"Easy, Shadow," Anna beckoned, pulling back lightly on the mare's reins. Her mount seemed to huff in disappointment, but Anna's command was obeyed.
It was over two hours since they'd ridden past the outskirts of the city, and the road was becoming increasingly more hazardous as they journeyed into the woods. Thankfully, it had been a sunny day, so much of the snow on the ground had melted, leaving less than six inches of powder still on the ground. Regardless, Anna was not a talented rider by any means, and so the redhead decided to slow the horse to a moderate gallop even though Shadow still seemed to possess a lot of stamina.
If the memory of her previous travels served her correctly, there was a small town not too far up the road that would serve as an acceptable place for her to spend the night. There would almost certainly be an inn there, meaning that Anna would probably be able to rest in a warm bed with her belly full. Still, her mind couldn't help but longingly think back to the Castle, where her velvet sheets and marble bathtub were going to remain unused. As pleasant as a tavern could be, it couldn't compete with the Palace.
Really, Anna? A month of good living and you've already gone soft? Before you met Elsa you would have been overjoyed to have a bed at all during the winter! she mentally scolded herself.
Her mind wandered to Elsa, wondering what the Queen was doing at this moment. Probably sleeping, Anna noted. Elsa was definitely one of those early-to-bed, early-to-rise types. At the thought of the monarch waking up, Anna's heart lurched uncomfortably.
What would Elsa's reaction be to her departure? Maybe she would… no, Anna already knew what it would be. The Queen would be furious. As good a person as Elsa was, she was someone who was very accustomed to getting her way. Discovering that someone she cared about had defied her explicit orders and run off on a potentially dangerous mission was going to make Elsa's blood boil.
How would the Queen react when she returned? Would Elsa be so furious that she would end things between them and demand Anna leave the Castle for good?
No. She wouldn't. She promised.
As mad as Elsa would be at her, she wasn't going to end their relationship. The Queen knew that Anna always had her best interests at heart, even if that meant going against her commands. She'd be angry, but Elsa would get over it eventually.
Right?
Despite the cold air, beads of sweat appeared on Anna's forehead.
Was she really breaking out into a sweat over this? It was crazy. Elsa wasn't that intimidating.
I mean, she's nothing more than a gorgeous woman. Who has insanely strong ice magic at her fingertips. And is the Queen…
Anna sighed. If there was something more nerve-wracking than the prospect of an angry confrontation with your girlfriend (who just happened to be the most powerful woman on the planet,) then she would be glad to know what it was.
Thump. Thump. Thumpthumpthump.
Anna's head whipped around. Racing up the road behind her was a small group of horsemen. Despite the somewhat difficult terrain, they were riding quickly, navigating the path with much more ease than she herself had. As they grew closer, the redhead was able to perceive that there were six of them in all. Each appeared to be a large burly man, and all rode as if a devil was chasing them.
The distance between them steadily decreased. With no desire to be run over by the group of men, Anna slowed Shadow down and prepared to lead her off to the side of the road until they passed.
She turned around again. They were riding even faster now; within ten seconds they would be upon her. Why were they going so…?
Holy shit!
They were finally close enough for Anna to see them in full. Each man held a small crossbow in his hands. As she watched, the lead rider raised his weapon and aimed it directly at…
"Shadow, run!" Anna shouted, keeping her eyes on her pursuers. The redhead cracked the reins, sending the mare into a full gallop.
Thwack!
Anna flattened herself against Shadow's back as the lead rider fired at her head. The bolt whizzed over her shoulder, impaling itself in a tree off to the side of the road.
Her brain rapidly processed the details. These men were armed, deadly, and here to kill her.
How did they know I'd be here?! Probably followed my trail through the snow… why do they want to kill me anyway? Who the hell are these people?!
Rising back up in the saddle, Anna cleared her head of all extraneous thoughts. Questions could wait until later. Right now, the only thing that mattered was survival.
