Hello people, and welcome back to Frozen: Lords of Storm and Stone. Let's see what else the Frozen crew have going on this time.
Early in the morning, Lisa gave Chef Gunjar a wheel of cheese for Anna's family, and Sigmund himself. She then stopped by the barracks, and requested an arming sword...which Captain Lars reluctantly granted. Lisa then took a moment to get used how a sword feels when held, or even swung, and after Lars gave her a minor lesson in how to sword was handled properly, Lisa requested whatever gauntlets were available, then returned to Sigmund's fortress.
Now, Lisa was with Sigmund in the arena, with Sigmund fully armored, and Lisa trying to press the attack. Sigmund continued to block, and deflect Lisa's thrusts, and swings...especially since he saw her attacks coming. Sigmund either kept both hands on the handle of his sword, or occasionally gripped the blade with one hand, and Lisa continued attacking Sigmund, without landing a single hit.
She eventually retreated, and started breathing more deeply, while Sigmund simply stood in front of her standing upright. Lisa then attacked Sigmund again, and his lack of fatigue was as apparent as ever; despite wearing plate armor, he was still more nimble and had better structure than Lisa. She wasn't surprised considering the intense difference in experience, strength, and skill, but it was still no less awe-inspiring.
Eventually, Lisa had enough and put her sword in her scabbard.
"I thought you haven't used a blade before." Sigmund said.
"Captain Lars...showed me the basics." Lisa said.
"It shows." Sigmund said seriously before removing his helmet.
"I'm still a long way's off." Lisa said seriously.
"You also give yourself too little credit, just like the others did." Sigmund said.
"I'm not discouraged...besides, I have the one and only Lord of Stone as my teacher. What do I have to worry about?" Lisa said while smiling, and Sigmund returned it.
"True enough." He said.
"Now, I've seen the skills you demonstrated with everyone else, but are there any you haven't taught them?" Lisa asked.
"Well, there is disengaging your sword with your opponent's." Sigmund said.
"What does that mean?" Lisa asked, then Sigmund held up his sword.
"Lock your sword with mine." He said, then Lisa looked his sword over.
"O.k..." She breathed out before following his instructions.
"Right now, our swords are in what's called the bind, which is a position where in a real fight, we would try to move around each other's blades to land a strike. Obviously, we would want to prevent that from happening, and there's a bounty of ways to do that...such as this." Sigmund said before swirling his sword around Lisa's.
"Alright." Lisa said.
"Did you notice how little space I covered? That is critical; if you make the movement cover alot of space...you're wasting energy, and letting your opponent know what you're doing." Sigmund said.
"Which of course is not smart." Lisa said.
"Correct, and like I said, there are other options, but that is a lesson for another time." Sigmund said.
"Right." Lisa said before Sigmund sheathed his sword.
"It's also worth noting that, well, remember how I said not all attacks can stop a fight? That includes mortal wounds. For example, if you run your opponent through, they can still attack you, and likely will; their rage won't allow them to do anything less. So, if you mortally wound your foe, then get mortally wounded in return...neither of you win." Sigmund said.
"Right." Lisa said.
"But...that does not mean rage will help you win a fight; more often than not, the angry ones are the first into battle, and by extension, the first to die." Sigmund said.
"What about Dietrich?" Lisa asked, and Sigmund stared at her.
"Saying that his case is special is the epitome of an understatement Lisa." He said seriously.
"Right..." Lisa trailed off.
Meanwhile, Anna came out of her and Kristoff's room, went to the throne room, and was greeted by Ingmar.
"Good morning to you Your Majesty." He said.
"Good morning to you too." Anna said.
"I witnessed Lisa come into this fortress before you woke." Ingmar said.
"Really?" Anna asked.
"Yes indeed." Ingmar said.
"What for?" Anna asked.
"She didn't say, but I trust this is not a simple visit." Ingmar said, then Lisa walked into the room while smiling.
"No...it wasn't." She said.
"Lisa!" Anna exclaimed.
"In the flesh." Lisa said casually.
"A good morning to you Lisa." Ingmar said.
"What brings you here first thing in the morning?" Anna asked.
"What else? I'm here for Lord Sigmund's training." Lisa said.
"I am surprised that he was awake when you arrived." Ingmar said seriously.
"I had to wait for a while, but it wasn't a problem." Lisa said before leaning against a pillar.
"How did it go?" Anna asked.
"About as well as it could have gone. He didn't dull my sword since he wanted me to feel the difference between a sharp one and a dull one, but he played defense the entire time, and had me attack him." Lisa said.
"You didn't hurt him did you?" Anna asked seriously.
"He was wearing his armor." Lisa said simply, and Anna smirked.
"What am I saying? Of course he was..." She said.
"Pardon me Your Majesty, but should we not wake the rest of your family?" Ingmar asked.
"I...I don't want to bother them." Lisa said.
