CHAPTER 6
The Long Highway
It had been several weeks since the invasion of Arendelle, and it was the only thing most could even think about. Every pub and market was abuzz with what happened, and the stories got more and more fanciful the further you went from the capitol. It started off as a militant group that caused an uprising, and eventually became an army of dragons breathing hellfire when one got to the farthest reaches of the kingdom. The dark host that had consumed the city was now the stuff of legends.
The neighboring kingdoms had become quite leery, as the fall of the small kingdom could be a sign that anyone could be next. Who or what the queen could have offended to bring such a terrible fate down upon her people was anyone's guess, and those stories too grew wild and rampant like a forest fire. Whatever had happened within Arendelle's borders was best left there.
The tales had begun to become too much for Elsa and Anna to bear. Many had started to cling to the harsher and uglier rumors and gossip, which turned Elsa into some horrible dictator that committed genocide on her own citizens. While none had the evidence to support such claims, the more horrible and twisted the stories the more life they breathed.
The Silver Skilling was heavy with the talk, and had been this way since word of the attack first arrived. Rumors claimed the onslaught lasted only a few days, and that there was nothing but rubble where proud Arendelle once stood. It was said that those that died first were shown true mercy.
As he walked back to the the table with three tankards of beer in either hand, Aldrik noticed a familiar poster on the notice board. It was a picture of the Queen of Arendelle as a fugitive, with a hefty bounty on her head. This was not the first wanted poster that had sprung up, and each time the reward nearly doubled for her capture. Declared a monster, a witch, and a murderer, those that had posted these notices desperately wanted her found.
Taking his seat, he passed the drinks around to the other men at the table. They had all been forced to change their clothes into something more suitable for those that were on the run, and even the sisters had to start wearing their hair in buns like the locals. The best way to hide was in plain sight, as they said, and what better way than to emulate those you wanted to be lost among?
Taking a long draft of his beer, Aldrik spat out in disgust. "I will never get used to this swill. It's not even beer."
Bertrand raised a brow in amusement. "It's not so bad. It's not like back home, true, but then what would these people think of Arendellean ale?" This was not the first time this discussion had been brought up.
"They'd go cross-eyed, in a good way," the woodsman retorted.
"Just shut up and drink," Jorik chimed in. He had clearly heard this far too many times.
Leaning back in his seat, Aldrik looked over towards the front of the bar. "Hey barkeep! There's something wrong with my beer!"
The man behind the counter was thin and greyed, and gave Aldrik a cold look. "Yeah? What's that?"
"It's not beer!" Aldrik mocked.
The old man stared right through the hunter, and his eyes narrowed. "Is that so? If you have a problem with it, you can bring it up with my associate, Otto. Here, I'll go fetch him."
"No, that's fine. My beer seems to taste better now." He said defeated.
The bar erupted in laughter, and even the scouts and Kristoff joined in. Several pat Aldrik on the back as they passed, and the man just sat there and stewed. This, too, had become a regular scene at the many pubs they had visited.
His foul mood didn't last for long, however, as he turned to Elsa and took another drink. "So, the price for your pretty little head is now five-hundred speciedaler. They want you quite badly."
Elsa could only grimace. "Thank you, Aldrik, for reminding me of the bounty. As if we haven't seen that enough already."
"Anytime."
"I think we have slightly more pressing matters, like what our next move is supposed to be," Kristoff said. "Remember we still have to find this Malek, and we've got very little to go on."
Liam leaned in closer to the group. "We know he's a blacksmith and that he's in Branisberg. That should be plenty. Branisberg isn't that big, so there can't be more than a handful of blacksmiths in the city."
"I'm still curious about this prophecy," Jorik added. "Now that we don't have access to the castle library anymore, digging up information is going to be far tougher. Luckily, I have a contact here in Gratisport, so I will check with them before we move on."
"That's not a bad idea," Liam agreed. "Something about this prophecy doesn't sit right with me though."
"None of it sits right with me," Jorik commented around his glass.