She urged Shadow on, and the horse thundered down the road. A quick glance over her shoulder told Anna that the lead rider was struggling to reload, with his fellows behind him attempting to bring their weapons to bear. Despite being burdened by their crossbows and their efforts to aim them, her pursers remained galloping at least as swiftly as she was. Shadow was fast, but Anna wasn't a skilled rider by any means. Ordinarily, she wouldn't dare to go nearly this fast in the dark with the woods surrounding them, but for the moment the threat of death spurred her to take the risk.
They whipped around a curve in the road, the assassins right on their tail.
The next stretch of road before them was straight, giving Anna enough breathing room to risk a long look behind her. By now, the first man had nearly finished reloading, and one of his companions was pulling even with him, crossbow likewise in hand. Any second, and they would both…
Thwack! Thwack!
Anna wasn't certain whether it was her training or Elsa's magic that was responsible, but her reflexes had improved greatly over the last month. She leaned to the right in the saddle, hanging on only by maintaining a death grip on the reins. Shadow's running slowed as Anna inadvertently choked her, but both bolts missed their mark.
"Sorry, Shadow!" she grunted as she maneuvered fully back into the saddle. The mare's breathing was noticeably more labored than before, but Shadow continued on at full speed.
The redhead glanced over her shoulder again. Both horsemen who had just fired were doing their best to reload, but for some reason, they were now parting to the side of the road…
Shit! Two of their fellows were riding into the gap that the lead riders had created, crossbows already primed.
Thwack! Thwack!
Anna twisted desperately in the saddle. One projectile whizzed past her ear, but the other…
Pain exploded in Anna's left arm as the second bolt penetrated her jacket and grazed her skin before flying off into the night.
"Aaaah!" she hissed. Already, Anna could feel warm blood flowing down her limb. The last time she'd been shot, the redhead had blacked out almost immediately, but now she remained fully conscious and capable of experiencing the stinging pain.
But Anna was still in her saddle. The wound burned, but it was not lethal in any sense of the word. Blocking out the pain as best she could, she urged Shadow onward. The mare continued at nearly top speed, but the distance between herself and her pursuers was now slowly but steadily decreasing.
She couldn't give them a chance to fire again. Anna had been lucky thus far, but soon they would be so close that it would be impossible for them to miss.
Struggling to keep her balance, Anna's hand reached toward her thighs and extracted one of her knives. Letting instinct guide her, Anna looked over her shoulder, eyes zeroing in on the lead rider. She brought back her wrist slightly before flinging it forward, launching the blade smoothly through the air.
The man screamed as her knife suddenly appeared in his shoulder blade. With a scream, he released his mount's reins and fell to the ground. The now riderless horse sprinted off into the trees.
Anna clenched her teeth. One man was down, but five enemies remained… and she only had one knife left. Already, the two forward pursuers were finishing reloading.
She continued to ride on. Ahead of her, the road sharply curved to the left. Anna looked back in desperation as the men prepared to aim their crossbows.
Suddenly, an idea came to her, but Anna's mind reacted with horror. It was a revolting, disgusting plan… but she had no choice. Shakily, she extracted her remaining knife and prepared for the right moment.
"Come on, Shadow!" Anna urged. The mare was beginning to tire, but with renewed determination, she sped forward. Anna clenched the reins tightly, guiding her horse around the bend in the road.
Just as her assailants rounded the curve in turn, Anna threw her blade. She hated herself for her chosen target, but it was that or die.
The knife struck the leading horse in the side of the neck. With a sickening cry, the animal lost control of its legs and fell to the ground. Immediately, its rider was crushed. As Anna had planned, the chaos spread beyond the immediate targets; one rider behind the downed horse failed to maneuver in time. A likely lethal collision ensued.
The other men reacted in time. They veered off in both directions, dodging around their fallen fellows.
"Dammit!" Anna cursed. She was out of projectiles… and the redhead was still outnumbered three to one. The trio of remaining attackers pulled up evenly with one another, all of them now with loaded crossbows.
