful with these strangers.
The king smiled "Well, I'm here"
"King Fergus" spoke the one that stood in the middle. The voice was soft, male and sounded serious "Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice"
"Aye, you certainly got our attention" said the king coolly "attacking some of our men for starters" "That was a…misunderstanding" replied the man carefully.
Fergus's expression hardened "What is it that you wanted to talk about? You said you know something about Merida and Hiccup"
The man nodded "Yes. We have heard of your daughter's abduction in a nearby village. The perpetrator…did he look like this" the man reached into his cloak and suddenly everyone tensed up, quickly leveling their weapons at the man and his companions. The man slowly withdrew a rolled up bit of parchment.
He unfurled it and Fergus saw that it was a wanted sign of the slippery thief that took Merida. He had a smug grin on his face. His name was scrawled beneath his portrait and the reward offered. Fergus was surprised at the amount of gold that was offered. This thief must've incurred the wrath of someone very wealthy or very powerful.
The king studied the portrait for a moment then nodded "Aye, that's the slimy bastard"
"Than it would appear that our interest have aligned" said the hooded man, returning the wanted poster back into the folds of his cloak.
Fergus frowned at the man "And how's that"
The hooded man replied, "This thief is incredibly dangerous and he must be stopped. He took something that rightfully belongs to our master. We have hunted him for a very long time and he has taken someone precious to you"
Fergus nodded slowly "Aye" "And we can help you" the hooded man's voice was soft like silk "All we ask is your assistance".
Fergus thought for a moment. He didn't trust these strangers. The men surrounding them all regarded this stranger with fear and distrust, but Fergus wanted to get his daughter back more than anything.
The king nodded "Alright, how can we help?"
The man paused for a moment then spoke "First, we will need something that belongs to your daughter and a map".
The sled raced through the darkness, weaving through the dark forest with only single lantern to illuminate the dark. A pair of horses galloped behind the sled. Cold wintery air numbed James's face and seeped through his clothes but thankfully, Merida got the gloves he requested. At least his fingers won't fall off.
The thief had been through numerous winters but he had to admit, this one was probably the coldest and strangest. From their arrival to the trading post and to their departure, the air seemed to drop another degree. Although magic wasn't his forte, James knew that this winter was going to get worse if something wasn't done very soon.
Kristoff's sled rounded a corner, veering away from the sheer drop. James and Merida rounded the corner after them as they continued their journey towards the North Mountain.
Anna managed to convince Kristoff to lead Anna and others to the North Mountain. The ice harvester was hesitant at first but Anna won him over with purchasing the carrots and other supplies he intended to buy from the trading post before he was thrown out. Now they were galloping at top speed through the dark woods, heading north.
Kristoff and Anna rode in the sled with Hiccup riding in the back. James and Merida followed on horse back.
Anna and Kristoff were discussing something but James didn't pay attention.
Riding through the dark and cold, it all reminded him of one of the worst times of his life. It was at that point in his life where he wished for death to claim him, where he regretted his decisions; it was a time where he grew to despise royals with a burning passion. He could still see his smug grin and his mocking laughter echoing around in his head. James gripped the reins tightly and gritted his teeth.
That bastard was long gone now, having received his reward for his treachery. The thief shook his head and focused on what was happening now.
Kristoff had told Anna to get her feet off of the sled, asking her if she was raised in a barn. "No, I grew up in a castle" answered Anna.
They rode onward the conversation started to gravitate towards the reason for Elsa's disappearance then Anna explained it then it led to her mentioning her recent engagement to Hans. Kristoff and the others were surprised at how quickly Anna got engaged.
Hiccup frowned in confusion "You just met this guy today and now you're engaged. That's just odd"
"Exactly!" said Kristoff vindictively "you're marrying a guy who is a complete stranger"
"Yes but that's not the point, pay attention" said Anna dismissively. She tried to explain her position but Kristoff cut her off "Didn't your parent's ever warn you about strangers?"
"Yes they did" said Anna slowly, shifting a little bit in her seat.
Kristoff smiled a little "What's his last name?" "Of the Southern Isles" answered Anna in a lofty tone.
"What's his favorite food?"
"Sandwiches"
"Best friend's name?" asked Hiccup
"Probably John" she responded
"Eye color" chimed Merida
"Dreamy" answered Anna, dreamly.
"Foot-size" added James with a grin "Foot-size doesn't matter" said Anna with a frown.
Kristoff nodded "You haven't even had dinner with him yet, what if you don't like the way he eats or the way he picks his nose" "Picks his nose?" said Anna, disgusted.
