Reach the Mountain Pass

Hans was the first to wake up. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, not up for facing the day but knowing he had to, and opened them tiredly, blinking up at the sky. Well, he wasn't frozen to death. That was a plus. If you could call it a plus. He'd expected to be colder than this on waking, though. Why…? Just then he tensed up, eyes widening. Suddenly he was aware there was a blanket on him, though that wasn't exactly what caused his sudden alarm. What caused him alarm was that he also suddenly noticed there was a woman at his side. He almost dreaded to know. His eyes flickered over and he had a silent panic attack that took all his willpower to remain still for, besides a few squirms. He bit back a string of curses he wanted to let out and kept quiet. Really it would be her own fault if he woke her up with a freak out, but he remained as composed as he could force himself to be when his heart was racing about a mile a minute and panic was setting in.

He willed himself to take a deep breath and did so, slowly settling down. He took one more breath then looked over at her once more. She shifted slightly and his jaw twitched. He looked up towards the sky again. She yawned and stretched. Dammit, dammit, dammit, she was waking up! He had half a mind to try and pull away from her, but he got the feeling he was too late for that. He heard her catch her breath. Yep. Too late. He stayed looking up at the sky. "I thought you said the cold never bothered you," Hans finally remarked.

She frowned at him. "I am still human, Hans," she answered.

"If that's your excuse," he replied with a smirk.

"You disgust me," she bit with a scoff, moving away from his side and digging up his weapons.

Hans gave her a 'really?' look, but made no comment as to the hidden arms. "Why did you stay here anyway?" he questioned, sitting up.

Elsa blushed then looked awkwardly down, nibbling her lower lip. "Um… I kind of got lost," she mumbled. "I was… too busy trying to catch up with you and toss you the blanket to focus on where I was going. I thought you had probably been a little more careful than that and kept track, and if you did you were the only way I was finding my way back. I couldn't walk out into that forest in the dark. I would have never found my way out again." Well, she probably could have eventually—raise an ice platform to see where she was, maybe call a blizzard to rip up a path to salvation for her, though that was extreme—but that wasn't the point.

"Lucky for you, you were right," Hans replied, picking up the blanket and folding it. "Let's get back to camp, then. Maybe catch something along the way for breakfast."

"Or we could hunt when we run out of our rations," Elsa said.

"If we fall down a ravine, hunting's the last thing we'll be doing. We'll only have what we brought to survive on," Hans pointed out.

"There's that. Or I could conjure up a snow beast and get it to take us to safety," Elsa replied.

"And if you died?" Hans asked.

"What happens to you then wouldn't be my concern or care," Elsa answered, shrugging and starting off.

"Yeah, but it'll very much be mine!" Hans called after her in annoyance. He sighed and caught up to her, leading the way back to camp.

Frozen

They gathered up their things in silence, mounted up, and headed out without words. There wasn't anything to be said. What mattered was reaching their destination and putting a stop to this wicked hobgoblin's games. After a time, Elsa grimaced and shifted uncomfortably. "I haven't ridden a horse for years," she said.

Hans raised an eyebrow, looking over at her. He smirked amusedly. "Getting saddle sores, your majesty?" he asked.

"Probably," she dryly answered, in no mood for games.

"Then rest. I can scout ahead for a bit," he said.

"And flee or leave me here to die? I don't think so," Elsa replied.

"We've been through this," Hans said to her coldly. "I can't afford to have you dead."

"No, but you can afford to run and escape trial," she answered. "I find it hard to believe you're willing to risk so much to save the brothers you hate."

"Hard to believe as it might be, it's the truth," Hans answered, eyes narrowing.

"Like your love for Anna was?" Elsa nipped.

"No, like your love for Anna was," he answered.

She started, taken aback. Had he just implied it had been hard to believe she loved her sister? She thought about snapping back but then cringed, looking down. He was right, she realized. "I'm sorry," she finally murmured. She shouldn't be giving him the satisfaction of starting all their arguments. She wasn't, of course, at least she didn't think, but still.

"Yeah. Sure you are," Hans replied.

"You don't make it easy, you know. To apologize to you. To be cordial. It's like you think the world's against you or something. I'm trying to be nice, Hans. I'm trying to understand you," she said.

"You think I'm not trying the same for you?" he asked.

"I think before you try it for me, you should deal with you," she answered. He sharply looked over at her, eyes narrowed, but said nothing, focusing on the black clouds in the distance again.

"They've stopped," Hans remarked. And were vanishing now. He sighed in frustration. "And now the easy part is over," he said as the last of the black clouds disappeared from sight.

"But we know the general area," Elsa assured.

"I know," Hans answered, nodding. "I just wish we had a clearer picture."

"So do I," she murmured. She looked up at the sky. They only had so much daylight. It was best they make the most of it.

Frozen

Suddenly they heard a noise in the forest and sharply turned. They stopped the horses and were silent, listening. "What was that?" Elsa finally questioned.

"I don't know. Probably just an animal," Hans answered, though he looked guarded. "Let's, uh, speed up a bit. I mean, there are a lot of wolves in these forests." Elsa nodded worriedly and pushed her ice mare to a trot. Hans followed suite with Sitron.

