A Treasure To Behold: The Frozen Story Retold [Part One]

EIGHTEEN

Kristoff was still heading into the mountains. Arendelle was a long way down by now. Not wanting to follow, Sven lagged behind. He looked back at the kingdom and decided that he'd had enough. He ran past Kristoff and stopped, looking right at him, snorting and grunting.

"What is it, buddy?" Sven nudged Kristoff with his antlers. "Hey, watch it. What's wrong with you?" Sven mooed and brayed with more conviction. Trying to avoid him, Kristoff told, "I don't understand when you talk like that." Kristoff tried to walk ahead, but Sven used his antlers yet again to lift him off the ground. "Ah! Stop it! Put me down!" Kristoff cried. Sven dropped him hard on the ground and seemed to 'yell' at him.

"No, Sven! We're not going back." asserted Kristoff. Sven shook his head angrily. "She's with her true love."

He returned an 'of course-she-isn't' face. Kristoff got it; he had made his point. Just then, the wind picked up. Kristoff looked back at the kingdom and saw a violent winter storm swirling over Arendelle. Sharp ice clawed up the castle, encasing it.

"Anna." voiced Kristoff, gravely concerned.

Without hesitating, he darted back down the mountain. Sven ran after him and caught up. Kristoff grabbed Sven's harness and jumped onto his back.

Meanwhile, within the closed room Anna was abandoned in, she shivered by the door. She glanced up to see the ice overtaking the ceiling. The door handle suddenly jingled, stopped, and then jingled again. The door swung open with a carrot in the lock. A giggle of victory was heard—it was Olaf. He took the carrot and put it back on his face. Anna was lying before him, crippled.

"Anna. Oh no," he ran to the fireplace and threw in some fresh wood, including one of his arms. He quickly rescued it before striking a match and relighting the fire.

"Olaf, get away from there!" alerted Anna as she regained her senses.

"Whoa! So, this is heat... I love it." He reached a twig finger toward the flames, and it caught fire. "Ooh! But don't touch it!" he told himself, blowing the flame off with a jerk. He then rushed over to help Anna get to the fire. Olaf continued inquisitively, "So, where's Hans? What happened to your kiss?"

Anna accepted, heartbroken, "I was wrong about him. It wasn't true love."

Olaf went on with confused innocence, "Huh. But we ran all the way here?"

Anna grew troubled with his proximity to the flames.

"Please, Olaf, you can't stay here. You'll melt."

Olaf declared stubbornly, "I am not leaving here until we find some other act of true love to save you."

Saying so, he sat down behind her and leaned his back against hers. He thought hard but eventually gave up. "... Do you happen to have any ideas?"

Anna replied, "I don't even know what love is."

Olaf smiled and said confidently, "That's okay, I do..."

Olaf hopped back up and put a soothing arm over her shoulder.

"Love is... Putting someone else's needs before yours, like, you know how Kristoff brought you back here to Hans and left you forever."

Anna realized and asked, "Kristoff loves me?"

Olaf was astounded. "You really don't know anything about love, do you?" His face started to melt.

"Olaf, you're melting!"

He answered, sweet and reassuring, "Some people are worth melting for."

But then, his face actually started to sag and began to fall apart. He panicked, pushing the snow back in its place. "Just maybe not right this second."