Chapter 15: "Embercrow"

Anna grunted from being thrown to the cobblestone, her training armor softening the landing somewhat. Rolling over onto her bottom she rubbed her head wincing from the pain.

"Few have ever found victory lying on their back." Aldren stood over her with one hand on his hip and the other holding his sword.

Grimacing she took up her own sword slashing at him, her strikes were skilled and powerful but still predictable and wrought with emotion. He stepped out of the way of most them, though he had to do so quickly for she had indeed grown more adept in the past weeks and was very, very fast.

"Good." he commented as she nearly struck his arm guard and swiped close to his chest. She started to smile slightly before coming down on his head with heavy downward strike, he responded by striking her blade hard causing her to reel back. But like the fast learner she was she spun with the momentum and thrust at his gut as she came around, he sidestepped and struck down on her blade while using his other hand to grab her wrist, guiding her to the ground. Yelping, the young princess fell to ground again, trying to rise quickly she was met with her trainer's sword at her throat. "Not good enough to live."

She frowned, striking his sword away with her own and rising to her feet. A small audience of soldiers at the training grounds had gathered around them as they circled each other, he began to taunt her as he had for weeks now, "You're holding back Anna."

"No I'm not!"

"Really, because honestly I'm starting to doubt you actually want to save Kristoff or your friends."

Fury erupted in her eyes as she shouted, slashing at him more furiously, but still he was able to block or dodge every strike. Parrying her last strike upward, grabbing the collar of her armor, swinging her around and once again with his blade at her throat. She didn't flinch, she'd become accustomed to losing this battle. Then he berated her with the same words he had every day since he'd started training, "Don't fight with your heart, fight with your head!" Tapping her on the head with his finger.

She wrested away from his hold, "Every day with you! It's that same thing 'Fight with your head not your heart.' What does that even mean?!" she yelled holding her sword with both hands.

Aldren smiled internally, she'd finally asked and he would grace her question with an answer as they started to circle each other again, "I know what your mind dwells on: you want to save your family. But if you want to save them, you can't think about them, not when in the midst of combat. Stop thinking about how much you want to beat me or for why!...think about how you'll beat me."

Anna's expression softened a moment as a realization dawned on her, Aldren whispered to himself, "That's it...that's it."

A new look of determination and confidence spread across her face as the gap closed between them, a momentary pause before she launched her onslaught. Her attacks came with all the skill and speed that she'd learned in the past weeks but were now more calculated and controlled. On some level he was still taking it easy on her but any lapse in concentration could be the loss of a limb.

Their blades collided throwing sparks and chipping a piece off of Anna's sword, she threw a kick at his gut, her shin slamming into his stomach making him double over. Before she could bring her blade down he spun past her smacking her back with the flat side of his sword as he did, turning to face her. She wasted no time in retaliating, locking blades again, she pressed downward forcing his sword tip to the cobblestone, she followed with a right hay-maker aimed at his jaw. He caught her arm and twisted it upward, she cried out in pain but before he could claim her defeat she threw a kick backward at his knee causing him to lose his grip in her arm.

Whipping back around, her weapon gripped in both hands she struck down at his sword before he could raise it. Next she did something that Aldren had not expected: she rammed her forehead into his nose, he yelped in pain and surprise. He held his nose with one hand, reeling back from the blow he was left completely exposed as she followed with an extraordinarily powerful straight punch to his leather breastplate. The force of her fist made him stumble backward, falling onto his hands and knees facing opposite of her. An audible series of 'OH's and oohs' could be heard from their audience.

Aldren stayed down, he listened to her footsteps as she strode over to him. He smiled, she thought she had him beat...she was in for a surprise. He could feel the tip of her sword pressed into the back of his armor, silently he pulled a small dagger from its sheath. Before she could speak he spun around striking the top of her sword pinning it to the ground, kicking the back of her knee making her fall forward and holding a dagger to her throat with his left hand, the small blade stopped just short of her fair skin.

They both breathed heavily, he couldn't help but laugh breathlessly, though stopped at the sight of her defeated expression, he looked towards the audience of guardsmen giving them a look that made them disperse and return to duty. Removing the dagger from her throat and sheathing it, he put his hand on the back of her neck gently squeezing, he smiled admiring how far she'd come, "When you were fighting before, you were with your grief. If you fight with your grief...you die." He said honestly.

