The storm was a white blur around her as she stalked out onto the ice of the fjord, crackling frost along the skin of her fingertips as piercing eyes scanned the visible horizon for the sight of the man beheld in her memory. She kept his quiet face in her mind, and with locked intent, she stepped forward, ever forward, into the clouded air. Beyond her touch, there were ships, turned up and wrestled onto their sides from the tearing wind, frozen and set in place like embittered statues, remnants of her latent power within the still ice beneath her pristine heels. Elsa's gaze passed over them, considering them potential hiding places for the man for whom, she realized now, in her haste to set out and find him, bore no name. However, the woman figured that it mattered not who he was, the significance of the question of his identity bearing in mind no lost fury as she wasn't sure it mattered.
Did the name of a dead man need to be known?
She knew his face, his voice, his cadence, as with the heresy of his crime, it was scrawled in burning ink within the confines of her thoughts.
However, to search each and every one of the broken, distended ships would take far too long, and inversely, she considered with equal impatience, would only give time for him to get away...and she was far too fixated, far too invested, to let him get off that easily. But just as much, she thought, looking from point-to-point as far her eyes could see, and that wasn't very far given the conditions, there was...no one.
Not a single soul.
Growling in frustration at herself, she knew all too well that the storm was only making this more difficult, but all the same, she knew that is all her own doing. Taking in her hands, regarding them with a look of exasperation before throwing them to her sides, she wished more than ever that she could just...call upon her strength stop it, if only for a moment so that her search could be eased.
'Come on, come on...how do I make this stop...UGH!'When her focus didn't reward her with a difference in the conditions around her, she resolved herself to continuing her search.
She'd just have to make do with just this; every moment was precious if she hoped to find the vagrant that had committed the act, but only then did she realize, also, that she didn't even have an idea of where he would have even went! There was a dawning sense of embarrassment at the fact that she hadn't even considered asking where she should begin looking as, in her anger, it hadn't even occurred to her that she wouldn't have a clue where he would have gone. It was entirely possible that, but now, he could have been beyond the fjord, beyond the palace; hell, she thought with a degree of hopelessness, he could have been well past Arendelle by now.
'I can't let that brute get away with this, but where...where do I go from here? It's already too late to go back now; there's no way the guards will just let me skate by after I...'Elsa thought, wringing her braid as she stood rooted upon the ice.
What was she supposed to do?
Unsure of where to go forward, unable to go back; she was stuck.
Feeling panic rise in her throat, there was an attempt by her own hand to calm her rapid breaths, each plume of warm air cupping her cheeks as she tried to think.
What was the plan?
What...could she do?
Trying to consider her options, she took a moment to ponder on the issue.
Sure, she didn't know what he'd intended to do, but...there had to be a general direction that she could start with...right? Scanning the horizon, she thought hard on the question, but none of the directions seemed particularly likely to yield success on her part. No matter where she looked, no matter gazed...there was only white.
Blank, pure, endless...white.
That...didn't give her much to work with, and to be entirely frank...she wasn't sure what make of that. What could she do with...nothing?
She wasn't sure yet.
But just as she'd began the effort trying to formulate the barest idea of a plan, she thought perhaps...she could see something out there, a minuscule shape out there in the wastes of the fjord that she could hardly put together in the mess of snow that built around the figure from afar.
'What...is that?'Elsa wondered, turning towards it to try and figure out who, or what, it might be. It was small, far too small to suggest that it was a person, and the closer that it came to her, the woman's eyes widened, taking in the distant, waddling form of a familiar, little creature that she hadn't expected to find way out here in the storm.
"O-Olaf? What is he...what is he doing all the way out here?"She questioned quietly as, once the little snowman had taken notice of her, she could see a massive, relieved smile fracture his features, and with great effort, he raced over to her, battling against winds that tried to sweep him across the ice. Elsa herself followed suit, rushing to meet him.
"Elsa! ELSA!" Olaf started, running headlong into her leg and wrapping his small arms around one of them, and taken aback, the woman almost didn't know what to make of him, but she understood enough to know that same feeling, that same, unyielding sense of relief, washed over her as she knelt down to return the hug in kind.
In truth, she could really use one of those right now.
