Chapter Twelve
Snow crunched beneath ten sets of solid hooves, one set of cloven hooves, and one pair of human boots. Elsa tried shifting some of the heavier drifts to making the going easier, but a frowning glance over the shoulder from their taciturn guide convinced her to be a bit more discreet in her efforts. Feilan kept a surprisingly brisk pace as she led the way. Captain Beorne and Elsa followed next, each leading a string of four horses tied by their reins. Kristoff and Sven often kept to the rear, but would sometimes range to either side. Occasionally Beorne and Elsa would look to him for confirmation of the path Feilan was forging. More often, his only answer was to glance at the overcast sky or to the cant of the slope then shrug his shoulders. Once in a while he would catch a glimpse of the distant North Mountain through the trees and give a decisive nod. For nearly an hour the only sounds were that of their many steps, the snorts and whickers of the horses, and the occasional soft thud of snow falling from branches.
Every time the snow fell, Elsa had her hands full convincing Snofonn that bolting was not an option. He seemed exceptionally skittish, especially whenever the wind shifted. The other animals seemed anxious as well, all but Captain Beorne's mount. Krokus continued with obvious determination, the only sign of the mare's unease being the flicking of her ears. Even Sven appeared to be given to sudden sidles and small jumps, until Kristoff began talking to him.
"Hey, hey, whoa there, Sven!" he called, his voice startling in the relative quiet. "You're acting like there's wolves out there or something!"
Captain Beorne lifted his head. "What's this about wolves?" he called.
Feilan kept walking, but she did turn her head to follow the conversation.
"Nothing," Kristoff answered, shaking his head. "The animals all act like they smell a predator, but I haven't found any sign of anything yet. I think they're just catching an old scent. Wolves probably came through just before the snowfall."
Sven snorted noisily and bounced all four legs in a small crowhop.
"Hey, don't take it out on me!" the mountaineer protested. When the reindeer finally settled down, Kristoff leaned forward to rub a mittened hand in the shaggy ruff. "Hey, it's ok. I want to get home too."
Sven blew air through his furry lips and let his head hang low. With a huge sigh, he resumed a calmer walking pace. Elsa could almost hear the reindeer's eyes roll.
Confusion tangled itself in Kristoff's expression, but he said no more as Sven's resignation seemed to ease the other animals' nerves.
Captain Beorne glanced at Elsa, then suddenly nudged Krokus closer to Feilan. The stolid mare did as asked, although her ears lay flat along her skull. When the string of horses crowded her, she rebuked them with a grunt and a warning shift of her hindquarters. Finally the tiny herd settled down to an easy walk that matched Feilan's brisk pace.
"I was wondering," he began, his deep voice scattering the silence that had tried to regroup itself after Kristoff and Sven's outburst, "why the villagers refer to you as 'Storm Crow'."
Feilan's pack heaved as she shrugged, her pace not wavering. "Dunno. Ye'd hafta be askin' them. Ye already know th'innkeeper's reasoning, yah?"
A frown touched Elsa's features. She had begun to notice that Feilan's peasant accent came and went without any apparent reason. Right now it was thick, but when they had met her at the campfire she had sounded almost educated. Feilan's accent had slid in and out at the inn when they first met, as well. The Queen made a mental note to keep her ears as well as her eyes open in regards to their odd guide, and to ask Captain Beorne about it when the chance arose.
Meanwhile, Captain Beorne was following his own curiosities. "Yes, of course, but the villagers seem convinced that you have a certain… connection with the storms."
Feilan snorted. "Might as well be askin' if'n I cause them." She jerked her head back to indicate Elsa's position behind her. "That there's yer Snow Queen. Nah me."
"Queen Elsa is not causing these storms!" Captain Beorne bristled.
The small mountaineer looked up at him steadily, then deliberately looked over her shoulder at Elsa. "No? But innit wha'happened, back when she were crowned?"
Elsa swore Captain Beorne was actually swelling with indignation. From the corner of her eye she saw Kristoff and Sven swerve closer. The male mountaineer had a look of anticipation on his face, and his gaze was locked on the Captain. The Queen exhaled an impatient breath.
Boys.
