Kristoff and Sven were already on their way back to Arendelle after one of their last days ice harvesting. So far it went the exact same as usual, they quit early to avoid being out after it got too dark. The guards' patrol route only began halfway up the mountain they wanted to get to the first checkpoint to lower the risk of them running into any bandits. They were barely started when a gunshot rang out and hit the side of Kristoff's sleigh.

They were both shocked but knowing better than to stop and make themselves a bigger target, Sven picked up the pace while going off the path. If they could limit their exposure to their attackers then they stood a better chance at getting away. The mountain man picked up his rifle and loaded it then tried to get an eye on who attacked him. He couldn't make out behind the thick trees but he definitely saw the barrel a puff of white smoke as another shot hit the side of his new sleigh.

With more than a little irritation and anger, the mountain man tried to line his weapon to where he thought he saw movement. Taking a deep breath and exhaling like the guard captain back at Arendelle instructed him, he pulled the trigger. The sound of a horse shrieking before a muted crunch could be heard, he knew that he got one of them. His moment of pride was cut short as a horse smashed into the other side of his sleigh and he felt beefy hands crash into his shoulders. For once, Kristoff thanked the trolls for being so heavy and always jumping on his back, he was able to push himself up with some effort and turned to face his opponent.

Yellow eyes, broken teeth, and grimy hair was all he could see as the bandit struggled to retain his balance on the moving sleigh. Not giving him the oppertunity, Kristoff kicked him right off and watched with little sympathy as the horse trampled him before falling over. Turning back to collect his rifle, he was about to reload it when Sven made a noise to get his attention. The mountaineer looked ahead and could barely make out the outline of body sticking out of the snow. Normally, he'd assume it was poor soul who froze to death and would've passed him by but knowing there were bandits running after him he didn't want to be wrong and leave the poor guy at their mercy.

Groaning, he leaned over the side and as the body got closer he snatched the back of the shirt and pulled the prone body into the back. Resolving to check on the status of his occupant later, Kristoff spurred Sven on knowing that they were about a mile and a half from the first checkpoint. Unfortunately the half of that last mile was open decline, meaning the farther away he got from the bandits the better chance he had at them missing. It would also get him closer to the guards at the checkpoint who would see them emerge from the forest.

He was almost clear of the trees when another gunshot rang out but this time a groan of pain emerged from behind him. Looking back, his occupant was grasping his shoulder and was slowly beginning to sit up. "Hey stay down!" His occupant didn't listen and was already propped up against the back of the front seat looking behind them for their attackers.

"There are four coming, maybe eighty meters away, we have to pick them off while we still have tree cover." The voice was raspy and clearly male, it didn't sound like he was an old man, just that he hadn't eaten or drank anything. Kristoff was about to tell him that their tree cover was about to be gone but another gunshot zipped past his ear and hit Sven in the leg. The reindeer instantly went down and sent the sleigh with them both swinging over before hitting the ground on its side. Luckily the sleigh covered the tree of them from the next hail of gunshots, but the sound of hooves crunching through snow got louder as the bandits got closer.

Kristoff quickly cut the ropes to his friend and pulled Sven so that he was against the sleigh as well then began reloading it as he sat next to the injured man. "Look after Sven alright, I'll deal with these assholes." He hoped he sounded more sure than he did in his head but a hand on his shoulder stopped him from leaning out of their cover. When he turned, Kristoff finally was able to get a good look at the stranger, his tan unshaven face was down so his brown hair covered his eyes. He seemed to be around his age, somewhat smaller than him but taller than Anna,his clothing consisted of a thin brown jacket and pants with black boots.

How is he not shivering.

It wasn't as cold as it could've been in winter but it was still cold enough for water to freeze after a few minutes. However there was no sign of discomfort on the man's face whatsoever. He even looked over to his shoulder where he assumed to have been shot, from what he could tell there was little blood dripping from the wound. The man stood up to his full height before leaning his head out to see the first of the bandits almost reaching their position.

"Wait until the third guy passes and shoot them from behind." Before Kristoff could even ask what he meant, the man raced out from behind their cover and the mountaineer heard a horse neighing in shock as a body flew past his sleigh. Before he could look out to see what happened the man flew past on the horse with three more bandits following behind him. Kristoff was shocked but remembered the man's words and took aim, two of the bandits were closing in on the man so he dared not aim at them in fear of hitting his ally. Instead he took aim at the one trailing behind who seemed to be trying to get a clear shot with the flintlock in his hand.

