This multi-chapter AU just wouldn't leave me alone for the past few months. I just had to! The cover art used is by hotcuppahjo-art from tumblr.

WARNINGS: Because of the nature of the historical vikings, there will be blood, cussing, and minor character death in this story.

You have been warned.

However, if such a type of story is your cup of tea, then hop aboard the viking ship! It will be a rough ride, I will sacrifice to Thor for your journey to be safe ;)


PROLOGUE

"Touch of Frost"

The ground gave a rhythmic rumble beneath the hooves of two galloping stallions. They released heavy pants as they raced through the rocky slopes of the mountain. The full moon seemed to invite them. Its gleam faded under the ominous passing of a cloud for a moment before it was able to break through and brighten a pathway for the two passengers.

The man tightened his hold on the reigns until his knuckles were white. The black-tipped fur that covered the collar of his billowing brown cloak bristled against his tightened jaw. His eyes, wide with worry and bagged with a lack of sleep, shot to the woman who rode beside him whose arms cradled a small, sleeping bundle wrapped in layers of fabric and fur. Tuffs of her white-blonde hair peaked out from underneath, ruffling against the cold wind.

As if feeling his gaze upon her, his wife lifted her eyes from her daughter and fixated him with a haunted look. A look that caused a shiver of trepidation to race down his spine. She then looked away from him, back down at their daughter, and pulled the tiny bundle closer to her chest when the wind kicked up to a howl.

He clenched his teeth and turned his eyes back to the moonlit path. The trees were bare, bowing to the spontaneous gusts as they passed, curling over the trio like claws. Another cloud cast its shadow over the moon when his horse halted and reared. The stallion kicked his front legs in the air and let out a blood-curdling neigh.

Before he could register what was happening, his grasp slipped from the reigns. He slid backwards off the horse and landed on his arm, sucking in a pained gasp when he felt the rubble of the cold, hard ground dig into his sides.

His wife gasped and called out to him, he could detect a small tremor in her voice, "Agdar!"

The thunderous rhythm of hooves stopped. There was a shuffling of fabric. Regaining his composure, he leaned up on his elbow and felt for the axe on his left side. He saw his wife dismount her horse and rush over to him with their daughter still tucked away in her arms. The baby was still sound asleep, and Agdar gave a silent prayer to the gods that she would be okay; he prayed that she felt as peaceful as she looked.

A low groan shook the ground, startling the horses to engage in a dangerous prance around a large, moss-coated boulder. Heart pounding, Agdar pushed himself to his feet and reached out with an arm to wrap around his wife's waist, pulling her close. His right hand curled around the handle of his axe in a vice grip.

"Idun," he murmured, pressing his lips close to her ear, "stay by me."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and glassy. The baby stirred in her arms, a sheer layer of frost began to coat the rim of the fur that kept her face hidden from the darkness of the looming forest. Idun released a shuddering breath and clamped her free hand around his arm.

"Agdar…what if this is not the gods' doing?"

"No," he growled and turned his gaze away, refusing to look at her. "My daughter is not a curse."

He felt Idun shift by his side, and her grasp on him tightened. He reached out with his free hand and covered her fingers with his own. He then studied her face, watching the occasional crease of her eyebrows, the tremble of her bottom lip, and the quake of her shoulders. He wrapped an arm around her and guided her to his chest. His lips brushed the top of her head before he placed a chaste kiss on her crown.

"She isn't a curse. She will never be a curse, Odin has blessed her with a special gift that no other man can hope to obtain."

Idun looked up to him and forced a seldom, upward twitch of her lips, an expression he had longed to see on his wife for months.

A high pitched neigh tore him from his admiration. With wide eyes, his head shot upward and he squinted into the distance. Boulders rolled down the mountain at an alarming rate, cutting around the horses and leaping over the sharp, protruding rocks that shaped the North Mountain with peculiar formations. The mossy spheres halted before the Jarl and circled the young family.

Agdar's heart stopped. His chest felt heavy as he struggled to breathe as though Thor had dropped his hammer on him. He took a step forward, forcing Idun behind him to shield her and the baby.

"I foresaw your arrival, Jarl Agdar."

