A/N: I hope you guys are hanging in there, wherever you are. The virus may be strong, but we shall be stronger! In the meantime, here's another chapter to alleviate some boredom. Enjoy!
The young queen of Arendelle stood amidst the fog in silence. Her magic, her powers that she had relied upon for so many dire situations, were of no use.
What do I do now? What would become of Arendelle, with the Warlock roaming free, while I'm stuck in here?
Elsa hugged herself tight, trying to curb the poisonous unease that started coiling around her. She had to do something and do it fast. She had to-
"Elsa? Are you okay?"
The hand that touched her shoulder broke Elsa's chain of frantic thoughts.
"I'm… okay, Honeymaren," Elsa said to the young Northuldran, whose eyes were filled with concern. "But I have to get rid of this mist. Let me try again-"
"Hey wait, what are you doing here!?"
The shout drew their attention; the cold dissipated from Elsa's hand as she looked around. It was Ryder's voice, sounding frantic and somewhat hostile. It wasn't hard to see why; a group of people, carrying weapons, had just entered the scene.
Their attire drew the Snow Queen's attention; they were wearing Arendellian military uniforms. Several men and a few women, each carrying swords and shields. Shields… with the Arendellian coat of arms emblazoned on them.
"That should be my question," replied a tall man with a dark skin, who seemed to be the leader of the group. His hair and beard were greying. From this distance, Elsa couldn't quite grasp his finer features, but his bearings looked hostile. "You're trespassing on our domain."
"Your domain!? This is Northuldran soil you're standing at!"
"And yet our truce dictates that we are to reside in this part of the land. And we have agreed not to intrude upon each other's domain. If you have a complaint, perhaps you should discuss it with your chief," the tall man boomed.
The situation looked dire; it seemed as if they could come to blows at any moment.
"Ryder! Wait! Don't do anything rash-"
Honeymaren was rushing to her brother's side when a jet of ice flew past her. It landed right between Ryder and the dark skinned man, and a thin wall of ice erupted from it. It was enough to draw their attention to the Snow Queen.
"Magic!? How…?"
"Wait, please!" Elsa rushed to join them. "You're Arendellian soldiers, aren't you? Stop this nonsense!"
"Bold of you, Northuldran, to be ordering us around," the dark skinned man growled, approaching Elsa instead. "King Runeard was right, you magic-following Northuldrans cannot be trusted. And now a Northuldran that can wield magic as her own has appeared? We would not yield to you-"
"Wait, you misunderstand!" Elsa held up her hand, realizing the Northuldran attire she was wearing. She straightened her posture as to stand unflinchingly in front of the man. "I am Elsa, Queen of Arendelle! Daughter of King Agnarr and granddaughter of King Runeard!"
The man looked briefly surprised, yet quickly reassumed his militant stance.
"You are making a grave claim here, young lady. What proof do you have to back it up?"
Elsa quickly reached for the pendant hanging on her neck. It was the only heirloom remaining in her possession when she was mysteriously transported to the Enchanted Forest. She handed it over to the dark skinned man, whose eyes widened with recognition.
"This necklace… And this coat of arms… You truly are the Queen of Arendelle?"
Elsa smiled and nodded. The man before her instantly fell to his knee, as did his companions.
"My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty. I did not mean any offense by doubting you."
"No offense taken, soldier. Arise." Elsa patted the soldier's shoulder gently. The soldier and his companions rose at her command, standing at the ready.
"Lieutenant Destin Matthias of the Sixth Brigade, at your command, Your Majesty."
"At ease, Lieutenant. Now, I believe we owe an explanation as to why you were, pardon my lack of better terms, arguing with these friends of mine?"
The Lieutenant cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I did not realize they were your friends – friends of the Queen of Arendelle. But they were trespassing into the domain that was assigned to us by the treaty between us and the Northuldran."
Elsa turned to the Northuldran siblings. "Is that what happened?"
"Eh, I'm not sure. These lands originally belonged to us anyway- OUCH!"
