~Chapter 23~

Elsa

For three years, I had ignored the call of Ahtohallan. Even after the firm directions my mother offered me in the past. Though plans change when one becomes a mother. A threat was coming and I wasn't sure exactly what or who it was, but I had to make a new choice now as a queen and most important, a wife and mother. I would answer Ahtohallan's call and find out what it takes to become the Fifth Spirit.

Olaf kept me company while I packed for the journey. I wouldn't sail there on a large galleon by any means, but something much smaller. The kids of course would stay behind to be looked after by Niklas and my aunt Isidora in my absence. I prepared to leave for the harbor from the palace courtyard by riding a horse in the early hours. Kissing the kids goodnight last night was harder than I anticipated. I didn't think I would be in Ahtohallan long, but if becoming the Fifth Spirit required training, that would take time. Niklas wanted to come with me, but he is the king. Arendelle needs him here. We couldn't wait anymore, three years had already been wasted. I got up early not wanting to disturb Niklas. We had talked about my plans and he supported me. I could check in with the family by making the snowballs that Royan taught me those years ago. As much as I knew I needed to go, I was saddened leaving my family behind. The voice echoed out to me this morning like it knew I was coming today. It rang loudly to my ear. I truly wasn't sure how long the training would be. Kai had a horse ready and saddled for me as I greeted him in the courtyard.

"Sorry for the early morning request," I greeted him.

"Don't even give it a second throught, your majesty. Though may I ask you a question?"

"Ask away," I nodded.

"Why are you slipping away like a thief in the night?"

I grabbed the reins from him as I hopped into the saddle before answering.

"Because if I see the kids before I go, I don't know if I could leave."

"I understand, your majesty." Kai nodded, "I'm a parent myself, though mine are grown up."

"Niklas is here, so the kids will not even notice I'm gone."

"You sure about that?" A voice from behind me called.

I knew whose voice it was. Niklas strode up on a black stallion with a satchel across his shoulder looking ready to go on a journey.

"Niklas, what are you doing?" I groaned, "We talked about this."

"Sure thing, we did." He acknowledged, "And I made a different decision and is it so wrong for me to accompany my wife on this journey?"

His tone was accusing and I couldn't deny the fact I was pleased that I wasn't going to be alone.

"I just didn't want to make it harder on Lily and Alex. Both of us being gone." I said.

Niklas pulled his stallion right alongside my own locking his gaze with mine.

"Your aunt is here, so is Hans, and even Olaf. Aria even said she'd be happy to babysit as well."

I pinched the bridge of my nose sighing heavily.

"I don't like leaving them without one of us, Niklas," I muttered.

He reached over grabbing my hand in his.

"I know," He whispered, "but they'll be okay."

As we prepared to depart, I saw a purple hue begin to glow out of the corner of my eye. Hopping down from the nearby Arendelle guard tower was Bruni glowing brightly as he came down toward us. He was careful to avoid anything green specifically plant life keeping to stone as it wasn't as flammable. He leapt toward me as I extinguished him with a snowball as he fell into my lap.

"What is it, Bruni?" I asked him.

Not that I expected an answer, this salamander of fire had a connection with my sister, not me after all. Though he did enjoy my snow. The voice called out again as I looked in that direction and Bruni did too.

"You hear the voice?" I asked.

He looked at me with his large, beady eyes and took off in a purple blaze leaving the courtyard.

"We should follow him,"

"Lead the way," Niklas nodded.

We took off leaving the palace knowing we must circle back to the harbor to sail to Ahtohallan, but Bruni was heading west toward the forests. He didn't slow down for anything perching himself on rocks and boulders as stepping stones so as not to catch any leaves ablaze. I suddenly recognized where we were as Bruni stopped on one particular tall stone in a set of four with a symbol etched onto its side. I stared at him as I approached the stone he stood on.

"Where are we?" Niklas questioned.

"Father took Anna and me here once we were girls. We're just outside an enchanted forest. We didn't go here much due to the dangers that lie within."

"Just looks like any forest."

I glanced at my husband with a wry smile.

"It would to anyone without magic power."