Pulling apart from each other, neither really knew where to start, though Olaf was far more optimistic than she was, scanning the blank, pale sheets of the icy fjord for what she could only guess was a way forward off of it, be she didn't intend to follow, that much she knew. Not until she'd found the bastard who...done that to her sister.
Despite that, she perked up when she heard him speak again, gesturing as calmly as she could to the small creature to come closer so that she could hear him over the terrible noise around them.
"Why are you out here?! Not that I'm judging, or anything, but it's really bad out here, and we need you in there, to, you know...stop the winter!" He shouted in question to ensure that she heard him, and the mention of her original purpose for being back in Arendelle, that is, to stop the storm, was still going just as well as it had been just minutes ago.
Which...wasn't well at all.
Sighing, she looked at her hands again, clenching them tightly as she considered his other question, unsure if she would even want to tell something like what happened to Anna to such an innocent being. There was no telling what they would do to him, or whether, she thought somewhat sadly, if he would even understand what that was or what it meant at all. There was no reason to sully his mind with those kinds of things if she could help it, a sense of maternity and love shrouding her singular anger as he waited for her response.
She would need to lie.
"Ah, I'm...looking for someone...a man. Have you seen him? The one that was...traveling with you...a-and Anna? Remember him?" She asked the snowman, careful to moderate her expression so that she wouldn't alert him to her rage and dissuade him from answering. With a tap of his chin, she figured he would have to know, seeing as when they'd came to her castle what felt like ages ago (though in reality, it was only a few days ago), she recalled him being there, with that brute.
That...monster.
Suddenly, Olaf perked up with remembrance.
"Oh! You mean Kristoff? Yeah, I know that guy, he's real nice. A little weird, but really nice. Anna really likes him, you know? Why?" He answered honestly, and at the notion that her little sister had...liked him, that he would have used that against her to -
"H-hey! Is something wrong? Elsa?!" The snowman exclaimed with deep concern, placing a delicate twig arm upon her hand as he tried to assess what was wrong, and the woman realized quickly that she was allowing her control to slip, and around her...the storm was becoming worse, a whirlwind of chaos that her emotions were stirring up. She took a shaky breath, grasping her fragile creation in her arms as the two braced against the beating wind, and it carried on for a few more moments as, with her stilling, calming mind (relatively speaking), the wind shear was dialed back and the intensity of the snow that pelted them lessened until, again, she could let Olaf go, the snowman visibly shaken to his core. His wide, doe-like eyes, rang through with fear, was enough to let the buds of guilt grow in her as she tried to restrain her power as best as she could.
She had to find a way to stop this storm, to gain control again, but first...first she had to find Kristoff.
Only then could some of her rage be quelled.
"I'm sorry, Olaf. I'm just...there's been so much that has happened over these last few days, I just...I almost let you get blown into this mess, this storm that I...caused. Or...am...causing..." She whispered softly, turning to face the wasteland that had been made by her hand.
No more were the sunny visions of greenery that once dotted the far-off mountains of fjord, or the cries and songs of yearling birds setting out from the safety of their nests. Now, all around them, the world seemed to grow still and whiter by the moment, by the second, and to make things worse...it had brought with it the ruination of her sister.
All because she could hope to control a power that she never wanted in the first place.
At her words, Olaf smiled softly, holding fast to her in a bid to grant her comfort she surely didn't deserve, she felt, but still, he was giving, more than willing to ease the burden on her heart as his optimism shined through.
"It's okay to take a breather. Besides, if I know Kristoff, he's probably still around the entrance of the big castle, I think. He can't have gone far, so if you need to talk to him, then - " The snowman's words struck her through. piquing her interest at once before he even got the chance to finish speaking.
"Wait...the entrance? How long ago had he been there?" She asked him, regarding with great interest as the former tried to think on it a bit.
"Oh, well, we came back to Arendelle to bring Anna back, and he had her on Sven, the reindeer guy. Long story; anyway, yeah, that wasn't that long ago since they wanted to get Anna all warmed up and stuff, and I was actually on my way to the castle to see if I could find her so that I could, you know, stay by her because she was...really sick." He explained, trailing off at the end as he made mention of Anna's condition.
Something else that had been caused by her.
Something else to add to the list.
But she couldn't dwell on that long as she chose to direct her attention on cheering him up with a calm, gentle hand.