Agdar swallowed. His eyes darted to his right, trying to pinpoint where the voice had echoed from. The boulders rolled to the side, creating a pathway down the middle and a hunched figure worked his way through.

His ash-gray skin gleamed under the moonlight, revealing the rough edges and smooth surfaces of his figure. Wrinkles curved around the edges of his gentle eyes, but they twinkled with wisdom as he regarded the couple. Smooth blades of grass and moss that covered his aged figure brushed against the cold breeze of the bare, winter night. And as he passed through, each boulder began to uncurl like flowers blooming in spring.

Trolls, Agdar realized.

As if noticing the wary look in the Jarl's eyes, the troll halted a few feet from the couple and held out a crystal. It flickered a bright green, a color similar to the moss that clung to his skin.

"I mean no harm," he assured, nestling the crystal in his palm. "A troll does not offer his treasures unless he finds an alliance trustworthy. I know of your troubles, Jarl Agdar. Your daughter…" The troll trailed off with a frown when he stepped closer.

Idun gave a start, drawing the infant away from him.

The troll gazed up at her with a dismal glint in his eyes, but Agdar held his wife by the arm and gave a silent urge to release her hold on the baby.

Idun glanced at him, but relented and crouched down to the troll's level.

"What is the young one's name?" he asked, leaning over the bundle in her arms to gaze at the sleeping infant.

"Elsa," she whispered, her soft voice burdened with the weariness of a mother.

He reached out in a tentative manner, so as not to wake the slumbering newborn. His gray, cold fingers gently brushed a blonde tuff of hair from her forehead. He gave a low hum and closed his eyes for a fraction of a second.

"I am afraid I cannot tell you if the gods have willed such a power to manifest in your daughter. It is a part of her that I cannot remove."

"Then what can we do?" Agdar asked.

The troll retracted his hand and turned his gaze to the Jarl.

"There are challenges that come with great power, and she must learn the extent of her capabilities. But you must be careful, such a responsibility may breed fear."

Urging Agdar to extend his hand, the troll lifted the green crystal by a string and placed it within his open palm.

"Use this wisely," he said, curling the Jarl's fingers around the warm crystal. Its glow ceased beneath his skin and began to cool. "And only if you feel that her control has grown scarce."

Agdar clenched his fingers tightly around the translucent gem and glanced at his daughter, still resting in her mother's arms. His hard expression softened and he voiced his gratitude, "Thank you, how may I repay you for your kindness?"

The troll took a few steps back. His wrinkled eyes darted to the Jarl, his wife, then came to rest on Elsa.

"There is nothing that I wish to be repaid by, Jarl Agdar. But," he paused and gave a brief close of his eyes before tilting his chin up to look at the full moon; its light marvelous in the night sky as it cast its whimsical rays among the rough bark of the bare trees and the uneven surfaces of the mountain's rubble. "Every sixth full moon, she must travel to meet with me in the North Mountain. It is essential that her magic is regulated at an even pace as she grows. The full moon is when all magic is at its strongest and if not contained, it could become dangerous."

Agdar regarded Elsa as Idun straightened herself. He took her tiny, delicate cool hand in his as he began to tie the crystal to her blanket. Its alluring green glow reflected the moonlight and began to transform its color. It flickered as if it were a candle threatened to be snuffed out by a cold wind.

Elsa stirred and peeked through the lids of her eyes. Her tiny hand uncurled from his finger and tentatively reached out to touch the crystal. The moment the tips of her fingers grazed its smooth surface, the natural green pigment began to fade. A small, azure spot spread from underneath her fingers and began to bleed out to the clear-cut edges of the lucid rock.

A bright flash forced Agdar to look away with his arm raised to shield his eyes. When all was silent, a small awe-filled gasp echoed in the air. He turned to glimpse at Elsa. Reflected in her bright, cerulean eyes, was a sapphire crystal now encased in ice.


[Author's Note]

Please let me know what you think! Though I would like to note that while I have done a lot of research on Norse mythology and vikings and their culture, I will be bending the historical facts a little. Like how Elsa is a viking who has powers, and other magical elements that will appear through this story. If anything confuses you, please let me know so I can clarify! The viking culture can be a little confusing at times and I will try my best to represent their culture with as much clarity as I can.

Please leave a review and see you next chapter!