Author's Note: I enjoyed writing this chapter. If anyone is interested in such things, I'd recommend "To Zanarkand" when Anna storms out of the tent, and "Servants of the Mountain" from the Final Fantasy X Remaster soundtrack for when she comes back. Anyway, enjoy! -Foxinstrazt

Part III: Chapter 24

-Fathers And Daughters-

Fjallafólk Village, Arendelle Countryside

Twelve Days after Knight's Fall

"You should not have brought her here." Vayl studied the cracked leather of her boots with a grimace, nodding to the old man's words as she listened. "Do you understand? You have endangered our people by involving us in this.. Dispute."

Lifting her eyes to glare at Patrick, the leader of the Fjallafólk, she took a step forward. "They both could have easily died if had not chosen to guide them in." Patrick was one of the most elder of their clan, a man who had long passed his prime as a warrior, serving his people with wisdom rather than a blade. His short hair and beard were both a light gray, on the verge of turning completely white, and his body was lean, now wrapped tightly in the skins of the mountain beasts. "It was the right thing to do."

"'The right thing to do'? A pointless sentiment." She watched as the man laid a hand upon his furred throne, lowering himself to a sitting position before continuing. "One you must have learned from your time among the lowlanders."

Vayl dropped the volume of her voice in the face of her elder's frailty, speaking softly as she thought back over the years of her life. "I learned it from you.." Letting out a sigh, she shook her head and regained her angry tone. "And I have watched the lowlanders for years. They are not deserving of the view you give them, they are not the warmongers you believe them to be."

"For all my life, I have kept our people free from those who sought to rule them. With blade, and with tongue, I have defended our clan. I have defended you!" Patrick had leaned forward to speak those words, and she took the appropriate step back. "And what is right aside, my deal was with the previous King. I owe the girl nothing."

"She never sought to rule us, did she?"

"What is it that involves you so with her, Vayl?" Weather wrinkles around Patrick's green eyes stretched as his gaze carefully studied her face.

Silence filled the air as she knew that she was found out, and the choice to come clean was clear. "Her sister was killed less than a fortnight ago.."

"Ah." As she desperately watched for any true reaction to her motivations, Patrick rose from his seat, grasping the gnarled wood staff that lay leaned against the throne, and using it to hold himself upright. "Mae fy merch, mae'r trwbl.. Very well, bring her to me. The soldier, too."

Indirectly, it was the blizzards that awoke Anna, the chilled wind continually shifting the furs that covered the entrance to the tent she had been taken to last night. Sunlight peered through each time the makeshift door was disturbed, casting its glow over her eyes and forcing them to flutter open. She rose up to a sitting position, sensing that she was alone in the nomadic dwelling. A glance told her that the other pile of furs was empty, that Caesten was gone. On the edge of her hearing, she could hear him, his voice hushed, but angry at the same time.

The lull of sleep drifted away fully, and that was when reality hit her, as it had every morning since she had fled the castle of Arendelle. Elsa was still dead, it had not been a dream, and there was no going back. Closing her eyes against the crushing pain within her chest, she clutched her left hand to her breast as if it could relieve a miniscule amount of the agony. After a long moment, laid back down and curled into the blankets that had been provided, the pelts of bears and wolves that held a warmth she sought. She shut out everything, all of her senses, in an attempt to protect herself against the pain.

Caesten and the woman he was arguing with was the first to fade away, the voices pushed out. Next was the creek babbling somewhere outside, the movement of water dying away. Last was the neighs of agitated horses, and the sounds of hooves slamming down onto damp earth. Just as she was nearing peaceful oblivion and nothingness, a hand touched her shoulder, jolting her back to a state of awareness. Sliding her gaze to the one who had pulled her from the exercise, she found Caesten staring back at her, his kind blue eyes showing an exhaustion to them that had become all too familiar in the last eleven days. "Apologies, my Queen. Patrick is ready to meet with us now."

Rising from her bedding, Anna did not answer him with words. Instead, she offered the old soldier only a nod before allowing him take his leave first, following silently behind him. The furs of the entrance were thrown back, letting the rays of the dawn truly pierce into the tent as the exited, and she was treated to her first sight of the Fjallafólk village in the light of day. Her quick look told her that there were dozens, if not hundreds of huts similar to the one she had stayed in scattered throughout this mountain glade. The entire are seemed strangely untouched by the sudden winter that had gripped the rest of the land, with green and brown a welcome change in color from the white of snow that dominated the rest of the ranges landscape.

