Posts by Bumble Bee

For Elsa, every step felt like four. She could not say how many different muscles were in her legs but she would be able to draw them in perfect detail just by recalling the different ways she ached every time she moved forward. Once or twice the Queen's knees buckled or her legs refused to cooperate and she wound up tugging against the cloak to keep her balance. More than anything she was glad she didn't bring the mysterious stranger down with her. The woman, she decided, must hiding a strong physique under her cloak. Elsa figured her for a farmer, she didn't smell enough like horses to be a stablehand and Elsa couldn't think of anything else off the top of her head that the mountain towns did. Well, anything else that would make someone strong enough to push through a storm like this dragging her behind them.

Though the journey through the woods was hard, Elsa found her footing on the ice. She didn't so much as slide despite the layer of ice. It was a welcomed relief, not having to lift her legs so high every time she took a step. Elsa drug her feet across the stone now, not quite gliding, but looking much like a skater as she scooted after her mysterious savior.

The heat from inside was stifling. Though the raging storm had brought little more than a vague awareness of the temperature, Elsa was as delighted by the comforting warmth of a hearth as anyone else. All the same, she hesitated at the entryway, waiting for the sweep of the stranger's arm to pad inside.

The Queen hadn't noticed the man sitting by the fire until he rushed away. The sudden movement made her jump and step back towards the door. She needed to calm down or she risked returning a stranger's kindness with destruction. Holding her hands close to her chest, she tried to calm her racing heart and took in the space. As predicted, there was a fire burning at one wall, and candles shining around the home. Elsa didn't have much more time to look around before she came to the realization that she was being observed. Blue eyes returned the stare and questions started to flood her mind once more. Who was this woman? Did she recognize her Queen? Elsa's hand twitched, longing to reach up and check on the crown that had been tucked behind her braid, but she forced them to still. If the woman hadn't noticed it yet, then she certainly would if Elsa started fiddling with it. Why was she still staring? Did Elsa have something on her fa-

Then the woman was gone, bolting up the stairs with the promise of towels. Elsa didn't feel particularly cold, but the longer she stood inside the heavier her skirts started to feel. One look at the ground and she made the discovery that her slippers were tracking watery footprints into the house. Elsa nibbled on her lip and rocked from foot to foot before deciding to slip them off and set them near the door. The fireside would have been preferable, but Elsa didn't feel it right to wander any farther into the stranger's home than where she had been left. Casting a few quick looks over her shoulder to ensure she was alone, Elsa decided to hike up her skirts and slip her stockings off as well, the wet squish between her toes was more revolting than it was embarrassing to have bare shins underneath her dress. As she was folding the stockings and setting them atop her slippers, Elsa was struck with a thought. She would surely receive her shoes before she left this place, and what would anyone need to go scrounging around within her slippers for? It felt the perfect hiding place, and Elsa was desperate to remain unknown just for the time being. If anyone knew who she was they would undoubtedly ask about the coronation and Elsa didn't want to think about it nevertheless tell the story. Without time to waste, Elsa pulled the crown from her hair and stuffed it between the folds of her stockings. She kept her eyes screwed shut, not trusting her eyes to stay dry if she caught sight of the thing that had started her down this horribly lonely path.

Then the woman was back with towels in hand. Elsa slowly reached out and took one with her gloved hands, pulling it around her shoulders like a blanket so it could start the work of soaking up the water sticking to her shoulder and arms.

At first Elsa didn't say anything in return, though she flushed scarlet from neck to ears when her stomach gargled at the mention of food. She averted her eyes and found herself taking in the half of the room she hadn't noticed before. Tables, shelves, all filled with trinkets and food items, clothing and smithwork. It seems this wasn't a home at all, but instead a storefront. Elsa was no stranger to silence, but she was most used to it in solitude. When there was another person around it was hard to sit through. "... You're a merchant." She stated, by way of breaking the quiet. Her gaze turned back to the woman as she spoke, Elsa's brow furrowing as she noted the way the other woman still shivered. "I can pay you back for the stores you use up. You should sit by the fire, you're still a bit blue." Elsa didn't come any closer, her feet planted in place by the door, but there was genuine concern in the way her lips sloped downwards and her brow crinkled.

"Take care of yourself first, I can wait." She wouldn't think it fair for this woman to start doting on her when Elsa was the reason the other woman was in this state to begin with. If not for her, well, they wouldn't be tracking snowmelt across the store floors. "Please, I... I insist."

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What did one do when they were stuck inside a friendly strangers house because they had snowed their kingdom in during July? Well, Elsa quickly came to the conclusion that watching from the doorway as the other woman spoke with her father wasn't the correct way to compose herself. She didn't want to intrude anymore than she so obviously had already. The Queen turned to look at the floor and shuffled her feet, trying to think up something appropriate to do under these circumstances. She couldn't help to cook because aside from the cookies she had baked with her mother and sister as a child Elsa had never made anything in the kitchen, even then it had been more throwing flower than cooking.

From there her mind started to wander. Cookies lead to Anna, but Elsa closed her eyes and breathed carefully until her chest wasn't clenching quite as painfully. From Anna, she thought of Hans, the man her sister had asked to marry. Elsa (just like Anna, she couldn't help thinking) had only met him once, albeit it was a memorably absurd once that had lead to her being here. That thought was pushed aside just as quickly, but with a surge of anger rather than sadness. Hans lead to the Coronation, the reason he and so many others had come and that in turn brought Elsa to her crown. Something she had only worn for a few wretched hours and already she wanted it gone. She couldn't quite bear to discard it completely, it was all she had left of Home, of Arendelle, but she had hidden it away the moment she could. Yet something told her she hadn't been fast enough.