Ignoring him, Liam continued. "Why was the old man – Angemar, you said his name was? - why was Angemar so vague on details? And why is he so sure it's you?"
This was to Elsa. They had decided that their survival and anonymity would be jeopardized if they continued to address her as royalty, and she couldn't have been more relieved. She hated being queen, but more than that she hated being addressed in such a way that made her feel different than everybody else. She had enough of that without the added titles and honors.
She simply shrugged and said, "I have no idea, but he left zero room for question. The old man made it very clear that it had to be Malek and I. Beyond that, he didn't say."
"Do you think he was lying?" Anna asked.
"It's a possibility, but we won't know either way until we find out more about this prophecy," Jorik replied, emptying his tankard. "I'll go now and question my contact. See if he knows anything about this Sjelspise business." With that, he stood up and strolled out of the pub into the night.
Kristoff leaned back and stretched his arms above his head. "We may want to get back and check on the furball and his partner in crime."
The others agreed, and they stood up to file out of the bar and onto the city streets. The air was cool and smelled of the sea, and they could hear the waves crashing against the quay. It was an eerily calming sound, as the water was dark and the sun gone.
The streets were still quite busy for how late it had become, but that was the way of it at the port. Merchants and sailors from all over kept the city lively, spending their coin and their leisure wherever the entertainment brought them. Being so far from the capitol, Gratisport was nearly a free city, and with that came many unsavory sorts. Many had learned to steer clear of Kristoff and the scouts, but every so often one soul brave or foolish enough to harass the sisters met with the harsh reminder of a fist to the face and a knee to the gut. Even the girls had started to get a little tougher, and at times didn't need any protection at all.
They made their way to the edge of town, where poverty had taken it's toll the hardest. The streets were filled with those that most would dare not trust, and for good reason. Many were harlots and criminals, and they eyed the group suspiciously as they made their way through the side roads and alleys. They had found an abandoned shack on the outskirts, and had taken up temporary residence.
Olaf and Sven had been instructed to stay indoors, and for the most part they listened quite well. Though he had the maturity of an adolescent, Olaf was still able to hold a grasp onto the gravity of their situation. This, however, did not prevent him entirely from forgetting himself and occasionally wandering outside. After one such incident, Anna had been tasked with finding a proper disguise for the snowman, and to her credit she succeeded. He was now Grandfather Olaf, an elderly man getting on in years which accounted for his short stature and odd behaviour.
Upon entering, the party found the two fast asleep in a corner of the small room. Due to the shack's size, they had taken to sleeping in shifts which worked out well. This ensured the girls were never alone, something Elsa and Anna both feared. This also helped to keep people away, as there was always someone around to scare off any trouble.
Somehow Olaf and Sven were able to sleep through anything, and the others sat down and started to talk in low whispers. Olvar took watch at one of the windows that looked over the busiest part of the street.
Liam looked around at the others, his face taken with concern. "I think we need to start looking for people that are still loyal to you, Your Grace. Our people are scattered in the wind right now, and they need guidance to come back home. With how many were displaced during the attacks, I honestly believe most would be willing to fight for you and for Arendelle."
Elsa looked down at the ground. "But I failed them all. I was supposed to protect them and I let them down. Who could possibly still be loyal to me after everything that has happened?"
"Well, for starters, we are," Olvar said from his perch.
Elsa smiled meekly, but the sadness still filled her eyes. "I know you are. I can't possibly begin to show my gratitude for your loyalty. But how likely are the others to still feel the same?"
"Elsa, everyone loved you! Even after the accident, when you came home and fixed everything, everyone forgave you. You are as loving, kind, and just as father was," Anna said confidently.
This stung Elsa more than it should have. She hated being reminded of how much she was like her father, as she felt she was less than half the ruler he had been. Not a day passed that she didn't grieve in silence. However, she choked back the tears and words she had been about to utter.
