Elsa Comes Out: Anna at Sea

        Waves rose and fell, blue snow capped mountains with foam flying off in the cold wind. Anna had been leading over the rail of the ship, staring out into the ocean for an hour now. They’d been at sea for days and she still ran how she left through her mind.  She’d stood at the side of the ship long after the coast was out of sight. It was strange, they’d barely seen each other for years on end and now when it finally came to saying good-bye it was so hard to watch her sister slowly shrink on the pier as the ship pulled away. Anna had tried so hard not to cry which of course she’d failed at. She just felt so alone.

        Of course she wasn’t alone. Elsa had placed with her four guards, their steward Eddard, and a clerk who, Elsa told her, was an expert on the peerage of the kingdoms involved. And that’s not even mentioning the captain and the sailors. So Anna had spent her days learning everything she could about boats.

        It was actually kind of fun. The captain of course wouldn’t allow her to climb the rigging or anything like that, but when the captain was away a princess will play. She’d been sure to pack bloomers and whenever the captain had to take his rest she was out amongst the ropes and cords, hauling in lines as best she could, learning what a mizzenmast was, square rigging, forecastle, yards, everything.

        She could never get a single answer as to why the crew had taken to her like they did. She’d asked around; the captain told her it was because she was the princess, the first mate, whose name was Mr. Stubs, said it was because she reminded him of his own daughter. Everyone else just gave mostly a noncommittal grunt or shrug. Once one of the deckhands had even smacked the back of her head when she wasn’t paying attention to the cordage she was storing.

        Anna turned from the railing when she’d heard the captain announce we was going to his cabin. He’d been awake all night steering them through a storm, it was about time he’d put his head down. She watched the man step down and enter his cabin. The first mate smiled at her from the wheel and Anna looked up. The crow’s nest swayed with the ship, like a tree in the wind. Ever since she’d seen the ship she wanted to get up there. It could be like flying.

        She hiked up her skirt, tying the material behind her. With her legs freed she ran to the side rigging of the ship and swung herself over the water and climbed. Sailors stopped and watched the girl as she went aloft. Last time she got to the lower most yard, but clung to the rigging after she looked down.

        Anna had been so ashamed of that. She’d told all the others about it and when the time came she froze? Well not today, not this time. She clambered up the ropes, up and up, past the first of the yardarms and up and up. She must have been only five feet away from the second yard when she heard a man shout from below her, and then more yells.

        “Ya can do et girlie!”

        “One rung at a time, Princess!”

        “Just don’t look down again!”

        Anna smiled and pulled herself to the second yard and up further, each step a little more assured than the last. The second sails lower most yard was in reach, and soon enough she left it behind, and headed for the topmost yardarm of the main mast. She hauled herself to the top of the rigging and faced down the long large trunk of the yard leading to her prize in the center; standing upon the platform was the look out, leaning nonchalantly on against the topmast. When Anna started to climb up onto the yard the man’s eye widened.

        “Hold on princess, No reason to do that, just let me-“

        “No no! I can do it!”

        “Don’t walk on the yard, at least us the-”

        “I can do it!”

Anna stood up on the yard, doing her best to sway with the ship, her arms outstretched. A tantalizing step forward, and then another and another. She inched her way across the yard.

        “Alright princess, just, uh. Keep looking at me, come on, you can do it.”

Anna’s heart was pounding in her ears. She did her best not to imagine how high off the deck she was. Or how it would only take one unexpected wave and she’d fall. Fall to her death. Just a few feet away now. Anna toed the yard doing her best to stare at the lookout.

        Anna slid her foot forward and her heart stopped as it slid off the yardarm. She didn’t even have time to yelp before she was pitched over by another wave hitting the ship. Elsa, I’m sorry, was all she could think as she went over open air.

        “Don’t worry, I’ve got ya!”

        The lookout had caught her arm, while Anna’s other foot was still on the yard, both of them leaning out over the emptiness above the ship with Anna looking straight down. He hauled her towards him and they both landed onto the platform over the bunt of the yard.

        “You did pretty good, Princess” the lookout said. Anna laughed, flushing with fear, and embarrassment, well mostly fear and embarrassment. She quickly rolled herself off of the lookout.  His name was Oliver, Anna was pretty sure anyway. Oliver was a tall and, well Anna had to admit, handsome man. He had swarthy skin and a dusky voice. If Anna was to guess she’d say he was Irish. He wasn’t as built as Kristoff but well, he’d felt nice to lay against.

