Chapter 1: A New Ally

Elsa jerked back, awaiting the blow of the creature's claws… but it never came. Daring to open one eye, she saw the creature who had stolen her face, manipulated her life for the past several months, stopped in its tracks by a huge figure dressed in full plate armor, its claws caught on the edge of a great broadsword. The creature roared and struggled to press its attack, but the figure held its ground, the heavy boots sinking into the snow. With a great roar of effort, the armored figure swung his blade with all his strength and hurled the creature against the opposite wall before wheeling around and holding out his free hand in Elsa's direction. Elsa was aware of a sudden wave of warmth and looked in amazement as her restraints melted away, allowing her drop to her feet.

"Go," Bellowed the strange knight as he turned back to catch the monster's claws once again. "Run for the entrance! I'll be just behind you!"

The monster, clearly frustrated and angry at the interruption of a potential meal, roared its rage, its disguised face slipping further and further into something monstrous. "Magnus, you meddlesome interloper! How DARE you stand against me when my victory is so CLOSE?!"

"I will ALWAYS stand against you, you glorified parasite! As is my sacred vow, you will NOT claim another innocent, not so long as I am drawing breath!" As he continued to push his opponent back, light began to shine from within the knight's armor, red lines etching themselves across the black and silver of his armor and up the blade of his sword.

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As the battle raged behind her, Elsa ran up the tunnel toward the light. Almost on instinct, she RIPPED the hem of her dress until it was above her knees and used a strip of the excess cloth to tie back her hair. She didn't remember how she'd gotten into this strange outfit, but clearly it was only for show and not the least bit practical. Fiddling with the bodice for a moment, she was finally able to rip off the sleeves and cape and TOSS them away, removing any fear of them slowing her down or getting caught on something. As she approached the cave mouth, she came to a halt, looking out at the dark, frigid waves roiling far below. THIS she could remember. The Dark Sea that surrounded the Ahtohallan. Even without the threat of the Nokk, she could tell this was dangerous. Though she could see the shoreline not far off, she had no illusion of being able to SWIM the distance. If the drop to the water didn't kill her, or the waves dash her against the iceberg, with her powers in this weakened state, the sheer cold of the water would no doubt ensure her death in mere minutes. She could see no sign of escape. She was well and truly trapped. As she tried to think of any conceivable way to get off the ledge of ice, there came a massive rumbling from the interior of the iceberg, and a strangely hot wind blew out of the cave, causing the ice to drip and crack. There was a rhythmic pounding coming closer, and Elsa caught sight of the armored figure who had freed her running up the tunnel, his speed amazing even with the heavy armor encasing him.

"Your majesty," he bellowed, "grab my hand and be ready to jump!" As he put forth a final burst of speed, he extended his gauntlet-covered hand. Without hesitation, Elsa reached out and caught hold of her rescuer's wrist just as he barrelled past her and LEAPT from the ledge! For the briefest of moments, Elsa considered that this might not have been the best idea as gravity took hold and they began to plummet toward the water, but just as it seemed her stomach would soon be making a permanent residence in her mouth, their descent slowed. Looking up, Elsa's eyes widened as her rescuer's cape spread out like a set of wings. Looking closely, it DID seem to be made of golden feathers, inlaid with small rubies. She could feel a warm wind catch them and guide them over the water and past the shoreline. They soared along the cliffs before finally setting down in a great circle of standing stones. The clearing of grass in the middle had been converted into a camp. There was a yurt in the exact center, a large circular tent covered in animal hide, with wisps of smoke drifting through a hold in the roof.

"What is this place," Elsa asked, watching the strange knight as he pulled back the flap leading inside.

