Chapter 6: Without the dark, we don't see the stars.
"Open up!" The bouncing on the door became more ferocious as the guard's patience ran out.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" called the old woman out. Hans began to curse in himself. It was too late to sneak out the window. They would spot them immediately... To their surprise however, the woman opened the door of their bedroom. "Play along with me" sissed the elderly woman. She shuffeled back to the front door before either Hans or Triss could ask anything.
The guard bounced even harder on the door, that opened so suddenly, he nearly punched the old woman in the face! "I...I'm so sorry, m'am" called the guard out. "But we need to look inside..."
"At this hour of the night?" asked the woman. "I could have broken a leg while I was going down my staircase!" The guards shifted uncomfortably. "Not to mention you nearly punched me in the face! I should report you to your commander!"
"May we pass, madam?"
The woman sighed annoyed. "Yes...You'll probably going to make everything dirty again all over, and I just cleaned the day before! What wil people think when they come here? They'll think I'm a slob!"
"We are searching for a criminal that seemed to have passed here a few hours ago, woman" spoke the leader of the group, who was clearly fed up with the woman's blabbering. "It's Prince Hans, along with a young girl..."
"Girl?!" sissed the huntress offended from behind their door. "I'm not a 'girl', you-mmmm" Her mouth was clasped shut by Hans' large hand.
"Keep quiet" sissed the prince while the soldier rambled on.
"Well, the quicker you are finished here, the quicker I can go back to sleep" commented the woman. "I need my night's rest you know... Rikke! Get over here to get me up in bed you sloth!"
Hans raised his eyebrows. She wanted him to go IN the room full of soldiers?
"Rikke! Get up, you boy!" The soldiers meanwhile became suspicous as for why this 'Rikke' didn't appear with all that noise and they opened the door to the bedroom Triss and Hans slept in.
"Aha!" sneered the leuitenant as he recognised the familiar red hair that all Westerguards inherited. "Time to face your execution prince Hans!"
"What?" asked Triss astonished. "Sir, he's not prince Hans, surely you see that!" She remembered the woman's words...Play along...
"That's my son you hold, you idiot!" growled the old woman.
"Don't play games with us, woman" barked the leuitenant as the guards forced Hans on his knees. "This is the prince we've been looking for!"
"You think I wouldn't know my own flesh and blood?" asked the woman angrily as she approached the man, who now began to doubt just like many others. The woman was still good in mind... The man's eyes travelled back to the man on his knees. His face was stained with dirt and the beginning of a beard began to show...The man's eyes began to travell to the man's clothes.
Hans kept himself as calm as possible, so he wouldn't blow the plan. He knew what the woman wanted to acchieve... People expect what they expect to see, and the guards expected a prince in beautiful clothing, not a uncombed man in ragged pyjama's!
"And who are you?" the man turned his attention to Triss. He began to slowly accept the woman's lies...but he wasn't fully convinced yet.
"I'm Mia." lied Triss smoothly. She couldn't risk using her real name, in case they found out... "I'm his sister."
"Oh, really...Then you must know your 'brother' very well. Tell me something about him."
"His name is Rikke, born in 31 july, in the year 1818. He's terrible at his footing, and can't fish. He's however a great archer."
Hans hid his astonishement. That girl was just as smooth as he was when it came to lying! He kept a blank face when the guard returned his attention to him.
"Can you show us your archery skills?" Damn it. That guy was hard to convince!
"And where should he shoot at, boy!" snapped the woman. "Its in the middle of the night!"
The leuitenant grumbled, but saw the sense of her words. After a last intense look at the prince, he raised his hands, and the guards released him. Triss, who still played the part, clamped her hands arround the prince' neck, completely playing the 'worried sibling'.
"Oh, Thank goodness" said Triss with fake tears in her eyes as she embraced the prince to hide him from view. She had just noticed a minor detail that could blow everything...Hans' sideburns were still visible, even with the beard grow. If they saw it...
Fate seemed to be in their favor, as the guard was convinced that the man in front of him wasn't the searched criminal-prince and they turned towards the woman. "I'm terribly sorry for this disturbance, ma'am. We are only doing our duty"
The elderly woman nodded and the guards left one by one untill the leuitenant was the last one to close the door.
"Well, Mia, don't just sit there with your brother! You still have to go to the market tomorrow! Give me some milk will you?" chided the woman. Even though they left, they could still be earshoving...
