Chapter 25:

Divine Guardian

After leaving the burning mansion behind, Anna and Elsa traveled north towards England. Without their horses, the two knew that it would take much longer. Moreover, they knew that they now had a second quest: retrieving the amulet from Hans and the Duke. Elsa promised Anna that the first chance they got to purchase horses, they would take them. The two had enough money on them for additional supplies as well. Both sisters knew that they would need all they could get if they were going up against Hans and the Duke.

Anna clutched her rifle tight within her hands, ready to fire the second she saw one of the Duke's men. It had been three days since they last saw them; they could be anywhere by now. There was no guarantee that they would even run into them again. Elsa held the map out in front of her. Even with horses, Hans and the Duke couldn't have gotten far. Somewhere along the way, they were bound to run into them eventually, and when they did, they would steal back the amulet.

When they came upon an abandoned cathedral situated on the side of the road, Anna and Elsa decided to take a rest. They had been walking for several hours, and their feet were exhausted. Upon entering the cathedral, Anna and Elsa could see that the place had been abandoned for many years. Animals had taken up residence within the walls, and what was left of the altar was covered with dirt and debris.

"I wonder why this place was abandoned," Anna said.

"Who knows? Maybe they built a bigger cathedral elsewhere, and just left this one to rot," Elsa guessed.

She ran her fingers along the alter, trying to imagine what it must have been like during a typical Sunday mass back in the day. Truth be told, Elsa wasn't much of a religious person. It wasn't that she didn't believe or anything like that, she just wasn't sure about it all. In her younger years, she had attended mass, listened to the preacher read from the bible, and give his sermons. At the time she was too young to understand, but as the years went on, and Elsa learned more about God, she began to understand what the bigger picture was all about. God was this divine being who created the world, and everything in it. He worked in mysterious ways, so mysterious that there were many things people didn't understand about Him, even priests. Yet, they were supposed to believe and trust in Him, knowing that He had a plan for every person on this earth.

Still, Elsa was unsure. There were many questions she had regarding the Lord. Why were they here? What was their purpose in life? Was it all the same or did everyone had an individual purpose? More importantly though, why did God allow evil to exist in the world?

Elsa thought about Hans and the Duke, and all the things that they had done to her and Anna since they began their journey. If God is truly this all-knowing being, why didn't he stop them for trying to harm her and Anna? Her father once told her that God gave each and every one of us the gift of choice, to decide how to live their lives. Because of this, he does not intervene with whatever they choose, good or bad. It was a logical explanation, but still it didn't make sense to Elsa. Even if everyone had the gift of choice, if someone chose to do great evil, they should be stopped. Evil should not exist in the world.

Elsa sat down in one of the few pews that was still intact. She gazed up at the alter, still imagining what it was like back in its heyday. Anna took a seat besid her, and stared at the alter too.

"You know, it's nothing short of a miracle that we're still alive," Anna said.

Elsa smiled. "You could say that."

"No really. God must really be looking out for us if we're still alive, and in one piece."

"Do you think there's a God, Anna?" Elsa asked.

Anna turned to Elsa. "I like to think so," she answered. "Don't you?"

"I'm honestly not sure. I like to think so too, but there's still some uncertainty within me. So much that I don't know or understand."

"Well, I'm kind of the same way. I have a lot of questions I wish I could ask God, and I'm sure you do too," Anna replied.

"If there really is a God, then how come so many bad things have happened to us? It seems like ever since childhood, life has been hard for us."

Anna scooted closer to Elsa, wrapping her arm around her. "I know what you mean. It hasn't been easy, that's for sure. But somehow, we've gotten through it, and I think we've become stronger people in doing so."

Elsa agreed. There was a saying that what didn't kill you, made you stronger, and after all that had happened to her in life, she would have to say that that statement is definitely true.

"I think God gives us obstacles like these because it's all a part of life. Life isn't meant to be easy, there are obstacles we have to overcome."

Elsa nodded. "And when we overcome those obstales, we become stronger."

"Exactly. That's one thing this whole journey has taught me. Whatever we encounter, just makes us stronger. Stronger as people, and stronger as sisters," Anna said, taking Elsa's hand within her own.

Elsa looked at Anna, and then back up at the altar. "God must certainly be looking after me if he's sent you to be my sister."

Anna smiled. "I could say the same thing about you, Elsa. I thank God for giving you to me. I feel truly blessed."

Elsa smiled, tears streaming down her face. "As do I."

"We've been through a lot on this journey, Elsa, and it isn't over yet. No matter what, we will find the treasure, and we will overcome any obstacles along the way. We have so far, and we're still here. I don't know if God is looking out for us or not, but regardless, we have each other, and that's what counts."

As the sun slowly started to set, Anna and Elsa sat in the cathedral looking up at the altar together. Deep down, they knew there had to be some divine guardian looking out for them. He strengthened them, gave them hope, determination, but most importantly, He gave them each other.

A/N: A deep religious theme to this chapter in addition to being sisterly. I hope you enjoyed it.