"She'll be fine," Anna said. She knew Hans was anxious of Freya's disappearance.
"Maybe it's better this way. Taking an independent stance now, after all we may not come back from this," Hans said.
"And if we do come back?" Anna said. Hans did not answer.
The wait to set off had been agonising, especially for Hans. The moment had finally come and they were on their way to Arendelle. Anna and Hans had headed off first as travelling in one large group would raise suspicion before they got to the tunnel entrances where it would all start. Anna wore a hooded cloak to hide her armour and weapons; Anna's shield was flat enough to just about be hidden to the immediate eye. Han's told her to leave it behind, that she could pick up one of the shields smuggled in prior to the operation's start, Anna had refused.
Although there was a distinct possibility she was headed to her death, Anna was content. She had forgotten what it was like to be truly calm.
"I want you to know Hans, I forgive you," Anna said. She had been debating whether to say this to him or not, her clarity of thought and feeling of finality drove her to go through with it. She wanted to clear any lingering doubts Hans might have had.
"Thanks," Hans said, he smiled. "For what it's worth I regret the man I was."
"People can change, for better or for worse," she said.
"I'd love to take credit, but it's Freya's fault," he said.
"She's a good kid, you taught her well," she said.
"I did what I could. Honestly I don't really know how I ended up looking after her. It just felt right you know?" Hans said.
"So the sociopath had a heart all along," she said.
"Shut up," he said, they looked at each other and laughed. Even after the slight laughter had ended they kept looking at each other. Anna caught herself and looked ahead.
"We still have quite a distance to cover," she said. They continued on to the capital.
"You understand what this whole thing entails?" Hans said.
"I never would have agreed if I didn't grasp the necessary evils I must perform," she said. Hans was checking for any reluctance, a wise precaution. She had hardly shown him she was a stable individual up to this point. His confidence in her to do this was either a testament to his faith in her character or outright desperation. He gave her too much credit if it were the former.
She sneaked a glance at him as they walked, he seemed conflicted. After a few more minutes of subtle glances she saw this was more than just nerves, Hans had remaining unsettled throughout the journey.
"Something you want to tell me?" Anna asked. Hans was looking ahead, distracted by something. He raised his hand to her eye line and moved it forward. Anna followed the hand to see he was pointing at a lone figure off in the distance coming toward them. Hans and Anna kept at the same pace, watching carefully. The figure was moving slowly and clutching their arm.
"Freya?" Hans said, Anna could not tell from this distance, Hans began to run. After a short distance Hans turned around and beckoned Anna forward. When she moved more quickly and got closer it became evident Hans was right. There were large red patches on her cloak and she was clearly exhausted. Hans put his hands on her shoulders, causing Freya to wince, he leaned in close. Their foreheads were touching and he was speaking too quietly for Anna to hear. Judging from Freya's expression it was more of a telling-off than anything else.
"You look terrible," Anna said when she caught up to them.
"I feel terrible," Freya said.
"I'll take a look at your shoulder," Anna said.
"Can it wait? I have to tell you what I saw," Freya said.
"No," Anna said. Freya seemed certain of the importance of whatever it was she wanted to tell them but if she had a lot to recall it would be better to make sure she was not distracted or in a state where she could keel over at any point. Hans stepped aside and looked off into the distance, he seemed vacant. She was surprised he had not insisted on checking her injuries himself.
Anna took off Freya's cloak.
"Let go of the shoulder," Anna said, Freya obeyed. She could see it was off straight away, she tapped it lightly and saw Freya wince again. It was dislocated. Anna put her hands in position, ready to force the shoulder back in place.
"This is going to hurt," she said. Just as she was about to fix it she stopped and thought about what she said, Anna switched her focus to directly address Freya.
"This is going to hurt a lot," she said. Anna started pulling slowly and firmly. Freya was doing what she could to hide how painful it was for her. The gruelling process was shortly over as she heard the shoulder clunk back into place.
"Are you done?" Freya asked, her impatience amused Anna but she still had to concentrate.
"Nearly," Anna said. She ripped a section of Freya's cloak and fashioned a makeshift sling for her.
"Use can use the snow to numb the pain," Anna said.
"Can I…" Freya said.
"No. Where's all this blood come from?" Anna said, inspecting the red patches on the cloak. "Is it yours?"
"What? Of course it's mine," Freya said. Anna realised that she asked that a little too casually.
"Let me see the injury," Anna said.
"It's nothing," Freya said.
"I'll be the judge of that," Anna said as she tried to take a closer look at Freya's bloodied hand.
"I went to the tunnels in Arendelle," Freya said pulling her hand away. The statement brought Hans back into the fold immediately.
"You did what?" he said.
"What did you learn?" Anna asked, immediately forgetting about Freya's hand.
"Why on Earth would you do that?" Hans said before Freya could answer Anna's question.
"I couldn't stand by and watch you risk your lives without at least doing something," she said.
"Later Hans, she might have important information," Anna said.
"I do," Freya said. Anna was increasingly impressed with this girl's pure determination.
"Don't think this is over just because Anna insists we need to hear this," said Hans.