Aloud, she said, "It is." Ignoring Captain Beorne's expression, she returned Feilan's steady gaze. How that woman could walk through snow while looking over her shoulder was anyone's guess. Then again, she had seen Kristoff jogging backwards through snow while verbally teasing Anna. Maybe it was just a mountaineer skill. Giving herself a mental shake, she answered the question that seemed foremost on Feilan's mind. "I caused that winter storm on my coronation night unconsciously. It was a result of my own fear and denial."
"Denial?" Feilan barked.
Queen Elsa nodded. "Denial of my powers, and denial of what being a Queen would require of me. I no longer deny those things." She lifted a bare hand and gestured, causing a brief chiming spiral of snowflakes to appear. Another gestures made them disappear. "We came out here to determine whether these storms were caused by me, true," she admitted, "but now I do not believe they are."
"Why?" blurted the smaller woman.
Captain Beorne hissed softly but would not meet Elsa's inquiring gaze. With a shrug she turned her attention back to their guide. "Because…," she paused, weighing whether to admit to this stranger that she couldn't control the snow of the one storm. With a sigh, she decided to opt for a lesser truth. "The circumstances do not match. I was… upset and in denial on my coronation night, in a way I have not been since."
Feilan snorted. "Good t'know ye've such solid reasonin', then. Arendelle be in good hands, yah? Long as ye ain't too upset, yah?" She turned her face away, staring at the snow ahead.
There went Captain Beorne, swelling again. Kristoff appeared to be wishing for a snack while he lounged on Sven's back. It was all Elsa could do to keep from covering her face with her hand. Gritting her teeth slightly, she said, "I care greatly for Arendelle."
Their guide's steps slowed ever so slightly, though she did not turn her head.
Taking a deep breath, Elsa decided to risk a small bit of information. "I fear for Arendelle, as well. We've already seen some of what I can do without thinking. So every day I do my best to be aware, to learn… I never want to harm Arendelle like that again." For a moment, as she gazed at Feilan's pack, she felt as though she was apologizing to all the people of her country. "I love my country, and the people in it. I would see them live and thrive in all seasons, not locked into a hunted winter. That is why we came out here, to investigate the storms and stories of beasts. And it is because of all I've learned since my coronation night that I am certain I am not the cause of these storms."
That made the guide's head twitch, although the only sound she made was a noncomittal grunt. Her steps resumed their former brisk pace.
Elsa's shoulders wilted. In some strange way, she felt as though her apology had failed.
Captain Beorne glanced back at her, then to their guide. With a cough, he tried to pick up his earlier questioning. "As my Queen has said, we are investigating these happenings, and anyone who may have connections to them." He paused expectantly, but only got another vague grunt. Blowing out his mustache, he tried again. "What do you know of them, Stor… Feilan?"
Somewhere behind Elsa, both Kristoff and Sven snorted. She resisted the urge to twist in her saddle to look at them.
Feilan hitched her pack a little higher on her back. "What's t'know? Nasty storms, heavy snow, winds tha'criss-cross. Yer best bet is t'lay low, let it pass. S'what I always did, when guidin' folks."
"And the snow monsters? What of them?" the Captain persisted.
There was a long pause before Feilan answered. "Jes' beasts. Animals."
Captain Beorne blinked. "Sounds like you're familiar with them." He gazed down at the small woman from atop Krokus, letting the horse pick the path.
"As much as innyone, I s'pose," grunted Feilan.
His mustache bristled as he gritted his teeth. His tone when he spoke, however, was casual and calm. "Would you describe them to me? I fear we… didn't exactly get a clear look at the one that attacked us."
Feilan's own tone was taking on a shade of exasperation. "Big, like a bear," she spoke curtly, "but with a long tail. Travels in ones an'twos an'sometimes threes, like a small wolf-pack, but ne'er seen more'n three at a time."
"And their habits?" Captain Beorne persisted.
"Ah, fer…! They hunt, eh? Li'inny pred'tor. An'," she paused, glancing up at the Captain. After moment's consideration, she gruffly added, "an' they're a-feared o'fire."
"Fire?" Captain Beorne echoed, his attention obviously perked. "Ah, so they are dumb beasts!"
"Na'dumb!" protested Feilan. "Jes'animals. Smart critters fear fire."
"Man does not fear fire," the Captain spoke with some pride.
"M'point exactly," Feilan muttered. Off to the side, Kristoff gave a snort of laughter. Elsa noticed the female mountaineer's head twitch in that direction, then her entire stance relaxed a bit.
