Chapter 35

Aaron made to respond when he realized a sudden hush had swept through the crowd. Now all eyes were trained on the entrance to the ballroom as a silence hung in the air. All it took was a slow turn to see what held their rapt attention. Their queen was back. As usual, his heart gave a small jolt when he saw her, a beaming smile spreading across his lips. Standing in the doorway, Elsa looked just as exquisite as she had the first time he'd lain eyes on her. Having retained her usual attire, she stood with her translucent cape splayed out behind her, the light glinting off the aquamarine gown cascading down around her legs. Her eyes swept over the crowd, hesitating when they found his. After looking at him for a moment her own face lit up in a smile before she began walking forward.

The people in her path quickly melted away, offering salutations to her passing while others filtered into her wake. She nodded acknowledgements to those spoke and thanked others quietly, all while holding herself proudly. Everyone's attention was focused on her, including Aaron's, as she walked. "Speak of the sun and it shines," he muttered to himself, quietly marveling at her inherent grace. Of course, if a flower grew every time he admired something about Elsa the peaks and glades of Arendelle would be coated in blossoms.

Eventually she made her way to the far side of the room and stepped onto the raised platform before turning to face the assembly. When she did so a polite applause sounded, which quickly grew into a light din. She let it continue for a moment, nodding graciously, before holding up a hand, causing the room to fade back into silence.

Once it was quiet again she spoke. "Thank you for that. It's been such a pleasure having everyone here and getting to know you better. Now, though, if you don't mind I'd like to say a few words." There was a general murmur of consent as they all hung onto her every word. "Firstly, I'd just like to thank all of you for coming to attend to my… second coronation party. Seems a bit more successful than my first one." A polite titter rippled across the room but died away as she continued. "I realize that for some of you it isn't necessarily an easy journey to get here, especially those of you who came all the way from Corona." A small group near the back cheered, causing Elsa to give them a small smile.

Once they'd calmed back down she said, "I hope your presence shows that you approve of my rule, though that seems slightly more apparent now. It's always such a pleasure to see all of you. Unfortunately, the events of the day have left me somewhat worn and as a result I shall be retiring early this evening." When a collective moan sounded she smiled. "I know, I know. Hopefully I will see you all again soon. But before I go, there is one important matter that I would like to address."

With that she nodded to a speaker who was standing beside the dais. Returning the nod, he looked at the crowd and yelled, "Aaron Folkestad! Step forth and come stand before your queen!"

At first nothing happened and nobody spoke. He was sure that the speaker had misspoke and was going to correct himself any second now. When people started to look at one another, though, he began to doubt his initial suspicion. That was when he realized that Elsa was looking right at him. After he was done giving a small start of realization she nodded at him, motioning for him to join her. Still he hesitated, casting a quick inquiring glance at Anna. Only after she also gave him a reassuring smile did he walk forward.

Most of the crowd still had no idea who the speaker was referring to but all eyes quickly settled onto him as soon as he started moving. They all watched him closely in silence as he made his way to the front of the dais. There he stopped, only to have Elsa wave him forward a step with her hand. Slowly, hesitantly he stepped onto the platform so that he was standing before her. Once there he dipped into a deep bow, saying, "My queen."

When he'd straightened back up she gave him an endearing smile before speaking to the crowd, all while still looking at him. "For those of you who don't know, Aaron is largely responsible for my return to Arendelle. Without him or my sister Anna I likely never would have come back. He was also the one who was able to help me learn to control my gift for ice due to his own extraordinary… talents. So, in a way, you should also be thanking him for his part in bringing the winter to an end."

A few murmurs could be heard in the assembly but he ignored all of them, keeping his attention on Elsa. She continued to give him a level stare and spoke again. However, this time she spoke only to him. "Aaron. For acts of bravery and valor, including but not limited to saving my life on multiple occasions, it had been decided that you shall be inducted into the Arendelleian Order of the Northern Hawk. Should you accept, you will be knighted into this prestigious order and be held to its solemn oaths until your dying breath. However, if you break these oaths you shall be cast out of the order and stripped of all honors. Do you accept this high honor?"

Now more conversations could be heard in the crowd, only Aaron couldn't hear any of them. His brain was still trying to come to terms with what she had just said. Me? A knight? It was an outdated rank that had been set aside when people stopped riding into battle on horses covered in armor but was still given to those who had performed great acts of heroism or outstanding achievements. It was generally considered a great honor to be made a knight in this day in age, except that he had never even thought that he might be one day be made into one.