Thwack!
Anna ducked, and the first bolt went sailing over her head.
Thwack! Thwack!
The second projectile flew off to the right, missing entirely. But the third…
Shadow let out an agonized cry as the final bolt struck the horse in the right leg. To the mare's credit, she didn't collapse immediately. The horse stumbled violently, barely managing to remain upright.
Anna was not so lucky. As Shadow faltered, the pair were passing over a rather large bump in the road. She had the reins in a firm grip, but the impact was so jarring that the leather was torn in two pieces… sending Anna flying.
For a moment, the redhead was weightless as she was careening through the air.
Wham!
Anna collided with the snow, her momentum sending her rolling several feet. The wind was knocked out of her instantly, but the redhead didn't register any other injuries for the moment.
In a flash, she was on her feet and breathing heavily, her hands automatically pulling her sword from its sheathe. Behind her, Shadow came to a stop, but Anna had no time to mount her again. The enemy was upon her.
The only piece of good news was that none of them still had a loaded bow.
They charged, clearly intent on running her over.
She rolled to the right, evading the legs of the rightmost horse by inches. Still on her knees, Anna lashed out with her sword, cutting through said horse's back left leg.
As the two remaining horses continued on, the wounded mount crumbled to the ground, its rider rolling off the saddle and into the snow. Barring her teeth, Anna pounced on the stunned assailant. Her sword was plunged into his chest before he could even think about withdrawing his own weapon.
Grimacing, Anna extracted her now blood-soaked blade and focused her gaze on the road ahead.
The final two assailants had slowed their horses to a stop, not having enough room to wheel around and charge her again. Dropping their crossbows to the ground, both men dismounted before withdrawing swords of their own.
Anna stared them down, resisting the urge to drop to her knees and pant. Her fall had taken a lot out of her, and the pain in her left arm was only getting worse. She had to end this fight quickly.
With a yell, she ran towards her enemies.
Wielding her blade in her right hand, she met one man's two-handed strike with a high parry. As she used her strength to shove him back, Anna's free hand darted out. The second assassin, blade angled in a downward cut aimed for the redhead's neck, suddenly found his wrist held in Anna's death grip. Before he could react, the redhead plunged her sword into his chest.
With a strangled cry, her enemy collapsed to the ground. Anna pulled out her gleaming red blade and turned just in time to block a furious barrage of strikes from the last assailant. His every vicious attack sent a pulse of pain through her left arm, but the redhead held her ground.
Her opponent was good. In terms of skill, he probably held the advantage. But he couldn't compete with Anna's sheer strength and speed. She slammed his blade downward, preparing to angle her sword up and slice through his stomach… but a sudden thought made her hesitate.
I need to know why these men are after me. And that means I need him alive.
Forgoing the opportunity to end him then and there, Anna leapt backwards out of range. As he raised his blade once again, the redhead charged forward with a stab aimed at his neck.
He brought his blade across his body in a rapid parry, but Anna was already disengaging. She deftly angled her sword around his block before transitioning into a smooth cut to the right.
Her blade sliced through his weapon hand. The severed limb and the sword it still clutched fell to the ground.
With a wild cry, he stumbled back, his blood leaving a red trail through the snow. Within a second, Anna was on him, slamming her helpless opponent to the ground. Before he could react, she was standing over him, the tip of her sword six inches from his neck.
"Who the hell are you?!" Anna demanded. "What the fuck made you want to kill me?!"
Her enemy stared up at her in blind fury.
"How… how the hell are you not dead?" he managed through the pain.
"Excuse me?" she shot back. True, many wouldn't have survived her violent fall, but that should hardly have been this man's primary concern at the moment.
"Talk," Anna hissed, bringing her blade a few inches closer to his flesh.
A strange light appeared in the man's eyes. His mouth set into a wry grin.
Then he was rising off the ground, using his remaining hand to propel himself to his feet. Anna reacted automatically. It was all too easy to meet his rise with the tip of her blade. Her weapon stabbed through his neck.
