“Hi, guys!” Olaf said happily. He shook the rest of the sand from his body. His personal flurry popped up and hovered above his head. “Wow! Look at all this sand! I just love summer, don’t you?”
Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff broke into hearty laughter. Olaf was all right.
The group trudged back across the dunes.
“I wonder why this is just sitting here,” Kristoff said. He kicked the boat gently with the tip of his shoe. “That’s no way to take care of a boat.”
“I know,” Anna said. “It’s so strange. Why would anyone leave a boat in the middle of the desert?”
“Do you think it has something to do with the Summer Queen?” Elsa asked.
Anna and Kristoff shrugged.
“Oh, look!” Olaf interrupted. “A lake!”
Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff peered into the distance. There, many miles away, was what appeared to be a sparkling blue lake. It glimmered in the haze.
“I guess that explains the boat,” Kristoff said with a chuckle.
Elsa looked longingly at the lake. It would be the perfect place to stop and rest. If only they still had that wagon.
Suddenly, Elsa had an idea.
“What if we flip this boat over,” she said. “Then we can hook it up to Sven!”
“Just like a sled!” Kristoff said excitedly. “We can sit inside while Sven pulls us across the desert!”
“Great idea, Elsa!” Anna said.
Kristoff took two ropes from his rucksack. He tied one end of each rope to the boat. Then he tied the other ends to Sven’s bridle. Before long, they were ready to continue on their journey.
“All aboard, ladies,” Kristoff said merrily. He leaned over in a low bow. “And gentleman,” he added to Olaf. Olaf giggled.
Once everyone was safely inside the boat, Kristoff grabbed the reins. “Okay, Sven!” he called. “Let’s go!”
Sven snorted and they were off, sledding across miles and miles of sand.
Before long, Elsa began to feel very tired. Running across the dunes had been exhausting. She stretched out on the bottom of the boat. She closed her eyes and let out a big yawn. Just as she began to drift off to sleep, she felt the boat slide to stop.
“Why are we stopping?” Elsa asked.
Kristoff looked around, confused. “I don’t understand,” he said, scratching his head. “Where did the lake go?”
Elsa sat up and looked around. She was astonished. The lake had disappeared. There was only a dry, empty basin.
“Maybe it was a mirage,” Elsa said, disappointed.
“A mirage?” Anna asked. She plopped down on the shore of the dried-up lake.
“A mirage is a little like a magic trick,” Elsa explained. “It’s when you see things that aren’t really there.”
“Like a lake?” Kristoff said.
Elsa nodded. “Exactly.”
“Some magic,” Anna muttered. She lay back in the sand and covered her eyes with her hand.
“What’s wrong, Anna?” Elsa asked.
Anna sat up and sighed. “This trip isn’t turning out to be as much fun as I thought it would be,” she said. She looked at Sven, who was panting in the heat. “It isn’t safe. I think we should consider going home.”
“But we’re in Summer Land!” Olaf said. “Who could ever want to leave all this?” He waved his stick arms around.
Anna gave him a weak smile.
Elsa sat on the sand next to her sister. It wasn’t like Anna to give up. “I know you’re frustrated,” she said, “but the Summer Queen needs our help. If you hadn’t traveled to the North Mountain to help me, Arendelle might still be trapped in an eternal winter! We can’t let that happen to the people of Eldora.”
A smile began to spread across Anna’s face.
“You’re the bravest person I know,” Elsa continued. “We can do this together.”
Anna sat up and threw her arms around her sister’s neck. “Oh, Elsa, you’re right,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“More hugs!” Olaf said. He waddled over and placed his stick arms around the sisters. “Come on, Sven.”
Sven let out a quiet whinny and joined the group hug, too.
“Uh, guys?” Kristoff interrupted.
“Just a minute, Kristoff,” Anna said. “We’re kind of having a moment here.” She continued hugging her sister.
“Guys!” Kristoff said a little more urgently. “I think we need to go. Now.”
“What is it, Kri—”
Elsa turned just in time to see a huge wild boar, sneering and snarling at them. The boar looked a bit like a pig, only much bigger and hairier. On either side of its mouth were two long, razor-sharp white tusks. As Kristoff began to back away from the boar, Olaf ran straight at it.
