ANNA LET OUT an aggravated sigh as she quietly punched the ground. She had to think of a way to save her family, but charging in there at full speed would only get her captured along with them.    

A few moments of silence passed before Kristoff stooped down beside her and whispered, "Why are we hiding?"

She couldn't reply, but watched as her family was dragged deeper into the forest. She shuddered as she let the words fall off her tongue. "My family is being held hostage."

The air felt silent and cold. She looked at the scattered ice around the area and felt her heartbeat quicken. The sight frightened her. Was this what Elsa could do? Could this have been the power her sister possessed? Elsa had to be dangerous. Having this kind of power, she could overthrow anyone... or so Anna thought.

Anna slowly crept forward, keeping low.

"Where are you going?" Kristoff's voice rang once again. "If they find you they'll capture you too."

"I can't sit back and do nothing," she snapped. Why was he following her? He was just going to hold her back.

"Fine, but I'm coming too. I know these woods like the back of my hand." Within seconds, she felt his presence behind him.

Her heart skipped a beat. He didn't know her or her family, yet he wanted to help her save them. That was generous of him, but there had to be a catch.

She shook the feeling away as she cautiously advanced forward. Ice broke under her foot and she glanced down. Ice patches littered their surroundings like Elsa had just blasted waves of ice trying to save them. Maybe Elsa wasn't dangerous after all. She just wanted to protect her family. Unless, she was attacking Mama and Papa before the soldiers showed up to stop her.

"Winter looks beautiful when it's not used for destruction," she said out loud, staring at her cracked reflection below her feet.

She stepped carefully around the ice patches so she wouldn't accidentally trip on its slippery content, and paused before the body of a fallen Northern Isle's Soldier. She felt her heartbeat rapidly against her breast, wondering if this man had died in the ship wreck, or while he was trying to seize their ship.

Slowly bending down, she was afraid that this man would pop up and kill her instantly. She gripped the hilt of his sword and gently yanked it from its scabbard, the sound of metal scrapping filling her ears.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh!" Her hands shook. She didn't need Kristoff's voice in her head right now.

She straightened her knees, returning to her original height, and carried the weight of the heavy sword with her. She held the sword in her hand with the point facing the man below her. What little sunlight shone, rayed in through the dark clouds and glistened off the blade. It was smeared with blood. Clearly, the soldier hadn't had time to clean it before sheathing it.

"I think crimson would be a lovely color in winter!"

Anna nearly dropped the sword as she spun on her heels and faced Kristoff. The man was leaning against his reindeer as if he was waiting on her. "Did you say something?"

"Nope, not a word." Kristoff answered, a smile pulling at his lips. "How about you, Sven? Did you say anything?"

"I didn't hear anything," Kristoff continued with a very annoying higher tone as if imitating what the animal was thinking.

She gave him a furrowed brow before sighing. She turned back towards the path that her family had been towed down, the marks from their dragged bodies still fresh in the mud.

"Although, yellow might also look nice with winter." That same voice appeared.

She swung around towards the guys once more. Her face contorted with rage. Her family was in peril and this man was wasting her time with jokes. "Will you shut up?"

Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head, her eyes widening at the bizarre sight. A small creature waltzed up to them, his stick fingers tapping his chin as if thinking. She had to be delusional. That couldn't be right. A... snowman?

The snowman looked up into the sky as it walked towards Anna. "On second thought..." it continued, its voice sounding male. "Yellow and snow?" He shuddered. "That's a no go." The snowman's bright blue eyes looked up into hers. "What do you think?"

She screamed, took a step back, and flung her sword downwards with a slice, cutting the snowman's head off its shoulder and launching it to Kristoff. "Eww!" She squealed.

"I'm alright," the head yelled as Kristoff caught it. "Oh, hey!"

"You're creepy." Kristoff grimaced before passing the head back to Anna.

Anna dropped the sword, catching the head. "I don't want it!" She tossed it back towards him.

"Whoa!" the snowman called out as its body waddled between the two of them.

"Back at ya." Kristoff teased as he threw it back.

"But it's just a head," she whimpered, holding the head.

