Infiltration

(A/N: Only this chapter and two more left to go before the end of this story. I'm pleased it's gone over so well. Thank you for all the reviews and support, all of you. Bit of trivia, the name I gave Hans's mother is the name of the mother of Hans Christian Andersen. I'm not overly pleased with this chapter, so feedback on it will be welcome, but the next two are better, I swear.)

They looked towards the hobgoblin's lair from their place on the ridge. The amounts of trolls and sprites had greatly diminished, most seeking for them elsewhere. Perhaps, by now, at the springs they'd only left that very morning. To keep moving was to live at this point. Elsa looked back. Sure enough, she saw figures in that general area. "It's good we left when we did," she remarked.

"Hmm," Hans replied, glancing back. He looked forward towards the palace again. "It's still going to be a job getting there."

"But one we can manage, now," Elsa pointed out. Neither of them had spoken about last evening. Odds were they never would again. At least not for a long time. Hans wanted to forget it had ever happened, that he'd ever displayed that kind of weakness. To her no less. Elsa… She wasn't sure why she didn't want to think about it. She wasn't sure why she wanted to pretend it hadn't happened. Perhaps her own stubborn pride, perhaps a combination of many other things. She wasn't going to bother analyzing it right now. Just… For now, as far as either of them were concerned, it hadn't happened. He was still the despicable man who tried to usurp her throne, and she was still the ice maiden who ruined his plans along with her sister.

That isn't the reason you hate her…

He rejected the fleeting thought immediately. Why he hated her was no one's business but his. "The rock bridge. We should be able to travel along it with relative ease. Along the side, that is. There are a lot of footholds. It'll be dangerous, but if you think you can handle that rock climb, it's our best bet. We can't walk up to the front door and we can't travel on the ground beneath it. Not only is it a crevasse, but I'm betting at the bottom there are patrols, and along the cliff walls as well," Hans said.

"I can handle it," Elsa replied. "What are we going to do about the horses?"

Hans was quiet, thinking. "Let them go," he finally answered. "Odds are they'll return to Arendelle or find a pasture."

"Or follow us somehow. Find a way down more suited to them," Elsa said. "Sitron doesn't seem the type of steed to abandon his master to something like this."

Sitron snorted as Hans absently stroked the horse's neck. "As long as he's still alive at the end of the day, he can do what he wants," Hans answered. Sitron whinnied, tossing his head. Hans smirked at his horse. His smirk fell. "We part ways here, boy," he gently said to it. Horses weren't mountain goats. From here on in, it was just him and Elsa until they got to that fortress. Sitron whinnied in protest as Hans dismounted. He grabbed his master's cloak, trying to hold him back. "Enough, Sitron. You knew this was coming," Hans said. Sitron whinnied sadly then neighed as Elsa slipped off of her ice mare and joined Hans. Hans glanced at her. "Have you thought of a name for your mare?" he questioned her.

"What was your mother's name?" Elsa questioned.

Hans blinked, taken aback. Finally he answered, "Anne Marie… Her name was Anne Marie…"

"Then Anne Marie is what she's called," Elsa said.

Hans was quiet. Part of him wanted to thank her. The other part wanted to kill her for her audacity. Finally he shook his head. "I wish I could understand you," he said, as he had once before.

"I wish the same in regards to you," she answered, looking at him. He nodded with a small smile, accepting the statement. She smiled back. "Let's go… On the way down maybe you can tell me about that dream you had in my ice palace. Just to pass the time." And keep their attention off the deadly drop. Hans nodded. She started down and his smile fell. Tell her of it? Tell her of the troll king's deal, of all it had been said, of all it had offered him if he brought her into the creature's clutches? He supposed he could, but really, did he want to? He shook his head. Whatever he decided, at least part of it could be told either way. He followed her down. Worriedly their horses looked after them, nickering nervously.

Frozen

"Can't you illusion our way out of here?!" Kristoff demanded of Mael.

"I'm a sorcerer, not the elf king," Mael answered. "Illusion is not something I have. I can shape shift into a dark animal form, call forth creatures of dark magic, heal to a degree, and foretell the future, but I can't do illusion for the life of me."

"We've tried everything!" Kristoff said in frustration. "I mean sure your dark giant weakened the walls, but it isn't enough!"

"But it might be enough for Hans and Elsa to be able to finish the job," Rhun pointed out.

"At what cost?" Kristoff asked.

"That is yet to be seen," Moren declared weakly from where he lay, looking near to death. Mael was tending him as best he could, but there was little to be done without proper supplies, and Mael was loathe to use his dark magic.

