Sorry, FFN apparently decided to fuck up the formatting and I had work this morning. Here's the chapter all fixed and reuploaded.

And to the guest who asked again for a DOMSOD update, stop fucking badgering me. That's the most annoying thing you could ever do to an author; sit quiet and patient, updates will come when they come.

"You haven't found it yet?!"

The man's shrill yell caused Maaya to flinch, but she resisted the urge to cover her ears. The short, big-nosed man was already manically yelling enough, she didn't want to risk the chance of getting him going. The young girl looked over to where Afanasay sat in his chair, unflinching and unamused by the feverish display of their employer. Her eyes widened in awe at her sensei's display, and she tried to settle herself. If Afanasay could endure this man's craziness, then so could she.

"For last time, comrade, no...I haven't, not yet. It disappeared."

Despite the russian's calm tone, the small cloaked man shook with barely suppressed rage, and stomped his foot on the wood of the floor.

"How could an enormous dragon wielding ice magic just disappear?! The world isn't that big! I thought you and your men were professionals!"

Maaya instantly scowled, and took a step towards the small man. As soon as she so much as shifted, Afanasay lazily raised two fingers. Maaya quickly nodded and resettled, but kept her scowl on the little, little man. She did not like the way he spoke of her sensei, and their group as a whole. But if Afanasay told her not to act, then she wouldn't. That didn't mean she'd like it, though...

"It actually is, my duke, if you'd leave your little excuse for a continent once in a while and explore it."

The cloaked duke started to sputter, too angry for words, but Afanasay continued before he could speak.

"Furthermore, this is a naturally cold and white land. Though farther south than his kind usually goes, this is very much a frost dragon's favored terrain. Even for experienced trackers such as us, this is no easy task, duke."

Maaya puffed up a little, but kept her smile under wraps. Afanasay stressed to her in the past the importance of a calm mask, and this annoying man didn't deserve her smile anyway. He hardly deserved their expertise, but the duke was desperate and paid well, and they had a reputation. It wasn't their fault he hired them to track down a rare and powerful magical beast.

Her mind distracted by thoughts of the dragon, Maaya's green eyes dropped as she frowned.

I hope it hasn't hurt anyone...Afanasay-kun says they can be scary. I wonder why it's down here, anyway.

Her tangent thoughts were brought back to reality as an annoying tapping sound became apparent. She looked up to see the duke was, indeed, swiftly tapping his voice. The harsh rapping sound of his expensive looking shoes quickly wore away at Maaya's patience. She still needed to practice that...

"And yet I thought this...girl of yours found a lead? Did she not? Rumors of a beast in the mountains about Arendelle? If you have a general location, surely you would've found it by now!"

Maaya bristled at the tone the duke at said "girl" with, and knew it meant her. No one else had managed to find much on the dragon, and other than Afanasay, she was the only other person in the room. It took all of her willpower not to jump the man then, but that would just risk her standing with her sensei, and their group's reputation. They meant too much to her to risk like that, so she merely kept her fantasies out of reality...for now.

"My dear Maaya certainly did find a lead, yes; and yes, the lead gave us a general area. But it is as I said, the dragon has disappeared. We have found traces of his presence in the area, but they led us to yet another dead end. A rather...grim dead end, but an end all the same."

Maaya grimaced at the memory of finding said dead end.

Those poor wolves...

The little man huffed as he paced back and forth, and his black cloak billowed about his diminutive frame. Maaya truly wondered how a man so old could be so small. This was truly a man whose body was suited for no role other than a petty politician.

And yet my people are assumed to be small. My village would've towered over this man.

"This monster cannot be allowed to roam free about the countryside! What if it somehow allies itself with the Queen of Arendelle?! That cursed place would grow even more sinister! And corrupt! And mad!"

Maaya truly wondered if he was still talking about Arendelle, or if he'd subconsciously described himself.

Afanasay sighed, and Maaya could tell he was finally growing tired of the little man too.

"Duke, dear duke, please do calm down. I can hardly understand you when you get hysterical like this."

The duke sputtered once more, incredulously this time, and Maaya struggled not to laugh.

"We have contacts in many places, and my team is well-trained, well-coordinated, and we have numbers against the beast. We will find him, duke, I assure you. You hired us for our spotless record, and I shan't let that record fail now."

Afanasay stood from his chair, and his broad, muscled Russian frame towered over both little man and young girl. The weaselly duke, to his credit, didn't let the physical difference faze him. Maaya imagined the man had a lot of practice being the smallest person in the room. Her sensei approached him, and settled a hand on the cloaked shoulder. His hand dwarfed the bony joint, as if it was hardly there.

"The frost dragon shall be found, my dear duke, I can assure you."

Maaya saw him smile, and recognized the intense shimmer in his stormy grey eyes.

"No one shall get in our way."

"What do you mean Nikolai locked herself in the barracks?"

Elsa wasn't quite sure if this was actually happening right now, if she were honest. Just two short days ago, she'd encountered the dragoon in the middle of the night, following her having awakened after being temporarily healed of her magical affliction. By said dragoon, no less; and they'd started to plan the mission to go after her dragon the next day. Now she was being told by a poor, rattled guard that her guide had somehow snuck into the barracks, and locked herself in.

"Y-yes, your majesty. We still don't know how, but we can't get in and she's still in there. One of her friends are in there too, the one with the short brown hair."

He frowned, and shuffled his feet on the cobblestone of the castle courtyard. "At least...we assume they are, we're not quite sure."

Elsa raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "You assume?"

The guard nodded, and his sweat was probably not the sun's fault, poor man.

"No one has seen them leave the barracks yet, have they?"