Bruni slid down the surface of the rock stopping halfway down in front of the symbol. The voice called out again as Bruni and I both perked up. He looked down at the symbol and inside this particular diamond, there was a circle above two thick lines followed by a triangle underneath that. My heart was racing as I reached out to touch the rock.

"Elsa, maybe we should rethink-" Niklas started to say as my fingertips glossed over the symbol. There was a faint outline around the diamond and I held my breath as I pushed the stone. Bright bursts of red light shot out from the stone as I stepped back as Niklas grabbed my arm. The light branched out just a few feet and seemed to envelop Bruni. As soon as the light came, it dissipated and Niklas and I exchanged confused looks.

"Great, it's broken." Niklas muttered.

"I don't think so," I said, stepping toward Bruni.

I cupped my hands together toward Bruni as he hopped into them. There was no knowing for sure, but something in my gut told me my suspicion was correct.

"You're one of the four, aren't you?" I asked him, looking into his large beady eyes.

Bruni looked at me blinking and we both turned at the sound of the voice calling again.

"Hard to be taught by a creature that doesn't speak," Niklas pointed out.

"I think it's time I get to Ahtohallan. The rest we'll have to figure out."

Confusing as it was, Bruni led us here even though I had been to these stones before as a child. The way the stone reacted, were they a sort of summoning stone for the creatures who were to teach me? Curiously, I pressed the other stones as well. They didn't react in the same way, but maybe it would draw other creatures to me. Though for now, Bruni was here and the rest would hopefully follow suit. Bruni ran toward our horses and lit up his familiar purple blaze as we rode to the harbor to leave. He landed on the mast of our ship as the ship captain greeted us as it was just him and two other sailors for this small ship. I wanted to be discreet. Plus a smaller ship would go faster across the water should the weather cooperate.

"Elsa, we don't exactly have a map to Ahtohallan, remember?" Niklas said.

"I know, the map is the voice. I think it'll lead me there."

"How can you be sure?"

"I can't, but I figure the closer we get, the more likely we'll recognize something from the past."

"Well, where is the voice coming from right now?"

"North." I said.

Niklas waved to the captain at the ship's wheel immediately.

"Captain, take us north, please."

"Aye, your majesty." He replied.

The ship shook as it took off away from the docks and the Arendelle harbor. This wasn't the typical ease of riding on a ship. Hans did mention the fjords were sketchy with the waves and he wasn't kidding. Waves of water constantly barraged the ship, not enough to stop the journey, but enough for the captain to voice his concern. As a precaution, the captain requested that Niklas and I head below deck until the waves settled. They never did. Bruni didn't enjoy being stuffed below deck. He paced around nervously and it was all I could do to give him some small snow piles to leap into to distract him. Though even my distractions weren't enough. He would eventually stop and then sit in front of me staring at me.

"That's not creepy at all," Niklas mocked.

I smirked at the comment before cupping my hands together letting Bruni hop into them. I pulled him closer and I know I knew nothing of this creature, but it was like he wished he could. I rubbed his head and his skin was warm to the touch, or maybe it was my cool skin reacting to his.

"I think he wants to tell me something," I muttered.

"You think so?" Niklas asked.

"This whole thing is ridiculous. It's not like there is an instruction manual on how to be the Fifth Spirit." I began to pace, "Mother didn't exactly give me much instruction."

Niklas could tell I was getting worked up as Bruni climbed to my shoulder. My husband put his arm around me holding me. He always knew how to make me feel so safe.

"Easy, Elsa. This is one big learning experience. We'll start with Ahtohallan and I'm sure the rest of the instruction will follow."

A single tear came from my eye as I quickly wiped it away.

"I wish Anna was here," I muttered.

"I know," He whispered.

So much loss in my family in such a short span of time. Grief was undoubtedly a process.

The ship continued to shake and jerk this way and that due to the rough waters until the captain yelled out spotting land. We went to join the crew on deck when something hit the bottom of the ship. It was a loud thud that I wondered might have broken something given the sound. No water leaks were happening, but Niklas spun around looking concerned.

"That wasn't water hitting the ship, was it?"

"Not likely," He replied.

Then we heard a strange sound almost like a whale, but it was dissonant and unlike anything I had heard. Bruni hopped off my shoulder and hopped toward the stairs to the deck. Niklas and I followed. The captain stood at the top of the stairs blocking us from coming on deck.