"Mael, can't you look into the future and tell what will happen?" Anna asked suddenly from her spot woefully looking up at the roof.

"I fear to know," Mael answered. Anna was quiet. So did she, to be honest. Oh Elsa… Please be safe.

Frozen

Gingerly Elsa and Hans picked their way across the side of the bridge. A snowstorm raged, but the rock bridge blocked a good deal of wind strength. They looked down and quickly looked up again, exchanging glances. Looking down was a bad idea. Vertigo was hitting hard. "I'm terrified," Elsa admitted.

"Full disclosure? So am I," Hans said, eyes shut as he willed the dizzy spell to pass. They heard footsteps above and hardly dared breathe. A troll patrolled the bridge right above them. If it just looked over the side, they were spotted. Not that it could easily reach them from up there, but there was no way either of them would get off of this bridge alive or free if the alarm was sounded. Hans checked the ropes he had on him and tied one fast to a rock. Here they'd need to use the rope to climb down lower and to the next relatively safe ledge. He went down first, as soon as the troll passed overhead. Elsa followed and quickly enough they were on relatively stable ground again.

"Be honest. How long do you think it'll take going this slow?" Elsa asked.

"A few hours," Hans ruefully admitted, shaking his head. "But better that than never." He suddenly slipped and cried out. Elsa immediately seized him, pulling him back to balance. He looked down, heart pounding out of his chest and eyes wide in terror. The ledge had just given way under his foot!

"Yeah, death would be pretty inconvenient about now," Elsa deadpanned, giving him a hard glare once her heart started beating again. Especially so close to their destination.

"It just broke under me!" Hans insisted. They heard a growl and stiffened. The troll. It must have heard the cry! It… was a troll, right? Suddenly there was dead silence. Not a good kind either.

"I just got a chill up my spine," Elsa murmured.

"I just got one through my whole body," Hans said grimly. He knelt on the ledge and leaned over it, anchoring a rope tightly there. "We should keep moving," he said, rising. Suddenly there was a roar and sharply the two looked up with gasps. Looking over the edge was the troll of the bridge! Above its head it held a massive boulder.

"Look out!" Elsa exclaimed.

"Move!" Hans exclaimed as the creature threw it down at them with a roar. Too late. The boulder slammed against the side of the bridge and the whole portion below the walkway started to crumble! They cried out as they felt ground give out under them. As they fell with screams, Hans instinctively threw out his hands, hoping and praying they caught something. He felt rope. The one he'd just tied! Automatically his hands wrapped around it. Elsa, in turn, instinctively threw her arms around his neck, and the two of them swung downwards.

The queen, losing her grip on the prince, cried, "Hans!" She lost her hold, falling with a scream.

Immediately—it was just instinct, it had to be, he wouldn't have saved her of his own accord, he knew—Hans released the rope with one hand and caught her around the waist, stopping her fall and pulling her close to him. She wrapped one arm around him and looked after the collapsing rocks. Wait, the beast would be waiting to see them fall! Immediately she crafted two ice forms, replicas of her and Hans. Maybe it would be enough. Sure enough, as they swung in the whipping wind, they heard the troll roar in victory and head back towards the castle to report their 'demise'.

Frozen

So there they hung, dangling. They looked upwards, both with teeth gritted. Oh this just got better and better. "Now what?!" Elsa called over the wind.

"Your turn to come up with an idea!" Hans replied. "All of mine seem to be failing. Maybe you'll have better luck."

Elsa looked around hopelessly. There had to be something they could do! They couldn't just dangle here like this forever. Hans was probably having a hard time keeping them both up as it was. She set her sights on the other side and narrowed her eyes. There, through the snow. She saw what looked to be a cave. Perhaps another entrance or a weak spot in the fortress. Ice bridge time. She could only pray it held up. Aiming a hand towards it, she began forming said ice bridge from the mouth of the cave towards them. Hans watched in awe and disbelief. Soon it was beneath them, and only then did the prince let go. "Problem solved," Elsa proudly said, smiling.

"Wow, tell me about it," Hans replied. Too bad they hadn't seen that tunnel from the other side. They could have saved themselves a lot of effort.

"We're almost in," Elsa said.

"Elsa, getting in is the easy part," Hans dryly replied. Elsa tensed and gave him a look of disbelief. He shook his head helplessly and shrugged before setting off towards the tunnel. Elsa looked up at the fortress worriedly and followed him.

Frozen

The two stood in the tunnel. They had lit a small fire to warm up before venturing forward. Warm up and plan. "What do we do from here?" Elsa questioned. "How can we save our siblings and my people?"

