Hello people, and welcome back to Frozen: Lords of Storm and Stone. Alright...now it's back to Sigmund's ilk to see what they're up to, or should I say what they will be up to.
For the next three months, the rest of winter passed by the Valley of Stone seemingly in the blink of an eye. As Sigmund predicted, Absalom's forces were kept at bay, and his stone scouts continued to return with reports of the northern most passes through the mountains being unusable thanks to the abundant snow blocking them. Even if the snow was clear by cannon fire or other means, the Valley's forces would have had ample time to prepare in advance thanks to the resulting noise.
Now, spring has come to the Valley...and the people welcomed it with open arms immediately. The valley's economy exploded with bountiful harvests, an increase in visiting merchants, and even an increase in the population. A myriad of people flooded into the Valley of Stone, and Sigmund personally set about constructing houses for them. The people who witnessed the demonstrations of his power couldn't stop murmuring among themselves in awe as to how the legends were true. Sigmund even fortified the houses with as much metal as he could; he remembered the time it was brought up as a jest, but the idea was too good to ignore.
Elsa even set about distributing ice figurines among them to make their new residence more comfortable, which Sigmund actively encouraged on the people's behalf. As with Sigmund, the people heard of Arendelle's Snow Queen, and any doubts as to whether they would stay for as long as possible were snuffed out like an avalanche over a candle. She even created more snow for the children to play in, even during the times all of the snow had long since melted after winter's end.
In combination with Elsa's displays of magic, and the magical duels they had, even in public for the people's entertainment, Sigmund's magic grew in both power and fluidity. Elsa's feats of power have always been greater than Sigmund's especially when it came to how long they could use their powers without tiring, but pushing Sigmund to his limit each day then resting adequately did wonders for his powers. Each time the two put their powers on display, the people were in such awe that their powers were used for their benefit whenever needed, that any fear or despair in their minds was eliminated whether its presence was known or not.
The moments where the family all trained with weaponry were no worse; Anna and Kristoff both picked up on how to use a longsword quite well, even when it came to using a murder stroke, or half-swording. Anna however went back to using an arming sword since the longsword wasn't as well-suited for her, but the option for Sigmund to turn it into a longsword was always there. She also picked up on how to use shields; using a single arming sword without a shield wasn't advisable in the slightest, even though being able use use one without the other wasn't a problem.
Kristoff eventually mastered his spear, and progressed to mastering both an arming sword, and the longsword, albeit with the most intense of matches between himself and Sigmund. He also practiced using his ice axe in combat, but not with Sigmund; his ice axe was a decent anti-armor weapon in its own right, and using it against Sigmund was out of the question, even though Sigmund could repair or strengthen his armor if needed. Sigmund even tried using glima against Kristoff, but Sigmund's inferior strength and size made things more difficult for him, even though they were just dueling instead of fighting. Under normal circumstances, he would use his magic on his armor, and use magic in addition to his muscles, and flip the strength difference on its head, but of course, that was out of the question since they weren't enemies.
Anna and Kristoff even tried their hands at using ranged weapons, with Anna using a bow, and Kristoff using a steel-reinforced crossbow, and magically-enhanced by Sigmund himself. Kristoff's peerless strength made using a crossbow without aid almost as quick as Anna's bow, especially with Captain Lars letting them use the archery range for as long as they wanted. The hunters that caught game for Sigmund's people showed the pair as many tricks as they could, with Anna pulling the string back and pushing the shaft of her bow forward at the same time. This way both of her arms could do their fair share of work, which in turn made it easier for her to loose arrows more rapidly. She was even taught to hold arrows with the same hand as the one she used to hold her bow, that way she could loose arrows even more rapidly, at least until she had to draw more arrows from her quiver.
Anna and Kristoff even rejoined the ice harvesters in the mountains, as part of their training, and of course to spend time together. Elsa and Sigmund also took part every now and then, with Sigmund using both his magic to manipulate multiple saws into cutting the ice at a time, or simply using his muscles to cut the ice like everyone else. Doing it all while wearing plate armor was especially challenging, but he managed to do enough to satisfy himself. Even Lisa joined them and cut some ice herself, with Elsa joining in when needed.
