Anna watched as Elsa was escorted to a small hut with the girl known as Honeymaren. The younger sister was relieved that she was about to be treated to a well-earned massage by the Northuldra's best, the act hopefully capable of easing whatever pain the queen of Arendelle was physically enduring.

Upon the reunification of the encampment's core residents, quick work had begun around the sector, many of the Northuldra men and women doing what they could to repair what was necessary for a good night's rest. Multiple fires were erected for light, and soup was hastily prepared for those who found themselves suddenly so busy late into the night.

With the tiny Fire Spirit in hand, Anna remained with Kristoff, Sven, and Ryder, Honeymaren's brother. Olaf was happily keeping children entertained semi-nearby. Yelana and Mattias were preoccupied directing their people, apparently united in ensuring the space was settled into normality quickly so everyone could return to sleep sooner rather than later.

Sleep seemed impossible for Anna in the moment. Alongside everyone else, she could see, from a safe distance, the way Elsa had faced the Fire Spirit even in her tired and drained state. Her magic had always dazzled the younger sister, but after years of Elsa using it somewhat freely within Arendelle, the majesty of her strength somehow found some level of regularity almost. Not that Anna's heart still didn't skip a beat because of her intimate connection with the command of ice and snow her sister exhibited with but a thought, but it took the collective wonder of both the Northuldra people and the Arendellians to reaffirm just how incredible Elsa truly was.

"She is akin to a Spirit of Ice…!" Yelana had gasped early on in the confrontation between Elsa and the Fire Spirit.

"Almost like a goddess or something." Mattias had agreed.

And the comment stayed with Anna, grounding her in an old frustration she thought she was long done with. She and Elsa were still worlds apart, when it came down to it. Anna couldn't use magic. Elsa could. That fact would never change. Watching Elsa fight the Fire Spirit, a feat no other living being in the world, as far as Anna knew, could replicate, was even more incredible than even the duel between herself and Devil. Forces of nature clashed before Anna, the Northuldra, and the Arendellians, and Anna's throat tightened in irritation, the fact she couldn't help in any way, once again, throwing her mind into old, immature territory she thought she had outgrown.

Thus, when Anna had gotten a good look at the fear in the Fire Spirit's eyes, a rush of emotions built over years of being separated from her sister forced the younger sibling to act irrationally, performing an act she had wished to do for Elsa for too many days to count.

Surprisingly, a simple hug had somehow calmed the apparent rage of the Fire Spirit, and now Elsa could finally rest to some degree, leaving Anna to get closer with her new little friend while helping where she could around the camp.

Was Anna a little jealous of Honeymaren getting to spend time with her sister? Naturally. But they were past such trivial feelings of insecurity…mostly. Honeymaren was going to be touching Elsa, and that picked at an old wound in relation to Gerda Anna preferred not to remember.

Therefore, Anna stared at her new friend's googly eyes as he sporadically darted about, his slippery tongue licking his face here and there.

'You're kind of a cutie, huh?' Anna nuzzled her nose with the little guy, and he cooed adorably, snuggling into her hands.

'Hard to believe he was the Fire Spirit…' Ryder poked at the reptilian creature, flinching back with a hiss. 'Yikes! How are you holding him, Anna?'

'Uh…gently?' Anna blinked, confused by the question. 'You scared he's going to bite or something?'

'N-no. It's just – '

'Sven?' Kristoff glanced around suddenly.

'Hm? Oh. He could probably smell the other reindeer. Want to meet the rest of my family? I need to get them settled again after that scare anyway.' Ryder grinned confidently, and when Kristoff looked back to Anna, she shrugged, smiling with encouragement.

'Go for it. I got this.' Anna nodded. 'I mean, come on; a bunch of reindeers for you to chat with? Talk about a dream come true!'

'Right…' Kristoff hesitated, and Anna wished he wouldn't look at her like that – as if he was still bothered by the possibility that the girl he loved couldn't return his affection because of…her own sister.

Anna tried not to wonder about Elsa's massage, and instead, turned her attention back to the Fire Spirit in her hands.

'Let's see, Olaf named the Wind Spirit Gale. So, what do you think about me giving you a cute name?'

The Fire Spirit made an adorable gurgling noise with his voice, and scampered about in Anna's hands. It tickled, his touch sticking a little bit.

