A/N: So my PC is finally back! As promised, this chapter is all Elsa, and it's quite a long one. Hope you enjoy it, and happy reading!
"Northuldra?" Elsa repeated, incredulous. Groggy as she was, she seemed to vaguely recall that name. It wasn't from recent memories, so it had to be something from really, really far behind. Her childhood?
"Far away… stood a very old, and a very Enchanted Forest… It was protected by the most powerful spirits... It was also home to the mysterious Northuldra people."
Her recollection of that tale was rather hazy, but it was definitely her father's voice. The Northuldra… the lost tribe that was said to be able to control the elements? And its history was tied to Arendelle. She couldn't remember all the details of the story yet, but she was quite certain it didn't end in a good note.
Unconsciously, Elsa pulled back and clutched the blanket draped over her. Thin sheet of ice began to creep where her hand touched.
"At ease, child," the elderly woman sitting in front of her said, pouring another glass of water and handing it her. "You are safe here. We do not harm women in need, let alone a pregnant one. Here, drink this and calm yourself before you freeze all of us."
Elsa was shocked. She looked down and frantically shook her hand off the blanket. Firmly yet gently, the old lady grasped the young queen's hand, as if to calm her, and placed the cup in her hand. Taking the cup, Elsa whispered her thanks. Slowly, she drank from it, her eyes still fixated on the old lady before her.
"I am Yelena," the lady said, taking the empty cup from Elsa. "You said your name is Elsa?"
"Yes," Elsa murmured. Yelena's austere bearings made her a little daunting to converse with, yet Elsa could sense honesty in the way she carried herself.
"Elsa, what are your relations with King Runeard?"
"King Runeard?" Elsa repeated. She certainly didn't expect the question, and she was unsure how to answer. Given her earlier statement about her being Arendellian seemed to cause unrest on the crowd behind Yelena... She contemplated lying, but would that be wise in this situation? Would she just sink herself deeper? Another option would be to keep mum, but…
"Trust goes both ways, Elsa," Yelena said, as if sensing Elsa's hesitation. "If you want us to be honest with you, then you have to be honest with us."
Yelena's words, stern but with hints of kindness behind them, seemed to dispel the doubts within the young queen.
"He was my grandfather," Elsa said firmly. "I am the daughter of King Agnarr, Queen of Arendelle."
Gasps all around, again.
"Queen of Arendelle!? Here!?"
"So she's the granddaughter of King Runeard!"
"Granddaughter of THAT King Runeard? And she has magical powers!? This is blasphemy!"
"Why did the Spirits bring her here? To this land?"
"They are gonna curse us again! It's all over!"
Yelena's expression hardened for a split-second, and she turned to face the crowd.
"All right, that's enough now. Leave us. Chop chop!" she hushed them. One by one, the gathering of people dissipated until only Yelena and another young woman about her age remained. She had lovely features, with short hair kept inside a traditional hat. Slender cheeks and soft brown eyes. Kindness sat on her brow.
"Queen Elsa, I'm Honeymaren," the young woman bowed and introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to know you."
"The pleasure is mine, Honeymaren," Elsa nodded, smiling.
"She is your caretaker, Your Majesty," Yelena said with a slight smile at the Northuldran young lady. "She has been taking care of you since you arrived here more than a week ago."
"Is that so… A week ago!?" Elsa gasped. Time had passed for so long since…
The duel.
The Warlock's inhuman powers.
How it almost consumed her and killed her.
The memory coiled upon Elsa like a snake, filling her with dread, and she began shaking violently. She clutched her abdomen and started to curl up.
"Your Majesty!? What happened!? Honeymaren, bring the Essence of the Evening, quick!"
"Yes!"
While the younger woman darted outside, the elderly woman reached for the young queen and draped another blanket over her.
"My… my baby… my baby…" Elsa gasped between her gnashing teeth. "Is it… fine? Is it alright?"
Yelena put a hand on Elsa's back and rubbed it gently, soothing her.
"Yes, yes, your baby is fine," she said. "Early pregnancies can be hard to detect, let alone measure, but our midwives, who had a check on you, has said that there should not be any threat to the health of the baby."
Elsa breathed a sigh of relief, but her quivering had yet to abate. Honeymaren reappeared with a small bottle containing murky liquid.
"Huff… here, I brought it… huff…" she panted, handing the bottle over to Yelena.
"Your vitality is peculiar, Your Majesty," Yelena uncorked the bottle poured a few drops into the cup Elsa used. "I have never seen anyone recover that quickly before. When you first arrived here, carried by the Spirits, you were covered in wounds. Gashes, burns, blood all over. We were not certain that you would survive either. Only a week passed by, and here you are, not a single blemish on your beautiful face nor skin."
