Disclaimer: This is merely a transformative work of Frozen; I do not own it.
Feedback: Always appreciated.
Ships: Elsanna (Elsa/Anna).
Notes: Modern AU of Frozen; some magic still in play. Iskall and Brannild are my chosen surnames for Elsa and Anna; Iskall being Swedish for "ice cold/cold as ice", brann and ild being Norwegian for fire. Thanks go to Anna, who helped me with the translations.
The Ice Statue of Arendal
Chapter I: True of Heart
Pilgrimages are not a modern thing; they began as a religious experience with the attachment of spiritual importance to locations and relics. Two well-known examples are the Christian pilgrims during the time of the Crusades and the Islamic Hajj. During the time of the Crusades Christian pilgrims journeyed to the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized, believing the water would cure various ailments. The Islamic faith holds the Hajj as one of the five pillars of Islam; it is a mandatory religious duty to undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in the lifetime of a Muslim provided they are an adult, can support their family during their absence, and are physically and financially capable of undertaking the pilgrimage.
The Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung attempted to use his school of psychology to interpret religion, which Professor Wallace Cliff and Doctor Jean Dalby Cliff themselves attempted to extend, proposing the pilgrimage as a new Jungian archetype. But while they began as religious experiences, pilgrimages are no longer the domain of religions. Even routes that were once used for religious purposes may today be used simply as tourist attractions, as in the case of Machu Picchu.
ISoA
Wednesday, November 27th, 2013.
Arendal, Norway.
It was called the Courtyard of the Ice Statue, though the courtyard itself did not appear to be anything special. Paved with cobblestone, it was maybe the size of a football field with two fountains in the centre, spaced about nine meters apart. In its day, it would have looked spectacular. Now, it was nothing more than a backdrop for the real reason pilgrims journeyed here: a statue of ice positioned between the two fountains.
The ice statue was a girl, believed to be fending off an attacker. The design was masterful, though some said it was not superior to sculptures that were shown during the International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. The common rebuttal was that the details in the billowing cloak and dress were perfectly clear, something that even the most renowned ice sculptor could not reproduce. The pilgrims cared not for any of this; they came because of one property the Ice Statue exhibited against all reason.
Ice exhibits certain behaviours under specific circumstances; it melts if sufficient heat is encountered and it will break if sufficient force is applied, whether from falling over or hammers and chisels. This was not so with the Ice Statue: it endured whatever nature and greedy pilgrims tried to do, never changing. Without a rational answer to explain this, people began to share their own theories.
Once the courtyard had been part of a grand castle that had closed its gates to keep its girl from her forbidden lover, it was said by some. Separated from his love, he had near gone mad, devising a plan to install a statue of ice where she could not fail to see it every day. She had not been allowed to see it; her parents throwing it from the ramparts. In response, he made another statue, cursing it to never be diminished until he and the girl were reunited.
The prevailing religious view was held by those who insisted that there had once been a Great Freeze, much like the Biblical account of Noah and the Great Flood. Like the flood, the freeze had ended after forty days and forty nights. Having already used a rainbow to promise a flood would never happen again, God instead gave them an eternal ice statue to show he would not send another Great Freeze. There had been attempts to entwine a Noah-figure into the story, but all rang hollow in some way.
Others would say that France had sent a blonde git to see if an invasion was possible. Overambitious and cocky, the git had instead tried to overthrow Arendal's ruling constituency and install himself as High King. He'd almost succeeded, until he fell off a ship and almost drowned, at which point his plans had been exposed. In a gesture that was more "please never mention this again" than "we're very sorry", Louis Philippe I and Jean-de-Dieu Soult (the monarch and president of France at that time) sent Arendal an ice statue.
Others said that Arendal's ruler had issued an order stating that business would not be done with a duchy of unknown name, regardless of any circumstance. The duchy had not been pleased, enlisting a witch to craft the statue of ice to serve as a warning of their fate if they did not rescind the order. There was an additional theory that as a "poke in your eye", the citizens of Arendal deliberately mispronounced the name, which had the side effect of the name being lost.
All these theories were scoffed at by one person or another. Would not the girl and her lover have been reunited in death? Why would God give Arendal an ice statue? Rainbows were given to the world in the story of Noah... and if it was just Arendal that froze, that wasn't much of a 'Great Freeze'. Why would France send such a wondrous ice statue off instead of displaying it themselves? France had even stated that official documents extending to fifty years either side of the appropriate time period made no mention of a tribute to anywhere in Norway. As for the duchy's warning, nothing bad had befallen Arendal in living memory, and by now they were probably doing business with the duchy anyway, especially if it had been absorbed into another country.
ISoA
The young woman was second in line, her cloak fluttering in the wind. Ahead of her, people streamed from the courtyard, their allotted time up. She checked her phone, pulling her ticket out.
"What do you mean my ticket isn't valid?"
She looked up. The man ahead of her was trying to stare down the guards.
"Arendal takes the safety of visitors quite seriously, sir. We have had a ticketing system for many years; your ticket does not match the current system. As you did not get it from our authorised vendors, it is not a legal ticket and you may not enter."
"I paid ten thousand dollars for this ticket so I could see the Ice Statue, and I am going to see it!"
"For this night-time session, our tickets cost eleven hundred krone, sir. All money goes to the upkeep of the courtyard. You may wish to take this up with the seller; we cannot help you. We cannot legally let you in. You can leave of your own volition or we can arrest you. Which would you prefer, sir?"
