[https://i.postimg.cc/nL1D9Dk9/TTB-FF-Head-1-page-0001.jpg]

Years passed by, and the sisters never saw each other. Little Anna was no longer a toddler, and Elsa too was now an adolescent.

However, on a warm summer afternoon, something different was happening in the sleepy town of Arendelle—a gigantic ship with several sails docked at the port.

This was the ship of the Exploration Corps.

As the ship came closer to docking at the port of Arendelle, the captain shouted,

“Land Ahoy!”

Arendellian soldiers caught hold of the mooring ropes. There was a considerable commotion in the hall beneath the main deck as young sea cadets strapped their day kits to their belts and spoke excitedly to one another.

“We’re finally here.” said the lieutenant to his senior-most cadet on the ship, Quarter Master Sergeant Romov: a tall, slender boy of some sixteen or seventeen years.

A stairway was laid, and the lieutenant descended from the ship first, followed by Romov. A minister from the castle shook hands with the lieutenant, “Greetings! The kingdom of Arendelle welcomes the Exploration Corps.”

The lieutenant replied, “Thank you, we are privileged to visit your kingdom.”

The minister continued, “Your Corps will be stationed here for four days, and tomorrow, you will visit the castle with one cadet representative. Is that correct?”

The lieutenant confirmed, “Yes, that is correct, minister. Today my cadets will visit the town of Arendelle and interact with the people. They will be back on the ship by nightfall.”

The minister complied, “Very well then, lieutenant. Make yourselves comfortable; if you need anything else, the guards around the town will be more than happy to help.”

The lieutenant replied, “Thank you, minister.”

He finished before leaving the scene, “No, the honor was mine.”

The cadets now disembarked the ship in twos. As the boys got off, soldiers casually called out, “Welcome to Arendelle.”

[https://i.postimg.cc/WtR6CKnx/A-Treasure-to-Behold-Cover7-2-1.png]

Granted that the rest of the town looked sleepy, but the central plaza was teeming with life. People came in traditional attire and baked loaves of bread, beautifully presenting them at the plaza. They wanted the young explorers to learn about their culture and hear stories from around the world too. A curious little boy asked his mother,

“Mama, who are these people?”

His mother, who had just finished arranging the bread on marvelous dishes, told her son, “They are the Exploration Corps! Those young boys travel the entire world on big ships like that one. They visit numberless countries and travel from continent to continent, meeting almost all the people in the world!”

The little boy was amazed. “Woah!” he exclaimed. “I want to be an explorer too!”

“Not just as yet, my boy! You have to be older for that.” answered the lady, pulling his cheek.

The cadets did not begin to interact with the people immediately. They had a special ceremony to accomplish. The ship’s crew set up a makeshift wooden stage, and a few cadets were called onto the dais by the lieutenant.

“Attention, cadets!”

The cadets came to attention and listened carefully. “The following cadets have completed fourteen expeditions and have earned the Adventurers’ Medal. Can we have applause?” required the lieutenant.

The cadets erupted, applauding. As the cheering died out, the lieutenant announced, “First, we have Cadet Mason.”

The lieutenant picked up the medal from a red velvet cloth on a silver plate and bestowed the shiny, triangle-shaped award upon him.

“Good job, cadet.” The lieutenant commended the boy as he replied happily, “Thank you, sir!”

The lieutenant received several other boys, and the list of recipients ended with four boys who held badges of rank. First was Lance Corporal Herman, then Lance Corporal Filip, followed by Corporal Radcliffe and Sergeant Alex.

“Great job, sergeant!” They exchanged smiles for a brief moment.

The cadets then advanced to the plaza’s center, where people from all over Arendelle eagerly waited to meet them. Corporal Radcliffe led the boys moving to the plaza. He approached the same lady who told that sensational story of the Exploration Corps to her son. She held a loaf of bread in her hands, smiling warmly. There was nothing peculiar about her, save that she was thick about the middle.

“Welcome to Arendelle, my dear! Would you like some bread?” she said in the most pleasant and welcoming way. Corporal Radcliffe wasn’t in the best of moods at that point in time.

