~Chapter 7~
Anna
Nobody really knew where we were going. I don't think Reuben could have been any vaguer with the directions. All of us were fairly quiet except for Olaf. He was a distraction in and of himself, but we loved him for it. He had learned an assortment of random facts ever since he learned to read. Kristoff and Marcus sat up front to drive while giving Elsa and I a chance to sleep in the back of the wagon, but I didn't really think we'd be doing much sleeping.
"We've never been this far from Arendelle, have we?" I asked Elsa.
"I know I haven't." She shrugged.
This realization just made me realize how sheltered we both were. Under the protection of Arendelle, we didn't have to venture far outside our borders to meet needs. The irony of the situation was too good. I knew our world was big, but shut up behind closed doors all our lives, Elsa and I never knew how big.
The bright stars shown above us from the heavens highlighting our path like a perfect guiding light. Elsa and I tried tossing and turning to attempt to sleep, but it's hard to do so when you have a sky full of bright nightlights. Eventually a yellow and green began to appear mixed with hues of blues and purple. Aurora Borealis. It was stunning. Elsa and I pointed it out to the guys, but they had already noticed. Then I watched curiously as Elsa sat up, glancing around nervously clearly distracted.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
She didn't answer. Marcus looked back at us curiously and he held a concerned expression.
"Kristoff stop the wagon, please." Elsa urged.
As the wagon slowed down, she hopped out before it came to a complete stop and my sister began singing suddenly. A bright, hypnotic little tune almost like she was calling to something. We all began calling her name as Marcus went after her, but she stopped before she even went very far. Marcus grabbed her by the shoulders.
"What's going on?" He pressed looking at her intensely.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't going to say anything, but the more I hear it, the more I believe it's something good."
"Hear what?" I asked curiously.
"A voice calling out to me." She replied simply.
We all looked at her stunned, but Marcus didn't look very surprised, only concerned.
"Uh oh, she's finally lost it." Olaf teased, giggling lightheartedly.
"Elsa, what happened to no more secrets? That promise was short lived, don't you think?" I said.
Elsa closed her eyes turning her back to us again. Then she bolted down the path around the corner. Marcus ran after Elsa blindly and I hopped up front with Kristoff.
"C'mon we gotta go after them."
Kristoff nodded as we took off in the wagon quickly. Elsa was faster than I thought because she got pretty far in a short distance even on foot. She and Marcus found themselves standing in front of a dense wall of fog. There was nothing to see beyond it. Though even more intriguing were four large stone pillars with four familiar engravings etched within them. Kristoff gave me his hand to help me down out of the wagon with Olaf waddling behind. Kristoff glanced at the four pillars curiously mirroring my gaze.
"What are these symbols?" He asked.
"They're the four elements...c'mon let's catch up with Elsa and Marcus."
Kristoff nodded taking my hand in his as we ran to join up. Though Marcus was having a time because I could see him pushing Elsa away as his powers were acting up again. I could see it in his eyes, he was terrified. Probably even more terrified of hurting Elsa unintentionally again. Kristoff threw on his gloves for some protection and pinned Marcus to the ground just to try and help him get a grip. I blocked Elsa from getting too close.
"Don't be afraid, Marcus. These powers are a part of you now. Fear is the enemy, remember?" Elsa said trying to weave around me trying to get closer to Marcus. Kristoff couldn't keep Marcus down for long. Kristoff let go quickly as his skin got too hot to the touch. Elsa slid around me quickly and helped Marcus up.
Elsa!" I snapped, "Careful."
Marcus regarded me with a look of shame and embarrassment in his face. I felt awful and didn't have any idea of how to help.
"You okay?" I asked Marcus.
"I wish I could say I've been worse…" He shrugged.
"I did freeze you, remember." Elsa added.
"This is worse." He replied with a slight nod, "I-I just wish I had more answers."
He balled his hands into fists as they began to glow. His hands were shaking as he turned away from all of us, but Elsa just kindly grabbed him from behind taking his hands in hers leaning her head against his back. I could see it so clearly in his face how hard Marcus was trying to contain his power.
"Don't be afraid, Marcus. We're doing this together."
"Speaking of together, anybody have an idea to bring down the barrier of fog?" Kristoff asked. Olaf happily went skipping right into the fog doing the one thing we haven't even tried. The barrier rejected Olaf and shot him ricocheting backward. He face planted in the ground, but hopped up excitedly again.
"That tickles." He giggled clapping his hands.
Three more attempts were made and finally, Kristoff stopped him.
"I don't think you're wearing it down, Olaf."
"Darn!" Olaf replied glumly, "Maybe when I'm older, I'll get some powers like you guys and then I can help."
"Trust me, Olaf. You're perfect just being you." Marcus nodded.
Elsa gave Marcus's hand a squeeze.
"You should practice what you preach, sweetheart." She winked giving him a quick kiss.
Kristoff grabbed my hand as we all approached the magic barrier.
"Any ideas on how to get through?" I asked staring up at the foggy wall.
As I glanced up, it seemed to stretch up into the heavens with no end in sight in any direction. How big was this forest?
"You would think if there is a magical barrier, only magic couldn't get through…" Kristoff shrugged.
"Olaf proved that wasn't the case," I replied.
"I didn't see anybody else volunteering," Olaf smirked.
"Let me try." Marcus said determinedly, "Olaf isn't human, maybe it's different."