"Alright, so we got off to a bad start." The body stood before her with open arms.

Her eyes popped open as she held back a scream. "Eww, the body!" She whammed the head back against its body, and the snowman staggered backwards before falling to the ground.

Anna took another small step back, spooked as the snowman rolled its bottom half and hopped onto two snowballs that served as feet.

It thrust its stick arms on what served as his hips and smiled — though, from his upside down head, it looked like a frown. "Wait, what am I looking at right now? Why are you hanging off the earth like bats?"

Kristoff chuckled below his breath, though she still heard it.

She sucked in a deep breath, regaining her courage, before rushing to the snowman's aid. "Alright. Wait one second." She swiftly took his head off and flipped it upright.

"Oh," it sighed. "Thank you." It grinned and batted its eyes at her. "Now, I'm perfect!"

"Almost." She grimaced. "You're kinda missing a nose."

"It was like my whole life got turned upside down." The snowman told Kristoff. Its stick eyebrows furrowed like it had become sad. "Oh, yeah. I don't have a nose."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." She frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Are you kidding me?" the snowman said with a deadpan expression. "I'm wonderful!" It stated the last word with a jovial response. Its eyes crossed, trying to get a glimpse of where its nose would be. "I've always wanted a nose, but, not having one, I don't know what I'm missing."

Anna let out a giggle as the snowman wandered away from them to glance around at the forest.

"Ah, well, let's start over." The snowman smiled a toothy grin. "I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs."

"Olaf?" she asked. She said it slowly, allowing the name to sink in and roll off her tongue. Somehow she knew that name, but couldn't recall where she had heard it from.

"That's right and you are...?" Olaf asked, dragging at the last word as he waited.

"Oh, I'm Anna." She pointed toward herself with a smile.

"Nice to meet you," He turned toward Kristoff as he spoke, "And who's the funny looking donkey."

She furrowed her brow. Donkey? Sven was a reindeer, but perhaps a snowman would have no knowledge of that. Snowmen, after all, didn't usually come alive and talk. She glanced at Sven before returning to Olaf. "That's Sven," she said at last.

"Cool, and who's the reindeer?"

"Sven," she drew out, less assured of herself.

Olaf clasped his branch fingers together. "Sven and Sven. Alright, that will be easy to remember."

"Olaf?" Kristoff whispered his name.

She inclined her head towards him then back at the snowman. She shook her head trying to get herself to focus on her current situation, ignoring the concerned look on Kristoff's face. Her family was in serious trouble, and she had just wasted several minutes. Of course, seeing a talking snowman was a bit strange, but after everything that went on today, how could anything else shock her? "Olaf, did you see what happened to my parents?"

Olaf turned to face her. "Yeah why?"

Her eyes lit up as she opened her mouth to speak, but Kristoff shoved himself between her and the snowman. "Kristoff, what are you..." She trailed off as their eyes met. His once warm, friendly eyes were now filled with hatred and bloodlust.

Kristoff jabbed a finger down at Olaf. "I knew I recognized that name! Anna, this snowman works for the fifth spirit."

"Fifth Spirit? What are you talking about?" She pushed him out of the way with a hard thrust to his leg, Kristoff landing in the mud on his side, and she stared at Olaf. His bright, friendly eyes sparkled back at her, but his brow furrowed with confusion.

She balled her hands into fists and gave Kristoff a nasty look. "Cool off or we'll be leaving you behind." She turned her gaze back to Olaf. "We need to go after the Northern Isles Soldiers who took my family. Please, show me where you last saw them. I need to get to them before they're taken back to the Northern Isles. I have a feeling they won't survive long in that kingdom."

"Relax." Kristoff climbed to his feet. "I have friends and family who won't let them leave the forest."

She watched him as he moved towards Sven and hopped on his back. He offered a gloved hand towards her. Her cheeks flushed but she swallowed, pushing the feeling away. Seeing him like this reminded her of Hans back home. She really missed him, and could use a hug right about now after everything that had happened.

Her lips parted, releasing a sigh. She picked up Olaf, and with her other hand, hopped onto Sven's back, refusing Kristoff's hand.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Kristoff narrowed his eyes. "That snowman isn't coming with us."

