There was silence as Anna took the information in. "What?"

"It all fits Anna!" Elsa looked at her, the pain evident in her eyes. "All of these deaths either happened in winter or somewhere the victims wound up cold. Remember how Soren was cold when he died? That was Áno's doing!"

"And what do you plan on doing now?"

Elsa pushed off of the wall, but kept her head down nonetheless.

"I need to talk to him. I can help him."

"What do you mean help him?"

"These were all accidents Anna. They have to be."

"Are you kidding me?" Anna held the sheet out in front of her sister and ran her finger down the list. "All of these people died over the span of years Elsa! If it was - like here, three people died over the span of two days. That may have been an accident; maybe he set off an eternal winter -"

"Like me?" Elsa raised an eyebrow and gave the redhead a sad smile.

"- yes. But you only did it once! How many winters do you think he could have accidentally set off? He meant it Elsa!"

"Do you think I meant it?" Anna saw an emotion flicker behind Elsa's eyes as she pointed to herself. Anger? "Do you know how many times I came close to doing something like that before the coronation? He didn't have anyone to protect him Anna!"

Anna took a second to compose herself and to let Elsa do the same before continuing.

"Fine, but he seemed in control when you met him wasn't he? Then what happened to Soren?"

"Áno lacks precision Anna, remember, maybe that's what happened."

Anna scoffed. "But Soren drowned! He wasn't - I dunno - hit by an exploding snowball! And that doesn't mean anything. How could he keep having accidents over so many years? This is, like, over half his life! Answer me that Elsa!"

"I almost killed you twice over thirteen years!"

Silence filled the corridor again as both sisters looked down, ashamed of themselves. Elsa also took the time to peer down both hallways. Fortunately they hadn't been overheard.

"Elsa, just... be careful, okay? I know how you feel about him but - you know..."

Elsa smiled. She patted Anna's shoulder. "I know."

She took a deep breath and turned to walk away.

"Can I come with you? Or Kristoff? Or the guards?"

Elsa turned her head. "I can take care of myself Anna."

"How?" Elsa had nothing to defend herself with. She could take a knife with her perhaps, but could she use it? Anna was roused from her thoughts when Elsa turned to face her fully.

"I have my ways."

Anna had thought she had been fidgeting with her hands as she did when nervous while her back was turned. Her worries had been borne out of the fact that Elsa hadn't removed her gloves in weeks, months actually, even though the rebellion had ended.

The same gloves that were now held in her sister's hands, instead of the other way around.

Elsa had forbidden Anna from accompanying her or telling anyone else, but when had that ever stopped her? Now she was sitting on a fence, watching Kristoff feed Sven while Olaf wandered among the other animals. They were alone and Anna had done her best to relate everything she'd learned to the Ice Master as best she could with the innocent snowman nearby. Kristoff had asked questions of course, especially with Anna acting as a narrator, skipping to the end of her tale and not giving him enough details to fully comprehend it. When he did however, he simply took a bite from Sven's carrot and stood up from his overturned basket.

"Get ready."

Elsa found herself in front of the humble cottage and its unassuming wooden door, dressed in ice that no longer gave her the security she so desperately craved. The gloves were off now, yet she still trembled, struggling to knock. Is this how Anna had felt, for thirteen years, this fear? She steeled herself before she pushed her fist forward.

The dull sound rang out in the dark before the door opened.

"Hey there! This is quite late... what do you need?"

Áno stepped aside to let her in. Despite his initial surprise he was completely the same as he always was, still as alert yet polite. The bruises on his face were already fading. Elsa wondered if his - their - powers were to thank for that.

"It's something urgent." She held her hands together for a moment before looking back up at him. "It's about your friend actually. Soren?"

She looked closely when the name left her lips. If he was guilty of anything, he hid it remarkably well.

"What about him?"

"He's dead. He's been dead for just over a week now. Possibly longer: we don't know when it happened."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

The moment of truth.

"He drowned."

"Okay..."

Elsa locked eyes with him again, trying to keep the accusation from her voice.

"But he was very cold apparently. Too cold, in fact, for someone who was found on the surface of the fjord."

Áno fell silent for a moment. Then he walked to a cupboard. He knelt before it, opened the left shelf and withdrew a satchel. Slinging it over his shoulder he opened the back door.

"Can you walk with me Elsa? Please?"

Copper's Glade was as remarkable in the moonlight as it was under the sun. Over the fjord Elsa could see the lights of docked ships and buildings. She also saw small moving lights, no doubt belonging to men moving supplies in and out of her kingdom. She stopped when Áno stopped, waiting for him to compose himself before he spoke.

"What do you want me to say Elsa?"

"That it was an accident. That they were all accidents."

"All?"

"I - I spoke with the Duke of Weselton. He sent me a list - your list, a good part of it at least - and... you already know what I saw on it."

"And what happens if I do?"

"We go back to the castle. I - I'll help you control your powers and you can make your peace with everyone and - and you can - can do whatever you want. You won't have to run away anymore. You could go back home and make a fresh start - or you could just stay here."

"And what's stopping me from spending the rest of my life in a prison cell?"

"Me. I can't promise to keep you out, you most likely will spend some time in there, but I can vouch for you - tell everyone how difficult it is to control our powers. Anna could do the same."

"I'm sorry to say you just made two assumptions there."

"What?"

Áno turned to face her, taking small steps back.

"You're assuming I want to come with you."

He gripped his satchel.

"And you're assuming they were accidents."