Captain Beorne shot a glare in Kristoff's direction, then forced himself to relax. "How do you know about the fire?" he asked.
Their guide heaved a gusty sigh. When that did not seem to dissuade the Captain's attention, she gave a smaller sigh. "Was guidin'a merchant. Seemed good man, as merchants go. Had a pack a'dogs'n'horse he raised hisself. Good critters. Then storm hit. Animal 'tacked. We lost 'is cart, an'… an'we lost all but one o'th'dogs." Feilan's steps slowed noticeably as she paused to kick snow off the curved toes of her boots. "Cornered us. Merchant 'ad a torch w'im. Grabbed th'torch, waved it in th'beastie's face. It backed off quick enow, let us be." She shook her head again and made a sound that seemed more a moan than a sigh. "Ne'er found but one o'th'dogs. Man was crushed. Kept holdin' th'dog an'cryin'," she hesitated, her inflection becoming thoughtful. "Don'think he e'en noticed I ne'er took payment fer th'trip."
For the first time, simple surprise crept into Captain Beorne's tone. "You didn't take payment? Even though you saved him?"
"He lost 'is dogs'n'horse," Feilan repeated, her tone immediately shifting to impatience.
They all traveled in silence for a few minutes, each seeming lost to their own thoughts. Captain Beorne rode and chewed on his mustache. Feilan trudged through the snow, expertly knocking excess from the curved toe of her boots. Kristoff seemed to become bored, as he and Sven began ranging farther to the sides. The mountaineer would sometimes lean over the reindeer's side, as though looking for something in the snow. He never seemed to see anything of importance, however, and would straighten with a shake of his head. Elsa rode quietly, watching them all.
After a time, Captain Beorne broke the quiet by asking, "You still seem to know more about the storms and the… beasts… than most. Would you consider accompanying us to the castle and consult with us while we determine what best to do about the situation? You would be well compensated."
Feilan's derisive snort was becoming a familiar sound. "Told ye afore, no use fer coins," the mountaineer snapped.
"If you've no use for coins, then why lead so many merchants through the mountains?" Captain Beorne asked.
Elsa could almost swear she could hear Feilan's eyes roll, even though she couldn't see the mountaineer's face. "Na use fer coins, but do got use fer clothes'n'food. I barter w'th'merchants fer that, an'does me well. How about ye?" the small guide turned her head to glare up at Captain Beorne. "What d'ye work fer?"
Before the Captain could give any response, Elsa decided it was time to interrupt. "Well I don't know about the rest of you, but the mention of food reminds me I seem to have worked up an appetite." As all gazes turned to her, she deliberately cast her eyes skyward. "Can't see where the sun is… but my stomach is telling me it is fairly high."
"Nah quite," Feilan immediately answered, apparently grateful for the distraction, "but close enough. There's a good stand o'trees na far ahead. Good cover'n'shelter, 'case wind picks up. Was headin' tha'way fer lunch."
Hearing the word "lunch" brought Kristoff and Sven in. It didn't take too much longer to reach Feilan's chosen stand of trees. The male mountaineer gave his nod of approval, and they all dismounted to tend to the horses and Sven. Once the animals were happily munching their mouthfuls of feed, the humans settled down to eat their own lunch of bread, cheese, and a kind of hard sausage. Elsa cleared some snow so everyone would have dry ground to sit on. The brief use of magic earned her a variety of glances. Captain Beorne hesitated, then sat down a little too firmly. Kristoff blinked, then nodded his thanks. Feilan stared at the ground, then at Elsa, before slowly settling herself into a cross-legged position.
Elsa noted that Kristoff and Captain Beorne sat well away from each other. She couldn't decided if it was more of their odd rivalry, or if they were positioned in order to provide a wider defense. The way they sat, keeping an eye on each other as much as they watched the forest, didn't help clarify matters any. Feilan sat well away from all of them, including the horses and reindeer, at the very edge of Elsa's magically created clearing. Elsa thought that odd, especially in light of the mountaineer's earlier defense of animals.
Even more odd, she noticed that Kristoff kept glancing between Sven and Feilan. The familiarity of the gesture puzzled her, until she realized it was the same way she kept glancing between Feilan and Captain Beorne, or Captain Beorne and Kristoff. What hostility could possibly exist between their guide and the reindeer, she wondered.
