Short Work

(A/N: First up today. Not a lot happens in this chapter, so I'll probably post the next chapter as well today. Missed a few days anyway.)

"I'm sorry that I could not cope… That part of me still can't… It is me who has every reason in the world to be sorry, not you. It wasn't your fault. You were not responsible for your father's actions. That was why I couldn't rid myself of you then…"

He stirred at the words, grimacing in sleep as they played through his head in a voice that he wished he'd never had to hear or face, but at the same time craved so much…

"Thord? Thord, please," he heard someone, neither Elsa or Anna, frantically pleading. "Thord!"

"Elsa?" another fearful voice said. "Elsa, please, you have to bring him back. He shouldn't have… I should have been the one that fell."

"Stay calm. I'm going to fix this," a third voice, strained and shaking, replied. "I can't believe he wasn't frozen over. At all!"

He frowned as he fought for consciousness again, shifting around a bit. Not frozen at all? He had seen himself. He had been an ice cube by the time blackness consumed him! The only part of him that hadn't been a popsicle was his head, and he was pretty damn sure that had followed not long after. His eyes began to flicker open and three gasps echoed in his ears. His eyes finally opened and started to focus. Gathered around him were Elsa, Honeymaren, and Anna. He could piece together what each one of them had said. He wanted to offer a smile, but couldn't bring himself to. Honeymaren was covering her mouth with both hands, tears in her eyes. She sobbed in relief, removing them and giving him a radiant grin. "Welcome to the land of the living again," she said.

"Not sure if that's a blessing or a curse," he answered, grimacing. Gods, his head was pounding like a mallet.

"A blessing," Anna said in a breaking voice. He opened his eyes again, frowning at her in concern. The concern grew when he noticed the scratches decorating her skin. He probably sported them too, but he wasn't all to concerned about himself right now. He started to sit up. Elsa pushed him gently back down. "I'm fine," Anna said, anticipating his worry. "It was you I was scared for. I was so, so scared…"

"I'm fine," he reassured almost automatically. He'd had enough upset today. He didn't want to add onto it, so reassuring the three women at his bedside was his top priority right now, just so he didn't have to deal with that. He couldn't handle it anymore. "It's okay, see? I'm awake. I'm alive. I'm here." Anna nodded too quickly.

Elsa suddenly hugged him tightly. "If you go back down there again, I swear to the gods…" she hissed at him, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Anna was soon joining the hug.

"In my defense, I wouldn't have gone over if not for the walls shattering," he said.

"I know. Anna told me about it… The face of your mother appeared and the wall just… just shattered," she said. Thord winced, body tightening immediately at the memory. Elsa drew back. "You are our cousin. Adoption, blood, it doesn't matter. You're still our cousin." He was quiet, looking to the side. "You need to understand that," she pressed. "Please."

"I'm your cousin," he repeated quietly. He looked at them seriously. "And it could very well still be by blood," he stated gravely. "I saw memories of her. I saw…" He paused and took a breath. "When she learned she was pregnant with me, she just… she lost it. She freaked out, panicked… A blizzard swirled around her. Ice shards tore through the air, the world around her began to freeze… She fled to Ahtohallan. Made it a palace filled with icy furniture and decor that only she could have created. And she cried out to her father to… to help her lose the memory of what happened to her that caused my conception… Like he was a sort of deity." He didn't need to elaborate for them to catch on, their breath catching in their throat.

"Oh gods…" Honeymaren whispered, covering her mouth.

"She begged him to speak to the ruler of Lethe, Ahtohallan, in her behalf and argue her case and help her to forget, but when she learned she was pregnant with no memory of how it happened… She needed to figure it out, and she did and it just…" He shook his head, closing his mouth. "She worked for Carabis…" he bitterly continued, not meeting their eyes. Elsa stiffened instantly. Thord looked up at her. Elsa whispered a soft curse. Anna looked shaken. Thord bowed his head again. "Is my theory right?" he dryly asked. "Because… because there's only one other person I know you two to be associated with who has power over ice and snow…" Neither sister answered. Instead, Elsa turned on her heel and marched quickly out of the tent, fists clenched at her sides. Anna looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry or be enraged or be sympathetic anymore. She let out a breath and sat at his side, pulling him against her. Honeymaren sat on his other side, resting a gentle hand on his thigh and watching him tiredly.

