The Six Stones of Karabraxos
by MySoapBox
xxooOOooxx
Kristoff
Kristoff was strapping his bedroll and travel pack to Little Sven when he stopped to watch Elsa. She held the stone out in her hand and waved her other hand over it and then down the length of her body, as she did the stone levitated out of her hand and swirled with her magic. Within seconds Elsa wore sturdy riding boots, thick spun pants, a similar long sleeved shirt and overlaid with some sort of armor. He had seen her change her clothes with a wave of her hand many times, but this was the first time he had seen anything like this. Wearing armor had gone out of fashion, but Kristoff had to admit, considering the Hel hounds they were fighting, a light piece of armor or a thick leather tunic seemed like a really good idea. With a final flick of her hand the back of the chest piece magically laced up tight and a flowing blue cape fell across her shoulders, giving her that unique look that was all Elsa. She smoothed out her hair and tied it into a quick braid and then twisted it up into a bun. She picked up her bedroll and gear and walked them over to her horse. She was totally composed. As she hoisted herself up on her horse, she looked all the part the regal queen, so different from the trembling woman he saw this morning. Kristoff could probably count on his fingers the number of times he'd seen Elsa so uncomposed. He couldn't help but think of all the mornings in the past few weeks he had woken up sweating or with tears in his eyes. He shook his head and pulled himself up onto Little Sven's back.
That morning's travels went as smoothly as they could. Kristoff took lead again. It was a good way to avoid having to talk to anyone. At one point he had heard hounds in the distance coming closer. They had all drawn their swords but only saw the glimpse of one Hel dog through the trees before it turned and ran away.
A little before noon they passed the borders of Arendelle into the neighboring kingdom to the west. The south mountains which had only been a dark shadow on the horizon loomed ever closer. By evening they were in the foothills of those mountains looking down on the city of Lockhart
"Well," Kristoff said checking the scroll one more time and surveying the large village that lay nestled in the valley at the base of the south mountain. "I think this is the right place."
Ismund grunted. "I thought you said that we were looking for "the hermit of the mountain". When I think of a hermit I think of someone who is alone. There must be three hundred people down there."
"Look on the bright side," Moris said, "With all those people, maybe someone will actually know something about this guy that lived hundreds of years ago."
"What are going to do? Ride into town and just start knocking on doors?" Anders asked.
"That's exactly what we are going to do," Ismund said.
Elsa looked unsure. "I don't believe that King Vestri will appreciate the neighboring kingdom's queen entering his territory unannounced, even if we are allies."
"Then we won't tell him," Kristoff said.
Ismund over at the sun, hanging low in the sky. "My Queen, I recommend we take camp for the night. We'll make our plans and get a fresh start in the morning."
Ismund
That morning they took great care to not look like the Queen of Arendelle and her entourage. Guard's uniforms we traded for home spun shirts and jackets and the queen's new armor was covered with a simple cloak and hood. The only one who didn't have to change cloths was Kristoff, who looked just the same as he always did. They road leisurely into town with other travelers on the main road and located the livery where they decided to house their horses for the day. It was agreed that they would look less suspicious if they split up. Anders and Moris offered to go check out the local market and pub, Kristoff, who was more accustomed to trading and doing business in these kinds of villages, went to see if he could make contacts with the local tradesmen, and Ismund and the Queen would try some of the local shops.
After an hour of browsing in town, Ismund was starting to feel frustrated. No one had ever heard of a hermit of the mountain and Ismund didn't know what else to ask without drawing too much attention to themselves.
Ismund was about to suggest that they try to find the others when the Queen stopped and sniffed the air. Ismund caught the whiff of something as well, sweet and heavy.
"Chocolate!" the Queen said and she turned towards the source. There was a bakery just a few shops down.
Ismund held open the door for the Queen and they stepped into the small shop. A bell at the door tinkled. The Queen kept her hood up as she started to look over the breads and pastries until her eyes fell on what she was craving, small chocolate cakes still cooling on a rack on the back counter.
"What will I have you for?" an old woman asked as she came shuffling in from a back room.
Ismund asked the woman if she would take Arendelle silver, and the woman agreed. The Queen ordered two of the cakes and went to wait at a nearby table. Ismund stayed at the counter to receive their purchase.
"You two from Arendelle?" the woman asked as she wrapped up the cake.
"Just passing through," said Ismund.
"Nasty business, what's going on 'en Arendelle."
"What have you heard?"
"Words gone round. Says there's evil dogs tear'n up the place. You seen any of that when you was there?"
"Um, no. But we were just passing through, as I said."
"Well, they says it's really bad. Just what those people deserve, says I"
The Queen strangled a cough and Ismund covered for her by asking, "How so?"
"Oh you know, that Snow Queen, she ain't natural, she ain't. Times for magic is past, they have. They says it's the way of nature bringing an end to magic, once and for all, and punishin' that Snow Queen for all she's done. "
Ismund schooled his face not to give anything away, and looked casually to the Queen. She had already stood and was heading for the door. The baker woman handed over the wrapped cakes.
"Yous have a good day," the old woman called, as the bells on her shop door rang merrily behind them as the Queen pushed through the door, Ismund at her heals.
As soon as they were clear of the shop the Queen turned to him. "The gall of that woman!" she seethed.
"My Queen, keep your voice down."
"Get what I deserve? To watch my people get slaughtered!"
Ismund reached out and grabbed her hand to calm her. It felt cool in his. "She was just an ignorant old woman telling tales. She had no idea what she was talking about."
"That much was obvious…."