Her enemy took one last choked breath and then fell back into the snow.
Sighing, Anna extracted her blade and took a few steps backward.
In a way, he had won. The man had known beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had no hope of attacking Anna from that position. His sole intent had been to force her hand into killing him before she could try and torture information out of him.
Would she have done that? Anna didn't think so. Circumstances had turned her into a killer, but cold-blooded torture was something she could never bring herself to perform.
He chose to die rather than talk… almost without hesitation. Who the hell are these people?
In a way, she couldn't help but admire him. Choosing to fatally impale himself for his cause… whatever it was… that showed real dedication.
But his final act had revealed more than he intended. These men hadn't been bandits. A thief would have simply confessed to the act if there was a chance he might be spared. These men had been on a mission.
The man Elsa confronted also chose to die. Is this the same group? But that doesn't make any sense. Elsa's miles away. Why would they be after me?
Grimacing, Anna began to make her way back towards Shadow. These were questions that Elsa was suited to answer, not her. Perhaps the Queen would be able to divine some insight that Anna had not…
The redhead froze mid-step as she took in the sight of her horse. She had expected the mare to still be standing. The crossbow bolts had been small, and her mount had only been hit in the leg. She had planned to simply fashion a bandage and walk the mare to the next town.
Anna's eyes widened in horror. Instead of limping across the ground, Shadow was now collapsed onto her side, lying in the snow. The mare was breathing violently… foam from her mouth was spilling out onto the white powder.
"Shadow!"
Ignoring the pain in her arm, Anna sprinted over to the mare. Obeying her initial instinct, she hurried to check the wound in the horse's leg. Blood was still running down her black flesh, but it didn't seem enough to be life-threatening.
Shadow's chest heaved in and out as the mare struggled to continue breathing. The horse's eyes were wide with panic; her entire body was jerking now.
"No! You're… please Shadow! You're okay… you're okay. It's just a small wound," she said, trying to keep her voice soothing despite her desperation. "I'm going to patch it up… okay Shadow?"
Before Anna could move back to the mare's leg, the jerking suddenly stopped. Shadow's chest heaved one final time before going still.
"No!"
Tears running down her face, Anna shuffled over to Shadow's head. The mare's eyes were now closed, her head now lying listless on the ground.
Anna fell to her knees, sobbing. Her valiant horse was dead… all because Anna hadn't been fast enough. Hadn't killed the assassins quickly enough. Any remorse she had for their deaths disappeared as a single word appeared in her mind.
Poison.
Their bolts had been coated with some kind of venom. It was the only explanation. Nothing else could account for Shadow's death. Blood loss could not have killed the mare so quickly… or so violently. All of their bolts had probably been dipped in some kind of…
Oh, gods…
Panic welling up inside her, Anna examined the wound in her left arm. Fingers trembling, she pulled back the tattered remnants of her sleeve and looked at where the bolt had penetrated.
A gash half an inch deep was etched into her skin, blood still oozing from it.
How was she not dead? Anna had been struck first, and the wound was certainly deep enough for the poison to have entered her system.
Elsa…
Somehow, the Queen's magic had done more than increase her physical resistance to damage. It was certainly a strange explanation, but it was the only one that made sense. If one bolt had been poisoned, all of them had been.
Another question to ask the trolls. If I ever get that far.
With a heavy sigh, Anna wiped the tears off her cheeks. She needed to consider her next move. It might have been the smart thing to do at this point, but she refused to consider going back to the Castle. One way or another, this attack had something to do with the conspiracy against Elsa. It was just too coincidental to be otherwise. That meant that whoever was after the Queen still had plenty of resources to spare; how else could five men have been sent after her ?
With such an urgent need for answers, Anna refused to return to her Queen with nothing.
