The Bridge
Agnarr couldn't believe it happened again...His wife was in danger, again, but this time there's nothing he could do. As soon as he was pushed back by Iduna's magic, the mist was closing around him again and won't let him go to her. "Iduna!"
Except for the echo of his voice, everything was quiet. And since he couldn't do anything right now, he decided to wait and trust in his wife. Then, just a few moments later, he felt wind coming from the deepest parts of Ahtohallan that Iduna vanished into. The wind carried memories of mist with it and let them play out in front of him. And he could also her her singing. But it sounded different this time...desperate.
The memory showed him two men. One of them was King Runeard. The other must the the old leader of the Northuldra. He was kneeling on the ground to drink tea. Then his father came from behind him and pulled his sword. And Agnarr could only stare, horrified, how his father attacked and killed and old and unarmed man.
Agnarr's legs gave in and he fell to the ground, still horrified at the reveal. So they really did attack first...and the dam, that was told to be a gift of friendship...was just a tool to weaken the forest and resources of the Northuldra. To control them. To rule over them. He balled his fists and punched the icy ground. He's really been a naive boy, wasn't he...
Although Agnarr knew that his father wasn't exactly...the best and most kindhearted person ever...he was always so strict and commanding...he never would've thought of him to be so obsessed with power that he'd murder someone in cold blood.
He had to fix this. He had to destroy this dam that was build on false promises...But how was he supposed to get into the forest? The mist was still locking them out. But then he realized that something was still not right. "Iduna?" The memory reached him, and her voice did, too, but where was she? Was she still down there? Agnarr quickly pulled himself up and ran to the direction he last saw her. He could break through the mist, but his hand soon made contact with an icy wall that wasn't there a moment ago. "Iduna!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, desperate to get his wife back somehow. Agnarr already felt the tears threatening to fall. "Iduna!"
The king banged against the icy wall with his fists, but it wouldn't budge. There was absolutely no reaction to his calls. "Iduna..." He said with a slightly hoarse voice, falling back down on his knees. Now he couldn't stop the tears anymore. If his father was here he'd surely describe it as 'pathetic' and that he was 'crying like a child'. "Please..." Then his head hit the ice. The cold was soothing at first, but it soon turned painful. But he didn't care. "Please...answer me. Please, Iduna..." He sobbed not being able to move now. Even with the biting cold.
And it was way colder down there. What if something happened to her down there? What if she...froze to death? Now some of his sadness was replaced with anger. "Is that how you treat the fifth spirit?!" He yelled at no one in particular. He was yelling at Ahtohallan as if it was a living, thinking creature. Or person. But it wasn't, it was just a cold magical place with memories inside. And Iduna went too far. And was drowned for that. Just like in the lullaby she sang to him.
He should've stopped her. He should've gone down there in her place. It was his fault that she went too far. He was so desperate to find the truth...of course Iduna would sacrifice herself for him. It was all his fault!
Agnarr jumped in surprise when he felt a gentle wind. He looked around, expecting Iduna to stand there and tease him, but she wasn't there. And he didn't feel any wind since they're down here. Except for his wife's magic of course. Then he saw some leaves that were carried inside. That was...weird. But it became even weirder when the wind picked them up again, letting them dance in the air as if a sentient being pushed them around. He could also hear a faint sound. The wind blew in his face, hitting him with the leaves as if he wanted to make him understand. Or punish him?
Then it circled around him, playing with his clothes and ruffling his hair. That was definitely no normal wind. "Are...are you the wind spirit?" He asked and watched the leaved falling down and being picked up multiple times as if saying 'yes'. The spirit gave him hope again. "Can you save Iduna?!" He asked, but only saw how the leaves fell to the ground. They stopped moving. "Hey, are you still here?" He asked and even though he knew he wouldn't be able to see it, he looked around. "Is...is that a no?"
The wind was circling him again, more gentle this time as if the spirit was sad. "I...I think I understand..." Maybe the magic here was greater than anything. "Now what...?" He mumbled, sitting back down at the icy ground. Agnarr wasn't able to leave. Didn't want to leave. Because that meant that he'd leave Iduna behind. And he couldn't do that. There had to be a way to save her, right? But it looked like the wind spirit had other ideas. It began to push him towards the exit. "I'm not leaving!" He yelled at the spirit and tried to fight against the wind. But there was really no way he could do that. The wind just pushed him over the ice as if he weight nothing.
"I can't leave her!" He yelled again, but the spirit didn't listen. It was pushing him all the way to the pit. Then it finally gave him the time to stand up again. "And how should I get over there?" He asked the spirit and immediately got his answer. He felt the wind pushing him further. "Are you insane?! Do you want to kill me?!" He yelled at the spirit again, while holding onto the walls. But the spirit kept pushing, till he lost his grip. And as he was about to fall, the wind caught him and carried him over to the other side. "You...could've told me your plan..." He mumbled, still shocked. Even though the wind spirit couldn't communicate as he did.
Then it kept pushing him up the ice slide, till he was at the top and exactly where they started. "Okay...thank you for helping me out...I guess..." He mumbled the last part, looking back again where he knew Iduna still was. He wanted to go back, but he knew the wind spirit won't let him. So for now he sat down and leaned against a wall. He felt the spirit nearby, urging him to continue, but he didn't have the energy to move now. "Leave me alone." He mumbled burying his face in his hands and leaning against his bent legs. But the spirit didn't leave, it stayed with him and was more gentle now.
