I started to write the original version of this story in February, and finished publishing in May, so it's not fitting with Dangerous Secrets (and any of the Frozen books, I have not read any of them when I wrote this story). I decided to translate it, because some people asked me to do it. I hope you will enjoy! Thank you Collington, my beloved Agnarr for all of you help!

At the edge of North

The library door opened slowly. It was nighttime; only the play of the Northern Lights covered the cabinets and bookshelves into a soft cavalcade of colors.

She looked carefully into the room and, seeing no one inside, entered. She closed the door behind her and then walked firmly between the rows of shelves.

Her shoes knocked softly on the floor, her clothes fluttered by every step. Then suddenly she stopped. She looked around again to make sure she was alone, then reached up her hand with a firm motion and vigorously pulled down the candlestick on the wall.

It moved away. A narrow gap formed and she quickly crept into it, closing the passage behind her and lighting an oil lamp in the hidden room, the dark walls making the flickering candle flame shiver and contort in an eerie dance. One by one, she lit more lamps, making the small room quite bright. Finally, after looking around, she collapsed wearily in the chair before her, rubbing her eyes and sighing heavily. Her hands shakily folded open a notebook from the desk drawer, its leather-bound booklet still blank, its pages still completely empty, waiting for the ink to splash on it its secrets and information, for the notebook to become tethered with the whispered words of her pen.

But it was harder than she thought. Many times in vain did she dip her pen into the ink and lift it above the paper, only for the words to refuse to come. She sat above the page ready to write for a few seconds, then lowered her hand just before the ink dripped onto the paper. Again, she looked around the room. She didn't even know the time she had last visited here. Years ago. Eight years earlier, she suddenly remembered. That was the last time when she had been concerned with this issue. Then, since she hadn't been able to find an explanation and everything was fine, she'd given up and hadn't researched any further. She had preferred to enjoy her everyday life.

And before that, she had only been here many, many years before. She was reluctant to think of those times for all they did was reopen old wounds, tear back the scars and bruises of her past, and make her soul scream. So she pushed the notebook away from her. She eyed it with clenched lips, took a deep breath, and yet pulled it back. If she wanted to help Elsa, she had to reopen those wounds.

"Will you sing again?" She had already wrapped herself under the warm blankets and had laid down half asleep. She felt her mother's choppy hand on her face, so she opened her eyes a crack.

"Oh, Iduna! If I sang as much as you want, my voice would be hoarse forever." She heard the serenity in her mother's voice, so she smiled too.

"Just once. Please!"

The woman sighed.

"Darling, you're not five years old to sing to you every night. By the way, you should have been asleep for a long time. Tomorrow will be a great day."

"When will they come?"

"Only Ahtohallan knows," came the familiar, mystical reply.

Iduna looked up at her mother and grimaced.

"It's not true. You know it as well."

"Maybe."

"Then at least help me to fall asleep," she smiled at her mother, who just shook her head, readjusting her daughter's shawl. Iduna giggled as she shook the shawl off, and her mother began to sing the lullaby again.

The next day, Iduna woke up early. She sat up, rubbed her face, and looked sideways to see that her mother was no longer sleeping in the other half of the tent, in fact, she was not even inside.

Quickly, she climbed out of her bed, straightened herself, spread her shawl around her neck, and hurried out of the tent.

Outside, everyone was getting ready. The sunlight made the forest and the hard-working people look goldish, casting a thin veil of yellow on their features. Iduna started to look around cheerfully. Some were herding the deer, others were making food, someone was making gifts.

"Can I help you with something?" Iduna asked at the tables.

The adults just shook their heads. "No, we're ready soon."

She nodded and went on her way, happily feeling the soft lawn under her feet and the cool breeze on her face. She headed for the kids, where most of them were talking excitedly about the upcoming event. There was only one exception.

"Eljes, don't play with the Fire," Iduna said.

The boy quickly hid his burned palm behind his back.

"Don't command me, Iduna. You are always playing with the Wind."

"Me? Oh, come on, " she waved, and his brown hair fluttered in the breeze. Eljes looked at her with narrowed eyes, and she started to laugh.

The others noticed her arrival as well.

"What do you think they will be like?" Aile asked enthusiastically. "The Arendellians."

"I do not know. They must be kind."

Even before they could be more immersed in the deliberations, Eljes softly knocked her shoulder and pointed in the direction of the adults. They were all gathered, standing around the chief.

Iduna put her shawl on one of the chairs and they quickly ran over and listened to his words. Then they finally set off. She approached her mother and walked with her in the crowd, all of them heading for the new dam to receive the incoming Arendellians with whom they had formed an alliance.

The short trip was in a good mood; there was only one stoppage, when one of the deer did not dare step on the bridge. Iduna goaded him a little, then gathered all her strength and lifted him up and took him in her arms. The deer traveled in her hands as she walked across the dam's stone surface. At the other end she saw those approaching. She suspected the tall, mustachioed man in front might be their boss. But they all looked the same in their green clothes.

The tribal chief greeted the guests and they were now heading back into the woods with them. The arrivals were all adults except one boy. Iduna was a little disappointed, she hoped to meet a few contemporaries as well.

The newcomers mingled with them as they headed backwards. Arriving at the grassy part, Iduna put down the deer, which leaped forward. She looked at him with a smile.

"This place is very beautiful," a woman remarked next to her.