He removed his hand and rose to his feet, Anna sighed heavily, "Then why am I dead anyway?"

He chuckled, sheathing his sword and offering his hand to her, "Because I'm better than you Anna." He stated plainly, she tried to frown but couldn't hide her smirk as she took his hand. Helping her up he added, "And though I have a fair bit more experience in warfare than you I must confess…you have a very impressive right fist." he said rubbing his chest.

She laughed, for the first time in weeks she was smiling, though there was little time to savor it when Anna noticed a line of blood trailing down from his left nostril. Her hand reached up to his nose in concern, "Oh Aldren I'm so sorry, I really need to reign it in..."

He touched his nose, looking at the blood on his finger he sniffed, "Don't feel too bad, you'll be feeling it soon as well."

She winced, rubbing her head, "Ah, now that you mention it."

He laughed, "That was good though, very good, caught me completely off guard. If you continue to fight like that there won't be anything that will stand in your way... nothing that your sister and I won't be there to face with you."

She smiled brightly before rushing toward him and gripping him in a tight hug, "Thank you."

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, releasing her he held her shoulders at arm's length, "You are most welcome, princess."

She punched him lightly in the chest at the 'princess' remark. Letting go of her shoulders they turned to see Elsa in her usual blue teal dress approaching them with a smile on her face. Aldren bowed to her while Anna embraced the queen: another first in these dark weeks, one that Elsa welcomed eagerly as she hugged her back.

Then Elsa noticed Aldren's nose bleed, looking at her sister with sarcastic disapproval, "Now Anna, I hope you're not damaging him too badly, I still have need of his services."

Wiping away the blood and sniffing again, "All in the name of progress Elsa. Always a good sign when a student surprises you, and now...only one test remains, for both of you."

They both nodded, then the three noticed something in the air: dozens of snowflakes began to fall softly from the sky. Everyone in the courtyard turned to the sky, Aldren and Anna looked to Elsa questioningly, she smiled and shook her head, "The first snows."

Aldren smiled, looking back at the sky...it had been many years since he had seen snow, "Winter has come."

Elsa turned and put a hand on her sister's face, "Go get some rest Anna."

The auburn haired princess nodded, clearly exhausted from the duel and made her way to the castle to find her bed and collapse. Elsa approached her Master at War, "Walk with me, won't you Aldren?"

"Certainly." The two began walking around the courtyard where soldiers continued to train, small forge areas hammered blades and grinding stones sharpened them. Straw dummies dressed in Naga armor were pelted with arrows, duels between soldiers either with weapons or hand to hand and large group drills. Baldrek largely oversaw training when Aldren wasn't present to do so, Gillian would also assist in any way he could when he wasn't busy overseeing the construction of armor, armaments and siege weapons.

A high pitched cry was heard from the sky, the two looked up to see the bat like wings of their young ice dragon Trolgon as he danced happily along the winds, the white snow and teal ice that made up his body glinting in the dim light of the late afternoon. Elsa held out her arm to the sky and with a gleeful shrill the dragon's wings folded against his sides and he descended. He pulled up just before the surface of her arm, spreading his wings and hovering before setting down, his small talons gripping onto her forearm.

Though it had only been a few weeks, Trolgon had gone from the diminutive size of a songbird to be bigger than a great eagle...and growing larger and faster with each passing day. His features had begun to be more defined: the individual scales could be seen all along the length of his form. A set of spiny fins ran down from the base of his neck to the end in a spear shaped fin at the end of his tail. Two horns protruded from the back of his head along with smaller horns and spikes that formed a sort of mane around his face. A layer of larger, thicker scales protected his underbelly and chest. His small crimson eyes conveyed intelligence greater than one would expect from a beast and he was perhaps the most detailed of any creature Elsa had created...of course she had not done it alone.

Elsa brushed her hand along the side of his head as he leaned into her touch. The dragon then moved from her arm to her shoulders as she and Aldren walked on. Reaching out his neck to nudge Aldren's shoulder, who affectionately placed a hand on the dragon's head rubbing a thumb along his horns which he seemed to especially like, his tail whipping back and forth as he did.