Yelena poured water to the cup, diluting the liquid. Elsa held out a trembling hand for the cup but Yelena shook her head.
"Not yet. You have magical powers, don't you, Your Majesty? It was what protected you."
Elsa nodded, withdrawing her hand. "Please, call me Elsa." It didn't seem right to insist on her title on these people, whom she owed a great debt to, even more so under their roof. "And I thank you for saving our lives. Mine and my child's."
"That's what I'm curious about, Elsa. We didn't do much except dressing your wounds and giving you water and generic medicine. Wounds like that should take weeks, even months to recover. And of course there will be scars. But you…"
"I'm not so sure myself…" Elsa sighed. Her head felt light, and her eyelids heavy.
Heavy silence dwelt upon them. Once in a while, Elsa caught Yelena's gaze upon her before turning hers back to her own hands. The old lady's expression was hard to read, but there was some truth in what she said. Looking at her hands, the young queen noticed how it was free of injury, completely unmarred as the day she was born.
"Of course. Here," Yelena finally broke the silence and handed the cup to Elsa. "Essence of the Evening. It should help you sleep and regain your energy."
Elsa mouthed her thanks and drank from the cup. It tasted a little bitter, and by the time she'd consumed it all, drowsiness started to take her.
"We'll speak again some other time. Rest well, Elsa."
It took another two days of being confined in the bed before Elsa could finally get off the bed and stretch her legs. Her clothes were ruined, so they put one of theirs on her. The fabric seemed heavy and not as smooth as Arendellian cloths, but it was warm and comfortable.
Something once caught her eyes: the embroidery. It was rather simple yet elegant, but there was a part of it that seemed to trigger her memory. It looked reminiscent of her favourite shawl back home.
Her mother's shawl.
Could it be that her mother had a connection with these people?
Elsa shook her head and let go of the thought. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that. The war had not yet ended, and as the Queen of Arendelle, she must get back to her people as soon as possible. She reached for the house's door, and…
Her jaw dropped, and her breath stopped.
It was a resplendence beyond comparison. The lush vegetation, draped in vermilion leaves. The rich soil, teeming with coral grass. The clear sky with reddish hue. And before her, tens of tents – or they seemed to be tents but made of wood; Elsa lamented her own lack of vocabulary to describe it. Each of them signified human presence, yet blending in harmony with nature. But the most intriguing of all – the air. Fresh and energizing. It was so full of… magic. Or magical energy. She could feel it resonating with her, filling her with power and vitality. Her eyes closed without thinking and she just… savored.
"Elsa!"
The voice shook her out of trance. It was the young Northuldran, who had attended to her these past two days.
"Hello, Honeymaren," the young queen smiled and greeted. "How are you?"
"I'm fine – but more importantly, how are you? You scared me, going off like that on your own! You should have told me if you were getting up!"
"Sorry," Elsa nodded apologetically, "but I'm fine. Why, I've… never been better! My body feels full of energy. There's just… magic in this place, I can feel it."
Honeymaren sighed a breath of relief. "Is that so? Well, I must admit you have an extraordinary physique, to be able to recover this fast, but… are you sure you're okay?"
The young queen nodded with a smile.
"Let me just accompany you where you are going, okay? Where are you off to?"
"I need to see Yelena," said Elsa, her expression turning serious. "I have something I need to discuss with her, immediately."
"Oh.. oh, I see," Honeymaren nodded, a little taken aback by the young queen's sudden change in attitude. "Follow me, then."
Together, they walked through the Northuldran residentials. Playful children passed them as they engage in their games; at the sight of the Arendellian queen, they shouted happily and surrounded her.
"Big sister, come and play with us!"
"Yeah, let's go, let's go!"
It was a surprise for Elsa, who had thought that the Northuldra were reclusive and shy, but a welcome surprise, nevertheless.
"I'm sorry, but there's somewhere this big sister have to go first," she grinned. "I will go and find you later, okay?"
"Buuut-!"
"Now now, Ake and Inge," Honeymaren came to Elsa's help, "This big sister here has some very important business, and she needs to speak with the chief. How about you find Ryder and play with him and the reindeers? We'll join you later."
"Reindeers?"
"Reindeers!"
"Yay, come on!"
The children dashed away with such speed that left Elsa dumbfounded.
"Whoa… sprightly, aren't they?"
"That they are," smiled Honeymaren. They got up and resumed their walk down the path.
"So, I heard the Northuldra has been living here for a long time?"