The girl glanced at her. Some of the woman's blonde locks were freed from under her headgear, her green eyes sitting in admiration as she looked through the field and nearby trees.

"It is beautiful," Iduna nodded, remembering to answer.

"Is the forest really enchanted?" the woman asked, unable to get enough of the sights around her.

"Yes, I guess. We live with the spirits. They help us," Iduna explained to her.

They slowly entered the blooming forest of trees. The spring sunshine painted gold streaks on the fresh lawn and on the crescents of the leaves; the scent of blooming lavender flew with the wind.

For the first part, they held a joint feast. The Arendellians tasted the traditional Northuldra dishes, which they all enjoyed. Afterwards, the demonstrations began. They were shown how the Earth Giants helped them when they had to travel long distances with their animals; how they were transported by the Nokk if they had to travel through the water; how Bruni gave them heat when they needed to cook or warm up in cold weather; and how the Wind delivered their messages when they asked to do so.

They were also shown how they could sit on their deer. Their guests all looked at the spirits and then at her people in amazement. It was a good feeling, and it made Iduna proud of her heritage. Proud of her home. She hoped they would start helping each other soon.

For a while, she also watched the woman from Arendelle and the events she was at. Then she thought to approach her mother, but saw her having a lively conversation with some of the newcomers and gave them some space, so as to not disturb them. Her friends were beset with a particular Arendellian man. She watched with a smile as the younger ones snuggled into his clothes and the older ones asked him to tell them about their village down South. She had never been to a village.

Iduna walked towards them, but then the Wind caught her hair. Her friend laughed as she began to fan with her hands to distract her, but she didn't give up. She ended up twisting green leaves into Iduna's face.

"I don't want to playing now," she told her, taking a step forward. She couldn't resist, however, because the wind blew her into the air and took her in the opposite direction. "Take me down!" she said, laughing again. The Wind swept her all the way to the field, and then started rocking her back and forth as she giggled unstoppably.

Then all of a sudden, the game stopped. She fell to the ground with an unexpected thud. The Wind was gone, and she didn't understand why. This had never happened before. She stood up, dusted off her clothes, and only then did she notice the uproar between the trees.

She started to run, not understanding what was going on.

She took only a few steps, then had to pull her hand in front of her face. The light of the purple fire blinded her. She looked out carefully from behind her arms, but had to squint. The wind whizzed. The dust fell into her eyes. Farther away, a huge wave hit the shore, and seeing people standing nearby, Iduna screamed. Then all she could see was the huge boulder whirling towards her. Screaming again, she ducked and jumped back into the cover of a stone a few feet away, just barely missing the Earth Giant's weapon. At least she hadn't been hit.

The ground shook as the rock slammed. She sat there hugging herself for a few seconds, trying to rule out the noise, the whooshing wind, the splashing of the wildly rippling water, the murmur of the earthquake. And then she gathered all her courage. Still remaining behind the stone, she cautiously peeked out over it at the fighting crowd. Why were they fighting? And where was her mother?

"Mother!" she shouted. She stuck her head out from behind the rock, shaped a funnel from her hand, and tried again, this time louder. "Mother! Mother!" She had no chance of being heard. The whizzing wind drifted something toward her, which crashed straight into her face. It was her shawl. Grateful for the Wind's kind gesture, she spread it over her shoulder, tied it tightly, and squinted, not giving up on her search. It was impossible to see well from her niche in the rock, but she was afraid to wander into the fight. She climbed to the top of the stone to see if she could spot her mother.

Flinching from the light of the flashing flames, she carried her gaze across the warriors. She was not even standing properly on the rock when she saw something at the base of the rock, making her stumble and yell out.

Worried, she jumped down and settled next to the unconscious boy lying faintly in the grass. How had she not seen him in all her time cowering on the other side of the rock? Putting a hand in front of her mouth, she examined him. Blonde hair. Soft eyes. A green coat just like the rest of the visitors. If she remembered correctly, he had come with the Arendellians. He was the only one the same age as her. Iduna shook the boy's shoulder, but he didn't move.

"Wake up!" She said desperately. He isn't dead, is he? Maybe he was hit by the rock that had just flown here. But I'm sure he is okay. He can't be dead. Why doesn't anyone notice us?

She pulled the fainted boy into her lap, then shouted. A kulning, a calling song.

She hoped somebody could hear her desperate call for help. Somebody. Anybody.

But nobody came.

She glared anxiously at the boy in her arms, then her eyes widened as she realized something. There was no fire around them. No water, no windstorm, no earthquake.

The Wind returned and lifted them high. Iduna quickly caught the boy's waist to keep them from drifting apart, then saw the people almost in slow motion as they flew over the woods. The Wind carried them all the way to the clearing past the Four Stones. And for whatever reason, several strange, unfamiliar carts had been left here, empty and ornately carved like nothing Iduna had ever seen. Were they from the Arendellians?

They landed softly with a thump! on one of the carriages, and she laid the blonde boy on the soft sacks. Carefully she let him go, straightened up, and before she could figure out how to proceed, the Wind threw a blanket in her face. She quickly lay down next to the boy. If a spirit gave a clear instruction in such a situation — in this case, to hide — it was not worth confronting it.

And she knew the best thing she could do was stay away from the battle. That was what her mother would say. Mother! Wait…

Footsteps sounded and then someone shouted, but she didn't understand what.

The chariot started unexpectedly. Iduna suspected they were going to Arendelle.