He failed. He failed to protect his wife. Agnarr promised that he'll always protect her, but now she's gone. Instead she protected him, sacrificed herself for him. Now what should he do without her? He was nothing without her. What's a king without his queen?
Then he remembered Mattias' words. He once told her that when you think you figured life out, it throws you into another path. And when that happens, try to move on. Take one step at a time. Do the next right thing. But was he even able to?
Well, he couldn't stay here and die, too. Iduna wouldn't want that. He had to go back to his daughters...But what should he tell them? How should he tell them? For now he should tell Anna the truth about Elsa and her mother...Both had to hide their powers, especially after the incident. He just had to pray that nothing bad will happen when Anna remembers her sister's magic. And then he had no other choice but to rule Arendelle alone...
With that plan in mind, he stood up on weak legs and made his way outside the glacier. He wasn't even feeling the cold anymore. The loss of his wife made him numb. When he reached the shore, Nokk appeared again, staring at him. "Iduna went too far..." He told the water spirit. "I couldn't save her." The horse looked sad, but then turned around. Agnarr thought he'll vanish in the floods again, but he waited. "Will you bring me back to the ship?" He asked, eying the spirit that was watching him as well and waited patiently.
As he moved, Nokk bent down to help him get on his back easier. And once he settled down, it ran over the Dark Sea. But not where he expected it to run. "Hey, the ship is over there." Agnarr said, pointing in the other direction, but the spirit won't listen and kept running. Actually it was running straight at the mist that locked everyone out of the Enchanted Forest. He visited the borders once with Iduna, to see if it's still there. It was and it kept pushing them both back. Even Iduna's magic couldn't break through. "Turn around, I can't get through there!"
Nokk kept ignoring him and ran even faster towards the mist. Before he could hit it, the wind spirit blew from behind them and opened a path. At first he couldn't really believe it, but he was actually guided inside by the spirits.
Eventually Nokk stopped at the shore and let him dismount. "Do you know what I planned?" He asked, even though it should be impossible for them to read his mind. The horse didn't answer —of course— but kept looking at him for a while longer, before turning his back to him. "Can you tell the crew on the ship to go back?" Nokk nodded, before vanishing into the water. The wind spirit was still with him and made his presence known by throwing around leaves and playing with his clothes and hair. It was a very curious and playful little spirit. Just like someone else he knew...
Well, now that he was in the forest, he could as well look for the dam. It had to be destroyed. And he'll do it, even if he had to remove every single stone by hand. "Hey, uh...Vinny was your name?" The spirit circled around, pushing leaves up and down. He took that as a yes. "Do you know where the dam is? I really need to get there." Then the wind circled around him, before pushing him forward. Once he moved the spirit showed him the way, by blowing the leaves away to create a pathway. It was very helpful, too. The spirit reminded him so much of Iduna...
Apparently, the spirit sensed his sadness and began blowing strongly at his face, before pushing him forward again. "I'm going, okay? No need to push." Then the wind was more gentle again and it felt like it's wrapping around him, as if it's hugging him. The wind was hugging him...That would sound so crazy if he didn't experience it right now. "Are...are you trying to comfort me? Thank you." Then it blew past him, creating the same path to remind him of his task.
The way to the dam was longer than Agnarr expected. But he did land on the other side of the forest and the dam was on the southern part of it. The sun was already setting when he heard people nearby. He ran over to the voices and and saw Arendellian soldiers! So they were still alive! Agnarr left his cover and approached them. They noticed him immediately, but were too shocked to act. The king looked at all the familiar faces, till he saw his old friend and guard. "Destin, you're alive." Then he looked at the others and added. "You all are...I can't believe it. You have no idea how relieved I am."
"Agnarr?" It's really been a long time till he last heard Mattias' voice. He smiled at his friend and nodded. "It is you! Am I seeing things? You see him, too, right?" He asked the other soldiers who nodded. Then the now old man approached him and hugged him. Agnarr hugged him back, but only for a moment as Mattias pulled back again to look at him. "Look at you. I told you to stop growing."
Agnarr chuckled and rolled his eyes, of course these would be his first words to him. Mattias never really liked to see him grow that much and kept telling him to stop it. And now they're the same height. "It's great to see you again." Said the blonde, of course referring to everyone around. Then Mattias bowed to him. "Your Majesty." The others followed suit.
Agnarr rolled his eyes, but Mattias was serious. "Not that I don't appreciate to see you...but what are you doing here?" Then he looked at his clothes thoughtfully. "Judging by your fancy uniform you made it out back then, right? But how did you get inside? Don't tell me the mist finally gone." The soldiers looked at him hopefully and he hated to tell them the bad news.
"Sorry to crush your hopes, but no. It's...actually a long story..." And he didn't even know where to start.
"Well, if there's something we have plenty of, it's time." Said Mattias, before putting a hand on his back and guiding them to their camp. "How about we eat something? And then you can tell us everything."