"Yes, we had made this land our home since time immemorial. The land provided abundance for us, and we live harmoniously in it. Best of all, there was magic."
"Magic? Like this?" Elsa asked excitedly, conjuring a flower of ice.
"Not like that, no," Honeymaren shook her head, although she seemed in awe with the powers the young queen possessed. "We are not ourselves magical. But we live alongside the spirits. Those of Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire. It is by their grace that we were able to live aplenty. For example, in the morning, the Water Spirit would help us bring the stream to wash our clothes. In the afternoon, the Wind Spirit would often help us dry our laundry. In the evening, the Fire Spirit would bring us warmth. And when we are asleep, the Earth Giants, manifestation of the Earth Spirit, would stand guard and keep us from harm."
"It sounds wonderful," Elsa smiled.
"It was," Honeymaren smiled briefly, but grim look slowly crept on her visage. "Until that day… when King Runeard and his entourage came to visit us."
Elsa had heard this story before. About how her grandfather built a dam for the Northuldra. It was a gift of peace, they said, built as a token of friendship between Arendelle and the Northuldra. The day Honeymaren was speaking about, surely it was the fateful day when her father and grandfather came to visit the Northuldra to celebrate the monument of peace. The day her grandfather was lost… and her father had to take the throne.
"It was a story from a long time ago. I wasn't even born back then. But since then, the Spirits had gradually shunned us. The first to go was the Fire Spirit. Gone in a day, and never seen again. Then the Earth Giants, who used to watch over us, now took up residence in the northernmost rivers. They became hostile to everyone who approached them. Only the Water and Wind Spirits maintained a neutral term with us, and even then they won't respond to our calls like they used to."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Elsa whispered. Honeymaren flashed her a mirthless smile, one that made her feel a twinge of guilt deep inside.
Of course she would have liked to help. After all, their histories were closely intertwined. But the safety of Arendelle took precedence; they were at war, and as their queen, it was of paramount importance that she returned to her people.
The silence did not linger long; they had finally arrived in front of the Chief's house. The exterior did not seem much different from the townsfolk's or the one Elsa was using, if only a little better decorated.
"Wait here,"Honeymaren said. She stepped forward, knocked on the door, and waited for a while. Half a minute later seemed to come a response from behind the door; the Northuldran girl beckoned Elsa to follow and opened the door for her.
They both stepped inside, and found the Chief already seated… on the floor.
"Take a seat, Elsa," Yelena pointed at the fluffy… cushion before her.
Elsa nodded, trying to suppress the awkward feeling of being out of place, like fish out of water. She feared her knowledge of aristocratic etiquette would not avail her here. Thus, she decided to do what she felt was sensible: to do as the host did.
Mirroring Yelena's stiff posture, Elsa settled herself down. But no soon after, she found her legs to be harshly crushed by her own weight. Trying her best to seemingly remain unperturbed, the young queen kept a straight visage and faced the Chief.
"Ah-ah!" Yelena held up a hand. "That is not for you. Pregnant women shouldn't sit that way."
She got up and helped Elsa stretch her legs into a less constricting position. The young queen grinned sheepishly and allowed the Chief to readjust her legs; soon she found herself much more comfortable and relaxed.
"Thank you," Elsa whispered.
"It's no problem," Yelena waved her hand, again settling herself in front of Elsa. "Is it alright if Honeymaren stay with us?"
"I would be delighted to," Elsa smiled at Honeymaren, who promptly settled down beside her.
"Now, Elsa, how may I help you?"
"First of all, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the hospitality you have provided. Without your care, I am not certain if I would still be here today, alive and well. So, thank you, for saving my life."
Elsa bowed at Yelena, who nodded at her appreciative gesture.
"Let me apologize in advance for my selfishness. Arendelle is at war. It would be of utmost importance that I, as the Queen of Arendelle, to return to my people. And as such, I would highly appreciate it if you'd allow me to make my way home, and thank you again for your generosity."
Yelena's eyes narrowed. "War? Arendelle? With who?"
"Another country from the south called Nordgard. They have begun aggression not just towards Arendelle, but also other countries, such as The Southern Isles, Ebona, and many others." Elsa paused for a second, her expression hardening. "They must be stopped."
"I understand," Yelena nodded. "Well, it's not as if I would like to stop you, however…" she frowned and trailed, as if weighing on something.
"Please, this is very important to me. And Arendelle."
"You misunderstand, Elsa. It's not that I don't want to let you go, rather than I can't." When the young queen hung her head quizzically, she added, "There's magical fog all over the forest entrance, sealing this land from the outside world. No one has ever gotten in and out of this forest since that day."