Elsa decided to busy herself with her cloak. With the bulk of the other woman's work glove rather than the tight fit of her usual slender gloves, Elsa fumbled a few times with the broach but was eventually able to snap the collar open. I'll make something to eat your... Now that she thought about it, the stranger had seemed to be acting odd, Elsa realized, pulling her towel off her shoulders so she could remove the long cloak. She had to kick her feet to free the tangled ends of the long, pooling fabric. Clearly it wasn't made for practicality, but much like her Crown, Elsa was too sentimental to part with it despite the inconvenience it caused. She hung it next to the forest green cloak and glanced back at her Savior. She hadn't quite known what to call Elsa, had she? Maybe things would still be alright.

"I will pay you back." Elsa was pulled back to the present by the woman- the merchant's- denial. Her words were firm even while her voice could hardly be described as even a whisper. The idea that she would take anything more than she already had from this woman was ridiculous. Elsa fingered the edge of her cloak, feeling the waterlogged weight of the fabric. It was of fantastic quality- fit for a Queen. Surely a good merchant could fetch quite a price for it. Enough to pay back the food Elsa would eat and provide thanks for the hospitality she was being shown. Elsa nodded to herself and let her hands fall away. She would leave it for the woman. The snow wouldn't harm it so long as it properly dried out., it could be sold. Nothing could repay the daring stunt that the merchant had pulled to help Elsa, but that didn't mean Elsa couldn't try to even the scales. "You could have lost a limb in that weather."

Elsa was hesitant to go any closer. She was trying to find a polite way to refuse the offer as she wrapped the towel around herself again. Her hair was starting to drip and it was an utterly disconcerting feeling when the water droplets could slide down the back of her neck uninhibited. "Thank you, but I'm really-" The woman bent at the waist. Elsa's cocked her head to the side. The woman jerked upright again. Her cheeks were red but Elsa realized it wasn't from the cold. She was trying to bow, the Queen realized. Despite the circumstance, Elsa lifted a the back of a gloved hand to hide the upward quirk of her lips. It seems that the merchant had indeed pieced together Elsa's status, but was at a loss to her identity.

Elsa didn't have time to reply before Irina was bustling around again, gathering what Elsa recognized as a split to hold a cooking pot. Patient as always, and admittedly wanting time to build her courage, Elsa waited until the makeshift kitchen was set up before inching her way around the furniture. She left a good two meters between herself and Irina, but she could feel the full blast of the fire from here. "Women curtsy." Elsa slid one bare foot back and bent at her knees. Her dress looked funny, the skirt flopping strangely with water weight when she tried to lift it, but Elsa had done the motion so many times in her life that it looked as simple as breathing despite that. Her mouth opened without thought as she righted herself. "Princess El-" No, no, no! "...la." She panicked. "Of the Southern Isles." Crap.

Elsa ducked her head and clasped her hands together in front of her, fiddling with her fingers. Well, that had nearly gone splendidly wrong. Silence seemed the perfect way to ensure she looked a liar so once again, Elsa's mouth ran away from her. "I'm here for the coronation- I came here for the coronation. From the Isles. I wandered off, got separated." The Queen cleared her throat and glanced up at Irina, her eyes large and nervous. She didn't try to be subtle when she changed topics and hoped that Irina would be merciful enough not to push her. "Uh, I- I don't think you should be that close to the fire so soon after getting inside." She had some vague memory of Mama telling Anna to back away from the fire until the tingles went away after they played outside in the winter. Elsa didn't have the slightest clue what that meant, but could gather it applied here. "Sit down and wrap yourself in a towel. I can, uh, stir." Was that what you did with soups?

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"The base of the Mountain..." Did that mean she was back at the fjord? No, no, she couldn't be. Elsa might not have known exactly where she was going but she was fairly certain she had been at least traveling uphill. The optimistic part of her thought that maybe she had reached the base of the North Mountain, but after the day she'd had she knew better than to be so hopeful. Could she be reaching the boarder mountains perhaps? That would mean she had veered too far east. It was possible, anything was at this point. Elsa hadn't exactly been traveling with the skills and knowledge of a seasoned traveler. She had no idea where she had ended up running towards, how far she had gone or even how long her journey had taken. It had been night when she left the palace, but Elsa hadn't had a moment to see the sky with the way the weather followed her. The thought made her shoulders hunch and she resisted the urge to wrap her arms around her body for comfort. The weather wasn't following her, she was blocking out her own sun. She made her own darkness. Monster indeed.

Getting lost in her own melancholy, Elsa didn't respond to the Merchant. On some level she heard what was being said, but nothing sank into her consciousness. Another's words were echoing inside her mind. Monster. Monster! She hadn't meant to hurt anyone. That blast of ice had been an accident, it was always an accident. Even so, she was Queen, and as Queen Elsa's job was to protect everyone within her kingdom, even silly little dukes that danced like exotic birds. She had done the opposite. She had knocked her own guards to the ground, had made children scream and mothers quake. She had nearly stabbed her sister. The Duke was right. All she ever did with this curse was harm, and that was the definition of a monster.

Elsa sank into a nearby chair, the new weight on her shoulders too heavy for her quivering legs to bare. For a few brief and still anxious moments Elsa had been able to forget why she was here, but a clumsy bow couldn't erase what had happened from Elsa's mind forever. Easing into the chair Irina's father had been using minutes earlier, Elsa pulled her aching legs up under her skirts. "I shouldn't be here." She had hurt so many people already. It was selfish for her to take advantage of Irina's hospitality. The longer she sat in this shop the more snow would pour down onto the village roofs. Elsa's stomach grumbled again. She was selfish- taking food and companionship from this woman. The queen rested her forehead against her knees, wringing her hands behind the barrier her legs provided.

The right thing to do would be to leave and travel to the North Mountain. Get as far away from anyone she could hurt as quickly as possible... But the smell of the soup wafting through the air was making her gut feel as hollow as her heart and finally being off her feet made the idea of getting back up again seem the most challenging thing she'd ever done. Elsa had spent so long doing the right thing, hiding away from her sister, her friends, her family. She had missed her own parents' funeral because she was too scared of going outside and hurting someone with her rampant emotions... Gods, she just wanted to be selfish this once.