Exhaling a breath he pulled the trigger and to his dismay watched as the bandit flinched as the round flew past him. Turning back to see the mountaineer, he changed targets and began to ride back to the downed sleigh. Quickly searching for the pouch of ammunition he had Kristoff hit the ground when a round hit the sleigh behind him. Abandoning his search, he pulled Sven to the other side of the sleigh and readied his rifle as a blunt weapon waiting for the bandit to ride by. He didn't have to wait long, as soon as he saw the horse's head he swung his rifle at where the rider should be. He was granted a sickening crack as the rifle hit something hard and he heard a groan as the bandit hit the ground.

Looking from the side of the sleigh he was happy to see the bandit on his back groaning in pain. When he tried to sit up, the bandit was met with a rifle butt to the face knocking him out completely. Kristoff looked back to Sven and seeing his friend ok, he searched the body for some ammunition, when he found some he reloaded his rifle and looked back out toward where his companion rode off to.

What he saw made him lower his weapon, the man was already walking back with two horses trailing behind him. The mountaineer got up from his crouched position and approached the man with a raised eyebrow. The man, who Kristoff could finally see, had deep blue eyes that held some concern towards him.

"You alright?"

The mountaineer tried not to laugh but a disbelieving chuckled escaped his lips.

Am I alright? I'm not the one who was shot and had to fight off two bandits at the same time.

Usually, he'd might've answered with sarcasm but given the concern in the man's eyes began to deepen he answered sincerily. "I'm good, more worried about Sven and you. You two were shot." The man smiled in relief.

"Well I'm ok, we should look after your reindeer. I brought these horses back to tie to your sleigh so your reindeer could rest." The man held out a rein that Kristoff took as they walked over to the sleigh. Upon reaching Sven, the mountaineer checked his leg and was happy to see the round went cleanly through. Handing the man the reins again, Kristoff rummaged through the wreckage of his supplies before finding medical supplies. He tossed some bandages toward the man before going to work on Sven. With a little time the reindeer was back on its hooves helping the two men push over the sleigh.

When they got it in its correct orientation, Kristoff helped Sven into the back while the man gathered the remainder of their supplies and tied the horses to the sleigh. Before long the mountaineer was in the driver's seat and spurred the horses back on the trail. After a few minutes the two could make out the outline of Arendelle's guards patrolling the area. Kristoff was more than happy to see the familiar sight but a gasp in pain made him turn his head toward his companion.

The man had his hand against his shoulder and was hunched over using the front of the sleigh as support to not fall over. "Hey are you sure you're ok, you don't look so good." The man straightened out before turning back to the mountaineer.

"I'm just a little tired, my name is Edward but most people call me Ed, what's yours?" The mountaineer raised a concern eyebrow but answered. "I'm Kristoff and the reindeer's Sven. if you haven't guessed we're ice harvesters." Edward nodded as they pulled up to the guard who was waving them over.

"Master Kristoff, is everything alright? We heard gunshots and were about to send a party to investigate." The mountaineer began to explain what happened as Edward felt his strength begin to leave his body. He was still beyond tired and the only reason he was up in the first place was that gunshot triggering his survival instincts. That was always something he should be thankful for, his body put up a damn good fight to stay alive but with no threat the world began to dim again.

Kristoff seemed to notice Edward beginning to slump over and before he could stop him, the man had fell over the side of the sleigh with his eyes closed. This worried the three males as Kristoff and the guard rushed over to check on the young man who was falling unconscious. The last thing that crossed his mind before his world became black was an annoyed thought.

Always the weak will.

Anna was sitting in the parlor with Elsa and Olaf both were roasting marshmallows next to the fireplace. The princess smiled at her older sister knowing that she was only doing it to adjust the snowman's flurry so he wouldn't melt. Her sister had been afraid of abilities for so long but now that she knew that love was the answer she began to slowly embrace them. Olaf helped, he was the first thing that showed her powers weren't a curse. Her love for the snowman was his lifeline, literally in the summer, and she had an infinite capacity for the little guy.

The two sisters began to reconnect after being apart so long and the love between them was strong. They would have snow fights, bake chocolate in the kitchen, prank each other it was just like when they were kids. Of course, all of this only happened when Elsa had spare time, as queen her main directive was running Arendelle. She managed to sometimes spare Anna some of the more dull aspects of being royalty but being queen was a full time job. On really busy days they wouldn't see each other, that's when dinner came into play. Since becoming more like a family with no closed doors, Anna suggested they had a family dinner every week.

This included Kristoff, Olaf, Kai, Gerda, and even Sven who had to sit off to the side to avoid a mess. They'd all talk, joke, and bond over dinner. All around, they all were as close as family now. She honestly wished that things would stay this way forever and based on the way her sister talked to Olaf like a doting mother, she felt the same.