The family even paid Arendelle a visit, and the Valley of Stone was prospering so well, that Sigmund repaid the family by letting them take a portion of his wealth with them. When they returned home, the family let the people take what they wanted, with the family keeping their own fair share. Anna even resumed her duties as queen for a time, mostly to get updated on what was happening while the family was gone. In their spare time the family continued their training with each other, mostly with Elsa creating targets for Anna and Kristoff to shoot at, or to strike with their melee weaponry.
Now, Kristoff was in the bathhouse of Sigmund's fortress cleaning himself off after returning from the barracks training with the rest of Sigmund's troops. After rinsing and scrubbing himself off, he sat down on a stone bench wrapping his midsection in a towel. He then sat there soaking in the heat from the springs themselves, and letting the moisture in the air work its magic on his body and mind.
Eventually, Sigmund walked in, without his armor, and also wrapped in a towel.
"Oh, Kristoff. I was not aware that you were here." He said simply.
"I just finished, now I'm just taking my time." Kristoff said before Sigmund grabbed another towel and soaked it in the water.
"Fair enough." He said before he began scrubbing his arms, legs, and torso, and Kristoff continued sitting on the bench. Sigmund then continued to scrub himself off with the same focused, unemotional, and unflinching expression on his face that he usually wore. Kristoff then thought back to how many times he's seen Sigmund happy; unlike Anna who wears her heart on her sleeve even on bad days, Sigmund has always been an enigma.
Was that due to him being genuinely focused on what there was to do...or was he not trying to show his feelings?
"You know...there were times I forgot to wash up, before I met Anna, and even nowadays with all this insane training I've been doing." Kristoff said casually, as Sigmund continued to scrub himself.
"I can imagine, there are times where my duties consume my attention so hopelessly that I forget to take care of myself. During my skirmishes against Absalom's forces...the problem was even worse." Sigmund said seriously.
"Yikes..." Kristoff trailed off.
"I'm sorry for making this heavy again." Sigmund said.
"It's not that, I just...not only did I expect that, I can't imagine how dirty being in actual combat must make a person." Kristoff said, then Sigmund looked at him with the same piercing stare he always had, which made Kristoff suck in a breath.
"You should hope you never find out...at least not in detail." Sigmund said seriously before he stood up, and grabbed a dry towel...then Kristoff spotted a massive scar on the side of Sigmund's ribcage.
"Uh...Sigmund?" Kristoff asked, then Sigmund looked at Kristoff.
"Yes?" Sigmund asked.
"What happened to your chest?" Kristoff asked, then Sigmund looked at his scar before putting a hand on it.
"Oh...this, it's one of the first major wounds I received in combat, when I first joined the Danish army." Sigmund said.
"O.k...that's a real yikes moment." Kristoff said seriously, then Sigmund sighed and looked away.
"Five years ago I received this wound...how quickly time flies..." He trailed off.
"Well, at least you made it. I can't imagine surviving that being very likely." Kristoff said.
"I cannot agree more..." Sigmund breathed out.
"Sigmund?" Kristoff asked.
"I can tell you and Anna have gotten a good deal out of your training." Sigmund said.
"Yes, we have...are you sure you're feeling alright?" Kristoff asked.
"I'll survive, but right now I'm interested in how far you've progressed while I was occupied with other tasks." Sigmund said seriously.
"Well, Anna's gotten alot stronger thanks to all this ice harvesting, I myself recovered quite a bit of strength since I became an official royal, and we each sharpened our aim like crazy in Arendelle." Kristoff said.
"That is good to hear." Sigmund said simply, then Kristoff looked at him curiously.
"O.k. is this a sore subject or something?" Kristoff asked.
"Well...I can't help but think back to when I told you that losing someone close to you is less desirable than nearly anything else, and that I was more than alittle concerned for you or her losing each other. It comforts me greatly to know the chance of that happening is lower than I thought." Sigmund said before walking towards the exit.
"What? Wait a minute, what do you mean by that?" Kristoff asked.
"Don't stay in too long, your wife may come looking for you." Sigmund said before leaving, and Kristoff took a moment to think.
"What is with him...?" He whispered.
After he got dressed, he went to look for Anna, and found her and Elsa in the dinning room with lunch...then told her about his talk with Sigmund.
"Did he say how he got wounded?" Elsa asked.
"No, he just...brought it up, then mentioned how time flies." Kristoff said.
"Strange..." Anna said.
"Speaking of strange, that's how he was acting after I asked him about his scar. I asked him how he felt, and he just blew me off, and he started changing the subject left and right." Kristoff said.
"How?" Elsa asked.