The sudden bang of the store's window shutters outside made Elsa jump and curl her body tighter to her chest. The storm that had been calming moments ago was picking up again, and the fire suddenly didn't seem to be doing much against the winter cold. Elsa knew it wasn't seeping in from outside, no, this was her own doing. She needed to stop. Push it down, push everything down. A tear fell down her cheek, splattering onto the brown leather of Irina's gloves and immediately crystallizing atop her thumb. Stop it, stop it, stop it, Elsa! Her lack on control only added to the frustration, which in turned made her more frightened. It was a sickening spiraling mess that Elsa had been dancing in circles since she left her home. She watched the gloves start to frost over, knew the temperature had dropped and the storm was swirling outside, but tried as best she could to keep herself at bay.

"I should go..." She repeated in a hollow voice. Though it was the loudest she had been since she arrived here, Elsa sounded more fragile than ever. She was hungry and tired and lonely and scared but she knew there was nothing she could do to fix any of that. Spending the night here- if there was any 'night' left- could mean accidentally burying the village. There was food right in front of her but the moment she touched the bowl she feared it would freeze solid and Irina would kick her out anyway leaving her just as lonely and scared as she had been before. "I'll only make things worse for you if I stay." But she was so so tired, so hungry, she didn't want to leave. Why did doing the right thing have to be so hard?

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Elsa hadn't even known that Irina had left but all the same she startled when the woman made her presence known. It wasn't that Irina scared her, in fact, having someone normal around was comforting. The merchant couldn't remind Elsa of anything and while it was startling in and of itself for someone who had spent her whole life wrapped up with the same two dozen objects, it was what Elsa needed right now. Quite honestly, the Queen was just too wound up to appreciate it. Any person, new or familiar, was only one thing to Elsa, someone she might hurt.

Still, icy blue eyes appeared over the tops of Elsa's knees, watching Irina as she spoke in soothing voices about the dangers of going outside. The irony of it might have made Elsa scoff in another situation. The cold wouldn't hurt Elsa, it never had. Perhaps things would be easier if she was effected by the drastic drops in temperature. Maybe then her body would have a fight or flight instinct that could come in handy rather than just make her drag her ice across the kingdom as she ran. Her legs throbbed at the very thought.

Perhaps it was the mind's nature to wander when distressed or maybe Elsa was just too tired to keep her mind going in a straight line. Either way, she took in the way Irina's nose wasn't red or runny anymore, but her cheeks were still flushed pink. Was it the cold or were they always like that? Elsa liked to think that they usually had a pleasant blush. It seemed like the kind of thing someone as generous as Irina would have. Irina's eyes though, they were concerned. Elsa knew that was her fault too, and it made her want to look away, guilt nibbling at her stomach. She should do something-

You look exhausted, Princess.

It was a laugh, technically, but it still sounded suspiciously like a sob. Elsa ducked back behind her knees again, but this time her shoulders were just the slightest bit looser. No one had ever dared to say that to her, well, aside from her parents but that felt like an exception. "I am exhausted." It wasn't very Queenly of her to whine, but... Well, she was tired! And hungry! It had been... a really long day. Even just speaking the fact allowed seemed to make body realize it's own weaknesses. Her eyelids, still coated in purple makeup- the same color as the Arendelle flag- felt heavy. She shook her head, and some of her braid came loose, platinum hair falling over the tops of her knees. It was a miracle, or more likely magic, to think that her hairstyle had survived the chaos up until now, but everything had it's breaking point. She didn't look up again, but something drove her to speak again. Maybe it was the memory of how odd silence was when there was someone else there to experience it with her or maybe it was that feeling in her stomach from earlier.

"People don't normally talk to me like that." Elsa was back to her whispers, but at least this time they were directed to Irina rather than the room at large and they hardly sounded accusatory. She wanted a conversation this time, rather than to speak into the void. She wanted to laugh again, even if it hadn't entirely counted as a laugh in the first place. Anything to ease the emotional waves inside her. It would be for everyone's benefit- that made staying a little less selfish, didn't it? Elsa thought so. "You don't need to-" She peaked up over her knees again and sighed loudly, trying to find her words. "I'm not much of a Princess up here." It was odd being called by a name that wasn't hers, but Elsa thought she might prefer it to Princess. She was a Queen now, even if she wasn't a very good one. Hearing 'Princess' just made her think of Anna, of Home, and Elsa didn't need that. Besides, she had liked the way the name had sounded coming from the Merchant. Ella was almost Elsa anyway. "... Do I really look as bad as I feel?"

Her stomach chose that moment to make it's presence known again and Elsa groaned quietly. It had been hard enough dealing with lack of food without the smell right there, taunting her with something she couldn't risk picking up to enjoy. Not until it stopped steaming at least, but even then what if she froze the bowl? That was hardly normal. "Because I feel like my legs are going to fall off." And her stomach felt like the inside of balloon and her chest felt like a lump of coal where her heart should have been and her hands were tingling uncomfortably with magic and her eyelids were so heavy that she thought about keeping them closed every time she blinked. This old chair was starting to feel like luxury feather mattress, the perfect place to fall asleep even with the banging of the shutters every now and then to startle her.

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^{Daughter of Hekate}

Alkaia | 23 | Demigoddess/Witch

This was good. Their meeting hadn't been ideal, not with the Goddess greeting Alkaia with a blow to the head, but things were calming. Alkaia knew better than to settle into the new mood, but she could at least appear to relax as she watched the other woman. Maia still seemed a bit out of sorts but she was settling in. That seemed to be confirmed when, like a dam bursting or the skies opening up for a storm, words started flooding out of the Goddess' mouth. Alkaia filed everything she could away as quickly as possible. Any little thing could mean new information, and thus she saw no reason to interrupt the flow of new knowledge even when questions were asked of her.

