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The night had passed, and at dawn, Kristoff, Sven, and Anna walked on a narrow rim of the mountain. By day, they arrived at a forest clearing. Far below stood a frozen Arendelle.

“Arendelle.” Anna recognized, in awe.

Kristoff saw the kingdom and commented, “It’s completely frozen.”

Anna reassured, “But it’ll be fine. Elsa will thaw it.”

“Will she?” he doubted. Anna was uncertain.

“Yeah. Now come. This way to the North Mountain?” she said, pointing straight ahead.

Kristoff laughed and pointed her finger up toward a perilously mighty mountain. “More like this way.” he corrected her.

Later, they all progressed further into the frozen forest and found themselves walking below frozen willows, whose hanging branches were glistening like Christmas lights. Sven knocked them with his antlers, and they tinkled like chimes.

“I never thought winter could be so beautiful,” said Anna.

And beautiful it was. Conifer trees stood silently with white snow on them, and a frozen waterfall made it seem like the entire scene was frozen in time.

“YEAH, it really is beautiful, isn’t it? But it’s so white. You know, how about a little color? Must we bleach the joy out of it all? I’m thinking maybe like crimson, chartreuse…” A voice from seemingly nowhere rambled.

Anna and Kristoff scanned for its source. They briefly looked at Sven—could he possibly be talking? But Sven looked back at them with his antlers tangled in the branches, just as muddled they were.

“How ‘bout yellow—no, not yellow. Yellow and snow? Brrr… No-go.” the voice pouted on.

A snowman walked and halted right in between Anna and Kristoff. Both of them looked at the snowman. How did it get there? The snowman suddenly looked at Anna and wondered, “Am I right?”

She startled and kicked its head and sent it flying into Kristoff’s arms. The snowman greeted Kristoff cheerfully, “Hi!”

“You’re creepy.” he declared, shocked and disgusted.

Kristoff and Anna now began to throw around the snowman’s head like in a game of hot potato.

“I don’t want it,” Anna confirmed.

“Backatchya!”

“Please don’t drop me.” pleaded the snowman’s head.

“Don’t!” Anna resisted.

“Come on, it’s just a head,” Kristoff said, tossing it back again.

“No!”

The snowman sighed, “Alright, we got off to a bad start.”

At last, Anna placed the head back on the body.

“Ew, ew, the body!” she exclaimed and affixed the head onto it, upside down. The snowman commented,

“Wait, what am I looking at right now? Why are you hanging off the earth like a bat?”

Anna looked at him sympathetically and began, “Okay. Wait one second.”

She knelt down and righted his head. Delighted, he thanked her, “Oooh! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome,” replied Anna.

“Now I’m perfect.” the snowman confirmed.

Anna looked at his innocent face and got an idea. She dug into Kristoff’s satchel and held up a carrot. The carrot accidentally slammed all the way through the snowman’s head as he turned toward her.

“Woo! Head rush!” the snowman called out.

“Oh! Too hard. I’m sorry! I-I, I was just… Are you okay?” Anna apologized.

The snowman saw a tiny piece of carrot sticking out between his eyes. “Are you kidding me? I am wonderful!” he cried with joy. “I’ve always wanted a nose.” He went cross-eyed and observed. “So cute. It’s like a baby unicorn.”

Anna cautiously reached behind him and pushed his nose forward.

“What? Hey! Whoa. Oh, I love it even more! All right, let’s start this thing over. Hi everyone. I’m Olaf. And I like warm hugs.”

He opened his arms to Anna, and she recalled one of her childhood memories. She remembered, “Olaf. That’s right, Olaf.”

Olaf asked expectantly, “And you are…?”

“Oh, um… I’m Anna.”

Olaf asked again, “And who’s the funky-looking donkey over there?”

Anna answered, “That’s Sven.”

Olaf continued, “Uh-huh. And who’s the reindeer?”