She considered trying to sit nearer to their guide, but decided against it. She was just a little woozy from the morning's exertions, and the tension in the makeshift camp didn't help matters any. A bit of magic gave her some dry ground right next to a tree, her back pressed to the solid trunk. The rough bark could barely be felt through the leathers. She leaned her head against the tree and thought about the castle.
A strong wave of homesickness hit her. More specifically, she missed Anna. With Anna, she didn't have to worry about how her powers were perceived. Anna seemed to barely notice her powers at all, except to laugh in delight. To be sure, they still had their sisterly squabbles, but the love and acceptance was always there. Dealing with political drudgery always seemed easier when she knew her sister was near.
How was Anna handling the delegations, Elsa wondered. Not for the first time, she questioned her own wisdom in her decision to leave Anna to the castle duties while she tackled the villages. Surely Steward Kai and Housekeeper Gerda were watching over her sister. Perhaps even the Royal Treasurer was helping her…. And maybe having better luck teaching Anna alone. Elsa closed her eyes, remembering what was no longer within her sister's capability to recall: all the times as children when she would distract her sister with decorative frost on their instructors' persons. Before the accident, Elsa's learning capabilities had taken a sharp dive.
After the accident, there wasn't any opportunity for distraction.
She also had to grudgingly acknowledge it was good of her to deal with people without Anna by her immediate side. It was so tempting to let her sister's exuberant good cheer take center stage. Elsa happily let Anna take the brunt of social conversation, while she ducked behind her sister's light. Although the monster's attack had cut affairs short, Elsa had already spoken more with strangers about non-political topics than she had with anyone other than Anna or Kristoff.
At the same time, Elsa knew she and Anna were stronger together. Meetings went more smoothly, and it was easier to gain a consensus among the court advisers. Only Anna's uncertainty over political aspects and Elsa's flawed social skills held them back from accomplishing more.
This brief separation had to be good for them. It had to.
"Hey," interrupted a male voice.
Elsa cracked open an eye she hadn't even realized she had closed. After a moment, she cracked open the other. It took a few moments of fuzzy focusing before she could see Kristoff standing nearby, concern on his face. She opened her eyes wider, then winced at a faint pain lancing through her head.
Kristoff frowned, then kneeled. "Hey, you okay?"
"My head," Elsa muttered after a moment's hesitation. She had considered denying any issues, but knew Kristoff would be as persistent in his concern as Anna. "Guess I'm not quite as healed as I thought."
"Think we should make camp here for the rest of the day?" he asked.
A cautious shake of her head didn't cause any further pain. "No, we've delayed enough as it is. I should be fine." She had to chuckle at Kristoff's doubtful look. "I promise, I will say something before anything becomes dire."
"I'll hold you to that," he said with utmost seriousness, then softened it with a small grin. "I think we both know what Anna would do to me if anything happened to you."
"I believe we've acknowledged that point before," Elsa answered with her own tiny grin. When the mountaineer reached out a hand, she accepted it. He pulled her up with ease. Looking around, Elsa saw Feilan watching them. Their guide had a deep frown on her face, but whether from puzzlement or disapproval Elsa couldn't say. It was a curious expression, regardless.
The horses were readied in short order. Elsa spread snow about to cover the ground once again, although it did little to hide the fact that a large number of hooved animals had lingered there.
Feilan finished adjusting her pack to look around the once-camp, then to peer up at Elsa who was already perched atop Snofonn. "Why?" grunted the small guide.
"Hmm?"
"Why cover it up?" She gestured to the broad trail they had trampled in the snow to reach this spot. "S'not like we wouldn't be easy to find."
"Oh," Elsa said, then tilted her head. "I wasn't thinking of hiding our trail, although I suppose I should. I was thinking more of the ground plants. They have to rest themselves over winter so they can grow better in the spring, I know. So I just wanted to let them have their blanket of snow back."
Feilan continued to stare up at Elsa for several long moments, before finally turning away.
Surly silence reigned for a while among them. No one seemed inclined to converse with anyone else. More and more Elsa found herself missing Anna's company. Sure, they had their sisterly squabbles, but those were loudly yelled and quickly resolved. There none of this sulking, suspicious refusal to speak. More than once she opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Elsa was rarely at a loss for words when it came to royal matters, but idle conversation was beyond her. After a time she ceased being so alert, simply retreating into her own mind for wordless rumenations.