"Nonsense. You and them have grown quite close; it's only fitting they share this moment with us." Ingmar said.
"They'll wake up when they wake up." Anna said.
"As you wish." Ingmar said.
"What about Sigmund?" Anna asked.
"Oh he went back to sleep. He did wake up pretty early after all." Lisa said.
"I see..." Ingmar said.
"Problem?" Anna asked.
"I kept silent on the matter out of respect for your progress, but I fear His Lordship is neglecting his duties. He is afterall sworn to look after the Valley of Stone, and that does involve giving orders to the people if need be." Ingmar said.
"He'll be fine, and if he really needs us, we can all sit down and put our heads together on what orders could be given." Anna said, then Sigmund walked out of his war room wearing his trousers, and a robe.
"That will not be necessary." He said, then Lisa gasped, and Ingmar bowed.
"Terribly sorry sire. I was not aware you were awake." He said.
"I woke up less than a minute ago." Sigmund said.
"May I ask how much you heard?" Ingmar asked.
"Enough to know that you haven't been observing my efforts, at least not adequately." Sigmund said.
"I'm afraid I do not understand sire." Ingmar said.
"I have not given orders recently, because there was no need to. I have not forgotten the reason why reports have stopped flowing as of late." Sigmund said.
"And...why is that?" Ingmar asked.
"Absalom is still keeping his forces at bay." Sigmund said as Elsa walked in.
"Why is that?" She asked, then Anna turned to see her.
"Likely because of the snow..." Sigmund trailed off.
"Then...I guess Elsa here can keep that going for us." Anna said.
"Not for good. Sooner or later, we will have to fight back." Sigmund said seriously.
"What?" Lisa asked.
"Not now, not tomorrow...but in the end. For now, we are safe, and will likely remain so until spring, when the snow melts." Sigmund said, then Kristoff and Olaf entered.
"You want the snow to melt...?" Olaf asked seriously.
"Not the snow you're made of." Elsa said softly.
"Of course not." Sigmund said.
"Oh...well that's good." Olaf said.
"So, what do we do now?" Kristoff asked.
"Well for now, where's breakfast? I'm starving." Anna said casually.
"I gave some cheese to Chef Gunjar before I came here, and he should be done soon." Lisa said.
"I will see to him at once." Ingmar said before he curled into a ball, then rolled towards a hole in the wall.
"I will never get used to that..." Kristoff breathed out.
"Alright, let's get situated in the dining room shall we?" Anna asked.
"We shall." Kristoff said casually before taking her hand, and Anna smiled before holding his entire arm and following Elsa to the door.
"You go, I will join you later." Sigmund said.
"I'm going to look around some more." Olaf said casually as he left the room.
"As you wish." Lisa said while bowing, then she followed the family...then she looked back at Sigmund who entered his war room.
When Ingmar returned with the covered tray full of food, he and the family set up their meals.
"Enjoy your meal and your time together." Ingmar said before bowing and exiting the room.
"Thank you Ingmar." Elsa said before taking her plate from Kristoff then sitting down in front of Anna and Lisa. The group then simply consumed their breakfast in peace, while passing ingredients every now and then. They even had apples added to their breakfast courtesy of Chef Gunjar, and of course the cheese Lisa supplied.
Eventually, Sigmund entered the room, wearing his armor.
"Glad you could join us." Anna asked casually as Sigmund went to his seat.
"I apologize for not being here sooner." He said.
"It's no big deal. That armor doesn't wear itself." Anna said before Sigmund sat down, and Kristoff starting filling the last plate with the rest of the food.
"That, plus Ingmar brought a valid point to light, that being the lack of orders I gave to my people being a concern." Sigmund said.
"How?" Anna asked.
"It's likely they know I am still looking into important matters, but...my voice does need to be heard every now and then, and it wasn't." Sigmund said, then Kristoff handed him the plate.
"Here." Kristoff said, then Sigmund took the plate.
"Thank you." He said.
"There's no way they'd hold it against you." Anna said.
"Of that, I have no doubt." Sigmund said.
"You're doing the best you can as a leader, there's nothing wrong with that." Elsa said.
"I appreciate that you're trying to lift my spirits, but it really isn't necessary. I am sharing what I know with you for a reason, and the same goes for my efforts to make you more formidable, should the need arise." Sigmund said seriously, then Lisa took a moment to think.
"My liege?" She asked.
"Yes?" Sigmund asked.
"May I ask how you learned what you know?" Lisa asked.
"That's right! You never told us how you got so good at fighting." Kristoff said, then Sigmund sighed deeply.
"Because...because I was in the Danish army for five years." He breathed out and everyone widened their eyes.
"You're kidding me..." Anna said.
"No, I'm not." Sigmund said, then Elsa took a moment to think.
"You once said you originally came from Germany, then moved to Denmark..." She trailed off.
