Hello again people, and welcome back to Frozen: Lords of Storm and Stone. I've got a second chapter for you today...nuff said.
Dietrich in the meantime, continued to fly northward as the sun went down. Eventually, he spotted a castle with a palisade around the field in front of it. Hundreds of soldiers manned each tower, wall, and housing around and within it's structure, and when Dietrich flew within view, they stopped what they were doing, and marveled at the glow of Dietrich's fire. When Dietrich landed in front of the castle's gates, far beyond the palisade, he walked up to the pair of guards by the gate.
"Red Wolf? What happened to-?" Dietrich cuts the guard off.
"Open the gate for me..." He said seriously, before the other guard pulled a lever, and the gates behind them opened, and a drawbridge lowered.
Dietrich went inside immediately, and climbed the stairs until he finally reached the top floor...and Absalom himself was sitting on a throne.
"The Red Wolf of Sweden has returned to me." He said.
"This is where I belong my lord..." Dietrich trailed off.
"Indeed it is...although one must wonder why you would stray from your pack the way you did?" Absalom asked.
"You know I seek revenge on Sigmund." Dietrich said.
"Of course I know that, but if you had stuck to our plan, he would likely have been finally captured by now, and his secrets would be mine, and his life would be yours. Yet, instead you attacked him yourself, and got captured in the process." Absalom said.
"It's a good thing I did; I acquired more information in the short time I've been his prisoner than all of your scouts have in months." Dietrich said, and Absalom smiled.
"Of that, I have no doubt..." He said.
"For starters...the rumors about Arendelle's Ice Queen? They are not rumors; Elsa is every bit as powerful as we had heard. I fought her no less than two times, and she nearly killed me both times." Dietrich said.
"I find that hard to believe." Absalom said.
"In truth, her two companions, or should I say, her sister and brother-in-law helped her capture me the first time, and the second time...Elsa had a chance to kill me, but she didn't take it." Dietrich said.
"Interesting...so she possessed enough power to subdue you, but lacks the will to end future battles before they start." Absalom said.
"Yes, but the others..." Dietrich trailed off.
"Well, what about them?" Absalom asked.
"I don't know how they obtained the means, but I hit them both with my flames, but neither of them were harmed, much less killed." Dietrich said, and Absalom took a moment to think.
"Maybe this Elsa found a way to use her magic's properties to cancel out your own." He said.
"That would explain how she was able to disable my magic with those damnable shackles." Dietrich said while tensing up and igniting his fists.
"Oh?" Absalom asked.
"Yes...while I was their prisoner, Elsa somehow created shackles that negated my magic." Dietrich said.
"Then she is more of a threat than I thought..." Absalom trailed off.
"Believe me my lord, the next time I fight her, things will end very differently." Dietrich said.
"For your sake, I just hope she never conquers her apprehension about ending lives, because if she does...you are doomed." Absalom said.
"May I ask what happened during my...incarceration?" Dietrich asked.
"Nothing unusual, I assume you, but there is...a sensitive matter in Finland that requires my attention.." Absalom said.
"That would be?" Dietrich asked.
"No one's concern but my own; not even Adrianna knows the details. That being said, you are to recover from your clearly-violent battle with the Snow Queen, and you are not to make any more moves against the Lord of Stone until I return." Absalom said.
"But I almost-" Absalom cuts Dietrich off by sparking his hand with lightning.
"You had your chance already Red Wolf, and you failed spectacularly. Do not disobey me a second time." Absalom said before walking out of the room past Dietrich.
In the morning, Elsa woke up before everyone else, then went to Sigmund's war room, and saw him sifting through more papers.
"Good morning Elsa." Sigmund said.
"Good morning." Elsa said.
"I failed to mention what I was doing while all of you were busy with your own projects..." Sigmund said.
"It's not too late." Elsa said, and Sigmund put the papers down and looked at her.
"Since Dietrich fled, I doubled my efforts. I've been building more soldiers, and scouts than ever before with the purpose of not only adding more security, but also bolstering the number of troops to expand the valley's influence, and to reclaim what we lost thanks to bandit raids." He said.
"You were doing that while you were with us?" Elsa asked.
"Not at the same time of course, but yes, I was." Sigmund said.
"Maybe we could both work on that." Elsa said.
"What do you mean?" Sigmund asked, then Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf appeared.
"Good morning you two." Kristoff said.
"Good morning to all of you as well." Sigmund said.
"Are we interrupting something?" Anna asked.
"Nothing that can't be made up for over breakfast." Sigmund said then Ingmar came out through a tunnel.
"Speaking of which my lord, Chef Gunjar has sent some chicken, this time, as you requested." He said.
"Very good." Sigmund said.