"Be quiet for a second," Honeymaren hissed to her brother. "Yes, perhaps that is what happened. We didn't do it intentionally, we were escorting Elsa to the entrance of the Enchanted Forest. She was trying to get back to Arendelle."
"And that I did," Elsa nodded. "So if anyone were at fault here, it is I. Please do not fault them, Lieutenant."
"Of course, Your Majesty," Matthias bowed. "We too apologize for putting your friends here at discomfort."
"Hey, no offense taken!" Ryder chirped, triggering a swift elbow to the stomach from his sister. Elsa chuckled at the sibling banter, and so did the Arendellian soldiers.
"Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared, shall we go and talk somewhere more comfortable?" Elsa clapped her hands, beaming. "Over a cup of tea, perhaps?"
The party had moved to the Arendellian soldiers' camp, which wasn't quite far from the Enchanted Forest's entrance. It was rather astonishing how easy were the Northuldran youngsters able to bond with these seasoned Arendellians once they had gotten their initial animosity out of the way.
Together, they sat down and discussed at length about how the Arendellian soldiers were stuck there, and the events leading to that predicament. Elsa was glad Ryder and Honeymaren were there; with their insights combined with the Arendellian side's, she could have a holistic picture of the preluding developments that led to the sealing of the Enchanted forest.
"Thirty four years?!"
Elsa could have connected the dots that the group of Arendellian soldiers had been indeed stranded here, on this side, for thirty four years. Yet actually hearing it from Lieutenant Matthias himself shocked her with a sense of disbelief that was part admiration, part pity, and other hodgepodge of guilty feelings.
"I'm sorry," Elsa whispered to the Lieutenant. The others had retired; Elsa didn't want to wake them up. After all, except for the Queen, who was pregnant, and the Lieutenant, who chose to be sober, they did indulge in a little bit of alcohol-induced festivities. "I should have known that after all this time… you were still out here. As the Queen, I should be responsible for the wellbeing of Arendellian citizens… yet I failed you."
Minutes passed in silence.
"You are just like your father, Your Majesty," Matthias finally said, gently. "Kind to a fault… with a sense of compassion that surpasses any others'."
Elsa glanced at the Lieutenant, who was still staring at the dancing pyre before them.
"I knew Agnarr when he was but a young boy. So kind, so gentle… with a sense of compassion that surpasses any others'. He would treat those around him with equal respect and grace."
Matthias turned to Elsa.
"I see him in you, Your Majesty. Not just in appearance, but also in spirit."
Another silence fell. Matthias grabbed a broken tree branch between him and Elsa, and stoked the pyre with it. Cinder flew about the fire, and a wave of warmth blew comfortably on Elsa's face.
"I was always sure that he would one day make a fine king, your father. But I also knew that he had his flaws. Flaws that he should redress before he would become the king he was meant to be. One of such is his quickness to blame himself whenever a bad situation arises."
Matthias continued, but in a slower pace this time. There was a slight smile on his lips; he looked as if he was reliving a pleasant memory.
"I remember that one time when he was younger, way before that last visit with King Runeard. We had come here before as well, on account to monitor the construction of the dam and maintain our good relationship with the Northuldrans. There was this young Northuldran girl who Agnarr was good friends with."
"My father was…?" Elsa whispered, fascinated. It piqued her interests so that before all the mishap happened, there were peace and friendship between their people. More so that her father was in the centerpiece of it. "What was her name?"
"Alas, I can't remember. It was far too long, and my memory is not what it was. Nevertheless, the girl and your father, they once went playing in the woods, where the Wind Element was."
"You mean, the Wind Spirit?" asked Elsa, remembering what Honeymaren told her about the embodiments of the elements.
"Ah yes, the Wind Spirit. I keep forgetting that the Northuldrans call them Spirits. Your father was a great admirer of the Northuldran magic, and he would watch and follow every single Northuldran that would entertain him with magic. This particular girl had a strong bond with the Wind Spirit and she would show your father many tricks, and they would play sometimes for hours."