Suddenly Elsa stopped with a gasp, throwing out her arm to stop Hans. He looked at her arm then up at where she was staring. His eyes widened. Barely distinguishable from the black of the forest was a figure. You could almost believe you were seeing things, but he couldn't be because Elsa had seen it too. "That isn't good, is it?" Elsa asked.

"He knows we're following," Hans murmured back, guardedly watching the thing and drawing his sword. Took it long enough.

"And he intends to stop us, it seems," Elsa remarked, looking around. Hans began looking around too. His heart dropped. They were surrounded by shadows in the woods!

"Oh boy," he said.

"How bad is this?" Elsa asked. "Can we take them?"

"Um…. Maybe?" he lamely offered, grinning innocently and shrugging.

"Define 'maybe'," she said, eyes narrowing.

Hans cringed and rubbed the back of his neck. "We'd have better luck running as fast as we possibly could and hoping they don't attach," he admitted. Problem was there was no opening.

"I can do that," Elsa answered. Immediately she sent out a powerful wave of ice, careening towards the trees. "Move! It'll spread them enough that we can run!" The ice mare took off at a gallop.

"Yah!" Hans ordered, kicking Sitron's flanks and galloping after Elsa as fast as possible. The shadows scattered in the wake of the ice blast, but stayed close to it. "Head for the mountain pass! It's that way!" Hans called, coming alongside Elsa.

"Stay close!" Elsa called back with a nod, turning the ice wave in that direction. They rode close behind. Should they fall too far back, the things in the woods would have them easily. The creatures leapt at them from the forest, spitting and growling, reaching out to catch hold of them and tear them from the backs of their steeds. "Why aren't they hurting the horses?!" Elsa called to Hans.

"Are you kidding? They may be dark sprites, but they're sprites nonetheless. The fae, most every type except a few, are hell bent on protecting the woods and creatures in it," Hans replied.

"Then why isn't the wicked sprite?" Elsa questioned as the end of the woods came into sight. Soon they'd be in the open. There they would be vulnerable, but not far from that was the pass. There they could lose the creatures pursuing them. There it became troll territory, not sprite.

"Because the Wicked Sprite is half troll, remember?" Hans replied.

"Of all the traits for it not to inherit from his sprite side," Elsa said with a dry smirk. Hans chuckled, smiling at her then focusing ahead again.

"Elsa, stay close! Out there we're easy targets," Hans said to her.

"Don't worry about me," Elsa called back, turning and erecting a massive ice wall. Into which a good number of the sprites slammed.

"Nice," Hans said, looking back.

"Thanks," she replied proudly. It gave them the break they needed and all at once they were bursting from the forest and tearing towards the mountains not far away. "We're going to make it!" Elsa cheered.

"I don't believe it. We are!" Hans said with a laugh, looking excitedly over at her. He looked ahead and gasped. "Elsa!" he cried out. Elsa looked sharply ahead as well and her eyes widened in horror. There in front of them a large creature of rock was slowly rising!

Frozen

"Mountain trolls!" Elsa exclaimed. And not the good kind that Kristoff had been raised by. The very, very bad kind. The very, very big kind. The kind that would challenge her snow beast and have a good chance of coming out on top. "Move!" she called to Hans as it roared and lifted a boulder, throwing it at them. The two separated, racing around it, then regrouped, Hans behind Elsa.

"Oh this isn't good," Hans said.

"No, you think?!" Elsa sharply called back, turning and frowning.

"Queen Elsa, look out!" Hans shouted, pointing at something. Elsa turned only to see another troll rising! She screamed as it swiped at her and her snow steed, barely managing to dodge it. Hans, however, wasn't as lucky. The arm struck him and sent him flying off of Sitron with a cry of pain. Sitron whinnied, sliding to a stop and turning, fearful for his master.

Elsa reined in her own horse, turning with a gasp. "Prince Hans!" she exclaimed as the prince hit the ground and slid back, dazed.

He sat up and looked back. His eyes widened. Shadow sprites were coming at him from that direction, the trolls from in front. He looked both ways frantically and drew his sword. He wasn't going down like this! No way! He dropped into a fighting stance, scowling, and ran at the two trolls. He'd handled Elsa's snow beast fine. Maybe he'd stand a chance here in turn. He leapt at one, cutting at it. Unfortunately, the sword didn't seem as willing to cut through rock as it was to cut through ice, and only a chip came off. Enough to make the troll roar in pain and get angry, but not enough to injure it and get it to back off. It swung at Hans as the other barrelled down on the prince.