The Witch's hands ended up on her hips, taking pose without realizing as she observed the interesting new specimen. Maia had jerked her hand to her side before speaking of her father. Alkaia was a seasoned warrior, she knew the gesture well, it was one she had seen plenty of her fellows make when they had forgotten their scabbards or been ordered to leave them somewhere that wasn't their hip. She deduced the little blonde usually carried a sword. Odd, she hadn't taken the skittish thing standing before her as a fighter. No, no, it must just be a show weapon like those the generals used to enthuse their men. Alkaia couldn't honestly believe this little blonde woman with the temperament of a skittish stallion was a warrior. Then there was the way she shook and it was up to anyone's individual judgement whether that was from the topic at hand or just a repercussion of being foolish enough to go running into a storm in silks and not get any closer to the fire than the woman was now. If it continued, Alkaia would see to it that she slept by the embers rather than in the hay. Hyperthermia was likely not fatal but undoubtedly still rather unpleasant for Gods. Best to avoid that. The last note of interest was the way those quivering shoulders tightened when Zeus came into conversation. Did Maia know the king of the Gods, then? It seemed part of her did, even if Maia wasn't aware of her own knowledge. Alkaia would have to be careful of that in the future. Seems a volatile topic.

Actions spoke louder than words, but eventually words too should be addressed. Maia spoke of a father. There was no Briseus in the Pantheon to Alkaia's knowledge which meant, shockingly, Maia's mother was her godly parent. Not unheard of, Alkaia herself was proof of that, but it was far more common for God's seed to find it's way into a mortal woman's womb than it was for a common man to manage to impregnate a Goddess. Not for lack of fertility, but rather that Men were just too stupid to think ahead and women were. Still, if what was said should be believed, wouldn't Maia be a demigod like Alkaia herself? The whole thing seemed odd. Perhaps the girl was not yet remembering correctly... But talking seemed to help. It brought Alkaia to a peculiar issue.

You see, Alkaia wasn't fond of small talk. Her father had been a warm man but man of action and if the stories were to be believed Hekate wasn't exactly talkative either. Alkaia's sister had gotten all the ability for trust and small-talk that their genepool could allow for, so the prospect of sharing personal stories wasn't appealing. Especially considering Maia had nearly beat her into unconsciousness moments ago and had yet to even utter an apology- not that Alkaia would necessarily accept it if she did. Still, the chat seemed to be aiding the Goddess and Alkaia needed her to talk, so she heaved a sigh and with visible reluctance admitted, "We have something in common, then, you and I. I was quite fond of my own father before his passing as well. He didn't get the chance to die in battle, a plague took him several years past. He was mortal as well." The witch shifted her gaze to the fire and crossed her arms over her chest, issuing a curt command, perhaps to distract from the hidden tenderness in her words. Unlike Maia, she hadn't taken the time to mourn, she had been away fighting Sparta's foes at the time and hadn't slowed down since to feel the loss. "Get to the fireside before you freeze." It was a purposeful choice. "We were Spartan, so he was a warrior as well. Now only my sister remains there... It isn't my place to speculate on the affairs of the Gods, I can't say what happened to you and I don't know how long they will be fighting, all I know is that I was told to find you and keep you safe."

Her eyes darted once more up to Maia's form, taking in her soaked appearance and the desperation in her eyes before taking pity. She made a few excuses in her mind before setting on the most promising one. She needed the girl to trust her to do her job, and this seemed a good way to go about it. "... But you're dressed in pale silks, young, blonde, it's the traditional signs of a Maiden." She threw out the suggestion as casually as if she were talking about market prices rather than an stuff of the bedroom. She had worked long years with men, soldiers traveling the expanse of Greece, and Alkaia herself was no stranger to the goings on of the fairer sex because of them and her own personal preferences. After you're pulled along for a brothel visit by a few men in your battalion you lose most of your squeamishness. "When gathered Maiden Goddesses are said to not be disturbed, but in times of war rules can be broken. I suspect you were meeting with others of your nature and didn't anticipate being harmed." She hadn't heard anything of maiden holding swords- well, Artemis wielded a bow but Artemis was... She was her own beautiful beast. "Though, I was told, this was yours." Alkaia lifted the edge of her cloak and turned slightly to reveal the bottom of the beautiful bow that Hera had delivered to her, though she made no move to remove it from her back. It wasn't as if Maia was in any shape to use it... Plus Alkaia didn't want to give up such a finely crafted weapon a moment before she had to.

The weight of the blanket over her legs was the last straw. Elsa didn't want to be rude, falling asleep on her host, but everyone had a point of no return. Elsa's head started to slide down her knees and she jerked back up, blinking blearily. Less than a minute later her head started to droop forward again and then bobbed back upright as Elsa fought to wake up. Still, her efforts were in vain. Less than a minute later the snow Queen's head had fallen onto her shoulder, mouth slightly agape and chest rising and falling in a steadier rhythm than before. As her breaths deepened and her muscles relaxed, the storm outside gradually started to calm. The winds weren't as harsh and by the time the sun rose, the snow had all but stopped falling. The temperature was still well below freezing but the village wouldn't fear being able to open their doors so long as they gave it a good shove... Or three...

Elsa woke in the night twice, both at her stomach's behest when the clenching of her empty gut became painful enough to break her out of her sleep. Perhaps surprisingly, there were no nightmares that night, but neither were there dreams. Elsa was simply to tired to do anything but fall into a deep slumber. It was for the best, as was her waking up. The pain in her legs brought tears to her eyes, but as someone who rarely experienced soreness or pain that was likely more due to Elsa's unfamiliarity with the sensation of sore muscles rather than any real damage. Still, she took the time to stretch her legs every time she woke and though it didn't make the pain any better, it at least kept the sensation from becoming worse.

When the residents came downstairs in the morning, they would find Elsa still sound asleep, hair rumpled and clothing half-dry and Irina's glove nearly sliding off her hand, but looking peaceful without the weight of the previous day at the front of her mind. Elsa didn't so much as grumble when they made noise or collected her bowl. It was empty and the pot had noticeably less in it than it had before. She had gotten a few extra servings. The Queen slept, and slept, and slept until it bordered on concerning, but a few hours past lunch blue eyes finally cracked and quiet murmuring spilled from Elsa's lips.

