She met a robber-girl who suggested that she should take a reindeer into Lapland.
Gerda, while searching for a reindeer, came across a lovely woman. The woman said, "Gerda, do not fear, you are stronger than you think. You have all the power within you to find your friend and bring him home safe."
The woman gifted Gerda with a reindeer and off she went to Lapland, the land of the snow queen's palace. Once in Lapland, she saw the tall beautiful palace of ice.