DISCLAIMER: I don't own Frozen or Rise of the Guardians.

"Hello?" Elsa called.

Trolldalen was very still, and darker than Elsa had ever seen it. It was no later than she normally visited, but somehow it seemed as if it was the dead of night.

"Hello?" Anna repeated. "Pabbie? Trolls? We're here! We've come to visit! I know it isn't our normal time, but this is important!"

"Shh," Elsa said. "I'm sure they know we're here, don't talk so much. Something is wrong." She didn't know why, but she could feel gooseflesh on her arms and a strange foreboding feeling. Something was different.

They stood in silence - Anna, Elsa, North. Too many people, Elsa thought nervously. Too many new people. Familiarity was important to the trolls. If she could have gotten away with coming alone, she would have; but Anna needed to be there, and North also because he was in charge of this whole thing.

Just as Elsa was starting to think they wouldn't come, the trolls rolled into the valley and lifted their heads, staring at Elsa in complete silence. Elsa stared back.

Was she imagining it, or was there hostility on their kindly faces?

"Where...where is Pabbie?" she asked. Her voice sounded unsteady in her ears. The air felt cold, and she knew that for once it was not her doing.

The trolls still didn't say a word, but they parted silently. Pabbie walked between the rows, and there was no mistaking the displeasure written all over his face.

"Your Majesty," he said, bowing his head.

Elsa bowed her head in turn, swallowing her foreboding. "No doubt you're wondering why we came so soon after the last visit," she said.

"As a matter of fact," Pabbie said coldly, "I am not. I know exactly why you are here, and exactly who you have harbored in your castle."

Elsa had had a premonition that the trolls weren't going to take the news well, but she hadn't expected it to be nearly this bad.

"Then you know that we're kinda in a hurry," said Anna, "and we sort of need your blessing for me, since I'm going to be ruling in Elsa's place and all while she's gone."

Elsa glared at her, but Anna didn't seem to notice. Trust you to just cut to the chase with no tact, Elsa said, but in her head.

Pabbie was looking even more displeased.

"Yes," he said. "I understand that it is your intention to follow these impostors, these untrustworthy...creatures from outside your kingdom, outside our whole world, on a wild goose chase to you-don't-know-where."

Elsa was absolutely shocked. Pabbie had always, always respected the queen, or even if not the queen, he respected the throne. Never had he been so blunt.

"I wanted your advice," she told him.

"On what?" he said dismissively. "If you trusted my advice, you would not have taken these people in."

"But I did take them in," Elsa said firmly. "Pabbie, I respect you, but I am the queen. The Guardians made me aware of a problem -"

"They did no such thing," said Pabbie, angrily. "They broke in on you, they gained your trust with a cock and bull story for which they have no valid proof, and now they convince you to leave your kingdom alone and unguarded with your sister on the throne. And you trust them! I hope you can see, your Majesty, why I consider this unwise and ill-advised."

"Well, when you put it like that…" Anna muttered.

Elsa was at a loss. Pabbie was right, she knew; everything he said rang true, and yet - somehow she trusted the Guardians. On paper, it made no sense, but if only Pabbie could have been in the council room with North or spent any time at all with Toothiana or even seen Sandy's round, pleasant face, he'd be able to understand. She somehow felt that these people were not her enemies.

And besides, they would fight this battle with or without her cooperation; and as it was her kingdom and her subjects at stake, they needed her.

"I have made my decision, Pabbie," she said. "I appreciate your advice, as I always have. We are allies, you and I. Let's not change that."

Trolldalen was deathly still. Elsa's unsaid threat hovered in the air like a storm cloud.

"What do you want from me?" asked Pabbie icily. Every vestige of his normal kind manner was gone. In its place was something like fury.

Elsa had to pretend that this didn't utterly dismay her.

"As I said before," she said steadily, "I want you to give Anna your blessing."

"You want my blessing?" asked Pabbie. "You will disregard my advice utterly, but you will ask me for my blessing? Why, your Majesty? Do you honestly still care about my opinion? Or do you just want the people to know that my blessing is on your sister as your surrogate?"

"I will leave her in my stead with or without your blessing," said Elsa. "But you and I have never had cause to disagree before. We have always stood together, and that is the way I want it to be!"

"Very well," said Pabbie. "Since you command it as my queen, I am forced to do it. But, your Majesty, it is against my will."

Elsa said nothing. She had no answer for this. Only yesterday, she'd been so sure about the entire plan; but now that she was standing in front of Pabbie, she felt apprehensive and slightly afraid. Anna's earlier words rang in her ears: "What's with you just believing these Guardians, huh?"

"If you will hear nothing else I say," said Pabbie, lowing his voice, "hear this: good will not come of this venture, only ill-fortune and the breaking of your kingdom."

"Is that a curse?" asked Elsa.

"No," said Pabbie. "It is a warning."

A filler before the real fun starts!

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review :)

-Kenzie