        “Er oh, hah. Thank you.” Anna said, pushing some hair out of her face. She looked away from the man, and out over the water. This high up She could see for miles. Anna had never been able to see the whole horizon around her before. She stood up, grasping the topmast.

        “This is amazing,” she said, “I can’t believe I did it!”

Oliver chuckled behind her, “This isn’t the crow’s nest, Princess.”

        “Huh?” Anna looked back and saw him pointing up.

        “That’s the crow’s nest”

She followed the finger up, fifteen feet up was an open barrel. There was no cordage leading up to it, no ropes or rigging or anything. Anna let out an exacerbated sigh, “How do you even get up there!”

        Oliver grinned at her and leaned over the side, “Send it up me trunks!”

Anna heard a lot of grunting and commotion from the deck and half a minute later, a small board swing had been hauled up. Oliver grabbed it, pulling it over the platform, “Maybe next time you’ll just take the bosman’s chair, my little look out.”

        Anna struggled into the chair, and the lookout tied her into it, no chance of falling out now, he’d said. Making sure she was all tucked in, he leaned back over, “On up boys! Send her away!”

        Again Anna heard the men below hauling, their grunts and chants louder as they hoisted the now full swing.

        “Oh!” Anna said as she was pulled up into the air, once again over empty space, but the tight cord about her waist and the board she was sitting on lifted away her fears along with herself. It was another short half a minute before she was up above the crow’s nest; she toe’d her swing over, and into the barrel. A world of blue stretched out before her the only things above her Arendelle’s flag and the clear blue sky. Below her only the boat and the rolling waves. Blue above and blue below, it reminded Anna of Elsa’s ice palace. Anna closed her eyes feeling the wind whip her hair, and blow through her clothes, she stretched out her arms and she was right. This is what it must feel like for a bird, soaring into the air. She had the nagging feeling that she should yell something, some exultation to the world, but she couldn’t think of anything to say.

        All she could think of was Kristoff, and how much she wished he was there with her.

Anna opened her eyes and found small little tears on her cheeks and her hands shaking. It must have been the scare from before. Almost dying was always a bit of a shock.

She yelled down to Oliver, her voice a little unsteady, and she was pulled up and out and back down from the crow’s nest. It must have just been bad luck that the moment just before she set foot on the deck the captain emerged from his cabin.

        He harangued both her and the crew about safety, the princess, this that and the other. Anna wasn’t really listening.

       

        That night saw Anna in her cot alone. It was a side room to the captain’s cabin and Anna realized it was probably a room for the captain’s wife or child. Protecting her like he was his own flesh and blood, eh?

        Anna tossed and turned, she’d gotten used to the swaying of the boat quick enough, no worry of sea sickness there, she just couldn’t seem to get the day’s events and thoughts out of her head. God he missed Kristoff. He’d been gone for more than a month before she left and she never even got to say good-bye.

        What was he doing right now, she wondered. Probably out on his lake, sawing into the ice. No wait, it was winter. He always came into town for the winter. Anna had convinced Elsa to let him stay in the castle last year; maybe he was back there now. She sighed and closer her eyes, imagining the man’s strong arms around her. She smiled as he kissed her ear then down her neck to her shoulders. Kristoff always said he liked her freckles. She giggled as she felt his hands slide along her stomach, one up to her chest the other between her legs.

        “Hmm, Kris…” Anna whispered to herself.

The man’s hand rolled her breast as he busied his fingers between her thighs. Anna moaned softly, hoping the captain wasn’t in his cabin. Kristoff nibbled at her ear and Anna wished she could kiss him, turn around and pull him close. She let out a sharp breath as a finger caressed just the right spot.

        “Kristoff…please…” He sucked at her shoulder and she felt him move, push forward. “Ahn,” she gasped and felt his hot breath on her ear. Anna screwed her eyes tight, her heart beating faster.

        “Elsa” he’d said.

Anna let out a shuddered breath, and opened her eyes.

        She hadn’t been completely truthful to her sister or Kristoff. When she’d locked them in the queen’s bedchamber she’d well. She’d been curious. She’d peeked in on them.

        Anna closed her eyes again and shuddered. Anna had been a little confused as she watched her love with her sister. She was rather enticed by the image.

        So Kristoff lay atop her sister, her legs about his waist and her arms around his neck in a loving embrace. She listened to her sister moan out his name and Anna moaned softly with her.

 

        Three days later land was sighted and two days after that they were just entering port. Nothing much else had happened on the ship in that time. The crew had taught her some sea shanties, which the captain then berated them about. Just about the most interesting thing was finding out that Oliver’s name was really Polly.