A/N This is my first attempt at a published fanfiction. Any comments and reviews would be appreciated.
"Elsa! Elsa!" The queen of Arendelle could hear her sister Anna call out to her as she ran out into the night. As much as she wanted to stop and explain she knew that as long as she was there Anna was not safe, not now that they knew she had powers over ice and snow. Her mind just told her to run, it had been too long since she was out of the castle so she didn't remember where the path she was on took her. Then it came to her, a dead end at the fjord.
She turned around as she heard her sister call her name again. She absentmindedly took a step closer to the water and turned when she heard a crackling sound. She glanced down and saw that the water had frozen where she stepped. She realized this might be her escape. She tested her theory by gently placing her foot on the water and it froze solid under her feet. No longer hesitating she bolted across the water. Each step froze the water beneath her feet. She heard her sister again but she hurried to the other side and up the hill, leaving behind a trail of frosted ground behind her.
Trees whipped by her as she hurried farther and farther away from the castle and the life she knew. As she got further from Arendelle she slowed her pace until she had come to a walk. She looked up and saw the place that was known locally as the North Mountain deciding that that would be the place to go. A snap behind got her attention. Elsa turned around to see that there was a doe investigating the frozen that trailed behind. Then the oddest thing happened, the doe started to change right before her eyes. The hooves became hands and feet, the fur became clothes of animal pelts. It was over in a second, where a deer once stood a human female was stooped down investigating the frosted ground. She looked like a wild child with her brown hair all messed up and tangled, and those eyes were just not natural. Finally the woman spoke,
"You come wit me!"
The demand took Elsa by surprise and fear again to take hold on her,
"No! Who are you?"
The wild woman shook her head,
"Stubborn! Come wit me!"
"No!" Elsa turned to run but then the oddest sensation took hold of her. She felt as if her very being was being changed. The next thing she knew she really was different, she was on four powerful legs and was much taller than what she was before. She turned her head and witnessed in horror that her body had become that of a horse. In terror she tried bolting when something wrapped around her equestrian neck and her body stopped obeying her. She stood there like an obedient mare awaiting a rider.
As if the universe wanted to add insult to injury she felt weight apply itself to her back and the wild woman appeared in her peripheral,
"Listen me. Me not wanna do dis. But you no listen. You lucky you not food for bear-kin or wolf-pack. I take you to brother Lumi, he help not beasts like you and me. You do as I say, I change you back when get there." Elsa wanted to throw the strange woman off her back and run off but her horse body started to move by itself, controlled as if by magic.
They took off into the forest dodging between trees, at first at an obedient trot but then the wild woman grew impatient and ordered, "Faster!" And Elsa's body took off at great speeds. Elsa behaved as if she had been an obedient horse all her life, taking every command without question and moving at top speed through the dark forest around the north mountain. They came upon an old monastery that looked like it belonged to one of the old Christian orders and the wild woman ordered Elsa inside. Upon crossing the decayed threshold Elsa began to change back into a human. The woman's magic hold on her broke but still she ordered Elsa,
"Come, brother Lumi this way." The woman grabbed her gloved hand and dragged her along. They passed across the court yard and down an exposed flight of stairs. They came into what had been the great hall and Elsa gasped in amazement at what she saw. Crystals hung from the ceiling glowed with a soft blue light illuminating the area that had verities of plants and vines that Elsa didn't know existed.
"Brother Lumi! Brother Lumi! Me find new sister!" Elsa wondered what she meant when she noticed someone was coming through the growth. He seemed to be about his mid-twenties with golden brown eyes and matching hair. The tips of his hair were white and his whole presence gave off a warm glow. His voice itself felt warm, safe, and gentle,
"Sister Fauna, what is it?"
"Me find sister!"
"I found a sister, Fauna." He corrected, but the correction seemed to go over Fauna's head,
"You find sister too? She where?" With a smile and a shake of his head he responded,
"No Fauna, I was giving you another grammar lesson."
"Oh, sorry brother Lumi." She apologized and slunk back before pushing Elsa forward to Lumi, "I found a sister. She winter's child."
Elsa stumbled on part of her dress when Fauna pushed her forward. She was about to fall when Lumi caught her,
"Please forgive sister Fauna's exuberant nature. She has only known human company for a year and a half. But," Lumi helped Elsa back to her feet before messing up Fauna's already wild hair, "She had learned a lot and come very far."
"Me learn lots from Lumi… Lumi…"
"Luminous, Fauna Luminous. But Lumi has served as my nickname for some time." He explained to Elsa. Finally she worked up the courage to speak,
"Who are you people? And how did she turn me into a horse?" She demanded. With a little bit of anger Luminous turned on Fauna,
"You did what to her?" Fauna cringed back like a frightened dog that knew it was going to be kicked by its owner,
"She… She not come wit me but me had to bring her here. Nature not healthy, she make'em dem sick. If me no bring her sister Flora would lose many trees and be angry wit me."
"But Fauna how many times have I told you? Now that you can turn people into animals you shouldn't go around changing people against their wills?"
"But…"
"FAUNA!" Luminous raised his voice and the natural glow that surrounded him intensified, bursting like a solar flare. Elsa could feel a wave of heat come off of Luminous, not like the heat of a fire, but more like that of a hot summers day. Fauna cowered back from him and turned into a dog that looked like it was a working sheep dog. Luminous took some deep breaths and calmed down. The temperature dropped back to normal and the light dimmed. Luminous knelt down and looked dog Fauna right in the eyes,
"Fauna I am very disappointed in your actions tonight. You broke one of your promises. I let you out on your own without anyone's explicit supervision because I thought you would keep your promise of not doing anything reckless. If you are willing to stay the rest of the night here in the caves I am willing to overlook the fact that you transformed sister Winter without her permission, ok?" Fauna-dog gave a quick nod and Luminous pulled Fauna in for a hug. After the two broke apart the dog ran into the caves barking happily and Luminous called after her,
"And you had better be on two legs for the rest of the night!"
Elsa couldn't help but giggle at the scene that had just happened. Then Luminous turned his attention back to her,
"Sorry about that. Learning grammar and social skills is not easy for one who has grown up in the wild all her life. Now. I suppose you have questions?"
Millions of questions ran through her mind. For some reason her earlier fears had vanished from her mind in the presence of Luminous. At first she struggled but then the biggest question on her mind popped out,
"Just who are you?"
"I am Johnathan Erickson. Though I have doffed my heritage for the most part and go by the name of Luminous, son of light. I am the head of the Children of Nature and protector of my brothers and sisters."
"Children of Nature?" Elsa asked, "What is that?"
Luminous held out his hand to her and asked,
"Would you like to find out?"