Cursed

Part I

Darkened stars blinked above the frosted river. Their faint reflection was caught in the ice, soft and wavering. Pale mist chilled in the light of the sinking moon, and the forest trees were a green so dark they appeared black. The night lay undisturbed as dawn began to creep in. It was the latest hour, right before day; a dangerous time for walk across the frozen river.

Kristoff hated being in Arendelle. It was crowded and noisy and dirty. He preferred the quiet of the forest, the cold, clean ice. This was where he belonged. Sven silently walked beside him, his harness empty. There was no need to gather ice just now. The two had been harvesting all night. One last walk in his world before returning to Arendelle was all Kristoff wanted.

Although, he did miss Anna. If there was any reason for him to return to that city, besides selling ice, it was probably her.

Sven's cloven hooves made no sound as he stepped, and neither did Kristoff's padded boots. Across the river they walked, until Sven broke the silence with a loud yawn. He blinked sleepily, shaking his head against Kristoff.

"All right, all right, we'll start heading back." He patted the reindeer's furry neck and turned around to begin the walk back across. The sleigh full of ice waited for them near the river's edge.

A noise pierced the air, mild and shrill. It sent shivers down Kristoff's spine and he felt a trickle of fear. Sven crouched low onto the ice, trembling. The scream echoed around the mountains, a cry that summoned terror in the cold night. Then it was gone, as suddenly as it had come.

The ice gatherer waited, listening. After a minute of silence, he shrugged his shoulders and continued walking back, his reindeer on his heels. Then another sound was heard, one the Kristoff knew; a shatter of broken shards and the burst of freed water. The ice underneath them, so steady and reassuring, began to break from behind. Kristoff and Sven watched, their feet frozen in place. The ice burst open, the water underneath pulsing and lapping the jagged floe. Slowly, what looked like a horse began to crawl out, its glowing green eyes fixed on the two starlit figures.

The ice gatherer felt panic gather in his throat. "Sven!" He yelled, jumping on the reindeer's back. "Run!"

Sven stayed in place, terrified. The ice continued to shatter, the horse's hooves slamming and cracking to widen the water's reach.

"Sven, run!" Kristoff grabbed his empty harness and yanked him in other direction, out of sight of the dripping wet horse struggling out of the frozen river.

Sven shook his head, coming to his senses, and galloped away. The cracking ice grew louder and louder. Kristoff looked back to see another horse emerging from the water. Their necks were arched and swanlike, and their backs were incredibly long. Green eyes, glowing and reflecting off the ice, glared at them. The first horse let back his head and roared, sharp teeth glinting silver in the dying starlight.

"Nøkken," Kristoff breathed, horror pulsing through him. "Nøkken!" He kicked Sven, urging him on faster.

They were real. They were real and they were coming after him and Sven. Kristoff knew that they had to get off the river. He prayed that the sun would rise soon and it would stop them.

The screaming came back, stronger and higher. Kristoff clutched at his ears, falling off of Sven as the reindeer tripped in panic. The ice gatherer felt a hot wetness melt through his gloves, and saw his reindeer convulsing as blood stained his furry ears. In shock Kristoff looked at his hand. A dark red spot stared back at him, his green glove ruined. He groaned, covering his ear again. The screaming went on and on, so shrill and loud that neither of the two lying on the ice heard pounding hooves cantering toward them.

"Sven!" Kristoff cried, reaching out for his reindeer. The screaming grew even higher, and Kristoff had to cover his ears again. He curled in on himself, terrified for his reindeer and for his fate. He squeezed his eyes shut, yelling in pain as his ears seemed to want to destroy themselves. His cheek grew raw from rubbing the hard sleet.

"Sven!" he screamed. "Sven!" The reindeer grunted and bellowed in reply, smashing his head against the ice. Bright green lights burned in the frozen water. Seven nøkken ran toward the defenseless man and reindeer. The screaming did not affect them at all. The creatures grinned and laughed with unnaturally sharp teeth, watching as the two cried out and kicked against the ice.

Louder and louder it grew, almost as if the screaming were right above them. It shook the air and Kristoff felt as though the frozen water beneath him were trembling. What on earth could create such a noise?

It stopped, the air vibrating as its echoes ended as well. Kristoff opened his eyes, his ears ringing. He reached out and shook Sven, who was lying still on the ice. "Sven? Buddy, wake up. It's over."

The reindeer didn't stir.

"Sven?" Kristoff sat up, groaning from his sore mind. Red had dripped down Sven's neck and stained his fur. His eyes were shut tightly, his knees pressed against his ears and ice frosted on his muzzle from pounding his head against the frozen water. "Sven!" Kristoff shook him hard, fear paralyzing his heart. "Wake up!"

The reindeer groaned, opening his eyes and slowly lowering his front legs. Kristoff sighed in relief, ruffling the fur on his head. "Come on. Get up." He grabbed the reindeer's harness and hefted him onto his hooves. Sven stumbled on the ice, slipping until he found his footing. Kristoff looked up and saw that they were surrounded. The seven nøkken stood around them, snarling and cackling. Their green eyes glowed against each other, illuminating their white pelts and wolf-like teeth. Sven, still hurt from the noise, crouched low and pressed against his friend.

Kristoff gripped the harness, unsure what to do. He swallowed, staring at the nøkk in front of him. Its laugh was breathy and wild. It turned toward its companion and spoke in a language neither Kristoff nor anyone else understood. The second nøkk nodded and ran off, leaving six for Kristoff and Sven to fight against.