"That is correct Elsa, and when I turned eighteen, I joined the Danish army, with Captain Lars as my commanding officer." Sigmund said.
"You mean...you used to take orders from him?" Lisa asked seriously, then Sigmund smiled.
"Yes, I took orders from him, and now he takes orders from me. Ironic isn't it?" He asked softly.
"But...how did you get to be the Lord of Stone?" Lisa asked.
"That's...a long story." Sigmund breathed out.
"Well, we'll let you eat, then you can tell us." Anna said.
"Don't bother, I will take my food with me, and eat later." Sigmund said, before standing up and leaving the room, with the others sharing looks and following him.
Sigmund lead them to his war room, then set his plate of food on a desk, and sat down in a chair.
"Is this too hard to talk about? Because...you shouldn't feel obligated-" Sigmund cuts Elsa off.
"No...it's only fitting my so-called legend's origins be brought into the light of day." He said seriously.
"You mean, you haven't told anyone?" Anna asked.
"I never had to." Sigmund said.
"Why?" Anna asked, then Sigmund sighed.
"Because most of the people who know, have seen it with their own eyes." He said seriously, then Kristoff smirked.
"Well this just gets more interesting by the moment." He said casually.
"Kristoff...let him talk." Anna said seriously, then everyone looked at Sigmund, as he looked ahead.
"When I first joined the military, I did what I could to hone my skills, and the skills of those around me as much as I could. My assignments were that of a regular foot soldier most of the time, and I almost never saw real combat. However...when I was assigned to Captain Lars, everything changed...quickly." He said.
"How?" Elsa asked, then Sigmund looked at her.
"Because we came here, to Norway." He said seriously.
"Why?" Elsa asked.
"Because...the king heard rumors of a magical force somewhere in the Norwegian heartland, where we are now. We sailed past the tips of Norway and Sweden, until we reached a straightforward path to the Valley of Stone. On the way, we encountered a great deal of trouble, from outlaw ambushes, to hostile animals, to the land itself." Sigmund said.
"Sounds like you didn't have an easy time getting here." Lisa said softly.
"That is putting it mildly Lisa; there is a reason I frown upon war so intensely. There were some very violent, and very frightening times between our arrival, and the time I became the Lord of Stone. There was more than two hundred of us at first, but now...only ninty-three of us, including myself and Captain Lars remain. Many of them dead unfortunately, many others...they either deserted, or were too demoralized to remain part of our expedition." Sigmund said.
"That's terrible..." Lisa breathed out.
"If there was any silver lining to our losses, it's that we scoured the entire heartland looking for the outlaws plaguing it, and forced them to flee. We hoped that would be the last we would hear from them, and you're seen the rest." Sigmund said.
"They came back." Anna said seriously.
"That's right. With the outlaws dealt with, to our knowledge at least, we were free to continue our exploration of this land, and eventually...we found the Valley of Stone. Once we did...our morale soared; a large number of us began to doubt, quite strongly, that the valley was nothing more than a legend." Sigmund said.
"And now here we are standing in the middle of it." Lisa said.
"But...our journey was not over. We found the valley, at a terrible price, and had nothing to show for it, other than we confirmed a myth. Overtime, we began to question if it was worth it. Most of the soldiers under Captain Lars' command lost brothers, fathers, cousins, sons...and for what? Some of us however did not relent, and how could we? We believed the very same thing, but our beliefs were very different...especially my own. The others may have thought this was in vain, others thought our losses were unacceptable...I thought our lack of a reward was unacceptable." Sigmund said.
"What did you do?" Elsa asked, then Sigmund sighed.
"The only thing I could do: explore the mountains." He said.
"Alone?" Anna and Kristoff asked at the same time.
"Yes. I had a feeling I couldn't explain or ignore, that something in the mountains...the same one we stand upon now, was hiding something. When my self-appointed mission was complete, I discovered that I was correct...more so than I have ever been." Sigmund said.
"What did you find?" Lisa asked.
"The item that granted me my powers." Sigmund said, and Lisa's eyes widened.
"What item?" Anna asked.
"I still cannot say; I told you before it is my most closely-guarded secret, and I promised I would not share it unless I absolutely have to." Sigmund said seriously.
"Well...is this item still here?" Anna asked.
"It's not in this fortress no...but it is close, but without my powers aiding you, you have little hope of reaching it." Sigmund said.
"O.k..." Anna said.
"I was in a similar position. Without my powers, I never would have...I never would have reached the location in which they were enhanced." Elsa said.
"I see..." Sigmund said.
"Well, what did you do after you got your powers?" Kristoff asked.
"I kept them a secret for the most part, but whenever I could, I practiced with them, until I was comfortable using them in everyday life. Then, I began to look into...other ways to apply them, especially combat. I called weapons to me, I had them fight on my behalf, I used the environment itself against the outlaws who continued to plague me and my fellow troops. Every time I did, the troops with me felt that we couldn't lose; that the battle was ours before it even began." Sigmund said.