Realizing that Elsa was still patiently waiting for his answer, he managed to pull his mind out of its stupor long enough to nod and say, "I do."

"Then kneel." Once he was on his knees another man came to stand beside Elsa, holding a sheathed blade in hand. The sword had an intricately wrought hilt and the symbol of Arendelle inlaid into its sheath. She didn't look at him, though, instead continuing to watch Aaron. "In order to be made into a knight, you must swear by the order's sacred vows. Do not take these vows lightly, for you will have to uphold them until the end of your days. Do you understand?"

He waited just long enough to not appear eager before nodding again. "Yes, my queen."

"Very well." Pulling herself up to her full height, she looked down at him in silence for a moment before asking, "Do you swear fealty and homage to the throne of Arendelle and to me, your queen?"

That got a smirk out of him. At least the first one's easy to agree to. "I swear."

Elsa did not return the smile, instead keeping her face solemn as she continued. "Do you swear to keep the peace, protect the weak and champion the innocent?"

"I swear." He let his face also become serious, waiting attentively for the next oath.

"Do you swear to never waver in your duty as a knight, no matter what, and to be foremost on the field of battle, even in the face of mortal peril?"

On this one he paused for a moment, letting his mind mull over it. No matter what. Who knew what he would be required to do. Regardless of what it was, he would be expected to do it. Of course, if it was Elsa who was telling him he'd do just about anything without a second thought. With that in mind he nodded. "I swear."

"And above all else, do you swear to uphold that which is right and punish the evils of this world?"

Letting his gin return to his face, Aaron nodded. "I swear."

She continued to stare at him for a moment before letting herself smile as well. "Then, since you have sworn your sacred vows here in sight of gods and men, I, Queen Elsa, will hereby dub you a knight with the blade of Arendelle." Turning to the man beside her, she waited for him to bow and proffer the sword he was carrying before reaching out and gripping its handle. Drawing it slowly, Elsa held the blade up and inspected it in the light. While she gazed at it she quietly said, "This sword belonged to my father and his father before him. It has knighted many men in its days and now it shall knight one more."

After staring at the shining blade pensively for a moment she looked back at Aaron and held the sword just above his head. "May you take these blows but no others and with them always remember these words." With that she lightly tapped the sword on his right shoulder. "Loyalty with love. Duty with honor. Dishonor with justice." As she spoke she gently tapped his other shoulder and then the crown of his head.

Taking a step back, she held the sword by her side and said, "You shall henceforth be known as Sir Aaron of the Order of the Northern Hawk. Rise and be recognized, Sir Aaron. Knight of Arendelle."

He remained kneeling for a moment, his eyes focused on Elsa's, before slowly climbing to his feet. When he did so a loud applause sounded from the crowd, who had been watching in silence. Turing to look at them, he felt his smile return as the moment finally began to sink in. That's it. It's official. I'm a knight. Everyone was giving him looks of admiration and clapping loudly, punctuated by a loud whistle that turned out to have come from Anna.

Looking back at Elsa, he saw that she was giving him a simple smile, her eyes shining with pride. Taking a step closer to her, he muttered, "Thank you for this."

She gave him a joyful look before replying, "You earned it," and motioning for him to step to one side so that she could address the crowd once more.

When she stepped forward their applause quickly died away, allowing her to say, "Thank you for remaining quiet for the ceremony. It's a high honor to be made a knight and hopefully he will not forget it soon. As for all of you, please go back to your partying and dancing. As I said earlier, I will be retiring early this evening but don't let that stop the rest of you from having a good time. Enjoy the food, enjoy the music and I hope to see you all again soon."

An even louder applause sounded for a moment before the band struck up again into a lively song and the people were quickly swept up again in the music. Elsa continued to watch them, her face in an amiable smile. She cast Aaron a glance as he slowly slid next to her, also looking at the dancers. Finally, here was his chance for some time with Elsa. All he had to do was make it count.

Before he could even open his mouth to speak, though, a large bald man appeared at Elsa's other shoulder with a large grin. "Sir Aaron. Let me be the first to congratulate you."