Elsa, judging the situation Hans was in, narrowed her eyes and immediately sent her powers out at the charging troll. They struck and froze it solid. One down, one to go, but first she had to slow those sprites. Immediately she erected more walls of ice, blocking off the mountain pass. If the sprites wanted to get them, they'd have to get over the cliffs or the wall. Which, if they had wings, wouldn't make much of a difference but might. Either way, by the time they got over, she fully intended to be out of there. Elsa turned attention to Hans, who was having a hard time holding off the troll but honestly managing surprisingly well. He leapt back away from it as it brought down its fists. Sitron raced around to pick up his rider. Hans swung up onto the horse's back and tried to race for safety again, but the troll moved in front of him, a boulder held over its head and ready to crush horse and rider! Hans and Sitron stopped, having nowhere to run and no time, and looked up at it in mounting horror. The troll roared and started to bring the boulder down. Hans cried out, shielding his face—for all the good that would do—and bracing for impact. Suddenly, though, there was the sound of ice. Hans looked quickly up and his eyes widened. The troll was frozen solid! He looked quickly over to Elsa, who was scowling and focusing on keeping back the few sprites that were starting to make it over the wall.

"Run!" Elsa shouted to him. Hans didn't need to be told twice. He kicked Sitron into action and caught up to her quickly. She stopped holding the sprites back—not many were going to make it over anyway, and those who had were now frozen—and raced into the pass at his side. "We've done it!" Elsa said, grinning.

"I know! I can't believe it!" Hans said, laughing as they raced around a corner and out of sight of the pass. "So much for the ambushes of the troll king!"

"Anna, your brothers, and my people are as good as free!" Elsa crooned in victory right back.

Frozen

Finally, sure they'd distanced themselves enough, the two slowed their horses down until they had stopped. Exchanging looks, the duo burst into laughter. "I can't believe you held that thing off!" Elsa said.

"I know! I can't believe it either! And you with the ice walls and the freezing them right in place… It was amazing!" Hans exclaimed, equally pumped up. He grinned in the direction of the hobgoblin's haunt. "That thing is as good as gone," he said.

Elsa giggled, nodding and looking in the same direction with a smile. A silence came over them as they watched a black cloud begin to form before it faded again. "He isn't happy, is he? The being that took them," Elsa remarked after a moment, smile falling to a concerned frown.

"No," Hans confirmed, tone serious.

She looked over at him. "What will he do to them?" she questioned quietly, almost fearfully.

Hans cringed, thinking. Finally he sighed. "I don't know," he admitted.

"What if… what if someone is hurt because of this… or worse…?" Elsa questioned.

"Don't… say that," Hans said. Because he knew the first ones that hobgoblin would go after would be his brothers. Not Anna, not Kristoff, not Elsa's people, but his brothers.

Elsa caught on, eyes filling with realization, and she looked quickly away, bowing her head. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Why? It's not like I care what happens to them. Just makes my ascent to the throne that much sooner," Hans quickly and testily said, visibly shutting down the line of conversation. "It's just… inconvenient."

"Oh really? Why?" Elsa challenged.

"Look, we're not talking about them right now. Our job is to get there," Hans quickly replied, eyes narrowing at her. "Let's get moving. We're losing daylight." He rode ahead. She watched after him, shaking her head hopelessly. She sighed, looking in the general direction once more, worry in her eyes. She didn't want anyone to die or suffer because of them… But they had to make it. There was no other way. She watched after Hans. Against her better judgement, she felt worried for him. It was his brothers on the line, not her sister. It dawned on her, then, that he'd realized as much from the start. How hard was that for him to know? Especially from the start? To understand that if he did this, if he tried to end the hobgoblin forever and save his kingdom and Arendelle, it could cost him the lives of his siblings? Was it hard for him? She couldn't tell anymore with him. He was just so hard to read. To even see.

"Chameleon Prince…" she murmured.

He froze and looked sharply back. "What did you call me?" he questioned frigidly.

"What you are," she answered, riding up to him. "The Chameleon Prince."

"Never say that again," Hans icily, dangerously, warned.

"You can't deny it," she replied, riding ahead of him. He glared dangerously after her, eyes narrowed. He glanced ponderously at his sword before deciding that for now she was more use to him alive. Growling in annoyance, he caught up to her again. "We'll be climbing the staircase towards my ice castle when we reach the end of this pass," she said. "It will be a good place to stay the night, then we can start early tomorrow." At that point their voyage would truly begin, because when they left that palace, they left all familiar ground. The rest was a mystery yet to be solved.

Hans grimaced. More ice. Just what he didn't want right now. "Agreed," he relented a tad bitterly.

"You know as well as I do we'll be safest there," Elsa said. "A mountain storm seems to be brewing anyway. We can't be out in the open when that blizzard hits."

"I know," Hans answered.

"I understand you don't like it…" Elsa began.

"You know, I actually don't even mind it all that much. Your creation… It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The way it was crafted was just… In every detail there was a piece of you, in every formation a story. It was all so unashamedly you…" Hans said.

Elsa's lips slowly parted in shock. Was she hearing all of this from his mouth? Or was it just one of his masks? "I-I don't know what…" she began.

"Maybe that's why part of me doesn't want to go there. I don't want to be any closer to you than I already am," he cut off.

Her eyes narrowed, her expression becoming a frown. See, now she could believe it had come from his mouth. "Oh bite me," she said, riding ahead.

"What did I say?" he asked. "Hey, it wasn't meant to be an insult! Elsa!" he defended immediately after, as it suddenly dawned on him how that sounded. She didn't even grace him a look. He sighed in annoyance. Fine. She wanted to be that way fine. He wasn't too thrilled with her either.