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Eugene Fitzherbert stood up next to the dying embers of the fire and stretched out. Kristoff was already up and getting things done, and the reindeer was sitting nearby chewing on a carrot.
Eugene was sore from all the climbing, and the weather was certainly colder than he liked, but he was the one who had insisted on seeing the ice fields in winter, so that was on him.
“Oh, good, you’re awake now,” Kristoff said. “There’s a storm on the other side of that ridge of mountains, so we should probably head back soon.”
Eugene looked over the mountains Kristoff was pointing at, and he did notice some dark clouds. He wouldn’t question him on this matter.
“Where are we going to stop tonight?” Eugene asked.
“Arendelle, probably.”
“Are you sure? It’s been three days since we left, I don’t see how we can make it back tonight.”
Kristoff finished rolling up the bedding and tied it up.
“We’ll head straight through the woods. That way’s faster.”
“Really?”
“I figured you wanted to see the views, so I took you along the cliff edges, even when it wasn’t the fastest way.”
Eugene thought through their route. He knew they had taken a few twists and turns, but he just assumed that the alternatives were simply too steep or otherwise inadvisable.
“So all this time, I thought you were taking me on an epic adventure, and it was just the scenic route into the mountains?”
Kristoff nodded, taking the pack of bedding and tying it to the side of the reindeer.
“You’d make a good tour guide, you know,” Eugene said.
Kristoff glared at him. “Tools!”
“What?” Eugene asked.
“Bring me the tools?”
“The tools?”
“Sorry,” Kristoff sighed. “Bring me the tools, please?”
“Oh, um, here,” Eugene said, gathering up some climbing gear laying on the ground near their campsite.
“Thanks,” Kristoff grunted. “And no, I’m not going to be a tour guide.”