"That day?" Elsa blinked. "You mean…?"
"The day your grandfather came, yes," Yelena nodded. "The forest is magical, with a will of its own. Perhaps what happened that day had angered it so. We can't get out of the forest… but it also means we are well protected from the interference of the outside world. Like Arendelle."
Elsa's heart sank; not only was Arendelle's history with the Northuldra worse than she'd originally thought, but the consequences of what happened that day between them also dimmed her hope of returning to her people at the earliest possible opportunity.
Still, she would not so easily give up.
"Magical fog…" Elsa pondered. "Would my own magic be able to dispel it? Perhaps it's worth a try."
"I haven't the faintest idea on the matter," Yelena shook her head. "We do not have magical powers ourselves, so it is not our position to say. But if what you say about the war happening in the outside world… then dispelling the magical fog might be not in our best interest. After all, we might lose our only protection if the war were to come to our doorsteps."
"You needn't fear anything," Elsa said reassuringly, putting on her queenly poise as best as she could. "In the name of Arendelle, I swear to keep the Northuldra out of any harm."
"Big words, coming out from the granddaughter of King Runeard, who started all this mess," Yelena shot at the young queen, her face stiffening.
"It's true…" Elsa gritted her teeth. It would be a simple matter to force her way out with her powers. On top of that, she felt that she was digging herself deeper with every word in this discussion with the jaded Chief of the Northuldra. Yet she would not easily give in. After all, her father taught her to be a good monarch, and a good monarch must not quickly resort to violence to settle her problems. If words would suffice, then words she should use.
"… But I am not my grandfather," she finally continued, her eyes steely. "What debts my predecessor has accumulated against your people, I will pay for it in full after all of this is over. Please, allow me a chance to try and get back to my people, to Arendelle."
Elsa bowed to the Chief, whose face was still stiff.
"If I may interrupt, Chief," came Honeymaren's voice. "I think we should let Elsa try. Who knows, by dispelling the magical fog, we could finally communicate with the Spirits again?"
Arms crossed, Yelena sat in silence, seemingly to consider the good and the bad. Until finally…
"Very well. But not today," she held up a finger, noting Elsa's brightening look. "Magical powers or not, I'm not callous enough to let a pregnant woman travel alone all the way to Arendelle. Tomorrow, Honeymaren and her brother Ryder will accompany you to the forest entrance."
"Of course," Elsa beamed, relieved. "Thank you, Yelena. Thank you for all your assistance. And you too, Honeymaren," she added to the young Northuldran.
"Don't thank me yet," Honeymaren chuckled. "We still have a trip to make tomorrow."
Fortunately, Arendelle was not geographically far apart from where the Northuldra resided. And the Enchanted Forest entrance, even less so. Together with Honeymaren and Ryder, Elsa made her way to the forest entrance on a carriage the following morning.
"This is exciting," Elsa giggled, noting their unusual steeds. "I've never seen so many reindeers at one place before, let alone those who pull carriages; not sleighs, in a large group."
"Yeah, they're awesome! You like them?" came Ryder's voice from the helm. The younger brother of Honeymaren was an odd one, if Elsa were to put it. He did not spend much of his time with the tribe, as she had heard and seen, but rather with his numerous reindeer companions. He fleetingly reminded her of Kristoff, what with the obsession with reindeers.
"Yes! My sister's beau has his own reindeer companion, whom he called Sven. And he is such a wonderful company."
"Whoa, so you do have reindeers in Arendelle too!" Ryder's voice gradually filled with excitement. "What'd I give to be able to come and see them!"
"Nothing, actually," Elsa chortled. "You're always welcome there."
"Wow, did you hear that Mary?" – Elsa raised her brow; it must be Honeymaren's nickname – "The Queen said we're welcome at Arendelle!"
"Shush, yes, I can hear you," Honeymaren chuckled. "I'm sorry for my brother's chattiness, Your Ma – I mean, Elsa. He's just so giddy whenever reindeers are involved."
"Hey, that's not true! Don't slander people like that!"
"Well I'm not the one who talks for the reindeer…"
"Mary!"
Elsa laughed. The banters between the Northuldran siblings brightened the atmosphere of the journey, no doubt; a few hours passed without Elsa noticing and there they are, at the edge of the forest.
The carriage slowed down as they approached the foggy part of the forest, and soon it came to a complete stop.
Before them stood four monoliths, each carrying an arcane symbol on it. Behind them lay thickets covered in dense brume.
"Here we are, at the end of our journey," Ryder huffed, putting down the reins and dismounting. He walked around the carriage. "If you'd please, Your Majesty."