He shook his head so vigorously, the blonde worried his hat would fly off. "No, your majesty, no sign of them yet. Some guards even checked the windows, they're all still closed. Before you ask, someone did suggest we go in through one of them, but no one's been able to succeed."

He pursed his lips and shrugged. "To put it succinctly, we're too big, your majesty."

Elsa frowned and looked over to the barracks. It was a fairly small building, mostly meant to house the castle guard as opposed to any sizable military force. She eyed its windows, and indeed, even the slightest man wouldn't be able to squeeze his way through safely. However, they weren't so small that no one could get through them; just, no adult could...

"I believe I have an idea." Elsa smiled, and looked back to the now curious guard. "Please go fetch Alan for me, he should be in the stable somewhere."

The man nodded and quickly ran off for the stable. Elsa stayed put and waited patiently, and continued to eye the barracks. She couldn't hear any sounds from where she stood, and saw no movement in the windows. If Nikolai and Yuna were in there, they were either not doing anything, or were deep within the building. It wasn't too much longer until the blonde heard steps on stone, and turned to see the guard return with the young stable boy.

Alan looked up at her through his shaggy bangs, but his usual anxious demeanor seemed less so. He wasn't quite as folded in on himself as he usually was, and his amber eyes seemed brighter. The boy even gave a small grin to Elsa as he and the guard approached.

"Y-yes, ma'am, can I help you?" He then frowned, and tilted his head. "Are you feeling better?"

Elsa's smile got gentler, his stutter was improving. "I'm feeling much better, thank you, Alan. If I may, are those athletic skills of yours well kept?

Alan blinked, no doubt surprised by her question, and nodded. "Aye, I h-have, why do you ask?"

Elsa nodded towards the barracks. "For some odd reason, the woman who's to help me find that special matter has holed herself up in the barracks with one of her compatriots. I imagine it is with good reason, but I'd like to go inside and ask her myself. However, all of the doors are locked, and none of the guards can fit themselves through the windows."

Elsa looked the stable boy in the eye then, raised an eyebrow and smirked. Alan's eyes widened, before he looked up at one of the windows. He was a clever boy, the blonde was sure of it; and as she watched the gears turn in his eyes, she knew she was right. The young boy slowly walked closer to the barracks to get a better look at the windows, and nodded.

"I can reach them, and I might b-be able to...to-to get in."

He looked back to Elsa, and the queen smiled gently at the anxious look on his face. She walked up to him and raised a hand, but hesitated for a moment. She took a breath and went for it, and laid her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about anything, Alan. I know you're exceptional at this, you wouldn't have been able to catch up with us that day if you weren't."

Alan blushed and ducked his head. "I-I'm still sor-so-sorry about that..."

Elsa pursed her lips and shook her head. "There's that stutter again. You'll do fine, just find your way in, and then get to the front door and let us in."

Alan shook his head, then his whole body and charged the building. The young queen took a step back, startled by the sudden movement from the boy, before she smiled. Without a moment's hesitation, she watched as the stable boy scaled the barracks wall like a spider, and cling to the window's edge. He quickly pushed the bottom of the glass pane to that it spun on its axle, and angled itself open. With his youthfully diminutive frame, Alan squirmed his way through and was out of the queen's sight.

Elsa frowned and worriedly ran a hand through her bangs. Though Alan would find no danger in there, as Nikolai and her companions had proven themselves friendly, there were other ways to gain injury. The young queen slowly walked her way to the barracks' front door, the guard who'd fetched her and had lingered behind now at her back. As they reached the door, Elsa eyed it hard and waited.

It seemed longer than it truly was, but finally, the blonde heard footsteps from the other side. The door shook as someone came into contact with it, before the knob clicked unlocked, wiggled, and finally turned. As the door pushed open, Elsa sighed in relief and took a step forward to approach. But as it opened wider, she backpedaled in shock to see not Alan come out, but rather Yuna.

The strange woman looked up at Elsa and smiled. "Hello, Elsa! I'm truly sorry if Nikolai and I worried you, we needed some of the supplies in the barracks here for a special project. It took longer than we planned, I'll admit, but it's done! Your men may have the facility back for their duties now, and again, our apologies for the hold up."

Elsa looked back at the guard, who had a perturbed frown on his face. From what she could gather, the man didn't seem to know how to take the apology. It wasn't every day that strange foreign women who specialized in dealing with supernatural events took your barracks hostage. The queen simply sighed and turned back to the other woman.

"I'm sure it'll be all right once you or Nikolai provide us with an explanation as to what project you needed our barracks for."

Yuna beamed at Elsa and nodded. "Of course! Come on, she's inside with that sweet boy, I'll take you to them."

The brunette spun on the heels of her boots and all but skipped her way inside. Elsa started through the doorway, but paused, and rest a hand on the threshold as she turned to regard the guard still behind her. The poor confused man still seemed to be lost in the midst of what had transpired the last few seconds. Elsa sighed and waved her free hand to get his attention.

"Go on and find the rest of the guard, tell them the situation with the barracks has been resolved. I'll finish up here on my own."

The man shuffled on his feet and pursed his lips. "Your majesty, I don't rightly think I should leave you alone."

The young queen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why would that be?"

He had the decency to cringe and rub the back of his capped head. "I, I just, what with these strange women, I...I imagine the captain would be disappointed if I left the queen alone, is all."

Elsa shook her head. "You leave whatever Captain Edmund has to say on the matter to me. I can take care of myself, and I am willing to give these women the benefit of the doubt."

The guard sighed and shook his head, before he loosened his stature and saluted. "Very well, your majesty, I'll go inform the others."

