Jump Into the Fog

Rough Climb

Jump Into the Fog

Chapter 2

"The climb's too rough just to slide down back again…"

-

Kristoff scooped Olaf up onto Sven and the four of them rushed as fast as they could back to the Valley of Living Rock. All the while Kristoff held Anna to his chest as tight as he could, trying to see if he could help her in any way he could. Though he could feel his arms, hands, and face start to feel numb in the blizzard, he didn't care—Kristoff's first and only concern was making sure Anna wasn't completely frozen. His own health meant nothing.

Olaf, for once, was silent; he was just as concerned about Anna as Kristoff was.

Once he'd heard what Hans had done to Anna… well, he could kill him, that's how mad he was at the selfish prince. But Kristoff knew better than to confront Hans about this, though—he knew Hans thought Anna was dead, and it was better for him to think that just so he wouldn't come after her. They'd have to do something about this, though, as Elsa was potentially in danger now. Kristoff didn't know what to do about that… But one problem at a time, he knew. Much as he'd love to give Hans a piece of his mind, Anna was much more important now.

"Anna, just follow my voice." Kristoff was trying all he could to keep Anna from freezing up completely. "Don't you dare go. Don't you leave—you can fight against it; I know you can…" He wasn't going to give up, so Anna shouldn't, either.

-

Once at the Valley of Living Rock, Kristoff bundled Anna back up in his arms and called out for Pabbie. Thank the gods, Anna wasn't completely frozen, but she hadn't responded to anything the entire ride up. He started to really panic, setting Anna gently on the moss. Though the last thing Kristoff wanted to do was make Anna any less warm, he parted his coat a bit and pressed his ear to her chest.

"How is she?" Olaf questioned quietly, looking over Kristoff's shoulder to see just what he was doing with Anna. Sven did the same, though he was still slightly more interested in Olaf's carrot nose.

Very, very faintly, Kristoff heard a soft heartbeat in his ear. Sighing in relief, he bundled Anna up again as he pulled away, bringing her limp body against his own. He wouldn't know what to do if he lost her… "Her heart isn't frozen… We still have time to reverse this," Kristoff remarked, just as Pabbie and the rest of the Trolls revealed themselves.

"Oh dear… Did the kiss not work?" Pabbie asked concernedly, rushing over to Anna to see what he could do for her.

Kristoff shook his head somberly, looking down at the dirt beneath his knees. "Turns out the man Anna thought she loved didn't love her back," he explained, a bit of an edge in his voice. Just mentioning Hans was making his blood boil. "I brought her back here—it's a bit warmer. I don't care what happens… I just want her to be okay."

Was it just Kristoff, or were Olaf and Pabbie smiling knowingly at him…?

"Her heart isn't frozen yet," he continued, brushing Anna's bangs out of her face. "There's still time. We can figure something out."

Pabbie placed a hand on Kristoff's wrist, smiling gently up at him. "Oh, Kristoff… You already have," he replied, just before taking Kristoff's coat off Anna and examining her hands and arms. "She would have been frozen by now—but you saved her."

Kristoff blinked rapidly, extremely confused. "That doesn't make sense…" he murmured, wondering by how some miracle he'd been able to save Anna.

But Pabbie just shook his head. "Not just you, Kristoff," he said, "but Olaf and Sven as well. You have all performed acts of true love toward Anna."

Olaf seemed positively giddy at that. "You mean the action can be performed by more than one person?" he asked.

Pabbie nodded slowly, wrapping Kristoff's coat back around Anna's torso. "Why yes," he replied knowingly. "You were all so concerned for Anna… the curse has been lifted."

But Kristoff wasn't sold, not just yet, anyway. "Then why isn't she thawed out?" he observed. "How come she hasn't woken?"

Sighing, Pabbie turned on his foot and gestured for Kristoff to follow him. After picking up Anna again, he was led to his own little hut—since Kristoff was too large to live among the Trolls, he'd built a shelter years ago (with help, of course). Kristoff only stayed here when he wasn't harvesting ice, and he found it pretty cozy, even now.

Immediately Pabbie went to work on building a fire in the small fireplace on one wall of the hut. "The effects of a frozen heart take time to thaw. Since Anna was on the brink of being frozen, it can take up to months for her to regain her strength," he explained.

Months? Kristoff set Anna before the fireplace once Pabbie got a fire going. "So I have to keep her warm until then?" he guessed, looking around for materials to make Anna a small bed.

"Not just that." Pabbie wandered over to help Kristoff settle Anna in. "She will continue to need your love and support—all of your love and support." He gestured to Sven and Olaf as well.

Kristoff wasn't sure if he could pull off such a huge responsibility, but he at least had friends to help him out… And yes, he would do anything for Anna—he just didn't want to fail her in any way. Nodding, he made Anna as comfortable as he could. "Of course, Pabbie," he replied.

Again, smiling knowingly, Pabbie just walked out of the hut. "Let me know about her progress. You've done well, Kristoff."

Of course, Kristoff didn't really think so. He would have stopped this earlier, if only he knew he could have been the one to save her… And what about Elsa? Where was she? And what about Hans, that bastard? Sighing, Kristoff realized Anna was his first priority—he had to take this one issue at a time, he reminded himself. As long as Anna was safe, Kristoff knew he'd be able to sleep soundly.

For now, anyway.