The Strange Change in the Land of Ice and Snow

Arendelle.

The first snow of winter had wrapped this beautiful seaside city in white. It was no longer a season for sailing, so people gathered in taverns to drink and chat. The Black Reef Tavern, near the edge of the Port District, was the liveliest and most popular of them all. It had barmaids with southern charm, but its greater draw was the liquor from the South Coast. Distilled to a strength beyond most drinks in the Land of Ice and Snow, it was much sought after in Arendelle's bitter winters—and priced accordingly.

The Black Reef Tavern bustled with people.

The building had three levels. The First Floor was the tavern, the second held guest rooms, and the third was underground, where less respectable business took place. There was gambling, dogfighting, bare-knuckle boxing, and other diversions. The entrance to the basement was not inside the tavern. You had to enter through the alley behind it, and without the right connections, you would not get in.

Just then.

Kelly, the tavern's proprietor, was wiping down the cups. She was a mature woman with an alluring air and a voice quite unlike those heard in the North. Many had tried to court the beautiful, wealthy proprietor, but anyone who knew who she really was felt a jolt of fear at the sight of her. Kelly was a most unusual woman. She came from the Amazon Tropical Rainforest.

She was one of the Amazon Women.

Her beauty was mature and captivating, and every smile and frown seemed full of charm. But those who truly knew Kelly understood that she was also a formidable killer.

The tavern door swung open.

A cloaked man stepped inside and shook the snow from his shoulders. He caught the eye of the bored proprietor behind the bar, then