The queen gave him a smile and a nod, and the man quickly scurried off and left her be. Elsa sighed and took a moment to resettle herself; getting him to go was tricky, trickier than she'd liked. She wasn't sure if he'd just had yet to understand she could handle herself, or if he simply didn't believe so. But then, if she would give the adventurous strangers the benefit of the doubt, then she might as well extend that to her own guard.

Once she felt better about the situation, Elsa continued into the barracks. She was surprised to find Yuna, who'd apparently waited patiently for her, not too far into the building. The strange woman smiled to her before she went deeper into the barracks, with the blonde at her heels. As they walked through the barracks, and slowly came upon the armory toward the back, Elsa began to hear what seemed to be speaking. Given the loud and animated tone the voice had, she could only deduce that it was Nikolai.

Their gentle, quiet introduction that night seemed to be an anomaly—the woman's natural volume was clearly much higher than that of most people.

So it was no surprise when Elsa could hear the dragoon's words to what must've been Alan: "–ight up the wall like that? That's spectacular! And you're how old?!"

"U-um, I don't quite know...13, I think?"

"You think?"

"Aye, that's how long I've been at the orphanage, at least."

By that point, Elsa and Yuna had reached a closed door, behind which she'd heard Nikolai talk to the young stable hand. The blonde peeked over to Yuna as she paused by the doorway, and the brunette glanced back at her. The woman smiled, and put a finger to her lips as she pushed open the door. Elsa followed suite, and kept quiet as she looked about the armory. It was fairly bare, since it serviced only the castle guard; just a few racks for swords and crossbows, with the rare rifle for select guards.

In the back of the armory, sat a fairly large bench against a wall. There sat Nikolai, with the young Alan beside her, and the two were deep in their conversation. It awed and pleased Elsa how attentive a look the dragoon gave the young lad, the former emotion mostly dedicated to how calm and comfortable Alan seemed. That the mysterious dragoon would gain Alan's trust so quickly impressed the young queen.

"Well, adding a minimum of three years for good measure, you're either exactly thirteen or you're sixteen, and just on the cusp of adulthood. If you're willing, you're still young enough I could recommend you a regime that would help you get even better at these athletics of yours."

Elsa saw an expression she'd never expect on the boy—Alan beamed up at Nikolai. He didn't quite smile, but he had more excitement and joy in his features and eyes than the blonde had yet seen. The young boy nodded vigorously, and his shaggy hair all but flared with the motion.

"Oh, aye, yes please! There's so much I-I've wanted to try, but didn't think I could do just yet. If this helps with that, absolutely!"

Nikolai smirked at him, and Elsa could swear she saw caution in her eyes.

"All right, but listen here, kiddo...it's not an easy regime, okay? It's gonna tire you out a lot, and there'll be many points when it'll seem more trouble than it's worth. You'll have to promise me you won't give up, okay?"

Elsa watched Alan's brow descend over his eyes like storm clouds, and was shocked at the determined gleam in the amber beneath them.

"I can do it, I'm sure I can! The men at the stables have let me help out around the place for two years now. I'm tough! I can do it!"

Nikolai's smirk burst into a full, cheerful grin, and something about it caught Elsa off guard. She gasped ever so slightly, and her step faltered. She hardly noticed her own reaction at all, but out of the corner of her eye, Yuna glanced her way with a raised eyebrow. The blonde paid her no heed, and kept her focus on the scene before them.

"Well then, Alan, give me a little while to pen up the plan, and I'll have it to someone as soon as I can. I'll be leaving with the Queen soon for a special mission, who would you like me to leave it with? Is there someone who can help you? This isn't a regime to tackle alone, you know."

Alan frowned for a second and worried his bottom lip with his teeth. "Umm...how about, uh...oh!" He lit up, still not quite smiling, but happier than usual. "Leave it with Princess Anna! I can ask her if she and the ice master can help me, they've both been nice to me before. Kristoff is also pretty big and strong, maybe he can help with the regime."

That made perfect sense to Elsa, but for some reason known only to the dragoon, Nikolai chuckled.

"Oh, I am very much curious as to whether this ice master can handle my little regime. I imagine harvesting ice is a pretty hefty exercise, but we'll see. This regime comes from a land I travelled to quite a while ago, you'll have to update me on how he handles it when I get back."

Alan nodded and, after only a moment's hesitation, held out a hand to Nikolai. The dragoon smiled and took it, and the pair shook on it. Pleased with himself, the stable boy hopped off of the bench and made to scurry out. He paused when he saw Elsa, and took a moment to bow slightly. Elsa giggled lightly and nodded to him.

"Excellent work, Alan, I knew you could do it. Now run along and see to the stables, I'm sure the horses miss you."

That seemed to get his attention, as Alan wasted no time and ran out of the barracks as if the stables burned. Elsa heard Yuna giggle as the boy fled the building, and the blonde smiled. She glanced back over at where the dragoon still sat on the bench, and raised an eyebrow. Nikolai met her gaze and noticed the look, and returned with her own raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Elsa? What's with the look?"

The queen crossed her arms as she walked closer to her. "Firstly, I must say that I am impressed. Alan is a very shy and anxious boy, and it usually takes time for him to get so comfortable around people like that."

Nikolai pursed her lips and shrugged. "I just complimented him on his skills getting in here, and I guess he appreciated that."

Elsa nodded, but her eyebrow remained raised. "Secondly...why on this good earth did you sneak into the castle barracks and lock all of my guards out?"

Nikolai blanched, and Yuna snickered and covered her mouth with her hands. The dragoon struggled to recover only to start sputtering, her companion's laughter growing with her difficulty. Elsa watched with a fair amount of amusement as the dragoon stood and started to berate her companion in what Elsa could only assume was an eastern language. Yuna took little of the quick words to heart, and merely patted her friend on the shoulder as she smiled.