The soldiers were well adapted here. They've built tents and learned which plants and berries were edible. Some already knew how to hunt before that. And water was there, too. They all sat around the campfire and as they ate some grilled rabbit, Agnarr told them the story. The whole story. How his wife saved him from the battle, her powers, that they eventually married, their daughters and the powers of the oldest, the incident and their adventure in Ahtohallan.
"Wait...So King Runeard started the fight?" Asked one of the soldiers shocked.
"Yes." Agnarr replied, staring into the fire. "The dam was a trick. He wanted the Northuldra to rely on him. And once the leader noticed something, he decided to kill him."
Then it was quiet for a while. Agnarr understood that it was hard to believe. He wouldn't believe it either, if he hadn't seen the memory of that moment himself. Everything they've been fighting for was a lie.
"And where is your wife?" Asked Mattias, since he didn't mention her going too far.
Agnarr kept staring into the fire. "She went too far." Was all he answered, as he already told them about the lullaby. Then a comforting hand was on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry to hear that..." Agnarr just nodded, appreciating the comfort. And that he now had time to really mourn her loss. At least for a little while.
"That's why we have to destroy the dam. It may not make up for everything, but it's a start. This is not an order. It's a request." Agnarr looked around, the soldiers still tried to make sense of everything he said, till one by one stood up with a determined expression and said they'll help. "Thank you all." Then he turned to Mattias. "Are there still some Northuldra here? I might need to talk with them, too."
"Sure. I can bring you to them in the morning. For now you should rest." The guard patted his shoulder, before leading him to his tent. "Just call me if you need anything." The blonde nodded and went inside. He only took off his jacket, before lying down. He may be sleepy, but he was sure he won't be sleeping well...
"IDUNA!" Agnarr screamed, reaching out for his wife who's jumping down the cliff, only to realize that he wasn't in Ahtohallan anymore. He was in a makeshift bed, in a tent. In the Enchanted Forest. Sighing loudly, he leaned on his bent leg, head in his hand. Of course he'd dream about it. And he was sure he always will from now on.
First he kept having nightmares about the battle and now came a new one. And one that was even worse, especially now that he found out how his father really was. And this time he didn't have someone who could sing his nightmares away.
He took several deep breaths to calm his racing heart, his hand gripping his hair and pulling enough to make it hurt. Only now did he notice his wet cheeks, the burning in his eyes. He must've been crying in his sleep and it wouldn't stop now.
"King Agnarr, are you okay?" Asked Mattias from outside the tent. Thank god that he was giving him the privacy he needed.
Still, Agnarr quickly wiped away the tears in his eyes before he could answer. "Yes...I just...had a nightmare."
Then it was quiet for a while. "I'm really sorry about your loss..."
"It's okay. It's okay..." He mumbled, even though it definitely was not okay. Agnarr lost the love of his life. Actually...he lost his life. His light. His everything. He took a few more minutes to calm down, before grabbing his jacket and leaving the tent.
"I would ask if you slept well, but I know you didn't." Said Mattias who apparently has been guarding his tent till now.
"I didn't." He confirmed, offering him a tiny smile.
Mattias put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "That's quite normal. I've had lots of nightmares these past years, too."
Agnarr nodded. He, too, dreamed of the battle frequently, but Mattias lost so much more that day. "Can...can we talk about something else?" He mumbled, just wanting to get his mind off this topic for a while.
"Sure. Let's get something to eat and then I'll bring you to the Northuldra, okay?" The guard suggested and only got a nod and a mumbled 'yes' as an answer.
"They should be around here somewhere." Said Mattias, as only he and Agnarr walked through the forest. The other soldiers guarded the camp. "I guess I owe them an apology. We weren't really the best friends during the years here. Actually fought a couple of times. And only because we believed they started the fight."
"I hope they'll forgive us. Maybe it'll help if they know I'm married to Iduna. Uh...was..." He still couldn't believe that she was gone. Since yesterday he always expected Iduna to just show up again.
"I'm sure they'll listen to you." Said Mattias and patted his back again.
A few minutes later they found themselves surrounded. It happened way too fast. The Northuldra people hid in bushes, on trees and were so fast that they didn't have a chance to react. "Are you here to make trouble again lieutenant?" Asked a female voice and then and older woman approached them.
"Not this time, Yelena. Just here to talk." The woman raised an eyebrow, rightfully suspicious considering what happened after all these years. "She's the leader." He informed Agnarr then.
The king took a step forward. "I'm King Agnarr of Arendelle." He introduced himself and the people around them began to whisper. "I'm not here to harm you or anything. I just...need your help."
"You need our help?" Asked Yelena incredulously.
"Do you happen to know someone named Iduna?" Only a few people reacted to the name, but especially Yelena.
"She's my niece." She replied, but glared at him. "Why? How do you know her?"
"She's my wife." Agnarr answered, but it didn't look like any of them were believing him.
"Why would an Arendellian marry an 'enemy' with magical powers?" Asked one of the Northuldra.
"To be fair, I didn't know she's Northuldra for a long time. She did a very good job at hiding it. But I didn't care where she came from, really, because I loved her." He said truthfully, hoping that they'll believe him —well especially Yelena since she's the leader and Iduna's aunt.
For now Yelena's expression didn't change. "So you two got out when the mist appeared. But how were you able to come back?"
