(This chapter has been revised on 6/25/2024)

The Protector

February 19th, 1836

A yawn exited out of Anna's mouth as she stretched her arms. She sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Anna placed her hands on her back to stretch it out. Sleeping on a stone bed wasn't very comfortable. Still, Anna would not complain to Elsa, especially since she had already done so much for her. Anna was still tired and probably on the verge of falling asleep again.

"Morning, Anna!" A cheerful voice suddenly bellowed, causing Anna to jerk back with fright but calmed down once she saw it was the talking snowman.

"Oh. It's just you, Olaf," Anna uttered as she took several breaths to calm herself.

"Has anyone told you that you drool?" Olaf pointed at her face.

Anna was confused for a moment. Then she saw that Olaf was pointing at the trail of saliva on the corner of her mouth.

"Uh, several people have." She quickly wiped the saliva off. "My mama often said that I get it from my papa.

"Elsa drools when she sleeps, too. Only except I don't know if she got it from her papa or mama." Olaf held out a bowl. "Here's your breakfast."

"Um, thanks." Anna took the bowl, which was filled with nuts this time. While she preferred the berries, the nuts were okay enough for her. "What brings you here, Olaf?"

"I just wanted to ask if you wanted to play with me and The Snowgies outside after you eat."

"Outside? Would Elsa be okay with that?"

"Maybe. She's not here now, so I can't ask her. But I don't think she wouldn't mind."

"She's not here?"

"Don't worry, this is a normal thing for her. She and Marshmallow will be back later. In the meantime, it's just you, me, and my brothers. So...Do you wanna play outside~?" Olaf asked in a sing-son voice.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Anna agreed, still unsure. Technically, Elsa didn't say that she couldn't go outside. "Just let me finish my breakfast first."

"Alright! I'll be waiting near the doors when you're ready."

The snowman left the cave, leaving Anna alone. She seemed to notice how happy and outgoing Olaf was. It reminded Anna of when she was a small child. After she finished eating, Anna got up to leave the cave. Anna went through the ice tunnel and headed towards the foyer. There, she saw Olaf waiting near the doors.

"There you are!" Olaf exclaimed as he walked towards her. I was worried that you had already forgotten."

"Don't worry, I'm ready now."

"Hold on a sec. Let me get everyone else."

Olaf put his stick hand in his mouth and made a whistle. A cluster of squeaky noises were heard. Several Snowgies came running down the stairs.

"Anna, meet the rest of The Snowgies! You've already met Slush, Sludge, Slide." Olaf made his way around the rest of them while giving their names. "This is Ansel, Flake, Flurry, Fridge, Powder, Crystal, Squalor, Pat, Sphere, and William."

All of the the small snowmen had their gaze glued to her, smiling. Anna smiled back. "Hi there, little guys. I'm Anna. It's nice to meet you all."

"Okay, now that we all know each other, let's head out and play," Olaf declared, followed by the happy squeaks from The Snowgies. Anna couldn't help but find that rather cute.

Olaf went towards the doors. Anna watched the snowman pull the handle and watch the ice doors slowly open, making a loud swish as they did. Light from the outside emulated the room. The lack of natural light for several days caused Anna to wince her eyes before she re-adapted to sunlight. Once the door was fully opened, Olaf and The Snowgies started to head out, with Anna not far behind.

Once outside, Anna got accustomed to the area around her. Surrounding their location were ranges of mountains. At the exit of the icy structure was a grand staircase made of ice, with Olaf and the others walking on it. Anna followed the snowmen as she walked down the stairs. Down below looked like a vast gorge, and the ground looked several hundred feet below. The young princess mentally took note not to fall down there.

When she reached the end, Anna decided to see what the outside of the ice structure looked like. The building seemed to resemble a palace, and Anna gazed at its beauty. As she looked around, Anna soon realized she was at The North Mountain, a landmark familiar to those in Arendelle. But Anna was still busy looking at the ice palace and would've probably continued to stare had Olaf not called for her attention.

"Hey, Anna! What are you waiting for?"

"Oh, right! Coming!" Anna ran towards Olaf, who was standing at the edge. "Sorry about that. What do we do first?"

"We slide!" The snowman said.

Anna looked confused at that statement. There wasn't anything around that remotely resembled a slide.