Anna matched his eyes with her own slits. "Either he comes or I stay," she said, low and stern.   

Kristoff huffed before looking forward. With a loud, "Ya!" Sven raced forward.

The trees' orange and red leaves blazed with fire as they rushed past. The autumn colors were beautiful. Snap out of it, Anna! Now is not the time to be attracted to the trees. Elsa, Mama, and Papa are in danger! She held Olaf tight in her arms, suddenly feeling the grossness leave. He was so light she was afraid of dropping him.

The sound of hooves began pounding from all around, and she twisted her head. Four reindeer came up behind them with riders. She noticed they were dressed similar to Kristoff, except they held spears and wore lighter clothing. The color in her face drained seeing their unfriendly faces.

"Uh, Kristoff?" She reached up and tapped his shoulder as she continued staring at the riders getting closer.

The suddenly leaped into the air, and Olaf shouted as he was thrown from her grasp, disappearing somewhere amongst the bushes. "Olaf!" She lurched forward, wrapping her arms around Kristoff as she felt Sven quicken his speed. Kristoff must have noticed them.

"Kristoff, we have to go back!" she yelled. "I lost Olaf!"

"We can't!" he shouted back. "We'll find him later!"  

She rocked side and side, gripping Kristoff's shirt tightly in her fists, a sting shooting up her wounded arm, as Sven made steep curves trying, no doubt, to lose them.

"Who are these guys?" she shouted, not sure if Kristoff could hear her over the wind, branches, and hooves.

Sven made a sudden turn to the right, and Anna lost her balance on his back. She flew off the reindeer, rolling into a summersault through the grass. Grimacing, she clenched her wounded arm, hoping the impact hadn't caused further damage.

She glanced up with anger burning in her eyes as Kristoff pulled Sven to a halt."They are the Northuldra, and I have no idea why they are attacking us. They're not hostile people." He frantically glanced around. "There should be a cave nearby. Go hide and I will come for you when the coast is clear."

She huffed. She wished to yell at him for throwing her off like that instead of stopping and letting her off, but before she could get a word out, Kristoff and Sven were off again. Fear gripped her. With Kristoff gone, how was she supposed to find her family?

She staggered to her feet, blood oozing through the material protecting her wound and coating her fingers. She glanced around hoping to find Olaf. He hadn't been thrown off too far back. There was a chance that he could catch up, especially now that she was on foot.

Hooves clopping in the dirt brought her back to reality. She spun on her heels and raced through the tree lines. She had to find this cave Kristoff spoke of for shelter. Then, once they passed, she could set out to continue her search for her family. A dangerous thought occurred. Maybe if she allowed herself to get captured, the Northuldra would take her to them. Kristoff said they weren't hostile, but she hadn't seen them prove friendly yet either. No, Anna, getting caught won't help anyone.

She shook her head, chasing away the thoughts, and continued her search for the cave. The hooves lessened. Maybe they had stopped following her and took Kristoff's bait.

Anna slowed down and allowed herself to take a small break to catch her breath. She could feel herself losing more blood, and her head was starting to spin. She looked down as something strange caught her eye. The leaf covered grass turned into moss covered stones.

She slowly followed the stones, glancing around making sure she wasn't being followed, until she arrived at the edge of a cliff. Her eyes widened as a beautiful dam stretched from one end of the forest to another. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before. It looked in terrific shape for the time it had to have been there.

"I remember this!"

She shrieked and jumped as Olaf walked up beside her. She sighed in relief, placing a hand over her rapid heartbeat. "Olaf, you scared me!" She turned to him and crouched down. "I am so sorry I let you go back there. I didn't mean—"

He waved her off as he smiled and giggled. "It's nothing. You were only carrying my head anyway. My butt fell off miles back."

She grinned sheepishly before standing up straight and returning her attention to the bridge. "Uh, so, you remember what?"        

"Yes, please. What do you remember?"

She whirled her head around to see a woman with white hair pointing a spear at Anna's chest, the woman's gaze locked with her's.

"You are not welcomed here!"