The ice gatherer put his arm around his reindeer. "I know it looks bad, buddy," he swallowed again, straining to keep his voice quiet and level. "Do you think you can run?"

Sven nodded, so slight that Kristoff almost missed it. "You're sure?"

The reindeer nudged his friend, and he almost chuckled in response, except that the seventh nøkk had returned. His long back had stretched to accommodate seven girls, clothed in purple and modestly pretty. Kristoff felt a twinge of fear for them, but then he realized that they were unafraid. They were giggling and whispering into each other's ears, and they seemed to be in no danger.

Then, were these nøkken friendly? Or were these girls here to join in the fun, if they even were girls?

The tallest stepped down, walking barefoot over the ice. Her hair was so long it pooled on the river, and her tattered dress was still in the cold wind. Her eyes were dark red-purple, gleaming slyly. But it was not those details that finally gave her away to the ice gatherer. When she walked, Kristoff could see the reflection of the bottoms of her feet in the ice. She wasn't walking; she was floating. They were banshees, and they were probably the ones who had caused all the screaming earlier. First nøkken, now banshees. He prayed that the sun would rise already, and drive these dark creatures away.

Sven pressed even closer to Kristoff, and he could feel his reindeer trembling. He held his ground, trying to at least appear bold. He wished that he'd stayed in Arendelle. Banshee screaming meant that death was coming, and Kristoff didn't quite want that to happen. Not yet anyway.

The other banshees said nothing, gazing at the ice gatherer and his reindeer. They sat upon the back of the seventh nøkk, grinning at him with wide lips. Their teeth were normal, but it was still unnerving.

The tallest banshee walked to the center of the nøkken circle, the bottoms of her feet reflecting boldly in the ice. Her skin was purplish-blue, and her lips were stained violet. Her eyes bored into Sven's and Kristoff's, liquid red and lavender. She was a ghostly figure, hauntingly beautiful. Kristoff closed his eyes and turned away. He didn't want this ghastly creature being the last thing he ever saw. He tried to picture Anna.

The banshee opened her mouth and called into the predawn sky. A pale call, nothing like the harrowing screams she'd cried earlier. On and on it went, feathery echoing. Then, as if summoned, the sun pierced the horizon, and the ice was bathed in scarlet, coating the banshees and nøkken in deep crimson. The eyes of the banshees changed and their pupils grew larger. The nøkken stamped their hooves and began to laugh again.

Sven nuzzled Kristoff, urging him to open his eyes. He did so, and for a moment, saw that a world of red had replaced the dark. In horror he feared bloodshed, only to realize that the sun had risen with this color. The raucous laughter of the flesh-eating horses seemed unfitting to accompany the sun's return, only the sun, with its deepstained rays, welcomed it.

Kristoff saw that the tallest banshee had mounted the sixth nøkken, and in her place stood a woman. A normal woman, as far as he could tell. She was not a banshee, and she was far too lovely to be a witch. What else did that leave? Kristoff tried to remember all the creatures the trolls had warned him of when he was a child. A huldra? She was a bit old to be one of those. What about a Maras? A possibility, but Maras took a while to change back into their human forms after night, and the sun had just risen. An elf? She wasn't pretty enough to be an elf, and anyway, elves were fair-haired. This woman's hair was dark.

"Oh," she cooed. "How interesting. A reindeer and his pet." She walked over to Sven and gently stroked his nose. "What a lovely creature. Very strong and intimidating."

"You stay away from my reindeer." Kristoff spoke, his voice hoarse, as he pulled Sven away from her touch.

She clicked her tongue. "I'm only teasing. Clearly, you have been frightened into rudeness. Don't worry," she waved her arm at the creatures surrounding them. "They won't hurt you, darling. They're about to become your friends." She smiled at him, her sunken eyes widening as she spoke. She stared at him with an air of skepticism, spoke with a harsh finality that made him angry.

"I'd never be friends with the likes of them." Kristoff spat, holding on to Sven's harness tighter than necessary.

She touched her chest in mock surprise and clicked her tongue again. "The likes of them? Now how can you be so hypocritical?"

Kristoff didn't understand what she was saying, but he'd had enough. Sven was injured and they needed to get away from these monsters before anything truly dangerous occurred. He knew Sven could do it and that he was ready. He felt it as the harness tensed in his hands. Before any of the creatures had a chance to blink, Kristoff leapt on Sven's back and bulldozed through two of the nøkken. The reindeer propelled himself as fast as he could, the sharp nøkken's teeth clacking shut behind him and tearing the fur off his hindquarters. Kristoff turned and kicked a nøkk in the jaw, sending it clattering to the red ice. The seven banshees had gotten off the long-backed nøkken and were standing around the woman, staring out at the retreating figure of the man on his reindeer.

The tallest banshee turned toward the woman with an expectant gleam in her eyes. The woman raised her hand. "Patience. All good things to those who wait." She glared at Kristoff with her intent clear in her mind, a slight grin on her face.

Against the rising sun's light, the woman began to whisper. Dark words swirled in her mouth, leaving her lips and tracing her fingers. Without warning, she flicked her hands toward Kristoff, and the spell was cast.

Kristoff and Sven had barely reached the edge of the river when the black overtook them.


Well, that was the beginning of my first Frozen fanfic. I'm going to try and update every week, starting this Friday. Second chapter's almost done, starting third chapter. Need at least three reviews before I put up the second one on Friday.