The ice harvester smirked "And eats it"
"Excuse me sir, he is a prince" said Anna indignantly "All men do it" replied Kristoff. Anna glanced over to James who nodded slowly with a solemn expression. The princess made a disgusted face.
She turned to Kristoff "That stuff doesn't matter if its true love" "It doesn't sound like true love" said Kristoff.
Anna gave him a look "What are you, some sort of love expert?" The ice harvester paused and then admitted "No, but I have friends who are".
Anna raised an eyebrow "You have friends who are love experts?"
James noticed a shadow move in the corner of his vision. The thief turned his head and saw nothing but shadows. He frowned a little and he squinted. At first there was nothing but darkness and silence. Then suddenly, there was a shadow that darted through the trees. James groaned silently.
Kristoff silenced Anna and he lifted his lantern to try and get a better look. For a few long moments there was nothing, like before. Hiccup drew a dagger from his sheath that hung near his ankle. Merida retrieved her bow and nocked an arrow. For a few long, silent moments, there was nothing. Suddenly, a pair of glowing eyes appeared and was followed by dozens of others. Wolves.
Kristoff snapped the reins "Lets go Sven!" The sled took off like a shot, Merida and James galloped after them.
Racing through the dark, a howl pierced the air and soon dozens of dark shapes began to emerge from all sides and give chase.
Kristoff guided Sven and weaved through the forest, trying to evade the wolves. Anna glanced to Kristoff "What do we do?"
"Don't fall off and don't get eaten" answered Kristoff bluntly as he reached into the back of the sled and withdrew a stick. He wrapped one end up with cloth and used the lantern to ignite the clothed end.
"I want to help" said Anna as she leaned over the and tried searching for a weapon in the back. Kristoff placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back a little "No"
"Why not?" she asked "Because I don't trust your judgment" "Excuse me?" asked Anna indignantly.
Suddenly a wolf burst from the shadows and tried to attack Kristoff. The ice harvester quickly reacted by turning and kicking the wolf square in the chest, sending it tumbling back into the snow. Another wolf tried to board but Hiccup summoned his sword and swiped at it. The flames on his blade singed the wolf's fur and it sent the wolf howling and rolling in the snow to douse the flames that sprouted on its back.
"Who marries a man that she just met?" asked Kristoff.
Anna reached into the back and grabbed Kristoff's lute "It was true love!" she swung it like a club at Kristoff.
"Whoa!" he ducked in time for the instrument to sail over his head and smash the head of a wolf attempting to lung at the ice harvester. He straightened up a little and looked relieved that she wasn't attempting to kill him. Suddenly, a wolf managed to land the front half of its body on the sled and clamp its teeth on the back of Kristoff's tunic and pull him off the sled as it fell out of the sled.
Anna cried "Christopher!"
Kristoff tumbled a little and managed to catch onto a bit of rope that was dangling out of the back of the sled. He furiously kicked the wolf off of his tunic, sending it tumbling into the dark "It's Kristoff!"
James fell behind for a moment but he managed to match the sled's speed and tried to help. He drew his sword and cut down a wolf that snapped at his leg. Another wolf sliced with another swing. Merida wounded two with her arrows but no matter how many they injure or drive off, more appear.
James swung his sword again but the wolf evaded his blade and disengaged. The thief looked up and saw that the sled had pulled a short distance ahead. Hiccup was busy with a trio of wolves at their rear, Kristoff was fending off another wolf towards the front while Anna was holding the reins and guiding the sled. It looked like they had everything under control.
However, James spotted a wolf that managed to clamber onto the sled just behind Anna and neither she nor Kristoff noticed. Hiccup was busy driving off those bringing up the rear with his fire sword.
At first James figured they'd discover the wolf and deal with it on their own. But the feral beast went unnoticed and it moved to Anna. James considered letting the wolf deal with Anna and he could easily slip away into the night. But that would be ungentlemanly and she would never forgive him for running away.
The thief urged his horse to go faster. He swiped away a few more wolves with his sword, hitting one and missing the rest.
James managed to get close to the sled but he wasn't going to reach her on time. He glanced back and hoped Merida would do something but she was busy helping Hiccup. The young Viking complimented her and she gave him a smile and returned the compliment. James rolled his eyes and decided that he, begrudgingly, had to handle the wolf.
He took a deep breath and remembered what she taught him.
Focusing as hard as he could, only one useful item came to mind. "That will do" muttered the thief.
Anna was getting the hang of the handling the sled, even though they were avoiding the pack of ravenous wolves. Despite the panic and flurry of action, Anna felt alive with adrenaline.