"Oh... Ouch..." Elsa's legs fell to the floor, toes peaking out from under the blanket as she stretched them, her face contorting into sleepy discomfort at the stinging, pulling sensation it caused. A hand came up to rub at her eyes but stopped short, remembering she had never taken her make-up off the night before. She didn't want to look like she had a black eye on top of being miserable. Gods, she was sure her hair was all askew- well that would be easy to fix with a mirror. The important thing was that she didn't feel like passing out anymore, nor did she feel like crying at any given moment. Although, she wasn't optimistic enough to think sleep had solved that particular problem for good.

As she shifted, Elsa came to realize that her dress, at least in regards to the sides not facing the fire and her under layers, was still uncomfortably damp and made even her skin feel a bit clammy. Elsa had seen the night things that had been left out for her, presumably by Irina, and now regretted letting sleep take her before she bothered to change. Oh, and gosh, what she wouldn't give for a warm bath to sooth her muscles, but she didn't know what these people had access to and she had taken up enough of Irina's things as is.

The Queen sniffled and blinked a few times at the light before stretching her arms above her head and adjusting both her satin glove and the leather one she had borrowed in the storm. "... I-Irina?" Was it rude to call on her? Elsa didn't mean it in a patronizing way, she just didn't want to go wandering through the home without permission. Okay, and her legs hurt too much to consider doing that, but genuinely she worried about being intrusive... Or more intrusive than she already had been. The Queen turned and peered around the edge of the couch, casting her eyes around the store. There was daylight flooding through the windows, and not the glow of dawn that Elsa had been expecting. "How long did I sleep...?" She pondered as she started clumsily folding up the blanket she had been given. Without it's protection the air hit Elsa's damp dress and made her shiver.

There wasn't really a word to describe the feeling turning in the pit of Elsa's stomach as she blindly made her way to the door of Irina's shop. Elsa wasn't a strange to complex emotions, but this was an odd combination. On the one hand, she couldn't wait to leave. Being around people made her anxious and that made her fingers tingle with magic which only made her anxiety worse, all a twisted circular cycle. Plus there was the added pressure of realizing just how little Elsa knew of life and general conversational skills. Irina was kind enough to be patient with her, for which Elsa was incredibly grateful, but Elsa knew that despite her best efforts to help cook or ready the table or clean the stew pot she never quite got it right. Plus, Irina ended up carrying most of their conversations. Elsa couldn't very well tell stories about her own childhood or home life without holes in her story coming up. She had nearly messed everything up that evening at supper, mentioning her sister 'Annnnnnnnnnie- Annie my sister '. That had been the last straw prompting her to go. Irina had generously offered to let her stay here another night but Elsa knew she was a burden to the little family and if she lost control again... Well she could wipe this unprepared little town off the map. They didn't deserve the piling snows that Elsa brought along, they needed their summer as much as the rest of the kingdom.

Thus, Elsa made her escape. She had made sure to do a few things for Irina, though. Elsa had refused to wear anything other than her coronation gown during the day despite Irina's urging to change into something drier. Eventually they had compromised that Elsa would wear a nightdress during the evening, hang the damp gown up by the fireplace overnight. It was a little bit better than it had been before by the time Elsa changed back into it, but the feeling of the petticoat against her legs had still made the Queen shutter. The nightdress had been neatly folded and set on the chair that had served as Elsa's bed, the plum colored cape resting on top of it as Elsa expensive thank you gift. She hoped that the merchant would bring it back to the city to sell it. The quality alone would mean it would fetch a good price, but if those at her coronation saw the garment it's price would skyrocket. Who didn't want something worn by a royal, even a vilified one like Elsa. She hadn't spent much time with Irina, but she could tell that her heart was large and her selfless actions made Elsa fond of her in the day they had spent together. Irina deserved something in return. All good people did and at least this time Elsa could be sure they did.

With one last look at the storefront, Elsa quietly pulled open the door and slid into the night, eyes sharp for the trail markers that Irina had told her about earlier that day. This time she wouldn't get lost, she was full bellied and rested, and she was going to the North Mountain. By morning there wasn't a single flurry left in the air, just the piles of snow that echoed Elsa's presence.

In retrospect, leaving right away was probably not the wisest thing to do. Night time was scary and even colder than the day. In her defense, how was Anna supposed to know that Elsa was going to be so far in front of her? She had been on foot and Anna had a whole horse to help her. That's two against one! Six legs versus two! The odds had seemed in her favor at the time. A trip to Oaken's trading show, the snow delays that Elsa might not be experiencing, losing her horse, and not knowing anything about the woods all seemed to be things Anna hadn't foreseen.

Long story short, it had been two whole nights since Elsa ran off. Anna had every faith in Hans, but she was starting to worry for her sister. Two days was a long time to go without food, and in this weather? Anna just wanted to find her and bring her home, where she belonged. Then they could explain everything and be sisters again! God, she had been waiting for this day for years! Only, they didn't really know where to go. Anna was just following where the storm clouds went and hoping for the best.

That was how she ended up here, in this little village of Nicestead- no! Nysted! The Village of Nysted. Villagers farther down the mountain had told her and Kristoff of vicious storms that had started up the mountain and Anna was hoping someone here might know something- anything- about what might have happened to Elsa. Kristoff had gone to get supplies while Anna prepared for the act of door knocking and questioning. The first house she hit had said they didn't know anything, but their neighbors said that the local Merchant had found a woman in the snow the night of the storms and taken her in. Anna had barely remembered to say thank you before sprinting towards the market to inquire about the Merchant's guest. The Market was, obviously, closed due to the weather, so it took Anna another ten minutes to find someone to tell her where the Merchant lived and then she was really off!

