The moment hooves hit the dew-covered grass, Maren felt decidedly better about their plan. She had not slept well. Her personal life aside, Elsa's return to the world was...a lot. No one would ever know the captain was anything less than confident in her own orders, but she had to ensure the other woman was brought safely to Arendelle.
Maybe it was just her heritage, but being outdoors really did wonders for her mood. She had secured a new bow and resupplied her quiver with arrows. The air smelled clean and indicated good weather for the day's ride. Her reindeer even had more hop in his step as he ascended the line of moving rangers, trotting towards the middle of the pack as they left the plains by Fort Halvor and entered the woods proper.
In fact, her mood was so improved, when she spotted Elsa, she couldn't stop the laugh that barked forth from her lips.
The other woman was riding Nokk, as anticipated. What Maren had not expected was to see a large, crystalline direwolf as big as a horse.
"What?" Elsa asked, looking to Maren.
The Northuldran eyed the massive ice spikes that made up the Water spirit's mane as she scoffed, "Nokk is just showing off now."
Elsa smiled. Maren resented her heart for fluttering at the sight.
With an exaggerated pause and glance to her mount, the blonde replied with a smirk, "They said you have to think bolder than reindeer sometimes."
"Blasphemy," the former shepherd deadpanned, turning back to the woods before them. She could still hear the twinkling laughter beside her.
Maren really tried not to enjoy Elsa's smile, not to savor the familiarly they once had. She tried not to see the hidden touches in Elsa's outfit choice as they continued on. Her magic had summoned a navy blue tunic and matching riding cloak. She even sported a pair of boots rather than going barefoot. Maren smirked knowingly at the little similarities to the Arendellian army uniform she and the rest of the group wore. Elsa wanted to fit in, and she had failed miserably. The deep, velvety fabric glittered with silvery patterns of frost like dark twilight. While she knew Elsa thought a high ponytail would be pragmatic and hopefully muted, it only demanded attention with a polished royal presence.
As much as Elsa tried to hide, she only shined brighter and more brilliantly with her efforts.
Maren knew this woman so well, better than Elsa probably did herself. The fact made her feel ashamed. What right did she have? Perhaps she could be forgiven the sin of enjoying it before she had to surrender it forever.
"Oh," Elsa's voice interrupted her thoughts, "It's the baby."
When Maren looked up, clearly confused, Elsa continued with a grin, nodding towards her reindeer, "From the night we met. That we rode together."
"Not really a baby now," she mused, giving the animal a pat on the neck. His head seemed to lift proudly, basking in the attention. Maren rolled her eyes.
"Did you name him?"
"Ryder."
The reindeer huffed.
"After your brother?"
Oh, right. Elsa didn't know.
"In his memory," Maren answered quietly.
Elsa didn't know she was a killer, that she couldn't protect him. That she had failed.
"I'm so sorry."
It was her fault for not leading and defending the village properly. Elsa's pity was a kindness Maren didn't deserve.
She tried to brush off her concern with a shrug, "The beast is bull-headed. He'd be proud."
Elsa nodded solemnly, casting her eyes down to Nokk's back. The smile was gone.
Damn. Killing Shadows was easier than this. Which was worse? Upsetting the one she loved? Or getting too close? People she loved died because of her. That couldn't happen to Elsa.
Maren decided on a neutral, business-like tone when she asked, "Have you or Nokk remembered anything else since yesterday?"
Elsa shook her head. "We still can't feel the others. Some small headaches."
The captain turned back to face the front of their line. Alfsen and another soldier were leading the pack at a steady walk on horseback.
"Nokk came back. The others will too."
There was a pause before she heard Elsa comment, "You're very optimistic."
"Logically, what happens to one, happens to the others. Seems probable they will awake soon as well."
"Well, when you put it like that…" Elsa trailed off.
Maren peaked to the side to see how her attempts at calming were working.
Elsa was shaking her head. "It's funny to think I once wished all magic in my life would disappear and never come back. Now all I want is for it to come back and be like it was," she finished with a shy grin.
Maren had read the books and accounts. Queen Anna had given her full access to the castle's library to assist in her searches for the princess. Elsa's grandfather, the warmonger, made sure his own people were scared and easily dominated. Magic was evil, lest someone find a way to break free of his bondage and triumph over his sword. Even after his time, his son, Elsa's own father, had locked her away in fear. The people called her a witch. Then there was Northuldra, another victim in the hatred of magic.
Her home and her love. The treatment of both disgusted her. She pushed her anger down.
Maren commented casually, "People back home miss the spirits. The forest isn't the same without them." Without you.
She continued on, looking at the blue eyes staring intently, "They will be happy to hear of your return."