However her excitement turned to cold fear when she felt something warm against the back of her neck.
Stealing a momentary glance, Anna saw a large, grey wolf snarling behind her. Before the princess could scream, the wolf lunged but immediately she heard James's voice and there was a flash of light.
Anna blinked a few times, her eyes adjusted to the lantern light and she looked to where the wolf once stood and in its place, stood a tiny, miniature version.
The princess's eyes bulged out of their sockets. Kristoff turned "Hey is everything-" he stopped when he saw the miniature wolf.
It was small enough to fit into the palm of someone's hand. The wolf stopped and looked absolutely confused as to what happened.
Hiccup saw then Merida as she came up along the other side of the sled. All of them were shocked. James pulled up along side of the sled. Everyone's eyes were on him and for a moment, the world was as silent as a grave. James ignored their shocked stares for a moment then he yelled, "Look out!"
Snapping back to reality, everyone turned and saw that the earth ahead was gone with a wide gap until there was more land. Thinking quickly, Kristoff released Sven from the reins and he grabbed Anna and tossed her onto the reindeer's back. Kristoff yelled "Jump Sven!"
Sven obeyed and galloped full speed ahead. He leaped across the expanse with Anna on his back and made the jump. James did the same and reached the other side, followed by Merida.
Kristoff and Hiccup were still in the sled. The sled raced to the edge. The miniature wolf jumped for safety and vanished into the snow. The sled raced off the edge and for a moment glided across the expanse then it started to dip and fall. With all his might, Kristoff pushed off of the sled and barely caught onto the edge. Hiccup did likewise and had the same results.
The sled plummeted to the earth. The wolves skidded to a stop and snarled and snapped their teeth at their escaped prey. Kristoff sighed with relief but looked down at his fallen sled, far beneath him. The sled was wrecked beyond repair. The lantern had broken and had ignited some of the oil and other flammable material he had stored on the sled was consumed by blazing fire in an instant.
Kristoff whimpered "But I finally paid it off".
Suddenly the ice harvester began to slide off the edge. "No, no, no!" said Kristoff as he scrambled to regain his grip but the snow slid with him and there wasn't anything to hold onto. Until a climbing ax with a rope attached buried itself in the ground a few inches away from his face. Anna cried "Grab on!"
Kristoff obeyed and grabbed into the ax and rope. Anna, Sven and Merida pulled the ice harvester off.
Hiccup was having difficulty pulling himself up but a pair of boots appeared in front of him. The Viking looked up and saw James "Hey, uh…can you give me a hand?" asked Hiccup.
James stood there for a moment and had a pensive look on his face, as if he were weighing his options. The Viking's body went ridged. What was he thinking? Was the thief going to let him slip?
He glanced to his side and saw that the others were distracted and probably wouldn't see anything.
Hiccup looked back to James. The thief had a solemn, steely gaze. A chill ran through Hiccup's body. By Odin, he was going to let him fall. The thief stood there for a few more moments then a playful smile appeared and he grabbed onto Hiccup's arm. With a bit of effort, James helped Hiccup up.
The Viking scrambled to his feet and took a few steps away from James.
The thief laughed a little "What? Calm down, I was joking. I wasn't really going to let you fall". He clapped Hiccup on the shoulder as he walked past.
From the other side of the divide, Harriman watched his prey from under the shadow of a towering snow cloaked pine. The man in black snarled.
So much for letting nature run its course. His employer strictly ordered him to eliminate any interference without giving himself away.
So far, the first shot wasn't so good. Harriman watched as Kristoff weighs his options as Anna try to continue on with her three new foreign friends.
Finally, Kristoff called "Wait up!" he got up and hurried after her with Sven bounding after them happily like a puppy.
A small smirk appeared on Harriman's cold, grey face. The naïve young princess was foolish in thinking that her sister would welcome her with open arms. She will be sorely disappointed.
The sun had arisen from over the mountains, casting a pink, purple light across the cold skies. Anna and friends managed to make it out of the woods without any more encounters with anything dangerous. They traveled silently and nobody had said anything. Once they cleared the trees and reached the top of the slope, the got a clear view of everything down below.
The land sprawled out beneath, blanketed by pure white snow, which now was a shade of pink because of the sunrise. In the distance, they saw the iced over fjords and running to the frozen harbor of Arendelle. The kingdom now was completely buried under ice and snow.
Anna inspected her frozen little kingdom "Arendelle…" "It's completely frozen" breathed Kristoff.
Anna straightened up "Don't worry, Elsa can fix this" "Are you sure?" asked Hiccup.