"Wow..." Lisa breathed out.
"Better still...I have looked into using my powers to prevent deaths rather than cause them. Perhaps the one that earned me the most prestige is the time, a caravan of a dozen carts rolled through the valley. As it came through the valley itself, there was little trouble, but once it approached the pass between two mountains, there was an earthquake." Sigmund said.
"Oh no..." Lisa groaned.
"Did you stop it? Anna asked.
"No, I can't even do that nowadays, and it gets worse. The earthquake not only startled the horses and the people alike, but also brought down hundreds of rocks that threatened to bury the caravan." Sigmund said seriously.
"Did you stop the rocks?" Lisa asked.
"That I did...and the looks on everyone faces were that of people who thought they were witnessing a miracle, and to an extent, I agree with them." Sigmund said.
"I'm just hearing about it and I agree with them." Lisa said seriously.
"Anyway, I reattached the rocks to the mountains that brought them down, and everyone cheered so loudly I almost feared the mountains would come down again." Sigmund said and Lisa giggled.
"Seriously?" She asked.
"Yes, but I couldn't fault them in any way; I wasn't always the Lord of Stone afterall. In fact, after that day, the people dubbed me the Lord of Stone...even though I was not an actual lord by any means." Sigmund said.
"But how did you become a lord?" Kristoff asked.
"That's an even longer story Kristoff..." Sigmund said seriously.
"Well, can you give a summary?" Kristoff asked, then Sigmund sighed.
"Unless it's too much to ask..." Anna said.
"Right..." Kristoff said simply, then Sigmund took a moment to think.
"Well, my reputation spoke for itself, even though my magic's origins were, and still shrouded in mystery, so people I encountered that heard the rumors were eager to flock to my fiefdom. As for how I became a lord...well, for starters, I had to learn how to live like one, and what it entailed. Not a simple task for one who comes from the humblest of origins...a common foot soldier in a foreign army." Sigmund said.
"Did an actual lord come by and teach you?" Anna asked.
"No...I was actually separated from my unit, and the rest of the people, and I was found by dwarves." Sigmund said.
"Dwarves?" Lisa asked.
"Yes...including the ones who forged my sword and armor for me, and even trained me to use them properly." Sigmund said.
"So that's why you love using them so much." Lisa said.
"Part of the reason yes. I've shown you how useful they can be first hand, but of course...the best equipment in the world cannot help you if you lack experience, and comfort with its use." Sigmund said.
"How did dwarves train you when they're supposed the size of children?" Lisa asked.
"They did not have to be my size; some of them lived long enough to be familiar with the knights of old, especially their styles." Sigmund said.
"Is that why you modeled yourself after them? I mean, aside from how useful their stuff is." Anna asked.
"That is also part of it yes. Some of the dwarves instructed me in how to fight the way a knight would, while others used their resourcefulness, which dwarves are famous for, to create statues out of bronze that I could test different skills on, such as half-swording, and the infamous murder stroke." Sigmund said.
"Why bronze?" Lisa asked.
"Because bronze is softer, and easier to work with than steel, and at the time, I needed a challenge during my training. A light challenge, but a challenge nonetheless." Sigmund said.
"Sigmund...you said that your sword was made by a dwarf woman..." Elsa trailed off, then Sigmund drew his sword and looked it over.
"Alma...her name was Alma..." He breathed out.
"Were you close?" Lisa asked softly.
"In truth...she made this sword for me as a gift, and a token of affection." Sigmund said.
"Affection...?" Lisa breathed out.
"Yes, she knew of me, before I even became the Lord of Stone, and she was so inspired by how much of a difference it could make, that she made this sword especially for me. The poor woman was in love with me I think..." Sigmund said.
"Did you return her feelings?" Lisa asked.
"No...she died before I got the chance." Sigmund said.
"Oh...I'm sorry." Lisa said.
"Don't be, I honor her and the other dwarves who made my sword and armor each time I use them." Sigmund said.
"I guess that makes sense..." Lisa said.
"Also, when Alma died, she was setting a trap for Absalom's forces, they first time they engaged me, and when her trap was sprung...an explosion, the likes of which I have never seen before or since, consumed the entire area she was in, and Absalom's forces were doomed with her." Sigmund said.
"An explosion..." Lisa breathed out.
"As my reputation grew, so did the number of enemies I made, and eventually Absalom heard of me, and began to harass my people. After Alma sprung her trap, Absalom retreated back to Finland, and it was the issue I had with the outlaws all over again. I hoped I would never hear from Absalom again, then he returns with a vengeance." Sigmund said.
"And now here we are..." Kristoff trailed off.
"Yes..." Sigmund whispered before looking away.
"Sigmund..." Elsa said softly, before Sigmund stood up, put his sword back in its sheath, and side-glanced at her.