Frozen

The Ice Maiden sat in the sleigh, lounging back and massaging her temples as she enjoyed this time of quiet and peace. It had been some time since she'd felt at least somewhat at peace. "You left him," she heard Elsa said. She frowned and sighed in frustration, slowly sitting up and fixing an icy glare on the queen, silently warning her to check her behavior. "Am I wrong?" Elsa challenged.

The Ice Maiden's jaw twitched. Finally, she let out the sound of a laugh through her nose. A huff more than anything else. "My, my, my, you're just uncovering all sorts of secrets today, aren't you? At this rate, we'll never be able to reach the Kaskadar Mountains in time to stop Carabis and save Arendelle from destruction."

"The Mountains where you abandoned him," she said.

"You have never suffered such a fate! You cannot begin to imagine what it was like, how it felt, the situation I found myself in!" the maiden bellowed at her, slamming her fists on the side of the sleigh and causing Elsa to flinch and look away in a measure of shame. "No matter," the Ice Maiden finally said in a much calmer tone, settling. "What's done is done. I expect you'll show more restraint in the future."

"It was you who shattered that wall," Elsa said quietly. It was a statement, not a question.

The Ice Maiden was quiet. "Yes," she finally answered.

"You could have killed Anna. Was it because you were trying to kill Thord?" she demanded. Silence. "You could have killed Anna… And if you were actively trying to kill our cousin? Well…" Elsa said, she shook her head, leaving the rest unsaid. It wouldn't be pretty, suffice to say.

"I don't know what I was actively trying to do to your cousin," she answered.

"Your son," Elsa said quickly.

"That orphan!" the woman shot. "I just... I wanted him to stop searching!" Elsa heard the desperation in the woman's tone.

"He wasn't frozen, when we found him. Not at all," Elsa said.

The Ice Maiden was silent. "There are some things done, some manners of reasoning, that are far too complicated to try and explain to someone who has not gone through the same," she finally answered. "Most of those things are things you can't even explain to yourself, let alone others." She sat back down, arms crossed. "Now say goodbye to your family, get on the sleigh, and let's get this done. This subject of Thord? That doesn't matter now. It's something we can address later. What matters in this moment is stopping Carabis' armies from reaching Arendelle."

Elsa was quiet. "He knows," she finally said.

"It doesn't matter," she answered. She looked towards the tent she knew the young man was in and her gaze somewhat softened. "He also understands…"

Elsa shook her head. She didn't even know what to think or what to say anymore. She shook her head and let out a breath before climbing onto the sleigh. "Let's just go and get this done," she said. She looked over at the Maiden. "But this isn't over, 'aunty'," she warned. "This isn't something you can just avoid anymore. Not now."

"It didn't matter then, it doesn't matter now," the Ice Maiden answered. "But our priority at the moment is rescuing your kingdom then returning here and hoping your husband can deal with the remnants, if there are any."

"He will," Elsa confidently replied. The Ice Maiden huffed doubtfully.

Frozen

Thord had drifted to sleep, Anna and Honeymaren at his side. They'd fallen asleep shortly after themselves on either side of him. It felt… safe. Until he heard movement in the tent and frowned a bit, cursing the fact he hadn't yet fallen into a deep slumber but also relieved, because if this presence was a threat, he wanted to be aware of it. He opened his eyes warily, a frown pulling at his lips. There, in the darkness, crouched a figure watching him intently. Thord bolted upright, eyes wide. The motion awakened Anna and Honeymaren with a start, who looked at him puzzled and concerned before noticing he was staring at something. They turned their heads fast to look as well and gasped in alarm, pushing back against the tent wall with mouths agape.