Matthias took a sip of tea from his cup and continued.
"But that day… she went too far. The wind blew her too hard and she couldn't control her fall. She broke a few bones and had a concussion that day. Luckily, the Northuldran elders and adults were nearby and the girl was quickly treated. But your father blamed himself severely for it. He cried and apologized profusely to the elders and her parents, kneeling and begging, completely forgetting his status as the Crown Prince of Arendelle. Even when they already said they forgive him, and it wasn't all his fault, he kept prostrating and admonishing himself."
The Lieutenant sighed.
"I suppose that wasn't a very good example; he was young at the time, so one can argue that he simply hadn't yet grasped the finer points of politics… But my point is, Your Majesty, one can only blame himself so much for a mistake. The actions that follow are what matters the most. You must live with your head hold high, and never dwell on the past."
"Never dwell on the past…" Elsa repeated in a whisper. The Lieutenant was looking at her with firm expression, as if checking with her whether she'd grasped his lesson. "Is that… how you'd keep to your oath, your loyalty to Arendelle, Lieutenant? After all this time?"
"Yes," the Lieutenant nodded. "Never dwell on the past. Never take the good for granted. And when life throws you onto a new path… don't give up. Take it one step at a time, and just do the next right thing."
Eight days have passed since Elsa's meeting with the Lieutenant and his entourage. Cordial as they were, the Arendellian party chose to stay at their designated territory rather than trying to reintegrate with the Northuldrans. Understandable, considering their history, yet the young queen couldn't help but hope that they would all be able to set their differences aside one day. One could only hope.
On the other hand, trying to force her way out of the magical forest seemed futile, at least for the moment. Elsa presumed that whatever forces were shrouding the Enchanted Forest at the moment, they had a connection with the calamity that happened thirty four years ago. Thus if she could get to the bottom of all this; if she could resolve this past conflict, there could be a good chance that she would get out of this deadlock.
Perhaps this was even why she was brought here in the first place.
"Take it one step at a time, and just do the next right thing."
For the past week, therefore, Elsa had devoted her entire effort to find the missing link that connected the past and the present. What happened that day; the day that her father and grandfather came here… and everything fell apart.
She had mingled with the Northuldrans, trying to dig down any information she could find. And to her delight, the Northuldrans were a warm and receptive people. Using her unique abilities to help the Northuldrans with their daily routines was, of course, a big help for her to break the ice. Elsa chuckled inwardly at the unintended pun.
In the morning, she would conjure snow golems to help the townsfolk with their laundries. In the noon, a wave of her hand would cool their drinks and quench their thirst. In the afternoon, children would play skates on the ice rink she'd conjured. And at night, her snow golems would patrol the village to keep savage animals and other unwanted disturbances out of the village. And all this magic, she could do with far less effort than she ever could in Arendelle.
It was as if the land itself was supplying her with boundless powers. And to the Northuldra, it was as if they finally regained the magic they had lost.
Even the elderly Northuldrans, who were most wary of her presence due to having stronger connections and recollections to the past, gradually opened up to her.
It was from their stories that Elsa learned Arendelle had enacted hostility upon them. That they were only acting on self defense. This struck Elsa as strange, as she had herself heard from Matthias that the Northuldrans were the one that struck first. Because of this conflicting accounts, there was no way to make sure who was at fault, or if anyone had been at fault in the first place.
"Only Ahtohallan knows," said Alva, one of the elderly Northuldran ladies Elsa had grown close to. She passed Elsa a cup of citrus water, who took it with thanks. They had just finished folding the laundries in the slow afternoon. Elsa might be royalty but she was no stranger to this particular housework, thanks to her childhood habit of keeping all her belongings prim and proper. She would even sometimes redo the folding of her clothes done by the palace maids all by herself, in the event she found them unsatisfactorily neat.
"Ahtohallan?"
