Love That Thaws

Chapter 7

The dark trees fly by as we speed through the snow. I sit in the back of the sled while Kristoff and Anna sit in the front seat. Kristoff snaps the reins, "Hang on! We like to go fast."

Anna puts her feet on the front of the sled, "I like fast."

"Woh! Woh, woh, woh! Get your feet down. This is fresh lacquer. Seriously, were you raised in a barn?" Kristoff shoos her feet off and spits on the sled to clean it. Some of it gets in Anna's face and she wipes it away, disgusted, with her glove.

"No, I was raised in a castle." Anna says.

"Mm. So uh...tell me, what made the Queen go all ice-crazy?" Kristoff asks.

I zone out as Anna explains how she got engaged to a man she just met and watch the trees. While watching the shadows I see a flash of light, then another one. Eyes. I hear it a second later, howling wolves and the low growl of an angry dog.

"Guys. guys." They ignore me. "Guys we have a bigger problem right now." I say over the both of them.

They stop talking and Kristof slows the sled to a stop before unhooking a lantern and swinging it around the dark forest. I squint my eyes against the dark and see moving shadows.

"Wolves." Kristof says before turning and shouting to Sven, "go Sven! Go!"

The sled lurches to a run and I see the wolves take chase. Anna and Kristof are arguing up front while I pull out my small knife and swing it towards any wolf that gets to close to the sled.

"Who marries a man she just met!" Kristof grunts as he kicks a wolf off the sled.

"It's TRUE LOVE!" Anna yells while swinging the lute at Kristof who ducks. Anna ends up hitting a wolf in the head and it tumbles back.

I slash at a wolf before I yell at the two. "Would you two please stop arguing!" I yelp as suddenly my cloak is yanked from behind.

"(Y/n)!" I hear Anna shout as I tumble backwards off the sled. I manage to grab hold of a dragging rope. I try my hardest to fight off the wolves with my knife but there's to many. Up ahead I see Anna light a blanket on fire and throw it towards me. I duck just as the flaming cloth sails over my head and knocks the wolves away.

I huff and pull myself up with the rope. Anna and Kristof help by pulling the rope in.

"You could have set me on fire!" I shout.

"But I didn't." Anna says back. "Are you okay?" She asks as they pull me back onto the sled.

"I'll live." I say as I wipe off my sleeves. Anna pulls me into a hug before looking back towards the front.

"Oh no."

I look too and see a giant canyon that we're heading straight for.

"Get ready to jump Sven!" Anna yells.

"You don't tell him what to do," Kristof picks up Anna before throwing her on to Sven's back and cuts the ropes tying Sven to the sled, "I do. Jump Sven!"

Anna and Sven sail safely over the canyon and land on the other side. Kristof takes my hand and we jump from the sled as it flies over the edge. We land half on the snow covered cliff, half off.

Kristof watches sadly as his sled falls and crashes. "But I just payed it off." He sighs sadly.

I climb more onto the ledge but Kristof isn't so lucky. He starts slipping as the snow below him begins to give out.

"Oh no. No no no."

I turn around and reach for his hand as a pickaxe flies through the air and lands in front of us. I grab the pickaxe with one hand and Kristof's wrist with the other. I pull him up until he can grab the pickaxe himself. Together we hold on to the pickaxe as Sven and Anna pull it more inland.

Once we're far enough from the ledge they stop pulling and Sven trots down to check on Kristof. Anna comes over and helps me to my feet. She looks over the edge at the burning sled below.

"Woah. I'll replace your sled and everything in it." She says to Kristof who still lays there. "And I understand if you don't want to help us anymore." Anna begins walking away in the wrong direction.

I sigh and shake my head before calling out to her. "Anna it's this way." I say and lead her through the deep snow in the right direction.

We don't get far before we hear Kristof yell, "Hold up. We're coming."

"You are?!" Anna yells happily before calming down, "I mean, sure I'll let ya tag along."

I shake my head fondly as Sven gallops our way looking very happy.