"Anna speaks the truth. Most were very loyal to you, and still would be. I say it's worth a shot," the lieutenant added. "But if we are to act, it should be soon."
Bertrand nodded in agreement. "It'll be easier to do so with the memory of the attacks still fresh in everyone's minds. I'd wager most would be looking for vengeance."
"Do you really think people will be so willing to fight after losing everything?" Elsa sounded doubtful.
"If not, they can be persuaded. People don't like to be ousted from their homes, and even if they are timid at first, it'll only take a little shove to get them headed in the right direction," Liam said matter-of-factly.
"What do we do about the wanted posters? It won't be long before all of our faces are on them," Anna asked, frightened of the answer.
Liam thought a moment before responding. "Propaganda. We'll use the wanted posters as a means to root out those that would remain loyal. Sympathizers will be easy to turn, and loyalists won't need any help at all."
Elsa blinked in surprise. "That's actually not a bad idea," she said as she stood up and began to pace. "But how will we rally them? Doing so in broad daylight would just tell the world where we are."
"You just leave that part to us. We'll have to start slow, but I say it won't take long to get a good gathering of men that will start spreading the word. Once they believe Queen Elsa of Arendelle is back and looking to reclaim her throne from these vile invaders, the rumors will start flying. Honestly, word of mouth is our most powerful weapon right now." Liam stroked his chin in thought.
Olvar shifted at the window, his hand moving to the dagger under his coat. "There's movement outside."
The men were on their feet instantly, hands on their weapons and ready to draw. Liam had insisted that the sisters begin carrying knives as well for protection, and had been teaching them basic self-defense. Both of them proved to be quick studies.
Olvar stared a few more moments before relaxing. "Just a couple of drunks."
Slowly everyone else followed suit, and weapons disappeared into the folds of clothing and pockets of coats. Returning to their seats around the room, the silence lingered for a bit longer before anyone moved.
Aldrik was the first to break the silence. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel like stretching my legs a little. Why don't you ladies get some sleep? Olvar and I can take first watch."
There was little argument from anyone, and as Elsa and Anna prepared to turn in they both wondered what fate the morning light would bring. Neither had slept more than a couple of hours a night since everything began, and that didn't look to be changing any time soon.
The next day brought much of the same routine. Early morning practice in the woods with Liam and Bertrand, then soon after was breakfast. This had proven to be quite effective, as Kristoff, Elsa and Anna picked up on things rather quickly. There had only been one incident where they had to put their short amount of training to the test, and the girls made absolutely sure that the men that attacked them wouldn't make the mistake of harassing them again.
Afterwards, they headed into town and started trying to pickup on the latest news from the invasion. They were surprised to hear that another attack had occurred just miles from Arendelle, a small village that was burned to the ground while the people were herded like cattle and slaughtered. Another claimed that several more villages had met the same fate, and that the countryside was slowly burning in the host's wake.
By early afternoon they had rendezvoused at the shack to go over what they had learned. It wasn't much to go on, but it was the first new gossip they had heard in over a week. Jorik had also returned with news, and divulged what he had managed to learn from his research.
Liam looked up at the arcanist from his position near the window. "Glad to see you're back. Were you able to find anything on our mysterious prophecy?"
Jorik gave a grin. "Why yes, actually."
Everyone's head whipped around in a strange synchronization at this announcement. "You mean the old man was telling the truth?" Aldrik whistled in amazement.
"Well, I wouldn't go quite so far as to say that. As it turns out, he left out quite a few details." Jorik took a seat next to the woodsman on a pair of boxes. "According to the information I was able to gather, this Sjelspise was a real thing. Before the creation of the world this demon angered the gods, and they banished him to the deepest pits of Hell."
"In order to contain him, they created four different seals to lock his prison. Then, at the behest of the gods, a blacksmith named Völandar crafted the Sword of Himmelen. This sword was the only way to kill the demon, should he ever escape his imprisonment."
