“Could this be the work of the Summer Queen?” Anna whispered to Elsa.
“I don’t know,” Elsa said, looking around at the sailors. Everyone was working very hard. They were sweating a lot, too. “But I’ve got to do something to keep people cool in this heat.”
Elsa tapped her foot on the ship’s deck. In an instant, the deck was covered with a thin layer of snow. The air immediately felt cooler. Elsa smiled. But her smile soon turned into a frown. Each time the ship rocked in the waves, sailors would slip and slide from one end of the boat to the other. They struggled to keep their balance. One of them even tripped on a snowdrift and fell on his rump!
Kristoff, standing next to Elsa, crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think that’s going to work,” he said under his breath.
“You’re right,” Elsa agreed. She tapped her foot again. In a matter of moments, all of the snow disappeared.
Elsa looked around. A young sailor named Bjarne was carrying a large carafe of hot glögg. She motioned for him to approach her. In Arendelle, hot glögg kept the sailors toasty and warm in the snowy weather. But in sunny Eldora, it was just too hot to drink.
Elsa raised her hands and the carafe magically filled with ice cubes. She smiled again. “That should work,” she said confidently. But to her surprise, the ice cubes immediately began to melt.
“What’s wrong with your magic, Elsa?” Anna asked, concerned.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Elsa said. “It’s just that keeping everyone cool is harder than I thought it would be.”
The sisters exchanged a worried look. Could it be that the Summer Queen’s magic was even more powerful than Elsa’s?
Elsa scratched her head and tried to think it through. Then she heard Olaf talking to Sven. Olaf was going on and on about how much he loved summer. Elsa smiled. She loved that Olaf was always cheerful. He was also kind. And he loved warm hugs.
That was when Elsa got an idea. “Everyone!” she cried. “Hug Olaf!”
Most of the sailors looked at Elsa like she was crazy. But she rushed over to Olaf, dropped down on one knee, and gave him a big, sweet hug. She breathed yet another sigh of relief as her body cooled.
“Elsa! You’re a genius!” Anna exclaimed. She ran over to give Olaf a hug, too.
Kristoff chuckled. “Nice work, Elsa,” he said. He walked over and stretched out his arms in Olaf’s direction. “Come here, buddy.”
“Aww, you guys,” Olaf said, delighted by all the attention. “I like you, too!”
Olaf gave Kristoff a nuzzle. Then he stretched out his stick arms and turned to face the rest of the crew. “Well,” he said, excited. “Who’s next?”
One by one, the sailors took turns hugging the snowman. With a body made entirely of snow and protected by his very own cloud flurry, Olaf was the only cold thing on the ship.
“Your Majesty,” the captain said to Elsa, “we’ll have to drop anchor here.”
Elsa nodded. They had finally reached Eldora’s harbor. The water was dotted with small, brightly colored fishing boats. Teams of Eldoran fishermen hauled nets filled with wriggling fish on board. Behind the boats, Elsa could see the coast. “How will we get to shore?” she asked the captain.
He pointed to a small wooden rowboat on the ship’s deck. “We’ll lower the rowboat into the water. One of my sailors will row you and your friends to shore.”
“Thank you,” Elsa said kindly.
The sailors worked together, slowly lowering the small boat into the water. Then they hung a rope ladder off the side of the ship. One by one, Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and Kristoff climbed down the ladder and stepped into the rowboat. Elsa looked back up at the mighty ship. Sven was still standing on the deck.
“It’s okay, Sven!” Kristoff hollered. “Just jump. I’ll catch you.”
Sven raised one of his bushy eyebrows. Then he backed up a few paces. With a running start, Sven leapt off the ship. He landed safely in the rowboat, but he created a giant splash! Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa got soaked.
“Well, I finally feel refreshed,” Anna said, laughing and wringing water from her hair.
As one of the sailors began to row, Elsa looked out across the harbor. She took note of how different things were in Eldora. There were no snowcapped mountains or grassy fields. The land looked very flat. Also, the fishermen were dressed in unusual clothing. Instead of fur-trimmed vests and wool pants like Kristoff’s, they wore long, flowing shirts. Some of them wore colorful scarves wrapped around their heads.