Now on to the difficult part. "It's kind of a long story...But to make it short, Iduna saved me that day. We got two daughters, one of them with magical powers, too. Ice magic to be exact. Then an accident happened. And then Iduna was curious where their magic came from and if there really was no way to save this place. She told me all about Ahtohallan and that it might be the only place to find answers. We've been there yesterday." Everyone around them looked at him in shock. Of course, till now Ahtohallan was just a legend and a place no one could reach. "It turned into a glacier and apparently Iduna is the fifth spirit."
The people around them gasped, even Yelena looked shocked to hear that. "She's the fifth spirit...? Where is she?"
"She...went too far when we tried to find the truth about that day." Was all he said, but everyone understood what he meant. Surely they all knew the lullaby.
"And you let this happen?!"
"I tried to stop her, really! I wanted to jump in myself, but she pushed me away..." Agnarr knew there's no excuse for anything, but at least he tried...But what should he do against someone with magical powers? "Anyway...the truth is my father built this dam to weaken the forest. He was the one who started the battle by killing your old leader. I know what he did is inexcusable, but I still want to apologize. I'm really sorry for what my father did to your people. He lied to all of us. All Arendellians still believe that the dam was a gift of peace. No one would've guessed what kind of person he really was."
"He was a good liar. But how should we know you're not the same?" Asked Yelena and looked at him suspiciously. But he didn't have an answer to this. And he understood their mistrust.
"Well, he did marry a Northuldra girl, went all the way to Ahto-however this place is called and was brought here by the spirits." Mattias had some good points.
"Wait, the spirits helped you in?" Asked the leader. Of course he had to get inside somehow, but she surely didn't expect that their spirits helped.
"Nokk and the wind spirit helped me. I want to destroy the dam to make at least something right. And that's why I need your help. I thought maybe the earth spirit could help us out." Explained Agnarr, looking at them all hopefully. But the Northuldra still looked at him suspiciously. "Well, I would show you that I became friends with them...but the wind spirit became very quiet till last night."
"Only when you were around." Said Mattias and put a hand on the king's shoulder. "Once you left to sleep it was back and was messing with all of us. Maybe it knew that you need rest and didn't want to bother you."
Yelena raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that you all played with the wind spirit?"
"Pretty much, yes." Mattias shrugged as if it's no big deal. But...if you're locked in a magical place with elemental spirits...maybe nothing can surprise you anymore.
And on cue, the wind spirit arrived again, playing around with the leaves and especially his clothes and hair again. As if to show them they're friends.
"She really seems to like you..." Mumbled Yelena thoughtfully. To be honest Agnarr had no idea how any of them could know a gender of a spirit you couldn't even see, but he'd just believe it.
Then they all looked at Mattias for some reason. "W-what?" He asked, looking around and checking his uniform for something weird. Until he found a little salamander sitting on his shoulder. Mattias was rightfully surprised and tried to push it away, but it just held onto his hand. "What's that?!" He asked, trying to shake it off, but it held on tightly.
"It's the fire spirit. We haven't seen him for months." Explained Yelena, who was just as surprised as Mattias about the spirit's appearance.
"Bruni?" Agnarr said, remembering Iduna having called him that. At that the lizard looked at him and licked his eye. Then he held his hand out to it and it jumped right on it. It was very warm to the touch. The lizard looked at him as if he expected something from him, but he couldn't guess what he should do.
"The spirits really seem to like you." Said Yelena, but it still sounded like she still couldn't believe it. Well, he didn't believe any of this either...
Then he remembered a little detail that he left out. "Oh! When Iduna sent the memory of that day up from Ahtohallan's depths, I heard her sing, too. She said she's doing it to call the spirits. And it helped us finding the way. She also calmed down Nokk with it...And Vinny appeared right after, too."
Yelena looked at him thoughtfully. "Yes, this was her way of communicating with the spirits. It sounds like she called them to help you. That's why the fire spirit appeared."
Agnarr couldn't help but smile. That's so typical. Even when she's freezing she's thinking about his well-being. That's why he loved her so much. Meanwhile Bruni walked over his arm and climbed on his shoulder. He made himself comfortable there and probably wouldn't leave anytime soon. "Can I count on your help?" Asked Agnarr then, to go back to the main topic. "I need you to make sure that no one's around the dam. I don't want anyone else to get hurt. And once the dam is gone we can go back our own paths. If you wish we'll leave you alone for good. But to be honest...I'd like to form a real alliance. I want to learn more about this place and your people. And I'd like to bring my daughters here and show them their mothers home."
Agnarr waited, as Yelena thought about his offer. Of course he'd understand if she didn't want any of them near the forest again, but it would be sad for Anna and Elsa. "I'll think about it." She eventually said. "For now we should get rid of this dam. We'll help you."
It was still good news and she actually considered an alliance, even though it wasn't a yes yet. "Thank you."
Then Yelena turned to the others around them and spoke in a different language. It's most likely the old Northuldra language Iduna told him about. The people agreed to whatever Yelena said and scattered. "They'll make sure no one's getting close to the dam." The woman said. "The Rock Giants might be more helpful to destroy it than the other spirits. I don't know if they'd like you, though, they can be very moody at times. But maybe Iduna's song calmed them like the others."