Elsa was the first to speak, "Do you really believe they are ready?"

"I do." he stated, removing his hand from the dragon's head.

"And Anna?"

He nodded, "And before you ask...yes I think you are ready, without a doubt." He stopped in place to look at her "Anna bloodied my nose, you almost broke my collarbone the other day." He said as if it was a good thing.

She rolled her eyes, "I don't know if I'd call that an achievement."

"I would."

Trolgon, growing bored of their conversation, flapped his wings and took back to the sky in search of others to entertain his mischievous disposition.

Aldren then reached behind his back, "And Elsa... I have something for you, I think you are ready for this." He held out the metal rod he'd used to defend them in the gardens, the two blades extended from either side. Though it was apparent on his face there was no small amount of hesitation he held it out to her with unwavering hands.

Her eyes widened, "Why...why are you offering me this?"

"Do you recall how I spoke of elven blades and how they answer only to a worthy owner...the living steel has heard you Elsa and now...it is yours..."

Elsa looked down anxiously at the engraved runes upon the spear tips and recalled what Aldren had told her about them. "What will happen when I take it?"

"Every weapon reacts differently to its bearer...in truth, I do not know..."

"What did the previous wielder call it?"

"Scathain Stow...Shadow's Sting."

"And who wielded it?"

Aldren seemed stunned by the question, he looked back down at the spear rubbing his thumbs along the smooth surface of the blades, "Her name was Lilaria."

"Lilaria..." Elsa nodded, she did not know yet how significant the previous wielder was to him but she would accept the gift. She reached out and grasped the handle of the spear, as she did the blades began to softly glow blue, after a brief moment Aldren removed his hands from the shaft. The spear was incredibly light in her hand yet felt weighted on the ends, tentatively she reached a hand out to touch the blade. They both held their breaths as her thin fingers drew closer to the surface, and at the moment her hand touched it the runes receded into the surface of the blade like leaves sinking into oil, as if they were never there.

Elsa couldn't help but laugh breathlessly in amazement while Aldren exhaled as if something had left him forever. She took a few moments to look over the blade, "So... It chose me?"

He nodded, "It has... And now you will have to give it a new name."

Elsa's expression dropped, she looked at the spear with some confusion, "And... how do I go about doing that?"

Aldren reached over his shoulder and drew Black Autumn from its scabbard, holding the runes on its blade for her to see. "When I carved these, I ignited my hand and used my own fingers to burn the runes into it. The runes must come from a source of magic; I imagine you know what that means."

Elsa looked at her own hand, ice flowing to the fingers. "Could I engrave Arendellian runes rather than Elven?"

He shrugged, "The weapon belongs to you now; I don't see why not-But take care, what you engrave will be permanent until it is passed on again, think on it carefully."

"I will."

"And now you are ready."

"One last training session then?"

"In a manner of speaking...But first there is something else I wish to show you Elsa, if you would follow me."

He walked towards the castle and she followed suit to indulge her curiosity in what else he had to show her.

OoO

They had arrived in the room that Aldren had first begun training her and her sister in, it had lost much of its former grace in the past weeks from their sparring session much to overseer Kai's dismay. Towards the wall sat three tall objects that were covered by cloth cloaks, Elsa walked up to them, "What's this?"

Aldren walked next to the first object in the row, smiling he grasped the cloth with his right hand and threw it off of the object revealing a shining suit of armor. The steel of the helm, shoulders, arms, legs and breastplate glistened while stylistic engravings in the metal stood out in the sunlight. The helm was not unlike the kind that the soldiers wore but was aesthetically smoother. The Arendelle Crocus of house Floran sat in the middle of the brow while two wide vertical fins that began at the sides and waved upward above the temples, the etchings in the fins made them resemble flower petals. The cloth and leather of the skirting and tunic was dyed violet and teal blue.

Elsa was speechless as she overlooked every detail of the armor, then she observed the breastplate was clearly made for a woman. She turned to Aldren, "This is mine?"

"Gillian worked through the week, to protect Arendelle's queen and princess." he said gesturing to the second set of armor still covered, "I will present Anna her armor when she is rested again."

