The Lost Princess

Chapter 24

“Help!” I screeched, hoping that someone would hear.  “Help me!”

I stomped as hard as I could and started banging on the door.  I often did this during a temper tantrum, in which Mom would say that I sounded louder than a herd of elephants. I hoped that was true now. 

I sat there, screaming, for what felt like forever.  I began to wonder if I would ever get out of here.  I quieted down, and began to feel miserable.  I would never get out.  I would never rescue Anna and Elsa.  I would die here.  I then heard the faint sound of footsteps in the hall. 

“Help!” I shouted.  “Is anyone there?”

“Princess Lisa, is that you?” I heard a voice call.

“Yes!  I’m locked in here!” I responded, knocking on the door to let the voice know which room I was in.

“Just a minute your highness, I’ll return with the key!”

I heard footsteps running back down the stairs.  I hoped that he would come back.  All there was left to do now was wait.  Soon the footsteps returned and I heard the key in the latch.  It clicked and was opened, revealing Kyle.

“Thank you,” I exclaimed, embracing him in a hug.

Naturally, Kyle found the hug weird, but gave in. 

“We need to go,” I announced after relaxing.

“Go where?” Kyle asked.

“Hans has escaped.”

“Princess Lisa, I didn’t want to say this in front of him, but Hans has been known to do bad things.”

“I know.”

“All I am trying to say is that maybe you should just let him be?”

“Kyle, I know he is evil.  He’s trapped Anna and Elsa.  I trapped him but he got away.  Now we need to trap him again.”

Kyle nodded his head in understanding.  “He’s not in the castle ma’am.”

“So you’re sure he left?”

“Yes ma’am, we have guards surveying the castle.  He is not here.”

I ran to the front gates with Kyle.  Bursting out I saw Arendelle harbor to the left and the deep forest to the right.  It was dark.  The small lights from town were the only light around.  This all felt too familiar.  The night I tried to escape.  The landscape hadn’t changed. 

“Your highness,” Kyle called, “follow me!  He must be at his boat!”

“No.  His boat is still tied down.  It would make too much noise to remove his boat.  It would take too long also.  He’d need a quick way to get away.”

“So you are suggesting that he is in town?”

“No.”

“Where else could he be?”

“He’d go that way,” I said, pointing up to the path leading into the forest and mountains.

“Your highness, that’s ridiculous!  No one know their way up there.  Besides, there are wolves!”

I stiffed at the word wolves, but quickly recovered.

“Trust me,” I assured him.  “Hans is up there.”

Kyle gave one last look to the mountains before turning to me, “I trust you, but how are you going to find him?”

“Well Hans already has a head start, so I would need something fast.  And I’d also need someone who knows the lands well so I don’t get lost.   Luckily, I know someone who will satisfy both.”

“Then call them up!”

“Can I borrow your phone?”

“Sure thing.”

Kyle handed me over his phone and I dialed the number Anna drilled into my head.  Kristoff’s.

It rang a few times before he finally picked up.

“Hello?” I heard a tired grumble.

“Kristoff,” I replied, relieved that he answered.  “It’s Lisa.”

“Lisa!  Why are you calling me?  It’s nearly four in the morning!”

“There’s been a...complication.”

I quickly explained the story of Hans escape to Kristoff. 

“I’ll be right over with Sven and a sled,”  he said, then hung up.

I let out a sigh of relief.  With Kristoff’s sled and ridiculously fast reindeer, we’d be able to catch Hans in no time.

***

Kristoff pulled up in front of the castle a few minutes after I ended the call.  He looked like a mess.  His hair was not combed and still had circles under his eyes.  But I was just grateful he was here. 

“So you’re sure he went into the mountains?”

“Yes.  It’s the only logical place.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily say logical.  Hop on, let’s get moving.”

I slid into the seat next to Kristoff, and Kyle attempted to follow, but there wasn’t enough room. 

“Sorry, but it only fits two people,” Kristoff said.

“Oh,” Kyle replied, bummed that he couldn’t come.

“Kyle, I need you to stay here,” I commanded, you need to keep watch incase Hans comes back. 

“Of course your highness,” Kyle bowed.  He seemed content to know that he was indeed doing something. 

Kristoff snapped the reins and Sven took off running off into the woods.

“So how do you really know Hans went in the mountains?” Kristoff questioned.