'Mm. How about Fiery? No? Yeah. That's sort of plain. Fireball? Same thing? Sorry. I'm feeling a little weird right now. Lots of emotions and stuff. Messy things, you know? Not a fan when I get like this. All broody and whatever. Wait! Broody…Bruni? Bruni! You're mostly blue, and I met you when you were brooding. But it's cute, don't you think?'

The Fire Spirit stuck out his tongue and yipped, jumping around in Anna's hands.

'Yeah? Okay! You're Bruni now. Way better than "Fire Spirit". What a mouthful. Heh!'

Anna returned her observations to the tiny world around her, the Northuldra people having begun to calm down now that the initial evaluation of the damage done was complete and everyone was mostly enjoying a warm bowl of soup before trying to settle for the night again. The sense of community reminded Anna of Arendelle, and although it had only been a couple of days, Anna missed her people and all the authentic relationships she had built. She liked the city. She liked the hustle and bustle of it all. She liked chatting with the locals. Liked running her bakery. Liked learning more about ruling so she could help out Elsa with more confidence. She truly hoped she and Elsa could calm the spirits, because as much as Anna enjoyed a good adventure of any kind, this one felt…different.

Anna couldn't put her finger on it, but no matter how much she held Elsa's hand, hugged her, confessed her love, and even touched her intimately, there was this strange barrier between the royal sisters that Elsa didn't even seem aware of. The Enchanted Forest earnestly felt like another world altogether, and while Elsa seemingly embraced it – and was more a part of it than she appeared to realize – Anna still felt like a foreigner. Elsa confronted the spirits head on, and she seemed so in her element. Anna had Bruni, at least, but she knew Elsa well enough to feel her sister's sense of wonder, excitement, and even envy at how the Northuldra lived. They were one with nature, and considering Elsa's powers, maybe it wasn't such a stretch for her to feel a sense of connection with the people her mother grew up alongside as well.

'She promised we'd do this together. No sense in freaking out. Don't overthink things, Anna.' Anna scolded herself.

'Does the Fire Spirit answer when you chat with him?' A voice made Anna jump, and Bruni hastily scampered up and onto her shoulder, concealing itself in her hair.

'Whoa!' Anna observed her sudden guest, and was happy to see the lieutenant, Mattias, joining her with two small bowls of soup.

'Sorry. Need a little pick me up?' The older Arendellian soldier offered.

Taking a quick inhale of the aroma suddenly very present, Anna licked her lips, nodding excitedly.

'Sure! Thanks!'

'My pleasure.' Mattias handed Anna her bowl, his eyes alert and constantly observing the world around him no matter how casual he tried to be. It was hard to believe that this man had been trapped in the Enchanted Forest for so long, but it was even more difficult to fathom that he didn't get the chance to watch Anna's father grow into a man after serving him for so many years as his personal guard. It broke Anna's big heart immediately, and she attempted to bridge the gap in a small way after her first sip of the delicious soup.

'He was about your height, you know?' Anna tried, and Mattias' expression softened, a saddened smile creeping over his visage as he nodded subtly in reflection, his tone gentle while replying.

'That tall, huh?'

'Yeah. He grew a mustache, too.'

'No!' Mattias chuckled.

'Yep! It was pretty cool. Tickled when he gave Elsa and I kisses.'

A beat, with the lieutenant blinking back what could have been tears threatening to consume his professional dictation.

'Still hard to believe you're his girls. I've missed so much being stuck here…'

A chill ran Anna's spine, and she found her tone darkened.

'Yeah. Lost time is…tough to deal with, I bet.'

'Oh, yeah.' Mattias slurped his soup, and Anna didn't mind the man's presence at all. He actually reminded her of her father somehow, and knowing he was close to King Agnarr as a child only drove that notion home further. The soldier was clearly torn up about having not been able to fulfill his duty until the end, and again, instead of dwelling on her own issues being brought to the forefront all over again, Anna sought to comfort her father's old friend while muffling the ancient whispers of doubt and regret from her past.

'You meant a lot to him.' Anna nudged Mattias with her shoulder, and he grinned down at her. 'Whenever we'd get butter biscuits from Blodgets' Bakery, he'd say, "Mattias could never get enough of these". And honestly, neither could my dad.'