"Your majesties, stay below, it isn't safe," He said.

Before we could even ask what was going on, he was pulled off to the side as he yelled in terror. I wasted no time running up on deck with Niklas right behind me. A scaly tail of a creature was swiping around the ship with the captain in tow. The other sailors had only swords, but no other weapons for distance to assist. Bruni leaped to the mast and began climbing and spitting fire at the creature's arm or tail. It was hard to tell. I did notice charring on the creature's skin prior to Bruni's attacks.

"Anna," I whispered.

There was no other explanation. The creature slammed down its tail on the deck right into the mast sending Bruni spiraling to the ground. He landed as Niklas and I dove to the ground to avoid getting hit by the mast. The captain was bleeding from his head as he was swung around this way and that as if he was a ragdoll. He wouldn't survive if this kept up. I hopped to my feet and quickly made sharp spears out of ice handing one to Niklas. We threw them at the creature being careful to not get near the captain. I nicked the side of the creature my first shot barely doing any damage, but Niklas pierced the center of the tail. It was some sort of sea serpent, I had never seen before even when we crashed into this area in the past. Mother never warned me about such a creature. I kept making ice spears and throwing them at the creature, but then I drew closer to the port side following the creatures movements seeing its head slither below the ship and I blasted the head with as much ice as I could muster. It worked as the tail released the captain as he began to fall directly into the water below. He splashed hard, but given his injury, he looked disoriented flailing just barely able to keep his head above the surface. Niklas and the other sailors began to mess with the rigging of the one rowboat on deck. There was no time. I grabbed a spare rope throwing the majority about my shoulder before handing the end to Niklas. Before he could question my plan, I leapt off the starboard side splashing into the water swimming toward the captain. The serpent was trying to wriggle out of the ice still. I got to the captain and he wasn't in good shape.

"Y-Your majesty," He muttered.

"Hang on," I urged before freezing a small platform of ice around us to get the captain just on top of the water. I tied the rope around the captain's waist and once it was secured, I resurfaced and waved to Niklas and he and the rest of the crew began pulling. I swam right behind the captain back to the ship when I heard the all too familiar sound of ice shattering. The serpent screeched and circled around coming right for the captain. He was almost to the ship and I had to buy them some time to get him to safety. I blasted a wall of ice in front of me blocking the serpent only momentarily. It's head glared at me through the ice with its big yellow eyes. The ice was cracking as Bruni kept spitting fire at it from the ship to help me. Once the captain was on the ship, I prepared to make some ice platforms all the way back to the ship to avoid getting back in the water. Four would get me back to the ship and as I took a breath to make the ice, I felt something grab my leg. In a blink, I was swept into the depths and back out again hanging upside down in front of the creature's face this time. It glared at me as I hung there dripping and disoriented. Spears flew by me as Niklas and the crew kept up the assault. I continued blasting the creature with ice hoping he would let go. I was getting dizzy hanging upside down like this with all the blood rushing to my head, but it wasn't long before I felt a warm liquid come from my nose. I could taste the iron easily since I was hanging upside down and it was nauseating. A spear finally hit its mark landing in the center of its yellow eye and it screeched and hissed releasing me immediately. I made an ice platform to break my fall as I kept freezing the creature with my power. Pushing harder and harder until finally the serpent was completely consumed in my ice. It stopped moving and began to sink into the depths. Good riddance. The sailors cheered the victory from the deck of the ship as I made a couple more platforms to hop my way over back to the ship. Niklas caught me in his arms as I leapt off the last platform and I returned to my feet before he hugged me.

"You okay?"

"More or less," I nodded against his shoulder.

Save for a few injuries, we didn't lose anybody to that creature thankfully. I wrapped the captain's head in a linen bandage they had on board and I had no doubt he'd recover in time. Due to the captain's injury, his first mate took over getting the ship to dock at the landmass that lay just a few leagues away in the distance. The fog was heavy and the waters of the fjord were anything but calm. The forests were gone and I didn't see any signs of a village of people still living here. Though I recognized this place from where we went in the past. We were back in Ahtohallan.