It took some effort to swallow his vexation as he did his best to appear friendly, though he secretly wanted to hit the man. Who the hell is this? Oh, right. Lord Kai. The administrator of Arendelle and one of Elsa's chief advisors, Anna had introduced them at some point over the past week. He seemed like a friendly enough sort but he'd just come at a very inopportune moment. Still trying to hide his irritation, he simply said, "Thank you, Lord Kai."

Elsa's face gave away no hint that she felt the same frustration, though her face currently showed no emotion at all. The man remained quite oblivious to both of their strange behaviors, replying, "The queen has told me a lot about you, particularly in regard to your… special talent."

"Is that so, my lord?" He flashed Elsa an inquisitive glance.

She nodded and smiled as Kai said, "Yes, and we've come up with a proposal for you." The two of them then shared a glance. Elsa nodded again before he continued. "These are dangerous times we live in, no denying that, which means that Queen Elsa requires constant protection. So, given your skills, how would you like to be her personal guardian? You would have to follow her wherever she goes and protect her from any harm." With an additional thought he added, "Once you've healed, of course," glancing at his left arm.

Once again it was all Aaron could do to maintain a poised expression. Instead of more agitation, this time it was excitement that rushed through him. Wait. Follow her wherever she goes? As in be by her side at all times? Where do I enlist? Struggling to keep his voice calm, he bowed his head slightly. "You honor me, my lord. But I don't think we need to wait for me to heal."

"And why's that?"

Raising his other hand, he waggled his fingers. "For one, I'm right handed." What Kai didn't see was the tiny stream of fire he'd just called from a nearby candle until it formed into a small ball that hovered over his shoulder. "For another, I don't need to use my arms to use my power."

At first Kai seemed surprised by the sudden apparition but quickly recovered with a muted applause. "Very impressive. I've heard about what you could do, of course, but never had the pleasure of witnessing it myself. In that case consider the position yours. I'll go over the details with you tomorrow." Aaron felt a large smile split his face and gave another nod, only to have his joy dashed when the man said, "Now, if you'll excuse us, there are some people who wish to speak with Queen Elsa before she leaves."

All he could do was maintain his now false smile and bow low. "Of course, my lord. My queen."

She didn't appear too happy to be leaving either but made no comment on it. Instead she gave him a nod and said, "Sir Aaron," before turning to walk away.

After watching them walk away for a moment he let disappointment cross his face, causing his expression to spoil. Elsa cast an apologetic frown over her shoulder at him but it didn't do anything to relieve his frustration. Snubbed again! I am going to have a conversation with her, damnit! I don't care what I have to do, I'm going to make that happen. Stomaching his irritation, he strode from the dais and made his way through the crowd back towards Anna and Kristoff.

A few people offered congratulations along the way, to which he responded with a polite nod, until he was standing next to the pair again. However, they were in the process of having an intimate conversation and were too enraptured in one another to even notice him. They continued to mutter things to one another until Anna happened to glance over at him. Jumping slightly, she took a quick step away from Kristoff. "Oh! Aaron. Sorry, didn't see you there. We thought you'd be with Elsa."

Fighting back a grin at the sudden awkwardness that entered her voice, Aaron shook his head. "No, some more important people wanted to talk to her."

"'More important'?" she asked, giving him a mildly concerned look.

Shrugging, he replied, "Officially, I mean. Probably some foreign dignitary or something."

A brief silence passed, with both of them ignoring Kristoff's irritated expression, until Anna said, "I suppose congratulations are in order."

He gave her a suspitious look and asked, "You already knew, didn't you?"

For a moment it looked like she was going to feign innocence but she couldn't keep a large smile from crossing her face. "I may have heard a thing or two."

"I don't know if I'll be able to call you 'Sir'," interjected Kristoff with a snicker.

Nodding, Aaron smirked. "Yeah, I probably won't be able to take anyone who calls me that seriously."

He was going to make a joke about being a part of a defunct tradition when he noticed that Kristoff was subtly trying to get his attention without Anna noticing. Once Aaron was looking at him he glanced at Anna, looked back at him and nodded his head in another direction. It took a few minutes but Aaron eventually managed to work out what he was trying to say. Ah. Looking for a little more one-on-one time. He was more than happy to oblige, seeing as no one liked to be the third person in a couple. All he had to do was think up a reason to leave. "Well, I'm going to head out."

