21
They observed Hans return to the castle and had a collective sigh that nothing had happened, except for that little wave he gave them as he returned to the castle which they knew was supposed to be a little provocative.
"He's being a little cocky," said Kristoff as they went inside.
"Yes," responded Anna, "but let's see how he feels when we confront him tomorrow about his attempt to try and incite you, Elsa."
"Well, I won't let him," she answered, "I have already nearly caused a disaster in Arendelle with my powers, almost killed two people with them, there's no way I am going to help his wish for revenge by doing something to the Southern Isles."
"Guys," spoke up Olaf, "I feel like I'm missing something here?"
"Oh yes, Olaf," spoke Anna, "Hans, upset Elsa before by telling her more of the nasty things his brothers said about her when they were younger. We think he is trying to make Elsa angry at them so she will use her powers against his brothers in the Southern Isles."
"That's horrible," said Olaf with a surprised expression, "maybe I shouldn't have given him that book on the Northuldra."
Suddenly a thought came into Kristoff's head.
"Olaf?"
"Yes Kristoff."
"How friendly was Hans towards you?"
"Oh, he was very friendly, but I don't think I care for it now."
"No, no, Olaf, in fact it might be a good idea for you to become friendlier towards him." He said looking at Elsa and Anna.
Suddenly Anna caught on. "Yes, yes Olaf, we want you to be friendlier to him, establish a relationship."
"Why?"
Now Elsa had clicked to. "Because Olaf, you can keep an eye on him, try and find out what he is thinking and if he gives any indications as to what he might be planning."
"Ohhh," replied Olaf, "you want me to spy on him."
"Yes" the three of them answered in unison.
Hans returned to his room refreshed from his walk and also with some information that may come in handy regarding his plan B should his plan of getting Elsa angry enough that she would lash out at his homeland and brothers fail. He sat down and allowed himself to daydream of a giant snowball hitting the Southern Isles and burying his brothers in snow. The thought just made him smile.
But he also knew there was no guarantee that would happen and to be honest, he still thought it was a bit of a longshot. There was the racing boat though and the explosives that were being used for the railway tunnel. Now those things may come in handy with another scheme, but as yet he had no idea what that plan might be.
He turned back to the book Olaf brought him and started reading some more. He still found the Northuldra fascinating and couldn't help thinking about how their simple lifestyle seemed to appeal to him. For some reason, he thought he could be happy there. Then reality hit him again and he knew his reputation for what he attempted four years ago would mean that the Northuldra would reject him and he couldn't blame them, he knew what he did four years ago was monstrous and that the people of Arendelle thought of him as a monster.
Still, he earned that reputation because of how his brothers treated him and he didn't do anything to deserve that, just the false accusation that somehow, he was responsible for their mother's death.
What was really sad to him was that he had absolutely no memory of her, he was only nine months old when she died so that wasn't surprising, but he really wished at times he had some memory of her.
Thinking of his mother actually made him emotional, if she had lived, his life would have been so much different, he might have been actually married to Elsa or Anna, not through deceit, but through mutual feelings because his parents and Elsa's parents would have helped to arrange it.
But that was his fantasy world and he quickly returned to reality and began reading more about the myth of Ahtohallan. This place fascinated him as well because according to Anna and Elsa it wasn't a myth, it was real.
Suddenly there was a knock at his door and the now familiar voice of Olaf, "Prince Hans, may I come in?"
Hans thought for a moment, but then realised he could ask Olaf about the Northuldra and Ahtohallan, plus, he kind of liked him.
"Come on in my favourite snow man."
"Thank you," responded Olaf as he entered the room, "how's the book I brought you?"
"Fascinating actually," Hans paused for a second, "can I ask you a few questions about the Northuldra and Ahtohallan Olaf?"
"I suppose so," replied Olaf.
"What are the Northuldra like?"
"Oh, they're very nice, they treat everyone with friendship and respect, there was tension at first when we first met them, because of what Elsa and Anna's grandfather had done, but I was able to straighten that out a bit and then of course we discovered that Elsa and Anna's mother was in fact Northuldra."
"Oh, really I didn't know that," said a surprised Hans.
