My frozen heart

Chapter 24

He never realized how dark night could be when there was no moon. The only light came from the fire burning low before him. Everyone slept silently, besides North who was lightly snoring. Jack's eyes were wide as he scanned their surroundings, almost afraid to blink. He had been hearing things in these woods, ever since Sandy had given him the post and fallen asleep. Jack couldn't be sure if the noises he was here were animals, or humans, or some sort of monsters, but he was hearing them, and that is all he could be sure of.

As the hours ticked by he could not really tell if it was dawn, thanks to the darkness of the forest. The only light was coming from the small hole in the canopy he had managed to cut yesterday. When he decided he could wait no longer, he woke the others. He had barely tapped EB on the shoulder when he sprang to life, eyes wide. He clutched his chest, "Oi, it's only you mate. You gave me a start." He slowly released his fur and stretched, then shook North awake. "Ugh, the forest floor does nothing for my back." He grunted, stretching he cracked his back loudly.

Tooth and Sandy yawned silently, opening their eyes and stretching. Anna and Kristoff were a sight to see. Anna's hair was wild and Kristoff's mouth hung open drooling. Olaff was wide awake, eyes open, and a dopey smile on his face. "Anna, it's time to wake up." Olaff said shaking her shoulder, but she just mumbled something about five more minutes and rolled over. Jack smirked, and began to swirls his hands together; he knew what would wake her. He formed a snowball and tossed it right at Anna who sat up like she'd been stung by a bee.

In the process of sitting up she flailed her arms and smacked Kristoff right in the nose, causing him to wake up. "What's happening?!" he said eyes flying open. Everyone laughed and Anna's face got all red. "That's not a very nice way to wake people up!" She pouted crossing her arms, but no one could take her seriously with that wild hair. "Come on everyone, we've got to get going." North said getting up and stomping out the low burning fire. They didn't have any food left, and Jack knew they couldn't spend another night out in the woods with out it.

He hoped they would reach Santoff Claussen before nightfall. After all the blankets were folded and the pack filled, Kristoff strapped it on his back with the help of Anna, and they were all ready to go. "If we just keep going straight, we will reach the mountains." North said pointing ahead of him as they walked. Anna's voice could be heard crying out from the back, "You mean we have to walk over the mountains!" North only laughed. "No, no silly girl, we will walk through the mountains! It is magic!" he said with a smile.

Jack was glad to hear that, as he was not sure this group could make it in the mountains with no food or water. He looked back over his shoulder at them and he couldn't help but smile, despite his sadness. They had all stopped what they were doing to help him, to help Elsa, and he couldn't express his gratitude enough. They walked for sometime, doing their bests not to complain about being hungry or tired. When suddenly Jack noticed the trees were beginning to thin out, and up ahead he could see the face of a stony mountain. "Ah ha! What did I tell you, we are almost there!" North cried, and everyone's spirits were lifted.

The mountains were much larger than Jack was used to seeing them from the skies. They reached straight up to the sky and Jack was glad they would be walking through them, instead of over them, because it looked like it would take days. North was studying the rock face for the passage through it when suddenly they heard a voice cry out, "Stop, who goes there?" North stumbled back, like he'd seen a wild animal, then a small dark haired man came out from behind a boulder.

He was small, even compared to Jack. He had dark black hair, which was long and in a braid down his back. On his face he had a large nose and a very busy beard that seemed to stretch down to his knees. He was wearing what seemed to be some sort of armor and was carrying a pick ax. "A Dwarf?" North said surprised looking down at the little man. The little man growled and said, "Yes, a Dwarf, and you're trespassing on Dwarf land!" Everyone seemed confused, except Anna who was fawning over the Dwarf like he was a child. "Oh my goodness, he's so cute! Look at his little ax!" she squealed tugging on Kristoff's sleeves, who was trying to quiet her.