The king nodded, really hoping that the giants are calm when he'll go to them. "Could you tell me where I can find them?"
Yelena nodded, before turning away and told them with a simple hand gesture to follow her. "In case they're not calm, you might need some help to get away fast. Did Iduna tell you that she grew up with a reindeer?"
"Yes. Uh...Askjell, right?" It's been a while since she told him this, so he hoped he still got the name right. And if he remembered correctly it was a white and black reindeer, too.
"That's right. I'm sure he'd like to help you, too." Yelena brought them to the camp of her people, everyone looked surprised that she was with two Arendellians but no one questioned it. They all trusted her judgment. "Bring me Iduna's reindeer." She told one of the reindeer herders, who nodded and immediately left to fetch the reindeer. It didn't even take that long since there were just a handful of white reindeer in the herd. "He should be able to carry you and he's even one of the fastest we have." Said Yelena, as the reindeer came closer to him and sniffed him.
It really looked beautiful. The fur pattern and color was magnificent. After the reindeer sniffed him, it looked up as if he recognized something on him. "...Are you smelling Iduna on me?" Agnarr asked and noticed how his ears wiggled at the mention of her name. The reindeer looked up at him and then around as if he's looking for her. "She's gone." As he said this the reindeer looked at him in shock, before slumping down with a sad whine.
"Looks like he was very attached to her." Mused Mattias, who has been watching everything silently.
"Of course. They grew up together." Said Yelena. "I'll go back and tell everyone the news. Just go whenever you're ready. You can find the giants by the river in that direction." With that said, she left.
"Okay..." Mumbled Agnarr, already thinking of a plan. "Mattias, go back to the others, too. If they're angry at me then, I don't know, make some noise to get their attention. They need to attack the dam at all cost."
Agnarr saw that Mattias was about to protest, because he's gonna be alone while meeting the giants, but he held himself back. "Okay. Just make sure to come back in one piece."
Now Agnarr put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Of course. After all, we all have to go back home."
Mattias nodded. "Good luck." And then he went back to the dam, where the others waited for them.
Of course Agnarr noticed Mattias hesitation towards the whole plan. After all, the castle and surely most of the town will be destroyed if the dam broke. And he very much knew that he'd technically give Halima up, too. He's been in love with her since forever, and Agnarr always tried to hook them up as a kid. But Agnarr thought about this, too and had a plan. There's no way he'd just do this and sacrifice half of Arendelle's people. "Vinny?" The wind spirit circled him to make his presence known. "Can you do me a big favor? Is it possible for you to evacuate Arendelle? The people there are innocent and don't deserve this." The spirit drew circles on the ground then, picking some leaves up at the process, before flying past him. Some leaves hit him, as the spirit flew away.
Then he looked at the fire spirit that still sat comfortably on his shoulder. "I have no task for you." Bruni looked at him and licked his eye again. He had no idea what this was supposed to mean, though. But he didn't look like he wanted to go. "Okay...Shall we go?" He asked the reindeer, who was still sad. "We're doing this for her, too." Askjell made another whining sound, before standing up. "I lost her, too, I know how you feel." Said Agnarr —was he really talking to a reindeer here?— and patted the animal. Then he made another sound that Agnarr couldn't interpret and looked pretty much ready to go. "Ready?" Askjell made a huffing noise and stomped his hoof, looking at him determinedly. "Let's go then."
Agnarr climbed on his back, it felt kinda odd without a saddle and he's never ridden a reindeer before either. Once he held onto his back, and steered him to the direction Yelena has pointed to, Askjell began to ran. He was very fast. It didn't even take that long till he saw the river. But he couldn't see any rock giants. Just...normal looking mountains. Askjell stopped by the water and looked at him expectantly. The king frowned and looked at the mountains again. Now it looked like they're breathing. So that's no mountain, they're the giants. "Okay, let's wake them up." Just as he said this Askjell made loud noises, probably screaming at the giants to wake up.
"Wake up!" He screamed at them, too, but they kept snoring. Iduna could surely just sing her tune and they'd be awake immediately...Would that be worth a try? Probably...? Yeah, it was worth a try. Was it...? Agnarr couldn't really believe what he's about to do...Sighing frustrated, he took a deep breath and tried to sing Iduna's tune. But it sounded...really terrible. There's a reason why he's not singing. Askjell shook his head wildly and even the giants stirred awake. But they all covered their stony ears. Even Bruni curled up in a tiny ball to cover his hears as much as possible. "Oh, come on! It's not that bad!" He yelled at them all, even though he knew their reactions were justified.
The giants looked at them, but they didn't seem friendly. More like annoyed that he woke them up like that..."Gogogo!" He told Askjell as one of the giants reached out to them. Askjell turned immediately and ran wherever Agnarr wanted him to run.
The giants were slow, so he kept provoking them to move faster. "Bruni, wanna help?" The little lizard stuck to his clothes, so he could easily turn to the giants without having to be afraid to fall down. Then purple fire appeared on his back and he spit some fire balls at the giants. But soon enough they threw boulders at them. Now if they'd just throw them at the dam...Agnarr made sure to use a path that was far away from the Northuldra camp. Or at least he hoped so, the forest always looked the same to him. But he told Askjell his plan and he apparently knew where he needed to go without his guidance.