"I'm thinking," Hans replied.

"We don't have time to think!" Elsa protested.

"So what? You want to run in there gung ho with no plan and no strategy? Just go right up to the once-man and say 'hey, we want our siblings and people back, give them to us'? I don't think so!" Hans replied.

"I never said that's what we should do," she said.

"What else could that even mean?!" Hans demanded.

"I was just saying we're running out of time," she defended.

"You think I don't know that?!" Hans snapped.

"You're taking it out of context, Hans!" she sharply said.

"Oh for the love of… Look, just let me figure this out," he replied with an exasperated sigh.

"We've figured it out! There is a plan," Elsa said. Hans scoffed, turning his back on her and starting to pace, going through the plans and ideas. Maybe she'd figured it out, but he was the one who… never mind. Elsa watched him restlessly pacing, looking agitated and lost in thought. She looked down. After a moment she turned her gaze to him again. "Chameleon Prince," she said.

He froze in place and didn't move. "What?" he finally asked. "I told you not to…" he began, starting to turn sharply on her.

"I'll call you whatever I please," Elsa replied.

"If you say that title again…" Hans began.

"You are the Chameleon Prince," she repeated defiantly. "That's all you need to get through this. After all, you're adaptable to anything."

Hans scowled. Viciously he turned to her. "Watch your tongue, 'your majesty'," he sneered."

"Remember your place, traitor!" Elsa shot, rising.

"That's it! I'm going at this alone. I've had it up to here with you!" he shouted, holding his hand over his head. Way over it.

"Then go at it alone! You'll fail at rescuing them just like you fail at everything else! Besides, it saves me the trouble of having you executed or imprisoned! I'll save my sister on my own," she replied, rising and marching farther into the tunnel, hating herself for what she'd just said. Had she not just the other night told him he would be good enough? No, no, that had never happened. They'd silently and mutually agreed it hadn't.

But it had...

"We'll see about that," Hans darkly growled after her retreating form. With a scoff he turned his back, kicked out the fire, and went his own way up. She was gone. Good. Now he could sort things out. He had ideas. This just made it that much easier to go through with them.

Frozen

Elsa climbed out of the tunnel panting. She found herself staring at the back walls. Stables were here, the horses well-tended. Good. They would need those for their escape. She heard whinnying and looked back. Sitron and Anne were there too, watching from a distance. Even better, she inwardly noted. Now she only needed to find the dungeons where her sister, Kristoff, and Hans's brothers were being held. Immediately, carefully, she advanced on the castle to search for a safe way in. Or even a window above ground that looked deep into the dungeon where they were being kept. The odds any such thing would exist or be on the surface were low, but she could hope.

Elsa heard a door creaking open and gasped, looking over. A secret passage was opening in the castle wall! Her eyes widened and swiftly she dodged out of sight. She peered carefully out as a group of three large trolls lumbered out carrying huge legs of meat. They looked horse sized and she shuddered. So that was the fate for the steeds in the stables. At least some of them. The sprites, it seemed, wouldn't touch the animals. The trolls, on the other hand, were glad to. The part troll part sprite… she wondered what he did. She probably didn't want to know. She quickly slipped out of hiding and ran for the slowly shutting passageway. She was putting a lot of faith in the hope the trolls wouldn't turn. It seemed she was right to. They didn't look back, and she entered without incident just before the passage shut.

Heart pounding, she took a breath. Alright, now she was in the lion's den. It was pitch black in here. She squinted, trying to see something. Her eyes began to adjust. At least enough that she could pick out shapes and follow the wall with relative ease. She hoped and prayed she didn't run into another troll, or that those ones didn't come back. She needed to get out of this passage. Here she was a sitting duck. Some minutes later, she was at a dead end. Or what appeared to be one. She frowned. The passage hadn't at any point branched off, so this was obviously a secret door of some sort. She just needed to find a way through it.

Elsa began feeling the wall for any telltale nooks or crannies. "Come on, come on," she willed silently. Suddenly the door began to move and she blinked. Had she done it? She straightened up with a grin, almost cheering. Until she heard a growl from the other side. She caught her breath. She hadn't found the way out, but something was coming in! She instantly pressed herself as tightly against the wall as she could, teeth clenched in alarm.