Kristoff should've been here by now, but anything could've slowed him down a bit so she tried not to worry too much. She needed to remind him of tomorrow's dinner so he could make sure that he came back early. That made another thought cross her mind, sure her world was perfect right now, she had Elsa back, a close bond with everyone in the castle, and a loving boyfriend that made her want to squeal.

But what about Elsa?

Her older sister thought she could hide the flash in her eyes everytime Kristoff would sweep her off her feet in a hug, but Anna was always watching. There was a tiny amount of jealously and small bite of loneliness in her eyes but it would disappear the next time she'd blink turning into a bright smile. The redhead knew if she'd ask the blonde about it, she'd deny it or dismiss it with a offhand comment.

She won't even talk about boys, boys!

Every once in a while they'd have a sleepover and Anna had tried to see if Elsa had thought any of the men she'd seen looked cute at least. Elsa would laugh say she hadn't notice and change the subject or maybe blow some snow down her pajamas. Anna found the love of her life and it completed her world, she wanted the same for her big sister. However, knowing Elsa, she'll probably only marry for Arendelle, not for love.

She always put the queen first before anything else, she was a devoted queen to her people and they loved her for it. Anna just wished she could go out and find her own happiness regardless if it benefitted Arendelle or not.

"Hey Anna, want a marshmallow? They're super yummy at least I think so since I have no tastebuds." The redhead laughed at the snowman before coming up on his other side and sitting down next to him. "Of course I'd like one." The snowman clapped his stick hands before grabbing a marshmallow and with his actual hand, stuck it in the fire. Elsa quickly pulled the snowman away from the fire and put out the flames beginning to eat his hand with the flick of her fingers.

If Olaf had noticed the look of panic on their faces he didn't say because he held out the marshmellow to Anna with goofy smile on his face. The platinum blonde let out a breath as she watched her sister take the treat before turning the snowman to face in her.

"Olaf I keep telling you that just because you have a flurry doesn't mean you should mess with fire. Your hands are very easy to burn, next time use a stick alright?" The snowman chuckled before nodding. Anna rolled her eyes as she began to eat her snack and three began to sit in silence in front of the fireplace. The mood was comfortable but her previos thought was still fresh in her mind and she eyed Elsa sideways.

"So Elsa…" The platinum blonde gave the redhead her attention with a smile. "Yes Anna?"

Go for broke.

"See any cute boys today?" Her older sister's smile dropped into a frown as she huffed and began to roast another marshmallow on her stick. Usually she'd wave off the question but after that meeting with her council about Blackdust, her patience did not have a proper chance to replenish. So instead of answering she thought maybe if she ignored her sister enough she'd drop it, if not she could always drop snow on her.

Seeing her sister's frown and lack of an answer, Anna replicated her reaction leaving the two looking identical. Olaf turned his head to the both of them, shrugged his shoulders and did the same making the three have the same expression on their faces. After a while, he whispered.

"Why are we all frowning?"

Before either of the sisters could answer a rapid series of knocks pounded against the door. "Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Master Kristoff has returned but he brought someone who's hurt!" The two sisters raced to their feet and opened the door to see a guard huffing as he made a quick bow in their presence. Anna asked first with fear in her eyes. "Is Kristoff hurt?"

The guard shook his head. "No he only seemed to have some scrapes and bruises, the reindeer had bloody bandages around his leg, and the stranger was unconscious in the sleigh. I can take you to them right away." Elsa nodded as the four hurried to the courtyard where Kristoff was hauling a man over his shoulder jogged toward them. Anna was first to reach him and quickly looked him over making sure there wasn't any huge injuries on his person, after her sweep she fixed a worry gaze at him.

"Kristoff! Are you ok?" The mountaineer nodded his head before giving her a one arm hug. "I'm fine, if it wasn't for Edward, I'd be less fine. Me and Sven were attacked on our way down and found this guy almost buried in the snow. He helped us fight off the bandits but was shot in the shoulder, I didn't see a lot of blood but he passed out as soon as we made it to the checkpoint." Anna gave him a tight hug as Elsa beckoned a stretcher to come over and collect the man off her sister's boyfriend. When Kristoff laid him down, Elsa was able to get a good look at his face. There was facial hair growing haphazardly as if he hadn't had a chance to shave his face, judging by the way it looked, he seemed to usually be cleanly shaven. His brown hair was unkept with some of it covering his eyes.

Perhaps if he cleaned up he would look somewhat cute.

Elsa mentally slapped herself for thinking that way before clearing her throat and asking the guards to take the man toward the infirmary. She would not give her a sister a reason to pursue their last conversation.

Hey guys, new chapter after one day, I'm really excited for this fanfic so I hope you guys read and review. Until next time.