"Hey, it's going to be okay. Anna's strong; she isn't going to let some silly, little winter get the better of her, okay? We'll...figure it all out...I just...need to find Kristoff." She assured him, and after a moment, Olaf perked up a bit, smiling just a touch.
"Y-yeah, I know. I'm just worried, that's all. But if you really need to find him, then we could go to the castle gates and near town over there! He might still be there!" He exclaimed, and with a tug of her cape, he began leading the charge before Elsa grabbed him gently by his head, turning him round on his stubby, little feet to stop him before he could get too far. She didn't miss his confusion as she knelt beside him, dusting off his pristine snow with a doting smile.
She...didn't need him to get caught up in what was surely to be a...mess meeting. All the same as she couldn't explain what had happened to Anna...she couldn't well explain what she intended to do to Kristoff before the deed was done.
There was no reason to dirty his beautiful snow with the blood she would surely spill.
"Actually..." She started slowly, carefully, as her eyes met his.
"How about you try to get in? The castle, I mean? I'm sure Anna could use your company, right?" The young woman suggested, and at the thought of her going out there, into the frost and cold alone, Olaf was vehemently against it.
"What?! No way! What if you get lost in all this snow, or you slip, or...or - " She stopped him with a palm, held up slowly, but sternly before he could continue what she was sure to become him rambling, and if she hadn't stopped him then, she might actually lose the one lead that she had to go off of to bring justice to one of the feel people that meant anything at all to her.
And that wasn't something she was willing to compromise.
"Olaf, I'll be fine. You're not honestly worrying about me, are you? Come on...I...did this, remember? If anyone should know how this works, how to navigate out here...it should be me, right?" The queen asked her creation, and all the same, the inquiry was at least a curiosity for him.
But it was true.
She'd...done this.
All of this, hadn't she? She...didn't deserve the option of having the easy way out, of having the comfort of an accompaniment when the fault was hers alone than any of this was happening at all. Besides, what she said wasn't a lie; she did actually want him to find Anna...to be by her side and help in case...she didn't come back. Of course, she intended to.
No, she would absolutely come back. Anna needed her, there was no doubt that she would.
At her words, Olaf couldn't help but agree.
"I...I mean you didn't mean to, but...just come back, okay?" He asked, giving her a long, tight hug that she was quick to reciprocate, and his words made her laugh.
"Come back? Olaf, there's nowhere that I could go that could ever keep me away from you or Anna. No matter what happens, I'll always come back, okay? I promise you that." She assured him, pulling away slowly as he considered her for a long moment, gleaming eyes filled with worry though he looked far more certain than he had before.
Just as she hoped he would.
"Okay..." He whispered, and turning from her, he rushed off into the snow and storm, but before he could get too far, she called out to him again, reaching out to get his attention. She'd almost forgotten that he might not have to search for a way in at all. How could she have not to just tell him to go in where she had just come from?
She had left a massive hole in the wall, after all.
And with just about every guard and sentry-man going to the Westline (now that she thought about it, the entrance of the castle was also to the west of where she was now, so she could only imagine that they were looking for Kristoff, too), it should be easy enough to have the little creature sneak in with everyone unaware of his presence in the caste. All that left for him to do was to find a way around the dozens of servants and nobles that were sure to be swarming the grounds, still, but she couldn't figure that out for him...she was sure he could figure that part out on his own, right?
Yeah, it was probably fine.
"Wait! I know a way you can get into the castle!" She started, hoping her was carrying on the wind. However, when he answered back with a curious look, his eyebrows drawing up with interest and inquiry, she knew it was okay to continue.
"You do?! How?!" The snowman asked in response, standing clear of her from a distance as the storm raged on around them, and briefly, quickly in mind, Elsa knew that her window was closing.
She had to make this quick.
Pointing out in the direction that she'd come, she tried to gesture to what would have surely been the prison that she'd escaped.
"Go that way! I...made a hole in the wall where they were holding me, so you could probably get in there!" Again, she hoped he heard her, but when he nodded and rushed off in the direction she'd told him to go, she hoped that was the case.
From there, he could take care of Anna until she came back, and by the hopes that she had...it didn't have to be real long.
She only needed a moment to finish what she needed to.
'Let's hope for the best...now...'She thought to herself, glancing back just one, last time over her shoulder at the disappearing figure of her creation before she faced the western front going towards the castle gates...the place where she was sure to find the brute who dared to lay their hands upon her sister.