The princess nodded "Yeah, now come on" she turned and pointed off in a direction "this way to the North Mountain?"
Kristoff chuckled and he turned her around and lifted her arm up a little "You mean that way". Anna's eyes widened in awe, as did the others.
In the distance before them was a tall, imposing mountain that was capped with snow and partially hidden among the clouds. It was tall and sharp like the tooth of a great beast. Just from the view of it, it looked dangerous enough to deter the bravest of climbers.
But that didn't work on Anna. She started off with a spring in her step. The princess called after the others "Come on! Lets go!"
As the group journeyed onward, they tried passing the time with a little round of social conversations. They all got to know each other a little better, talking about their family, where they are from, and other topics. They all spoke, all except James. When James's turn came up, he didn't really open up. He merely stated his name and said he traveled a lot.
The topic the night before came up and Anna was the first one to question him. "Are you a wizard?" asked the princess.
The thief snorted, "I'm not a wizard. I am just a humble thief" "but you just shrunk that wolf" said Kristoff.
"Did I?' said James, coyly.
The princess grinned excitedly, "I can't believe it, I'm actually talking to a real wizard!" "I'm not a wizard" deadpanned James.
"Come on, don't be so humble" said Merida, jabbing him lightly with her elbow "Don't deny it, take credit where credit is due".
The thief was silent for a moment. He pondered his options for a long moment then eventually sighed, "Fine, I guess there's no point in playing dumb. I did shrink that wolf and no…I'm really not a wizard"
"How did you learn magic?" asked Merida
"I learned from the best," said James with a small smile.
Anna exploded with questions but James calmed her down and she managed to ask calmly "Since you can do magic, can you lift this winter?"
"No" answered James truthfully "I don't have the type of power to do something like this" "But you shrunk a wolf" said Hiccup
the thief snorted "A mere parlor trick I learned when I was a boy, what you are asking requires a master of magic. Unfortunately, the only one that can certainly help within this region is currently down in the Arendelle castle in a coma." James picked up his pace a little bit. Merida and Hiccup nodded silently.
Anna halted with a frown on her face. The princess pondered thief's words for a few moments then it dawned on her. "Wait, Aunt Genevieve is a witch?" asked Anna as she bounded after James.
He nodded "Oh yes, the greatest of them all." "Cool!" said Anna excitedly.
Kristoff and Sven trudged after them, while Merida and Hiccup watched them from behind.
The red headed princess glanced at her Viking companion "So…that was interesting"
"Yeah, no kidding" said Hiccup. Merida was amazed but it didn't change anything in the present or have anything to do with what was going on right now. Hiccup however, frowned and regarded the thief from behind with scrutiny. Despite all of his help, his charm and his aloofness to the objective at hand, Hiccup didn't trust James.
Something about the thief that he saw when he looked into his eyes. It unsettled him to no end. Hiccup silently promised himself that no matter what, James would not harm Merida.
Not if he had anything to say about it.
Their journey continued all through the afternoon. They stopped every once in a while to gain strength and eat. The mountain loomed closer and closer as the day carried on.
Eventually they came to a stop in a rather pleasant meadow higher up, near the base of the North Mountain. The group decided to rest for a little bit before continuing on and attempting to try the perilous climb up the mountain.
The meadow was silent, carpeted with untouched snow. At the far end was a series of small frozen waterfalls that fed down into each other until they fed into a frozen pond that glistened in the sunlight. What was the most stunning thing in the meadow wasn't the waterfalls, but a willow tree that was adorned with tiny clear frozen droplets that glistened like strands of pink diamonds in the dusk light.
Anna, Kristoff, Merida, Hiccup and James took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the frozen landscape, while Sven trampled by with the strands from the willow tangled in his antlers.
"Who knew winter could be so beautiful" observed Anna breathlessly. Kristoff nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it really is beautiful isn't it?" observed a voice.
Everyone came to a halt and looked around themselves then at each other. Nobody recognized the voice. They all even glanced back at Sven for a moment, thinking he started speaking. But the reindeer looked as confused as they were. "So beautiful but its so white! How about a little color?", continued the voice.
Kristoff scowled and continued on ahead with James and Hiccup flowing closely behind, pushing aside the strands of frozen droplets. Ahead, they still saw nothing but empty meadow.
However the voice continued and drew closer and closer, "I mean how about some crimson, or chartreuse or maybe yellow?" there was a pause "Yellow? No yellow. I mean, yellow and snow? No go!" there was some laughter coming from behind. They turned around and saw a stubby, oddly shaped snowman.