"My home, such as it is," he replied as they headed inside. The only light inside the yurt at this time came from the embers smoldering in the firepit, over which a large, covered cauldron was hissing and bubbling. Near the firepit was a pile of split firewood, on top of which was a crudely woven basket filled with evergreen branches, which gave a refreshing scent to the enclosed area. There was a cot laid against the far side, covered in animal hides. On the opposite side was a privacy screen, behind which Elsa could just make out a wooden chest, presumably filled with fresh clothing. Rounding out the sparse furnishings was an armor rack and a weapon trunk. The knight seemed nervous, bouncing on his heels for a moment before clearing his throat awkwardly. "You should change, Queen Elsa. There should be some things in the trunk over there. I think some of it already belongs to you."

Taking into account her current state of dress, Elsa cleared her throat and stepped behind the screen. Kicking off her shoes and slipping out of the tattered remains of the dress she had been in when she awoke, she carefully opened the lid of the trunk. Inside were various tunics, trousers, leggings, some sets of boots, gloves and jackets, all of which were much plainer than her usual wardrobe but far more practical for these environs. Fishing around for a moment, she pulled out a pair of trousers that, while somewhat large for her slight frame, fit well enough once she found a belt and cinched it as tight as she could. It was when she pulled out a tunic to examine that she saw a familiar flash of powder blue. It was the jacket, boots and gloves she had been wearing when she, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven had come to the Enchanted Forest. Sticking her head around the side of the screen, she saw her mysterious rescuer, now having stripped out of his armor into a plain gray tunic, breeches and a lair of leather boots, was kneeling by the firepit and tossing some more wood onto the fire to stoke it. "Where did you get these?"

"I, uh… I found them on the shoreline when I got back. Lucky thing you left them above the high water line, or I might never have found you in time."

"In time for WHAT, exactly? Come to think of it, what was all that back there, anyway? The last thing I can remember is going into that cave and then… nothing."

The young man stood and turned, revealing a somewhat reddened face with dark blue eyes and shaggy black hair. "Well, to make a long story short, you were lured to that glacier by the doppleganger."

"Dopple-what?"

"Doppelganger. It… essentially, it's a kind of evil fairy that has the power to become anyone or anything it wants to. This one has been haunting the Northern Sea and the land around it for hundreds of years. It seems he's developed a taste for elementals. He lures them here with the promise of answers and then traps them so he can drain them of their magic to increase his own strength. The spirits you thought were helping you along this journey? All of them are servants of the doppleganger; all that remains of other people he's already drained."

Elsa paused from where she had been re-braiding her hair. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it did seem to be. The way the barrier that had surrounded the Enchanted Forest for more than three decades just suddenly disappearing the moment she had tried to touch it. Supposedly dangerous spirits that seemed so happy to see her and allowed her by so easily. The strange siren song that had been haunting her for months just happening to be her mother's voice? She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose, the familiar feeling of a headache coming on. How had she not seen through that? Had she truly been so desperate that all reason had been thrown to the wayside? "Oh… you must think I'm the stupidest person in the world… uh… I'm sorry, but… what IS your name?"

The young man chuckled and pulled the cover from his cauldron, spooning two bowls full of a thick, rich-smelling stew. "It's Magnus, and no, I don't think you're stupid, Queen Elsa. I think you're a young woman looking for some kind of answers who was so eager to find some that she jumped in headfirst without thinking. Come. Sit. Eat. You need to recover your strength. I'm sorry it's not much; just snowshoe hare and some herbs I gathered in the forest. Certainly not fit for a royal table."

"No, no. It's quite alright. If anything, I'm sorry you have to give up part of your food to me." Sitting down by Magnus, Elsa took the offered wooden bowl and sipped the hot broth. Magnus was right. It was nothing fancy, but the stew DID fill her stomach and spread a welcome warmth through her body. "Ahhh… I can't believe I'm so cold. The cold has NEVER bothered me. And my magic… I can FEEL it, but… why won't it come out?"

Magnus sighed and sat his own bowl down. "By the time I found you, the Doppelganger had already started to feed from you. I can only guess he HAD to so he could convincingly portray you to your sister and friends. You'll be alright, but your personal store of magical energy has been badly drained. You'll have to rest in order to fully recover."