Elsa smiled, she would have to remember to thank Gillian the next time she saw him. Aldren gestured then to a divider, "If your majesty wouldn't mind trying her armor on, I want to make sure I got your measurements right."

Elsa nodded picking up the armor rack and taking it with her behind the divider, Aldren waited patiently with his hands behind his back. A few moments later she called out to him hesitantly, "Aldren, it seems I... need a little help."

Aldren's expression became disconcerted and he stammered slightly, "I-*ahem* With...what your grace?"

"There's a series clasps on the back; I can't get them myself."

Aldren groaned inwardly at his stupidity before replying to her, "Well um...let me see if there is someone around...who can help you."

He took to the door and searched in vain to find anyone nearby even calling out the names of the head servants Kai and Gerda but neither answered. He hit himself on the head with his palm cursing himself before sighing, "Your grace, I can't seem to find anyone about...I would help you if you were-"

"Certainly."

Aldren stood with his mouth open, he rolled his eyes and muttered quietly to himself, "Oh heaven save me..."

He regained his composure, "Very well." and made his way over to the divider.

She chuckled, seeming to sense his uneasiness, "Don't worry Aldren, I'm decent."

He then stepped behind the wall to see Elsa with her back to him, the upper part of her back and shoulders bare to his eyes. He had to stop himself from staring at her pale, fair skin, tentatively he reached for the clasps and fastened each one up to the neck and tightening the buckles that held her chest plate and shoulder armor. He double checked his work afterward and felt relief once he was finished. "There you are."

She turned to him and smiled, "Thank you."

They both left the cover of the wall back out into the light, he could now see her in her full battle dress. She held her helmet in one hand while she looked herself over, she rolled her shoulders, "It feels heavier than I thought it would but it fits perfectly."

"It will feel that way for some time but once you get more acquainted with it, you'll get used to the weight."

She then looked at the gloves which were fingerless, "No armor for the fingers?"

"It offers risk, no doubt, but it will allow you to use your powers more effectively."

Nodding, she then took her helm in both hands and put it on her head. Aldren...well to put it plainly, in that moment thought she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. "You look...fit for battle. There is a scabbard on your back where your spear can be sheathed."

She had already discovered that feature and reached behind her back and pulled the double bladed weapon out in one hand. He smiled and walked up beside her, "Now I want you to give the spear a few good swings, learning how to tell the spear to change size and configuration will be critical to mastering it in combat. Think of the weapon as an extension of your body, just as your mind tells your fingers to open and close, your mind will tell the spear to extend or retract, to have one blade, two or none."

She nodded and looked at the weapon and just as he said to do, she thought of it as an extension, like an extra limb. Closing her eyes and concentrating, one blade slowly retracted into the spear. Her eyes opening, she swung the spear outward in front of her, the weapon extended to its full length ahead of her. Whipping it around her back she thrust in the opposite direction, then back the direction from before the blade extending back out.

"Good! Very good." Aldren complemented, clapping his hands together and rubbing them enthusiastically. "How does it feel?"

Elsa held the spear in both hands, weighing it in her grasp, "Natural but...incomplete."

"Well, there is still one more thing to do before the weapon is truly yours: gift it a name and its allegiance will be yours forever."

"I will."

"Good. You will need every asset available to you for tomorrow's final test."

Elsa nodded, not necessarily dreading but clearly apprehensive about it. She then turned to the third armor set still covered by its cloth, "Yours?"

Aldren sighed walking up to it, "Ah yes, I suppose that...it is time you heard this part of my story." reaching up he grabbed the cloak and threw it off, revealing the black Embercrow armor that he'd had forged for him.

As Elsa observed the armor and slowly came to her own realizations, Aldren explained, "My name is Aldren, my father was Aldric of house Embercrow and lord of Hammerhel. My mother was Reyna Embercrow, formerly of house Starlon of Hadenville, before she married my father of course. And my younger sister...Alandra Embercrow..."

Elsa was no longer looking at the armor, she was looking right at Aldren with a knowing expression as he continued.

He looked dead into her eyes as he spoke, "They died when I was ten years old...I killed them."