Don't let it see, don't let it see, don't let it see…

The troll lumbered by slowly, not even turning. Quickly Elsa got out of the passage before that mockery of the fae had a chance to catch her scent and investigate. She would much rather be dealing with sprites, about now. Though she supposed in a battle situation the dark sprites were the last things she wanted to contend with. Trolls she could handle, more or less, if they weren't as good at magic as Grand Pabby, but sprites? Their magic was more powerful than even the trolls, and that was a force Elsa had no interest in dealing with if it could be helped. She looked around the portion of the palace she'd entered. If there was a secret passage there, maybe the dungeons weren't too far off? She wasn't sure of her reasoning for that. She supposed that if the dungeons were isolated, there was no easy exit, and so in case of attack a secret exit would be used. There was this secret exit, so surely a prison of some sort was near? There were many doors, though, and she didn't like the idea of opening them up one by one. Luck wouldn't hold out forever, and if she opened the wrong door she could find herself face-to-face with a whole group of enemies that she was not prepared to handle. At all. Carefully she started down the hall keeping her eyes and ears open for any tells. With luck, the dungeon would be obvious. After all, there was no reason to hide it. Not in a palace full of trolls and sprites.

Frozen

Hans, meanwhile, was picking his way through the cave. It had to join to the palace somewhere. That would be his way in. He rounded a corner and heard a low grow. He froze. Coming towards him was a light. His eyes widened. One of the creature's followers! He inwardly cursed and turned, quickly starting to make his way back… only to freeze again, eyes widening. Coming from the direction of the place they'd started the fire was another light! Something must have sensed the smoke and gone to investigate, which meant these things knew trespassers were near.

Hans looked one way then the other. There had to be a way out of this! Frantically he scanned for a hideout or a nook to press into. There was nothing! Great. Just in line with his luck. His eyes widened slowly in realization. Actually… maybe this could be twisted to his advantage after all… A plan was being developed. He smirked to himself coldly. Yeah, this could work. They wouldn't see it coming.

Frozen

Elsa made her way cautiously down a foreboding staircase. It was apparent where it led. Finally, the dungeons.

Anna, I'm coming.

She reached the bottom and looked cautiously around. No enemies in sight. She began to run quietly through them, looking frantically in at every cell she came by hoping and praying it or the next would have her sister, Kristoff, and the princes inside. Suddenly a hand was on her shoulder and she let out a little scream, turning sharply.

"It's okay! It's just me," a voice said.

"Hans," Elsa whispered with a gasp. "I was afraid you weren't going to go through with this."

"Chameleon Prince," Hans replied, smirking. "Besides, that whole argument in the cave? Yeah, it… was kind of an overreaction."

"No, it's okay. I get it," Elsa said. "This is hard on you. It'll be hard on us both."

"I just… I wanted another way. If only to up the odds of survival," Hans said. "But right now… Right now I guess it's best to play your strengths. And divided we aren't going to be able to do this. We need each other."

"As much as we wish we didn't," she ruefully agreed, shaking her head.

"You're heading the wrong way," Hans said.

"What? This isn't the dungeon?" Elsa questioned.

"No, but they'll end up here at some point if we don't hurry," Hans replied.

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"This is where they put the bodies," Hans seriously answered. Elsa blanched. Hans nodded grimly and led the way back up the stairs. Elsa looked worriedly down the corridor once more, then followed him.

Frozen

"You really know your way around," Elsa suspiciously remarked after a while.

"I know. Remember the dream I told you?" Hans asked, frowning at her.

"Right, the dream… Sorry… It's just kind of hard to shake the feeling…" she began before trailing off.

"That I'll betray you?" Hans deadpanned. She didn't answer. He sighed. "Let's just get this done."

"Right. The sooner this ends, the sooner we all can get on with our lives," Elsa said.

"You, maybe," Hans dryly said. "I have a trial and sentencing to look forward to. One that will more likely than not end in hanging by the neck until dead or being beheaded." Or, on the Southern Isles, getting stoned to death. Which he had little doubt his brothers would take pleasure in doing. They'd attempted it before… Anyway, he doubted Arendelle practiced that brutal and barbaric of an execution method, so stoning was probably out of the question.

"I told your brothers you would be acquitted of the death sentence," Elsa replied.

"Frankly, your majesty, I would rather be executed then spend the rest of my life behind bars or in exile." Well, maybe not exile. Exile would, if nothing else, get him away from his brothers once and for all, but still. He highly doubted he'd be so fortunate as to get that. Besides, begging on the streets for the rest of his life or hiring himself out as a laborer? Yeah, he could do without that.

"Regardless, that's not a bridge we need to worry about crossing yet," she said.

