Modern Kristanna 2

Alaska

He exhaled deeply, blowing a puff of vapor into the gelid air. He heaved his duffel bag farther over his shoulder and stuffed his already gloved hands into his red parka. His black scarf flagged behind him, catching stray snowflakes as they flurried in the air. He looked to his right at a young woman, Anna. He gazed at her captivating cerulean eyes, her pale cherry hair. It streamed in elegant waves down her back, covering half of her taut, fleecy cardigan. She wore purple earmuffs atop her head, and dots of colorless snow stood out on the bright background. She carried a satin rolling bag behind her.

She was demonstrably shivering, tensing her already tightly crossed arms. He wanted to help, but wasn't sure of a way how. He lifted his arms awkwardly, motioning to embrace her, but twitching back when he thought otherwise. This cycle kept going on for a few steps, until the someone interrupted, and he let his hands go limp by his sides. "Kristoff, are we almost there?"

Kristoff peered at the woman beside Anna. She was carrying a kind of large black briefcase, and an oversized purse on one shoulder. She wore a thin jacket, but had several layers on. She had a knitted blue hat covering her strikingly platinum blonde hair, which was weaved in a loose braid down her shoulder. Kristoff answered her question in a solemn tone. "Yeah Elsa, the hotels just up ahead."

Two columns of chiseled rock stood up ahead, both topped with a cement ceiling. At the end of the cement, for all the world to see, stood glowing letters that read "Holiday Inn." Kristoff led the two young woman to the entrance of the hotel, and when arriving at the sliding glass doors, he shuffled his feet roughly of the doormat, snow spraying off.

Elsa and Anna followed into the warm building, finally able to loosen their clothing. Elsa slid off her cap, tightening her hands around it. The hotel lobby had a warm feel to it. Channels of gold light streamed onto Kristoff blonde hair, making it shine like gilded metal.

At the lobby desk sat a large-set man with dark black greasy hair that hung in thick strands over his eyes. He read something behind the desk. Kristoff thought he looked familiar. "Matthew?" Anna walked swiftly up to the desk, her hair bouncing.

"Yeah, you wanna room," he replied indignantly, not taking his eyes off what he was reading. Anna raised a curious eyebrow at him.

"What are you doing here?" Matthew blew an irritated sigh, finally lifting his eyes from his lap.

"Look," He shifted himself to sit up in his padded chair, placing his hands neatly in front of him, "I moved to a place where there was more opportunity, so here I am. Besides," he leaned back in his chair, the sophisticated aura suddenly melting from his figure, "don't you remember me moving and being replaced by my twin brother?" Anna blinked, confused at the sudden unexpected news.

"No, I don't... think so."

"Typical." Matthew went back to reading silently, a disinterested look plastered on his face. Elsa came up behind Anna, interrupting their little conversation, Kristoff followed.

"Well, we have reservations." The young woman's eyes glittered with muffled resentment at the lazy man.

"Lemme' see you papers." Matthew gestured with his hand, still reading. Elsa looked at Kristoff, motioning for him to get the papers. He did, unfolding them as best he could from the position they had been in his pocket. He handed them to Matthew, who smoothly switched from reading his book to the papers.

He scanned them, and rang a silver bell, leaning back on his chair again. A small, frail man came up to the group, holding out his hands for their bags. Elsa and Anna handed him theirs, but Kristoff said he preferred carrying his own bag. The bellboy escaped to the staff only elevator, while Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff went to the guest one.

They were silent in the elevator. Anna, being a generally impatient and excited person, couldn't take the quiet. "So," she began, "Kristoff, have you ever been to Alaska? I certainly haven't, and I know Elsa hasn't either." Elsa looked indignantly at her sister, but the feeling seemed to melt from her as soon as it appeared.

"Well," Kristoff began, "I'm actually from Alaska, my family lives here..." Kristoff continued to talk as the elevator smoothed to a stop and they walked along the hallways of the hotel to their room. "I went to Colorado in search of a better life."

"Your family lives here!" Anna squealed excitedly as Elsa slid the key card to unlock the door, and they made their way in. "Can we meet them!"

"Actually, my adoptive brother Granite should-" a loud stomp from the window cut Kristoff off. From his previous statement, everyone knew exactly who it was.

A largely built man with thick stubble and a big fur coat was suddenly at the hotel room window. He had a large wolf about his shoulders, and he was holding it by it's legs. The man carefully set down the animal in the room, and Kristoff went over to him. They locked hands and shared a friendly hug. They released and Kristoff turned to Anna and Elsa.

"This is Granite," he introduced him with a big grin. Granite said nothing, he just smiled warmly, his hazel eyes sparkling. His silence seemed kind of anticlimactic, due to the big introduction, and Elsa and Anna were left waiting to see if he would say anything, but he didn't. Sven, the big furry wolf with a big nose, was sniffing Elsa intently, she looked a bit uncomfortable. Kristoff seemed to notice.

"Oh, Elsa," he ambled to the wolf, pulling him away by the rough of his neck, "sorry."

"No, it's, it's OK," Elsa replied politely, though she did seemed relieved when the intimidating wolf was pulled away from her. Anna skipped to Granite curiously, who was still leaning on the windowsill.

"So, Granite, how exactly did you get up here?" The large-framed man said nothing, he just looked to Kristoff. Kristoff came over, and Granite gestured gestured to Anna.

"Granite's a mountain climber," Kristoff answered, "he scaled the hotel."

"Even with Sven?" Anna looked back to the sizable wolf, who was sitting, his tongue lolled out in a wolfish grin. Granite smiled, nodding. "OK," Anna searched for another topic, "then why aren't you talking?" Granite looked to Kristoff again, as if searching for an answer.

"Granites mute," explained the blond. Anna nodded, understanding, and Granite continued to smile, as if he had not a care in the world. "Alright," Kristoff turned to Granite, "it was nice to see you brother." They smiled at each other, and with that, the mountain climber disappeared from their view. A few quick thunks were heard, and a final thump, marking his land.

Anna turned to the room, scanning it. There were two beds and three nightstands, one in the middle of the two beds and two on the sides. The bathroom was in the short narrow hallway on the right wall, the closet on the left. A dresser stood at the wall in front of the foot of the two beds, a TV on top of it.

"So," Anna announced, "who gets the beds."