Anna knocked on the door and pulled back to wait... But after hardly a second she surged forward to knock again- she couldn't help it! Elsa might be in there! It felt like three years before someone came to the door, but in reality it was probably only a few seconds. Either way, Anna was fidgeting and bouncing on her toes by the time she saw the other woman. She had dark hair and looked to be about Elsa's age. Maybe Elsa had made a friend! God, she deserved one after all those years, and to think Anna had just thought she was shy, but nope! Turns out Elsa locked herself up because she had magical ice powers! Who knew?

"Uh, hi, hello, um, are you a Merchant?" Anna inquired, lifting up onto her toes to try and peer around the brunette's shoulders and get a peak inside. "Oh, amazing, hi! I'm looking for my sister and I heard you took someone in the other night. Did she happen to be about yay high, white hair, with a slightly intimidating and scary but actually very sweet demeanor?"

Anna's smile could have lit an entire village. She had seen Elsa! Elsa had been here! This was the biggest lead she'd gotten since she started off into the woods with her horse (who she really hoped had made it back to the village because awww horses). She bounced on her toes and let out a cry of excitement before covering her mouth with her hands to quiet herself. Play it cool Anna. Don't want to scare the villagers, especially this villager. She was going to make sure that when they got back to the kingdom this merchant was going to be the official something or other supplier of whatever because she deserved something for helping them out, don't you think?

"Yes!" Anna's mouth ran away with her and she nodded vigorously as she scurried inside the store. It was a relief to get out of the cold and it was only after she had entered that she realized that she had missed something. "Wait- what- no, I'm Anna not Annie." The teenager glanced around, half expecting to see a shock of white hair and big blue eyes just around the corner. Unfortunately, and predictably, all she found were shelves of goods and embers of a fading fire. Anna started to deflate, coming to terms with the fact that her sister wasn't here ad her journey wasn't over. She still had to find-

"Elsa's cloak!" Anna raced over to the fireplace and scooped up the plum colored garnet, clutching it in much the same way Irina had been moments before. Anna even went as far as to lift it to her face and snuggle it close. "She was here! I mean, it would be better if this was her, but this is good! Great, actually!" Something was better than nothing and Anna always tried to be an optimist. Still hugging the cloak to her chest, Anna turned her bright, hopeful face towards the merchant once more. "Where did she go? I came to get her, bring her home."

Anna wasn't quite sure how far word had traveled about her sister's abilities or what had gone on at the coronation. She knew she was the first one to get up here from the capitol but gossip seemed to have a way of spreading faster than any horse. Or at least that was what she'd read in her books, Anna didn't have a lot of practical experience. She did, however, have enough know how to understand when the Merchant's face started to drop- or rather never shifted into a smile. She hadn't been smiling at all, had she? In fact, the woman looked sad. A stone dropped to the bottom of her stomach and Anna's face started to slide, her beaming smile shifting to a frown, her eyes losing the crinkle at the corner and her brow pinching. Something wasn't right. "What? Is Elsa okay- did something happen to her?" Had the wolves gotten to Elsa? They were tricky beasts, Anna had found out herself. Or was it the ice powers- magic- curse, whatever it was? Elsa hadn't seemed hurt when she left, but then again Anna hadn't really had time to process much other than 'woah did Elsa do that?' and then 'WOAH ELSA DID THAT'. The princess approached the merchant with wide, panicked steps and reached out to grasp one of her hands impulsively. "What's wrong, she's alright isn't she?"

There couldn't be another option, it was unthinkable. Anna had just gotten her sister back, she had just started to understand why they had been apart all those years. Plus, she had seen that look in Elsa's eyes, she had been so scared, and Anna couldn't help but feel like it was her fault. If she just hadn't pushed her so hard then none of this would have happened. Maybe Elsa would have told her about the ice that night, or that week, or that year but now she might never know. No. No, she would. Elsa had to be alright and Anna was going to bring her home so they could be together again. There wasn't another option.

Anna resisted the urge to cry, but only barely. It felt like Elsa kept slipping through her fingers, it had always been that way if she was being honest. Elsa would wander around the castle every now and then, going into the library or the study for official-princessy-queen-training and stuff but whenever Anna would see her and try to approach, Elsa would glide away behind the closed door of her room or with a comment about work. Always slipping just out of reach. Then, at her coronation Elsa had finally started talking to her, and Anna had started to think maybe, just maybe they could be sisters again, but then Anna ruined it and Elsa ran. Again. And now? Anna had her cloak in her mittens and it still held that crisp minty smell that was uniquely Elsa. That was how close she had been! Gah! If she had just been a few hours earlier maybe she could have found Elsa and the cloak! Together!

"Oh- oh, no, no," Anna's eyes grew wide and her lips twisted into a grimace. She hadn't meant to make the woman feel bad. The merchant looked nearly as heartbroken as Anna was, which was silly because she had only known Elsa for a day or two... Then again, that dark depressing part of Anna's mind whispered, she had probably been closer to Elsa in that day or two than Anna had been in years. There wasn't much space to hide in the store, unlike the castle where they was always a new room around the corner. "It's not your fault! Elsa's just having a hard time right now, and she's a slippery one! I mean, I'm her sister and she snuck away from me too. Well, I mean, that was less like sneaking and more like BOOM eternal winter! But still, my point is don't feel bad!" Anna was started to wander as she babbled, forgetting for a moment that the other woman was there.

"Oh," Now that she hadn't expected. The merchant wanted to go with her. Anna didn't want to put her out- after all she had to run her shop, right? "Really it is alright! You aren't in trouble or anything! I have a guy- I mean he's not my guy- not that I don't have a guy because I do, Prince Hans, I just meant-" Anna took a moment to catch her breath before continuing in a more reasonable voice. "I have someone who can show me up the mountains already so you don't have to leave your home."