They listened intently as Freya recounted her tale. Anna analysed the practicalities of this information, they would need to wrap up to deal with the temperature in the tunnels. Back when Anna used them they were no colder than any other part of the city. Fighting these cultists instead of ice-warriors was a potential setback as well. The warriors were predictable and simple to fight, the combat prowess of these fanatics could range anywhere between careless flailing to well-trained soldiers. There was also a strong chance the ones in blue had contusions impervious to standard weaponry if it was anything like the time Elsa's magic had frozen her.
It sounded like the tunnel network had expanded but the old routes would still hold up, the problem stemmed from cultists springing out and attacking from new and unknown spots. They would need to move carefully and keep eyes in all directions to account for this. Once in the palace they would undoubtedly face ice-warriors, Elsa would be fully aware of the attack by the time they would get through the tunnels and would not hesitate to create more to disperse throughout the palace and city. The bridges and narrow passageways could at least negate any number advantages if her group was overwhelmed. The city's expansion and construction of the spires were largely underway when she fled the palace but she found it hard to imagine the place Freya had described, the place she was born, raised and had known so well had changed so much.
"So you were in the palace, then you're suddenly escaping the city," Hans said, it was easy to figure Freya had left some details out.
"I may have been given to the cultists to sacrifice so jumped out of a palace spire using a priceless tapestry as a parachute," she said. Anna could not help but crack a huge smile upon hearing this, an action that undoubtedly made Hans' mood worse. It explained the injuries but also put away any doubts that this was the kind of person who could bring the best out of people, it was no wonder Hans had become a better man spending years with this girl. He must have been in two minds, proud and happy Freya was safe, but livid she had run off and done this, as ever his face gave nothing away when he spoke to her.
"Who gave you to the cultists?" Hans said.
"What do you mean?" Freya said, it was a poor attempt at evasion if Anna had ever heard one.
"You said you were given to be sacrificed, who found you?" he said.
"Elsa," she admitted. "We spoke for a bit, she didn't bother to find out who I really was and just threw me to her worshippers," Freya said. Anna was speechless; Hans ran his hands through his hair then rubbed his forehead.
"Go back to Sigmund, get some rest," Hans said, evidently not knowing how to take this news either.
Anna considered suggesting taking Freya back themselves but knew there was no time, also Elsa may be on alert having discovered Freya in her palace so the matter at hand was even more pressing.
"More of us are coming, if you're struggling you can check with in them on the way back," Hans said. Freya looked distraught but was clearly too tired to argue.
"Hold on," Anna said. She took Freya's hand and found the wounds on her thumb, she cleared up the blood around it and looked to treat them.
"Are these teeth marks?" Anna asked. They had cut in deep, it was no surprise how much blood had come out.
"Don't ask," Freya said.
Anna wrapped it with another piece ripped off from Freya's cloak.
"You did good Freya," Anna said.
"Get on your way, Sigmund can treat your injuries further," Hans said. He then leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Anna could not make out what he said; all she could see was that Freya's reaction was of slight confusion. They parted ways, the two of them were watching Freya slowly walk off.
"You didn't have to be so hard on her," Anna said.
"Don't think I didn't notice you making a big show of studying those maps and revealing just enough information for Freya to go and do that," Hans snapped. He was right, she had known Freya would not just leave bait like that, though Anna underestimated just how Freya would go.
"She had a right to fight for this Hans," Anna said.
"So concern for her safety should just be tossed aside?" Hans said.
"I agree she shouldn't be in Arendelle when everything kicks off but doing nothing would have killed her," Anna said.
"Going on that adventure of hers you encouraged nearly did actually kill her," Hans said.
"I saw she was capable and the information she gave us is hugely valuable, we can be that much more prepared because of her," she said. Hans shook his head in disbelief.
"You just don't get it do you? Her life was on the line and you gambled it for your own gain. Ruthlessness seems to run in your family," Hans said. Anna dropped her head down, she had to close her eyes and take deep breaths to prevent herself completely losing it. She understood why Hans was angry but comparisons to her sister were amongst the shortest fuses she had. She managed to let it go, a feat she would have never have accomplished until recently.
"You say I don't get it? I do get it Hans. What you were doing to Freya, putting her down, cutting her off. That's a path she can't take. The feeling of helplessness it creates is a void in your very soul. It's what I've felt ever since Elsa started to turn and if Freya didn't take this chance to make a difference it's exactly what would happen to her. She would be alive, but she wouldn't be living," Anna said. Hans was silent, he must have been blindsided by her sincerity and let it hang for a few moments more.
"I'm sorry Anna. I guess I assumed you'd hardened out of necessity. The kind of person you were, I didn't think anything would ever get you down on such a fundamental level. I never thought your hope would die," he said.
"You don't need to apologise. I goaded Freya, I admit that," Anna sighed. "I shouldn't be angry at you, I'm broken and it's you that has given me a chance to piece myself back together," she said.
"And you wanted to make sure Freya didn't need piecing back together in the first place," he said. They had both stopped walking and were simply looking into each other's eyes. Anna saw Hans the way she had when they first met all those years ago, albeit briefly as she shook the feeling off and carried on walking. She was flustered and unsure how to carry the conversation forward without revealing it, Hans stayed put and watched her move off. Mercifully Hans broke the silence.
"Thank you for looking out for Freya," he said. Anna turned back.
"Gladly," she said. Hans caught up beside her and they walked together until Anna's old home revealed itself on the horizon.