"Yes mother.." said Triss meekly as she put her hands of the prince's body.
"Rikke, I thought I told you to bring me upstairs?"
"Yes, of course mother, how foolish of me..." spoke Hans as he stood up to take her to her bed. As they were upstairs, the prince let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you" whispered Hans to the elderly woman, who simply nodded in return.
As Triss came by with a cup of milk, they both sat down on the ground. "We need answers. Now. Who are you, and why did you save us while risking getting caught?" asked Triss, as the soldiers couldn't possibly hear them up here.
"And how did you know our names?" put Hans also in. To their irritation, the woman sipped slowly from the milk, before placing it down.
"To answer your first question, my name is Janne. And the reason why I saved you, and how I know your names, was not for myself. But for The Man in Moon..." Hans and Triss glanced towards each other.
"The what now?"
Anna had fallen sleep against Elsa's shoulder, and the young queen too began to close her eyes by the steady hobbling of Kristoff's sledge. Just when her head began to fall down from exhaustion, she snapped up when Kristoff's voice boomed they had arrived. "Anna?" whispered Elsa. "Wake up..."
"Mmmm..." murmured Anna as she stretched her arms out. "Oh!" the princess looked up, to see the aurora borealis. "Look, Elsa the sky is awake..."
The queen smiled at her sister's words, and both descended from the sledge, while Sandy and Jack came down. "It must be so great to see the world from above..." spoke Elsa to the guardian. "Aren't you scared you are going to fall?"
"Not at all" said Jack to the queen. "The Wind makes sure of that..." Jack's eyes widened when he saw Kristoff talk to the rocks as if they were alive.
"Yeah" giggled Anna as she remembered how baffled she was when she saw Kristoff do that. "My reaction was the same..."
"Woah!" The three guardians looked in awe as the rocks rolled towards the middle of the valley and opened to reveal the creatures.
"Kristoff's home!" called a female troll.
"Kristoff! when is the wedding going to take place?"
"What cake are you going to take?"
"I have been practising my speech!"
"Stop it, stop it, that's enough!" boomed Kristoff's voice to quieten his family's enthousiasm. "I'm afraid, we have some problems at hand..."
"Isn't there always when you show up?" commented Bulda to her adopted son.
Kristoff chuckled and then introduced the three guardians to the trolls, who waved enthousiastically. They always were curious creatures to get to know other people. "Apparently...this shadow took control of Hans and nearly killed Anna and Elsa... His name is Pitch Black...have you heard of them?" When he saw the Troll's eyes widen in fear, he knew it wasn't needed anymore to ask, but he did so anyway.
A bigger rock rolled forward, and Gran Pabbie appeared, looking grimly. "I hoped never to hear his name again..." said the Troll King to Kristoff. "And now it seems he has returned..."
"Returned?" asked Elsa confused. "What do you mean?"
"We encountered Pitch many centuries ago, during the dark ages. We warned him for a prophecy that might occur if he went on as he did now...He didn't listen."
"That doesn't matter now... Why is he so interested in Elsa and Anna?" asked Jack.
the Troll King glanced to the guardian of Fun. "Sometimes, young guardian, you should listen deeper to these words..." The troll opened his mouth again, and spoke the prophecy:
"When Summer wilts and Autumn falls,
the Heart of Winter thaws by Spring's calls.
The warrior, who cursed Fear shall reap,
puts Hope into eternal sleep.
A single choice shall end One's life,
the world to fall or thrive."
Hans blinked confused. "So, what does it have to do with us?" He looked amazed to the woman. A visionary...They were often liars and deceivers, but after seeing her eyes glow an eerie white, giving them both answers to things they had never spoken about, it couldn't be denied she was no sharlatan...
Janne looked angrily to the prince. "You have met Fear and Winter in a span of two days, and then you ask what it has to do with you?"
"Hold on! You mean, Fear is real?" asked Triss. "As in an actual person?"
"He is." spoke Janne grimly.
"And what did she mean by 'meeting Winter'?" asked Triss now to the silent prince. "So..." Triss shook as she took everything in. "So there is someone with..magic...everything that has been said among the taverns and markets...it's true..." rumors always were thickened as time flew by and so, Triss didn't believe those stories about an ice-wielding queen...Could it truly be? "Why didn't you tell me this?" snapped Triss angrily to the prince. "Why didn't you tell me about this Pitch Black person?" If Fear did exist... Her hand went to her side, where normally her knife was...