"Slide...what?"

"Just watch what we do." Olaf turned his attention towards The Snowgies. "Go ahead, guys."

One by one, each Snowgie jumped off the edge and slid down the snowy steep hill that looked to be many, many feet below, each one giving a happy squeak and smile as they did. Anna didn't know how to react to this.

"Go on, slide," Olaf chimed.

"Oh, I'm not so sure," Anna admitted in an uneasy tone. "Have you guys done this before?

"Lots of times! And it's fun!" Olaf then slides down the hill on his belly. He shouted back at Anna as he did. "C'mon! Give it a trrrrryyyy!"

Anna hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure if she wanted to slide down or not. The hill looked awfully steep. Olaf did say he and The Snowgies had done this several times, so she figured it must've been safe. Then again, she didn't know whether those outcomes were good or bad. If her father had been here, there is no doubt he would've been against this idea.

"But Papa isn't here," Anna mentally reminded herself.

Soon, Anna's adventurous side took over. She jumped on her bottom and slid down the snowy hill without a thought. She slid down at a fast speed and was shouting incoherently. Yet, she couldn't help but love the adrenaline that fueled her. Before she knew it, Anna stopped at the bottom with several snow-covered trees around the area. She took that moment to gather her bearings. As she did, she saw Olaf and The Snowgies approaching her.

"So, how was it?" Olaf asked.

"That was...actually fun!" Anna answered.

"See! I told ya it was."

Anna looked back at the snowy slope. The ice palace was still in her view. The distance was smaller than as she anticipated. Yet she had a lot of fun sliding down.

"You want to do it again?" She heard Olaf ask.

Anna didn't take long to think of her answer. Before they knew it, they had spent most of the morning sliding.

Not far from The North Mountain, Marshmallow ran through the wooded area before climbing a hill. On his back was a figure with her head covered in a cloak and a scarf covering her face. The figure was Elsa riding his back.

Throughout the 10 years Elsa spent alone, she learned several things about herself and her magic abilities. One was that her powers allowed her to have a mental connection to her live creations. It wasn't telepathic but allowed her to bond closely with her snowy creations. Her bond with them had been helpful in many ways.

One of which was riding on Marshmallow's back. When they separated like normal, each had their own individual mind. When they were together, however, they were one. This had been useful for Elsa. It made traveling through the wilderness easy, be it for foraging or hunting for food. Other reasons were just to get some air.

The latter was the reason the pair was out. While Elsa loved to be at her ice home, she admits it sometimes gets boring. Occasionally, she would explore the wilderness and test her abilities whenever she wasn't looking for food, sometimes with her creations, other times alone.

Today, it was just her and Marshmallow. Elsa held onto his back as he ran across a huge hill. Marshmallow was happy to oblige to be out and be with his creator. After minutes of climbing up the hill, they had reached the top. Elsa got off his back and walked over to a cliff's edge. It wasn't a very tall cliff, but Elsa would have to guess to be several hundred feet. Down below, she can see a snowy slope surrounded by snow-covered trees. This gave her an idea.

"Hey, Marshmallow," Elsa called to the snow creature. "You want to go for it?"

Marshmallow perked up his head. Seeing Elsa near the cliff's edge, his expression had changed. One that conveys annoyance.

"You're not serious, are you?" Marshmallow said.

"It'll be fine. Besides, it could be our last chance to do this outside the mountains before spring arrives," Elsa argued. "Y'know you want to."

"Alright."

"Great!" Elsa then positioned herself several feet away from the edge. "On three, we go. Ready?" Marshmallow nodded his head. "One. Two. Three!"

The girl ran towards the edge and jumped off, with Marshmallow soon following. She let out a scream of sheer joy and excitement, not one of fear. The wind pressed against her skin was a great feeling that she enjoyed. Elsa looked back to see Marshmallow still falling behind her. The ground was getting closer. She knew now was the time.

Elsa positioned her feet to face down. She then pointed her hands towards her feet, and an icy blast came out of her hands. A flat, round object resembling a dish formed underneath her feet. She also shot small bursts of snow to help slow down her falling speed. Elsa safely landed on the ground and slid down the snowy slope on the ice dish. Marshmallow also made a safe landing and slid on his icy feet.