"Just give it to her and let me know how it went."

Elsa frowned, confused as to what the odd brunette meant. Yuna simply walked away from her now blushed friend, and gave Elsa a shallow bow and a smile. Still confused, the blonde nodded her acceptance of the gesture, and followed the strange woman as she left the barracks. Elsa shook her head, amazed at just how odd the cheerful woman was.

She's almost like Anna, but...weirder. In a good way, I suppose; that must be what world-wide travel gets you.

"Do pardon Yuna's antics," Elsa heard Nikolai begin, and turned to glance back as the dragoon stood, hands in her pockets. "I've tried to reteach her manners, but once a proper lady is set loose on the world there's no bringing her back."

Elsa looked back to where Yuna had disappeared to, then back to Nikolai, then repeat. "Wait, what? Are you telling me that your friend was once...a proper lady?"

Nikolai walked up to her side and sighed. "Yep, terribly proper, once upon a time. All bows and apologies, and dressed so conservatively you'd think her skin would be damaged by the sun."

Elsa's gaze fell just a tad as she took the information in, and her shoulders relaxed just the slightest.

Maybe not...like Anna, then...

The blonde turned slowly and peeked up at Nikolai, only for her eyes to widen as she found crisp blues already on her. Elsa was just about to take a step back, when she realized that the dragoon wasn't all that near, actually. If anything, the brunette seemed to have given the queen a respectful distance; close enough to speak comfortable, but not so close that she'd make her uncomfortable. Normally, people only behaved that way out of hierarchal respect, born of their need to defer to the queen. But since Elsa had made it clear from the get-go that such formalities were irrelevant between them, it occurred to her that Nikolai was simply doing this for her own benefit.

And we only just met but two days ago. How can one be so gentle to a stranger...?

"Elsa..."

Elsa refocused her wayward thoughts as she nodded, so the dragoon knew she had the queen's attention. The dragoon actually sheepish, it was almost endearing.

"Speaking of apologies...I believe I should make my own. I'm sorry for occupying your men's barracks so, truly. I simply had need of some of their equipment and resources, and, well..." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I've had a bad history of men assuming that they know what I know, and that they know better. I've uh..."

She blushed and ducked her head. "Well, I've...kind of fashioned a habit out of asking for forgiveness rather than permission, else I'd never get anything done."

Nikolai scratched the back of her head and peered up through her hair at the queen. The sheepish expression and look through the bangs reminded Elsa of Alan, and the irony of him having just spoken with the dragoon moments ago amused her. The motion seemed oddly more endearing on Nikolai, and Elsa couldn't quite place why. She sighed, and nodded as she took a couple steps closer to the brunette.

"Unfortunately, I can all too easily relate to having to force my way around men who think they know best."

Nikolai stood straighter and gave the blonde a sympathetic look. "And being queen, I imagine you have moments where it's easier to do so than others, ya know? From what little I've gathered at a distance, advisors are as often on your side as they are against."

Elsa gave an aggravated groan as she messaged her temples with her fingertips. "Don't even get me started on advisors, please. I swear you're right, I never know what mood they'll be in at any given time."

Nikolai chuckled, then raised a hand towards Elsa's shoulder. She hesitated for a moment, and when Elsa simply relaxed and nodded, gently clasped the blonde's shoulder.

"How about I get your mind off of them, since I got it there in the first place? I do need to show you the reason why I took over your barracks, after all."

Elsa met the brunette's gaze and smirked. "Very well, do show me what was so important you had to invade the barracks."

Nikolai glowered at the queen, who responded with a giggle that she covered with a hand. The dragoon shook the shoulder she still held before she released it, and walked somewhere else in the armory. Once she'd recovered from her mirth, Elsa followed, and noticed the covered mannequin that Nikolai stood in front of. She had her hands on her hips, and an awfully proud smile on her face as she looked at the model.

As Elsa stopped by her side, Nikolai glanced over at her, that proud smile still in place. For a beat, they simply stayed like that, before the dragoon's smile grew and she walked up to the mannequin. She grasped the cloth that covered it with her hands, took one more look over her shoulder at the queen, and kept her eyes there as she quickly pulled the canvas off with a flourish.

Elsa immediately gasped at what the mannequin wore.

It was like something out of a history book, or maybe a fantasy novel. Armor made from teal-dyed leather, tailored amidst black cloth pants and tunic, and designed as much for protection as for movement. Both shoulder pads were stitched with the crocus in black on the forward side, and the edges were lined with gold. The chest piece was formed of interwoven strips of the teal leather, and covered with a black coat, which in itself had teal edges and gold buttons.

Elsa looked at the head of the mannequin and noticed the coat had a hood; lined with teal like the rest of the coat, but also bore gold filigree. When she looked back down at the torso of the armor, the bracers on the forearms caught her eye. More teal leather formed the armor there, atop the black sleeves, and was lined with gold. Whereas the shoulder pads had crocuses stitched into their fronts, the bracers had ornate filigree embossed into their tops, which were filled in with black.

There was even armor from the waist down, as well. A simple belt with a gold colored belt buckle, with the image of a crocus as well formed into the gold; a typical belt of the Royal Guard, but still a nice touch. Hung from the belt were faulds, made of armor rather than the usual plate that would be attached to a cuirass. The faulds were dyed teal as well, while lined with gold. There was no armor on the thighs, but greaves of leather encircled the lower legs. The greaves were teal as well, but unlike the faulds, were lined with black instead.

All in all, it was a tailoring masterpiece, and the queen was in awe of it.

"I take it from your wide eyes and open mouth, that...you like it?"