'It's the butter.' Mattias laughed a little more freely now, and Anna smiled, thankful she had brought such an expression of joy to the military man. He continued. 'Hey, back at home – Halima still over at Hudson's Hearth?'

Anna knew almost every citizen in Arendelle relatively well, so, it didn't take her long to answer Mattias' inquiry with a humming sound of acknowledgment in between slurps of her soup.

'Mm-hm!'

'Really? She…uh…married?'

Butterflies stirred in Anna's belly. How romantic! Did Mattias still have feelings for the woman after all this time? She was even more grateful, in a way, that she could reply with a sound shake of her head.

'Nope.'

'Oh, wow…' Mattias' face dropped, and Anna's heart fell with it. 'Why doesn't that make me feel better?'

'Because you like her and want her to be as happy as possible even if you're not the one able to help with it?'

Mattias smirked, nudging Anna back now.

'Know a thing or two about this "love" business, huh?'

'I didn't say anything about love.' Anna giggled. 'Does Lieutenant Mattias have a crush? Oh, my gosh!'

'Come on, now!' The man was also chuckling again. 'No teasing a poor old boy's heart here. Not when you and your sister are beginning to give us all hope.'

'Sorry. But you kinda set yourself up there?'

'I tend to.' Mattias shrugged.

Bruni slipped down onto Anna's arm, and began taking some quick licks of her soup.

'Go for it, little guy.' She encouraged, returning her attention to Mattias. 'What else do you miss?'

'My father.' Mattias answered without missing a moment. 'He passed long before all this. He was a great man. Built a good life in Arendelle when it was still a little rare for people like me to be living in this part of the world.'

'Oh.' Anna had read something about that during her studying of Arendelle history. She wasn't as good a scholar as Elsa, and therefore, couldn't remember everything she read, but she did recall a particular collection of chapters reserved to the opening of free trade and immigration within Arendelle. It wasn't that long ago, really, that things such as racism and prejudices toward people not completely like the "typical" Arendellian's heritage was commonplace. Anna had difficulty wrapping her head around such a concept, and had eventually asked Elsa about the seemingly dark part of Arendelle's past…

"Unfortunately, Anna, not everyone sees the world as beautifully as you do. Greed, pride, fear, and power have great strength over the masses when they do not or refuse to understand the circumstances of their present condition." Elsa had explained sadly.

"…What?"

"The fact you still struggle to understand is a testament to the purity of your love for your fellow human. It's blinding, honestly, how gifted you are when it comes to caring for others."

"But if I'm understanding this right, Arendelle used to refuse people a home or even work because of…their skin colour?"

Elsa had diverted her eyes at that point, and Anna could recollect the way her sister's right hand had clenched into a tight, trembling fist.

"Being afraid of the unknown…is far simpler than embracing it with the benefit of the doubt, Anna. Always. You and I know this just as well, do we not?"

'He taught me to never take the good for granted.' Mattias' proud tone snapped Anna out of her memories. 'He'd say, "Be prepared – just when you think you've found your way, life will throw you onto a new path".'

'Oh, boy. Do I ever know that one…' Anna thought about Kristoff, and how sure she was he would be the man Anna married. That is, until her older sister confessed. That new road was unprecedented in every way, and the thought made Anna want to search Mattias for his own opinion on the concept. 'So, what do you do when life tosses something like a whole new path your way?'

'Don't give up.' Mattias answered matter-of-factly. 'Take it one step at a time and…'

'Just do the right thing.' Anna heard Grand Pabbie's words echo in her mind, the completion of Mattias' thoughts causing the older man to smile with a wink.

'Yeah. You got it.'

Anna finished her soup, allowing Bruni to have the last few licks. Mattias was kind enough to take her bowl, claiming it was the least he could do for the princess of Arendelle.

'So, Elsa rules the kingdom of Arendelle now, right?'

'Yeah.'

'And you? You help her?'

'When I can. I also run a bakery in the main part of the city.'

'A bakery?'

'Yeah. Olaf helps sometimes, too.'

'The talking snowman?'

'Yep.'

'I don't want to be rude, but why is a princess of Arendelle managing a bakery?'

