Frozen Heart (Kristanna & Elsamaren)

Chapter 10 • Anna/Elsa

Clearly, Elsa knows what she wants to do and where she wants to go. And I know she'll do it whether I approve or not.

"Anna, are you ready to go?" Elsa asks.

"Already? No, we need to wait until morning," I say.

"It's better to leave now," Elsa says.

"How so? Every single Northuldra person has advised us not to leave because the forest can be dangerous at night. I already told you that the goal is to find the voice and the truth and get us home safely," I say. Elsa sighs and looks down at the ground.

"You're right Anna...we'll...we'll leave in the morning..." she says. It's hard for her to admit defeat. I wrap my arms around her and she hesitantly returns the gesture.

"So you'll be staying tonight?" Honeymaren asks.

"Yes, we will," Elsa says.

"Great! I'll get you set up in a home for the night so you'll stay warm," she says.

"Just those two. I don't worry about staying warm. The cold doesn't bother me," Elsa says. Honeymaren gives her a small look then nods and goes over to Yelena to set something up.

"Elsa...you should get some rest," I say.

"I'm going to, Anna. I promise. I just don't want to be inside, especially because those homes are so small. It might be because I grew up in a castle, but I'm a little claustrophobic. So, I'll sleep out here," Elsa says and smiles.

"I...okay..." I say.

"I'm going to go back to talk to Honeymaren and her family. I'll talk to you again in a bit," Elsa says. She wanders back over to Honeymaren's mother and father and sits down on the mat by the fire and they start talking. Honeymaren comes back over to me and Kristoff.

"So you guys can stay in the house right next to mine. Elsa will probably sleep outside by the fire with the...the talking Snowman," she says and smiles.

"The snowman is Olaf. And thank you," I say. She nods her head and leads us over to it and we step inside. It's cozy. The floor is covered in all sorts of blankets and mats to soften it. There's pillows lining the wall and blankets to cover up with. There's a lantern hanging from the center of the ceiling.

"This is so nice. Thank you so much," I say.

"It's not much, but I hope it's okay for tonight," Honeymaren says.

"No, it's perfect," I say. I shiver a little bit. I didn't realize how cold I am until now.

"Are you guys hungry?" Honeymaren asks. Kristoff accepts her offering of food but I don't feel hungry.

"I um...I'm not very hungry and I'm pretty tired, actually. I think I'll turn in. Goodnight," I say.

"Are you okay Anna?" Kristoff and Elsa ask in unison.

"Yea...just tired," I say. I shut the door gently and sink down into the blankets. I take a shaky breath and feel tears falling down my face. I don't actually know why I'm crying. Maybe it's stress; maybe it's fear; maybe it's sadness. I don't know. After a few minutes Kristoff opens the door slowly.

"Hey, you okay?" He asks sitting down across from me.

"Yea. Just stressed, I think," I say. Kristoff scoots closer to me and runs his thumb across my cheek, wiping the tears away.

"Come here," he says softly. I hesitate for a moment before scooting over to him. He puts his arms around me I lean into his chest, my muscles relaxing.

Elsa's POV:

I sit beside Honeymaren in front of the fire. Kristoff left the door open when he went into the house with Anna, per my request. I watch as Anna curls up against his chest and he wraps his arms around her tightly.

"It's gonna be okay, Anna," he tells her. Anna smiles up at him and they kiss softly.

"I love you," he says, tucking hair behind her ear.

"I love you too Kristoff," she says. She gives him another small kiss and then cuddles back up to him and he leans against the wall.

"Is that actually your sister? You two just look so different," Honeymaren says and laughs a bit.

"Yes. I...it's because of my powers, I think, that I look so different. Anna got her red hair from our father. I think that if it weren't for my magic, I'd have brown hair," I say. Honeymaren nods and we fall silent for a bit. I continually glance over to where Anna and Kristoff are, making sure there's no funny business and seeing if she's asleep.

"When my sister is asleep, I'm leaving," I whisper.

"What? I don't think that's a good idea Elsa," Honeymaren says.

"I love her, but she's holding me back. I need to go without her so I can find the truth. If something looks too dangerous, she'll try to stop me. And I need to just be able to go and not be stopped," I say.

"What do I tel your sister then? When she wakes in the morning and looks for you?"

"You tell her the truth. I left to find the voice. This is my journey. I need to do this by myself."

"That sounds harsh. Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Yes. It's better for her. It will keep her safe. And I know Kristoff will take care of her if something happens to me," I say and sigh. Honeymaren's mother sets a cup of tea in my hands and I thank her. The warmth from the bottom of the cup warms my hands and I smile as I take a sip.

"Elsa, I don't think that's very fair. I understand, to an extent. But she's your little sister. And if you were to, God forbid, die, you'd leave her with no family. To us, family is more important than romance," Honeymaren says. I sigh and look down at the ground. I know she's right. I can't leave Anna as the only remaining member of our family. But this is so important to me.

"Thank you Honeymaren. But please...take care of her, if you can. Make sure she gets home safely if I don't make it."

"But I-"

"Promise me, please."

"I...I promise you Elsa."

I glance into the doorway where Anna and Kristoff are. The flame inside the lantern is nearly entirely faded and both of them are fast asleep. Now's my chance. I write Anna a note and hand it to Honeymaren.

"Goodbye Anna." And with that, I head off into the unknown. Alone.