Right now, her priority was survival. Anna had killed the assassins and survived the attack, but she was now out in the cold… without a mount. They hadn't been killed, but the two remaining horses of her assailants had long since bolted. The cries of their masters and the thick stench of blood had doubtlessly unnerved them, and the sight of Shadow convulsing on the ground had probably been the final nail in the coffin.
Anna was alone. Even worse, there remained a possibility that the men she had encountered had just been the first group sent after her. Anna couldn't imagine someone wanting her dead so badly that they would send more than one search party to kill her, but she wasn't going to take any chances.
\
It was an hour later before she finally arrived in town.
After the heartbreaking task of hauling Shadow's corpse off the road, Anna's newfound speed and stamina had proved just enough to get her into the small village she had planned on riding into. The pain in her arm eventually numbed thanks to the cold, but the redhead knew leaving the gash exposed for too long was a bad idea, and had thus fashioned a crude bandage out of one of the jackets of the fallen men. If nothing else, it at least slowed the bleeding to a trickle.
The village was relatively small; judging by the number of buildings in town and the size of the outlying farms, only a few hundred people at most could have lived in the area. Still, that was enough to warrant an inn.
She soon zeroed in on a large building near the center of town.
Oaken's Inn… and Trading Post the sign outside said. Relieved, she brushed the snow off her jacket as best she could before opening the door.
A small, fire-lit room greeted her. Various goods and supplies were hung on almost every inch of the walls. At the far end of the lobby was a large counter, behind which stood a tall, portly man. His large biceps would have made him intimidating were it not for the jolly smile that sat beneath his mustache.
"Yoo-hoo!" he greeted as Anna stepped towards the counter. "Cold outside… want a warm room for the night, ya?"
The redhead nodded vigorously. "That would be great, uh…"
"Oaken," the man supplied.
"Oh, right! Probably should have known that from the sign… anyway, how much for a room for a night? On second thought," she added quickly, "I might need some bandages and a warm meal too."
Oaken frowned. "Oh dear…" he began, twirling his fingers together…"Supply and demand have a big problem. Only one package of bandages…" he reached below the counter and placed it on the table, "In the store tonight. And only a few open rooms."
The man paused, probably taking in both her temporary bandage and the fact that she had nowhere else to spend the night.
"Of course, I could offer a special discount, if…"
"No, no," Anna raised her hands. "That's nice of you… but I can pay," she promised. "How much?"
Oaken smiled. "That will be fifty. Unless you want a suite, which will be an extra twenty," he added. "More space and privacy, ya?"
Anna couldn't resist. She was exhausted, and anything that could help her get some sleep would be well worth it. She reached into her pocket, pulling out the bag of gold Rapunzel had given her.
Rapunzel…
The redhead felt another pang at the reminder of the night's events. And she couldn't help but think how the Princess would react to the news of her mare's death. Anna knew Rapunzel well enough to guess that the heiress wouldn't blame her, but she had a feeling that Rapunzel would be deeply saddened.
"Seventy, ya?" Oaken pulled her out of her thoughts.
Nodding, Anna pried open the bag. Her eyes trailed over the heap of gold coins. Forget the suite, she could probably buy the inn with what was in here.
She handed him the equivalent of seventy: two Coronan coins (Arendelle and Corona each accepted the other's currency.)
Oaken called for a maid to show her to her room. Thanking the man, Anna did her best to push the events of the night out of her mind as she was led to the top floor. Her room turned out to be spacious and well-furnished, and for the moment she was the upper floor's only occupant (there were only two suites, the other of which was empty.) It certainly wasn't the Castle, but it was better than anywhere else she'd ever slept.
A half-hour later, she'd finished bandaging the gash in her arm and had been delivered a hot meal. After thanking the maid and nearly devouring the food, Anna had laid herself down in the bed, pulling the warm fur blankets over her body.
For the moment, she was safe. But now the prospect of a weeks' long journey across Arendelle awaited her, with the added probability of her being hunted down by trained assassins.
Worry and sadness keeping her awake, it was another two hours before she finally fell unconscious.