'It's my way of connecting with the people of Arendelle. Elsa handles the diplomatic side of things, I take care of the social, mostly.'

'Hm.' Mattias started to nod. 'Yeah. I guess I can see that. She's a lot like your father was. He could be a bit awkward.'

'Right?'

A beat.

'Wish I could've seen him as a king. I get chills thinking about it.'

'He was amazing.' Anna could remember quite fondly. 'He was gentle but firm. Wise but approachable. I know Elsa really looked up to how he ruled, and I think she models a lot of how she does the job after him.'

Mattias hummed thoughtfully, shifting his stance slightly.

'She doing okay?' He asked, and Anna wasn't sure what the lieutenant meant, exactly, so, she played it safe.

'Yeah. She's tough.'

'But something's going on. Something she didn't tell any of us. Something big.'

Whoa. Anna didn't have time to hide the surprise that surely showed on her face as she shook her head.

'I mean, she's got all that magic happening, and she's trying to free everyone from the Enchanted Forest while calming the spirits. Anyone would be a bit off.'

'None of that.' Mattias dismissed Anna's attempts to lead his intuition off course without hesitating. 'She became particularly squeamish during the talk about her suitors. Something went down there. I'm wondering what.'

Anna had to close her mouth. Lieutenant Mattias was no slouch when it came to instinct. However, before Anna began really thinking about just how much she might have to flounder for a somewhat believable excuse to explain Elsa's (apparent) strange behaviour, the soldier chuckled, pushing a hand through his curly hair.

'Sorry. Old habits die hard. My job as your father's personal guard was to read people as quickly as possible to discern threats to his safety efficiently. I know you and Elsa are good folks, and whatever she felt she had to keep from us, I'm willing to bet it's her business only, for the time being.'

'Y-yeah.' Anna caught her breath, relief washing over her.

'Anyway, I'm gonna get these dishes back over to the Northuldra folk washing things up. Don't want to be that guy who brings more of a mess after everything's done, you know? Yelana doesn't need any more reasons to pester me.'

'Okay. I'll probably check on Elsa soon, or something.'

'Sure.' Mattias began to leave, turning back to Anna briefly. 'Come join us by the fire though before bed, okay? Wouldn't mind chatting with Agnarr's daughter a tiny bit more, if it's no trouble.'

'Not at all!' Anna beamed. 'I'd like that, too.'

Mattias grinned, and was then on his way, leaving Anna transfixed in place, the lieutenant's departure hitting her harder than she thought it would, a piece of her father disappearing once more and slamming Anna's heart into the floor. A child never got over the death of a parent, let alone both at once. Anna's absolute darkest days rushed back to swirl within her soul, reminding her of the depths her despair could reach when she not only didn't have a mommy or daddy to confide in, but lacked her best friend and older sister just as well no matter how much she begged Elsa to see her.

A singular tear streamed down Anna's right cheek, and Bruni gurgled his throat, his long tongue trying to reach and lap up the sudden displacement of liquid.

'Anna!' Kristoff's voice startled her, and Anna wiped the tear herself, thanking Bruni quietly for his attempt as the salamander crawled back up onto her shoulder.

'Hey!' Anna greeted Kristoff and his new friend, Ryder. 'Sven stay with his new buddies?' She noted the absence of the reindeer.

'Oh, yeah. He was great for helping the herd settle a whole bunch.' Ryder elbowed Kristoff. 'You really have a way with animals, too, huh?'

'Nah. Just Sven and…other reindeers, apparently.'

'Did I miss something?' Anna smirked.

'N-not at all.' Kristoff blushed.

'You should've seen it.' Ryder insisted on explaining anyway. 'This guy had my whole pack focussed on him as he sang the craziest song about how bad he smelled. It was hilarious!'

'They like it when I can relate to them!' Kristoff punched at the other man.

'Awe! Kristoff has more fans now!' Anna clapped.

'It's not that big of a deal…'

'Princess Anna. Come. Sit with us.' Yelana called out near the main fire, Mattias near her and encouraging the younger royal sister with a nod.

'Shall we?' Anna proceeded, checking on the hut Elsa was in and wondering how much longer the massage would go on. Maybe that could be the next thing she tried to learn. Being able to give Elsa a proper rub down didn't sound too terrible – especially if it led to more…interesting activities.