"It goes on to say that only one soul will ever be born that is able to slay the demon with the sword. It says that the four seals will be destroyed, and that once he is risen the Eater of Souls will begin to devour humanity. Only the Chosen is able to wield the sword and cut him down before that happens."
Elsa shook her head. "But the old man said that two were required. You're telling us only one person is able to do this?"
Jorik looked at her thoughtfully. "I had wondered that as well. Either the old man lied, is a fool, or the prophecy is wrong. I can promise that the tomes I scoured for this information are well known for their accuracy."
"But that doesn't make sense. Why would he tell me to find Malek and stop this demon from rising if only he can do it?" Elsa began to look worried, and ran a slender hand through her hair.
The arcanist shook his head. "I wish I knew, Your Majesty. There is quite a bit I don't like about this man, but there is even less I like about this prophecy. Either you are truly involved somehow, or we are wasting our time."
"Are we even sure this prophecy thing is actually going to happen? I mean, what are the odds it's not just a bunch of ancient gibberish like all the old stories?" Aldrik asked as he stretched his arms above his head and yawned.
"Whether it's real or not doesn't really matter at this point. Lives have been destroyed because someone thought it was, and that's more than enough for me," Liam replied.
"Agreed. Our home is gone because of this. Right now, we can't afford not to act." Elsa stared down at the ground, melancholy washing over her in waves.
Bertrand looked around the room before speaking. "Well, I suppose this means that we'll need to head to Branisberg, and sooner than we thought."
Jorik raised a brow at this. "Sooner than we thought? We don't even know when this demon is supposed to rise, nor do we know where these seals are."
The weapons expert folded his arms in protest. "It matters little. I heard that the Magi's army is on the move again. They're supposedly headed northward, and you'll never guess their destination."
Jorik scoffed. "Don't tell me."
Leaning forward, Bertrand gave a wry smile. "Yeah, and what's worse is they already have a couple days on us.
Elsa panicked and began wringing her hands. "No! This is bad! We can't subject more people to that."
"Well, I think that pretty much tells us our next move. We should start gathering our things and head out of here within the hour. We can't let the enemy beat us there," Liam commanded.
The journey north was a slow and uneventful one. Even Olaf, who had a knack for creating his own fun, had run out of things to occupy his attention for long. Travel had already been hard in the weeks since the attack, and it looked to continue that trend. What was worse was that they had to travel by foot; horses cost far more than they had, and now that the royal treasury belonged to the enemy things seemed quite grim.
The highway they traveled was mostly empty, though the further inland they went the more farmland they passed. Occasionally a rickety old cart would amble by, axles squealing and the contents jounced by the rocks and ruts in the road. The driver would then nod at them and continue on their way, ignorant of the danger that was on the way. Elsa very much wanted to warn every passerby of what was to transpire, but knew doing so could inadvertently give them away to the enemy.
By evening they had come by a large ranch, and after some begging from Anna and Olaf the party stopped and watched as the horses ran across the fields. Most were already being herded to their stables for the night. This voyeurism didn't last for long, though, as they were hurried away by suspicious ranch-hands and the owner staring at them.
"I wish we had some horses. That would make this so much easier," Anna pouted.
Bertrand grumbled. "If we had the money, we would. Those horses look to be in excellent shape, too."
"What are the odds they'd be supportive of our cause and donate some?" Aldrik pondered.
They continued a ways down the road until they found shelter among a family of elm trees. The group quickly set to work setting up camp for the night, and in no time had a small fire going. The spring chill had waned some in recent days, and the need to fight back the cold had receded with it. The fire snapped and hissed as it took hold of the branches and leaves that filled the pit.
The queen and princess had been spending what time wasn't taken by weapons and defense lessons with survival training from the men. They were quite eager to learn, and often would take over the duties of the others when the opportunity arose. Neither wanted to be a burden on the others, and they both believed their best chance at surviving was doing everything they could.
Spending so much of her life isolated and alone, Elsa had become quite book smart, but also had a desire for the applications of what she learned. Anna, on the other hand, had become more practical and often did things without knowing how or why entirely. In the end, both caught on rather quickly, and this made the scouts' jobs easier.