"Who the hell are you?!" Anna shouted, the first one to recover. She stood quickly, seizing a nearby sword and holding it ready to use with eyes narrowed protectively. The figure didn't move. "Answer me!" she shouted. She gasped, feeling dizzy suddenly, and collapsed to the ground. "Ooh, head rush," she said.

"More like vertigo, by the looks of it," Honeymaren deadpanned.

Anna started, eyes widening as she caught her breath. "Vertigo," she repeated. Her eyes went to the figure again and slowly she stood. "Vertigo?" she asked cautiously, stepping towards him. The figure stirred then rose before moving towards them and coming into the faint glow of a candle. Anna stared at him wide-eyed. It had been a long time since she'd seen him last. His appearance was still… jarring, she'd say. Like, not bad jarring, just jarring. He was… radical. Dressed in, uh, extremes.

"This is Vertigo?" Thord quietly said, staring at the man. "You're the one I saw trapped in the mirror in the memories…"

Vertigo tilted his head, summing Thord up, then stepped towards him. Thord swallowed and felt suddenly very, very uneasy. The imposing figure stood at the foot of his bed, looking the young man over. "You got the short end of the stick, didn't you?" he finally and dryly said, which was totally not what Thord was expecting but also not exactly something he hadn't expected.

"Meaning?" Thord challenged with a frown, a bit put out at the remark and not sure what to make of it.

"Born of a force of nature, yet mortal. Near powerless. Weak… Breakable…" the man, Vertigo, said. "It's always a fifty-fifty draw, in matters like this. You drew short."

"Oh bite me!" Thord snapped testily. Vertigo bared his teeth and Thord immediately regretted his words, flinching back and looking mortified. Vertigo grinned darkly, but the sharpened teeth began to take on dull forms instead to look less… horrifying, for lack of a better word. The thing was messing with him, that was all. Right?

"I suppose you were not born completely helpless. They never are. After all, you withstood Ahtohallan. You spoke to her, and she listened to your voice and gave you whatever you asked. She could not lure you into her depths… Your imperviousness to it stems, I would suspect, from your mother."

Thord was quiet, looking away from him torn between anger, frustration, or pity. "You're the one she suffered for," he finally and darkly said. The atmosphere around them almost seemed to shift completely, and not in a good way. Silence dragged on, and Anna held her breath pretty sure Vertigo was about to attempt to strangle her cousin with his bare hands. "I'm sorry. I know you didn't want that," Thord said defeatedly, seeming to realize he'd overstepped a line.

Vertigo still seemed to debate his options before finally settling on a non-fatal one. "If I had had my way, Carabis would never have caused her such grievous harms."

"Harms?" Thord asked, looking quickly at him.

"Many, many harms," Vertigo said. "Just… not all of them so agonizing as that one was… It was more endurable for her after that, whenever such things happened…"

"Son of a bitch," Thord said, rubbing his hand over his face. If it wasn't cemented before, it was now. Carabis was his enemy, no questions asked. "She was right to abandon me," he said with a wry laugh.

"I'm of the opinion it was the worst thing she could have done. You could have freed her… I wish she had kept you for that reason alone. If only she had let herself love you, let herself at least give the both of you that chance. You would have become her reason to fight… Then maybe she would have let me go… Carabis could not have held her then. For your sake she would have defied him, and he would have been able to do nothing to hold her. There would have been no further use for me. He would either have let me go or finished me, but whatever he might have done, she would have been free," he said. Silence. "I wish she had chosen to be your mother."

Thord was quiet. "I do too…" he finally admitted. Both to himself and to Vertigo. And to Anna and Honeymaren.

"Hmm… There is still time. Perhaps I will work on her for myself," he said.

"Pretty sure it's too late to matter at this point," Thord replied.