"I have a meal waiting..." He breathed out, then he walked past everyone, and grabbed the plate of food he set down.
"I'm sorry, we spoke for so long, your food is likely cold by now..." Lisa said, then Sigmund smiled.
"A small price to pay for the blessing you all gave me by listening." He said, then he made the chair he sat in before float towards him, then he sat down and began to eat.
"So...what do we do now?" Lisa asked.
"You came for lessons did you not?" Sigmund asked simply.
"I have..." Lisa said.
"Then we can continue later." Sigmund said.
"But, my liege..." Lisa said, then Sigmund turned to her.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Well...with all due respect, is it really a good idea to continue my training in light of what you just shared with us?" Lisa asked.
"Because of how intense this subject was? Don't worry...it's my burden to bear, and I've carried worse." Sigmund said before he resumed his meal, then the others looked at each other.
"Well...I'm sure Sven is getting lonely, we should check up on him." Kristoff said.
"And on second thought my liege...maybe we should resume my training some other time." Lisa said.
"As you wish." Sigmund said before the others walked out of the war room...and the fortress.
On the way to the stable, Lisa kept her eyes on the ground, or the side, and Elsa eventually looked at her, and immediately noted the look on her face.
"Lisa? Are you alright?" Elsa asked.
"Yes...and no..." Lisa trailed off.
"What?" Elsa asked.
"It's just...on one hand, I'm very glad I get to finally hear his legend, but on the other hand...I wasn't expecting it to be this...heavy." Lisa said seriously.
"That is a good point." Kristoff said.
"Also, I think I asked for too much information, and that there's something he's not telling us." Lisa said.
"We can't expect him to tell us everything." Kristoff said.
"No...I get what she means." Elsa breathed out.
"What?" Lisa asked.
"I used to be like him once, after I hurt Anna with my powers when we were kids." Elsa said.
"Are you serious?" Lisa asked.
"Yes...afterwards, I shut the world out, and myself in. I think Sigmund is doing the same thing, but in a different way...and it's starting to worry me." Elsa said.
"He didn't look like he was clamming up to me." Lisa said.
"Clamming up is one thing, and so is shutting the world out, but...whatever he's doing is another." Elsa said.
"O.k. you're not making any sense." Lisa said.
"It's not easy to explain, but...Sigmund is telling us the truth, I can tell that, but something is going through his mind, something nasty." Elsa said seriously.
"Like...fear?" Anna asked.
"But he's not afraid of anything." Lisa said.
"It could just be simple grief." Kristoff said.
"Well there's definitely grief, but...look whatever it is, and however many things he's dealing with, he's not dealing with it, it's dealing with him, and he doesn't want anyone to know about it." Elsa said.
"It's alittle late for that now..." Kristoff said.
"But it's not too late to deal with it for him." Anna said.
"How?" Lisa asked.
"We keep doing what we've been doing for one thing, and for another...well, he thanked us for being there for him, so let's keep at it." Anna said.
"Here's hoping it's not too bad..." Lisa said.
"He'll be fine, he's the Lord of Stone for a reason, regardless of how many...dare I say it? Storms he'd been through." Kristoff said, then everyone stared at him.
"Anyway, let's just pay Sven a visit." Lisa said, then the group went to the stable.
When they got there, Sven was still sleeping, but he woke up as soon as the family walked in.
"Hello Sven." Anna said.
"Hello Anna." Kristoff said on Sven's behalf, then Lisa held up a basket of carrots.
"Want some?" She asked.
"Yes please." Kristoff said on Sven's behalf, then Lisa smiled and put a carrot in range of Sven's mouth before he bit it.
"Good?" Lisa asked, then Sven snorted and nodded.
"Surprise!" Olaf yelled, then everyone widened their eyes, gasped, and turned to Olaf, who was in the entrance, standing on one foot, and waving at them.
"Olaf!" Everyone yelled.
"Sorry..." Olaf said casually before walking towards them.
"Where did you come from?" Anna asked.
"I followed you here from the big stone house on that mountain." Olaf said.
"Well, at least you surprised us good." Lisa said.
"Alittle too good..." Kristoff groaned.
"So, how did things go?" Olaf asked, then everyone looked at each other.
"It went pretty well." Anna said.
"Sigmund also told us a...pretty sad story." Lisa said.
"Oh...I don't like sad stories..." Olaf said seriously.
"Neither do I..." Lisa said.
"But can't you find a way to make it happy?" Olaf asked.
"We're working on that." Anna said.
"Wait a minute...Sigmund once said that he wants to face me with magic again." Elsa said, and Lisa gasped.
"A magic fight between you and Sigmund? This I've got to see!" She said seriously.
"Is he even going to agree to it?" Kristoff asked.
"He said he wants to do it at some point, and he's nothing if not honest." Elsa said.
"Still, the timing doesn't exactly seem...proper." Kristoff said.
"We won't know unless we ask." Anna said.