"Alright, let's eat." Kristoff said.
"The good Lisa sends her regards as well; Chef Gunjar used another wheel of cheese she provided for your bread as well." Ingmar said.
"My regards are returned in kind." Sigmund said before he followed the group to the kitchen.
When they got there, they immediately began eating, and didn't stop until they were done.
"Boy...that hit the spot." Kristoff said.
"O.k...I know things have been pretty stressful, but you couldn't have been that hungry." Anna said.
"Says the girl who ate almost as much as I did." Kristoff teased.
"I really like Gunjar's cooking!" Anna said seriously.
"And I don't...?" Kristoff asked, and Anna stared at him, then smirked.
"You win this round..." She said, and Elsa shook her head while smiling.
"Anyway, I was telling Elsa about how I was building more stone soldiers to help with the valley's military. She was also in the middle of telling me how she could help with that...which I am more than a little curious about." Sigmund said before looking at Elsa.
"I have created beings out of ice aside from Olaf." Elsa said.
"Like Marshmallow." Olaf said.
"Yes, like Marshmallow." Elsa said and Sigmund stared at her.
"Is that seriously what you call it?" He asked seriously.
"Well, technically Olaf named him that." Anna said.
"Interesting..." Sigmund said.
"Anyway, I could also make ice soldiers to work alongside your stone soldiers if you'd like." Elsa said.
"Elsa...you would do the valley a great service in doing so." Sigmund said.
"Then it's settled." Anna said.
"Also, I had some of my stone soldiers retrieve the mirror from my old fortress, but it was ruined." Sigmund said.
"What?" Anna asked.
"It must have been damaged during Elsa and Dietrich's fight." Sigmund said.
"I'm sorry Sigmund." Elsa said.
"It's just as well you did. I doubt it would be of much use in the long run, and it could benefit Absalom if he were to get his hands on it." Sigmund said.
"I suppose..." Elsa said.
"Well, what should we do for the holidays?" Kristoff asked.
"And Elsa's birthday." Anna said.
"What? When is her birthday?" Sigmund asked.
"The twenty-second, three days before Christmas." Anna said.
"The Winter Solstice?" Sigmund asked.
"Yep...my big sister is special in more ways than one." Anna said.
"Says the girl whose birthday is on the Summer Solstice" Kristoff said..
"That's...quite a coincidence." Sigmund said.
"What about your birthday?" Anna asked.
"May the twenty-sixth." Sigmund said.
"So we've got a Winter, a Summer, and a Spring...only an Autumn is missing." Kristoff said.
"Apparently..." Sigmund said.
"Where are we going to get one?" Olaf asked.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Anna said.
"What bridge?" Olaf asked.
"Anyway, there's a bounty of things you could do, and since we have weeks to prepare, and the outlaws have been dealt with, we can celebrate now more than on Thanksgiving, which is quite a statement." Sigmund said.
"Maybe you can go over your traditions." Olaf said.
"I'm sorry?" Sigmund asked.
"We actually went over our own family traditions a few years ago, and we discovered that...well, our family doesn't have a tradition, so we unintentionally made one." Elsa said.
"Every Christmas, I slipped a drawing of Olaf under Elsa's door so she wouldn't forget about our bond...so..." Anna trailed off.
"Surprise! I'm their family tradition!" Olaf exclaimed, and Sigmund chuckled.
"Will wonders ever cease...?" He asked.
"The rock trolls have their own traditions too, like the Ballad of Flemmingrad." Kristoff said.
"What's it about?" Sigmund asked.
"It's about a troll whom everyone adored, from youngest troll child, to the oldest troll grown-up, and everyone showed him with food each Christmas. Unfortunately, people found the trolls, and everyone had to run, or roll in this case. Flemmingrad however got stuck between some boulders and...well, they got him." Kristoff said.
"That sounds like a cautionary tale on gluttony to be quite honest." Sigmund said.
"It's a bit more than that, but...I guess that's true." Kristoff said.
"But what about your birthday Elsa?" Anna asked.
"We can do something special for ourselves on my birthday, but on Christmas...I could do something for the rest of the valley." Elsa said.
"That would be fantastic." Anna breathed out.
"I take it this isn't new?" Sigmund asked.
"Not even close. She's decorated our castle back in Arendelle on her own so many times it's not even funny." Anna said.
"And that's not counting the Christmas we discovered Olaf was there tradition, and she made a gigantic tree out of ice." Kristoff said, and Sigmund started thinking.
"That would be perfect..." He said.
"Yeah, another Christmas tree made of ice, just that size in the middle of the town square...it's perfect!" Anna exclaimed.
"Yes it would be." Elsa said.
"Heaven knows the people could use the spirit-lifting." Sigmund said.