"If only love and family were as simple as that," Vertigo replied before vanishing.

There was a moment of stunned silence in the tent. "Well, that went well," Honeymaren finally breached. Troubled silence. "I think the stepdad approves," she half-joked to try and break it. Thord and Anna started and looked at her in disbelief. "What?" she asked with a shrug.

Anna turned to Thord and offered him a small smile. "See? I told you that you were still our cousin, didn't I? I mean I honestly didn't think first cousins was in the cards, but I'm totally into it."

Thord sighed, facepalming. "Just go," he said to them both, pointing at the tent flap in annoyance. The two girls exchanged mischievous looks and left. He shook his head hopelessly after them. Olaf peered in just then and he frowned before rolling his eyes. "Fine. Come on in snow guy." Olaf smiled, pleased with the invitation, and waddled over before hopping up on the bed with a smile.

Frozen

The Southern Isles Royals were silent as the story Hans and Jurgen had told them ran through all their minds unceasingly. Caleb gazed blankly out the window. The others milled around in the room either lost in thought or fidgeting slash playing with something to keep their thoughts controlled and focused as they tried to wrap their heads around all of it. None of them spoke. None of them dared voice a single thing they were thinking. What could be said, after all? In the distance they heard the sound of soldiers practicing for war, but they felt no inclination to join them.

"You're certain it wasn't a corruption?" Caleb finally said.

"More than certain. The corruptions felt… different," Hans said. "And I remember when Mor'du had me pinned. I remember looking into his eyes. I couldn't identify the figure reflected in them then, for the fear I felt, but I knew I had seen him before… I felt like I knew him, somehow. Maybe the panic I felt wasn't so much a reaction to the bear as it was to the person I witnessed reflected within the bear's eyes."

Caleb closed his eyes. He'd known it was possible, they all had, but it was one thing to know the possibility of something and another entirely to see it become reality. He shook his head, part in bitterness and anger, part in resignation and understanding. Once more, none of the others spoke. "Why was this how it had to be?" Caleb finally asked. No one answered.

"We should go down and prepare for the coming battle. Determine a defensive strategy," Runo finally spoke up.

"Yes. Let's. This matter of Mor'du… It will take some time to come to terms with," Caleb agreed. The rest of them rose silently, taking up their weapons and leaving the room without a word. Runo and Caleb took up the end of the procession.

In not long they joined their men and the knights, the latter of which were looking towards the mountains with grave expressions. "What's wrong?" Runo asked, slipping into his role of Arendellian General.

"They'll have the high ground," one of the knights answered. King Galehaut, who seemed to have slipped into the position of highest authority among the Knights present here. Runo supposed that wasn't a shock. If his memory of legend served, Galehaut had been one of the only kings, if not the only one, that could have crushed Arthur without even much for effort. King Galehaut's armies had been vast and loyal, his leadership had been strong, his skill had been potent, and his kingship had been loved. Arthur had been a boy, or close to, who couldn't have hoped to stand, his kingdom still relatively new and fledgling and coming into itself, vastly divided on their opinions of him. The man had taken one look at Arthur's opposing army and called off his own because the forces the boy king had led were such a joke compared to his own that he couldn't have in good conscience ridden against him without feeling like he was taking a cheap shot. He'd given Arthur a year to bulk up his forces, and when that year passed? They were still a joke, but they were a respectable joke, and more honor would be gained than lost at that time, by attacking. If not for Lancelot winning the man's friendship and speaking to him on Arthur's behalf, Galehaut would have destroyed the young king within a week. Maybe two if Arthur really, really held on. Probably even less.

"Arendelle is not in a good position to weather a war unless that war comes by sea. It's part of the reason Elsa and her parents before her fought so hard to keep it a neutral country," Runo said. "Sandwiched between sea and land, if a war came from both fronts, they would have been crushed."

