The service was a blur, a string of unconsciousness. It was as if Kristoff's brain switched off, he took on autopilot and his emotions retreated inside of him. Elsa seemed to be in the same state, outwardly she was pleasant, accepting of sympathetic words and gestures but he could see that her eyes were empty and dull; like she was asleep.
There were flowers everywhere, pink, purple, orange, it was beautiful. Anna would've loved it. Everyone was milling about in black.
One question loomed over all of Arendelle like a heavy fog: what happens next?
After Elsa had found Ahtohallan, she had intended to live among the forest spirits and further seek out the secrets in her past. But now, as the next heir had gone, Elsa was all that was left for Arendelle. Kristoff noticed this fact pulling on Elsa's fortitude. She was cut out for so much more than a Queen's life and yet she was chained to her position. He wished there was something he could do other than stand idly by.
The mountain peak was something that Kristoff had seen a few times, Anna took him there to show him the stone markers for her parents. For Elsa, they stood as reminders to how she had shut her dear sister out when she needed her the most. In between the two inscribed stones was a smaller one. It started to thunder and rain but with a wave of Elsa's hand it turned into a mere sprinkling of snowflakes.
The people of Arendelle took turns laying out flower wreaths, dolls, ornaments and other sweet offerings. When it came to Kristoff's turn he was shaking. He approached the rock on unsteady legs, tears already making their way down his rosy cheeks. He spent a good while resting his body against the marker, a silent prayer on his lips, asking for an answer. When Kristoff stood back up, he was clutching her engagement ring. He stepped back and Elsa made her way forwards to pay her respects to her late sister.
While she was doing so, Kristoff slid behind the large stone, out of sight of the attendees. He fell back against her stone, his head in his hands and his heart in his throat. After Elsa's words of tribute, she joined him, the people were singing a traditional hymn. She looked at him. Through him. He could feel her thoughts in his own mind. "Don't do it," they said "the water will never answer."
Kristoff stood up with a harsh breath and moved to stand on the edge of the mountain peak. The cool air rushed in his lungs with every breath he took. He looked down at the golden ring in his hand, the thin string tied to it danced in the wind. Kristoff looked over his shoulder at Elsa. She knew what it was.
He took one last breath and with all his might, threw the ring into the fjord below.
Og dei spora eg trår er kalde så kalde
And this track I tread is cold, so cold, so cold.