Elsa touched her white-blond braid. She looked at Anna’s red hair.
“No one in Eldora looks like us,” Elsa whispered to her sister. It seemed as though everyone in Eldora had dark brown or black hair.
Anna nodded. “I know. No one is wearing a magical dress, either.”
Elsa looked down at her sparkly blue dress. She looked back at her sister, and the girls burst into a fit of giggles.
Meanwhile, Olaf was overcome with excitement. “Oh, Summer Land is just like I imagined!” he said with glee. “It’s so warm and sunny!” He waved merrily to the fishermen.
The fishermen of Eldora stared back, wide-eyed in disbelief.
“You know, Elsa,” Anna said, leaning closer to her sister, “I don’t think the fishermen of Eldora have ever seen a snowman before.” She lowered her voice. “Especially not one who can walk and talk!”
“Anna,” Elsa said, smiling, “I think you’re right.”
Elsa stepped out of the rowboat and onto dry land. Right away, she sensed trouble.
“This place looks just like Arendelle did when you set off that eternal winter, Elsa,” Anna said. “But instead of a blanket of snow, Eldora is covered in sand!”
Anna was right. No grass, no trees, no bushes, and no shrubs. With each step Elsa took, her foot sank into the sand. It was an awful lot like walking on snow, only warmer.
“This is more serious than I thought,” she said. “I’m glad we came.”
“Wait for me!” Olaf called behind them.
Elsa turned to see Olaf surrounded by a group of Eldoran fishermen. Each of them took turns giving him a hug. Then they tossed him joyfully in the air. Olaf had already made some new friends. Elsa could hear him giggling all the way down the beach.
Elsa waited for Olaf to catch up. “Isn’t it wonderful?” he said after rejoining the group from Arendelle. “It’s so hot!”
“Probably a little too hot,” Kristoff said. He took off his vest and draped it over his shoulder.
“I love summer!” Olaf said cheerfully.
Elsa looked at Anna. She let out a small sigh. “I think Olaf loves summer so much, he can’t see the trouble with an eternal summer,” she whispered. “In fact, I’m not sure Olaf sees trouble in much of anything.” She patted him gently on the head.
Farther up the beach, Elsa and her friends came across a young fishmonger. He was loading fish into a wheeled cart.
“Hello,” the fishmonger said with a smile. “I’m Kamal. Welcome to Eldora!”
“Nice to meet you, Kamal,” Kristoff said.
“Yeah, nice to meet you, Kamal,” Olaf echoed. He stretched out his stick arms. “Would you like a hug, too?”
Kamal let out a surprised yelp. Obviously, he had never seen a snowman before, either.
Kristoff smiled. “Don’t worry about Olaf,” he said. “He’s harmless.” Kristoff reached over to shake Kamal’s hand. But a puzzled look suddenly spread across his face.
“Where’s your ice?” Kristoff asked. He pointed to the fish in Kamal’s cart, which was baking in the hot Eldora sun.
Elsa knew that in Arendelle, fish was always packed in ice. That way it stayed fresh for a long time. But when she peered into Kamal’s cart, she didn’t see any ice anywhere.
“Ice?” Kamal said. “I wish. We don’t have ice in Eldora. We keep our fish fresh with water from the sea.” With that, Kamal poured a bucket of salty seawater right on top of the fish.
“No ice in Eldora?” Kristoff s
aid. He looked stunned.
Sven snorted in agreement. What a strange land Eldora was turning out to be.
“Kamal, I’m Queen Elsa of Arendelle,” Elsa said.
Kamal’s eyes grew wide and he dropped into a low bow. “Please forgive me, Your Majesty,” he said. “I didn’t know I was speaking with royalty.”
Elsa smiled kindly. Sometimes she forgot that most people weren’t used to meeting a queen. She gently took Kamal by the arm and raised him from his bow.
“My friends and I are here to meet the Summer Queen,” she said. “We’d like to help rid Eldora of its eternal summer!”
Kamal looked at Elsa strangely. “Well, it certainly feels eternal,” he said, wiping sweat from his brow. “But the castle is several days’ journey from here. And the gates to the royal city aren’t even open.”