"Maybe. Considering the enemy army coming from the mountains stayed up in the mountains, but even then… there's a weakness there as well," Galehaut said. Runo looked quizzically at him. "Take another look at the geography," Galehaut prompted. Runo frowned, looking towards the mountains.

He pursed his lips. "We could have the narrow pass," he noted. "If anyone was ever stupid enough to come that specific way and try to pour out of it, we'd have a chance. Unfortunately, few are. Least of all Carabis' force. They'll know to keep to the high ground."

"Fire burns up," Galehaut said, looking at him. "And smoke does a lot for hiding visibility."

Runo stared at him, cheek twitching a bit, and looked upwards with a frown. "Force them back," he realized. "Or cause them to waste more ammunition than they need to. But such an extreme measure… It's madness."

"Scorched Earth is only one option," Galehaut replied. "Fire would slow them immensely. If we burned above where the highest houses are, maybe Arendelle wouldn't look too pretty for some time, but at least it would still exist. On the other hand…"

"The other hand?" Runo asked.

Galehaut considered the matter for a moment. "If we can force them to come through the pass instead of over the hills, the battle may be ours… We scorch the pass itself. Make sure that anyone who enters it is doomed. Hans burns from the bottom, Kay burns from the top, Menw and Lars take on dragon forms to help where they can if needed."

"Sprites can fly," Runo pointed out.

Galehaut smirked. "Then we'll need a net," he replied. "A big net."

"What on earth is a… Oh," Runo said, eyes lighting up in realization. "The pass is narrow. Narrow enough to spread a net over the top of it. The sprites will have nowhere to flee. But the pass, while narrow, is long. We'd need many big nets… This seems a dirty tactic for a knight of the Round Table. More reminiscent of the Southern Isles. I suppose all is fair in love and war?"

"I would prefer honor by far, but there's nothing remotely fair about an army of fae marching on a small fishing village defended by an army of mortal man," Galehaut replied.

"So we herd them into it, burn it from the top and from the bottom, and make sure there's no escape for our opponents. Depending on how far away they are, we may still have time to hide our armies up in those mountains and hills and cliffs. Get the high ground before they can and ambush them. Drive them into the pass where they would be doomed, and those that try to fly away? Shoot them down from above after trapping them inside."

"I was thinking more force a surrender, but you know your enemies better than I," Galehaut said.

"Why the devil would we bid for surrender?" Runo demanded.

"Because the fair folk are neither good nor wicked. Or they aren't supposed to be," he answered. He looked at Runo. "What if they are victims too? Of the mirror. Or of blackmail. Or of any number of things no one has bothered wondering about. The trolls I can understand favoring evil, but the sprite portion of the army? I question that."

Runo was silent, jaw twitching. "We owe them no pity or mercy," he soon answered.

"And the Queen and Princess of this realm owed you none," Galehaut replied. Runo flinched but chose to keep stubbornly silent. "This battle is yours, in the end. As I said, you know them better than I. I may well be the one mistaken in this matter."

"You are," Runo stubbornly stated. Galehaut nodded, relenting. "What of backup plans?" Runo asked, changing the subject.

"Take the battle to sea or resort to guerrilla tactics," Galehaut replied. He looked around. "There are so many places to hide and wait in ambush… That lends itself to that sort of warfare, albeit the price would be a longer battle. Sometimes slower can be better, though."

"The pass it is, then. We'll leave a portion of the army in the city to bait them towards it, get them thinking they have this battle won," Runo said. "If they get out of the mountains, though, we're in trouble. Our best bet, as you say, is keeping them there. And scorched earth, barring that."

"Wait…" Galehaut said. He looked quickly over to his fellow knights. "Selices," he noted.

"What?" Runo asked.

"Faerie trickery. Elven illusion," Galehaut said in growing realization. He looked to Runo quickly. "We don't need Guerrilla tactics to bait them into the pass. They'll walk themselves into it. As long as the illusion is subtle and none of the sprites suspect it, they'll be as good as ended! We'll hardly have to lift a finger except for distracting and baiting them so they don't catch on. Then should remnants escape the burning pass alive, the portion of our army left in the city can finish them off. The day will be ours, then."