"Yes, The River of Memories. It is a legend among us Northuldrans, a place where all answers to all questions are found. It is even said that the entire world's memories are there."
"Really?"
"Yes," Alva nodded. "We even have a song for it. It goes like this…"
A brief humming, followed by a soft and serene melody.
"Where the north wind meets the sea
There's a river full of memory…"
"…. Sleep, my darling, safe and sound
For in this river all is found."
Alva stared at Elsa in disbelief.
"You know that song?"
"Yes…" Elsa muttered. The once hazy memory seemed to grow crystal clear to her. It was her mother who sang it and taught it to her.
And as if guided by instinct, Elsa continued to follow the melody.
"In her waters, deep and true
Lay the answers and a path for you
Dive down deep into her sound
But not too far or you'll be drowned
Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear
And in her song, all magic flows
But can you brave what you most fear?
Can you face what the river knows?
Where the north wind meets the sea
There's a mother full of memory
Come, my darling, homeward bound
When all is lost, then all is found…"
Elsa breathed deeply, trying to refocus on her memories of her mother. Why did her mother know that song?
She felt Alva's hand on her shoulder.
"Elsa, are you…?"
"My mother taught it to me," said Elsa. "She used to sing this lullaby to my sister and I when we had troubles getting to sleep. And-"
Elsa did not get to finish her sentence. There was a commotion from down the village's entrance, and it was getting closer. Squinting, Elsa noticed a group of adults and a few children racing towards her direction. Something was amiss; their faces were those of panic and fear.
"RUN! GET AWAY FROM THE VILLAGE, QUICK!"
"RUN AWAY! TAKE THE CHILDREN AND RUN!"
They kept running in frenzy, darting past Elsa and Alva. A few of them brushed and bumped against her, but Elsa managed to keep her balance. Another woman, who was scampering with the group tripped her foot and was knocked over. Elsa rushed to her side, grabbing her hands to help her onto her feet.
"What's happening? Why is everybody running?" asked Elsa.
"Disaster… DISASTER!" the woman shouted frantically. "Elsa, Alva, you must run away! It's the Wind Spirit! It's gone berserk! The village will be destroyed!"
"The Wind Spirit!? What in the-"
"Alva, join them and get away from here! I'll go and take a look!"
"Elsa! Wait!"
Without waste in her steps, Elsa made haste towards the opposite direction. Carefully avoiding the main road to avoid collision with the hurrying crowd, she conjured an ice path and effortlessly skated through the residentials. In no time, she'd reached the other end of the village.
And soon she was face to face the very reason for the chaos: a towering tornado, reaching into the sky, bearing towards the direction of the Northuldran village. Rumbling, thundering, threatening to shred everything on its path.
"Elsa! What are you doing!?"
Elsa turned around and saw Yelena – the seemingly last group of Northuldrans had made their way to flee before her.
"I'm going to stop it! Yelena, just go!"
"Are you out of your mind!? I won't let you kill yourself-!"
A wave from the Snow Queen's hand and a massive ice wall erupted between her and the village. Elsa knew that if she were to fail, not even the ice wall can stop the tornado's path. But she couldn't allow herself to be distracted now, and the ice wall would just do the trick to prevent anyone from getting close to her.
She was the only one standing between the storm and the village, and she would not let it be destroyed today.
Madness.
This was madness.
Of course a mere human could not compare against a freak of nature of this scale. This was a power beyond a mortal's grasp, way more powerful than anything the Warlock threw at her, and Elsa knew that.
Yet this time, it was different.
There wasn't even a twinge of fear within her, and it wasn't just recklessness or the adrenaline rush. There was a welling power, filling her with strength that wasn't only her own.
She could take on this storm, and she would win.
Elsa hugged her belly, as if reassuring the one inside it would all be okay, that the mother would not lose.
And drawing a deep breath, Elsa leapt into the tornado.