"Yes," continued Olaf, "apparently when the elemental spirits erupted in anger over the battle the Northuldra and the Arendellian soldiers were having, she saved their father and saw him to safety. Elsa says the spirits then saw hope and ensured Elsa would have her powers as a reward for her mother's act of kindness and to free the forest from the shroud they put on it by doing the right thing."
"What was the right thing to do?" asked Hans,
"Oh, that was to break the dam their grandfather built to trick the Northuldra to stop following the magic of nature and follow him as the King of Arendelle," responded a sad Olaf.
"So, they broke the dam, why wasn't Arendelle destroyed?" Enquired Hans with interest.
"Actually, Anna broke the dam with the help of the Rock Giants," said Olaf as he tried to play out the scene, "I didn't see that because, well, I was dead I suppose."
"Wait, you were dead!" exclaimed Hans.
"I think so, because Elsa froze to death."
"Wait, wait I'm not following." Replied a confused Hans.
"Well, we Anna, Elsa and I were on our way to find the voice that Elsa was hearing calling her when we came across the wreckage of their parent's ship near the shore of the Dark Sea," explained an animated Olaf.
"Okay, the Dark Sea, I thought it went down in the Southern Seas?"
"Everybody did, but we found a map in a waterproof compartment that showed that they actually sailed North and were trying to get to Ahtohallan as they believed that it was the source of Elsa's magic."
"That's interesting," said a very interested Hans, "continue please."
"Well, Elsa was very upset about that and Anna calmed her down and Elsa said that she believed that it was the Fifth Spirit calling her from Ahtohallan and that was where she had to go, but she insisted on going alone and she sent Anna and I away where we ended up in a series of caves. Elsa must have gotten to Ahtohallan because she sent a message to Anna telling her of what really happened in Northuldra and why the forest was cut off. Did you read the lullaby in the book I gave you?" asked Olaf.
"Yes, yes I did, seems a lovely song."
"Yes, it is, but it warns that if you go too far, you will drown and Elsa went too far only, she didn't drown, she froze like Anna did four years ago, well that's what she tells us and with Elsa dead, her magic in me faded and I flurried away."
"Oh, that's sad," replied Hans sympathetically, "but what happened, as I asked, why wasn't Arendelle washed away?"
"Well, Anna got the Rock Giants to destroy the dam, this is what I have been told by the way, and when the dam collapsed, Elsa unfroze and came back to life and the Nokk raced her ahead of the giant tidal wave and Elsa stopped it with her magic." Said Olaf with triumph.
"Wow, that must have been something to see, wait, what is the Nokk?"
"It's the water spirit, anyway, the next thing I knew I awoke on a beach with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Sven."
"That's a great story," said Hans honestly, "what can you tell me about this place Ahtohallan?"
"Well, I have never been there, but I am told it is place where all memories are kept."
"All memories are kept, how is that possible?" enquired Hans with interest.
"Because water has memory," said Olaf happily throwing up his arms.
"Okay Olaf, you have lost me there."
"Well, the water we drink has passed through at least four different humans and or animals through time and the water remembers everything."
"Oh," said a puzzled Hans, "well, I guess that's possible, I mean, I'm talking to a talking snowman right now so who am I to disagree. Okay, but what or where is Ahtohallan?"
"All I know is that it is across the Dark Sea, which I'm sure you know is very treacherous and Elsa and Anna say that Ahtohallan is in fact a glacier which makes sense seeing what powers Elsa has as a glacier is a river of ice."
"I know the Dark Sea is treacherous, even us Southern Islanders don't venture there unless it is absolutely necessary, and we're skilled sailors, but how does Elsa get there?"
"Easy, she's the Fifth Spirit so the spirits keep the sea calm for her."
"Hmm," said Han with a bit of grin, "Queen Elsa would be really advantageous to have on board during a boat race."
He paused for a few minutes, then continued, "Olaf, how did they find out about my childhood at Ahtohallan?"
"I'm not sure, actually, Elsa seemed to think because of your connection to Anna."
"I see," he responded, "sounds like a very interesting place, I wonder if I could go there one day?"
"Well, that would be up to Elsa and the spirits." Replied Olaf.
"So, in other words there's probably no way I would be able to go there," replied Han with a little despair, "my history with Elsa and Anna, would prevent me, wouldn't it?"
"I would say probably yes," answered Olaf with some certainty.