“Oh, look! How cute!” Olaf said happily. He reached out a stick arm. “I think I’ll pet this little guy.…”
“Olaf, no!” Kristoff grabbed Olaf just as the boar lunged forward. “Careful. I’m not sure this pig is very friendly.”
Elsa stood slowly. She didn’t want to make any sudden movements. But as she started to back away, she noticed more beady eyes staring at her. The boar wasn’t alone. A whole herd of beasts had wandered out of the desert. They must have snuck up behind the group as they sat beside the dried-up lake.
“Use your powers, Elsa!” Anna hissed. She gave Elsa’s shoulder a nudge.
Elsa reached out an arm, and a wall of ice shot up from the ground, forming a barrier between her friends and the boar. Elsa sighed in relief. Then she watched in dismay as the ice began to melt under the glare of the Eldora sun.
“Oh, no,” Elsa said. “Not again!”
“What’s wrong, Elsa?” Anna asked. “Why isn’t it working?”
“The Summer Queen!” Elsa said. “Her magic is so strong. Nothing stays frozen in this heat!”
Elsa realized that her attempts to make ice had only confused and angered the boar. Now the entire growling, snarling herd was closing in.
Olaf took a few steps forward. “Guys, it’s fine,” he said. “You go ahead. I’ll distract them.”
Sven snorted and raised a hairy eyebrow in protest.
“I don’t think so, Olaf,” Kristoff said softly. “When I say so, everyone is going to run back to the boat, okay? Ready? Go!”
Elsa and Anna raced to the boat as fast as their legs would carry them. Once everyone was inside, Kristoff snapped the reins. “Go, Sven!” he hollered. “GO!”
Sven let out a loud whinny and took off, dragging the boat across the dunes.
“Keep trying, Elsa!” Anna shouted.
Elsa leaned out of the boat, still attempting to use her powers. But each time she formed a wall of ice, it began to melt right away. The boars charged straight through it.
“I’m trying, Anna!” Elsa called out. She summoned her powers again and again, frantically trying to keep the pack of boars at bay. But she couldn’t make the ice quickly enough to slow the boars down.
“Hold on, guys!” Kristoff shouted. “We’re almost out of here!”
The little wooden boat crested over one last huge sand dune. Beyond the sand, Elsa could see small patches of grass and pointy shrubs. In the distance, she saw rolling brown hills and mountains. They were approaching the edge of Eldora’s desert. She could just make out the rooftops of the royal city. “Finally!” she cried.
Suddenly, an arrow sailed in a wide arc over Elsa’s head.
“Look at that!” Olaf said, his mouth hanging open in wonder.
Elsa turned to look over her shoulder. The arrow had landed in the sand, narrowly missing one of the beasts. One by one, the boars retreated into the desert, afraid to continue their advance.
Elsa breathed a sigh of relief as the boat slowed to a stop. They had reached the Eldora hills.
“That was another close call,” Anna said, stepping out of the boat. She walked over to Sven and gently patted his head. “Where did that arrow come from?”
“I have no idea,” Elsa replied. She
climbed out of the boat and looked around. In the distance she could see a magnificent castle nestled into the side of a mountain. It sparkled in the sunlight.
“Wow! Look at that!” Elsa said with a smile. She was finally going to meet the Summer Queen! Just as she took a few steps forward, she saw a young villager approaching. He was carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows.
“Sorry about the boars!” the villager called out cheerfully, waving the quiver above his head.
“It was you!” Elsa said gratefully. “You’re the one who shot the arrow!”
“Nice work!” Kristoff agreed.
The villager smiled. “I’m Alvan. Welcome to the village of Eldora!”
“Thank you, Alvan,” Elsa said. “I’m Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and these are my friends.”
“Your Majesty,” Alvan said, bending into a deep bow. “Forgive me, but I must return to my post. It’s my job to make sure that no wild animals enter the town.” With that, Alvan disappeared around a corner, leaving Elsa and her friends to explore.