Inside it was a storm far worse than anything she'd imagined. Up, down, left, right – there was no telling which one was what. Flying debris of tree trunks, rocks, soil, and even shockwaves of winds were raging in every direction. For a human to be caught in this was to die, in a swift yet painful fashion.
But Elsa did not lose her cool – she gathered the cold in the palm of her hands and enveloped herself in a thick sphere of ice.
The force of wind and debris knocked her icy protection from all side, yet the frost shield stood strong. Neither the wind shockwaves nor gigantic tree trunks could put a dent on it.
Elsa's mind was working with the speed of lightning now; the safest place in a cyclone was in its eye. That meant she had to go even deeper into the storm.
With a flick of her hand, jets of frost hit the icy sphere encasing the Snow Queen, propelling it forward. Or at least what direction she felt was forward – there was no telling up from down in this chaos. She kept pushing and pushing, until soon she'd come to a part where the wind just… died.
With a deafening crash, Elsa hit the ground, but the icy protection had served her well. Elsa had landed at the eye of the storm, unscathed.
There was no sign of life in here – Elsa looked around and saw only freakish wind in all direction, leaving only the part where she stood unperturbed. Yet now that she was actually in this spot, a strange realization hit her: the storm had stopped moving forward. She knew because she was standing still and the eye did not change its position, not even a single meter. Had it continued on its path, Elsa wouldn't be able to stand here, perfectly still, without getting pushed and battered around.
A gust of wind brushed against her skin; Elsa pulled her hand in surprise. Her eyes narrowed to the point where the gust of wind brushed her before.
It was different from the raging gusts around her; this one was alive.
"You are the Wind Spirit, aren't you?" she called. "If you'd like to speak, I'm here. Just leave the village and the Northuldra alone."
Came another gust of wind, brushing her at the nape of her neck. A jolt of shock ran through Elsa, and her annoyance peaked at this mischievous wind.
"Fine, if you want to play," she replied and shot a bolt of ice. It lacked lethality – 'twas only a playful response from Snow Queen to the Wind Spirit.
No reaction; she must have missed.
Another gust brushed against her and again she shot another jet of frost. And another gust of wind, followed by a blast of cold. Again, and again, and again. The interplay continued for a good few minutes until the Snow Queen finally decided that it was enough.
"Okay, playtime's over! Let's finish this, shall we? Please end this storm!"
No response. Not even the playful wind from before was there.
"So it's all up to me, then? Fine, no hard feelings!"
Elsa summoned her powers and accumulated it on her fingertips, and gradually filling her hand, then her entire arms. She took a deep breath and let loose a shower of frost from both opposite ends of her hands.
At first, the raging tempest completely swallowed her ice, leaving nothing in its wake. Yet little by little, a strange reaction started to take place between the force of Elsa's ice.
They were combining.
Snowy figures started to form from within the tempest itself. Playful figures of children. A young man with princely figure. Weapons clashing, and…
Her grandfather.
He sported an uncharacteristically nasty look, and he seemed to be headed into a confrontation.
"For Arendelle," his words, full of rage and determination, came before the raging storm eclipsed and pushed Elsa from every direction.
Putting all her strength into her magic, Elsa pushed back, and immediately the storm imploded. The blast of magical energy brought Elsa to her knees, but she was otherwise unscathed.
The debris and dust had yet to settle; Elsa covered her nose and mouth with one hand, and conjured snow to blow the dust aside with the other.
A minute passed before the dust finally settled down. As the air clears out, Elsa could spot snowy figures had appeared at where she stood, surrounding her. They were in the images of both humans and animals; she could spot a horse, a reindeer, and men with swords. Their figures were distorted – aside from the shape, Elsa could barely make out any of their finer features.
All except one.
It was a figure of a male and a female, standing right in front of her. Stepping closer, Elsa could recognize their young countenance: the girl was cradling the boy, who seemed unconscious. They seemed far too familiar, the girl had a long hair and was dressed in Northuldran garb… and the boy was dressed in princely attire.
But wait – the scarf the girl was wearing… could it be?