After everything had been settled, they gathered around the fire. They sat in silence for a time, each contemplating what their next move would be. They had already decided that they needed to reach Branisberg, but did they have enough time to beat the Magi's army there? More importantly, what would they tell this Malek once they did find him?
If we find him, Elsa thought to herself.
As if they were sharing the same thought, Anna asked aloud. "What are we going to say when we find him? I mean, it's not like our story is all that believable."
"I had been wondering that myself," Liam replied. "The truth might be best, but the odds of this Malek taking us seriously when we tell him he's a demon slayer aren't looking that good."
Aldrik pulled out a wooden pipe and filled it with tobacco. "I'd just tell him that everything and everyone he cares about is in great danger unless he helps. He doesn't need to know every detail right away."
"We're not going to lie to him, or hold anything back," Elsa responded. "He has as much right to know as we do. But I'm not worried about what we're going to say to him so much as how we're going to get there in time. We can't possibly beat the enemy there if we continue at this pace."
Olvar shifted in his position near one of the large elm, looking down the road from where they had come. "I'm with Her Grace on this. We can tell Malek whatever we want, but it's going to matter little if we're late to the party."
"Please, just call me Elsa. We had already agreed titles were a bad idea, and I honestly don't mind." The queen nearly seemed offended by this.
Olvar nodded. "Of course, Your – er, Elsa. Old habits."
Ignoring this exchange, Jorik leaned over the fire and tossed in an extra branch that had been broken up. "Well, what did you have in mind? We don't exactly have many options."
Elsa looked down into the fire for a moment before responding. "There's that ranch just down the road. They had plenty of horses..."
The weapons master shifted in his seat near the fire pit. "Aye, that they do."
Absently fidgeting with her braids, Anna looked at her sister in confusion. "Yeah, we know. We stopped and watched them, remember? They did have some lovely horses. I don't see how that helps us at all."
"I always wanted a pony." Olaf added.
Elsa tried to swallow, but she felt the severity of what she was about to suggest stick to the back of her throat like a lump. "Well, what I'm saying is we could...steal...some of the horses." She cringed at her own words, and quickly looked away in shame.
Anna gasped at this, and the men started murmuring. Apparently, the queen wasn't the only one who had considered this. "Elsa! I can't believe you'd even think that!" Anna was incredulous.
Elsa's face was as red as the fire, and she dared not meet her sister's gaze. "Anna, we have very little choice..."
Shaking her head, Anna had become visibly upset. "That gives us no right to steal! We're not thieves!"
The lieutenant intervened. "Look, Anna, obviously this is a tough decision for us to make, and it's clear that your sister doesn't like it any more than you do. Unfortunately, we have a very small window of time and opportunity here. With the Magi's army on the move, that window is shrinking."
"But to start stealing from people? How can you justify that?" She asked, anger still lingering in her voice.
Liam made a waving gesture with his hand. "By saving more lives. Yes, stealing the horses is wrong, but don't you think that pales in comparison with every life we can potentially save by stealing them? Believe me, I wish there was a better way, but we have little coin, our supplies are abysmally low, and we have an army of savages laying waste to the entire countryside. Unfortunately, Elsa is right. We have no other choice."
Anna looked from her sister to the fire, a look of sorrow taking over momentarily. "Fine, do what you must. But I want no part of it."
"Right. I'm sorry it has to come to this, but let's get this over with and put it far behind us. Jorik, Aldrik and myself will head back to the ranch and pick out the horses we'll need. The rest of you will need to get everything ready, as we're not going to stay with a handful of stolen horses," Liam instructed.
Elsa looked up at the man, the firelight dancing in her eyes. "I'm coming too."
Liam simply shook his head. "No, Elsa, I don't think that that's a very good idea."
"I'm not asking. This entire ordeal is my burden to bear, and I'm going to do everything I can to see it through." She was adamant in her decision.