"Would you have believed me back then?" asked Hans softly. "Truly?"
Triss' mouth shut. No. He was right. She would have laughed and called him a liar...
"Thought so." said Hans bitterly as he focused again on the old woman who now turned her attention to Triss.
"You have been having nightmares for the past few months...Like many others in this region. I suspect it goes even beyond the Southern Isles' borders...If you want to stop those, you have to take him on. But you can't do that alone. You have to find he other Guardians in this prophecy..."
"Why?" frowned Hans. Pitch had stopped hunting him. He was free now to do what he wanted, to start over somewhere else. "Surely these guardians can manage on their own? They can destroy Fear for sure! Not a traitor-prince and a huntress!"
"You can't destroy Fear, young man. You never can." snapped Janne. "They all represent the balance. Many like you see Fear as a weakness in battle. I heard you still go Berserk when you go to war?"
Hans nodded as a comformation. Berserk was when a warrior went in such a rage, they didn't fear anything as the battle raged on; No matter how many wounds, they fought untill the end... "It is to be worthy in Valhalla" commented Hans. They still kept the Northern traditions as close to their hearts as Arendelle did.
"Fear isn't a bad thing, Prince Hans. It can give you strength as much as Hope does..."
"Again, what does this have to do with me?" asked Elsa confused.
The troll King sighed. "I was sworn to secrecy by your parents..."
"Well, our parents are dead now, and Elsa may be too soon enough!" said Anna irritated by the troll's mysterious words. Her worry for her sibling made her lash out like this.
"Hope and Fear are like Yin and Yang. They can't be without the other, and are in equal force. However, when people began to see in Fear only the worst, Hope flourished, while Fear weakened, causing inbalance. Fear felt left out, and became angry because of people shutting him out. It was that jealousy that made him want to erase his counterpart..for good..."
Everyone, including the Guardians were silent as the troll told further on. Even the Guardians had never known Pitch that long...Well, aside maybe Sandy, but even he was baffled.
"It was then that Mother Nature intervened, although she had sworn never to do so again between her parents."
"Wait...Mother nature is Pitch's Daughter?" asked Kristoff to be certain.
"Yes. She couldn't bare seeing her parents fight among another for dominance, and so she locked her mother up before Pitch could kill her for good..."
"...Like Pandora's Box..." whispered Anna as she remembered the greek tale.
"To prevent her Father from killing her, she made a map to lead eventually to the hiding place of Hope, and shattered it in four parts. They all went inside the minds of four maidens. Four maidens who each bear one season inside them to protect that map, and themselves..."
"So, that's why he's so interested in me..." whispered Elsa as it dawned on her. "I'm one of the puzzle pieces..."
"So...who are the other Seasons then?" asked North. "If Pitch is on the hunt for them so suddenly, he must know where the others are right?"
"Not all of them. He has...suspiscions of another...But of one, he is certain..." spoke Pabbie seriously. "Just before your powers began to show up, Elsa, another was born in Corona. She was however stolen from her crib and made your parents even more anxious..."
"So that's why they locked me in...to protect me from Pitch..." realized Elsa as tears began to drip down her cheeks. She...she had always thought it was because they were afraid of her, for hurting Anna again...but it was actually to keep her safe...
"Hold on...Corona?" asked Anna. "That's where the Lost Princess comes from isn't it? What's her name...Raponse? no! Rapunzel, that was it!"
Everyone's mind was reeling. "We have to go to Corona to talk to her." spoke Jack seriously. "If Pitch is truly trying to hunt you all down, we have to warn her."
"Should we?" asked Sigunn. Everyone looked to the intelligent child. "I mean, Pitch can just sit back and wait for you to figure everything out..."
"She's right.." mumbled North.
Sandy let a 4 girls appear above his head, while Pitch snatched them, all one by one.
"Sandy is right..." said Kristoff. "If we just wait, Pitch will just keep going to look for the other Two...We have no choice."
"So, who is going to Corona? We can't all go, it immediately would draw attention..." spoke Anna.
"I will. " said Elsa. "It's the only way I can prove it with my magic...But I can't go alone either."
"Me!" spoke Jack immediately, causing everyone to blink at the eager young guardian. "Eh...that's if you want me..." grinned Jack sheepishly.