"That could work," Runo said, eyes wide in realization.

"If it doesn't, then prepare for a hell of a fight," Galehaut gravely replied, looking towards the mountains again. "Hide men in the hills, forest, and cliffs just in case, and be ready for if something goes wrong. Considering fortune favors us, it won't."

"Fortune hasn't been kind to us of late, and from what I know of you and yours? It wasn't kind to the Knights of the Round Table either. Ever," Runo replied. "I'd dare say even we were luckier in it than you were."

"Fortune is fickle and fluctuates. Perhaps today is the day it turns in your favor," Galehaut replied with a reassuring smile. "You're about due for it."

"What of you?" he challenged.

"I'm breathing again, aren't I? And not floating in a dreamscape anymore, like in Avalon," he answered with a chuckle. Runo, despite himself, smiled back then went to give the Southern Isles armies their commands.

Frozen

Elsa and the Ice Maiden, Greta, stared down from their perch high in the mountains upon the sight below. There, crossing the wide glaciers, marched a large, large army of dark sprites and trolls. The sprites had grown to about the size of humans, the trolls had grown much larger. "Were that entire force to descend on Arendelle in its current state…" the Ice Maiden began. She trialed off and shook her head. The words didn't need to be said.

"Then let's make sure they don't ever reach their destination," Elsa replied, looking over at her aunt.

Greta smiled at the remark. "An avalanche, a blizzard, splitting glaciers and plunging them into crevasses… They need to cross these Kaskadar mountains to even get near to your kingdom. The mountains covered in our element. Your allies' chances of driving them off when they're this numerous are slim to none, but if we first whittle them down with nature, well… Then they'll be more than capable of handling the leftovers. Or we make sure there are no leftovers at all, and ensure all survivors retreat rather than press onward."

"I prefer that route," Elsa replied. The last thing she wanted was for her husband to be caught on a battlefront, even if only against a small remnant. If he fought, there was a chance he would die… She couldn't bear the thought of that. Not now. Not when she had just given birth to their son. She wouldn't see her child grow up without his father. She wouldn't!

"You fear for your husband," the Ice Maiden murmured.

"You understand my feelings. You feel them the same for Vertigo," Elsa answered.

"I do… Carabis' biggest mistake was attempting this assault now, when you are at your strongest. Expect another attempt come summer. Either of this year or a coming one. For the time being, we'll worry about what's before us now."

"We need to move now. Let's go," Elsa said.

"First, cracking glaciers and deep crevasses," the Ice Maiden said, making some motions with her hands before spreading them apart. The glaciers, on command, began to groan and shudder and shift. The army paused, listening. Suddenly a large crack, many cracks, began to spiral across the icy plateau beneath all their feet, unassuming at first. They were puzzled at the suddenness. Until with another shudder, the glacier began to split apart, the crevasses widening as a rapid rate and opening beneath them. There were shouts of alarm as the armies scrambled to get away from them, but there were too many for them to manage quickly. Before they had even determined how to get away, masses of them began to topple into the cracks with fearful cries and be swallowed by the glaciers.

Elsa looked to the snowy mountain peaks nearby. "Second, a roaring avalanche or two," she said. She raised her hand towards two of the peaks and made some motions as if pulling it down. Slowly the mountain began to shift, then all at once completely fell away. A deafening roar began echoing through the mountains as the avalanches grew rapidly both in speed and size, plunging towards the cracking plateau the sprites and trolls were still preoccupied trying to escape. Until, that it, then noticed the mountains of snow crashing down towards them. Shouts of terror and of 'retreat' echoed loudly as a great many of the army turned tail to try and flee back to safety. Others weren't so lucky, and the avalanche struck them with massive force, knocking some into crevasses, burying others under the crushing weight, smothering still more.