Then Agnarr could hear a faint sound. As if metal hits metal. The giants apparently heard it better and walked to the direction the noise came from, completely forgetting that they were chasing Agnarr. Askjell stopped and took some deep breaths. "Good boy." He said, patting his side. Agnarr's heart was racing like crazy, too, but it wasn't over yet. "Askjell, do you have some energy left to bring me to the dam?" The reindeer looked at him, before huffing and started running again.
As they reached the dam, Agnarr saw that the giants already threw boulders at the dam. It looked like his help wasn't needed there. Only a few boulders later did the dam break and the tons of water that were held back were now set free and rushed down the fjord towards Arendelle. Agnarr could only watch and hope that Vinny brought everyone to safety. Then a sudden flash appeared in the sky. Agnarr had barely time to see what it was, but he could've sworn it was the same symbol that was in Ahtohallan. And then the mist slowly vanished. The giants looked just as confused as he felt. Askjell made some noises and stared at the sky. The only one who had a complete different reaction was Bruni. He was just happy. "Looks like we did it." He said more to himself, because he still couldn't believe it.
The reindeer slumped to the ground, exhausted. Agnarr got off his back then, and lay down on his back next to him. And Bruni just walked over him, sitting on his chest and just looked happy. But Agnarr didn't have any more time to rest, because then Mattias and the other soldiers approached him. "Are you alright?" Asked Mattias and held his hand out to him.
"Yes. Just exhausted." Agnarr took his hand and got up with his help, also moving Bruni on his hand.
"I can't believe we did it." Said his guard, who was obviously on the verge of tears.
The king smiled at his old friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "You better believe it, soon. Because we'll go home. There's a lot of work waiting for us. I don't know how big the damage was, but we surely have to rebuilt the castle, the market square and the village." The fields and farms were hopefully still there.
"At your service, your majesty." Mattias said this with a sad undertone and Agnarr knew he's thinking that many people might be gone there. Agnarr really wanted to assure him and tell him not to worry, but he didn't know if Vinny brought everyone to safety either.
But then he felt a certain magical wind. It's funny how he could recognize the wind spirit now. "Vinny?" He still asked, though to make sure he was right. The spirit drew circles on the ground and caught Bruni who jumped off his hand. "Is everyone save?" As an answer he only got a little tornado of leaves and Bruni. Both men frowned.
"Is that a yes?" Asked Mattias unsure. Then the wind spirit circled him and then Agnarr, hitting them both with leaves, while Bruni had the time of his life.
"I think that's a yes." Again, Vinny was playing with his clothes, he seemed to be very excited. "Everyone made it out safely." What a relief. Everyone were happy that their loved one's made it. And even though they had to built everything again, at least everyone was save.
Agnarr turned around when he heard Askjell making urgent noises. Yelena approached them. "Looks like you did it." She was smiling. Agnarr was pretty sure that she doubted him till now. Of course he understood her. "I'd love to see my grand nieces."
Agnarr smiled back and couldn't help but think of the great alliance they'll build together. "I know they'll be so happy to meet you." They all went to the borders of the forest together. The kids of the Northuldra just saw the sun and the sky for the first time in their lives. It was amazing seeing everyone so happy. And to think that his father wanted to destroy all this...brought back some bitterness.
It it didn't stay long, thank god, because he was too busy watching the reindeer. The gigantic herd ran out of the forest, Askjell too, and they all ran in circles. Iduna told him about this, but he forgot how they called it. Still, it looked great. But then the wind tried to pull him somewhere. "Vinny, no." He really didn't have time to play right now. But it didn't listen and kept pushing him. "Stop that!" He yelled, but then froze when he saw the leaves moving in an unnatural way far away from him.
So, if Vinny was over there, who was pushing him? Agnarr let the wind guide him, down a little hill and to the shore. He really had no idea what he's doing there, until he saw something on the water. It looked like Nokk. And it looked like someone was riding him...It took him a while till he could see it clearly, but even then he couldn't believe it. His heart stopped for a second when he thought to see Iduna. He rubbed his eyes furiously and looked at the water spirit again. But the picture of Iduna riding him was still there.
Agnarr knew he shouldn't hope, but he couldn't help it. And it felt like time slowed down. It took Nokk painfully long to gallop to the shore. And when it finally did, the illusion of Iduna dismounted and looked at him as happy as ever. Now he had to rub his eyes to get rid of the tears, that threatened to blur his vision. "Iduna...?" He asked the illusion, hoping that she was really there. Nokk nudged Iduna forward, as if to show him that she was actually here. She giggled and patted the horse's nose and Agnarr could feel his heart stopping a second time. Once Nokk vanished into the water she turned to him and opened her arms, tilting her head and looking at him expectantly. She was saying something but he couldn't hear anything over his beating heart.
Then without thinking any more, he ran to her and hugged her. She was really there! At this realization, he hugged her tighter, not wanting to ever let go of her again. "Iduna..." He sobbed, crying shamelessly into her hair. She was hugging him back and he could feel her clinging to his jacket. "Don-don't ever do this again..." Agnarr wanted to sound harsh, like he was giving her a lecture, but he sounded more desperate.