Elsa took in the town. It was different from anything she’d ever seen. In Arendelle, all the houses had pointy roofs. But in Eldora, the roofs were flat. In Arendelle, the streets were made of bricks and cobblestones. In Eldora, the streets were dusty. In Arendelle, the castle was made of gray stones and green turrets. The buildings in Eldora were beautiful, but every one of them was brown.
“Look at that,” Elsa said. “It looks like the entire village is made of…sand!”
“Not for long,” Anna said with a wink. “Let’s go help this Summer Queen.”
Elsa and her friends set off for the castle, traveling along a dusty dirt road. Soon they happened upon another young villager. He was a shepherd, tending to his flock. A baby lamb wandered over to Olaf and gave him a playful lick on the cheek.
“Hey, that tickles!” Olaf said with a giggle.
Elsa and Anna laughed.
“Sorry about that,” the shepherd said with a smile. “My sheep love meeting new people. It appears as though your sheep enjoys meeting new people, too.”
“Please don’t worry,” Elsa said. “Only, this isn’t a sheep. This is Olaf.”
The shepherd furrowed his brow and gave Olaf a quizzical look.
“I’m Olaf, and I like warm hugs,” Olaf said, waving his stick arms to say hello.
The shepherd raised his eyebrows in surprise and took a few timid steps in Olaf’s direction. Elsa leaned in and lowered her voice. “He’s a snowman,” she explained.
As Olaf and the shepherd got acquainted, Elsa looked around at the flock of fluffy white sheep. She knew that sheep’s wool was used to make warm clothes and blankets. She couldn’t imagine needing any of those things in Eldora, though. It was just too hot! She could feel the sweat beading up on her forehead again.
“We should keep going,” Elsa said to her friends.
Anna agreed. “Maybe when we get to the castle, we can have a cool drink.”
Elsa and her friends continued. They walked until they came upon an old woman sitting in front of a large contraption. It was shaped like a giant wooden picture frame. Hundreds of tiny threads stretched across the frame from one end to the other.
“Excuse me,” Elsa said to the woman. “May I ask what you’re making?”
The old woman smiled. “Greetings. I’m Farah. I’m using this loom to weave a carpet,” she said. The woman picked up a small metal hook and used it to weave pieces of yarn through the strings. At the bottom of the loom, Elsa could see the beginnings of a beautiful blue-and-gold rug. It reminded her of the carpets she had seen in the marketplace near the harbor.
“This is lovely, Farah,” Elsa said, carefully running her fingertips along the threads. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to weave.”
The woman scooted over and patted the ground next to her. “Have a seat,” she said kindly. “I’ll show you how.”
“Really?” Elsa said eagerly.
Farah nodded, and Elsa sat beside her. The woman handed Elsa the metal hook. Then she guided Elsa’s hand over and under the threads, helping her weave the yarn.
“That’s very good work,” Farah said, nodding in approval. “You’re a natural.”
“Thank you,” Elsa said. “You’re a very good teacher.”
Elsa stood and gave the old woman a polite smile before continuing on her way.
“You know,” Kristoff said, leaning in close to Elsa, “for a town trapped in an eternal summer, the villagers of Eldora all seem to be in excellent spirits.”
“I know,” Elsa said. “It’s strange.”
“No one seems the least bit worried,” Anna agreed.
“Why would anyone be worried?” Olaf asked innocently.
Anna smiled. “Maybe they’ve been trapped in an eternal summer for so long that they don’t remember what the other seasons are like.”
Elsa was wondering if that could be true when she turned the corner. She gasped.
In front of her was a massive wall with two huge wooden gates. They had finally reached the entrance to the castle. In front of the gates stood two guards. They wore impressive-looking uniforms and carried long swords, sheathed at their hips. “I guess we’re about to find out,” Elsa said.
She approached the guards. Then she cleared her throat and summoned her most important-sounding voice.
“I’m Queen Elsa of Arendelle,” she announced. “I’ve come to meet the Summer Queen.”
One of the guards bent in a noble bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Queen Elsa. Unfortunately, the Queen of Eldora is not at home. We expect her back shortly, but she has been traveling in foreign lands.”