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Kristoff was not impressed. Anna seemed confused, “… Sven?”

Olaf looked from Kristoff to Sven a couple of times and processed.

“Oh. They’re… Oh, okay… Makes things easier for me.”

Sven tried to take a bite off Olaf’s nose but missed narrowly.

“Ha. Aw, look at him trying to kiss my nose. I like you too!” he said, taking it as a sign of affection.

Anna asked the snowman, curious, “Olaf, did Elsa build you?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Kristoff took off one of Olaf’s arms and looked at it scrupulously. It was in sync with his other arm. Anna asked, “Do you know where she is?”

Studying the magical piece of wood, Kristoff commented, “Fascinating…”

Olaf replied, “Yeah, why?”

Anna went on, “Do you think you could show us the way?”

The snowman only repeated annoyingly, “Yeah, why?”

In the meantime, Kristoff was bending Olaf’s arm. He muttered to himself, “How does this work?”

Olaf’s dismembered arm immediately slapped him across the face.

“Stop it, Sven. I’m trying to focus.”

To Anna, he childishly repeated, “Yeah, why?”

Kristoff had had enough. He started, “I’ll tell you why: we need Elsa to bring back summer.”

Olaf was first shocked, and then he sunk into wistfulness. He said, “Summer?! I don’t know why I’ve always loved the idea of summer, and sun, and all things hot.”

Kristoff was surprised, “Really? I’m guessing you don’t have much experience with heat.”

The snowman answered, “Nope. But sometimes I like to close my eyes and imagine what it’d be like when summer does come.”

Saying so, Olaf dissolved into his fantasy world. He dreamt of lying on a sandy beach, sailing on a boat, and whatnot. Olaf fancied a cold drink while getting tanned and even tap-dancing with seagulls. Marching down a dreamy mound of grass, he came across his true fate in summer: yes, a puddle. But that didn’t dishearten jolly Olaf—he simply ignored it and walked the other way.

As Olaf’s song neared an end, Kristoff started with a sly smile,

“I’m gonna tell him.”

Anna hissed angrily, “Don’t you dare.”

Finishing his song, Olaf straightened up and smiled,

“So, come on! Elsa’s this way. Let’s go bring back summer!”

He grabbed Anna’s arm and pulled her up the hill. Anna laughed, “I’m coming.”

Sven, too, hopped along and followed happily. However, Kristoff just stood there and watched them all as if they were nuts.

“Somebody’s gotta tell him,” he said to himself.

Back in Arendelle, a layer of solid ice coated everything. People huddled around weak fires, and there was anxiety among the townsfolk. Two men stood at the plaza and argued. Not a single soldier ventured out the closed gates, and some foreign guests, along with the commoners, were left outside in the cold weather. The first man at the plaza argued, “No. No. You’ve got the bark facing down. The bark needs to be face up.”

The second man argued back, “Bark down is drier.”

The first one corrected, “Bark up!”

“Bark down!”

“Bark up!”

The two men almost got into a fistfight, arguing fiercely—only to be stopped by a seemingly ordinary, middle-aged man.

“Woah! Gentlemen, take it easy.”

Both men recognized the prosperous and respected man: Lord Frederik of Arendelle. They were instantly ashamed. He picked up the piece of wood and set it so that both the under and upper parts were seen. He turned to the men, “Whichever side up, it doesn’t make a difference. Should we quarrel over such petty issues?”

“We are deeply sorry, Lord Frederik. We understand now.”

He responded, “Oh, don’t be, my friends. Your fears are to blame. Don’t worry; this will all be over soon.” The two men were now at ease.

“Thank you, my Lord.” They bowed together.

Lord Frederik continued to walk down the plaza and caught up with an old companion. Seeing the lord, the man paused and greeted him, “Greetings, my Lord!”

Frederik told him, “Oh, Magnus! Avoid the niceties. Greetings, my friend.”