"You're sure you want to go through with this?" Aldrik asked her as they crept near the old wooden fence.
Elsa simply nodded. Everyone had tried to talk her out of it, except for her sister. Anna refused to talk to her. However, she told everyone that she had made her decision and that was final. Leaving no room for argument, they had left the camp for the ranch.
The stables were quite a bit away, several pastures over from where they entered. The fence wasn't in the best of conditions, and many of the planks were rotted and either broken or falling apart. Climbing through the partitions silently, the men were impressed with how limber and quickly their queen could move.
As they ran through the next field, they could see lights coming from the farmhouse and barn. This caused them to slow their pace some, and they crept through several more fields before coming to the darkened stables.
Liam scanned the place before motioning for the others to climb over. In single file they sneaked around the outside of the building towards the front, which was facing in towards the main yard. In the front the stables were open, leading inside to the individual stalls. It was a bit darker than outside, and very little moonlight shone through the slats in the roof.
Each stall door was locked with a cast iron padlock, and the stalls were packed two horses to each. Without instruction, Elsa pulled a couple clips from her hair and started fidgeting with the first lock.
The men just stood there and watched in amazement as the padlock clicked and sprung open. Quickly and quietly she moved onto the next, and in no time at all had several of the locks removed. The others gathered the tackle that lined the walls and started fitting the horses, who had slept through the intrusion.
"Where in the world did you learn to do that?" Liam asked her.
Elsa shrugged. "I had a lot of free time growing up, and at night I'd try and sneak out of my room so I could wander the castle without my parents worrying I'd freeze everything. You'd be surprised what you can learn out of a book."
Suddenly, shouting could be heard from across the yard, and everyone froze in place. Looking out from the stables, they could see movement near the barn. Men were walking in from the fields on the far side of the house, many of them robed and carrying torches.
The lieutenant looked at the others. "Shall we find out what's going on?"
Quickly they crept across the yard, hiding behind several bales of hay that had been stacked near the entrance. Running around to the other end of the barn, they were able to look in through one of the low windows. Inside, there was a large group of men standing in a semi-circle around another man and a woman that wore dark red robes and carried a large staff.
"That's the woman from the mines," Jorik noted.
Elsa looked shocked. "The one that can use magic? Why would she be here?"
"Let's see if we can hear what they're saying..." Aldrik replied, and quietly jostled the window open just enough for sound to carry through the crack.
"Andolf, my dear, you have failed me," the woman said in an amused tone. "How do you plan to fix this blunder of yours?"
The man in the middle was the farmer they had seen earlier that day staring at them. He was a heavy set man and balding. He wore tan coveralls over his clothes, and wore a wide-brimmed hat that was in disrepair. He was sweating heavily, and had a look of terror in his eyes. "I had no idea it was them, Celeste! I wasn't expecting them to come here!"
The woman walked up to Andolf and slapped him several times, fury contorting her face. "You had no idea!? I specifically told you that they had been spotted nearby! I gave you a description of them, you idiot!" Finally she swung her staff full force at him and clubbed him in the head, knocking him over.
"I-I'm sorry, Celeste! Please," he said groggily, "please, let me send men after them! They can't have gotten far!"
Celeste glowered at the man. "Yes, you'll do just that. Send every man you have available after them. Gut them where they stand for all I care, but I want the women alive. Do you hear me, you filthy pig? I have plans for them, so nothing is to happen to them! If you fail me again, I will skin you alive and feed you to the imps!"
Crouching back down, the others quickly decided that they had best get those horses and escape. Running full speed back across the yard, they gathered up the horses and started to lead them back through the pastures. Behind them, they could hear shouts start to ring out again as the men realized that the horses were missing.
They made it to the last field, and as Aldrik looked back he could make out torchlight in the fields near the stables. "Guys, I think we better hurry this along. It's not going to take them long to find out where we are."
Hurriedly, they mounted the horses, led them over the final length of fence, and sped off down the highway towards the camp.