"Right, find the dungeons, save our families and your people, get out," Hans said as they hurried down another corridor. Every moment spent inside of this castle was another moment closer to being found out. They couldn't stay in the shadows forever. The moment the patrols came back, they were doomed. "There's another branching hallway up ahead. If we go to the left then take a right when it branches, the door to the dungeons should be right in front of us."

"We're almost there," Elsa breathlessly said, heart beating rapidly. Her sister would be free again. Her people! Hans's brothers too. They were so close. If they could just…

Just then a furious roar was heard. They slid to a stop with gasps as all at once, from up above in the beams, a troll leapt down! Cruel laughter was heard coming from another direction and the two gasped, looking over. "They've found us!" Hans exclaimed, falling into a back-to-back position with Elsa. "The trolls and sprites both!"

Elsa prepared to fight back. "Stay focused! As long as the whole army doesn't come we should do okay, right?" she asked.

"Are you crazy?!" Hans demanded. "We're two mortals fighting the fae!"

"Not completely mortal," Elsa replied, smirking. Immediately she began to launch her ice at the troll, who roared in anger and charged them.

Frozen

Elsa focused attention on slowing it while Hans began taking on the sprites that were, at least for now, not using magic. Why weren't they using magic, Elsa wondered? It was good for her and Hans, yes, but not so much for the sprites and trolls. It didn't sit well with her, but she couldn't focus too much on the oddity at the moment. She kind of had to stay alive and keep Hans alive. He was fully intent on repaying the favor. He fought against their enemies furiously, skillfully. She inwardly questioned if he wasn't in the top three of his brothers for skillset with a blade. Hans danced around one of the attackers and quickly struck it from behind. He spun in time to catch the attack of another and drove his sword into it, making it shriek in pain and fall back. His eyes and jaw were set determinedly, and his whole focus was on them.

Elsa sent out ice spikes at the troll, then caused more to rain from above. The troll roared in agony as the various spears struck him. Fortunately for it, and unfortunately for them, the beast's hide was like rock! Which, given what she knew of Kristoff's little trolls, wasn't entirely surprising, but still. It was proving to be an inconvenience she didn't have the patience for. She had to reach Anna! And they had to settle this before more enemies were alerted.

"Elsa, switch targets!" Hans called. He was more likely to be able to handle a troll with his sword. It was fae in a sense, after all, and steel seemed to be something of a weakness of theirs. He hoped. He wasn't great at theory. Either way, though, Elsa was more equip to handle the power of the sprites, and her ice could take on more targets than his single blade could.

"Alright!" Elsa agreed. Quickly they switched positions and Hans ran directly at the troll, eyes locked on his target like an eagle's eyes locked on prey. Elsa, meanwhile, called up a blizzard to surround her and began shooting icy spears, spike walls, and lances at anything that dared try and attack. Those that got close were ripped into by the blizzard, those that tried to retreat to alert others were struck by the lances and spears, while those about the mid-ground were taken care of by the icicle walls. Hans couldn't help but watch in wonder as she took on her target, before he focused once more on the troll. He dodged around the massive club it tried to bring down on him and immediately slashed at its legs. It roared in anguish as the blade struck an unprotected portion of leg. Hans took the distraction as an opening to get behind it, and so did, leaping onto its back—damn, this thing was like four or five of Kristoff's trolls tall—and hanging on to get a good opening at another weak spot. Seeing its side exposed, he drove his sword into the troll violently.

Frozen

The roar of another troll could be heard, the sounds of more sprites, and Elsa and Hans regrouped, panting. "This is not good," Elsa said.

"Go! Get Anna, Kristoff, my brothers, and your people out! I'll buy you time!" Hans shouted at her.

"What? Leave you here alone facing this?! Hans, we can hardly deal with it together! If you're left alone you'll be slaughtered!" Elsa protested.

"Just go, Elsa! If we both die, no one will be able to save the others, but if I can just stall for time, give you a chance to release my brothers, they can come and help fight! We'll stand something of a chance!" Hans said.

"But…" Elsa began, uneasy about this.

"Please! Just get them!" Hans pled. She looked at him, teeth clenched in worry. She was torn, her eyes reflected as much, but he made a point. At this rate they would both die no matter what. If she could get the others, though… After all, there was a chance Hans would still be alive by the time they returned to help. He had a penchant for defying death and fate, it seemed.

"Be alive when I get back," she ordered, turning and running.

"Yeah, right. Be alive," Hans muttered, facing the force now approaching him. Two trolls, one injured, and about 50 sprites now, with the reinforcements that had come. Oh, this was going to be fun. Note the sarcasm. He took a breath and swung his sword around, eyes narrowed challengingly.