"He wanted to know about our training, and I told him how well we did on our trip to Arendelle...but he was more interested in our talk about losing someone close to us." Kristoff said, then the two sisters looked at each other.
"O.k...now this is getting creepy." Anna said seriously.
"That's putting it lightly." Kristoff said, then Elsa took a moment to think.
"Something is bothering him, and he apparently doesn't want to share it." She breathed out.
"But why? Doesn't he trust us?" Anna asked.
"Maybe it's just hard to talk about...for some reason." Kristoff said.
"He did get that scar during a battle; it's likely the circumstances around that battle are a sore subject." Elsa said.
"Well, at this point, your guess is as good as mine...maybe better." Kristoff said.
"Before we ask him, let's just finish our food." Anna said before the trio got back to their meal.
After lunch, the trio went to the arena, and Sigmund was there waiting for them wearing his helmet. Anna and Kristoff both took their place on the opposite end of the arena with one of them on the left, and the other on the right. Both of them had their arming swords and shields at the ready, and Sigmund pointed his longsword at them as Elsa continued watching from the side. Both of Sigmund's opponents observed him as keenly as he observed them; even though neither of them wore helmets, and therefore could see better, they both still had to be wary of their safety.
Sigmund then moved forward, and Anna moved to the side as Kristoff engaged Sigmund directly. Sigmund moved to the other side, and quickly tapped Kristoff in the back, then ducked under a heavy swing from Kristoff. Anna then moved around Kristoff's bulk, and Sigmund had just enough time to react to Anna's ambush by deflecting her thrust. Kristoff then bashed Sigmund with the edge of his shield, and landed a direct hit to the side of Sigmund's head, which staggered him enough to enable Anna to put her sword under his chin.
"I see your training in Arendelle has paid off..." Sigmund breathed out.
"Fights often don't last very long, as you said yourself." Anna said before moving back.
"Especially when it's one man against two opponents with amazing synergy." Sigmund said.
"We can't take all the credit." Kristoff said seriously.
"Indeed...but this duel is not over." Sigmund said before raising his longsword, then striking at Anna, then redirecting his swing towards Kristoff at the last moment. Kristoff had just enough time to block Sigmund's swing, then Sigmund circled his sword around using the recovered momentum to swing at Anna again. Anna deflected Sigmund's swing with her shield, then Sigmund moved away at the same time Anna did, with Kristoff swinging at Sigmund multiple times, and each strike was deflected or blocked.
Sigmund eventually moved away from Kristoff as Anna tried to thrust at him from another blind spot.
"Shoot, I almost had him..." Anna whispered.
"Next time don't try to use the same trick twice." Kristoff said casually.
"I thought it would work regardless!" Anna said seriously.
"Clearly it doesn't." Kristoff said, then Sigmund approached them.
"Incoming!" Anna exclaimed before Kristoff raised his shield, only for Sigmund to kick it hard enough to knock it to the side. Sigmund then put his sword at Kristoff's neck, then stopped Anna's sword by pulling his longsword back, then using a half-sword block. He then thrusted the pommel of his sword toward her face, but stopped just before it could hit her.
"You and me now." Sigmund said.
"What?" Anna asked.
"He did put his sword at my throat, which means I wouldn't be able to fight anymore if this was the real deal." Kristoff said.
"True..." Anna groaned before she raised her shield, then Sigmund pointed his sword at her. Anna then charged at him, and Sigmund stood his ground as Anna moved from one side to the other, and Sigmund thrusted at her the moment she got close enough. His sword glanced off her shield, but Sigmund pulled his sword back in time to intercept a thrust from her sword. Sigmund then moved to the side, and swung at Anna multiple times with her shield taking each hit, and Sigmund's sword continuing to intercept Anna's attacks.
In the end, Anna kept her shield raised, then ducked as Sigmund struck her shield, and even though she had to lower her shield thanks to the force of Sigmund's trick, Anna was still able to strike his calf.
"Clever..." Sigmund breathed out before Anna stood up and went back to Kristoff's side.
"O.k. this is starting to wear me out." Anna said.
"Me too." Kristoff said.
"Fighting at your peak has a tendency to do that." Sigmund said.
"Wait, why aren't you tired?" Anna asked..
"I am, but I wasn't fighting at my peak." Sigmund said.
"You were holding back this whole time?" Kristoff asked.