“Yeah, yeah. Just another loaf of bread. The ones on the ship are a million times better; I bet!” he said in a vexatious tone. “Give that to me anyway, woman!”

Saying so, he snatched the bread out of her hands. With an annoyed look on his face, he glared from the lady to the piece of bread. He took a bite and made a disgusted face. “And where did you find this?” he asked imprudently.

“Well… I made it at home, my dear,” she replied, shocked. Her welcoming features slightly contorted to unhappiness. Several other people were unhappy too. Some gasped while others were angry; it seemed all their hopes had been lost.

“Disgusting! I hate bread, in any form! Can’t believe I had to eat this!” complained Corporal Radcliffe as his face grew red. He hurled aside the loaf of bread and furiously stormed away. The lady was dejected.

“Kids these days…” she muttered to herself.

“Good afternoon, ma’am! My name is Sergeant Alex, and I am fascinated by the culture and people of Arendelle. I heard that bread is a specialty.”

As the sergeant said this, people’s expressions shifted from anger and dismay, and they listened keenly. He continued, “What a marvelous display! The bread and cakes look so very delicious. I wonder how they taste. May I be so bold as to have some, maybe just a slice?”

The lady became jubilant. She stuffed a long loaf of bread in his mouth. She then offered him another, laughing, “Here, have this…”

He took the loaf in his hand, took a bite of the loaf stuffed in his mouth, and held it in his other hand.

“Thank you, ma’am! You are the most wonderful person I have met in Arendelle.”

The lady replied, “And you are the most respectful, well-behaved boy I have ever met! You can call me Aunt Maiken.”

The delighted sergeant swallowed the bread, “That was amazing; it feels like I took a bite off heaven! Thank you, Aunt Maiken.”

Aunt Maiken smiled, “My pleasure.”

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

Everyone now wore pleasant expressions. Some people even cheered.

The cadets started interacting with the people, and most of them devoured the cakes and bread. As Aunt Maiken got busy, Alex walked inland toward the town.

Cadet Aksel and Lance Corporal Herman were good friends of Sergeant Alex, and so they tagged along.

“Hey, Alex!” started Aksel. “That was absolutely mean of Radcliffe to speak so rudely to that kind Aunty.”

Herman supported, “Yeah, had you not been there to save the day, imagine what terrible reputation our Corps would have had in Arendelle!”

Alex briefly pondered and then answered, “Yes, I know, Herman. But everyone has ups and downs. He is a bit self-centered, but we all know the other good things he is capable of.” To them, it looked like Alex could tolerate anything.

“Mm-hmm.” Aksel wondered. Lance Corporal Herman was not impressed.

“You are the only one who is sympathetic to that ungrateful boy, Alex. Who does he think he is? Just because his cousin is the quartermaster sergeant, he acts like he owns the ship! I don’t know, sarge, but I think such people should be taught a good lesson!” declared a frustrated Herman.

Alex became thoughtful, and a touch of sadness was seen on his face.

“Well, Herman, now come on.” He said to his friend, ending the discussion and motioning him to walk along.

Thankfully, Corporal Radcliffe wasn’t around to burn in jealousy when Alex almost single-handedly won all Arendellian hearts. He had stormed away to a different part of the town with his two sidekicks, Cadet Robert and Lance Corporal Filip.

At a distance from where the cadets of the Exploration Corps had arrived, three girls stood and discussed among themselves.

“Hey, Bell! Aren’t those the guys you were talking about the other day?” asked one of the girls to her friend.

“Yes, they are the Exploration Corps. Daddy told me a lot about them when he was in the military. I’ve heard they have been to every part of the world!” exclaimed an excited Bell.

“Woah! Who knows, it may be rather interesting to talk to them then. Tell us more, Bell!” required the same girl with well-groomed, dark hair and rosy cheeks.

“Okay. They set sail on huge ships like the one harbored over there.” started Bell. “And wear elaborate uniforms. The thread that goes in between their epaulets and into the chest pocket is called a lanyard.”