"What?" Anna replied, giving him a disappointed look. "But we want you to stay. Right, Kristoff?" As she said the last part she looked at her man.

"Uh…" The last thing Kristoff wanted to do was agree. Unfortunately, with her looking at him all he could do was give an unenthusiastic, "Sure." The moment she turned back to Aaron he emphatically shook his head.

Trying not to laugh, he wracked his head for an excuse to leave, but when one refused to come he just decided to wing it. "No, that's okay. I've got this… thing I've gotta do. Totally forgot about it until just now."

Anna's eyes hardened, suggesting that she didn't buy his flimsy excuse for a minute. Despite this, though, she frowned and said, "That's too bad. I like hanging out with you."

"We'll have plenty of time for that another day."

"I'm going to hold you to that," she replied sternly.

Her face became so serious that he had to hold back a grin, instead giving her a mock bow. "Yes, your highness."

Luckily Anna's expression softened and she blushed slightly while glancing away. "Don't call me that. It makes me sound old." There was a brief pause in the conversation when he heard Kristoff give a quiet chuckle, causing both of them to look at him. He was wearing a large grin and giving her an amused look, causing her to become even more disconcerted. Brushing her hair back quickly, she quietly asked, "What?"

After shaking his head he replied, "Nothing. It's just that you're so cute when you're flustered I could kiss you."

He continued to grin for a moment before he seemed to realize what words had just slipped from his mouth, his expression quickly dissolving into shock. Aaron also felt his brows lift in surprise, not believing what he'd just heard. Subtle. However, while the two of them were now the flustered ones, with Kristoff being considerably more so, Anna appeared to be anything but. Her anxiety had rapidly fled her face, leaving behind a hopeful smile coupled with tender eyes. If anything, she looked like this was the best thing she'd heard all month. Well, Kristoff, if ever there was an invitation to kiss a girl… that's defiantly it.

Luckily, he didn't look like he was going to back out, though he nervously ran a hand through his hair while looking at the floor and fumbling over his words. "I could. I mean I'd like to. I'd… May I? We me… I mean, may we? Wait, what?"

Before he could embarrass himself any further Anna suddenly leaned in and laid a soft kiss on his cheek, cutting off his rambling. When he looked up her smile widened and she nodded. "We may."

They stared at each other for a second, neither moving, until Kristoff seemed to rediscover his courage before quickly leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. Anna didn't react at first, completely lost in the rapture of the moment, until she slid both her arms around his neck and pulled herself so tightly to him that she nearly hoisted herself off the ground. Meanwhile, Kristoff slowly placed his hands on her back and held her gently, reveling in the bliss they were creating.

It took a little while for Aaron to realize that he was staring, causing him to look away abruptly. A gleeful grin was plastered onto his face as he wondered if anyone else was looking. It didn't look like anyone else had noticed the pair's sudden outburst of affection, which was probably for the best because they probably would have seen Aaron's awkward reaction. As he scanned the crowd, though, a flash of blue caught his eye and his concerns vanished from his mind.

Elsa was once more on the move, striding purposefully for the door. Apparently she'd spoken to whomever wanted to see her so badly and now she was making good of her word and leaving the party. While he was happy to see that no one was accompanying her so that she was finally alone, it still made him sad that he hadn't gotten the chance to talk to her. Always next time, he thought as he watched her go. However, rather than sweeping out of the room she came to a halt. Lingering within the door's threshold, she turned her head to give the room one last scour with her eyes until she noticed him.

Their eyes met across the crowded room for the briefest of moments before she gave him a beckoning smile followed by a miniscule nod towards the door. With that she turned away and proceeded to exit the ballroom. A large smile cracked Aaron's face as he watched her go, his heart thumping eagerly. He'd been waiting all week for a chance to be alone with Elsa and it looked like he'd just been offered that chance. Now all he had to do was seize the moment.

Turning back to Anna and Kristoff, he was about to say goodbye only to stop when he saw that they still had their lips still firmly pressed against one another's. Her right hand was now lightly playing with his hair but otherwise they hadn't so much as shifted. And judging from the look on Anna's face she wasn't about to let go of him anytime soon. Trying to think of a quiet way to say a quick farewell without breaking their focus, he initially considered a small pat on the shoulder but thought better of it, instead saying, "I'll see you two later." When the only reaction he got was a lazy wave from Kristoff he walked away with a chuckle. While it was good to see them so happy, it was time to see to his own happiness.