The timid question brought Elsa out of her awed reverie, and she looked to Nikolai at her side. The dragoon had a shy look about her, shoulders just a bit higher than usual, and her eyes angled upward over pleading blues. There was a smile, but it was small and almost as timid as the tone she'd asked with. It was obvious that Nikolai desperately wanted Elsa's opinion on the armor, for whatever reason/

Why would she be so invested in my opinion? Unless...no, don't tell me...

Elsa turned to face Nikolai fully as she looked her in the eye. "Did you...Nikolai, did you make this?"

The dragoon tried to shrug it off, but Elsa could see the blush in her cheeks.

"Y-yeah, I did, with a little help from Yuna, but the overall design was my idea."

Elsa laughed breathily as she glanced back at the armor. "Regardless of how much help you had, Nikolai, this armor is a stunning piece of work. You should be proud, and I can only imagine how ecstatic its owner will be upon receiving it."

Out of the corner of her eye, Elsa saw Nikolai chuckle and carefully put a hand on the shoulder she'd gotten permission for before.

"Well then, Elsa, how ecstatic are you?"

Elsa frowned for a moment, then her eyes widened, and she looked back to Nikolai so quickly that her braid flew from her back onto her shoulder. She stared at the dragoon for a moment, and tried to find any semblance of jest in her eyes or expression. But the brunette merely smiled and kept her eyes on the blonde's, and gently squeezed her shoulder. The standoff lasted for some time, before, with a sigh, Elsa finally relented and blinked away her shock.

"You're serious, aren't you? This armor...it's for me?"

The wonder in her tone must've been palpable, as Nikolai's smile softened, and she squeezed the queen's shoulder once more before she released it.

"Indeed it is, Elsa. You have a dragon, one that we plan to rescue, and you'll need proper dragon rider armor. Not only will it protect you from any untoward events that may transpire on our trip, but it'll help disguise you from those who wouldn't take well to your presence. Besides..."

Nikolai's cheerful demeanor shifted suddenly, and Elsa blinked as she watched a tenser, almost...bristled one take its place. "I highly doubt we're the only people that will be on your dragon's trail, and I don't want to risk your safety nor his by you being spotted."

Elsa nodded, and was mildly impressed at Nikolai's foresight and caution. The dragoon had already made how much help she'd be clear when she temporarily saved the queen's life, but now she only continued to improve upon the clarity. Her careful consideration of how to execute their rescue mission, and the sheer craftsmanship of the armor before Elsa further helped the dragoon's case.

Anna has surely found an ally we desperately needed.

Elsa stepped closer to the armor to get a closer look at it. The details were only more pleasing to see up close, the colors seemed richer than she expected. The gold and teal seemed to almost pulse and shift within the leather, and the black looked almost so deep as to be abyssal. Everything about the armor seemed almost alive, and as she reached out to caress the leather on the torso, gasped as the blonde felt heat gently pulsate from the material. But more than that, Elsa felt a power, a warm, excited energy within the leather that happily brushed against her fingertips. Even more strange but astonishing, the queen felt her own magic respond and focus in her fingers where they touched the armor.

As frost slowly began to creep upon the torso of the armor, Elsa yelped and jumped back, which merely sparked a greater burst of frost to grow. The queen cleared her throat and pursed her lips before she waved a hand towards the armor, and the frost sparkled away into nothing. She ignored the tremor to her hand as she made the motion, and folded her hands before her. She lightly glared down at the floor as she turned her head towards Nikolai, but did not look up.

"How did you make this armor? I can't imagine you used mundane terms to make something so ornate so quickly."

She felt Nikolai step closer, but more to the armor than to her, as the dragoon maintained the respectful distance she'd imposed. "It was made with magic, mostly my own, but Yuna helped a little. Yours is not the only magic that can alter and re-sew clothing, though I'm amazed and very impressed that you mastered the technique so quickly on your own."

Elsa felt a strange warmth in her cheeks, and realized with a suppressed start that she was blushing. Luckily, Nikolai continued her explanation, which gave the blonde something to focus on instead.

"I'll admit, Yuna did most of the prettier work, the filigree and the crocus stitching and whatnot. I handled more of the armor and the like, though I did contribute a fair amount of energy to empower it. Trust me, there is very little that will hurt you so long as they hit the armor and not anywhere else."

Elsa remained still and quiet for a moment, then slowly lifted her gaze up to meet Nikolai's. The dragoon's blues seemed almost like they were waiting for her own to meet them, and the blonde pursed her lips. Nikolai searched her face for a moment, before she smiled and tilted her head, almost like a cheerful dog. The comparison almost made Elsa giggle, but she held it at bay and simply gave a small grin back.

"You are putting me into quite the bind here, Nikolai. You keep helping us freely, I may not be able to ever pay you back."

Nikolai chuckled and shook her head. "Elsa, please, please don't pay any more mind to the notion of paying me back. I only accept payment from people I think deserve to give their stuff away, if you know what I mean."

She winked, and Elsa succumbed to a giggle.

"Besides, you and your sister are two of the loveliest people I've ever met, and you've especially gotten a pull on my heartstrings. Any and all assistance I offer you will be absolutely free of charge; you are under no obligation whatsoever to compensate me."

The sober and sincere look on Nikolai's face as she said this all but melted the queen, as she struggled to withstand the brunt of the generosity. Elsa took a deep breath, then stepped closer to Nikolai as she held out a hand, palm downward, and smiled softly. The dragoon raised an eyebrow for only a moment, before her gentle expression from before came back, and she gently took Elsa's hand in her own. The blonde half expected for her to go for the typical kiss on the back of the hand, but the lack of forwardness to do so only emboldened the queen.