Elsa's eyes widened and she began to grow uneasy, her body tensing as she took a step forward, her worst suspicions had been confirmed. The fact that he was the son of a noble house mattered little to her...it was how calmly he said the last three words that set her on edge. Aldren then raised his hand in front of himself, looking at with almost hatred as he clenched his fist so tightly that it shook, "One night-that night I'd had a nightmare: I was being chased through the dark woods by a giant crow...I still remember it as if it were real." he laughed weakly, "To think, fear of my house sigil, fear of responsibility...fear and rage...such petty things that killed my family. In the dream I turned to face the beast and fired two pillars of fire from my hands setting it ablaze as it descended on me. But when I awoke it wasn't the crow that was on fire...it was my family's house."

Elsa's momentary distrust had faded but she only grew tenser and felt a great sorrow in her heart as the conclusion of his story became all too clear.

"I ran as fast as I could, through the flames, the smoke and the embers. And all around me my home was slowly falling apart, because of me, I found my family huddled into a corner of the main hall just out of reach of the flames...and of escape. Wooden beams and debris blocked my path but I was not strong enough to remove them...I couldn't reach them in time before everything around me collapsed into darkness."

He hadn't realized that despite his quiet almost hushed tone as he spoke, that small fires starting to rise from his clenched fist. Elsa's hands covered his fist, a light layer of frost dousing the flames. He looked up at his queen, her face was sympathetic and kind, her eyes locked with his momentarily before he broke the gaze and drew his fists away from her hands.

He placed a hand on the shoulder of his armor, his thumb rubbing across the Embercrow sigil engraved into it. "The last thing they told me is that they didn't blame me for what was happening, that they loved me...that they always would. There is comfort in that, it was the only thing that kept me from blaming myself when I grew older, that convinced me not to simply lay down and die...though I thought about it for a long time afterward. Even when I watched their funeral out of the sight of everyone else who assumed the entire Embercrow line was now extinct, gone forever. But I couldn't go back, I couldn't lead my house knowing I was the one who killed them. So I walked for...I don't know how long until I was eventually cornered by the imperials and well...you know what happened then."

Elsa gripped his shoulder, swallowing her own emotions before speaking, "Aldren...I'm so sorry. But you can't blame yourself for what happened, you know that right?"

He grasped her hand on his shoulder, "I know, I don't believe I would be here today if I didn't."

"I am grateful that you shared this with me...have you found some closure then...?"

Aldren smiled, "Some...but this is only part of the story and I still have more to share in due time. We shall say that we're...halfway there. I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to lead my household, but I will represent it on the field of battle for as long as I am able."

She nodded, gripping his waist and pulling him into her embrace. He breathed in, admitting to himself that he needed it, wrapping his arms around her back, laying his temple against her armored head and closing his eyes. After a lengthy moment Aldren cleared his throat and gently pushed away from Elsa, "Thank you, your grace."

He was surprised to see her roll her eyes and then flick him on the nose, "That's three times you've addressed me as your grace or majesty." she warned

"Apologies your gr-...old habits die hard." He said, rubbing his nose.

She laughed, brushing a strand of hair from his face affectionately, before clearing her throat, "Well I'm afraid I must retire for the evening my friend, I imagine I'm going to need all the rest I can get for tomorrow."

Aldren smiled and gave a slight bow.

"Thank you...for opening up to me."

"Thank you for listening...Elsa."

She brushed her hand softly over his shoulder as she left the room, Aldren chuckled to himself: she hadn't realized she was still in her armor...or maybe she did. Before she left the room entirely she looked back over her shoulder at him, "I know this may sound strange Aldren but somehow...I think I remember you. I think we may have met once before when we were younger, do you think perhaps that is true."

Aldren's brow furrowed, "My Father and your's knew each other and I think...they were friends at one point. I know for certain that I saw your father once at Hammerhel when he came to see my mine...I believe it's very possible we may have been acquainted when we were children, though I don't recall at present."

"Let me know when you do..." And with that she was gone.

Now alone with his thoughts Aldren breathed a heavy sigh, a weight had been lifted from his heart but it had not truly been half. The heaviest weight was still to come...'little by little', it never was that simple for him. He walked over to his armor, looking dead into the open space where his face would be. If he was going to be her Master of War, he should look the part, "Suppose I should try you on then..."