A Snow Queen's Tale- a Frozen Fanfiction

Chapter 43: The Surprise

🌻Anna's Pov🌻
"Dear Astrid," I wrote, back in the portrait gallery. My clothes were still damp from the rainy weather, but I was too excited to change. "I saw the squirrel again today! He hasn't told me his name yet, so I have made one up for him. I have decided to call him Soren. Too bad he disappeared into the trees before we could play."
I paused to put more ink on my quill, thinking. There had to be more to this story. Where did Soren live? What did he like to do? What was waiting for him high above the garden?
I drew a picture of Soren in the tree, barely visible behind some bright green leaves, and continued writing. "I waited for him to come back, but he never did. Maybe his family lives in the treetops. I think they were calling him home."
I looked up at one of the large paintings on the wall. "Just a second, Joan," I said to the woman holding a sword and sitting on a white horse. Now my mind was racing. Did Soren have brothers and sisters? Did he have friends . . . or enemies? What other animals lived in the garden?
I decided I needed more details before I finished my letter, so I carefully folded what I had written and put it in my pocket to finish later. The next morning, I was in the garden as soon as the castle's doors could be opened. I climbed tree after tree, looking up into the branches, until my hands were scraped. I cooled them off in the fountain, wiped them on my dress, and resumed my search.
Soren has been under the the hedge the day before, I remembered. I swept awake some leaves and crawled under the hedge myself. It was dark and quiet, and when I found a pile of pine needles, I- wondered if it was a nest. Still, though, there was no sign of the squirrel.
      I stood up and brushed myself off. Maybe he would come back if he saw something interesting, I thought.
      I strolled over to the edge of the garden, where the grass grew longer, and found a patch of cheery yellow flowers. Carefully, I picked a whole bunch of them, taking care that I did not break the stems. Then I settled myself on a sunny spot and wove the stems together until I had made a crown.
       Who wouldn't be tempted by a crown of dandelions? It might be too big for Soren's head, I realized, but it would make a perfect toy for a squirrel.
      Where was Soren?
Maybe he was off on an adventure, I thought. I tried to be happy for my friend.
But I wanted to be having an adventure, too. Right then I felt like I was playing some strange kind of hide-and-seek, where I was doing all the seeking and none of the hiding. All by myself.
      Discouraged, I sighed and returned to the kitchen. Olina had poured a kettle of hot water into the sink as she prepared to wash some dishes, and her face was lost in a cloud of steam.
"Is everything all right?" Olina asked as the steam cleared away.
"No," I admitted. "Not really. I can't find Soren anywhere!"
Olina looked concerned. "Who is Soren?" she asked. Strangers were not allowed on castle property.
      I should have mention Soren sooner, I realized. Olina could have helped me find him.
      "He is an adorable red squirrel," I explained, "and I think he lives in the castle garden. I saw him wading in a puddle and I chassis him up a tree, and then I made him a crown, but now he is gone. . . ."
      When I finished, Olina sighed. She was so quiet that I wondered if I had done something wrong. "What is it?" I asked. "Have you seen him?" Suddenly, I was worried about Soren. Was he hurt?
      "No,no," Olina said, shaking her head. "I hope I do get to meet him. I have never seen a red squirrel. It just that sometimes I wish . . ."
She paused, and I wondered what Olina could wish.
"I just wish you had someone to play with," Olina finished.
      I was surprised. I had no idea that the wish would have anything to do with me!
What would it be like to have a person to play with, though? I wondered. I imagined what I would do with that kind of friend. We could play tag in the garden. We could climb trees side by side. We could swim and skate and sing our favorite songs at the top of our lungs. It would be almost like having Elsa back, I thought. Soren was not quite that kind of friend.
My thoughts were interrupted by the jingle that signaled Nikko's arrival.
"Nikko is my friend," I said brightly. "Let's go and see what he has for us today!"
Nikko's carriage was bursting with supplies. There was a new set of dishes, some ink for the royal inkwells, and even hay for the horses.
When he had finally finished his rounds, Nikko took out his burlap bag and turned to me. "I almost forgot!" he said. "Today I have a special delivery for you."
He took an envelope from the bag and handed it to me. I could hardly believe my eyes. Inside the envelope, there was a letter for me!
      "Dear Anna," the letter said. "I am sorry to hear that your squirrel friend has gone. Perhaps he has taken a trip? Don't worry. I know that you will see him again soon. Unless he has become invisible?"
      There was a picture at the bottom. It was a sketch of a squirrel peeking out of a hole in a tree.
      It was a wonderful picture, but I did not notice it at first because my eyes were searching the end of the letter. That was where the person who had written the letter would sign their name.
      And the signature said, "Love, Astrid."