Elsa enjoyed moments such as these in her secluded life away from others. This lifestyle allowed Elsa to express herself on her own terms rather than being feared or used by someone else.

As she slides, several trees come into her view. With one quick move, Elsa swiftly dodges the trees. She couldn't say the same about Marshmallow, though. Soon, she felt the end of the slope as the ground got even. Elsa stopped without any issue while Marshmallow tumbled down but landed all right. Several tree branches were also sticking out of him.

"That was fun, wasn't it, big guy?" Elsa came to him and helped pull out the tree branches. "Your landing was good, but you must work on dodging."

Marshmallow gave an irritated grunt. He picked a handful of snow, or his definition of it, and poured it all over Elsa. She shouted, "Hey!" while he gave a mischievous chuckle.

"Very funny…" Elsa said irritably as she wiped the snow off. "I'll get back at you for that."

"Whatever you say," Marshmallow said.

Elsa twirled her hand, made a small snowball, and flicked it towards Marshmallow. She gave a satisfied smirk as Marshmallow's annoyed look crossed his face.

"There. Now we're even."

Elsa took off the scarf covering her mouth and pulled down her hood. While technically, she didn't need them since the cold had never bothered her, she still liked to keep herself covered just in case. She then pulled out her single braid tucked in her cloak, stroking it as she placed it over her shoulder.

"But you still had fun. And look, we're both still in one piece, aren't we? Just like always."

"You are right about that."

"Why are you being so...doubtful, Marshmallow? You're normally not like this."

"Truth be told, it's not you. It's about that girl."

"Anna?"

"Yes... I do not think it was wise to leave her there alone."

"Olaf and the Snowgies are with her."

"And that's supposed to be reassuring?"

Elsa couldn't help but agree with that statement. Olaf does have a tendency to be...foolish sometimes. Whether it would be intentional or not.

"Okay, you may have a point there. But if Anna wanted to escape, I'm sure she wouldn't offer herself to stay with us."

"You seem to put a lot of trust into someone you hardly know anything about. We don't even know where she came from nor why she was out in that blizzard in the first place."

"You sound like you don't like her."

"It's not like that. I still remember those awful stories you told me and Olaf. I don't want you to go through that again."

For a moment, Elsa didn't say anything. She had briefly dug back into those terrible memories. Marshmallow was right. Elsa had every right not to trust Anna. Yet, for some reason, she couldn't.

"I appreciate your concern, Marshmallow. Believe me, when I say you're right, I shouldn't trust her. And part of me is still wary and still keeping my distance." The last part was indeed genuine. It was one of the other reasons why she was away from her home. "But when I talk to her, she was always friendly. Even after I showed what I could do, that didn't change. She actually showed interest. When I showed her some of my scars, she actually tried to comfort me."

Marshmallow didn't say anything, but he continued to listen.

"She cared about how I felt. She thanked me for saving her life. And...she actually cared about my well-being. I don't think any other person has ever done that to me. For some reason, it felt...natural. It sounds crazy, but something tells me that Anna can be trusted."

"I still don't like this," Marshmallow stated.

Elsa couldn't help but feel disappointed at Marshmallow's statement. She knew it was in his protective nature to do so. But then, she got an idea.

"Why not I properly introduce the both of you when we return? Once that's done, then you'll see how she is."

"I guess there's no harm to that. It would be the only way I could properly judge her. But...if I see any sign that she means harm to any of us, I will not hesitate to do what it takes to keep you and the rest of us safe."

"I...I understand." Elsa knew Marshmallow's protective nature had naturally made him care deeply for his family. He would definitely go to extreme lengths to keep them all safe. She knew that Marshmallow may even kill others if it meant protecting her, Olaf, and The Snowgies.

"I just hope it won't come to that," Elsa thought.

Elsa did not wish to take another person's life. She killed animals before, but she did it to get food. A necessity for her survival. Killing a human being was a different story. She knew killing people was wrong and pointless. A killing machine is something she doesn't want to be. Neither by her will.

Or by force.

When Elsa and Marshmallow arrived back at North Mountain, they heard chatter near the base. Wanting to know what it was, they went to investigate. The chatter had led them to where several trees were. To their relief, Olaf was making that noise while wandering around.