"Thank you very much, Nikolai. Though I must insist you allow me to spend time considering a possible compensation, one that I will at least wait before I give it. It would look poorly upon me if I didn't show you some sort of gratitude for all that you've already done, and all that I'm sure you'll do."

Nikolai smiled wider and she nodded. "Very well, Elsa, I suppose I can let you do that, hehehehe. As someone who tends to prize honor, I can only understand your need to return the favor."

The dragoon made to release her hand, but Elsa maintained her grip. The brunette looked up at her curiously, and when Elsa pursed her lips and nodded, her smile softened as she chuckled. Slowly, so slowly it was almost agony, Nikolai raised the soft pale hand in her grip. The whole time, Nikolai kept her eyes on Elsa's, as if she looked for permission as she continued. When the queen gave no sign for her to stop, the dragoon gently lifted Elsa's hand just as she tilted her head down.

Elsa could have sworn she felt fire in her skin when Nikolai's lips softly grazed the back of her hand.

The dragoon stood straight, and squeezed Elsa's hand gently before she released it. The blonde let the hand fall limp to her side, the other curled tightly against her chest. For some odd reason, Elsa felt an odd churning sensation in her chest, and for the life of her could not understand why. As she tried to scrutinize the feeling, the queen heard Nikolai clear her throat, and blinked herself out of it. When she finally looked up to meet the other woman's eyes, she found Nikolai still smiling.

She smiles almost as much as Anna does.

"If you'll excuse me, Elsa, I need to go and make sure the packing process is properly performed." She paused for a moment...then smirked, her eyebrows bunched over her eyes, and shook her head. "Well now, forgive me, that was more alliterative than I intended."

She couldn't help it; Elsa giggled, and her once limp, kissed hand rose to cover the sound. She wasn't expecting the ornery expression and self-aware admonishment, and it was genuinely amusing. Nikolai glared at her for only a second, before she chuckled and smiled.

"I'm a poet and I didn't know it, but as I was saying, I'll go ensure that how trip is well prepared. There will be towns and whatnot that we may end up stopping in, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."

The brunette paused again, but this time to press her arm against her chest and lightly bow to the young queen. "By your leave..."

Elsa rolled her eyes and smiled. "If you insist on being comically formal..." She stared at the ornery smirk on the dragoon's face, before she sighed and shook her head. "You may go, my good dragoon."

Nikolai's smirk grew into a full teeth smile, which the queen had quickly learned was a rare form of smile for the brunette. With a flourish that went anticlimactic with no cape for her to swoosh, the dragoon sauntered out of the armory. Elsa watched her leave with a shaking head and a smile, amused and amazed by the strange woman as she was. Though the dragoon's companions were surely as odd as they were outlandish, Nikolai was the oddest and most outlandish of them all.

A simmering, lingering tingle on the back of the hand she'd kept near her mouth suddenly became apparent once more, as silence filled in Nikolai's absence. Elsa glanced to her hand, that for all the world looked no different than before. It was just as firm as ever, and the skin was just as pale and well kept as ever. But somehow, for some reason, the back of her hand felt as if it prickled. Elsa stared at it for a moment, before she clutched the hand to her chest, and covered its back with her other hand.

"What new sorcery is this..." She whispered softly, and shook her head.

The young queen turned and looked back to the armor that remained still and gorgeous on the mannequin. A warm wave of gratitude swept over Elsa as she looked back to it, and she smiled. It was truly love craftsmanship, and the fact that it had been scraps of armor tossed together and magically reforged into the beautiful piece of work before her was astounding.

They even tailored it to my kingdom's style.

Elsa suddenly frowned and pursed her lips.

Drat, I should've asked Nikolai whose idea the design was...

The queen shook her head to whisk away the moot thought. It was of no consequence at the moment, she'd just have to remember to ask either Nikolai or Yuna later. Elsa approached the armor once more, and ran her hands from the shoulder pads, down the torso and onto the bracers. The magic in the armor followed the motions, and seemed just as eager for her touch now as it had been the first time. Her own magic still thrummed in her skin where she touched it.

Elsa smiled wide, and felt much like a child on the first day of Yule, as she prepared to don the armor.

A short while later, Elsa strolled out of the barracks, and felt more confident than even when she first formed her ice dress. The armor fit her perfectly, it wasn't too tight but nor did it hang loosely about her. The black cloth tunic and pants comfortably kept the armor from chafing, and balanced the overall outfit. As the blonde had donned the armor, she'd noticed that a thin leather hood and mask were a part of the ensemble. No doubt extra assurance for disguise purposes, but Elsa could assume how of use they'd be while she rode Birger.

A sensation she dearly missed...to the point of dreaming every now and again.

The young queen made straight for the stables, and dutifully ignored the shocked expressions of everyone who saw her. She'd turned many heads with the unique dresses she'd conjured for herself, but even without looking, Elsa knew that this was a new kind of astonishment. To see their queen armored, a mask and hood about her neck, no doubt led to the confusion and curiosity of many. Their mission was of a secretive nature, after all; the queen would prefer to break her dragon to the kingdom gently. But what few faces she saw seemed more proud or excited than anything.

Those particular looks only boosted Elsa's burgeoning confidence as the stables grew near.

Already standing outside of the stables, tacked and ready, three horses milled bout, with a fourth horse laden with many packs. Elsa's eyes widened as she took notice of the enormous Clydesdale, it's blue-black furred hide its most abnormal feature. She knew this particular breed was a draft breed, and so normally large and muscled; but this specimen seemed almost unnaturally so. The second horse, a piebald of white and auburn colors, wasn't nearly as outlandish but still had a...strange air about it, as if it wasn't natural either.