"Or he tells us." Olaf said.
"That too..." Anna said.
"Wait, are we going back now?" Lisa asked.
"No, we should take Sven out again, then go see Sigmund." Anna said.
"Right, and while you do that, I'll go see the goats, and maybe get some more cheese for your dinner." Lisa said.
"Alright, we'll see you at the fortress in a few hours." Anna said.
"Right." Lisa said before giving Kristoff the few carrots left in the basket, then opening the door to Sven's pen, and the group exited the stable.
After the family saw to Sven's need for activity, and Lisa saw to the goats, they went back to Sigmund's fortress, and saw him in his war room looking over some papers.
"Need any help?" Anna asked, then Sigmund turned to see them.
"No. Some of my scouts came by earlier while you were away, and it seems that all is still secure in the outposts guarding the passes to the valley." Sigmund said.
"Well, at least that's something." Anna said.
"Indeed." Sigmund said before gathering the papers, put them in a stack, and set it on the side.
"Sigmund? Are you alright?" Anna asked.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Sigmund asked simply.
"It's just...you seemed rather uncomfortable talking about how you became the Lord of Stone." Anna said.
"I've already told you I can handle it." Sigmund said seriously.
"Still...I'm pretty sure I speak for all four of us when I say that if we knew it would be so heavy, we would have either thought twice, or..." Anna trailed off.
"Anna...if it was too strenuous to talk about, I would not have talked about it." Sigmund said.
"Fair enough..." Anna breathed out.
"We also came because...well, Elsa has something to ask you." Lisa said, then Elsa smirked and cleared her throat.
"Lord Sigmund...I want a rematch." She said seriously, then Sigmund stared at her.
"Alright." He said before leaving the war room, and the family followed him to the arena.
When they reached the arena, Sigmund and Elsa each took a side of the room with the others sitting on the side. Sigmund removed his flattened helmet from his breastplate, formed it into his helmet, then watched Elsa create her own plate and scale armor before Sigmund put his helmet on, then fastened it to his head. He then drew his sword, and held it to the side, while pointing it at Elsa as she formed a spear out of ice.
The rest of the group watched in anticipation, and Lisa in particular had a pounding heart, and was breathing so loudly that Anna paid as much attention to her as she did to her elder sister and Sigmund
"Lisa? You're shaking..." Anna said.
"I'm sorry, I'm just so excited I could explode..." Lisa said seriously.
"That...would actually be quite messy..." Olaf said casually, then Lisa looked at him curiously.
"I didn't mean that literally, and that's kind of unsettling." She said seriously.
"They're going to start any moment now, so..." Kristoff trailed off, then Sigmund slowly marched towards Elsa, and stopped when he was barely out of range of her spear. Elsa then thrusted at him, and Sigmund side-stepped, and cut into the tip of her spear, and Elsa backed away, closed the break in her spear, then then thrusted at Sigmund again. He then deflected the spear thrust, and looked Elsa over before they started circling each other.
"You learned from Kristoff haven't you...?" Sigmund asked.
"Not directly." Elsa said, before pointing her spear at Sigmund again.
"What of your spear itself? Ice is more brittle than wood or stone." He said.
"Let me worry about that." Elsa said before Sigmund pointed his sword at her, then Elsa thrusted at him before Sigmund made a stone rise out of the ground between them. Elsa's spear broke against the stone, she looked her spear over, then reformed the head just as Sigmund lowered the rock back into the ground and charged at her. The span of time was so small that Elsa had just enough time to put the shaft of her spear in front of Sigmund's sword to stop his swing. This time his swing did limited damage to Elsa's spear, and she looked back and forth between Sigmund and her spear.
"I was not going to strike you seriously, with or without armor." Sigmund said.
"One cannot be too careful." Elsa said.
"A fair point..." Sigmund said before stepping away from Elsa, who turned her spear into a longsword...which made her family look at each other curiously.
"Elsa? Have you tried a sword like that before?" Lisa asked.
"No, but now would be a good time to start." Elsa said.
"That is also a fair point." Sigmund said seriously before Elsa swung at Sigmund's head, then he used a half-sword block to stop her swing. Sigmund then pushed her sword to the side, then tried to thrust to her head, but she wisely ducked under his thrust. Elsa then froze the ground under Sigmund's feet, which made him fall to one knee to catch his balance, then Elsa pushed him back with her shoulder.
Sigmund then fell and slid across the ground, then Elsa watched him until Sigmund reached the unfrozen ground, and levitated onto his feet.
"Are you hurt?" Elsa asked.
"No, thank you." Sigmund said.
"I guess fighting you too close is out of the question..." Elsa trailed off.
"Half-swording is a powerful technique, if used correctly...but the same is true for the use of ice magic when tactics are your focus, as you demonstrated quite nicely." Sigmund said, then Elsa smiled.
"Then let's do a little more with these swords, then let's try your magic against my own." She said.