"Olaf?" Elsa called as she jumped off of Marshmallow's back.

The snowman turned around and smiled once he saw them. "Elsa! Marshmallow. You're back!" Olaf ran over to them and hugged Elsa's legs.

"Hello, Olaf." Elsa patted his head. "What are you doing? Where's everyone else?"

"Where's Anna?" Marshmallow asked firmly.

"I invited her to play with me and The Snowgies out here. We spend the morning sliding down the slope. Then we rested for a while before we decided to play 'Hide 'n Seek.' Right now, it's my turn while everyone else is hiding."

Elsa didn't see it, but she could feel Marshmallow's apprehension rising as Olaf explained. Remembering the giant snowman's distrust towards Anna, Elsa spoke before anything escalated.

"Have you found anyone so far?" she asked.

"Just a few of The Snowgies," Olaf answered.

"Why not Marshmallow, and I help you find the rest?"

"Really? That'll be super helpful! Let's split up. It'll help us cover more ground."

Elsa and Marshmallow watched Olaf go in one direction. They waited until the snowman was out of earshot.

"Marshmallow," Elsa started firmly. "No matter what happens, don't do anything drastic."

Marshmallow nodded his head. Soon, he and Elsa went their separate ways.

Meanwhile, Anna was hiding behind a tree. She had been waiting for Olaf to find her in their game of 'Hide 'n Seek.' So far, she hasn't seen any sign of him. It didn't take long until she started to get bored. She had entertained herself in several ways. Be it making tiny snowmen from snowballs or drawing in the snow. Other ways she had occupied herself were her thoughts.

"I wonder how everyone back home is doing."

Anna knew there was no doubt that her father was probably looking high and low for her. He may have even gotten the whole kingdom involved as well. She felt terrible for staying here, leaving her parents and the kingdom panicking about her whereabouts. But Anna didn't feel ready to return home and face her father. The princess knew that her father more than likely figured out about her secret trips beyond the hill.

Aside from wanting to learn more about Elsa, the idea of starting to learn to be Queen was also the other thing holding her back. In most royal families, the heirs usually begin training at a younger age. For some reason, her parents never started her training early on, which many considered odd. Anna knew it was inevitable for her to start learning. What makes her so reluctant is that she knew she wasn't a typical princess, or at least different from the princesses she had met. Those princesses were quiet, regal, and graceful, while Anna was the opposite.

How can she be a good queen if she can't even be a proper princess?

Just then, Anna heard hefty thumps that sounded close. Getting back on her feet, she looked for the source. Slowly, she looked around at the other side of the tree.

"Hello? Olaf, is that you?" She called out.

There wasn't an answer, nor was anyone there. The thumps were no longer heard. After several seconds, Anna figured those were just her head playing tricks on her. Just when she went back to her hiding spot, she slammed into a big, bulky object in front of her and fell on her bottom. After a slight groan of pain, she looked up to see that the bulky white object was a giant snow creature as tall as the trees.

Anna figured that this was the famous 'Marshmallow' that Olaf told her about.

She did not get up from the ground. Instead, she continued to stare at the snow creature. Its enormous stature was definitely enough to scare the faint of heart. Anna doesn't get scared easily, although she admits she feels intimidated.

"Um...hi," Anna greeted nervously.

Marshmallow looked at her with curiosity. Finding the girl was surprisingly easy for him. When it came to finding things, Marshmallow had to search high and low for them. The only things he could find with no issue were Olaf, The Snowgies, and Elsa. Due to her connection with her creations, they could always find her in places without her telling them. She could've gone to the ends of the earth without telling them, and they would still have found her. Elsa's aura was almost like a signal that helped them, Marshmallow and Olaf mainly, track her. The girl, Anna, had a similar aura.

That was really odd to Marshmallow. He had never had that type of connection with other humans he had seen. Elsa had been the only one who gave off that aura that allowed him to find her. Anna somehow had that same thing. That just made Marshmallow even more curious about the girl.

Anna decided to get on her feet. Marshmallow never took his eyes off of her as she did. She soon returned the gaze. The giant snow creature looked at her, tilting his head like a curious animal. A dog to be more specific. That gave Anna an idea. She remembered her father's advice on how to greet dogs before petting them. She had to stick out her hand and let the dog sniff it to see if she was friendly. If she passed, the dog would let her pet it. This snow creature wasn't a dog, but she figured it was worth a shot.