Elsa was surprised. She looked at Anna, not sure what to do next.
“It’s just like back when our parents decided to shut the gates of Arendelle!” Anna whispered.
Elsa closed her eyes and thought back to a time long before, when Arendelle’s gates were closed. She was never allowed outside the palace. She hardly ever saw her sister. It had been safer for her to avoid everyone entirely. She had also been terribly lonely. Elsa felt sorry for the Summer Queen. She was probably lonely, too.
“Kamal?” Elsa asked, opening her eyes. “Can you tell us how to get to the castle?”
“Certainly, Your Majesty,” Kamal said. “First, you’ll want to stop at the marketplace. You can purchase supplies for your travels there.” He pointed to a bustling open-air market not far from the beach.
Sven whinnied and nuzzled his head against Kristoff’s arm.
“Yes, I’m sure they have carrots at the market,” Kristoff whispered to the hungry reindeer.
“All right,” Elsa said to Kamal. “Then what?”
“Then you’ll cross the Eldora desert. It’s a long journey.” At this point, Kamal’s eyes came to rest on Olaf. “Especially if you’re, uh, traveling on foot.”
“I love long journeys!” Olaf said innocently.
Meanwhile, Elsa shot Anna a worried look.
“Finally, you’ll reach the hills of Eldora,” Kamal continued. “That’s where you’ll find the castle.”
“Thank you, Kamal,” Elsa said. “You’ve been very helpful.”
“Good luck with your fish!” Kristoff said.
Elsa and her friends waved goodbye to Kamal and walked on.
To Elsa’s delight, Eldora’s marketplace was an explosion of colors and aromas. Stall after stall was filled with fruits, vegetables, fish, and meats. Others contained coffee and tea. Still more were piled high with exotic spices, such as bright orange saffron and deep red paprika. The rich scents wafted through the air, tickling Elsa’s nose.
As she strolled through the market, Elsa noticed the merchants smiling brightly. “The people of Eldora are certainly friendly,” she said.
Anna nodded. “Well, I would be friendly, too! Look at these amazing carpets! And these fabrics and shoes!”
Anna skipped through the market. There were handwoven rugs in every color of the rainbow. There were leather goods—belts and bags and purses. It seemed the Eldora market contained everything anyone could imagine. As she turned a corner, Anna almost skipped right into Kristoff. He was admiring a large wooden wagon.
“Look at this craftsmanship,” Kristoff said, shaking his head in wonder. He carefully traced his finger along the beautifully carved wood. “This is almost as nice as my sled back home.”
“It’s lovely,” Anna agreed. “But don’t you think it’s a little big for a souvenir?”
“No, silly,” Kristoff chuckled. “Kamal said it would be a long journey on foot, remember? This way, Sven can pull us across the desert.”
“That’s a great idea, Kristoff!” Elsa chimed in. She turned to a nearby merchant. She wanted to buy the wagon for their journey. But just as she was going to say hello, the merchant’s eyes widened in terror. He closed his shutters right in Elsa’s face.
Elsa was confused. Everyone in Eldora had been so warm and welcoming. She was surprised to see someone act rudely.
“Elsa! Look!” Anna cried.
Elsa turned and saw a huge dark cloud in the distance.
“Is it a thunderstorm?” Anna asked.
Elsa shook her head. “It can’t be.” Elsa pointed at the cloud. Instead of being up in the sky, the cloud was hovering right above the ground.
Elsa looked down at her feet. Sand had started to blow around in the breeze. That was when she realized what the cloud meant—a sandstorm! Elsa wrapped her cloak around her face to shield her eyes.
“Oh, no!” Anna cried. “The Summer Queen! She must be upset about something!”
“Her powers are obviously very strong,” Elsa agreed.
“What should we do?” Anna asked.
Elsa looked around. She knew it was too late to buy the wagon—the merchants had closed their stalls and packed up their wares in a hurry. She also knew that she and her friends would need shelter when the sandstorm hit, but she didn’t see any place to hide.
“We could try to outrun the storm,” Kristoff suggested.
“Do you think that’s possible?” Anna asked.
Kristoff shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure. But I think it might be worth a try. What do you all think?”