Ismund was startled when someone approached them, but was relieved to see it was Kristoff. "Hey, what's going on? I heard you all the way across town."
Before the Queen could answer Ismund cut her off, "The shopkeeper said some very foolish things that were very upsetting, that's all."
"Well, this news should cheer you up; I think I have a lead. I ran into some trappers down at the blacksmiths. They'd never heard of a hermit of the mountains, but they said there was a place not too far away called Hermit's Pass. I thought we should check it out."
xxooOOooxx
After getting lunch in town the group took the east road on foot out of town and then turned on a side path that led up into the mountains. Leaving the horses back at the livery was a good idea as the terrain turned rocky very quickly as the path switched back and forth up the mountainside. For awhile they would be plunged into forest and then they would come to some vista, each new vista a witness to how high they were climbing.
They stopped at one such vista to rest and Ismund was glad that they had filled their water skins at lunch, although the days were getting cooler, this climb was taking its toll; and he was again reminded that he was not as young as he once was. Elsa put the cork back into her water skin and packed it away. She had her hood pulled up to shade her from the sun.
"It shouldn't be much farther now," Kristoff was saying. "It looks like this path wraps around the side of the mountain just ahead and that should lead to the path."
"So what are we looking for exactly?" Anders asked.
Kristoff shrugged. "A cave? A hut? Some sort of wall writing?"
"I've been thinking about this. We can assume that the stones were left with magical folk. So this hermit must have had some sort of magic and often magical people are long-lived," Kristoff said. "Grand Pabbie is a couple hundred years old, I know that."
"But he's a troll, right? Trolls live a lot longer than humans. Maybe it has nothing to do with magic at all," Ismund offered.
"I'm starting to feel like this is all a wild goose chase," Anders mumbled.
"I know it sounds crazy, but this just feels right," Elsa said. "I can't explain it. It just does."
"Good enough for me. Let's keep going and find this pass," Ismund said.
Ismund led the way and the rest followed, up the next switchback and then around the curve of the mountain. The curve of the path opened up a new vista of the back side of the mountain and the face of another. The trees were older on this side, and the vegetation less dense. The path took a downward angle as they moved into this valley and then up again. The foliage thinned considerably and everything became more rocky.
"This must be it," Ismund said as the path ahead came into view. Where the two mountains met there was a narrow path, and sheer rock walls on each side, like someone had gone through with a giant sword and cut a way right through the mountains. It certainly didn't look natural, but no man would have the power to dig such a great tunnel.
"Let's have a look around," Elsa said.
For the next hour they explored Hermit's pass. They looked for caves in all the crags. They looked for writing or stacked rocks or anything indicating that any sorcerer or witch or anyone with magic might have once carved this place.
Kristoff looked up to the sun. "Looks like we better head back; it will be dark in a few hours. We can take some rooms at the pub in town."
"Yeah," Ismund agreed. "As much as I hate to say it, it looks like this was a dead end.
"There's got to be something here," Elsa said. "What are we missing?"
Just then they heard a lone howl in the distance, and then another, and then a third.
Anders eyes grew wide. "The Hel hounds. They must have followed us from Arendelle."
They heard howling again, this time a bit closer.
"I'm so foolish," Ismund said to himself looking out in the distance from whence the howling had come. "My Queen, tell us you have the stone. We are all unarmed."
Elsa pushed the openings of her cloak apart, revealing the blue chest piece with the black stone. She closed her eyes in concentration.
They heard some barking right over the ridge.
"They are getting closer," Moris said.
Ismund picked up a stick from the ground and with his boot against a rock he snapped it into a sharp point.
Elsa put her hand over the stone in her chest plate, her eyes scrunched tight.
"There!" Kristoff said, and pointed to the brush rustling in the distance.
"We could try and run for it," Anders said, arming himself with a thick club-like branch.
"They can't be outrun," Ismund said. "But the Queen can make us a shelter."
"The stone will work," Elsa insisted, her eyes still screwed shut.
"Another one, there!" Moris said. "Why aren't they attacking? They usually just charge in."
"They seem to be circling us," Kristoff said. He picked up a large rock.
"Playing with their food then, that's not very polite," Morris quipped.
"Elsa, we could use that shelter about now," Kristoff said.
"This is going to…"
One of the beasts came running towards them.
"Watch out!" Ismund yelled and Anders spun just in time to bash the creature on the head with his branch. The animal howled and ran off into the brush.
Too late to erect a shelter, Elsa raised her arms, ready for another attack.
"I don't think that was a garm," Ismund said. "I think it was a…"
"Wolf!" Kristoff finished for him, throwing his stone at one of the shadows in the undergrowth.
"Looks like a whole pack of 'em," Moris said.
"No wonder the stone didn't work," Elsa said. Another wolf came running towards them and Elsa sent a giant snowball at it stunning it, but two more came from opposite directions. Ismund jabbed his pointed stick at one, keeping it at bay, while Kristoff and Moris threw more rocks. Anders was swinging his club wildly, at three more that had joined the fray. Elsa sent out another giant snowball and another, pelted wolves whined as they limped away. But soon several more came, and the group was surrounded.
"Huddle up next to me. I'll form a dome over us," Elsa said.
Just then a whistling sound, and one wolf shrieked out and fell to the ground. And then another, an arrow sprouting from its side. Elsa turned to see where the arrow had come from, stumbling back as she did so. A wolf, seeing its chance, took the opportunity to spring and before Elsa could react, it was almost upon her. The animal let out a horrible yell and fell dead beside her, an arrow in its eye.
The other wolves were startled by the cry and went bounding out into the craggy rocks and undergrowth.