The girls listened in carefully.

“And what are those black arrows on their sleeves?” asked another girl with long, wavy hair and slender arms.

“Those are not black arrows, silly!” cried Bell, her fringes banging side to side as she nodded. “They are called badges of rank. The chevrons they wear show their seniority—the more, the higher.”

The first girl acknowledged this and then said, “Let’s hope we can talk to one of them.”

Corporal Radcliffe and his sidekicks were not far.

“Hey, let’s go talk to those girls over there and see if they wanna ‘play’ a bit!” said Radcliffe in a hysterical voice, suggesting he was up to no good. The two boys in his company did not wish to challenge him.

“Yes, corporal!” Cadet Robert and Lance Corporal Filip complied hesitantly. They walked up to the three girls. Naturally, they were nervous.

“Hey girly! What-is-your-name?” asked Radcliffe in a mocking sing-song voice.

“Rose.” answered the girl standing in front, slightly offended. Her eyebrows furrowed. Radcliffe then turned to look at Bell.

“My name is Be--” started a thrilled Bell, only to be interrupted by Radcliffe.

“I don’t want to know your name. You look so ugly!” exclaimed Radcliffe heartlessly.

“Don’t speak like that, young man! She told us so much about the Exploration Corps and all of you!” warned the third girl.

“But she doesn’t know the first rule of the Corps!” Radcliffe continued to rant.

“DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO!”

Turning to his sidekicks, he said, “Let’s get out of here. My mood is ruined!”

The two said nothing and followed Radcliffe quietly. But they were indeed aggravated by the corporal’s actions and behavior.

“You little…” muttered the girl in rage.

Stopping her, Rose advised, “Let us be civilized, Idina, unlike them.”

Idina’s anger simmered down and then died out. Only sadness lasted on the girls’ faces. Bell felt miserable.

Sergeant Alex and his friends happen upon the three girls later in the afternoon. They still stood shocked.

“Look at those girls. They seem worried, don’t they? I wonder what’s the matter.” Alex thought aloud.

“Yeah.” “Let’s go.” concurred Aksel and Herman.

The three walked toward them. The girls hesitantly took notice.

“Good afternoon, miss!” Alex greeted courteously.

Rose observed his tone with intent.

“A sergeant!” Bell furtively muttered, such that only the three girls could hear it.

“My name is Sergeant Alex of the Exploration Corps. And these are my friends, Cadet Aksel and Lance Corporal Herman.” introduced Alex. Both Aksel and Herman waved their hands and smiled warmly. The girls now seemed to be at ease.

“We have come here to learn about this charming place called Arendelle and the wonderful people who live here.” Alex laid an intended emphasis on ‘wonderful’. This changed their frame of mind. A smile flooded Rose’s face while Bell giggled. Idina concealed a natural grin. Alex continued, “However, we are also willing to recount numerous stories of our expeditions around the world.”

Bell was tickled pink on hearing that. The excitement glittered in her eyes. “And what might your names be?” inquired the sergeant.

“My name is Rose.” she beamed. Bell lifted her eyes and grew steadfast.

“Good afternoon, sergeant! My name is Bell.” She stated, standing at attention. Alex let out a friendly chuckle, “At ease, Bell! And greetings. Please call me Alex.”

Bell smiled and replied, “Okay, Alex.”

Idina sighed and followed suit, “And my name is Idina.”

Alex processed this briefly and began, “As I predicted, you have wonderful names too! It is almost sunset, and we will have to head back to the ship soon. We may not be able to see all of Arendelle, but would you girls mind showing us around the town?”

Bell was thrilled. Rose replied as courteously as Alex, “Not at all. Don’t worry; we’ll show you around.”

The sergeant added, “That is so nice of you! And may I know how long this would take us exactly?”

Rose readily proclaimed, “About twenty minutes.”

Bell smirked suggestively and corrected, “No, thirty minutes.”

Idina was a fisherman’s daughter and had strolled through the town too many times to not say, “It will take you forty minutes.”