Anna sat around the last fire remaining in the camp, many of the Northuldra having turned in for the night. She took a seat close to Mattias, with Yelana directly across from her and Kristoff alongside Ryder to her right. Olaf also joined with a sigh, mentioning that the Northuldra children were very curious, and had trouble leaving him be to go to bed themselves.

'We owe much more than a simple massage to your sister, Anna.' Yelana began, her normally stern face much calmer and almost relaxed as she addressed Anna. 'And to you, too, I suppose.'

Bruni crawled down and into Anna's hands, curling into a ball with a yawn.

'I didn't do much other than throw myself at a raging dragon. I got lucky, I guess.' Anna felt this way in earnest, really. Elsa had every right to be frustrated with her, all things considered.

'Nonetheless, the Fire Spirit has taken a curious shine to you. It is rare for the four orders of nature to be so fixated on a singular person. He must feel as grateful as my people do that you were able to calm his blind rage.'

'You mean Bruni? Yeah. We're tight.' Anna grinned.

'Bruni? You named him?'

'Oh! Like Gale!' Olaf sounded more than a little ecstatic.

'Yep. He likes it.' Anna responded as Bruni squeaked, his eyes closing heavily thereafter.

'Nonetheless, your sister is truly an unprecedented gift to our people in this time of need.' Yelana reflected. 'I had my doubts, but her mastery of the element of water left even me awestruck. She was able to protect our camp almost entirely, and my understanding is she did so with little strength left?'

'Oh, yeah.' Anna giggled. 'Elsa's being Elsa and pushing herself way too hard. She used a crazy amount of magic to get us safely out of Arendelle, make it to the Enchanted Forest, calm Gale down, and then duel a fire dragon. Girl does not know how to take it easy. So, thanks for giving her a second.'

Yelana blinked, taking the information in thoughtfully.

'Incredible…'

'Well, she did freeze all of Arendelle in an eternal winter for a bit, and created Olaf, and…Gosh. There's no end to what she can do…' Anna thought about the Nattmara, and Devil, and all the other trials her sister was forced to overcome.

'Then I see us getting out of here finally, Yelana.' Mattias couldn't hide the joy in his claim.

'If we approach this carefully, then yes, I suppose I'm in agreement with you there, Lieutenant.'

'But Elsa definitely needs rest.' Anna asserted, feeling the least she could do for her sister was ensure she let her body recover.

'Is the magic finite in nature?' Yelana inquired.

'Y-yeah. It's like energy, right?' Anna explained. 'She needs time, rest, and food to keep it flowing. If she overuses it, she can get pretty messed up. I just hope the rest of the spirits leave us alone for a hot minute, because she can't deal with another one anytime soon.'

'That part of her tale, amongst many others, admittedly, perplexes me.' Yelana leveled her tone, and Anna prepared herself for some difficult questions. 'I don't see why your sister requires the endorsement of the spirits. Is it really to prove her worth? Hasn't she done so by awakening them once more to begin with? The spirits of nature would welcome a girl of her talent and gift, would they not? Is it because she's Arendellian? Is it because of the war your people started?'

'Stop it!' Mattias cried, his men shifting awkwardly in their seats.

'I am merely asking legitimate questions.' Yelana sighed. 'She is tasked with righting a wrong from the past. Yet, how does one change the past? What's done is done.'

"What!?" A voice screamed from the hut Honeymaren and Elsa were in. It was the former of the two, and before Anna could ask what the matter was, Ryder was quick to make the same inquiry.

'Everything okay in there, Sis?'

"Y-yeah. We're good. Sorry." Honeymaren replied, and Yelana relaxed slightly in her seat as well.

Anna couldn't help herself from wondering why the Northuldra girl was so shocked, but she returned her attention to the conversation at hand, wishing to relieve her sister of such pressure later, possibly.

'I think…the spirits are confused about all of this as well.' Anna started the conversation up again.

'What do you mean, Anna?' Kristoff leaned forward.

'Well, I don't know about you guys, but when I just wake up, I'm totally disoriented. Maybe the spirits are still figuring things out, and are having trouble trusting their cooperation with someone they just met. Bruni was scared. Gale seemed mischievous, and just unaware of its power. I'm curious to see what the Earth Spirit and Water Spirit are like.'