Then there was her sweet, poor Romeo, who seemed to try to stand taller and handsomer than usual.

Elsa smiled and shook her head.

Oh dear Romeo, you're magical in your own way.

Romeo himself seemed to notice her arrival, and tossed his head as he neighed in excitement. The sudden action got him a funny look from Nikolai, before the quarter horse broke free of a young Alan's grip and trotted over to his queen. Elsa couldn't help but giggle as the brown beast gently butted his head against her now armored chest, and she stroked his long face along the white stripe there. She whispered kind nothings to him, apologies for being away and well wishes for his break in the stable.

Elsa, still stroking Romeo along his face with one hand and scratching the underneath of his mouth, looked over just in time to see Yuna jab her elbow into Nikolai's stomach. The split second that she saw the dragoon's face before the strike almost seemed as if she stared at something. But now the two brunettes had a stare off as Yuna smirked up at her friend, who merely pouted and rubbed where she was hit. Elsa tilted her head curiously, and grabbed Romeo's slack reins and ambled him along with her back to the gathered group.

"Is something the matter?" She inquired as she raised an eyebrow at the dueling brunettes.

Yuna, without breaking eye contact, crossed her arms and raised both eyebrows at her friend. Nikolai's pout grew stronger...before she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Nothing, everything's fine..." She quickly scanned the blonde in the armor, and cleared her throat. "You uh, you–ahem, sorry. You look wonderful, I'm glad to see the armor fits well."

Elsa looked down at herself in the armor, a part of her still not quite able to believe it, really. She held out her hands in the leather gloves, and flexed her fingers within. Despite being new leather, the warmth of the magic in it had quickly loosened the material. She made a few more flexes, and smiled at the great use of movement afforded her. The queen glanced back up at Nikolai and nodded.

"As am I, and to be fair, I never imagined myself in armor of any kind before. This is new to me, but I am very intrigued in seeing how this goes. I..."

She hesitated, and her eyes dropped just a little. Some of her bangs had shaken loose amidst her getting dressed in her armor, and fell into her eyes with the motion. Elsa could still see the dragoon's face, however, and noticed the concern that appeared at the blonde's stall. She felt the brunette inch closer, but as always, preserved that respectful distance.

"I'll admit, I've spent a great deal of my life in the castle, and never leaving its confines. The one time I did, it was to run away to the North Mountain."

Nikolai sighed and nodded. "Yes, I've heard the rumors, and you'd already told me about your palace. But Elsa," she laid a gentle hand on the blonde's shoulder, still the same shoulder she'd allowed contact for before. "This mission of ours will be different, and better, I promise. I'll see to it myself, if I have to."

Elsa peeked up through her bangs to see Nikolai's smile, and felt her own small grin form in response. She'd been doing that an awful lot since the dragoon arrived; smile, that is. Some were bigger than others, but still, it was an odd but welcome change of pace.

Anna couldn't be the only person to do so forever anyhow.

Yuna stepped closer and even bumped lightly into Nikolai, bearing her own smile.

"Now that you guys have had your fun, are we ready to go? The horses are packed up, and we all seem properly geared. Any last measures, or are we set?"

Elsa subtly narrowed her eyes at Yuna, but sighed and nodded. "Beyond bidding my farewells to Anna and the others, I have little else to take care of."

Yuna faced the young queen and tilted her head. "Will your sister be keeping watch on things here for you? I can't imagine it's so simple for a queen to go gallivanting about the countryside."

Elsa chuckled and shook her head. "No, it's not simple, but Anna is both strong and, well, headstrong; and she's also the princess, so she'll be just fine. She won't be alone either, we've made sure of that."

Yuna crossed her arms and nodded, clearly satisfied with the queen's answer. Nikolai merely laughed at her friend's antics, then patted Elsa's shoulder gently and took her hand back.

"You go say your goodbyes, then, Yuna and I will triple check everything until you get back."

Elsa gazed appreciatively at the dragoon and nodded, before she turned and walked away to head for the castle. She thought she heard fervent whispering behind her, but it was in that language of theirs, so the blonde paid it no mind. She hurried into the large stone building, and searched for her sister. It wasn't that hard, actually, despite how vast the castle was. Though it wasn't exactly shouting, Elsa caught wind of fierce toned words in a familiar and beloved voice.

"She did, in fact, leave me in charge! Why is that so surprising?!"

As Elsa turned a corner, she saw the scene and had to keep herself from laughing. It was Lady Ashe—the physician—her arms crossed, and an eyebrow raised as she looked down at the princess. The redhead herself had her arms crossed as well, but all but pouted at the older woman as she leaned forward. The standoff would've been worrying for others, but the queen knew the two woman well enough to know there was no animosity at all. Odds were, the physician was merely teasing the princess; a freedom from being non-native to Arendelle that the brunette woman often took advantage of.

Elsa sighed and shook her head, a smirk tugging at her lips, as she approached. "Lady Ashe, I can assure you, Anna is correct."

Both participants in the stare blinked in surprise as they turned to regard Elsa in near unison. The simultaneous motion is what broke the blonde as she let herself giggle, a hand up to cover it as the pair started to sputter protests. Finally, she heard and sigh and looked up to see a sheepish Ashe, and an awfully triumphant looking Anna.

"My apologies, your majesty. I was merely teasing the princess, I assure you."

Elsa nodded. "I know you were, Ashe, it's one of your few hobbies, yes?"

Ashe rolled her eyes and sighed, while Anna giggled. "I made a mistake getting on friendlier terms with you two, didn't I?"

Anna lightly jabs Ashe's side with an elbow. "Oh come on, you know you love it. Besides..." Anna put her hands on her hips and puffed up, all proud like. "I'm your favorite, so everything will be fine while Elsa's away, right Ashe?"