Elsa looked at her friends. Was the Summer Queen’s magic powerful enough to cause an eternal summer from as far away as foreign lands? And if not, who was responsible for all this magic?
Elsa heard the faint sound of a trumpet playing.
In the distance, she saw orange and gold flags waving in the hot summer breeze. Behind the flags, she saw a caravan of horses and camels. They were traveling out of the desert, into town.
“You’re in luck, Queen Elsa,” the guard said. “Here comes our queen now.”
Elsa felt her stomach flip-flop with anticipation. After a long journey, she was finally going to meet the Summer Queen! Her mind was flooded with thoughts. Would the Summer Queen be nice? Would she be welcoming? Would Elsa be able to help her and save Eldora?
As Elsa watched the caravan approach, she heard another trumpet. This one was much closer. She tilted her face to the sky and saw a knight with a long horn standing on top of the castle walls. Suddenly, the town of Eldora came alive! Villagers streamed out of their homes and lined up on either side of the road. Everyone was cheering and clapping. Elsa was reminded of the day she had left Arendelle, when all of her villagers had come out to wish her farewell.
“It doesn’t look like anyone is afraid of the Summer Queen,” Anna whispered to Elsa.
Elsa thought back to her coronation, when she had accidentally covered the Great Hall in ice. The villagers of Arendelle had been frightened. But the Eldora townspeople didn’t seem frightened at all. “Everyone seems really…excited,” she said. “How strange.”
Elsa stood on her tiptoes to get a glimpse of the Summer Queen. She was curious to know what she looked like, but it was difficult to see. Villagers crowded around Elsa, elbow to elbow, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their queen.
“Do you want to climb onto Sven’s back?” Kristoff asked. “You might have a better view that way.”
Just as Elsa was about to take Kristoff up on his offer, the crowd parted. Elsa saw a beautiful woman about her age, riding a large black horse. The woman had long dark hair, styled in a lovely braid. Her eyes were the color of chocolate. She was dressed in a shimmery orange dress. It was the color of saffron, one of the spices Elsa had seen in the market.
The woman slid down from her horse and waved happily to the villagers. She walked toward the palace, stopping to greet one of the
guards.
“Omar,” the woman said with a small nod. “How is everyone in Eldora?”
“Queen Marisol,” the guard said with a bow. “The villagers of Eldora are well. They are grateful for your safe return.”
Queen Marisol, Elsa said to herself. The Summer Queen has a beautiful name!
Suddenly, the queen looked into the crowd and locked eyes with Elsa. “And who do we have here, Omar?” she asked.
“Queen Marisol, this is Queen Elsa of Arendelle,” Omar said. “And these are her friends. They have traveled all the way from Arendelle to meet you.”
Marisol’s eyes grew wide, and a huge smile spread across her face. “Of course!” she said, clapping her hands together. “I’ve been hearing all about the beautiful white-haired queen, her sister, and the strange little snowman since dropping anchor in the Eldora harbor! I must have been traveling right behind you this whole time!” Marisol reached down and patted Olaf on the head. She pulled her hand away in wonder. “Oh! He’s so cold!”
Olaf giggled.
Elsa, meanwhile, was delighted. Queen Marisol seemed so…nice. And she didn’t seem to be having trouble controlling her powers at all. Although the air was still unbearably hot.
“I’m so happy you’ve come,” Marisol continued. “I trust you’ve had a pleasant journey?”
Anna let out a chuckle. Elsa thought she knew why. Their journey had definitely been exciting, but it hadn’t always been pleasant. Elsa gave her sister a gentle poke in the ribs.
“Yes, thank you. It has certainly been an adventure,” Elsa said diplomatically. “Queen Marisol, this is my sister, Anna, Princess of Arendelle. You’ve already met Olaf. These are our friends Kristoff and Sven.”
Marisol greeted each of Elsa’s friends kindly. Then she turned to speak to the villagers of Eldora. “I’d like to formally welcome our new friends from Arendelle. The castle will host a feast tonight in their honor!”
The villagers of Eldora erupted into whoops, hollers, and cheers. Marisol turned back to Omar. “Now please, open the gates!” she cried.
Anna & Elsa Page 3