"Agreed." Sigmund said before Elsa absorbed the ice on the ground, and Sigmund pointed his sword at Elsa...who returned his gesture.
"Copycat!" Anna exclaimed, and Elsa smirked at her before looking at Sigmund again, who took a step toward Elsa, who took a step back, then took another step toward Sigmund, and thrusted at him. Sigmund deflected her thrust, then swung at her head, Elsa ducked under his swing, then thrusted at his abdomen. Sigmund deflected her thrust with the lower half of his sword, then Elsa quickly pulled her sword back, and swung at Sigmund's neck...and stopped her strike before it connected.
"Impressive..." Sigmund breathed out, before he thrusted at Elsa's abdomen, and his strike connected as well.
"You wouldn't survive my strike." Elsa said seriously.
"I know, but this isn't a fight to the death. If it was...well, the victor would depend heavily on whether or not I can get close to you." Sigmund said.
"O.k. this is getting alittle too heavy alittle too quickly..." Kristoff trailed off.
"Let's just continue." Elsa said, then she gave Sigmund space as he stood up, and when he did, he then charged at Elsa. When he got close enough, he quickly extended his sword toward her, and Elsa had just enough time to put her sword in the way. Elsa then blocked a second swing, then a third, then she deflected Sigmund's fourth strike, then put her sword at Sigmund's throat.
"You truly are a copycat..." Sigmund trailed off, then Elsa smirked and mended her sword.
"I learned from watching you." She said.
"Quite well it seems." Sigmund said, then Elsa lowered her sword.
"Question: are you smiling under that helmet?" She asked casually, then Sigmund stared at her.
"Possibly..." Sigmund said.
"I'll take that as a yes." Elsa said.
"Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and with good reason." Sigmund said seriously.
"Well said Lord of Stone." Elsa said before walking to the other side of the arena.
"Where are you going?" Sigmund asked before Elsa turned her sword into frost and absorbed it.
"I think it's time we resume our fight with magic, don't you?" She asked, then Sigmund looked at the others, who were all watching with anticipations, especially Lisa, then he removed his helmet and flattened it against his breastplate.
"Very well then..." Sigmund breathed out, before he raised two stones out of the ground with each hand, then he had one hand hold both stone, then waved his other hand to seal the holes he made.
"O.k...this is where things get good..." Lisa whispered, then Sigmund launched both stones at Elsa, then she released a cloud of frost in front of her that turned into a wall of ice. The stones hit the ice wall with just enough force to cause major damage, but the wall was still standing. Sigmund then pulled the stones back to him, then Elsa mended the wall as Sigmund hurled the stones at the wall a second time, and the ice wall shattered. Elsa's armor protected her from the shards so much that she only covered her face with one hand, then Sigmund crushed both stones, turned them into dozens of fragments, then turned the fragments into a cloud of dust.
"What the...?" Anna breathed out, then Elsa conjured a cloud of frost that imitated Sigmund's dust cloud, earning her a curious look from Sigmund. He then launched the dust at Elsa, who countered with her frost, and Sigmund had to levitate, and move to the side as Elsa's frost overpowered his dust. Half of Sigmund's dust cloud was useless due to it being encased in ice, and Elsa conjured another cloud of frost, and hurled it at Sigmund, who ducked and covered himself with a small wall of stone.
Sigmund then looked over the wall at Elsa, who conjured a pair of snowballs, and hurled them at Sigmund. He countered by ripping the wall out of the ground and smashing it into the snowballs while they were on their way towards him. Lisa's excitement reached new heights during the magical duel, with her body trembling more than before, and her smile evolving into laughter.
Elsa then conjured another snowball, turned it into solid ice, and Sigmund wound up before the two projectiles smashed into each other with enough force to destroy each other. The four spectators covered their ears and turned their faces away from the loud crash and abundant but dull fragments that were scattered all over the arena. Sigmund then looked around, and melded the stone fragments into the ground, with Elsa absorbing the ice.
"I...think that is quite enough for the time being." Elsa said.
"As do I." Sigmund said before he walked out of the arena.
The rest of the group followed him to his war room, and even then, Lisa couldn't stop shaking and breathing hard.
"Well...that was fun." She said.
"I am glad you think so." Sigmund said before sitting down.
"Do you feel better?" Anna asked, then Sigmund closing his eyes and smiling.
"As a matter of fact, I do..." He said.
"You certainly look like it my lord." Lisa said softly.
"I don't know about any of you, but I got hungry just watching that fight." Anna said, then Ingmar walked into the room.
"It's funny you should mention that Your Majesty; Chef Gunjar should be preparing dinner before too long." He said.
"And I have to get back to the goats, and maybe give Askel the news. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he hears I'm training with the Lord of Stone." Lisa said.
"You haven't told him?" Anna asked.
"I wanted it to be a...say it with me Olaf." Lisa said.