There were villagers too, enough to match the amount that had been present in the town square during the Solstice celebration. But these were not the same as the commoners of Arendelle. The men and women carried weapons strapped to their belts and a fierce look in their eyes, with long hair braided down past shoulder length on both genders. They were taller on average that most of her own subjects, as well, causing her to feel like a child amongst adults as she was led through the camp. During her observations, they were joined by Vayl. It did not take long for Anna to surmise that the silence between the woman and Caesten indicated that she was who he had been arguing with earlier.

Leading them onward, the brunette woman slowed as they neared a tent that was larger than the others. It was built in a large round shape, and two men stood outside its entrance, both armed and watching them with eyes that unsettled Anna. She could not understand her discomfort until she was fully inside the hut, and the old man turned to look at her.

It was a common feature among the Fjallafólk, the look in their eyes that spoke of ferocity rivaled only by the most bloodthirsty animals, and an intelligence reserved for the scholars of the greatest libraries. It was a look of danger, and it caused her gut to churn as the man walked toward her. A hand cupped her chin, pulling her head to the right to allow him to study the markings she knew were present upon her neck, and finally so that he could look directly into her eyes. Anna did not falter under the assault of his powerful gaze, matching it in intensity as she looked up at him. "Mae hi'n cario wreichionen o ysbryd, ac eto nid yw'n dangos.."

After a long moment of them locking stares, Patrick stepped back, taking a few steps before he turned and spoke with the lilt of a highland accent. "What brings the Queen of Arendelle to my people?"

"I am Queen no more, or have you not heard?" Speaking with a bite to her tone, it only proved more frustrating when the Fjallafólk leader let the smallest of smiles touch his lips.

"Yes, I heard of the attack on your castle. But, what makes a Queen?" Anna watched as the old man used his staff to help him walk across the room, where he ran a hand over a throne laden with fur and decorated in polished animal bones. "Is it the throne? Perhaps the servants? The grand balls, the kneeling and bowing, the swearing of fealty?" His eyes, narrowed in scrutiny, snapped to her, as if he expected an answer.

She found herself unprepared to give one, unsure of what it was he was truly getting at as he stepped to the middle of the hut. "Your father knew what it was to rule, and would have passed it on to you, if he had thought you would indeed rule."

Blinking, Anna felt her head tilt without her intending to. "You knew my father?"

"It was years ago, that we met. When he came to me asking me to teach your sister to control her powers.." Even as surprised as she was by the revelation that she had never heard of the man, despite her family meeting him, the mention of Elsa cut deeply. It was a flinch that Patrick did not miss, and the notion of him analyzing her reaction only caused her anger to grow as he continued. "The King's words.. I remember them to this day: 'Royalty means sacrifice for your people, to do what is in their best interests. At all times, to advance their lives.'"

"Surely you were told this, no?" Anna glared at the man as he leaned forward, both hands upon the staff that was firmly planted on the ground in front of him. "Or did your sister fail on that front, too?"

It was that small statement that caused her simmering pool of anger to swell, exploding out as she grit her teeth. "Elsa told me. And more then that, she lived by my father's words. She died by them.." She found herself unable to look at the man for a moment, as she admitted in her own words that her sister was truly gone. Anger proved the stronger of the emotions, and she returned her glare to Patrick quickly. "I know she would have made a far better Queen than me! Is that what you want to hear?!"

The old man, instead of donning the satisfied smirk that she expected, wore a smile of sadness as he shook his head. "All I wished to know was that the fight was still in you, that our efforts here would not be in vain."

In her furious state, Anna was unable to process the moment as he had intended, and instead growled while turning on her heel to leave. Even as she swept the furs covering the entrance aside, she heard Vayl's voice sound out quietly. "Let her go, she needs this."

Anna marched from the village, ignoring the skeptical looks from the Fjallafólk who continued on their daily business around her. She went into the hills, following a path that had been worn down by years of footsteps, before she arrived a bluff that overlooked much of the mountain range below. From this height, she could see the fjords in the distance, and the outline of the castle.

