Gerda

The river is cold between my toes. I clutch my red shoes tightly in my right hand as I wade into the ankle-deep water. Tall grasses rustle at my feet and cling to my legs.

This river flows north for miles and miles, emptying finally into the fjord of Arendelle. Grandmother tells me that Arendelle-Ciera wasn't always one kingdom. A few years before I was born, our King Frederick of Ciera married Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and the kingdoms merged into one. Now we live in one big kingdom that stretches the length of the river.

The water is up to my knees. I shiver as the cold water rushes past me, but I press on. If Kai has been here, the river will certainly know.

I hold my shoes into the air.

"River," I say. "I bring you my red shoes, never worn. They were a gift from my father before he left to fight in the Goblin Wars." There is a lump in my throat. "I will give you these shoes in exchange for Kai. Please bring him back safe."

I mean to toss the shoes far, far into the middle of the river and watch them sink out of sight, but they slip from my hands. The tide pulls them back into shore.

Frustrated, I gather my skirts and wade back to shore. I pick up the shoes, shining still, but now sopping wet. I am not sure I have the strength to throw them again.

A little boat is moored to a dock not far from me. It is the perfect size for a twelve-year-old girl. I scamper over to the boat and climb in. I can take the boat out to the middle of the river and drop the shoes straight down, where no tide will catch them. Then I can paddle back to shore.

I lift the heavy rope that is holding the boat to the dock. Almost immediately, the current pulls me to deepest part of the river. Once more, I lift my shoes.

"River," I say, "I ask only for Kai's safety." I drop the shoes. They hit the cold water with a splash. Droplets of water land on my skirt. I am satisfied. I have done all that the river could ask of me. Now all that is left is to paddle back to shore.

The boat has no oars.

I search under the seats, but the boat is so little. There is nowhere for oars to be hiding. I begin to rock the boat back and forth, hoping to use my weight to nudge it towards shore.

"River!" I shout. "River, let me go! I need to go home!"

The river does not hear me. If it hears, it does nothing.

A swallow flutters by in the trees overhead. It was a swallow who first told me that Kai had not died, who swore that he had been watching the river that day and Kai had been nowhere near it. I am usually good with swallows. I speak their language better than that of most birds.

'Swallow!' I call. 'Please help!'

This swallow is a stranger though. He does not take notice of me.

The wooden dock grows smaller and smaller at my back. The last thing I see before it falls out of view is the wink of red shoes, which have settled back onto the shore. I shout in frustration. How will I save Kai now?

A/N – First Wednesday update! Thanks for reading! Ya'll are the best!