"I think there's no need for more sacrifices." She was crying too. Agnarr already felt how his legs got weaker any second, till they gave out completely and pulled Iduna down with him. He was kneeling and pulled Iduna so close that she could easily sit on his lap by now. Which she did. Agnarr was crying like there's no tomorrow, while his wife was holding him, caressing his back and head and kept telling him that everything's alright now. He wouldn't even care if anyone would see them like that. And it's not like anyone could blame him either, he thought he lost her forever.
Only when he calmed down enough to talk did he loosen his grip on her slightly. "How?" He mumbled into her hair. "What happened down there?" Although he wasn't sure if he wanted to know what happened. Even though he was still hesitant to let her go completely, he let her pull away to look into his eyes. And she looked very hesitant to answer the question, too. "Tell me. I can handle it." He said, as he cupped her cheek and caressed her with his thumb.
"I froze." She answered and Agnarr tried to ignore the stabbing pain in his heart. "Like...into an ice statue. But then you saved me." Agnarr frowned. He hasn't done anything to save her...He still felt bad about it actually. "All I remember is that suddenly I unfroze and the ground cracked open. I fell into the water and Nokk saved me. Then he brought me all the way to Arendelle. Uhm, for the first time I could hear the voices of the spirits. They said the dam is gone and the people are innocent." So the wind spirit did believe him after all.
"And Arendelle?" He asked, expecting her to say that the whole village was destroyed.
"Nokk and I were able to save the village. But I'm afraid the whole castle faced the full wrath of the flood." She looked up at him sadly and apologetically.
"The people?"
"Everyone's safe." That was enough. He pulled Iduna back into his arms and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry. I tried to save the castle, too. I know there were many memories of your mother there. And-"
Agnarr interrupted her, by kissing her. He really didn't care about the castle. Maybe this was a good point to start anew. "It's okay." Iduna wanted to protest, but he just kissed her again. Actually, he didn't just do it to silence her. "I don't care what happened to the castle. We can rebuild it. I'm just glad everyone's safe."
Iduna hugged him back. "I'm sure if I had Elsa's powers I could've made an ice wall and save the castle, too."
"Maybe. But it doesn't matter." They stayed like that for a while longer, before eventually letting go of each other. Well, almost. Agnarr still made sure to keep her close and held her hand. "Hey...remember Destin Mattias? You know, my guard when I was a kid?" His wife nodded, while he wiped some tears away. "He's here. And the other Arendellian soldiers."
"That's great." She smiled at him happily and this was enough to brighten his life.
"And there's someone else who'd be happy to see you." Now he finally stood up and helped his wife up, too.
"Who?"
"You'll see." Agnarr ignored her confused look and guided her back to the others. The first to greet them was the wind spirit. He thought he might've known about her return from the beginning but gave them some private time.
"Vinny..." Iduna sniffled, wiping some tears away, but more came. Then the spirit flew away and came back with Bruni floating in the air. "Bruni." The brunette took the lizard into her hands. Bruni looked very happy to see her and turned on his back and looked at her in a happy and cute way. Iduna rubbed his belly with her index finger, as Agnarr led her to the little crowd.
"Destin!" The soldier turned around and walked over to them, looking confused when he saw Iduna. Of course. "This is Iduna. It's-it's a complicated story, but she's back!"
"This is what I call a miracle." He said before bowing to her. "My queen. It's a pleasure to meet you. My boy told me everything about you."
"I hope only good things." Said Iduna and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Bruni climbed on Iduna's shoulder and looked like that, too.
"Of course. There are only good things to talk about you." Agnarr pulled her back into his arms and kissed the top of her head.
"Very good answer. And...'my boy'?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at both him and Mattias.
"Oh, that's because I've spent more time with him than with my father, you know. He was actually a better father to me than my real one." He explained and looked at Mattias who looked embarrassed but proud.
"Right, right...You mentioned that before. That's...both sad and cute." It sure was. But he wouldn't be who he was now if it wasn't for Mattias raising him. If his real father actually bothered to raise him he'd probably a tyrant like him. And in that case he was glad that Runeard didn't care about him.
"I think it's great that Destin was always with me." Iduna looked at him as if he could read his mind and agreed with him. "Good news, Arendelle's not destroyed. Well, not completely. Only the castle was hit."
Mattias nodded. "Well, it's good to hear that not everything was destroyed. I'll tell the others." With that said, Mattias left.
"Okay, now you really need to see someone special. But first..." Agnarr reached behind her head to make her bun loose so that her braid was free. He used the excuse that no one will recognize her with that hairstyle, but it was for him, too. He only saw her hair open at night. Then taking her hand again he now lead her to the few Northuldra, who admired the sky and were happy that the mist was finally gone. He felt like a little kid wanting to show his friend all his new toys. "Yelena." He called and heard a gasp from his wife.
Said woman turned to them and looked equally as confused at Iduna as Mattias was. Agnarr looked at his beloved wife, who began to cry again. "Auntie Lena?" At her words, Yelena's eyes widened in shock and recognition.