Recognition hit her at last, and tears started to fall down her pale cheeks.
"Elsa! Thank god you're okay… You could have killed yourself, you know that!" came Yelena's voice from behind her, yet Elsa was too overcame with emotions to respond. She could only stare longingly at the snowy figure before her.
"Elsa…? What on earth…?"
"My mother… she is Northuldran," Elsa whispered, her voice steady even as her tears continue to trickle.
"What…? Your mother… is a Northuldran?" repeated Yelena, as if not believing her ears.
Elsa nodded, wiping the drops that wet her cheeks. "She was the one that saved my father that day… and brought him home, to Arendelle."
It was clear to Elsa now why her mother knew Northuldran history… and came in possession of that particular shawl. Perhaps it also served as a hint as to how Elsa got her powers… and the purpose of her presence in the Enchanted Forest.
Yelena, sensing the turmoil within the young queen, chose not to pursue the matter further.
"You've been through a lot today, Elsa," she placed her hands gently on Elsa's shoulder. "Let's go back to the village and take some rest, shall we?"
Elsa simply nodded and followed the Chief's lead. She could, after all, use a lifetime of sleep after all this.
Elsa. Hey.
What was that voice?
Elsa, wake up. I need to speak to you.
Then speak, said Elsa. But her voice was silent. She opened her mouth again, yet her voice would not come out still.
Of course you cannot speak, dummy. You're asleep! Wake up!
Elsa tried blinking; her eyelids wouldn't open. Sluggishly, she rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times to finally get them ajar.
It was dark inside and outside. The middle of the night?
She searched around for the person who woke her up at this ungodly hour, yet it was only her. She was alone in this room.
Was it just an imagination? Or just her nerves talking?
Elsa shook her head and was about to tuck in again when a gust of wind brushed her face, causing her to sneeze. She snorted a puff of snow; she was lucky nobody was there to see it.
"Oh you naughty-! Is it you? The Wind Spirit?" Elsa whispered annoyedly.
Oh yes, the Wind Spirit laughed airily. Its feminine voice came from not one point but several, as if it was constantly moving. I must say, you were very brave, diving into the tornado like that. You passed the test.
"The… test!?" Elsa flared. "You mean you set up that tornado to destroy the village, all just to test me!?"
Frost started to cover the Snow Queen's hands. The temperature in the room might have dropped ten degrees.
Hey, don't be so mad, whispered the Wind Spirit. Of course I didn't want to destroy the village, I did it just to bait you. I wanted to know what kind of person you are, Elsa; if you're anything like your grandfather. It turns out you're not, and it makes me so happy that you stood up for the Northuldra. Like I said, you passed the test!
"What do you know about my grandfather!?" hissed Elsa. The Spirit was talking in a roundabout manner, and belittling Elsa's grandfather certainly didn't help matters with the Queen's ire.
Certainly a lot more than you do, the Spirit giggled. But I'm not going to tell you, because you wouldn't believe me. No, you must go to Ahtohallan and see for yourself. Then you will know what happened to this land, and your role in all this. That's why I brought you here.
"Ahtohallan?" Elsa's rage dropped the instant the name was mentioned. Yes, it was perhaps the key to solving everything. "How – where should I go to reach that place?"
You'll come to learn in due time. In the meantime, you must learn more about this place. About what happened. And most important of all, about yourself. I'll be cheering you on!
"Wait! Wind Spirit? I still have questions!"
Call me Gale. I like you Elsa, and I want to chat more with you, but you should rest well now. Until we meet again!
Another gust of wind, then silence.
Elsa sighed and burrowed herself unto her pillow. "You woke me up in the middle of the night, you know? How am I supposed to sleep again after all this?"
A/N: That was longer than I thought it would be. From now on I'm going to take a little creative difference and diverge from the plot elements of Frozen 2. Hopefully it will bring the pace faster and make things more interesting. And we'll see Hans and Anna again in the next chapter, stay tuned!
Thoughts and suggestions?