Slowly, she removed the mitten from her right hand and tucked it away. She took several fast breaths as she stood. Finally, she extended her hand towards Marshmallow. Nothing had happened as the snow creature just stared. Anna closed her eyes and turned her head away, hand still in the same position.

Marshmallow was...amused by Anna's gesture. So far, she didn't fail to impress him. He could feel he intimidated her, but she wasn't full-on fear. Now, she was making this strange gesture to him. For a moment, he was confused. Until it clicked to him that this was her way of hoping to gain his trust. Though initially skeptical, he's now starting to believe she could be trusted.

Marshmallow lifted his left hand and looked at it and Anna's right hand back-to-back several times. Finally, he made his move. Mimicking her gesture, Marshmallow slowly extended his hand and pressed his palm against Anna's. While he touched it lightly, Anna felt her body shift a bit.

Lifting her head, she saw Marshmallow's hand pressed against her own. Her hand was tiny compared to the giant snow creature's. Anna then mover her gaze at his face. In the sockets of his eyes, she could see that in them wasn't intimidation but acceptance. Anna gave a nervous but relieved smile. Marshmallow then slowly smiled back, to which she chuckled.

"Y'know...For a big guy, you're a real softie," Anna complimented.

"Th-Thank you," Marshmallow spoke in one of the few words he could speak in English.

Unbeknownst to both of them, they were being watched from a distance by none other than Elsa herself. She had watched the entire exchange. When she first saw this happening, she was apprehensive. She was afraid that something would go wrong, be it Marshmallow's suspicions being correct or Anna doing something to scare him. But neither of each scenario had occurred. Instead, it was filled with relief as she watched the two press their hands against each other. To Elsa, it symbolized that Marshmallow had accepted Anna as a friend. Even more shocking to her is when Marshmallow vocally spoke to her. That was truly rare. It had only meant one thing. Marshmallow had fully trusted Anna.

"You found her, Marshmallow!" The sound of Olaf's voice brought Elsa out of her thoughts. Elsa saw the snowman approach the pair in the opposite direction. Soon, she decided to join them.

"I see you've met Marshmallow already," Elsa brought up.

"Uh yeah," Anna replied. "He's nice."

"He is," Elsa patted Marshmallow's leg. "He may look intimidating, but he is kind."

"Yep. So, where were you two at?" Anna asked. "I mean, if you want to tell me, that is. You don't have to say anything if it isn't my business."

"We were just getting some exercise," Elsa told her. "But now that we're back, I could rest."

"Yeah, I could say the same. Spending most of the morning and afternoon playing could really wear a girl down."

"Then I guess we should all head back to the castle then."

"You two can do that. I'll just stay out here for a little while," Marshmallow said in his language.

"Uh, did he say something or…" Anna trailed.

"Marshmallow doesn't speak much. He has his own language. Only Olaf and I can understand him," Elsa explained.

"Oh," Was what Anna could reply.

"I like to hang with Marshmallow for a while if you don't mind that Elsa," Olaf added.

"It's fine with me. Just be back in the palace before dark with the rest."

"Yes, ma'am! Come on, Marshmallow. Let's find the rest of The Snowgies!"

The snowman then ran off, with the giant snowman soon following. This left the two girls alone.

"So, shall we head back?" Anna asked.

"Of course," Elsa replied.

Who knew Elsa was a dare devil? Then again, 10 years living alone and having ice powers probably can give one some ideas how to entertain themselves (:P). I admit I might've gotten some ideas from How to Train Your Dragon...and maybe a little bit of Big Hero 6 as well...

Okay, I know I promised Elsa and Anna bonding, but I wanted to explore more of the snowmen (mostly Marshmallow). Olaf, I still have no clue if I'm doing his character right. Marshmallow is easier for me to write since he didn't get much screen time in the movie, so there's that.

No worries, there shall be Elsa/Anna bonding in the next chapter.

For those of you who are confused or forgot, Marshmallow doesn't speak much and has his own language (which is in Italics). Though every now and again he can speak a bit of English.

Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.