And the first step to ending the storm within her.
-(Elsewhere, roughly the same time)-
He knew he was short on time, and as such, there wasn't a moment to waste. Hans was pleased to find the guards had done precisely what he'd said, and that was to get to the western ends of the castle for what he felt was to be the grand finale of this entire effort of his own, and the sense that he was this close to doing what he thought had been impossible, after countless, innumerable attempts and failures to set the record right, it was almost too good to be true.
Nearly too intoxicating for him to focus on the task.
But he couldn't afford to wane in his efforts...not yet.
Not until it was done.
139 paces.
Entering the armory on the furthest end of the castle, the guards that had remained both at his side on the journey there and those that were still being outfitted with their clothing and gear saluted without question upon his entry.
Just as he expected them to, and as they should have without question.
Barring that point, he was swift on his feet, shedding his sullied, bloodied garments in exchange for a thicker set, knowing full well what the bitter cold beyond the front gates of the palace would do to him; it wouldn't do to get frost bite so close to the mark. In the midst of this, his charges, Lea and Erik, were equally prompt in getting him his weapons and the like, the chief of which gleamed with polished edges that just begged to be held, to be swung.
A sword.
Classic.
However, concealed by his hand, he managed to take into his possession a smaller blade, sheathed and cold and placed into the lining of his coat where none of the other guards could see it.
He had a feeling he would need that later.
Turning to one of the other guards, a thickly-bearded man with a hearty belly, though, by Hans' own standards, he was bit to heavy for his own tastes to be an effective guard, regardless of his personal feelings he hailed to him, striking inquiry with the man as he finished dressing all the same, knowing for certain the time was near for him to make his move.
"All guards are in position at the West Line? Outfitted with crossbow as I asked?" He inquired, and without a wasted breath, the guard obliged his answer in kind.
"Yes, sir! All present and able guards are aligned on the western front, waiting on your orders!" The man responded, and Hans had to resist the urge to smile but it was difficult.
98 paces.
Things couldn't have turned out more perfectly. To have each and every part fall into place, after so much meticulous planning, the trials, the errors, the humiliation, to say that knowing that it was due to come to fruition...it was enough to make him lose his composure.
Well...almost enough.
"Good. Lea, Erik, to me." He called to them, and quickly he was presented with his tool, his weapon, the salvation of this entire ordeal to set into verdant stone what he'd wished for so long.
His story was being written, wholly and truthfully.
Without error or flaw.
Just...perfectly.
Just as he expected for it to.
Without hesitation, his shadows, the two young guards that had clung to him like loyal dogs for the moments leading to this moment, kept lock in step with him as he gestured for the remaining guards within the armory to follow him true, stepping in time with him as they navigated the halls of the palace to meet with the rest of their kin upon the walls of the western front.
Stepping up and through many ornate passages of the castle, the thickets of nobles began to thin as they traveled higher and higher throughout the structure until where nobles once reigned and resided, now the guards that had been sent to their stations did in their place. Filing up to the top of the palace, to the full outcroppings that echoed like balconies along the side of the Arendelian castle, many, many rows of the guards rested in wait and formation for Hans to arrive, set like carved stone sentries, patiently awaiting the moment to strike. Noticing his entrance, those that were free of hand saluted him with deep respect, with that same woman, Linnea, his ward, stepping forward, the concern in her face clear.
For a moment, he'd nearly forgotten to look worried himself.
It wouldn't do having people thinking that you were excited to go out into a magical winter looking for the queen you intended to kill.
That would be a contradiction to the hole "reluctant hero act" that he had going on right.
And there wasn't time for any stupid mistakes this far into all of this.
77 paces.
"My prince. Are you certain you don't want me out there with there to help you? There's no reason that we must risk losing you as well, my liege. Or perhaps one of the guards could assist you?" She offered sternly, but almost...as if she cared, Hans thought with amusement, hardly ever seeing the hard wench express even this much concern to her own kin, much less to a prince that her family was indebted to and set to serve.
Strange how that worked.
Regardless, he kept up the act, placing a careful hand upon her shoulder as he assured her otherwise.
Having them out there watching what he was surely about to do would be...problematic, to say the least.
No, this was something that he had to do alone.