Walking swiftly across the room, he didn't care if he appeared to be overly eager to anyone as he pushed through the crowd. It only took a moment to walk through the door, but once there he paused. Aaron had expected Elsa to be there waiting for him with a welcoming smile, except the only people he could see were the pair of guards flanking the door to the ballroom and a handful of maids in the direction of the great hall. When that direction didn't yield any trace of blue he looked to his right at the staircase at the end of the hall that led to the next floor. Fortunately, he did so just in time to see the trailing edge of a crystalline cape slip out of sight.

His grin returned in full force as he set out towards the stairs, climbing them quickly until he came to the landing of the next floor. Once there he hesitated again. There weren't any people on this floor, at least none that he could see. No guards, no maids, nobody. On top of that all the doors along the entire hall were closed. That is, all except one. At the far end of the hallway he could see that a particular door had been left ajar.

After listening for any footsteps emanating from the third floor and finding none he proceeded down the hall towards the open door. It led into a large circular room that was unremarkable in every way, especially since it lacked his quarry, apart from one feature. Situated in the center was a small, tight circular staircase that spiraled up to the ceiling and to an unknown destination. After taking a quick listen he could have sworn he heard the sound of the wind whistling, so wherever the stairs went they opened to the outside. Deciding to investigate, he closed the door to the room behind him before quietly heading up the winding stairs.

What he was expecting was a room with a window or for it to lead onto a wall, but what he got was a small cylindrical room. Aaron paused to admire the room, seeing how the walls of the room were made completely out of stained glass in an array of soft violets and gentle pinks, but was quickly distracted by the door that led from the room to a thin balcony. Apparently he was standing in a small, tower-like structure that, while still attached to the main castle, rose high enough to see over the wall and look out over the fjord beyond. The balcony wrapped all the way around the tower but was still encompassed by a beautifully crafted railing. And while the view was lovely and the stained glass wonderful to admire, he didn't look at either of them. He was too distracted, having finally caught up with Elsa.

She stood on the balcony with her hands resting on the railing as she gazed at the tranquil waters of the fjord. They spilled out to the waiting ocean beyond, which in turn stretched all the way to the far horizon where it was met by the shining stars of the inky night sky. Just poking over the nearby mountains was the bright face of the moon, casting a soft light over the landscape. Nothing could be heard apart from an occasional note sung by the wind and the soft lapping of water across the castle's island. It was a beautiful moment in its own right, but Aaron still only had eyes for Elsa.

It didn't seem like she had noticed him yet, so he moved as quietly as he could until he leaned against the doorway to the balcony, his eyes never leaving her. Bathed in the silvery light of the moon, she continued to look out towards the horizon with a look of both serenity and bliss. Seeing her look this way caused such a stirring in Aaron's heart that had he possessed the ability he would have frozen time in that moment so that she could look like that forever. But then that moment ended to make way for another.

Sensing his presence, Elsa let out a soft sigh before turning to look at him, her lips bearing a delicate smile. At first he didn't react, choosing to gaze at her for a few more moments before putting on a smile of his own and saying, "My queen. May I approach?"

Arching an eyebrow, she gave a nod. "You may, good sir knight."

His smile broadened at her playful tone while he pulled himself upright. If she was in the mood for playing games then that was fine by him, seeing how he was put in an ecstatic mood just by being around her. Putting on a hopeful look, he said, "I hate to bother you on a night such as this, your majesty, but I'm afraid I need your help finding someone."

Elsa's smile faltered slightly as she gave him an inquisitive look. "Oh?"

Nodding, he took a small step forward. "A fair maiden. We got separated and I came up here in the hopes of finding her. Maybe you've seen her?"

She continued to watch him closely for a moment before taking an equally small step back while her smile turned into what he could only describe as sly. "Maybe. Could you describe her for me?"

His own smile turned into a grin when he tried to move a step closer again only to have her slip one back. He may have started the game but she had just changed the rules. So I only get to come closer if I can say nice things about you? Gladly. Sucking in a slow breath, Aaron paused to collect himself and put his thoughts in order. Gradually his mind pulled together what to say until he was finally ready to speak.