"Iduna? Is that you, my child?" Iduna nodded and hugged her aunt. Of course Yelena had questions, especially how she got out of Ahothallan's depths alive and as Iduna told her the story, Agnarr stood a few steps away and let them have their moment. What he also heard was that both Iduna's parents were alive as well. From what she told him, they had a great relationship, the exact opposite of him and his father.
Looking back at his soldiers, he faintly heard Mattias telling them to pack their things, because they'll go home soon. Right, they should go for as long as they'll have daylight. It should be a two day march back to Arendelle. Agnarr approached his wife and Yelena and cleared his throat. "Sorry, I hate to interrupt but...the others are getting ready to go, so-"
"Right! Right, we should go now. It's a long way back." To be honest, her words surprised him. He was honestly expecting her to stay here with her family.
"Iduna..." Agnarr stopped her from saying good bye to Yelena. "You can stay here. If you want. You don't have to go back with me if you don't want that..." He said, knowing how much she missed her home and family and being willing to let her stay here if she pleased. Even if he'll miss her to death.
"What are you talking about? Of course I'll go back with you! Don't be ridiculous." She was talking to him as if he's crazy, then she turned back to Yelena. "We'll come back and visit you soon. And this time Elsa and Anna will be here, too."
"I'll look forward to it." They hugged again and then she went back to him and took his hand.
"Ready." She said and wanted to drag him to the soldiers, but he stopped her.
"Wait." Iduna looked at him and tilted her head. "I thought you'd like to stay here. See your parents. And everyone else...You really don't have to force yourself to go back-"
This time Iduna silenced him with a kiss. "I said don't be ridiculous. Of course I missed the forest, the spirits and my family, but my home is with you and the girls, in Arendelle."
"But...are your sure you want-" Iduna was ignoring him completely, as she took the little lizard from her shoulder and kissed its head. "Bruni, see you again." The blue fire spirit turned red in a second. "Vinny?" The wind circled around her and Iduna wrapped her arms around herself, as if wanting to hug the air. It was cute. "You need to visit us." Then she suddenly turned back to Yelena, as if she remembered something important. "Oh! I'd like to borrow some clothes, if that's okay with you."
Yelena smiled, knowing what she's up to. "Sure. Just give me a moment." The woman walked back into the forest. Iduna looked at the ground thoughtfully, her lips pressed together and subconsciously petting Bruni. When she looked up at him, he could already guess what she's thinking. "Agnarr-"
"Go." She looked surprised at this. "Go and see your parents. Take whatever you can. We'll wait here for you."
His wife frowned. "And you promise to really wait and not just leave because you think I want it?"
"I promise." She already convinced him and to be very honest he was happy that she chose the life with him and the girls. Even though he could just go back himself and bring the girls to her. His heart thumped happily when she smiled at him. He's definitely gonna cherish these little things of and with her more than he already did.
"Okay. But to make sure...Bruni, Vinny, I want you to keep an eye on him. And if he dares to leave without me then stop him." The wind spirit circled him and pushed him back to the forest slightly to make its point clear. Iduna put Bruni back on his shoulder and the little lizard watched him with unblinking eyes. It was a bit creepy.
"I'll hurry." But before she could go, Agnarr heard someone running towards them. Right, he forgot someone. Then a second later Askjell appeared and rubbed his head against her to greet her and tell her how happy he was to see her. He even almost hit her with his antlers. "Askjell, my big boy." The reindeer licked her and was pushed away. "Eww!" Iduna wiped the saliva off her face, but still laughed. "Okay, I really need to go now." At that Askjell jumped —yes, he jumped— in front of her and looked at her expectantly. "Good idea." Iduna got on the reindeer's back like the pro rider that she was and guided him to the Northuldra camp.
Once they vanished into the forest, he looked at Bruni who was still staring at him. "Stop that. You're freaking me out..." But he kept staring, occasionally licking his eye. "You're a creepy little spirit." Well, there was nothing for him to do, so all he did was waiting for the soldiers and Iduna. A little quiet moment was just what he needed right now.
The soldiers were ready first, but it wasn't surprising. After all Iduna met her parents and other family the first time in years. But she only returned a few minutes after the soldiers did. She was still riding on Askjell and had a bag attached to him.
"We're back." She announced, as Askjell ran over to him. "I've brought some presents for everyone." Iduna patted the bag.
"I think Anna and Elsa will be happy about our return even if we wouldn't bring presents." Said Agnarr teasingly and just got a raised eyebrow from her in return. Then he turned to the soldiers. "Alright, let's go." The creepy spirit on his shoulder rubbed his head on his neck, before jumping off him. The wind spirit caught him and put him on the ground gently. Agnarr waved at the spirits, before following the men and women. And Iduna was beside him, still riding on Askjell. "Is your friend coming with us?" He asked, petting the reindeer.
"Yes. He doesn't want to leave my side anymore. Just like someone else I know." Agnarr ignored the look she gave him. Of course she meant him. "Is that okay with you?"
"Yes! Sure! Everything that makes you happy, my love." And he meant it. He'd do literally anything to make her happy. Now more than ever. She smiled at him happily, while he took her hand. Agnarr just wanted to feel her and make sure she's close.
"I love you. My life." He said, using the pet name she originally chose for him.
Iduna squeezed his hand gently. "I love you too. My light."