"Oh… well… if it's not offensive… may I ask how you know all these things? Just who ARE you, Magnus?"

"I take no offense, Elsa. Well… I was born to the south of your kingdom, in the land of Toussant, just outside the capital city of Beauclair. My father was a knight with a penchant for slaying the monsters that terrorized the outlying villages, and my mother was a sorceress of some renown in the surrounding kingdoms. I had a happy childhood on the vineyard that had been a reward to my father after a successful job, but as I grew older, it became apparent I had inherited my mother's amazing proficiency in magic. Seeking better control than my parents could teach me, I left home and set out on the road. It was there I met my mentor. He saw great potential in me and took me in as one of his students. I spent years under his tutelage, learning all he could teach me of my inherent powers, and when I was old enough, he brought me before his order, and I was made a full member, part of an ancient fellowship dedicated to fighting the forces of evil and chaos. I had heard stories of other mages disappearing in this part of the world, so I accepted it as my quest to discover why. Obviously, I hadn't expected something so powerful as a Doppelganger, but I am happy to say I have kept him contained and managed to chase off any elemental mages who found their way here. Sadly… I can only suppose you found your way here while I was away resupplying and having my armor and weapons repaired… bit of a trek to civilization from here, you see. When I returned and resumed by regular patrol, I found your things on those rocks and realized what must have happened. Sadly… I didn't return soon enough to stop that demon's immediate plan."

"Yes, he kept talking about something like that. What did he DO, exactly."

"Well… you might want to prepare yourself for a shock, my lady." There, by the light of the fire, Magnus delved into all he had learned during his latest travels.

Elsa sat, staring at the flames in shock. "MONTHS? I was frozen in that cave for six months?! My sister has been queen for half a YEAR now?"

"If it means anything to you, Elsa, she seems to be doing a good job for now. The royal council is able to handle the day-to-day matters, and she's been dealing with major problems as they arise. Still… I have heard rumors, whispers of some of your rival kingdoms planning to take action now that Arendelle's primary defense is gone."

Elsa groaned. "I was afraid of that. Magnus, this is going to sound odd, but… I am asking you to escort my back to the capital so I can set this mess right. I promise I will see you richly rewarded for your service."

Magnus, for his part, only seemed to think it over for a minute or two before walking over to his armor rack and beginning to slip into his chain mail and strap on his plate armor. "I suppose it does count as part of my quest against the doppelganger to see you safely away from these territories… and you ARE technically a damsel in distress, so this is a big opportunity for me. Very well! I shall accompany you to your home as befits a knight of Toussant!" With this vow, Magnus placed on his helm and slammed his visor shut before pulling two of his swords free from the weapon rack and sheathing them at his waist and walking outside, emitting a loud whistle. Elsa looked up in amazement as a huge animal descended from the sky and landed before them with a loud roar. It had the head, wings and great talons of an eagle, but the form on his body was that of a huge cat. "Ever ride a griffin?"

"Uh… well… I've had riding lessons since I was a girl, but… I've never actually…" Elsa's excuse was cut short as she was lifted and deposited into the ornate saddle on the beast's back. Though she wanted to say it wasn't proper for a lady to ride astride, she had a feeling Magnus' mount would object to her attempting to sidesaddle while he flew, so she kept quiet. Magnus hefted himself into the saddle just behind her and took hold of the chain that attached to the bridal on the griffin's head like a pair of reins. As Magnus prepared to command the griffin to fly, there was a loud rumble, which caused all three to stare off in the direction of the Enchanted Forest. The ancient trees began to shake and groan, as though a savage wind was blowing through them. "What is happening?"

Behind his helm, Magnus' eyes narrowed. "The Doppelganger. He is enraged at losing you and is now taking his frustrations out on the forest. We must go, now! FLY, WINDFANG!" The great creature roared and burst into a full run, his massive wingspan unfolding in time to catch the wind and take off into the sky, the group soaring higher and higher until they disappeared from ground level and began their journey south.