"It with me Olaf." Olaf said casually, then Lisa snickered.
"I meant say surprise with me." She said.
"Surprise with me...wait why am I saying these things?" Olaf asked.
"O.k. nevermind...I wanted it to be a surprise." Lisa said seriously.
"Well, knowing Askel, he'll be quite surprised." Sigmund said.
"Anyway, I'll see all you all later." Lisa said.
"Take care." Anna said before Lisa left the war room.
"So...what are we going to do while we wait." Kristoff asked.
"I don't know..." Anna trailed off.
"Well, I would like to talk to Sigmund alone, if you two don't mind." Elsa said, then Sigmund looked directly at her while Anna and Kristoff shared a curious look.
"Alright, see you later." Anna said before she lead Kristoff out of the war room.
"Yes?" Sigmund asked.
"I couldn't help but wonder...how do you deal with all of the intense experiences you've had?" Elsa asked.
"In truth...I do my best to not think about them, at least not too deeply." Sigmund said.
"Funny enough, I do the same thing..." Elsa said.
"Are you asking because of your isolation?" Sigmund asked.
"I have to admit it...I drew a parallel between my experience, and your experience with...well..." Elsa trailed off.
"Losing Alma?" Sigmund asked, then Elsa nodded.
"Yes." She said.
"Well, losing someone is likely the most painful experience a person can have, but me and Alma weren't that close, at least on my end. By that logic, I should considering myself fortunate, distasteful as it sounds." Sigmund said.
"I take it that you never became angry over it?" Elsa asked.
"I have many reasons to be angry at Absalom, but I'm pretty sure I made my philosophy about anger quite clear." Sigmund said seriously.
"Yes, you have." Elsa breathed out.
"For the record, I do appreciate that you're trying to clear the air, but there really is nothing to clear in the first place." Sigmund said.
"Even still, just because you don't think about a problem, doesn't mean it isn't there." Elsa said.
"But if said problem is allowed to fester, which happens due to it being thought about more often than you know, it will consume your peace of mind...and nothing is worth your peace of mind." Sigmund said.
"Especially in battle right?" Elsa asked.
"Yes..." Sigmund said.
"I also just now remembered your fight with those outlaws at the ruins we explored." Elsa said.
"Oh...that." Sigmund groaned.
"I know you did what you had to, but they were afraid of you, and you were still merciless." Elsa said.
"I have to admit that having to fight foes that have plagued people I care about is appealing in a rather dark manner." Sigmund said.
"But...you spoke against anger quite often." Elsa said.
"They were a threat to us, and the rest of the valley, and had to be dealt with. I did and still take pride in chances to fulfill that role, regardless of the cost. Nevertheless, wisdom demands that I know when to stop...and I do." Sigmund said.
"I see..." Elsa said.
"You don't have to hate someone to kill them, although admittedly...it does help, more than it has any right to." Sigmund said.
"Sigmund...?" Elsa asked.
"I have killed people I hated before, but the quickest way to lose a battle, and especially a war, is to make it personal. Luckily, this battle was not personal; these men were a threat to us, and potentially the rest of my people, therefore...they sealed their own fates." Sigmund said.
"I get it, but it still doesn't feel right." Elsa said.
"It isn't supposed to feel right; only a monster kills without feeling anything for their victims. Ironically, anger has a habit of doing just that, but that's why anger must be controlled rather than be allowed to take control. It's not much different from fear in that regard." Sigmund said.
"That is ironic..." Elsa trailed off.
"I remember how Captain Lars told you that I don't ever lose control of my temper...and that is true, but contrary to popular belief, controlling anger, or any emotion for that matter, and not feeling it at all are two different things." Sigmund said.
"Conceal, don't feel..." Elsa said.
"What?" Sigmund asked.
"That's what my parents used to tell me when I was little...after my incident." Elsa said.
"Oh...that..." Sigmund said.
"Although, for what it's worth, I don't think I've ever had much reason to be angry, at least not to the extent Dietrich is." Elsa said.
"Anger and fear can have disturbingly similar effects however, regardless of how different their natures are. People who are consumed by either have a habit of ignoring the consequences of their actions...or in some case, the consequences are precisely what they want..." Sigmund trailed off.
Meanwhile, in Castle Absalom, Dietrich was sitting on a bed in a room illuminated by the twilight sun, wearing only his shoes and pants. He then recalled his battle with Elsa, and the battle between himself, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff when they first met. The time he laid waste to the mountain pass where the outlaw army was marching towards the Valley of Stone was next on his list of memories. The storm that cost him his home, his family, and his friends was final...as was the wrath that it fueled.
He then extended his hand, conjured fire, then glared at it.
Well, there you have it, Lord Sigmund's origins, and another glimpse into his mindset. Naturally, there's more to the story literally and figuratively, especially with that last bit of text, but you'll have to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait. Stay tuned.