Anna nodded. Sven gave an encouraging snort. Olaf smiled. “Sounds exciting!” he said.
“I guess it’s settled, then,” Elsa said. “We’ll have to continue on foot.”
Elsa and her friends traveled as quickly as they could manage, trying to get ahead of the storm. But the longer they walked, the more concerned Elsa became. Every few moments, she looked over her shoulder. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, the sky was growing darker by the second. The storm cloud was gaining on them.
“I don’t think we’re going fast enough,” Anna said. She pulled her cloak tighter around her head and face. “Maybe we should pick up the pace?”
“Maybe we should turn around!” Kristoff shouted. He had to raise his voice to be heard above the howling wind.
Elsa glanced over her shoulder again. She couldn’t see the market anymore. In fact, she could barely see anything. She was just about to tell Kristoff when she stubbed her toe on something. Hard. “Ow!” she cried out. “What in the world?”
Elsa knelt and felt around in the growing darkness. To her surprise, it was a wooden boat, upside down and abandoned in the sand.
“What’s a boat doing in the middle of the desert?” Anna hollered.
“I don’t know!” Elsa yelled back. It was getting harder and harder to see or hear.
All of a sudden, she felt her feet start to rise off the ground. She was getting swept away by the wind!
“Anna!” Elsa cried. “Help!” She reached out to grab hold of her sister.
“I’m trying!” Anna hollered. She stretched out an arm, leapt into the air, and snatched Elsa’s hand. “Gotcha!”
“Come on!” Kristoff yelled. “Follow me!”
Kristoff knelt in the sand and crawled beneath the boat. Elsa, Anna, and Sven followed. The upside-down boat was just like a little house. It was the perfect place to seek shelter from the storm.
“Wow! That was close,” Anna said, shaking sand from her hair and dress.
Elsa nodded. “Another good idea, Kristoff.” She began to relax. Her sister, Sven, and Kristoff were all safe. Then Elsa turned in a panic.
“Oh, no!” she said. “Where’s Olaf?”
Elsa waited anxiously for the sandstorm to subside. It was too dangerous to look for Olaf while the storm was raging. When she could no longer hear the howling of the wind, Elsa crawled from the boat and into the light.
“Wow!” Elsa said. The sun was so bright, it was practically blinding. She blinked a few times. Then she looked around and let out a gasp. There was sand everywhere—as far as she could see in every direction!
; Anna, Kristoff, and Sven crawled out and stood next to Elsa. Anna squinted. Kristoff raised a hand to his forehead to shield his eyes from the sun.
“And I thought there was a lot of sand on the beach!” Anna said.
“No kidding,” said Kristoff. “This must be the desert Kamal told us about.”
Kristoff walked over to Sven and fished a carrot from his pocket. Sven snorted and took a hungry bite.
“We must have wandered pretty far in the storm,” Anna said. “I can’t even see the market anymore.”
“I know,” Elsa said. “I can’t see much of anything…except sand.”
Elsa furrowed her brow. She was worried about Olaf. How would they ever find him in the middle of a desert?
Anna reached out and grabbed her sister’s hand. “Don’t worry, Elsa,” she said. “We’ll find him. Remember, Olaf loves summer.”
Anna was right. Wherever he was, Olaf was probably loving the hot sand.
Elsa and her friends began racing up and down the sand dunes. They shouted Olaf’s name and scanned the horizon.
“Look!” Kristoff shouted. “What is that?”
In the haze, Elsa could barely make out a small, round object on top of one of the dunes. It was brown, the same color as the sand. In the distance, it looked like a statue.
“That’s odd,” Elsa said. “What could it be?”
“I don’t know,” Kristoff said. “Let’s check it out!”
Elsa and her friends sprinted toward the object. As she got closer, Elsa began to realize that the statue looked a lot like Olaf. It had the same round body. It had the same pointy nose. She held her breath in anticipation.
“Olaf?” she said timidly. She tiptoed toward the figure until she was standing right next to it.
Suddenly, the statue started to move! Sand flew into the air and landed everywhere. Underneath the sand was something round and white. Olaf!
Anna & Elsa Page 2