"I could never ask any of you to do what I am about to. I would rather live and die trying to bring an end to this winter of my own merits than have to sully the hands and bodies of my fellow man in a bid I can't guarantee I will come back from..." Hans uttered with noble tongue knowing just about each and every word that he was saying was a lie.
A complete and utter lie.
But as always, it seemed to work more than well enough, his apparent ode to self sacrifice enough to earn the approving nods of many that had been within earshot to hear the crock of bullshit that he'd been spouting then, not that that wasn't typical of the idiots.
They'd take just about anything he said as gospel if he told them to do so, he was sure. But he wasn't one to complain; it was easier to convince those that already believed in you then those that were skeptical.
It was easier to handle people who didn't think.
"Thank you, Lord Hans. You remain a I remember you...noble true. Though, I have a question regarding the prisoner..." She started, walking with him as he entered the outcropping where many of the guards stood watch for the queen that he promised would be coming soon. Looking out, the storm seemed to be growing in intensity.
It wouldn't be long now.
"Yes, Linnea?" He answered calmly, smoothly.
He needed to make this quick.
Time was becoming short.
69 paces.
"I...it's just that...in the event you do not return, Gods forbid that, and Princess Anna does not awaken from her slumber, then...what would you like for us to do with him? The prisoner..." She asked, looking to him with a look her could read just fine.
Hesitation.
Fear.
Disgust, likely at the mere mention of the man that rested far, far, beneath their feet, and perhaps, in a way, he knew precisely what she was hoping that he would her in the event of his death and, presumably, Anna's as well. There was really only one correct answer that he could think out, one that he considered very long, very easily without so much as a hint of hesitation as he spoke.
50 paces.
"I want you to kill him. Simply, painlessly, mercifully. If I am not to come back...then he must die as well. Do you understand?" He spoke without a hint of humor, without an ounce of hyperbole.
That was it.
He was to simply cease existing.
Plan and simple.
Not that that was nearly as fun as the other things he had in mind, it didn't give the impression of a kind, benevolent leader if he was blood hungry, even in death. Taking in his words, there was stroke of defiance in her eyes before she relented, sighing before turning out into the wastes of frigid fjord beyond.
"I understand." Linnea said after a long moment of silence.
Hans smiled.
"Good." He responded back.
He liked when they listened to him.
42 paces.
"I'm going to intercept her. If I know her well, she's likely going to attempt to leave Arendelle in the middle of the storm while out vision is obscured, but we cannot have that. Not if we intend to bring this winter to an end and for our beloved Princess Anna to be freed from her curse. Understand that you are all here if she proves to have lethal intent, then I fully authorize you to make incapacitating, non-lethal shots if signaled to or if the moment calls for it. The object is to preserve her life...not to take it."Hans started, watching as the swirling mists of snow and ice became harder, faster.
She was close.
Around him, the guards nodded, assured in their leader's care and guidance, though many still radiated a hesitance that was clear upon their faces.
He didn't have to guess why.
"If, on the slim chance that I as killed or lost to the storm..." He started, looking out at the man frost-tipped faces around him, "...then you are free to shoot and kill the queen of Arendelle if that means this storm might come to an end and Anna might again be healthy for then it is through her that this kingdom may survive." He announced grandly, tempering the sensationalism of this situation with the grimness of his voice.
All of this was merely conjecture.
He had no intention of dying...and even if he did, the man thought as his pants' pocket almost felt heavier with the presence of the remains of tear that had gotten him back to this time...there was always trying again.
There was always going back to the drawing board.
He could always come back.
But this time, the man thought with unwavering assurance, unwavering confidence...that wouldn't be necessary.
He wouldn't lose this time.
Noteveragain.
At his order, much of the battalion nodded, agreeing despite themselves.
30 paces
Readying himself, he stepped past Linnea, past the guards, and to a fitting of stairs that spiraled and coiled along the side of the castle, leading to a small dock upon its side and the ice beyond.
25 paces
Steeling himself agains the cold, he adjusted his coat, noting the pressure, the cold, that blasted at him at all sides as he trekked eastward, back from where he'd come...and where Elsa was surely coming from, too.
20 paces.
Without the eyes of the guards and his wards, Hans felt himself smile, bubbling up with clear excitement. He could hardly keep himself composed as he stepped forward on the creaking plains of ice beneath his boots.
15 paces.