It seemed as if the wind rose to meet her as she neared the edge of the bluff, carrying a foreign scent of summer upon the chilled winter breeze. She let it wash over her, let it take her thoughts to the one person it reminded her of, and let the pain flood in. Before, it had been a dam of numbness that blocked the majority of the loss, but now that blockade was torn down. The torrent was released and impacted her chest, tearing through her defenses in a rage that brought her to her knees. There was no will to fight the cry that rose in her throat as she screamed into the wind, continuing the sound until her breath was spent and it faded into a wail as she slumped to the earth, catching herself on her palms.

Elsa was gone from the world, the light of her life snuffed out forever. That single thought left Anna gasping, coughing as she struggled to control the river of tears falling down her cheeks. It was then that the wind kicked up in strength, and she rose to meet it as she looked out over the landscape of her homeland, over the snow that clutched the once green and verdant hills. The current of air threw her braids back over her shoulders as it howled through the mountains, as if the world were answering her cry with one of its own.

Then it was gone, dying down as suddenly as it had come, and she heard the soft voice. "More than sisters, were you not?" Turning to eye the highland woman with a raised eyebrow, Anna answered with a nod. "Caesten told me of the kiss, and that he does not wish to intrude upon you with questions of it."

"And you do?" Her tone was dry as she spoke the words, sounding more bitter than she had intended.

Vayl did not seem to mind, letting out a soft chuckle as she shrugged. "I know what it is to lose someone you love more dearly than anything else, more than even family." The pale green of the woman's eyes narrowed as she thought back. "My mother was killed by a lowland noble who thought he could impose himself upon her body."

Taking a step back, Anna shared in the grief of losing family, but then pressed with a softly spoken question. "And who did you love.. More?"

"There was this boy I trained with when I was younger, a fine hunter who could almost match me in skill. We grew older as rivals, but eventually came to be lovers." The smile that had appeared on Vayl's lips as she spoke faded quickly as she continued. "We were betrothed a year, as is customary for my people.. But a week before we were to be wed, he was gored by a wild boar."

Turning away, it was all Anna could do to try and steady her voice. "How did you move past the pain?"

"I did not. I merely learned to embrace it as a natural part of my life, to acknowledge it and thrive despite it. It took years."

Giving a nod of her head, Anna looked down to the ground. She had known it would be years before she could ever truly get back to a semblance of normal, and even then, this pain would follow her, just as the death of her parents had. It would color every piece of art she laid eyes upon, stain every taste of food, and whisper to her from the shadows of the night. It would be a part of her, just as her arm was, or her leg.

"But your people do not have years, Anna." Vayl spoke quietly, with a comforting yet commanding tone. "I have convinced my father that you may have his ear, but it is you who must convince him to join you."

"Join me?" She rounded on the other woman, allowing her confusing to enter her voice. "Caesten's plan is to flee to Corona."

"The harbors are too well guarded for that now. You must retake your kingdom.. It is the only option left before you."

"Rebellion, then?" Vayl gave her a nod as she turned to look back over her homeland. "Then I will soil my weapons in vengeance. I will carve a blood stained path through the family responsible for my sister's death, I will end the Westergard royal line." Anna clenched her fist, letting the nails bite into the palm of her hand as she let anger override the pain of loss. "My people will not suffer long under the rule of the Southern Isles. This I swear, with the Gods as my witness."

Caesten sighed as minutes turned into a hour since the Queen had departed from the tent, and he slid his gaze to the old man, who sat in the throne with a contemplative look upon his face. "Do you think Vayl will be able to convince her?"

Patrick's eyes found him, and the Fjallafólk leader gave a nod. "My daughter is skilled in many ways, words being but one of them."

Even as their exchange was finished, the sound of footsteps drew his gaze to the entrance of the tent, where Anna strode through with Vayl at her side. There was something different in the way the redhead moved, a lightness to the gait that told him she was no longer numb. But it was not acceptance he saw written in the young Queen's features, it was anger, it was a mask of indignation that caused a spark of fear within him as her blue-green eyes met his. It was an expression of violence. "What will it cost to secure your peoples aid?"

Anna did not speak to him, but to man who had risen from his throne to greet her. Caesten looked over to see Patrick tilt his head at her straightforward words. "Why would you leave the bargaining to me?"

"Very well. I swear that no others will seek to impede upon the Fjallafólk's sovereign claim to their land. When I am made Queen again, it will be ratified in a royal court, and your people shall be recognized as a kingdom of their own. You have my oath." Silence descended over the dwelling, until the young woman continued. "I do not seek to bargain. Your people are warriors, not mercenaries. If you join me, I wish you to join on your own volition, to oust the usurpers of Arendelle's throne."

