A/N: And… chapter SIX!
Chapter Six: Cleanup, Recovery, and…
The efforts to restore order to the castle went quickly, and with few hitches. The remaining free zealots went berserk when they heard that their leader was dead, but with the full force of the guards arrayed against them, they were quickly subdued. The mob followers had fled even before the news, and the stragglers were caught, as well. All were transferred to holding cells, and guards were stationed at double strength. Cleanup from the damages was quick; the fighting had not involved any wide area-of effect equipment, so the only damage was to a few tapestries from crossbow fire and a few pictures and tables unlucky enough to be struck during swordfights. I was doing my part to help with the repairs, holding up heavy tables and re-mounting damaged doors. The servants were very happy about that; the doors were iron-bound and incredibly heavy to lift, and I was just holding them up! Anyway, after a long day of repairing the castle and having servants constantly fight over who would have my help next, I was quite ready for a respite; when the dinner call came, I nearly collapsed in relief. Making my way to my room to freshen up, I make a decision over what to do with myself- I had, at the moment, only two real options.
One, find a job myself in the village. I was not averse to this; I had always worked for a living whenever I could. But the royals were so kind to me here, and I wanted to repay them as best I could.
That led me to my second option;
Offer my services to the kingdom, and come clean.
GAH! Freaking dilemma. Option one is the safest, but reeks of cowardice. Option two is the most, well, "noble" I suppose, but… it has a large chance of backfiring, and BADLY.
Well, I always charged in headfirst before, why should now be different?
Resolve set, I return to my room and prepare. I change my clothes into what they had first seen me in, and apply a temporary glamour, looking like my old self now. I look over at Kiri, and decide to leave it as is and go without. I was intimidating enough without it. My memories of my origin were hazy, but I do recall that I had originally looked like this, and I could see why people had seen me as a demon.
Taking my appearance and clothing in, I store them in my mind and place my regular appearance back into the fore, at least for now. Taking a steadying breath, I leave towards the dining room, not looking back.
-Ice Guardian-
In the dining room, the royals were discussing the matter of the demon even as Atreyu made ready to reveal himself. Anna had a definite opinion, and Elsa even approved of it; she just wasn't ready to face the figure that inspired so many... feelings.
Kristoff, however, was simple and blunt in saying what needed said;
"We need to be careful. I know that the man...demon…thing… whatever it was is dangerous, but it also spared you and us when it was painfully obvious that it could use us as toothpicks. I get the feeling that it won't hurt us, but please, Elsa, Anna, don't provoke it."
Elsa nods, seeing where Kristoff was coming from, but Anna, hotheaded as ever, digs her heels in.
"Kristoff, when did I ever provoke it? Why would I even do something like that?!"
Kristoff just shrugs and answers; "There IS a reason I call you feisty-pants, Anna."
She just huffs and crosses her arms, looking down. Elsa takes the opportunity to interject;
"Well, he did attack first, so why wouldn't he do so again?"
Anna glowers at Elsa at this, and Elsa crumples under the angry glare.
"A-alright, we may have given him cause- accidently! – to retaliate, but still. We can't see him until I have a plan to deal with him should he be a problem."
Anna and Kristoff share a sad glance; they know that there is no talking Elsa out of this.
As normal dinner conversation resumes, the group starts to eat, not noticing at first that their guest of honor is absent. After about ten minutes, Elsa looks up with a frown, and asks a question;
"Hey, does anyone know what's keeping Atreyu?"
At the bewildered looks, she makes a snap decision. Getting up, she heads out of the hall, Anna and Kristoff following after a moment of deliberation.
Elsa turns to them with a concerned frown of her face. "Atreyu was really looking forward to this dinner, so it's weird that he hasn't arrived yet. He may be having more trouble with his powers. Will you help me look for him?" Getting firm nods from her sister and her boyfriend, they head out to the courtyard to split up. When they arrive, they are greeted by something that shocked them to the core.
Sitting on the fountain, with hands clasped in a thoughtful pose, was the figure from the wilderness.
Watching. Waiting.
As the trio turn to run, the earth rumbles, and ornate gates made of stone rise and block their path.
Frightened but determined, Elsa turns to the figure, and let's fly with her inner turmoil.
"Damn you, you bastard! You ask why I stabbed you in the chest, and you can't see it yourself?! You held MY SISTER BY THE THROAT! You threatened her, and had attacked! You asked if I struck out of fear or love; I answer you! It was both! Now, what do you say?!"
The figure rises, and the gates sink into the earth once more. The man walks closer, until he is face to face with a quivering Ice Queen. Slowly, he lowers his blindfold, revealing slitted, golden eyes. Then, in an eerily familiar voice, it answers.
"I know, Elsa. I know, because I have been with you for the past day."
-Ice Guardian-
I waited at the fountain, knowing that they would come there when they went looking for me. Donning my old looks, I sit and ponder.
I don't wait long, though- they arrive quite suddenly. When they see me, they turn to flee. I need to confront them, so I use my power to raise gates formed from the earth, blocking them. I weather Elsa's tirade; I deserved nothing less, and probably lots more, besides.