Magnus, a senior townsman, spoke to the lord like a friend, concerned, however. “Frederik! What is going on? Both the queen and the princess have left Arendelle, and now there’s snow in the middle of summer!”

Lord Frederik was no lesser perplexed than his friend. He replied,

“Yes, I couldn’t believe it too. I was at the coronation yesterday, but I called it a night early as I was exhausted after my recent tour of Europe.”

Soon, the lord’s attendants moved into the plaza with gloves and sweaters from his house. Some carts also came in with bread and delicious candies for the children. Astounded, Magnus asked, “Where is all this from, Frederik?”

He laughed heartily and answered, “They belong to my extended family. We all used to live here together, you know? But all of them are well settled in different parts of Europe now.”

He turned to the hacks. His attendants were unloading them and distributing warm clothing. He continued, “Well, I’m happy they came to some use after all. The king and I were good friends, at least before the gates were closed. It is truly saddening to know that himself and Queen Iduna are no more.”

Magnus spoke with interest as they reached the hacks, “Speaking of the king, did you know that the gates were closed again and not a soul is around it? I’m talking about the guards, Frederik. See, the gate is isolated.”

Frederik looked at the castle suspiciously and agreed, “Hmm…”

He then picked up some cloaks and helped in distribution. A royal attendant, Gerda, came up to him and proclaimed, “Arendelle is indebted to you, my Lord.”

Embarrassed, he answered, “Don’t say so, ma’am! I’m only doing what I must. Would you need a cloak?” She took the cloak and expressed her gratitude.

The outer gates were flung open, and Anna’s horse burst in. It was alone, bucking and kicking. The lord came closer to the horse and tried to stop it from dangerously careering around.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa, boy. Easy. Easy.” Frederik then grabbed its reins. The horse calmed down, and so did the stunned people around it. As this unfolded, two soldiers from Weselton stood and observed from a post above the castle gates.

“Let’s go tell the duke.” one soldier said to the other.

Moments later, the two soldiers arrived at the Great Hall, where Prince Hans seated himself on the throne. The duke stood beside, impatiently rubbing his hands. Hans smiled feebly at the soldiers, expecting a report. Instead, the men almost paid no attention to him and walked straight up to the duke, “My Lord, Princess Anna’s horse has returned alone; it seems she is missing!”

Prince Hans was offended, “Hey! Am I not the prince? Why didn’t you two report to me first?!”

The Duke of Weselton said, smiling evilly, “Aah! Don’t make such a fuss about it, Prince Hans. Besides, just remember that my army helped in seizing a majority of Arendelle’s guards.”

The prince glared at him and accepted like an impatient child, “Alright, fine!” Returning to a thoughtful mood, he reckoned, “As long as both the sisters live, the people of Arendelle will never accept me as their king. I must bring back Elsa, if not Anna.”

He turned and motioned to two of his men to come before him. He told them, “We need to bring Queen Elsa back to Arendelle, alive. Assemble a troop. And bring me that horse.”

“Yes, my Lord. It shall be done.”

The duke signaled to his personal guards, the biggest and strongest he had. He said aloud, “I volunteer two men, my Lord!”

Prince Hans nodded. Aside, the duke quietly instructed his thugs, “Be prepared for anything, and should you encounter the queen, you are to put an end to this winter. Do you understand?”

The two thugs sneered.

Not long after, a section of soldiers from the Southern Isles marched into the plaza square. The people were afraid, as they had never seen those soldiers before. One of them came up to Lord Frederik and imprudently snatched the horse's reins and took it away.

“Hey, you!” spat Lord Frederik.

The soldier didn’t even mind him, while the leading trooper gave him an insulting smile and marched back into the castle. The gates were closed again. But this time, the air of mystery was no more. The people of Arendelle watched in awe. Lord Frederik was furious. He said to his friend, “Those weren’t our soldiers. Something isn’t quite right.”

They silently stared at the closed gates.