"Sigmund..." Anna trailed off.
"Sorry, but I can't help thinking about my people, and what this war is doing to them." Sigmund said.
"Well, Christmas should be a time where we relax and enjoy ourselves." Elsa said.
"I agree, and that's why until then, I personally would like to get as much done as possible." Sigmund said.
"Alright, where should we start?" Kristoff asked.
"Well, I have stone soldiers to build, and I would like Elsa to do her part as well. What about the three of you?" Sigmund asked.
"We can take Olaf into the village and do some more exploring." Anna said.
"That reminds me. I had Ingmar send the monastery a letter telling them to prepare for visitors, and the brothers are perfectly willing to accommodate you for the time being." Sigmund said.
"O.k..." Anna said.
"I also would like to do some modifications to my fortress, some of which will require you to move into the village for a time." Sigmund said.
"Is it important?" Anna asked.
"Personally, it's very important. Just like how I asked Gunjar for chicken instead of fish or pork for breakfast, I feel it's time for a change. The fact that I am hosting a royal family and your rooms lack windows is...bothersome." Sigmund said.
"Well, that would be a nice change." Kristoff said.
"I promise I will take no longer than I need to, but I can see this taking more than a small amount of time." Sigmund said.
"Take as long as you need to." Anna said.
"It must be stressed that it will be within reason." Sigmund said seriously.
"Naturally." Anna said.
"Well, first things first, those stone and ice soldiers aren't going to make themselves." Kristoff said.
"Right." Sigmund said before standing up.
"See you at dinner." Elsa said.
Anna and Kristoff took Olaf down to the village, starting with Sven at the stable. After feeding him his breakfast, they took him down to the meadow where he could get some air in the usual manner. Afterwards, they went right back to the valley, and admired the staggering view that never lost its appeal for them.
When they reached the village, Askel himself was strumming his lute.
"Anna! Kristoff! Long time no see." He said as he approached the sled.
"Hi Askel." Anna said.
"Lisa told me she finally got to meet His Lordship last night, what happened?" Askel asked seriously.
"Well, she was completely beside herself with excitement the whole time, but..." Anna trailed off.
"It turns out her childhood sweetheart is still alive." Kristoff said.
"But what went wrong? She actually cried herself to sleep when she came home." Askel said.
"Yeah...it turns out her sweetheart, Dietrich, works for Absalom, and he really wants to kill Sigmund." Anna said, and Askel recoiled.
"Please tell me you heard wrong..." He breathed out.
"I wish I could, but Dietrich confirmed it multiple times." Anna said, and Askel sighed, then sat down.
"That explains alot..." He said.
"What do you mean?" Anna asked.
"Did she ever tell you I adopted her?" Askel asked.
"No...she didn't." Anna said.
"I took her under my wing when I heard her story, and giving her a reason to dance her heart out is probably the best service I've ever done for someone." Askel said.
"I can imagine." Anna said.
"Each time I play her feet start moving without a care in the world...I almost envy her, if it wasn't for why she does that in the first place." Askel said.
"Well...come the holidays, you'll have plenty of reason to play right? So she may even forget why she was ever sad in the first place." Kristoff said.
"One can hope my good sir...one can hope..." Askel said.
"My sister's birthday is a few days before the holidays too." Anna said.
"Really? Well good for her." Askel said.
"Where is Lisa now?" Kristoff asked.
"She's with the goats...and after what she's been through, she could use cheering up." Askel said seriously.
"Alright, well...we're off to see the monks." Anna said.
"You got the brothers to let you visit? That's rare..." Askel said.
"Sigmund sent them a notice." Kristoff said.
"Figures...well, have a good one." Askel said.
"You too." Anna said before Kristoff had Sven pull their sled to the monastery.
When they reached the monastery, they were greeted by a lone monk, who opened the door and waited for them to approach.
"Top of the morning to you." The monk said.
"To you too." Anna said before Kristoff stopped the sled.
"I am Brother Johan, and Father Leonid has been awaiting your arrival since Lord Sigmund let us know of your coming." Johan said.
"He has?" Anna asked.
"Very much so. We know you have aided Saint William in his crusade against Absalom. Father Leonid can tell you more than I can however." Johan said.
"O.k..." Anna said.
"Please, do come in." Johan said.
"Alright." Anna said, then she and Kristoff got out of the sled and followed Johan inside.
Once inside, the rest of the monks, carried out their tasks, but looked at the trio just long enough to note who they were. Anna and Kristoff looked over the rooms where the monks were busy taking care of the rooms, the artifacts, and pictures. Some monks were writing, others were praying, and others were simply conversing. The two visitors paid just enough attention to what was going on to come to the right conclusions about what was happening, but never lingered enough to draw attention from the working monks.