Snofonn's sudden halt jerked her back to awareness. Looking around, Elsa realized the entire group had come to a stop.
"What," she started to ask, but Kristoff's pointing hand answered her. Ahead of them lay a sizable crevasse. It was probably the one that Feilan had mentioned back at her morning campfire. Their guide was currently standing at the edge, looking up and down the open length.
"No safe place here fer th'horses to cross," the smaller woman said. Gesturing to the downslope side, she said, "Gonna head down that'a'way. See how soon c'n find a crossin' place for'em. Ye all might as well stay 'ere."
"You'll be coming back, I presume?" Captain Beorne asked.
Feilan shot him a vicious glare. "I dinna 'bandon those I guide," she growled.
"Very well," the Captain said, unperturbed by Feilan's aggrieved tone.
With a snort, Feilan stalked away. She was lost to sight among the trees long before her forceful steps were no longer heard. When the crunch of snow could no longer be heard, Kristoff guided Sven closer to the Captain.
"You really like trying to stomp all of her toes, don't you?" the mountaineer accused.
Elsa lifted her head to peer at Beorne, curious to hear his answer.
Captain Beorne huffed softly. "I do not enjoy it. I do it to test her mettle, and to see if any cracks show in what she tells us." He twisted in his saddle so he could meet Kristoff's eyes. "Tell me you do not see anything odd about her?"
Lounging on Sven's back, Kristoff began counting fingers hidden by his mittens. "Let's see… more comfortable outdoors than indoors… has more interest in animals than humans… curt and abrupt… no social skills to speak of… slightly smelly… eh, sounds like a mountaineer to me!" Grinning, he draped one arm across Sven's neck and reached forward with his other hand to ruffle one of the reindeer's large ears. "Really, you guys should've met me before Anna got a hold of me. Feilan could pass for the sister I never had!" He glanced to Elsa. "Uhm."
Elsa chuckled softly. "We're not brother and sister yet, at least technically, so I'll let that slide," she teased.
Kristoff blew air between his lips. "Whew! Hey, wait… technically? Yet?"
"Smelly," muttered Captain Beorne. When both sets of eyes turned towards him, he coughed and straightened in his saddle. "So," he spoke more clearly, "her convenience doesn't bother you in the least?"
At that the mountaineer had to frown and shrug. "It is… overly convenient, I'll admit. Her just showing up like that, and just happening to be so handy to lead us back."
"Well she's certainly unwilling to speak with me," the Captain began.
"No surprise there," snorted Kristoff.
Captain Beorne paused a moment to glare, then tried again. "I was thinking perhaps you should try speaking with her. Fellow mountaineer and all that."
"Me? Have you met me?" the mountaineer exclaimed. "No social skills to speak of, remember?"
"And smelly, yes, I recall," Captain Beorne grumbled.
"I think," Elsa interjected, "this long on the trail, it is safe to say we're all a bit smelly." She eyed Captain Beorne with silent reproof. To his credit, the man inclined his head in apology first to her, then to Kristoff. Not wanting to linger on the men's odd hostility, she wondered aloud, "I've noticed how her accent slides in and out. I think it's safe to say she's more educated than the average peasant."
The expression on Captain Beorne's face shifted from contrite to contemplative. "I have noticed that, as well. I've also noticed her accent drops most often when she speaks with you, Your Highness."
"Me?" Elsa blinked.
Kristoff chuckled. "She relaxes more, too. Sort of, anyway. I think of all of us, Feilan seems the most comfortable with you, Elsa. Well, as comfortable as she seems to get around people."
"Me?" Elsa repeated incredulously. "I'm the Queen. People usually aren't comfortable talking with the Queen. And more than that, I'm the Snow Queen!"
"And she's the Snow Crow, for whatever reason," Kristoff shrugged. Suddenly he sat up, causing Sven to do a small jig in place. "Hey, maybe you should be the one to try and get her to open up! I mean, she and I, we'd probably just grunt at each other, y'know?"
Captain Beorne's mustache twitched in what appeared to be a repressed smile. "I agree with Kristoff, on several counts." He refused to acknowledge the stare the mountaineer gave him.
