(This chapter has been revised on 6/22/2024)

The Savoir

Later that Night…

Agdar had spent hours and hours searching desperately for Anna nonstop. This whole search gave him unpleasant feelings of deja vu. The winds had been reaching high speeds, which made it difficult to see much less navigate through. Nonetheless, he didn't intend to stop his search. Not until his daughter was found. Agdar knew the possibility of surviving a snowstorm like this was slim, but he couldn't give up. He just couldn't. He couldn't lose a daughter.

Not again.

However, Mother Nature herself seemed to have other plans. The winds had started to become a full-out blizzard. It took heavy persuasion from other guards to convince them to hold off on the search until the storm died.

How cruel fate must be to have his second daughter vanish on him just right after the day? The day signifies the 15th anniversary of when Elsa was stolen from him. Fate can be a cruel mistress, but Agdar didn't figure she would be that cruel.

With great reluctance, Agdar and his party made their way back to Arendelle. He hoped that the other search parties had made better progress. Agdar guided his horse to the castle courtyard and handed it to the stable master. He then went inside the castle, asking for progress from the other search parties.

All of which had no leads.

The king learned Kristoff's search party had yet to return, but he had faith that the ice harvester would return, given that he's an experienced mountain man. Perhaps he had made more progress. After getting out of the snow gear, Agdar went to his study. He saw Idun sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace.

"Agdar!" Idun looked up. "Have you-?"

"No. I have no choice but to hold off the search until this storm stops. When it will, I have no idea." Agdar sat next to his wife on the couch. He placed both hands on his forehead as he felt the heat from the fireplace. "This can't be happening again." A pregnant pause follows. "This is my fault. I knew it was too soon for this. I shouldn't have put the pressure on Anna-"

"Agdar, don't!" Idun exclaimed. "Don't you dare put the blame on yourself. None of us anticipated Anna getting lost or going beyond the hill. Don't fill yourself with guilt. Not again. Please..."

Agdar looked at the fear in his wife's eyes. He has seen them 15 years prior. It was shortly before Anna was born when Agdar had reached his breaking point from the pressure of Elsa's absence.

Before Agdar can recall that dreaded memory, rapid knocking through the door. Kai peeked in when Agdar gave permission.

"What is it, Kai?" Agdar asked.

"Kristoff's search party has returned," The servant reported.

"Send him up here. Immediately."

Kai nodded and closed the doors. The next several minutes waiting for Kristoff were agonizing for the rulers. Finally, after what felt like hours, Kristoff, still in his snow-covered winter clothes, walked in.

"Sorry about the snow," Kristoff apologized.

"Don't worry about that," Agdar assured. "Have you found Anna? Or any sign of her, at least?"

Kristoff gave a somber look. "I found this."

He opened a bag he had carried and pulled something out. It was a cape of some sort. A magenta cape that everyone was all too familiar with.

"Is that Anna's? The one you got her last Christmas?" Idun asked.

The ice harvester nodded. "I found it deep in the woods, along with these." Kristoff then pulled out a mitten and bonnet the same color as the cape. "There were trails of horse and wolf footprints nearby."

Agdar gently grabbed the cape and examined it. There were several tears on it. Whether they were torn from a tree branch, wolf claws, or bites didn't matter to him. All kinds of emotions ran through the king as he stared at the cape.

"What do we do now?" The king heard his wife wonder.

Agdar looked at the raging blizzard that was just outside. Every moment that passed, Anna's chances of survival were dwindling down. The blizzard would finish the job if the wolves didn't kill her. The king balled the cape tightly in his shaking hands, feeling himself on the grip of a mental breakdown. The same kind he had felt when Elsa was stolen. It seemed too obvious that Anna was definitely only coming back in a casket.

But something in him told otherwise. He faced back at the other occupants.

"We wait for the storm to cease. As soon as it does, we resume searching," Agdar declared firmly.

"Agdar…" Idun looked at him sadly. While she wanted to hope for her daughter to still be alive, she had to take in the circumstances. Even when she didn't want to. "Do you think she could be..."

"Unless I see it for myself, Anna is still alive."

Idun didn't even try to argue with her husband as he left the room. That doesn't hide the fact she was afraid. She had seen him act like this before. Agdar was determined to find Elsa and bring her home. When all the leads became cold after months, he had no choice but to call off the search. After that, he slowly fell into a bottomless abyss. Anna was what had helped him climb out of it. If Anna was dead, Agdar could again fall into that abyss. And he might never climb out of it.

