Frozen Beyond [gxg]

Of Pirates and Royalty

Elsa looked through the binoculars to the island in the distance. A familiar black flag rose from one of the bigger ships in the harbour. Thank goodness she was right. Keahi had shown her on the map where her old home island was and that was the only clue she had to go on.

She smiled fondly at the memory. Long, cold nights where they were curled up as Keahi showed her how to read the stars.

"YO HO YO HO DODODODO." Olaf called from the railing he danced on. He had on a colorful red bandana over his head and an eyepatch as he swung a wooden sword.

Elsa put the binoculars down and scowled, watching Anna rush over to him and catch him just before he fell into the water.

He whacked Anna in the shin with the sword which caused Anna to angrily chase after him. "Olaf!" Anna yelled after him.

Elsa laughed, holding a hand to her stomach which finally settled over the last few days.

But she sorely missed the land.

"Please tell me we're almost there." Anna groaned. "Now my stomach is getting grumbly." She complained as she wrapped her arms around Elsa.

Elsa smiled, putting an arm around Anna's waist. "It looks like it."

"Looks like a..." Anna grimaced at the town. "...pleasant place."

"Ki said that ever since they started pirating, the town turned from a peaceful fishing community to a cutthroat port." Elsa looked down, she remembered the sad look on Keahi's face when she had said that.

Elsa glanced up at their flag as she started to braid her hair in the updo she hated and pulled the cowl over her head. "We need to hide anything from Arendelle. And Anna,"

"No, I'm not staying on the ship." Anna finished before Elsa could get it out.

Elsa scowled and shook her head. "Really, Anna."

"Look, I'm safer near you, right? Just look at it that way." Anna patted Elsa's arm before putting up her own cowl and chasing after Olaf.

Once they docked, Elsa took a hesitant step onto the busy pier and looked back at the small ship. It easily blended with the others, and because of its size, it was easy to be obscured among the other's.

Anna hurried down the plank and jumped with a lot more enthusiasm onto the pier. "Olaf isn't happy but I have the guards watching him below deck." Anna said with a cringe.

Elsa sighed, it was for the best. They couldn't have a talking snowman running around the beach. Quietly, her blue eyes scanned the town. The people were vastly different than the peaceful people of Arendelle.

Their clothes were ratty and torn, the women barely wore anything, tattoos and scars crossed over tanned skin and everyone had a hard edge to their eyes. Between that and the constant shouting, Elsa sucked in a deep breath and held a hand to her chest protectively. She was getting sensory overload just from stepping out onto the dock.

She jumped when Anna's hand covered her own and she looked over at her younger sister who just smiled. "Let's find Keahi," Anna put a hand over her mouth and leaned in as if people would listen to their conversation. "And then lets get out of here."

Elsa nodded her head in confirmation, fueling her resolve as they twisted and weaved their way through the crowded dock. She wasn't sure where she was going; she couldn't exactly ask questions. This wasn't one of her best ideas. But Keahi had a habit of making her into a mess without a plan.

"We have to find the tavern." Anna announced.

Elsa paused. "Why?"

"Look, when I was younger and you know, you were all gloves and closed doors, I read books. All pirates are where the alcohol and women are."

Elsa's cheeks flushed, "We have books like that in the library?"

"Mom and dad tried to hide them on the top shelves but I got creative."

Elsa rolled her eyes and shook her head. It didn't take long to find the popular tavern. A stream of people came and went in the jaunty, loud building and stale ale wafted from the door that half hung on its hinges.

She went to open it and recoiled back. What if Keahi wasn't here? What if something happened to her? What if Crow just decided to...kill her? She was afraid of the answers she may find.

Her eyes hardened and she shook the thoughts from her head.

If anything happened to Keahi, she would make sure Crow wouldn't come back this time. The darkness in the thought was unnerving as she finally pushed past the door into the crowded tavern.

The room was so packed Elsa and Anna squeezed to the side, trying to stay away from getting swept into the sweaty and dirty bodies. Jaunty laughter started in one corner, while someone was screaming and fighting in another. And somewhere, a terrible singer was belting out off key.

Anna grabbed the back of her shirt and she reached around to hold on to Anna's hand to keep them from getting separated.

Anna hastily tapped her shoulder, pointing to the corner of the room near the back.

The crowd parted just enough for Elsa to glimpse Keahi. Her feet were hiked up on the table. Beside her, a curly haired redhead and a large and imposing looking man.

Her heart skipped a beat and so much happiness flood her, her feet started towards them before she could even think otherwise. Bodies slammed into her and sandwiched both her and Anna between strangers and Elsa grunted. Tapping her foot on the ground just enough to have a sneaking amount of ice spread across the floor and cause the surrounding people to slip and slide.

It gave them enough leeway to get through the majority of the crowd, but about halfway through Elsa got shoved enough for her cowl to fall back and reveal the platinum blonde of her hair.

"Are you okay, Elsa?" Anna asked, helping Elsa up by the crook of her elbow.

Elsa grabbed the edge of a table, frustration ebbed through her and she tried to keep herself calm but irritation nagged at her. "Thanks Anna, I'm fine." She told, standing up straight and fixing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she tried to reel in her frustration. Finally, she looked out past the crowd.

Her eyes met the redhead. The woman stiffened, and Elsa saw some recognition in her eyes. The redhead leapt up, slithering her way like a snake into Keahi's lap as she ran her fingers through Keahi's hair while giving her a smirk.

Elsa bristled. Ice formed along her fingertips and she had to will it back with the most self-control she ever had to muster.

"What! Hey, yeah you, what're you doing with my sisters girlfriend!" Anna called out, rolling up her sleeves and getting ready for a brawl.

Elsa panicked, seized by her need to get over to the trio and to keep Anna at bay. She grabbed Anna by the waist, "No, Anna!"

"No! I'm going to punch her then Ki's getting hit too!"

Elsa struggled to keep Anna calm, "Anna we can't draw attention to ourselves." She pleaded, her voice shaking. She wasn't sure if it was out of outrage at what was happening or uncertainty for the situation they were in. She leaned towards outrage, she had never felt such bustling anger before.

When Elsa met redheads gaze again, a deep frown marred the girl's lips as she leapt up. Putting two fingers in her mouth and letting out a shrieking whistle. "Baldrick claims he can beat everyone in arm wrestling again!" The redhead shouted.

Elsa and Anna glanced at each other, both arching a brow at the random announcement.

Until the entire tavern erupted into hoots and hollers and Keahi and company suddenly became that much more difficult to navigate to.