'Mm.' Yelana seemed to take a moment to digest Anna's words. 'A levelled, personably unique perspective. I can see why your sister prefers to keep you close. You are two sides of the same coin, one might say.'

'Pretty much…' Anna blushed.

'Huh…?' Mattias grunted suddenly, and Anna settled her thoughts, not wanting to tip the alert man's instincts.

'I can confidently say that the Earth Spirit is the only one we have seen over the last many years. It manifests in the form of many Rock Giants, and tends to move rarely and only during the day. It seems much more content sleeping the time away.' Yelana revealed. 'Perhaps, once Elsa has recovered her strength, that should be the next spirit she attempts to overcome, but beyond this information, I wonder what your plans are.'

'We keep following the voice! Easy!' Olaf giggled.

'The voice…' Yelana pondered. 'The snowman passed over that detail quite rapidly. What can you tell me about this voice?'

'Other than only Elsa can hear it? Not much.' Anna admitted. 'Apparently it sounds almost like a siren or something?'

'Unbelievable.' Mattias was wide-eyed.

'Right? But it's what started everything, I think. Elsa heard it a few days, or maybe even weeks before she awakened the spirits. It became so loud she couldn't ignore the song any longer.' Anna explained.

'And…do you know how your sister awakened the spirits?' Yelana continued to question.

'I only know she, like, released an explosion of power that seemed to form thousands of crystals all around Arendelle, each one encasing a symbol that matches up with the four great spirits. Even Elsa isn't quite sure what happened.'

'The song. The awakening. The calling…' Yelana cupped her chin, squinting. 'Is it Mother…? Is such a thing possible?'

'Mother?' Anna tipped her head.

'Essentially a goddess to the Northuldra people.' Mattias revealed, catching a scowling glare from the Northuldra leader as he went on. 'In the simplest terms, think Mother Nature. The creator of the world, in some stories. It sort of lines up, I'll admit, but I don't know…'

'After everything you've seen, you stop believing at an all-governing being? You disappoint me, Lieutenant. And her true name is Ahtohallan.' Yelana chuckled dryly.

'Listen, it isn't that I don't get what you're saying, but this is all a tough pill to swallow, okay? I gotta keep my wits about me, too, right?'

Anna let the bickering of the two older individuals fade into a blur as she contemplated Yelana's suggestion. Mother Nature? A real goddess? Ahtohallan? She wanted to see Elsa? Needed her for something? Why did the concept scare Anna so much? Why did she feel like the moment she had finally opened the door leading to her sister another one was forming around her, ready to shut her out from the world once more? The excitement Elsa felt upon traveling into the Enchanted Forest. The intrigue she exhibited being near the Northuldra people. The relationship she had with the elements that governed the world itself. All these things…didn't include Anna. In fact, they tugged at something in Elsa Anna had seen more than three years ago. Something she hated recalling with intimate detail: the sight of Elsa within her ice palace for the first time. The new version of Elsa Anna had seen upon finding her sister after her powers had been revealed. The look of liberation, freedom, and deliverance. Elsa was happy being one with nature, and had no qualms isolating herself from the world before Anna revealed that Arendelle was frozen due to her mismanaged power.

In her heart, Anna knew Elsa would never choose a life away from her now; not after everything they had been through to finally be together, but was Anna being selfish by ignoring what her older sister clearly somewhat wanted out of her one and only life? Was it fair of Anna to restrict what Elsa was capable of because of her inability to join her in a world that was reserved for one blessed by the spirits?

A tremor shook the earth, and Anna heard herself yip, Kristoff's strong arms coming over her immediately.

'P-put out the fire! Now!' Yelana hissed in a forced whisper, and the camp was swiftly consumed by darkness the moment the remaining flames were singed into nothing.

Another pounding of the ground, all of Anna jumping up alongside Kristoff.

'What's going on…?' Kristoff begged to know.

'Whee!' Olaf held himself together as he bopped along with another shake.

'Quiet!' Yelana demanded once more. 'Take cover. Quickly. I know this feeling all too well…' The woman's shape stiffened, and Anna sucked in a breath of air, holding it as the leader of the Northuldra people uttered one of the few things she didn't want to hear in this moment. 'The Earth Spirits move…!'