The snowman's head reached Krstoff's knees, had twig arms, a trio of twigs on his head that resembled some hair, buckteeth, a line of black stones on its torso resembling buttons and a wide friendly smile. For a moment everyone stared at the snowman then suddenly, the snowman turned his head to Anna "Am I right?" asked the diminutive snowman.
Anna shrieked and kicked its head clean off. The head landed in Kristoff's arms. The snowman smiled "Hi!" "You're creepy" deadpanned Kristoff and tossed the head to Anna.
Anna caught the head then lobbed it to James "Get it away! Get it away! Ew!" James caught it and handed it off to Merida.
The snowman's tiny body darted around the circle of humans tossing his head around. His tiny twig arms reached up, demanding his head back. Merida felt sick holding a still living head even if it was a snowman's head. She handed it to Hiccup who passed it off to Anna.
The snowman spoke "Look I know we got of on the wrong foot-" Anna cringed and hurled the snowman's head at his body, knocking it to the ground. The body groped around for his head and reattached it.
Pushing himself up, the snowman faced them with his head inverted. He frowned "Wait a minute, what am I looking at here? Why are you hanging off the earth like a bat?"
Anna, feeling a little sorry for his condition, walked over "Here, hold on a moment" she grabbed the snowman's head and flipped it to its proper position.
The snowman blinked a little and he grinned, "That's better, thank you!"
Anna chuckled "Almost" she dug around her satchel and found a carrot and planted it in the middle of his face. The snowman was surprised and squealed a little but after a moment he studied his new nose. He felt it and judged the carrot for a moment then exclaimed, "I love it!"
"It's perfect" noted Hiccup.
The snowman smiled "Lets try this again, I am Olaf and I like warm hugs".
Anna paused. Olaf…something about that name was familiar. "Olaf?" said Anna slowly. Anna felt like there was something in the back of her mind but she couldn't pinpoint it and automatically, a childhood memory popped into her mind of her and Elsa making a snowman and named him Olaf. She smiled "Oh yeah, Olaf"
The snowman nodded "Yes, and you are?"
"I'm Anna" said the princess. She introduced each of her companions and Olaf inadvertently called Kristoff a "Funky looking donkey". Sven tried to chomp on the snowman's carrot nose but was unsuccessful.
"Olaf" said Anna
The snowman turned to her "Yeah?"
"Did Elsa build you?" asked the princess
"Yeah why?"
"Do you know where she is?"
"Yeah why?"
Kristoff plucked Olaf's twig arm out off his snowy body and inspected it, trying to discern how it worked. Suddenly the twig smacked the ice harvester in the face and the snowman snatched his arm back "Hey! Focus Sven!" he placed his arm back into place. He turned back to Anna and she asked if he could led them to Elsa.
Confused, Olaf asked "Yeah why?" "I'll tell you why" said Kristoff "We need the queen to bring back summer".
Olaf's eyes widened with childlike wonder "Summer? Oh I always loved the idea of summer and sun and all things hot"
"Really?" said Kristoff, raising an eyebrow " I'm guessing that you don't have much experience with heat" "Nope" said Olaf happily "but sometimes like to imagine what it will be like when summer finally does come". Olaf began to sway slowly and he sang "Bees that buzz, kids'll blow dandelion and I'll be doing whatever snow does in summer…"
James frowned and he leaned over to Hiccup "Is…is he singing?" "I think so," observed the Viking.
The thief sighed and he whispered "I'm going to scout ahead" he slipped away from the group and the singing snowman and he mounted his horse and trotted away silently.
The thief trotted to the edge of the meadow and suddenly he pulled on his reins, causing his horse to stop. He felt a shiver crawl down his spine. James glanced around the snow-covered meadow and frowned. Something felt wrong. It was if he was being watched by something...terrible. The thief shook his head and pushed his fears away. Probably nothing.
As the thief and his steed trotted away from the meadow, he failed to notice Harriman hanging upside down over his head high in the branches of a nearby tree like a human-sized bat.
The man in black grinned to himself and he rubbed his hands together.
The snowman was a rather unexpected development in Elsa's powers but it could prove useful in the grand scheme of things, which is why he nudged the wandering little buffoon towards Anna, hoping to trigger something from the past.
If things go well, the snowman may trigger something in Elsa and the fragile ice queen may very well get rid of them, thus fall into place without any effort on his part.
He giggled and vanished in a puff of black smoke.
End of Chapter
(a/n: So, what do you think? Sorry again for the wait. The song lyrics are Jack used were from "The Rains of Castamere" from Game of Thrones, James used "After the storm" by Mumford and Sons. Well, we're almost done with Frozen. Review and all that)