Despite her assurances, the Merchant seemed to have decided. She had her winter gear on in a moment and was staring at Anna as if she was waiting on the princess to leave rather than the other way around. "Cool, okay, I guess you can come too... Ah, what's your name?" That seemed like a good place to start if they were going Elsa-hunting together. No, wait, that sounded bad, not Elsa hunting, Elsa trapping! No, still bad, they were going to find Elsa together. Yes. Along with Kristoff and Sven. And Olaf.

"You're missing a glove," she probably already knew that, but Anna just wanted to make sure, pointing her mittens down at the single bare hand. It was a weird thing to be missing, just one glove. Unless... "Elsa has it, doesn't she? I have her other one, I kind of pulled it off after the coronation, and honestly I don't really know if she needs it but I think it helps her keep the snow in. That's probably why she took yours. Sorry about that, by the way, I'm sure she'll give it back... Any idea where she might be? Or, have you seen any big storms around here?" Follow the storms to get to Elsa. It was like a connect the dot. Eventually it would lead them to Elsa if they could just keep following the blizzards. "That's how we got here, and on the way, we found Olaf who said Elsa was headed North. Does... Does that sound right? You were the last one that saw her, do you have any idea where she was going?" Elsa had been asking about the nearby mountains the night prior, Irina had mentioned it first talking about places she'd gone during her trading routes. Slyly, Elsa had inquired about the North Mountain, just once, but she hadn't asked about much so the moment was unusual. She wondered if Irina ever climbed it, and in a roundabout way had gotten enough information to find her way to the North mountain herself. Elsa was a horribly liar but rather skilled at avoiding confrontation. A skill made from years of practice.

The North Mountain. Okay, that was something, and something was more than they had a minute ago. The North Mountain, Elsa was on the North Mountain. The new information made Anna feel just a bit better than she had moments ago. The ginger haired woman looked down at Elsa's cape, which she still clutched in one arm. Why would Elsa leave this behind? Maybe it was like a breadcrumb, something she left for Anna to follow. Anna knew it wasn't likely, Elsa had never wanted her little sister to find her, but it was what Anna chose to believe. How could Elsa truly want to be alone when she had family? They only had each other, and now that Anna knew what Elsa had been hiding she was going to make sure the other woman never felt alone again.That is, once she found her.

Anna flapped her hand around when Irina went to curtsy, dismissing the formal gesture. There was no need for that, they were on a mission now! That nearly made them friends. Besides, Anna wasn't really the formal fancy on in their family. That had always been Elsa's role. Anna just sort of stood beside her and waved at people.

"Okay! North Mountain, here we come." Anna nodded, not bothering to grab any of the aforementioned snacks. Now wasn't the time for food, it was the time for action! Though, a moment later, she did backtrack and grab a chocolate croissant for the road. A girl had to eat and chocolate was too good to resist. Flaky goodness in one hand, Anna looped her arm through Irina's with the other and started half guiding, half pulling the woman towards the door. "You can sit with me and Olaf in Sven's sled, or maybe you should sit up front with Kristoff since you'll be giving us directions." Anna had been struggling in this journey and she had been being carried or pulled most of the way- she couldn't imagine how difficult it must have been for Elsa on foot. She must have been so scared.

Anna slipped twice before they made it to the reindeer drawn carriage. She couldn't help it, she kept forgetting that ice meant she should walk not run. Luckily, when she heard a particularly goofy giggle, she skittered to a stop a few feet from the group and turned to face Irina. She had nearly forgotten that they were being accompanied by a rather unusual companion. Anna had literally kicked the snowman's head off his shoulders, er, middle snowball when she met him. Safe to say Olaf needed a special warning. "Okay, actually," The princess held up her hands to stop Irina's advance and glanced down tried to figure out what the best way to phrase this might be. "So, fair warning, there's an animated snowman in the Cart. His name is Olaf, and I know it's pretty weird, but he's helping us find Elsa and aside from the whole snowman part he's very sweet."

Well, that certainly could have gone worse! No one was beheaded so Anna would classify this as a home run in terms of possible sentient snowman meetings. Olaf, unsurprisingly, was delighted at the prospect of Irina joining them, and though Irina jumped, Anna was impressed by her recovery time. Maybe that was why she hadn't seemed shocked hearing about Elsa. Anna had mentioned the eternal winter and the gloves and Irina hadn't even blinked. Had Elsa told her about her powers? Anna's stomach swirled at the thought. She supposed it would make sense for Elsa to tell the woman who pulled her out of a snowstorm in the middle of an impromptu winter about her powers, but Irina was a practical stranger. Anna was Elsa's sister, shouldn't she have gotten to talk to Elsa about it first?

Irina glanced over at her and Anna lifted her lips into a smile in return. It wasn't Irina's fault, or Elsa's either really. Okay, maybe it was a little bit Elsa's, because really have ice powers was something you should probably mention at dinner at least once in eighteen years. Mostly, though, it was just a bad situation. Anna couldn't really blame Elsa for taking comfort in talking to someone when she was scared, could she? No, it would feel wrong.

After a bit of bickering with Kristoff, though really it was just Anna stating Irina was coming and Kristoff caving after a few disgruntled noises, they were off! Anna huddled in the back of the sled with Olaf for a while, but eventually she couldn't help herself. Turns out, when you stare at the back of someone's head for an hour you come up with a lot of questions. Especially when said someone had been with your estranged-winter-witch-of-a-sister who had run away on her coronation day for like forty hours. What did they talk about? Did Elsa mention Anna? Did Irina know what Elsa's favorite color was? Anna had always sort of assumed blue because of the gloves, but it would be great to know for sure!

"Hey, ah, Irina?" The Princess inquired, sending an apologetic look towards Olaf whom she realized she had just cut off mid sentence on accident. She hadn't really been listening for a while, truth be told. All Olaf talked about was snow or Summer and considering their mission, Anna wasn't exactly engaged in the topic. "Since we're, uh, pretty set now on the path do you wanna come back here with me for a bit?" Anna turned to the snowman and tried to offer him a consolation present so it wouldn't seem like she was sending him away. She didn't want to hurt Olaf's feelings, he seemed like a sensitive snow-person. "Olaf could get a chance to ride in the front."