"Charmed," Elsa chuckled, taking Ryder's outstretched hand and walked down the carriage. She brushed herself and made her way closer through the monoliths, to right in front of the area where the fog was the thickest.
"This is the entrance of the forest," Honeymaren said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. It was as if she was afraid of being overheard by someone… or something. "As you can see, there's this thick layer of fog sitting amongst the trees over there. That is what prevents anyone from coming or leaving here."
"Prevent how?" Elsa pondered, crossing her arms.
"You'll see. Hey Ryder, show her!"
"What?! Why me!?" protested the younger brother.
"Well, do you expect a pregnant woman to be a guinea pig? What if something happened to her baby?" Honeymaren rolled her eyes, her hands on her hip.
"That doesn't explain why you don't try it yourself!" Ryder countered.
"Well you know, we women are delicate creatures… Or could it be that your masculinity lags before the fair sex, dear brother?"
A grunt, and Elsa knew Ryder was beaten. The young man proceeded to stomp his way to the misty barrier, passing the monoliths. At a glance, the monolith felt strangely intimate to Elsa. No, to be precise, the symbols carved on them. They looked just like…
"Hey! I'm going in now!" Ryder shouted. "If I don't make it back, tell my reindeers I love them! And take care of them! Bjorn needs fresh mini carrots every three days, and Yngve likes-"
"Fine fine, nothing's going to happen to you, get going already," Honeymaren waved her hand dismissively.
Ryder snorted and took several heavy steps towards the fog. In less than five seconds, the fog had already consumed him completely, leaving no trace of the young Northuldran.
"Hey, shouldn't we-"
"OW!"
There was Ryder again, his rear on the ground, yet seemed otherwise unhurt.
"Ryder! Are you okay?" Elsa asked frantically, approaching the young man.
"Oh he's fine," Honeymaren shrugged. "As you can see, the fog ejects anyone who tried to go through it. We've tried everything, but no one could go through."
Elsa's heart sank. With the fog barring the way, the journey to Arendelle would be difficult, if not downright impossible. Still, this was part of the contingency she had prepared for. It's time for her to rely on her powers.
"I suggest you don't try to get through it by force," Honeymaren warned Elsa, as if sensing what the young queen was thinking. "There hasn't been any serious injury caused by the repelling force of the fog, but… just be careful, okay?"
"I understand," Elsa nodded. "You might want to steer clear of the area. In case my powers go out of control… I don't want you getting hurt."
The Northuldran siblings did as Elsa asked and took steps back until there was a great distance between them.
Assuming there was enough gap between her and the siblings, Elsa took steps closer towards the misty barrier. On a closer inspection, it looked as if it wasn't mist at all. It was shimmering and glittering, like minuscule diamonds floating about in the air.
As her curiosity started to outweigh her unease, Elsa lifted a hand to feel the touch of the particles. It was a sensation like she never felt before. The dust (mist?) felt tingly and alien to the touch, yet there was something familiar in it…
Magic.
The sense of intimacy guided her hand; she let the cold run through her body and into her palms and fingertips. She probed deeper and the fog seemed to clear away, as if resonating with her powers…
"Ah!"
"Elsa!"
"Are you okay!?"
An unknown force repelled her hand. The impact that bounced her hand off certainly wasn't remotely harmful, yet it took her by surprise.
"I'm okay!" Elsa called back. "I'm just a little surprised, that's all!"
Breathing deeply, Elsa summoned the cold once again to her palms. She pointed at the fog and a bolt of ice shot from her fingertip. A split second and the same force reflected her ice bolt, but she was ready this time and managed to dodge. The bolt flew past her harmlessly.
"Whoa!" came Ryder's surprised voice as the ice bolt flew over his head.
"Sorry! You might want to step back further!" said Elsa, taking several steps back herself. This time, she gathered an even bigger power and concentrated it in both her hands. With a push from her arms, she let forth a jet of ice into the fog, trying to force her way through.
Yet it was futile; the fog barrier stood strong and her ice was gone; fully dispersed by the magical powers within the misty barrier.
Elsa sighed and hung her head. She was running out of ideas. While she's stuck there, what would become of Arendelle…?
A/N: I must admit this chapter is a fair bit harder than usual to write. I feel that Elsa's arc from hereon will be the hardest to construct out of our three protagonists, because of the impact I envisioned she would have on the endgame. It'll be a little slower paced compared to Hans' and Anna's, so please bear with me for a while.
Let me know any thoughts you have on this chapter?
And let's not all forget during these times - keep clean, keep safe!