Ashe glanced over at the young redhead and raised an eyebrow, who raised both of hers back. The older woman, without looking away from Anna, peeked at Elsa out of the corner of her eye and smirked.

"Funny...I'm pretty sure Sven was my favorite."

The brunette immediately spun on her heels and sprinted down the hall, right as Anna exclaimed an indignant, "Hey!"

Anna fumed for a moment, and Elsa was sure her sister was going to pursue the brunette. But instead the redhead lunged for her, and wrapped her in a hearty hug around the waist. Elsa grunted from the force of it, before she chuckled and hugged her sister back, and buried her nose in her hair. She felt Anna nuzzle into her shoulder, and they relaxed into the hug. So much went unspoken with the hug, but the pair both knew it didn't need to be voiced. If they were both behind honest, they were afraid to voice any of it aloud.

The last time Elsa left Arendelle hadn't gone that well, after all...

Elsa felt her sister tremble and squeezed her tighter. "I swear to you, Anna, I will come back. Though preferably with Birger in tow, no matter what, I'll come back to you. Even if I have to fight my way back...you won't lose me again."

She felt Anna take a shuddering breath, and squeeze back as well. "I know you will, I-I just..."

Anna sighed and pulled back a little, just enough to look her in the eye. Elsa felt her heart pang just at the sight of the mistiness of her sister's eyes. Anna pursed her lips before she shook her head, and her bangs fell out of place, then she hugged her tight again.

"I keep thinking about that man from the ball, and whoever else might be after Birger. What if they hurt him...what if they hurt you?" Anna scowled and huffed at the bangs in her eyes, only for them to fall back into her eyes. "I know Nikolai and Yuna will be with you, but still, we don't know what they're capable of...what if something goes wrong?"

Elsa pulled back from the hug to clasp her sister's hands tightly in her own. "Then we'll handle them, one way or another. We dealt with Hans, with Weselton and his men..." The blonde sighed and shook her head. "In a way, we dealt with ourselves."

Elsa squeezed Anna's hands one more time before she released them. "We can deal with this too, and we have allies now to help us. I won't let anything happen, not if I have any choice in the matter."

Anna smiled and nodded, then reached out and rested her hands on the shoulder pads of her armor. "I know you will, and I have a good feeling about Nikolai, I think we can trust her."

Elsa smiled and looked down at her armor. "She actually made this for me, she called it 'dragon rider armor'."

Anna frowned, then looked down at her outfit and gasped. "Oh my gosh! I didn't even notice at first, this looks amazing!"

Elsa couldn't help but laugh as her sister started to fawn over the armor, and patted the shoulder pads. "Indeed it does, she got help from her companion, Yuna. Apparently, Nikolai's magic can alter clothing like mine can; that's why they took over the barracks, to borrow material."

Anna laughed as she took her hands back. "Wow, who would've thought dragon magic can tweak clothing and heal people!"

Elsa stilled for a moment, her sudden stiffness so subtle that Anna failed to notice it. She looked down at the armor, and frowned as she ran a hand over the leather on her chest. Even though it didn't respond the way it had before as she wore it, its earlier enthusiasm at her touch rose where her fingertips settled. Was this...dragon magic what reacted to her touch so? If so, why? Because she herself was bonded to a dragon, or because Nikolai had infused her with her dragon magic in order to save her?

Elsa shook her head as she shelved those thoughts for now. They'd only serve to distract from the task at hand, and she remembered that the adventurers still awaited her outside. She looked back up to Anna, and smiled as she noticed her sister kept looking back between herself and the armor. No doubt, the redhead pictured herself in her own set.

"I really must go now, but I'll say again, to be safe...I will be okay, and with or without my dragon, I will come back."

Anna sobered a moment as she met her gaze and nodded. "And I'll be fine here while you're gone, Paine and Rikku volunteered to help around the place for good measure."

Elsa nodded, and went to turn before she paused and frowned. "Oh, also, do keep an eye on Alan. The council was not all too pleased with the attention I've afforded him so far."

She smirked, "They'll be way in over their heads if they try anything against him, and presume I won't do something. Plus, I'm sure Alan will be a big help too."

Elsa smiled, and hesitated once more, and realized she was terribly loath to leave her sister behind. As if she sensed this, Anna put a hand on her caped back and gave her a gentle push. They locked eyes for a brief moment, as the redhead nodded and smiled. The young queen pursed her lips and nodded in return, before she finally turned and left the castle.

As she returned to the courtyard, and approached the two women now astride their respective horses, Nikolai spotted her and waved.

"I hope the farewell wasn't too hard." The dragoon expressed, once the blonde stopped beside her horse.

Elsa sighed as she gripped her saddle. "It was hard, but...all will be well."

She paused as she pulled herself up, and gracefully swung over Romeo's side and settled on the seat. The motion was one she still practiced to better herself at, after the Thaw, and this was the best attempt she'd made so far. As the blonde looked up at her new companions, she chuckled at the awed expressions on their face. Clearly her practice paid off, if these veteran adventurers were so impressed.

"All right," The queen began, and the two brunettes all but snapped to attention. "We've dallied enough as it is."

They both nodded, and Nikolai eagerly gathered her reins. "Indeed, we should get moving, we need to find what's still left of your dragon's trail."

Elsa nodded, then looked northward to where the mountains lied; and where, somewhere, Birger's cave waited empty and quiet...

I'm coming, Birger.

"Let's go."

P.S. If you follow come-forth-into-the-light on Tumblr, I drew what I more or less imagine Elsa's suit to look like. I had to forgo the hood for the drawing, and it stops waist high, but still...hehehehehe