Anna had always worn her heart on her sleeve and suffice to say her gaze was nothing less than pleading as she waited for the answer. She even pulled Kristoff's bedroll over to make a makeshift backrest and pat the wood beside her. Once everyone had gotten settled in, Anna's smile grew a bit sheepish. Was this weird? She hoped it wasn't weird. "So, uh, you spent the day with Elsa... What, um, what was that like? What did you talk about? How was she? Was she good?" Did Elsa 'do' good or was she always that sort of non-expression neutral? Anna's face fell as she recalled the last time she'd seen Elsa. She hadn't been very neutral at all, she had been terrified. "She was so scared after the coronation..." She shouldn't have pushed her. If she had just let Elsa leave then none of this would have happened... But that wasn't fair to Anna either, letting things continue on like the had. It was miserable for both of them. At least this way there was a chance that things could be better when they both got home.

"What was she like with you? Was she hurt?" The snow was horrible getting here and by everything Anna had seen, the snows got worse around Elsa. Had she gotten frostbite? Could she get frostbite? No, Anna decided, that wouldn't make much sense for someone with snow powers to get hurt by the cold. Anna cast a glance towards Olaf, the sentient snowman and thought that Elsa's powers didn't exactly make sense in the first place. "No, no, I don't think the cold would hurt her, it just wouldn't make sense that way would it?"

Anna held onto every word. She had heard that it was like this for most sisters, that the younger one always longed to hear about the cool things their older sibling got up to and was always pining to hang out with their friends. Yeah, sure, most of the time when people talked about that they were talking about little kids and Anna was eighteen, but in some ways they had just skipped the entirety of that phase of sisterhood so perhaps she was making up for it now. Even if that hadn't been the case, Anna would guess that most sister would be eager to hear about their other sister after realizing they had ice magic or even if they had run away without ice magic to worry about! Who wouldn't be asking questions in her situation? Though, the answers she got weren't exactly thrilling.

"That... That sounds like Elsa." Quiet, not talking much, just sitting there politely across the table while Mama and Papa talked. Quiet, not talking as Anna tried to get her to go outside and ride horses. Quiet, not talking every time Anna knocked on her door for thirteen years. That sounded quite a bit like Elsa. "No, I mean, it makes sense. Elsa doesn't get out much, sometimes I forget what she looks like..." God that was pathetic, wasn't it? Anna grimaced at herself and hurried on. "It's all alright, I shouldn't have expected her to suddenly start sharing. Thank you. For helping."

Anna's usually sunny demeanor faded, just as distant as summer was now. She tried to hide it, casting a smile Irina's way but it was wilted like a sad flower rather than the perky grin that Anna had displayed earlier that day. The silence started to settle in and Anna shifted to lay on her side, taking a moment to herself. She would get her answers when she found Elsa, right? Then it wouldn't matter. None of what had happened would matter, they could make it right. They had to. Life would be different, Elsa wouldn't have to hide and they could open the gates. Elsa had seemed happy after the coronation, before Anna had brought Hans back, that is. Sure, a little stiff and uncomfortable, but Anna thought she had liked having guests around if only to watch the Duke's funny dancing. Elsa had even teased Anna- or had that been more of a prank? It had been... Nice. They could have that again and more. Anna just needed to find her sister and have a talk with her.

"Yeah?" The ginger turned and looked over her shoulder. "Elsa didn't tell you?" Selfishly, Anna felt the knot in her chest loosen, relieved. She wanted to be the first to hear about Elsa's ice magic. She wanted to be the one to give Elsa a hug and tell her it was alright. Quite frankly, she felt foolish for assuming anything else. Of course, Elsa wouldn't have told a stranger about her powers... But that did leave her with the bigger task of explaining them to Irina herself.

Slowly, the Princess pushed herself into a sitting position. Where would she even start? Elsa locking herself away- their childhood- Hans- Elsa running away- there were so many options. After a moment or two of thought, Anna decided to stick to the basics. "The Coronation itself went fine. Elsa got her crown, received the blessing. It was the ball afterwards that caused trouble..." The Princess couldn't help the mournful note her voice took or the way her eyes clouded over. It didn't suit her. As much as Elsa was Winter's ice, Anna was the Summer Sun. Broody was much more her sister's style. "I asked for her blessing over Hans and I's marriage. She said no, got so upset and said the party was over. I started yelling and- and I grabbed her hand. Her glove came off and she asked me to stop but I didn't. Neither of us were being fair to each other." Shame colored her already rosy cheeks and red nose. Anna was thankful, for the first time on this trip, for Olaf's babbling so Kristoff and Sven didn't hear the story. Elsa had been the one to start the Eternal Winter, yes, but Anna felt every but as responsible for her part in it. She should have given Elsa her space. It wasn't like she didn't know her sister was an introvert.

"She was trying to leave but I kept yelling and then she yelled back and there was ice shooting up at us. Everyone in the ballroom saw, I didn't know what to do, and Elsa ran outside. She hadn't been beyond the castle gates in years- which," Anna huffed out a dry, frustrated breath, "makes perfect sense now, Papa must have told her to stay inside when they found out about her magic. Elsa was so, so, scared. By the time I got outside people were shouting and the fountain and front steps were both frozen solid. I tried to run after her but I kept slipping and couldn't catch her. Last I saw of her she was running across the fjord- and I mean that literally. She froze the whole thing over." Anna would never forget that sound, hearing the echoing, crunch of thousands of gallons freezing at once. The Princess clutched Elsa's cape, which she had yet to let go of even for an instant since she found it. Anna had started to use it as a makeshift blanket when they left the village. "Then Summer started to freeze too- but I know she didn't mean it. She was just scared! Elsa would never hurt anyone!" Anna's eyes grew wide and her tone defensive, her jaw setting firmly as that sisterly protective streak kicked into high gear. "Not on purpose. She was just so scared, things got out of hand, I'm sure of it!"