“Well, it was the only guess left.  His boat was still there, and I knew he wouldn’t go into town.”

“Lisa, I know there is something you are not telling me.”

“Nope!”

“You know what this reminds me of?”

“What?”

“That night I found you alone in the forest.”

“Oh, yeah that.”

“You never did tell me why you were there in the first place.”

“Oh well you know, reasons.”

“Lisa, you’re hiding something.  I think that this has some sort of connection to that night.  You can’t hide this forever.”

“Ok fine!  You really want to know.”

“I deserve the truth Lisa.”

“I was running away.”

“Running away?  From what?”

“Anna?  Elsa?  Arendelle?”

“But why?  You love Anna, Elsa, and Arendelle.”

“Not then.  I was just brought here.  I was scared.  I tried to run away, but chickened out and failed.”

Kristoff was silent for a moment, taking this all in.

“You won’t tell Anna and Elsa will you?”

“No, the secret is safe.  I just wish you would have told me at the time.”

“Kristoff!  You were a complete stranger!  Did you really think I would open up to a stranger?  Oh sure complete stranger, here’s my address, phone number, and while I’m at it, my social security number!” I mocked.

Kristoff sniffled in a laugh. 

“I’m not a complete stranger now.  Now would you give me your social security number?”

“No!  I don’t even have one!”

“You don’t have social security?”

“Well actually my parents do, but I don’t know it.”

“Fair enough.”

“You do realize that I still wouldn’t give it to you if I knew, right?”

“I know, but it’s fun to tease you.”

“Hey!”  I crinkled my nose and made a pouty face at Kristoff.  I must have looked funny, because he burst out laughing.  Soon enough I joined in.  I didn’t even notice Kristoff stop and grow silent.

“Shush!” Kristoff hushed.

I barely heard him through giggles.  He reached up and clasped his hand over my mouth. 

I quickly stopped laughing and listened.  It was completely silent. 

“What’s going on?” I whispered, once he had removed his hand. 

Kristoff remained silent, looking around.  Sven was on high alert also.  His ears were twitching and he seemed afraid.  My heart sped up as I started to get the sinking feeling that something bad was about to happen. 

I looked around, straining my eyes to see into the dark woods.  That’s when I saw it.  I caught a glimpse of white and a tall figure.  I only saw it for a moment, but I knew that it must have been Hans.  He was wearing white clothes and the figure was too tall to be an animal. 

“There he is!” I shouted, shattering the silence.

“Lisa, be quiet!” Kristoff warned.

“I’m going after him,” I announced, stepping out of the sled. 

“Lisa no.  It’s dangerous!”

“I know he’s dangerous, but I’ve got this.  Now are you coming or not?”

“Lisa-”

I saw another figure move in the woods.

“There, I see him!”

I took off, running towards Hans.  As I got closer to the figure, I realized that I was easily taller than it, but Hans had a good foot extra on me.  Maybe he was laying down is submission?  That didn’t really sound like something he would do.  Hans is stubborn, he definitely wasn’t the type to just give up. 

“You should have known better than to run, Hans,” I said, standing my ground.

Hans let out a snarl.  I didn’t know every sound that a human could make, but that certainly wasn’t one that I had heard before.  It almost sounded like an animal. 

I backed up slowly, not quite sure what to make of the snarl.  Of course the first thought to come into my head was that he had rabies!  I quickly pushed that thought away.  Rabies would be very rare and doesn’t it need time to take affect? 

I regained my confidence and once again addressed Hans.  “I’ll give you a choice, surrender now, or we do this the hard way!”

He let out another snarl.

“The hard way it is then!”

I reached down to pull Hans out.  I reached for his arm, but instead felt something really hairy.  I jumped back, surprised at what I had found, praying that he was just wearing a fur coat.

“Hans?” I asked, my voice wavering.

I saw him start to move closer, along with several other figures.  By now, I was pretty convinced this was not Hans.  I backed up further, attempting to get back to the sled. 

The figures stepped out into the light to reveal wolves.  Gray, hairy, viscous, drooling wolves.  It was like a scene out of a nightmare. 

My heart rate must have sped up a million times.  I could feel it pounding in my chest.  I stopped breathing for a moment there.  My head grew light, I thought I was going to pass out.  Then I let out a bloodcurdling scream.