It was clear to Caesten that Patrick was impressed with the spirited nature of Anna's argument, with the anger behind her words, but the old man pressed again. "Why would you trust me so?"

The young Queen's reply was simple, yet forceful. "My father did."

Stepping slowly toward the woman, the Fjallafólk elder gave a grim nod. "My wife was butchered by a noble of the Southern Isles. For this alone, I would fight, I would follow you until the end. For your oath, we will train you. We will make you ready to visit vengeance upon any who have wronged you." Caesten did not realize he had been holding his breath until the two leaders shook hands, and he let go of the pent up air.

Anna noted the old man's strong grip, and nodded as she stared into his fierce gaze. After a moment, her hand was released, and she felt a strange sense of vulnerability return as she posed the question burning on her mind. "You recognize the markings upon me, do you not?"

"It is the sign of the curse." Patrick looked at them, narrowing his eyes as he gave a nod. "If they spread, we will address the issue, in time. Some gain the power, others bear only the markings, or develop prowess in areas far beyond that of any normal human."

"It is Elsa who cursed me, then?" Anna heard the tone of resignation in her own voice, the last hold out of hope fading away that it was unconnected to her sister.

"Your sister was strong in the power, stronger than any I have ever met. If she embraced you in a moment of extreme emotion.. Then it is likely. Do not think of it as a burden, young Queen. It is your sister's parting gift to this world." Patrick moved away from her, settling back down into the throne with a sigh that revealed his weakness, his green eyes searching the floor before returning to her. "Her parting gift to you."

'Mae fy merch, mae'r trwbl.' - "My Daughter, the troublemaker."

'Mae hi'n cario wreichionen o ysbryd, ac eto nid yw'n dangos..' - "She carries the spark of spirit, yet it does not show.."

Author's Note: A rebellion always begins with one single agreement, and this was that moment in Anna's. I've always been fascinated with the concept of rebellion, because freedom and liberty are ideals I tend to hold very close to my heart. However, I think Anna's is a much more personal fight. These are outsiders who attacker her kingdom, killed her sister, and now rule over her people.. It isn't so much about freedom, as it is about vengeance. If that makes any sense. Anywho, thank you to all the followers/favoriters of this story, you guys rock! As always, love your reviews and I will continue to respond to them! Keep 'em coming! -Fox

Viento: You are not a bad person for wanting more writing! I just wish I could do it for you, because I love the characters and story too! Three fics in progress? Whew, I only had that when I was doing two Tomb Raider fics and Outlasting at the same time, had to pause them and do one, then the others. It was crazy! Hope you find the time to finish yours!

BGPanda: Thank you for saying that you would do the same, I was starting to believe my friends that I was a cruel writer! Sorry for the lack of Kairi in this chapter, but she'll be back, promise. Thank you for dropping a review, I will keep the updates coming!

UnsightlyViewings: For what Anna meant about not feeling.. I'd say it is a little bit of both. I wanted to leave that statement purposefully vague. Has the curse rendered Anna unable to feel cold, or has she herself become a bit cold to the world? She's becoming a fighter, and unlike Elsa she is going to be a very focused fighter, because she is being trained by the Fjallafólk. Thanks for the continued support, and rest assured that I am sticking with this story for the time being, and hopefully trying to pick up the pace on writing it while maintaining quality. Hopefully that works out!

Narumy: Oh jeez.. Um.. sorry? I know how it is to have a fic absolutely consume your thoughts, and I always hate it when a character I love die off. Being on the actually killing off end of it is a bit different, and guilt ridden.. And cruel. And yes, only one kiss. That part was probably the hardest of her death, because it was like 'Oh yeah, they are finally admitting love! .. And death.' Gah, I'm sorry, and I understand the hate/love, I really do. Thank you for the compliment that it is like reading a book, because that is just.. Thank you, thank you, thank you! It is always good to hear that! Clinging to hope is a good thing, but all I can promise right now is that the story is not over. I will take your virtual slap in stride, because I understand all too well what you are feeling, and I'm sorry I was the one to do it to you. My only hope is that you continue to read this and get some closure on the whole thing by the end! P.S., I don't review that much either, and I appreciate you taking the time to review my fic, means a ton, so thank you!