The queen gazes out the window as she sends a silent prayer, watching the raging blizzard.

"Lord. Spirits. Whoever is listening. If you can hear me, please watch over Anna and bring her home safely. Please…Don't take her from us too."

When Anna woke up, she expected to be surrounded by soft clouds, listening to singing angels, and be right outside the gates of eternal paradise. Instead, she felt herself on a hard surface, covered with a cozy blanket, and felt warmth on her side.

"Is this heaven? If it is, it's not as grand as I thought."

Anna felt a minor ache in her head. She rubbed the area where she felt something wrapped around it.

"But if this is heaven, why does my head hurt? Pretty sure you can't feel actual pain in heaven. Unless…"

Realizing that she was very much alive, Anna bolted up. Looking around, she could see she was in a small cave. Nearby was a small fireplace with a pot hanging over it. Several feet in front of Anna were ice walls with a massive hole on the side, which Anna believed was the only way in and out of this cave.

"Where exactly am I? How long was I out? How am I not dead?!"

Footsteps were suddenly heard, echoing through a hole in the ice wall. Anna tried to get on her feet but felt a slight pain in her right foot, causing her to stumble. She barely stood up again when she saw the source of the footsteps.

Standing before the ice cave was a woman who looked a few years older than Anna. She wore a worn-out, simple blue dress with a blue cloak. Her platinum blonde hair was styled in a bun. Her blue eyes looked concerned. In her hands were two empty bowls stacked on top of each other.

"I wouldn't move around if I were you," The Woman advised.

The Woman walked over and set the bowls near the fireplace before approaching Anna. The young princess slightly moved back in fear. Her parents had always warned her about the risks of strangers.

"I-I'm not gonna hurt you," The Woman assured, sensing the distress from Anna.

"What makes me think you wouldn't?" Anna retorted back.

"If I wanted you dead, I would've left you out there in that blizzard." The Woman plainly responded back.

Anna's expression softened at that revelation, and she mentally slapped herself. This woman had saved her from freezing to death and here she was accusing her of ill intent. Maybe Papa was really starting to rub off on her.

"Smooth move, Anna. That's how you say thanks to someone who saved your life?"

"Sorry, I-I didn't-" Anna stuttered.

"It's fine," The Woman reassured. "Here, let me help you back."

She helped Anna up and guided her back to the 'bed' she was on. After doing so, The Woman returned to the fireplace, opened a pot lid, poured some liquid-like material into the bowls, and gave one to Anna.

"You need to warm up and get something in your stomach."

"Thank you," Anna took a sip. "This soup isn't bad."

"Thanks. It's just some herbs & mushrooms I put together. How's your head?"

"It still feels bad, but I think it's better. My right foot feels sore. I tripped on something before I passed out."

"Hopefully, you didn't sprain it. You're also lucky that you managed to get a simple cut on your head. Your cut was huge. I was afraid it was something worse."

"Can you tell me where am I?"

"In my home. Or at least, an extension of it."

"There's more?"

"Just beyond the ice wall, but you can't see it!" The woman said the last part rather quickly.

"Why not?"

"You just can't. Not now."

Anna decided to not push the subject further, especially towards some who saved her life. Anna and the woman had continued to eat.

"I appreciate your hospitality, but I should be getting home. My family must be worried about me."

"I'm sure you want to get home as soon as possible. But I can't let you."

"Why not?"

"Because that blizzard out there could last a few days at the least. And your right ankle could be sprained. I'm not strong enough to carry you back to wherever you came from. And I'd rather not be seen by other people."

That last statement threw Anna off a bit. She seemed to figure out that her savior lived alone, but the fact that she didn't want to be seen by other people piqued her interest. But she decided not to press on the topic.

"It's late, and I need to get some sleep. And you should, too." The woman gathered the empty bowls and spoons and led Anna back down. "I'll come back here tomorrow to check on you." The woman made her way to the tunnel in the ice wall.

"Wait!" Anna shouted, causing the woman to stop and face her. "If I'm going to be here for a bit, we should at least share our names. I'm Anna. What's your name?"

For a moment, the woman didn't say anything. She looked as if she was hesitant to answer, but after a few seconds she gave the princess an answer.

"My name is Elsa."

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