Eventually, they reached the innermost chamber, where the abbot, Father Leonid was waiting for them.
"Father? They're here." Johan said, then Leonid looked up from the book he was reading to see his guests.
"Welcome Your Majesties." Leonid said.
"Hello Father." Anna said.
"Leave us Brother Johan." Leonid said, then Johan bowed and walked out of the room.
"He said something about Saint William." Kristoff said.
"Ah yes...Saint William." Leonid said.
"You know him?" Anna asked.
"I was once his protege, until...things fell apart." Leonid said.
"Because of Adrianna? He told me that story before." Anna said.
"I see...I am also aware that you and Lord Sigmund investigated some ruins before the renegades surrounding the Valley of Stone were wiped out." Leonid said.
"Yeah...what about them?" Kristoff asked.
"Those ruins were used by countless people throughout the ages, from the Vikings, to the people before them, to the people who lived here before Lord Sigmund's people took up residence." Leonid said.
"O.k..." Anna said.
"We also found a log cabin in the middle of the forest that had a book with information on the ruins." Kristoff said.
"That cabin is likely a meeting place for the Lodge of Sacred Stars." Leonid said.
"Who are they?" Anna asked.
"A secret society that are said to have studied the source of various types of magic." Leonid said.
"Really?" Anna asked seriously.
"Yes, and Saint William is their leader." Leonid said.
"Their leader?" Anna and Kristoff asked at the same time.
"And supposedly, he received his magic from a source that is just as mysterious as where Lord Sigmund got his power." Leonid said.
"Where did they get their magic?" Anna asked.
"That's just it...no one knows, but that's also not important. Lately, we have received reports from Saint William regarding his crusade, and he has made considerable progress rebuilding the lodge." Leonid said.
"Well, that's good." Anna said.
"Normally it would be...but I fear he is rebuilding it, only for it to fall again." Leonid said.
"He did say that he could stop by the valley if he's needed." Anna said.
"Well, we sure could use him right about now." Kristoff said seriously.
"If he wants to come here, he will come here. There is no way he does not know of this place, nor the fact that hundreds of people call it home." Leonid said.
"True." Anna said.
"I have also been told by Lord Sigmund that should you require housing here, that we are to provide it for you." Leonid said.
"We do appreciate that, but we'll try the town itself first." Anna said.
"As you wish, but our door is open to you regardless." Leonid said.
"Well...we should be going now." Kristoff said.
"We'll keep you in the loop if we can, and we'd like you to do the same...if you can." Anna said.
"Go in peace Your Majesties." Leonid said before the pair left the room and walked out of the monastery.
After the pair went back to pick up Olaf from the stable, they made their usual trips around the valley, especially the farms. They then went to the marketplace to see what was available...and Olaf ran around looking at everything there was to see. Naturally, they had to chase him to keep him from going too wild, but once they did, order was no longer being threatened. They then browsed the various stalls, but other people wanted what was being sold far more.
As the sun started to go down, the trio went back to the fortress...where Elsa and Sigmund were waiting in the throne room.
"Welcome back." Sigmund said.
"Good to be back." Anna said.
"So how far did you two get?" Kristoff asked.
"To say the least, things were quite productive. Dozens of stones soldiers were created by me, with Elsa spawning dozens more out of ice." Sigmund said.
"Well, that's good." Anna said.
"How was your trip?" Elsa asked.
"Interesting..." Anna trailed off.
"We spoke to Father Leonid, the head of the monastery...and he told us about Saint William." Kristoff said.
"That priest you found a week ago? What of him?" Sigmund asked.
"It turns out he's the leader of the Lodge of Sacred Stars." Anna said, and Sigmund stood from his throne.
"The lodge is real...?" He breathed out.
"You know them?" Elsa asked.
"I've heard of them...but...this is big news..." Sigmund said seriously while looking away.
"How?" Anna asked.
"Those men no doubt have alot of information on the most powerful magics in the world, and I don't think I need to tell you what they could mean for us." Sigmund said.
"Yeah, that is true." Kristoff said.
"I asked Father Leonid to keep us in the know if he can; he said he was being given reports on what the lodge is up to." Anna said.
"Your services to this valley grow more and more every day...all of you." Sigmund said before sitting down.
"That's why we're here isn't it?" Anna asked casually.
"Yes it is...yes it is..." Sigmund trailed off.
Hoo boy...things get more and more intense, I even surprise myself sometimes with how much tension I can generate. What's the deal with Saint William's lodge? What magics did they look into? What purpose do they intend to fulfill? Well, that's for the later chapters to reveal, so please be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while the 3rd and final chapter today brews. Stay tuned.