All of the pieces had fallen into place. Now he simply needed to stick the landing.
10 paces.
He could manage that much, right?
5 paces.
He supposed he had no other choice but to find out.
0 paces.
Because she was here now.
"Hans?" He heard a woman call across from him, and around the two of them, the world had been murdered white and invisible as the worst of the storm enveloped him.
Breathing out softly, he looked up at her, green eyes gleaming darkly from afar.
"Elsa."
-(Elsewhere, just a bit before)-
Olaf had been expecting a whole, not a gash in the wall of the castle. Of course, he couldn't exactly complain about having a relatively easy way of the storm that didn't involve him scaling the walls of the palace, especially not in conditions such as this. Spotting it from the washes of white and furious snow, he tried to will his stubby legs forward as best as he could, rushing in over the spilt, split stones and into the cell that Elsa had been locked within not so long ago, breathing a sigh of relief when he could finally relax without fearing that he would taken away by a particularly powerful whirlwind. Surveying the damage she'd done, he hissed, imagining that Hans was probably not to pleased about that, but he was sure that they could get that fixed later.
For now, he had somewhere to be.
"Now I just need to get upstairs and figure out where Anna while everything else blows over - " Stopping, he chuckled at his own pun, thinking back to the storm outside briefly before he waltzed over to the fractured entrance to the cell, leading out into the hallway true to the dungeons. Olaf immediately wasn't fond of this place, making note of the dank, slick stone, the earthy, musty stench that radiated along the halls, all of which painted a terribly unwelcoming picture for him. Regardless, he knew he didn't have time to really ponder much on this as he knew that Anna needed him, so pushing these concerns aside, he continued on his way, passing another, neighboring cell as he did.
However, the snowman was caught off-guard by a heavy smell, lingering and heavy and suffocating the further from the hole and the closer to this cell he was, his nose aching from the sheer volume of the stench.
"Oh, geez, what IS THAT?" He exclaimed with little tact as he, despite his mission, stalked closer to the door of the cell, confirming that the smell was, indeed, coming from something or someone inside.
And to be frank, he'd never smelled anything like this before.
It was like...metal, or something else he couldn't describe.
But he knew one thing; he didn't like it.
Backing away from the door, he prepared himself to leave when he heard someone inside groan softly, a low, tired sound that the snowman himself had to strain to hear.
'Someone's inside?'He thought with worry, turning his head from side to side to see if anyone was coming into the corridors, but there were none.
Just him and the mystery voice behind the door.
"Hello? Who's in there? And what's with the funny smell?" He asked the person behind the door, or rather, who he was assuming was a person, he wasn't entirely sure. Regardless, he leaned forward, pressing what would have surely been his ears if he had any to try and parse out a sound from them. His voice seemed to rouse them, that same, strange, broken sound echoing softly upon the halls of the dungeons as Olaf hopped back with surprise.
No, that was definitely a person, but...they sounded...weird.
They sounded...hurt.
"Whoever that is, are you okay in there? Do you...do you need help?" He asked softly, unsure of what else he could do.
It wasn't as if getting help was really an option; he couldn't afford to really get caught without first getting to Anna, he figured, but he was here, and maybe if he went inside to see what they needed, they could feel better. And maybe while he was at it, he could figure out what that smell was.
It reeked!
Even so, he took off his nose, aligning it with the lock on the door so that the thinner tip could slip in.
Whoever it was sounded really bad off.
There had to be something that he could do, but then, he had to get back to his mission, he had to get to Anna, he reminded himself as he heard and felt the lock unlatch with a satisfying click. Grinning, he pulled it from the lock and placed it back on his face, adjusting it carefully before pushing it open just a bit, and more of that smell came rushing forward, so much so that he was made dizzy from its intensity. Even so, he pressed on, fully opening the door to look upon whatever was inside, a smile clear upon his face.
And immediately, he could see that it was dark.
Really, really dark.
"Uh, hello? I'm, uh, coming in now, so just hold on - " Stepping in, the person made that sound again.
Except...it sounded more like...crying.
No, that didn't sound right at all.
Following the sound with his eyes, the snowman almost didn't know what, or who, he was looking at.
Then it dawned on him.
His smile fell, replaced with horror that he'd never felt before.
"Kristoff?" He whispered, almost too stunned to speak, and from the dark, the young man whimpered in kind.
