I talked to Kristoff around the campfire, he told me about most of his life and how he was adopted by a troll family. I was surprised that he was not just an ice harvester, he is the boyfriend of Princess Anna de Arrendelle, the younger sister of Queen Elsa.
A strange sensation ran through my body when Kristoff named Queen Elsa, I have heard with admiration many stories about her and how she brought the eternal winter to all of Arendelle. I didn't dare ask him if his powers were real, I didn't have the courage to do it.
- Answer me a question (Y/N), I saw you watching the fire as you approached, it seemed like you could communicate with it...
The question bothers me, you can't tell a man you just met that you have the ability to control fire at your mercy. I'd rather lie to him.
- ha ha ha no, there was a lot of wind, I knew the fire would go out and then light up again. It's a trick I learned in Agder's militia.
Kristoff was surprised when he heard me say the word Agder. It is common knowledge that Agder has one of the best militias in this sector, his soldiers are known to be cruel and ruthless.
- So... what are you doing around here? Kristoff speaks to me again, clearly surprised by what I have just confessed.
There's an awkward silence. I stare into the fire for a few minutes.
- I'll be honest with you, I'm a deserter, I was a high-ranking soldier once in Agder, I didn't feel comfortable with the way that kingdom was ruled, so I decided to run away.
As I look back at Kristoff I see that he is sleeping, lying next to Sven and using him as a pillow.
Seeing that scene, I decided to sleep.
I open my eyes slowly. It's not dawn yet. I get up and see that the fire has burned out. Kristoff and Sven are placidly asleep.
I pack up all my stuff and leave just like I promised the night before.
The sun's coming up. It must be about 6:00 in the morning, I've been in the woods for about two hours. Now I understand why the kingdom of Agder never dared to invade Arendelle, this forest is endless, besides, I would not invade this place having Queen Elsa as monarch.
I can't stop thinking about Queen Elsa, I find the stories about how she could control the snow and ice fascinating. It motivates me to know that someone can control their powers so well, too bad I don't know how to do it.
I stop my march and raise my hands to the level of my face. I look at my black gloves, this is the only way I can keep my powers hidden.
A memory comes to me.
I never had a family and if I did, I don't remember it.
I lived in an orphanage outside of Agder with other children, made many friends there, and the caregivers were people who always cared for me. I can say that they were always my family and my closest maternal figure.
But one day, when I was 10 at the time, I decided to run away from the orphanage. It wasn't too hard for me to do as I had my own room. I went out the window of my room and headed downtown.
I wanted to get to know the city, I never had the chance to be there, I always lived in the orphanage. The caregivers always told us that we were forbidden to go to the city because the soldiers recruited children who roamed the streets, I didn't care about that at all.
I had to walk through the vast meadows before I got to Agder. I stopped abruptly when I saw a lake, but that lake was not normal, the water was dark purple. I approached slowly towards the shore of that singular lake. I felt a hand on my back that pushed me and I fell into the lake. It was hard for me to stay afloat and when I finally looked up, I saw a woman in a tunic and a burgundy hood covering her face, her feet were not on the ground, she could levitate.
I was afraid to see that woman, she didn't look like a normal woman. She lowered her hood and I could see her better: her hair was wavy black, her smile was a little sinister, but her eyes, her eyes were deep red.
She looked at me and watched me try to survive. She uttered the following words:
"Vördr, Lord of the Southwest wind, I summon you.
Vördr, O brother of Humwawa, I summon you.
O smiling dark angel, I summon thee.
O you double-winged cuckold demon, I summon you.
Vördr, sink your teeth in (Y/N).
Vördr, may your howling destroy his soul.
O Vördr, you cling to your victims until death,
Hold on to (Y/N),
for this is my will."
As she said these last words, the woman vanished. Leaving me alone in this huge, strange lake.
I swam as hard as I could to touch the mainland. I lay on the floor. My body was exhausted from the effort to stay afloat.
My head kept echoing in those words that woman threw at me, it seemed like a curse, how did that woman know my name?
I woke up with the decision to return to the orphanage, I no longer wanted to go to Agder.
I arrived at the entrance of the orphanage with my body shaking, I was not feeling well, I was feeling dizzy. My hands moved against my will and pointed at the orphanage, I couldn't run, I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything.
A feeling of warmth ran through my body, concentrating on my hands. A voice in my head said to me:
- "Kill them".
I didn't know how to react, I had no control over my thoughts.
From my hands, fireballs were created. I knew what was going to happen, there was nothing I could do.
The fireballs came out of my hands, there was a huge explosion, and I finally got control of my body.
I ran fast, no one survived, it was all ashes and debris. I cried all night, I couldn't sleep remembering all my loved ones. I felt like the worst person in the world. If only I hadn't run away from my room none of this would have happened.
Hours passed and I felt some horses approaching. I could tell that those horses were Agder's militia, I assumed they would ask about what happened, I didn't have the answers for that.
What happened here? A soldier speaks to me who stopped in front of me.
- No...no...no...I don't know - I stutter back.
- WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW?! you think this is a game?!.
- ¡Enough! - shouts a man from the bottom, he seems to be a high-ranking military man - take him to the barracks...
As he utters these words another soldier strikes me with the sword's grip.
I'm losing consciousness.
Waking up in a cell, it doesn't take long when I feel a few steps from the stairs, it was the same high-ranking military man.
Now tell me what happened in the orphanage - the man looking me in the eye - a farmer who was travelling told us that there was a big explosion in that place, he arrived scared because he saw a light when it was destroyed.
- No... you're not going to believe me, but... from my hands they... they... created some balls of fire, I don't know how I did it, it was something that happened against my will - I respond crying.
He looks at me and smiles. Open the cell and extend his hand to me
- you'll come with me, I think you already have a new home.
After that day everything changed, the man who interrogated me in the cell was Captain Enok. He was an experienced military man serving King Ragnar of Agder and had conquered several places in his name. On my first day he appointed me as a crossbow soldier, trained me with his subordinates, which made me feel quite accepted by them. I could tell they were like family to me.
Another memory comes to mind.
Years later they sent me on my first expedition. He had enough training in the army and we were assigned as a mission to invade the kingdom of Sunhed.
Upon arriving at Sunhed's kingdom, his soldiers were already prepared for a possible invasion, they attacked us by surprise as they tried to destroy the wall that separated the outside of the kingdom.
Everything looked complicated, our army was outnumbered by Sunhed's soldiers and casualties increased. I couldn't stand how easily those guys could kill our men. For the first time, our army was being defeated.
An anger was mounting all over me, I couldn't tolerate defeat, I wasn't going to allow myself to lose my new family again. My heart rate accelerated and my body trembled with helplessness.
I pass out.
I wake up and I see all my friends in the militia around me, they look scared. Captain Enok looks at me triumphantly, but his gaze is different, as if he had seen something out of the ordinary.
I stand up and watch around me, I am still on the outskirts of the city, the rival soldiers are dead, I hear explosions and screams from afar, they tell me that some of our men are doing the great deed: conquering Sunhed.
I try to run to join the battle, until Captain Enok stops me.
-(Y/N) You won't be able to join this fight, I wouldn't go in your state.
I look down and see that my outfit is full of blood. The blood doesn't seem to be mine. I react shocked, my memories become confused.
- You will return to Agder with some soldiers, you will help to move our wounded and dead comrades.
-But...
-It's an order (Y/N), you've done enough,- says Captain Enok.
I don't object, what Captain Enok says comes true without question.
Returning to Agder I walk alone, the soldiers look at me sideways and suspicious. They decide to take me away from everything and don't talk to me. I don't know what I did, but was it so bad that they wouldn't talk to me? I analyze my body, my clothes have blood on them, but I don't have any wounds, how is that possible, it scares me every time. I try to remember, but my mind is blocked.
Back home nobody told me what happened in Sunhed, nobody wanted to talk to me, it's like I was a weirdo or something, everyone avoided me, like they were afraid of me.
I had nightmares back then, dreaming the same thing every night. I was in Sunhed, watching all our men die. It wasn't me, it looked different: I saw huge wings on my back, my arms and legs were longer than usual, my nails protruded from my hands and I felt horns on my head.
I flew over the battlefield and threw myself at the rival soldiers. One by one, I was removing them with my long, sharp fingernails. It looked like a bloodbath I enjoyed.
My concentration is interrupted when I hear the growling of wolves around me in a circle.
I was so distracted, I let my guard down. Now I'll have to act very carefully.
The pack is made up of eight wolves. It's impossible to run. I can't use my crossbow, I won't have the time to react before the wolves attack me. I'll have to use my powers.
I slowly remove my right glove with my left hand.
Suddenly I see a steel spike flying towards the Alpha male. It hits the back, the wolf screams in pain and the pack retreats along with the Alpha from the scene.
Kristoff's sled, guided by Sven, quickly arrives.
-I think we're even, Kristoff laughs.
-Why did you come to help me? I address him.
- I cannot let my savior go without his deserved reward. Come on, get on my sled.
I'm getting in the passenger seat of the sled.
- Thanks Kristoff, you don't have to do this, really. Just take me to Arendelle and I'll manage.
- Are you crazy? I can't leave you to your fate (Y/N). You saved me, you'll be proof that the council was wrong. This is the third time I've been in trouble for not having someone to guard me. The council has never wanted to assign me a soldier. They never accepted that he was Anna's boyfriend, they always told me that she deserved someone better than me, like a prince or a merchant - Kristoff pronounces this last sentence with a touch of sadness.
- Man, I don't know you, but I know you're a good match for her, because I see the effort of a man who wants to improve himself every day.
Kristoff trades her aura of sadness for a motivating smile. I never thought I would have the gift of consoling people, I had never been in this situation before.
- Hang on (Y/N) we'll go at full speed! exclaims Kristoff with a voice of being a self-confident man.
I relax a little bit in the sled before I get to Arendelle.