Snofonn began to do his own jig as Elsa grew increasingly tense on his back. She barely gave any thought to the rein and heel touches that commanded the horse to relative stillness. Pointed ears still flicked restlessly. Elsa's own gaze darted rapidly between the two men. "You can't be serious!" she protested.
The Captain shook his head. "Very serious," he said. One side of his mustache hitched up in a wry smile. "You've done it before, my Queen. Coaxed others to speaking. You have a… gift… for that." His voice dropped to a gentle tone.
Kristoff cut his eyes to Beorne but said nothing.
Elsa shook her head. "Are you confusing me for Anna? She's the one with the gift for conversation! I swear my sister could hold a conversation with a stone wall and make it talk back!"
That made Kristoff bark in laughter. Sven even made a cheerful whuffing sound and flicked his ears.
The other side of Captain Beorne's mustache rose to match the first. "It's not a gift of conversation I mean, my Queen. More one of… mmm… compassion? It was you who helped that frightened messenger to speak, back at the castle, not your sister the Princess Anna."
That made Elsa sit back. "I… that… he was frightened. He just needed a little confidence, and we needed the information." She stiffened her shoulders, eyes now not quite looking at either of the men. "It was a trade, of sorts." Jerking her head in the direction Feilan had gone, she added, "And that one hardly needs confidence! I don't know of anything we could offer her in trade!" Turning back to Kristoff, she demanded, "Are you certain you shouldn't be the one?"
"Yup," the mountaineer shrugged. "Talk between people like us doesn't involve a lot of words, and it doesn't last long. It'd just be weird for both of us if I tried to start a verbal conversation with her. Besides," he added with a broad grin, "You know Anna's been after you to just… talk… with people. Might as well start here."
"I spoke with villagers!" Elsa countered.
"Hey, I may just be a smelly mountaineer, but even I know the difference between talking with someone and talking at them," he shrugged. This time it was his turn to ignore Captain Beorne's stare.
"I don't," Elsa tried again, then looked at each of the men. They gazed steadily back. Her shoulders wilted as she resigned herself to the impossible. Converse with a stranger? An actual conversation, even one meant to extract information, seemed so strange. How would she even start one up? Talk about the weather? Hello, Feilan, lovely weather we're having, looks like snow to me, how about you? Speaking of snow, care to explain every possible connection you have to the snow storms and snow monsters?
Oh, Anna was going to have a grand laugh when she heard about this.
That reminded her… Elsa suddenly sat straight, making Snofonn snort. In her most royal tone, she commanded the two men, "Neither of you will speak of this to Anna."
Both men moved as one, placing a hand over their hearts and intoning, "On my honor," in decidedly amused tones. Both jerked and stared at each other, startled by their accord.
"And furthermore," she continued, confident at least in this, "whatever is argument is troubling the two of you-"
Kristoff cut her off with a raised hand. Before either she or Captain Beorne could react to the interruption, he pointed to first Sven's head, then Krokus and Snofonn. Captain Beorne shared her confusion, but then his expression cleared and he looked to where Feilan's tracks disappeared into the trees. It took a moment longer for Elsa to realize the animals' ears were twitching in that direction. She tilted her head. After a few moments, she could hear what the animals had already noticed: boots crunching in the snow.
A few minutes later, Feilan emerged among the tree trunks. "Found the end," she called as soon as she was within hailing range. "Also found three sets o'horse tracks. Prolly yer man an'his guide. They're makin' good time, will likely get there a day 'r two ahead o'us since they ain't got but th'one extra horse." She stood there a moment staring up at them, then snorted. "Well? Ye comin'?"
Captain Beorne cast one more pointed glance at Elsa. With a clucking noise he urged Krokus towards Feilan. Once the mountaineer turned from them and began walking away, Krokus settled into a willful walk that practically towed their four horses along. With a sigh, Elsa set after him, her four extra horses trailing behind her. Kristoff and Sven brought up the rear.
Looking past horses and her Captain to the small form leading the way, Elsa could only shake her head. Almost, she wished it was Anna that had come on this expedition and not herself. That would have meant Anna being the one attacked by the snow monster, however, and that Elsa could not accept. She would have to simply take a deep breath and tackle the impossible.
She would have to have an actual conversation with a stranger.