Slowly, with great reluctance and trepidation, I lower my blindfold and meet her eyes.
Then I answer, speaking the two sentences that could make or break my life.
"I know, Elsa. I know, because I have been with you for the past day."
I wait for the reaction, but all I get is blank confusion and fear. I didn't want to do it this way, but I have to. I drop my glamour, making sure they know that it was my old appearance that was the illusion.
I am greeted by a shocked gasp from Anna, a small scowl from Kristoff…
*WHACK*
And a stinging, open handed slap from Elsa.
She turns to walk away, and… I I can't let it sit like that!
Words tumble from my mouth, unmeasured and unfiltered. Straight from my soul, I speak.
I talk to her, frozen in mid stride at my words. I speak of my life, all alone. I speak of the persecution, the torture, the hunting, things I never thought I would have the courage to even think of hinting at. It all comes out, a heartfelt plea for just… I don't know.
"I… I don't know what to do with myself now. I can't go back to the mountains; I can't stay in town with the zealots here. I can't go abroad; I have no coin, and there are others abroad that hunt me too. I have no place, no home. I was born in the borders of Arendelle, so I feel like it is the closest thing I have to a home. I can't… Elsa, please say something!"
Voice quivering, she answers. With her words, I feel my world shatter and my soul break. "You say you have no home but Arendelle, but you don't belong here- you hurt my family. You did save the guards, and for that I will do you a small kindness- banishment rather than execution. You have no coin? So be it- you will be shipped out at cost to the Crown, left at a major port of call. You will leave here, and never darken our doorstep further. So say I."
I sob and collapse. She just… keeps walking. Guards come out of the woodwork, having followed the Queen from the dining hall at a distance, and manhandle me out of the castle. I don't resist. Why would I? I have no more place in the world. As they bundle me into a merchant vessel owned by Arendelle, I look up at the darkening sky, and let my final hope go.
(Background song- Far From Home by Five Finger Death Punch)
For weeks, I wander the woods outside of the port city they left me at, never straying too close to the city, and never quite leaving either. The weeks turn into months, and I make shelter in a cave. All I am waiting on it for the church to find and kill me; everything else is just a grey blur, not important. I live in this dead existence for three years, before a young couple enter the clearing at the mouth of my cave and set a picnic. The only thing that drifts through my grief addled mind is that they would hate me, too. Then, I hear the wolves. They had left me alone, sensing an apex predator that they didn't want to mess with. But now, starved by the brutal summer, they were hungry enough to approach the couple and attack. Even through my pain, I cannot let innocents come to an ugly, brutal death when I can help it; even broken, my nature shines through. As the wolves circle, I pull my power along my body, cleaning it and reforming my rotted rags into worn, but serviceable hunter's leathers in dark brown. I leave my blindfold off, as I have no need to hide my eyes now. Now looking less like a terrifying Sasquatch, I leave the cave with a leap and land between the wolves and the young pair. Their gasp of surprise is drowned out by the snarls of the wolves, driven beyond hunger by the drought, ignore their instincts to run, and charge me instead. I brace myself, and I move. Working within the barest limits of my body, I stop the charge cold. The first wolf to dash forwards, I sidestep and punt into the circling outliers, sending them rolling in a tumble of fur and teeth. The next two leap in from opposite directions, and I just duck and let them collide before grabbing the stunned canines by the scruff and, again, toss them back into the pack. The Alpha finally sees what is happening, and backs off. It is a testament to the power of hunger that it takes the pack a moment to see that, and a moment longer to follow. That chore taken care of, I turn back to the couple. They are in each other's arms, weeping openly in relief. Seeing that they are safe, I turn to walk away. The man stops me with a hand on the shoulder.
"What is your name, friend, and why do you leave? You just saved us! We need to celebrate our continued life!" The young woman nods along in agreement. I turn to face them, and they see my eyes. The woman puts a hand to her mouth in shock, and the man swears under his breath. "Sir, you just saved us, and you are not even able to see! Surely you are blessed by the gods. We shall take you to temple straight away! They might even name you a saint!"
This tweaks my soul in an old, uncomfortable way. Hard, course laughter bubbles from my throat at this. The man and woman flinch at the mirthless sound. I speak for the first time in years, my voice nigh-unrecognizable from disuse.
"I am no saint, lad. I am quite sure that the temple would kill me as a demon once they saw me, regardless of the truth; they have tried before. No, all I want from your gratitude would for you to live on, and tell nobody where I live."
He blinks, nonplussed. Finally, he nods. "I will not tell anyone where you live, then, sir. But still, I would have your name, so I know who to thank."
His earnestness almost grates- almost.
Cracking a mirthless smile, I speak to him as I turn away.
"My name is useless; it translated to "Bold Guardian", as it were. I never guarded anyone; I only brought pain. Call me the hermit; it will do."
Then, with a flicker of power to my legs, I disappear into my cave, faster than he could see.