Giving her a generous smile, he said,"Where to begin. For starters, she's breathtakingly stunning. With eyes that glisten like sapphires and alabaster skin so pure that it puts freshly fallen snow to shame, her beauty surpasses even that of the goddess Freya. On top of that, she is swathed in the most magnificent clothes I have ever seen. Spun from nothing but ice, they cling to her supple form in a shimmering array of frost. More impressive still is the fact that she created those clothes herself because she possess a gift more remarkable than anything else in this world. And I haven't even begun to talk about the bewitching yet tantalizingly mysterious person that lurks behind those mesmerizing eyes."

Every time he said something he slid a step closer, slowly closing the gap between them. Elsa watched his every move and would occasionally step back but her demeanor progressively changed. At first she was slightly spirited and even a little feisty, giving him a challenging look. As he spoke, though, her eyes softened and her expression relaxed to the point where her lips were slightly parted. Judging from her slightly heady breathing she would rather have been charging forward rather than retreating from him, but for now she held her ground.

Eventually there was only a measly two feet separating them. He could feel his hand itching to brush against her satin skin while his eyes continued to delve deeper and deeper into hers. Letting his voice grow quiet, he said, "The most remarkable thing about this woman, though, is that she claims to love me, for reasons that no one could possibly understand."

Now less than a foot separated them. His own breathing was beginning to become unsteady as heat began to crawl through him, originating in his chest and seeping into his extremities. Elsa on the other hand, gazed up at him with a look of wonder and shy vulnerability, the moon reflecting in her eyes. Her voice was a fragile whisper as she breathlessly replied, "She sounds wonderful."

Letting his own voice become almost nonexistent, he began to lean forward. "She is my love."

She no longer retreated, holding her hands by her sides while tilting her face towards his. "There's just one problem."

His good hand came up to caress her cheek as his lips reached yearningly for hers. "And what's that?"

He was about to taste the sweet nectar of her flesh when she abruptly pulled back, flashing a broad grin and saying, "Unfortunately I haven't seen anyone like that tonight. I guess you'll just have to make do with me instead."

"…Oh." The sudden switch in tone completely derailed Aaron, leaving his brain reeling as he tried to pull himself together. Hey, no fair! I won the game! he thought with disgruntlement. I guess she wants to play another round. Clearing his throat, he started to say, "Well, with a woman as majestic as yourself-"

Before he could continue, though, he felt her cool finger press against his lips, silencing him. Elsa's eyes became beckoning as she giggled and whispered, "Stop using that silver tongue of yours and kiss me."

Aaron didn't hesitate to oblige her, hungrily pressing his lips against hers and wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her lithe body against his. His entire body had been anxiously awaiting the enticing release of bliss he would receive from kissing her, for while the eyes may have been the window to the soul, the lips were a conduit for which to touch one's soul to another's and he was only too happy to let his intertwine with hers.

Fire bubbled up through his veins before playing across his skin and setting his hair alight as trails of frost snaked across Elsa, creating delicate paths of ice on the balcony and creating flourishes of snow around them. Her hands writhed over him, tearing at his clothes and pressing against his skin before burrowing into his hair, neither noticing nor caring that he'd suddenly become a living inferno. His own hand remained steady throughout, holding them together in the midst of the elemental storms and pinning her to him. Both their breathing was disheveled when they occasionally took a breath, their hearts hammering in unison.

Aaron noticed none of these things. Not the powers surging around them or what their hands were doing. He didn't even notice how good it felt to have so much of Elsa's icy body pressed against his burning skin. All he could hear was her quiet gasps and moans. All he could smell was her heavenly scent rushing into him with every breath. All he could taste was the delectable flavor of her flesh. But all he could feel was his deep and ardent love for the woman in his arms. Even more so he could feel the zealously passionate love that she was channeling into him. So he continued to pour every ounce of his soul, his heart, and his being into her, growing more and more thankful with every passing second of the fateful day he'd first met her.

The night remained silent around the fervent couple, with only an occasional breeze offering an opinion. The rest of Arendelle continued to celebrate behind them but the rest of the fjord held still, its serene waters flowing ever onward. Towering above it above it all, the mountains sat as stoic as ever, staring out over the endless sea while the snow dusting their peaks glowed white in the moonlight. More and more stars continued to emerge, celebrating the departure of the sun, until they blanketed the sky. And had Aaron and Elsa been looking, they might have seen the first cerulean and crimson waves of the aurora flow from horizon to horizon.