“Woah! Why don’t you all take a minute and make an informed decision?”

The girls quickly huddled together. They discussed in hushed voices.

“I was going to say an hour!” whispered Bell.

“No, don’t say that! What if the sun sets by that time, and they refuse to come?” argued a concerned Rose.

“Relax! I have strolled the entire town several times. It takes exactly forty minutes. That is if you don’t get carried away, of course!” Idina assured with a mild rebuke.

“Okay, forty minutes it is then.” finalized Rose.

Returning to the boys yet again, Rose declared, “It will take us exactly forty minutes.”

“That’s terrific!” exclaimed Alex.

Rose added jokingly, “Trust me, Alex. If it were only you, it would have taken three hours!”

Alex laughed, “Oh, don’t say so, Rose. I am flattered.”

Rose joined in the laughter and acknowledged it was just a joke.

The six of them walked through the town, occasionally cracking a joke or two. Rose did most of the guiding and introducing. Bell plied the boys with detailed questions about their Corps. Idina did not speak much but casually engaged in conversation with Cadet Aksel, as he seemed to know a lot about fish. Later, they played hopscotch and then a game of ball.

Just as feared, they took well over one hour to finish the tour. The sun had set, and thankfully they reached the same spot they began from just in time. A question struck Alex’s mind. He asked the girls,

“Are the three of you the only ones here? Where are the others?”

Idina pulled her lips into a crooked smile, “Glad you asked. You see, all the boys and girls in Arendelle too, go for little expeditions like yours. Along with some elders, they have gone to the forest in the mountains, over there.” She pointed a finger into the mountains that had now become dark as nightfall drew near. “This is a little excursion that we Arendellians often make to keep ourselves engaged.”

Alex observed the lights moving in the distance.

“Woah.” he quietly exclaimed to himself.

Rose then explained, “We planned to go too, but Bell told us about the Exploration Corps and how much she wanted to see the ship and the cadets.”

“Oh! I see--” started Alex.

It was at that point that the lieutenant blew his whistle hard as he could and instructed, “All cadets, report back to the ship!”

Cadets from different parts of the kingdom started to move toward the ship. Soon, the girls and boys standing beside Alex noticed Corporal Radcliffe.

“There he is, that heartless boy,” said Rose.

“That imbecile…” Idina muttered, incensed.

“Why, is anything the matter?” Alex inquired.

“Yes,” she answered. “That boy over there, the one with two black arrows.”

The sergeant replied, “Yes, that is Corporal Radcliffe. What about him?”

“Well,” said Rose. “He seriously needs to learn how to behave!”

Bell complained, “That’s right, he called Rose a ‘girly’!”

Rose protested, “Set that aside, but still worse, as Bell was about to introduce herself, he called her ugly!”

Bell’s face sank into sadness. Idina added, trying not to be mean, “You seriously need to do something about that boy, Alex.”

Over Alex’s shoulder, Herman urged quietly, “You heard it straight from the horse’s mouth now, sergeant. You better do something about him.”

Alex grew sad and then reassured all of them, “I am deeply sorry on his behalf, girls. The actions of a cadet junior to me are my responsibility. I will see to it that he won’t do anything like that to anyone again.”

He turned to Bell and confirmed, “Bell, I promise that.”

Bell’s sorrow quickly melted into a heartwarming smile. Alex went on, “But I must accept; you know quite a lot about the Corps!”

Again, the lieutenant blew the whistle, and this time, Quarter Master Sergeant Romov called out, “Hurry up, cadets!” The town was clearing up fast.

“I think we must be on our way now. Goodbye, Bell!” Alex said.

Turning to Idina, he waved and said, “Bye Idina!”

She replied casually, “Bye then!”

He finally turned to Rose and expressed courteously, “Farewell, miss.”

Rose chuckled and then responded, “Farewell, Sergeant Alex!”

The three boys waved their hands as they walked toward the ship. The girls, too, waved back. Before the boys disappeared out of their sight, Idina commented,

“Maybe the ones with three arrows are the best anyway!”