He whirled around, snatching her ticket. "Here then, have a legal ticket! Let me in!"
In the next moment, the guy was face down in the snow, a guard's knee in his back, cuffs closing around his wrists.
The other guard looked at her ticket. "I'm afraid this ticket isn't legal either," she said, tipping the line a smirk. "Oh well, guess it won't hurt to let you in, Miss Iskall."
She held back a laugh as the man spluttered in impotent rage. The line, however, had no qualms about laughing at the man as he was escorted back to the offices.
"Why are we laughing?" a little girl said, her voice carrying.
"Because that is Else Iskall," her mother said. "She has often made donations to keep the Courtyard open to visitors and she is here every chance she gets. And what's more, she always buys a ticket, and always stands in line. Very few would begrudge her skipping the line, but she doesn't. The man should have known who she was."
"...I don't get it."
Else smiled and walked through the gates, tucking her ticket away. She looked around the courtyard, soaking in the familiarity of the scene. She had pictures and some videos, but there was nothing like being here with the cobblestone under her feet. Walking over to the fountains, she took her usual position on the edge, a heel dangling off her foot.
ISoA
"Miss Iskall?"
Else looked up at the guard and closed her phone. "Is there a problem?"
"We're closing up."
"Oh," Else said, looking around the courtyard. "You can go. I should like to be alone for a little while. The Ice Statue is peaceful tonight."
"You think the Ice Statue has moods?"
"She has moods, no doubt. The two most prominent moods are loneliness and sadness tempered by a sense that she is resolute."
"How can she be lonely? People are here every day."
"They are here to look at her; as far as I know, I am the only one who sits with her, and even I cannot erase her loneliness. I am not what she is looking for." Else exhaled, watching as her breath curled into frost. "Tonight, she is at peace. For her, peace is a rarity in the winter months; too often she is distressed, afraid. I should like to enjoy it."
The guard nodded and left Else there. The gates creaked as he pulled them closed.
"Hold it!"
The guard stopped. "I'm not fool enough to lock you in, Miss Iskall. I understand you're allowed to be here and you will lock the gate when you leave."
"She wants the gate left open."
"How can you tell?"
Else stood up, placing a hand on the statue's shoulder. "I am aware you do not believe me. I would not believe it myself except for the cold that emanates from her. When she is peaceful, I can hug her and all I feel is her natural iciness. When she is lonely, sad, distressed... the cold pours off her in waves; each emotion has its own pattern. She heard the gates creaking; I am freezing."
The guard stared at her. "Miss Iskall, you never freeze. Your cloak is the only concession to the winter weather I have ever seen you use."
"Exactly," Else said. "So leave the gate open."
The guard pushed the gate open, hurrying off.
The constant wave of cold dropped to nothing almost at once and Else stared at the Ice Statue, resuming her position on the fountain. "What ails you? How can I help?"
When no answer came, Else eased off the fountain and circled the statue. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until she felt water hit her foot. As she looked down, another droplet of water hit her foot. Else pushed down her concern and made a half circuit of the statue, looking at it with more care. A droplet appeared on the lowered hand, growing in size until it fell off. The fingers on the raised arm were changing colour... no. The ice was melting off, exposing the flesh below.
Someone switched the Ice Statue on us... but who would be fool enough to be coated in ice?
Else watched in horrified awe as a girl, maybe nineteen years of age was revealed. She wore a aquamarine long sleeved shirt, over which lay a black bodice with rosemåling. Underneath the corset was an ankle-length skirt of deep blue, and underneath that were leather boots with rosemåling. A wine coloured cloak hung across her shoulders.
Her phone vibrated once in her pocket and then cut out, though Else paid it no mind as the last of the ice disappeared, revealing two strawberry-blonde pigtails.
The girl looked to each side and then bolted.
Else followed her, unable to think of any other action she should take.
ISoA
Decades ago, a wandering traveller had found three hot springs about a kilometre from Arendal. As he bathed in one, he thought that it would be fine indeed to raise a family here. But to raise a family required a way to make a livelihood. Before his ablutions were done, he was decided: he would build a place of trade here, and with a livelihood, surely the family would follow. Within the month, 'Wandering Oaken's Trading Post' was built. Actual trade and family didn't come until he built additions on, turning the hot springs into saunas. In the end, though, he had both and was content.
The girl hit the snow covered sign, giving it a cursory look before she walked in. Else slipped in behind her and leant against the door, observing. The girl paid her no mind; perhaps hadn't even seen her yet.
"Yoo-hoo."
A smile crossed the girl's face for a brief instant before she turned, facing the man at the counter.
"Oaken, have you seen Elsa and Kristoff? Please... I saved Elsa, but the winter hasn't stopped! Where did they go?"
The man stared at her before he bowed his head. "Welcome, Princess Anna of Arendelle, True of Heart. You shall have the answers you seek. Will you and your friend come with me?"
Anna stared at him before she turned and saw Else for the first time. One hand covered her mouth as her eyes brimmed with tears.
"We will go with you, Master Trader Oaken," Else said, stepping over to Anna. She enfolded Anna into a hug, stroking the girl's hair. "I see you understand more than I about the Courtyard of the Ice Statue."
"That I do," he said, striding to the back of the shop. "I just never thought it was true."