The sprites, panicking, began to try and take to the skies to escape. A blizzard suddenly began to tear over the glacier, whipping up the snow and quickly surrounding them, forcing them to the ground once more while they shouted curses at it and tried to get away. 'Father Winter' had made the scene and consumed Carabis' army. The trolls tried to block the wind, but it did no good. The North Wind assaulted them from all sides.

"Now armies of my own," Elsa said, making some intricate motions with her hands. From the snow, creatures began to rise and take to battle, setting upon the enemy. The army, panicking now, started to try and escape, desperate to get away. The North Wind only drove them closer to their doom. Those that managed to escape the disaster resorted to retreat. If they were lucky, they got away. Ullr let them go. Elsa and the Ice Maiden followed his lead. They had driven back the armies. The danger was passed, and Elsa could breathe. Hans would not have to fight this day. Or any other for a long, long time to come, if she had her way.

"When mortal power alone won't put a stop to something, let nature do it instead," the Ice Maiden said, a wicked smirk on her lips as she watched the armies fall into her crevasses, Vertigo and his brothers doubtless playing their parts and putting them off balance. Those close to the edges didn't stand a chance.

"Then let's return to Ahtohallan," Elsa said. She looked back towards it and a soft longing, sad look came to her eyes. "There's unfinished business there for me," she murmured.

"Of course, my dear, of course," the Ice Maiden replied. "Do as you wish. Enjoy this victory while you have it. You won't always so easily deal with the evil sprite's armies as you have today. They'll regroup, shake it off, and the next time they come, Carabis won't make the mistake of advancing in winter." Elsa huffed and turned the sleigh around, riding away from the ongoing calamity befalling the armies below. Boreas would finish what they had started. She frowned a bit. It almost seemed… too easy. An uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach made her feel like it wasn't necessarily because of her developing powers…

Frozen

Arendelle's allied armies stood at the ready, prepared to face whatever would come upon them. Two birds flew back from over the mountains and alighted to the ground, morphing into human shapes once more. "The army won't come," Lars said. "They tried to cross the Kaskadar Mountains. Elsa and the Ice Maiden made short work of them."

"They eliminated or drove back the army, wiping out a majority and leaving only a minority to escape back to Carabis' dark fortress," Menw added with a relieved sigh.

"Was it as bad as that?" King Galehaut asked, noting the relief.

"Not even the whole of the Knights of the Round Table could have faced it. At least not without the aid of the knights of the realm," Menw confirmed. "It was an army of fae against an army of men, albeit some of those men more powerful than others, but that's an aside. What matters is that it's done. We have nothing to fear anymore."

Sir Kay looked over at Hans and his brothers. Every one of them looked uneasy. He frowned a bit. "What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong now?"

"This doesn't feel right," Hans answered, clearly deeply unsettled about the matter. "This is too easy. Maybe Carabis was careless, but if he was and realized it, and realized how, he would have found a way to turn it to his advantage."

"It's not knowing how, that makes us uncomfortable," Caleb confirmed gravely.

"We don't even have guesses," Iscawin grimly said, shaking his head. "Not knowing… It's torture."

"I want my wife and son back with me again. The sooner the better," Hans said. "I want Arendelle to be safe again. And them."

"If you want to return to them, I'll bring you," Lars said. "Flying mythical creatures tend to be a fast means of transportation. Faster than Sitron could be." Sitron snorted in offense from nearby.

Hans chuckled, petting Sitron's nose. "I think I'll take my chances with Sitron," he replied with a fond smile. Sitron nickered, nudging him affectionately. Hans mounted up. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Ideally with the others in tow. Keep watch over Arendelle until we come back. Send word to the Isles that the citizens are probably okay to return home now."

"Of course. Ride swift and safe, brother," Caleb said. Hans smiled, nodding, and led Sitron into a gallop, taking off up into the mountains to make his way towards the Enchanted Forest.