"Not to the extent that it would weaken my performance, but even if I wasn't, I can't remember the last time I had a fight this serious, if I ever did." Sigmund said.
"Really?" Anna asked.
"Yes, like I said, the synergy you both demonstrated is...phenomenal, not to mention you both have clearly been devoted to your training beyond words, you know the kind of opponent you're dealing with, whereas my knowledge was limited to an extent, and above all...I am not using my magic." Sigmund said seriously.
"That is true..." Kristoff trailed off.
"Have you ever once fought us at full force?" Anna asked.
"I used as much strength and skill as I needed, but to answer you properly...I never fight my allies at full force, especially not with my powers." Sigmund said.
"Fair enough..." Anna said, then Sigmund took a moment to think.
"Would you both like to continue?" He asked, then Anna looked at Kristoff who shrugged.
"Maybe later." Anna said.
"Very well then." Sigmund said before sheathing his sword, then removing his helmet before walking to the exit...and side-glancing at Elsa.
When they came out of the arena, they saw that it was twilight, and Anna sighed deeply while smiling.
"That is a sight I will never get tired of..." She said softly.
"I share your sentiment Anna...I truly do." Sigmund said before sitting in a nearby chair and looking over a couple of papers.
"Anything good?" Anna asked.
"Nothing unusual." Sigmund said.
"It's...kind of unsettling that Absalom hasn't done anything as of late." Elsa said.
"True, but he's likely preparing just like we are." Sigmund said.
"Calm before the storm much?" Kristoff said.
"My thought exactly...but I do trust my people, as well as the rest of you." Sigmund said seriously.
"Speaking of trust, why haven't you knighted anyone? I mean, lords do have the authority to do so." Anna said.
"It's not about trust, or should I say a lack thereof, it's about a lack of necessity." Sigmund said.
"What?" Anna asked.
"I hate to admit it, but no one in the valley is qualified to be a knight, not even Captain Lars. Even if he asked me to make him one, I don't even know what would change between then and now." Sigmund said.
"He could acquire something of his own, like he did." Anna said.
"But that leads us back to square one; what would he acquire, and how would he acquire it in the first place?" Sigmund said.
"I don't know, but..." Anna trailed.
"Well, until I know for certain I don't see myself knighting anyone anytime soon." Sigmund said.
"Fair enough..." Anna said.
"You don't have an issue with knights do you?" Kristoff asked.
"Of course not." Sigmund said.
"Just asking..." Kristoff said.
"Well, we should go see Sven, and maybe tell Lisa what's been going on." Elsa said.
"And what about Olaf?" Sigmund asked.
"I'll go find him, and maybe bring him with us." Elsa said.
"Are you going to the fields again?" Sigmund asked.
"Possibly, Sven has been there quite a few times recently, but knowing him..." Kristoff trailed off.
"Right, right, he should get as much exercise as the rest of you, and I am still as impressed as I was originally." Sigmund said while smiling.
"Next time don't be afraid to use some magic. We don't want to give you too hard of a time." Anna said.
"As you wish." Sigmund said, before the family exited the war room, with Elsa looking back at him.
On the way to the fields, Anna and Kristoff continued to take in the spring scenery, until Anna noticed Elsa was staring into the distance without focus.
"Elsa? You o.k.?" Anna asked.
"Remember how I once got nervous because of how distant Sigmund was being?" Elsa asked.
"Yeah." Anna said.
"Well, now it's back...and a hundred times stronger." Elsa said seriously.
"Even I'm feeling it too...and so is Sven." Kristoff said while Sven groaned.
"Well, his birthday is less than a week from now, maybe we can make it up to him by them." Anna said.
"Maybe..." Elsa trailed off.
"Hey, he's the Lord of Stone; he's a legend for a reason." Anna said.
"Even stone can weather." Elsa said seriously, then Anna and Kristoff shared a curious look.
"Sheesh...that was heavy even for you Elsa." Kristoff said.
"I'm sorry." Elsa said.
"Let's just get to those fields, go home, have some dinner, and brainstorm ideas on how to get Sigmund out of his funk later. O.k.?" Anna asked.
"O.k." Elsa said.
"O.k...o.k. what?" Olaf asked.
Hell of an eventful chapter, at least with the time skip, but...come on, I'm not doing months of material when it's basically just more of the same all around., even if real life wasn't getting in my face. Anyway, I'll be back with more soon, so please continue to Rate, Review, and Share while I keep cooking. Stay tuned.