Author's Note: Part II is a bit different, more of a bridge than an actual part. One chapter a day, nine short chapters, nine different points of view, to give an idea of what is happening in the aftermath of the Southern Isles' attack. -Foxinstrazt

Part II: Nine Days of Winter

Chapter 13

-Eulogy-

Wandering Oaken's Trading Post, Arendelle Countryside

First Day of the Savage Winter

Snow had blanketed the mountains of Arendelle in the time frame of a few hours. It was falling everywhere in the kingdom, carried on the back of a winter wind that had appeared out of nowhere. It was the middle of Summer, and yet a blizzard had overtaken the countryside and was unleashing its fury in the form of white fluff that was now gathering in banks around the family that was huddled together, shivering outside of the warm cabin.

"Father, we must do something." Oaken's eldest son, a young man who was as tall and broad as him, but with a mop of bright blond hair, spoke quietly from where they stood. The sounds of more glass shattering within his shop made the large man wince, as it brought more thoughts of the nightmare they were now suffering.

"No!" His hushed voice carried a sharp edge with the command, and drew the frightened eyes of the three children clutching at his legs. "We can not let the little ones come to harm."

The soldier watching them, a man whose skin was tanned from what he could only assume was many days in the open sun, turned his gaze upon them. "Quiet, or I start slittin' throats."

"Please, I have nothing to hide!" Using his massive arms to push the children further back from the advancing soldier, Oaken shielded his family as the man approaching him drew a sword from the scabbard at his side. "The Queen-"

"Is dead." The point of the blade tapped against his chest, and the man gave a short chuckle. "And this search is authorized by King Everard of the Southern Isles. It is our duty to ensure that you and your family are safe during this time of.. transition."

"Step away!" The voice drew all their eyes to the man who was standing only a few feet outside of the dark treeline, a sword held in his hands. Oaken could see the way snow had fallen into the short black hair and beard, showing just how long the stranger had been in the flurry. When the soldier threatening his family did not back away, the man called again. "Turn your blade away from the innocents!"

"Who in the blazes are you?" The soldier did as he was told this time, holding the sword in front of him as he moved toward the stranger. "By order of King Everard, we are conducting a search of-"

"No true king would rely so heavily upon treachery." The newcomer strode forward, grasping the hilt of his weapon in both hands and raising it. "Now leave, or suffer the consequences." From where Oaken stood, he could see the soldier who had been holding his family hostage struggle to form words, before the man saw fit to charge at the stranger.

There was a loud clash of metal, and barely enough time for him to cover the children's eyes as a tearing sound accompanied the splatter of blood that now decorated the top layer of the snowfall. The soldier fell to the ground in a heap as the older warrior stepped past the twitching body, his blade now coated in red. The other two that had come to ransack the trading post, having heard the commotion, appeared in the doorway. Oaken could see the way they glanced at the corpse and the man who had killed their friend, and could nearly taste the indecision that gripped both of them.

With cries of fury, both drew their weapons and charged. It was immediately clear to Oaken that the stranger was the more skilled of the three fighters. The man held no fury in his features as he strode forward, no inclination that he held any ill will towards the other men. He stepped past the first attack and cut down the second soldier without so much as a moments hesitation, reversing his blade and lunging back to impale the man he had evaded before any retaliation could come. Drawing his sword from the dying soldier, he then turned to the family. "Are you harmed?" Still covering his children's eyes, Oaken had trouble forming the thoughts necessary to speak, glancing between the stranger and his wife, who was clinging to his arm in the face of such violence. They had never experienced something so brutal before, but the man had just saved them. Shaking his head, he watched the man nod and turn away. "You should bury them, far away from here. With luck, the snow will cover them for some time."

The man spoke so casually, as if he had not just killed three soldiers and mentioned the howler of a snowstorm they were having in the midst of Summer. "Th-Thank you, friend." It was almost physically painful to speak, stunned as he was. Nodding in his direction before looking towards the treeline, the man's gaze drew Oaken's eyes to the darkness, where a girl with bright red hair stepped out. He recognized her immediately, having seen her during the celebration after the coronation. The girl's teal eyes met his for a moment before they flitted to the ground. From here, he saw the dried blood that coated the young woman's neck and cheek, but could find no apparent wound to explain its presence.

"We will not overstay our welcome. Best of luck to you and yours, my friend." The stranger used a cloth to wipe the remnants of the southern soldiers away from his blade and sheathed it at his hip. He moved over and took the young woman by the arm, leading her onward, heading up the mountainside.

A tug at his sleeve brought Oaken's eyes downward, to his youngest daughter. "Who was that?"

"Tyrants will always seek to oppress those who they perceive to be less then them. Nobility is not what flows in our veins, it is in our actions. And it will always be our duty to challenge those who abuse their power."

Author's Note: Most reviews and least amount of favorites and follows from posting a chapter on that last one. I am no surprised, given its content. However I was surprised by how the reviews were all positive, with no one telling me they are done with the story(I kind of actually expected that).. Just means you guys are more awesome than I knew, thank you all! And best of luck to Viento, I hope you are alright! -Fox

TheFitfulFire: I'm glad I make up for the lack of shirt fabric in other areas! And thank you for taking the time to read the fic, I promise more fight scenes will be coming.

Guest: I do this to you guys because.. Because there is an end game to this tragedy.

Guest 2: I'm torn.. I'm sorry I made you cry, but kind of pleased with myself that my writing made someone cry. But thank you for the review and the kind words!

Dutchman02: I am not nice, I agree. My friends think I have a serious problem with my characters, as the ones I don't kill I usually leave in a state of despair.. And I was trying to warn people in that last chapter without actually warning them, and I am a little bit sorry it threw you off so much, I know how some stories can do that to you.. A romance between Hans and Anna, after what he did? ..I considered it, twisting the story in some way so that it could happen, but it just felt..ew, after what he did to Elsa. So rest assured on that. As for retribution upon the Westergard brothers.. Well, everybody dies eventually.

Lightningthesky: Love your profile picture!('cause I do love Lightning). Thank you for taking the time to review, and updates will be coming pretty quick for this part, like I said at the top. One a day!

Viento: First off, I hope you are well. I've been in a few Earthquakes in my day, none of them too bad, but stay safe! As for how it can be an Elsanna fic without one of them around.. Romance and loss are huge motivators for people. Elsa's part isn't done in this story, even if she is gone. Anywho, hope you made it through the earthquake alright!

UnsightlyViewings: I really liked writing the fight scenes in this one, and hopefully the quality of them will continue. Thank you for your continued support!

StormBreeze: I tried my best to make her death scene non-soap operaish, hopefully it wasn't too dramatic for your tastes! The story is only as good as it is because of the support of you and my all my other readers. I love you guys!

Guest 3: I've never actually played Skyrim, but I saw the character creation screen on Morrowind.. Thank you though, I'm flattered by the comparison!