"Sure..." smiled Elsa. She had slightly hoped he would volunteer. Normally she would have immediately asked Anna to go with her, but she couldn't leave the kingdom without ruler. The people were already so restless... The young queen turned her attention back to Gran Pabbie. "Thank you Gran Pabbie, for telling me this."
The Troll King nodded. "It was my pleasure to help you, your majesty."
Hans looked to himself in the small mirror, before taking one of Triss' sharp knifes. Technically, he hadn't lost the bet...But he felt he had to do this. The prince took a deep breath. It felt weird to put the knife against his sideburns. It was a mark of nobility... The last left-over of who he once was. After releasing his breath, the prince slowly began to shave them off and he blinked after the deed was done.
Triss blinked when she saw the prince return. "Guess I have to find another nickname for you, Sideburns." smiled the huntress. Her smile however didn't reach her eyes, and Hans wondered for the millionth time what was on her mind. She had been so quiet after hearing of the prophecy... The prince looked to the upcoming sun. Triss wanted to leave already, before another patrol of soldiers came by to investigate...
"I guess..." spoke the prince back. Janne had given him some simple commoner's clothes, and the roughness of his clothes stung against his skin. It kept however the warmth inside. Especially the cloak he had been given was a true blessing. The sword the prince had stolen from the officier, hing loosely at his belt, as he didn't have a sheath to put it in. Both the prince and the huntress looked back to see Janne wave them out.
"Remember Hans. dont fear your weaknesses... Make them your strength." spoke the woman motherly to the man.
"I...I try.." said Hans, not really knowing what to say. "Thank you, again for everything..." The prince quickly turned arround before she could answer. Not because he wanted to be rude, but he always despised goodbyes and wanted to have it done as quickly as possible.
Triss walked on in silence and Hans didn't bother to break it. Instead he focused on his surroundings.
"Where are you going?" asked Hans eventually as he began to orientate where they should be. They should be close to the coast now. He could hear the birds and the salty winds already.
"To Arendelle."
"What, Why?"
"To help of course!"
Hans blinked. "Triss, what we-what THEY are facing is not our problem. What can we do against Pitch?" The prince shook his head. "Besides why so eager to help anyway?"
"I want those nightmares to stop!" said Triss with gritted teeth. "They are getting worse every single day...How come YOU aren't affected?"
Hans blinked. Why wasn't he indeed? He didn't had nightmares or dreams ever since he came back from Arendelle. "I don't know."
"hm.." huffed Triss. "Anyway, do what you want, get on a boat, start a new life, if that's what you so desire."
Was it that obvious? Hans bit his lip. As much as he wanted to settle down, somewhere quiet...he knew he couldn't. Robin, his brother...the guilt still followed him. He wanted to mend it, prove that he was just protecting an innocent man...which he only could do if he went after Pitch...And alongside the fact that he had begun to like Triss' company, he knew he would miss her gruff mannerisms quickly...
"I come with you." That was it. He had officially thrown away the quiet life he had always wanted and instead went back to the place he had sworn to never set foot on again... The two travelled on by foot the whole day and their talks became more friendlier now they seemed to have the same goal. After eating from the provision's Janne had given them, they went to sleep, with their backs towards the smoldering camp fire...
A loud rumble in the background made Hans' head jerk up. Was that a storm? The prince looked up to see a dark night sky full of stars, with the Moon as companion. No. no clouds. Then what was causing i- Hans' eyes widened when he turned arround to see a purple-black mass come their way, in the shape of millons of dark horses...
"Triss!"
"What, Sideburns?" The woman awoke from the prince's shouting and gasped too when she saw the gigantic clouds come their way. "Good lord..."
Hans' hand went for his sword to take it out of his belt, but the prince was frozen into place. No Fear in Battle... Fear was weakness... The prince' hand went limp by his side and only one thought came to mind. Run...
So...it seems Pitch' plan is finally coming out! What did you think of the reveal and the prophecy? Who do you think the Warrior is? Who is going to die? You may guess in the comments who Spring and Autumn could be!
To give some extra information:
1) In scandinavian regions, they believed that when you were fearless into battle and you died, you went to Paradise, aka. Valhalla.
2) Mother Nature being Pitch's daughter, IS canon with the books from William Joyce, where the movie 'Rise of the guardians' is based upon.
3) In this story, Elsa and Anna are NOT Rapunzel's cousins.
From here on, Jack and Elsa finally get some time to grow to each other, as will Hans and Triss.
Love,
TeamArendelle.