"Be careful, Marcus." I urged.
"Wanna help me grab our pack from the wagon?" Kristoff asked me.
I nodded as we quickly ran over to take care of that. I had brought dad's journal on this trip, so I paged through it to maybe see if he might have the answer hidden away somewhere. No such luck. Next time we stopped to make camp, I wanted to read more. Elsa would probably want to too. I quickly slipped the journal into Kristoff's satchel.
As Kristoff and I rejoined Marcus and my sister at the wall walking up behind them, I saw both of them looking serious, poised, and focused as they both took a hand and placed it on the barrier. Suddenly, a bright light shot out from both of their hands at the same time that seemed to pierce through the barrier and the fog began to fade away just enough for us to walk through. Marcus and Elsa exchanged looks and then charged their way forward. Kristoff and I followed closely behind also taking hands with each other while Olaf grabbed onto my hand. Cautiously we all stepped into the mist together. With each step we took, the way behind us disappeared and moments later it felt like something pushed us through. We were stopped in a dense, brightly colored forest. It was beautiful.
"That was freaky." Kristoff commented.
"Everyone okay?' Marcus asked.
"I'm all here," Olaf replied.
"Fine." Elsa added, "Though I'm not sure your fire powers will be appreciated here." She said glancing at Marcus.
"Not like there's much choice…" I shrugged, "I don't think we can leave the same way we came in."
We all looked around a bit and Elsa called out to the voice she mentioned she had been hearing. Kristoff and I walked down a rugged path that led through an outcrop of trees. Hues of various colors of leaves were present all around us. Kristoff and I found ourselves in a small clearing that paralleled a short drop down to large river flowing through below. I peered over the edge slowly before Kristoff yanked me back nervously.
"Hey!" I complained.
"Don't do that, you'll give someone a heart attack. There are no guard rails up here."
"Clearly you're my guard rail." I smirked, "Where do you suppose it goes?"
"Judging by the length and distance it seems to be flowing, it might even connect to the fjords back in Arendelle." Kristoff shrugged.
"I never knew this was here." I muttered.
"Well, why would you?" Kristoff replied curiously.
In my distraction, I pulled out dad's journal to see if he might have mentioned more of this supposed enchanted forest in the pages. My eyes scanned through countless pages, I couldn't wait for Elsa to glance through with me at this point. Half of the entries were dated long before Elsa and I were in the picture. This journal was thick and even went back to when he was a boy. More entries I had read before involving our grandfather the first king of Arendelle, Runeard. Father never really regaled Elsa and I with stories about him. All I knew was that he was the first sovereign of Arendelle who helped build Arendelle up from the ground up. He sanctioned the trade routes with other countries going in and out of our port. First grandfather, then father, and now Elsa. A generational monarchy.
I found the entry that I read before involving the trip that dad took as a young man outside Arendelle. I tried to read more, though the ink was very smeared on the last line. There was something mentioned about a forest of elements and something involving the North-something, I couldn't make it out. Maybe it was the north mountain and possibly Kalde beyond it. Though Kalde was lacking the answers any of us were seeking. I kept on reading and Kristoff didn't even try to glance over my shoulder, which I appreciated. I hated whenever Elsa did that when I was reading a good book in the library at home. Dad went on about feeling unique presences in that of the enchanted forest. Over the years, there were many visits there. There were entries of dad venturing into the forest even on his own in secret. During one of the visits, he met some friends to his surprise. A pair of childhood friends named Zane and Lucia from the kingdom of Kalde along with Zane's brother James. My palms gripped the book as I started putting things together. Marcus's parents and father knew each other. As I was desperate to read more on the history and connection there, Kristoff quickly yanked the journal from me.
"Hey, give that back!" I said trying to jump and reach it.
Kristoff always loved to use his height against me.
"Kristoff, I mean it, it's important." I snapped.
"Elsa will need to know this too. Don't you think?" Kristoff nodded.
"Yeah, you're right." I agreed.
Kristoff smiled slipping the journal in the satchel for safekeeping.
"I need to remember this moment. You said I was right…" He teased grabbing my hand, "That's rare."
"You're making me sound like a snob," I complained crossing my arms playfully.
"I wouldn't dare." He smirked in response.
As I turned to head back toward the main path through the woods, Kristoff stopped me grabbing both my hands in his.
"What's the hold up? Elsa and Marcus are that way…" I urged.
"Anna listen, remember mere months ago, I was teasing you about marrying someone you just met?"
I frowned.
"Yes, and you and Elsa have always seen eye to eye on that front."
"Well, yeah because it's immature."
"You think I'm immature?" I said defensively dropping his hands.
Kristoff looked at me solemnly his hands noticeably shaking and fumbling around in his pockets.
"No, you're not. Well, you were then...I mean, Hans was not one of your better decisions…"
"Right, thanks for waving that back in my face," I growled.
"No, let me start over." Kristoff pleaded.
"Don't bother. C'mon, let's go find my sister and Marcus. I've had enough of your highlighting one of my biggest mistakes."
As I stomped off with Kristoff following behind, I heard the dulcet tones of my sister's voice rising above the trees calling out to the voice again. She needed to check out this journal with me and we had plenty of time to do so as it was getting dark. Strange, I thought it was daybreak just upon getting here. Perhaps the foggy boundary we came through sped up time.