Elsa smiled again. Maren swallowed and turned in her saddle one final time to focus on their match forward.
The rest of the day's ride was uneventful. Maren was unsure if she should be thankful or suspicious. When they stopped for camp for the evening, she proceeded with the latter, sending scouts to the surrounding areas to scope for trouble, arcane or otherwise. She too dipped into the darkness of the forest as night fell, staying clear of the fire and small conversation over rations. It was easier to note possible defensive points and escape routes than be close to Elsa's light laughter at one of her ranger's jokes.
It was only once Elsa and most of the others laid down to sleep that Maren quietly circled the camp and deposited herself nearby to stand watch despite having assigned a rotation to perform the function.
She trusted her squadron with her life, but their cargo was far more important.
Her eyes remained transfixed on the tree line. Partially to spot any potential dangers, mostly to avoid the temptation to look at the blonde laying down only a few feet away. She spotted Alfsen easily enough when he silently emerged into the little clearing.
He gave a quick salute as he stepped over to her.
"Scouts back?" she muttered.
"All quiet," he whispered back with a nod.
Maren saw his eyes glance to Elsa and then back to her.
"Shall I assign a personal guard on top of the watch so you can sleep, ma'am?"
She simply shook her head.
"I figured. Some tea then," he said gently, producing a metal mug tucked behind his back.
The captain eyed her lieutenant carefully before accepting the offering.
"I thought I said to travel light when we left."
"Tea leaves are light, ma'am."
Bastard was too cheeky for his own good.
Maren rolled her eyes as she replied, "Thank you. Good night."
With a smile, he was off again, likely checking in with the watch before going to sleep himself. Maren brought the tin cup to her lips and was rather surprised to find the liquid as warm as it was. Their little watch must have had a small fire going. The flavor was bitter, but one had to make due without honey and milk in the wilderness.
Maren sat and sipped, looking at the fire, looking at the trees, looking at the dirt. She sighed.
Then she finally drifted her gaze to Elsa.
The partial spirit had seemingly no qualms or difficulties sleeping on the woodland dirt with nothing but a simple bedroll and her cloak as a blanket. Maren knew she shouldn't give into the pathetic, shameful, voyeuristic desire to admire her, but she was weak. She had dreamt of the woman every night for over five years. Unlike the bloodsoaked and war-ravaged world she lived in, Elsa was one reality that was infinitely better than any likeness born of imagination.
Blonde hair illuminated like gold in the flickering flames of the campfire. The subtle, shifting light played with the architectural quality of a well-defined brow and dark, ruby-like lips, creating beautifully contrasting shadows across her glowing skin. How many nights had she seen the shy smile curve across those lips by the village center? How many times had Maren almost closed the distance to brush the blushing cheekbones with her fingers or lean forward to-
The captain tore her eyes away; she was torturing herself now. Elsa's life would be better without her in it. She had to accept that. The past was the dream now.
She stared into the small fire of their little camp and let her thoughts drift to her other love and regret: Northuldra.
Growing up, Maren adored helping her father with the herds. She remembered being right by his side when he helped pull a calf from a swollen mother. Every morning she would look for the baby reindeer and the proud parent. They were always together.
One morning, after a few months, when she walked with her father to the herds, she noticed the young bull by himself.
"Why is he all alone?" she had asked.
"He's grown up now. His mom has to leave him by himself so he can learn how to live and be strong," her father had explained calmly.
"But why?"
"Sometimes you have to leave for things to get better."
"Like Mama?"
"Like Mama."
"But I miss her."
She remembered her father, tall and strong, looking sad.
"I do too. But now she doesn't hurt anymore. We hurt so she doesn't have to. That's how it gets better."
Of course, this was all before her father joined their mother in the earth a few years later. They were buried by their lofté tree together.
It was the most basic principle of Northuldra. The forest gives life. Life returns to the forest.
Maren stole one more look at the woman sleeping, taking another sip of tea.
Sometimes you have to let go for the world to be better.
Elsa looked across a frozen lake. Stars blinked in the sky above. A silhouette far away turned to face her under an aurora painted on the black canvas of night.
Iduna smiled softly at her.
"Mother?" Elsa asked, her words echoing.
Iduna replied, calm voice ringing in Elsa's head despite being so far away, "When all seems lost and your energy is spent…"
There's a mother...
Elsa began charging across the ice towards the other woman. Despite her speed, the distance never closed.
"You need simply ask for more time," Iduna finished, closing her eyes.
The ice began to crack under Elsa's feet as ran forward.
...Full of memory.
"Is it you? Have you been singing to me?" Elsa called out.
The woman turned away.
"Wait!"
The ground collapsed, and Elsa plummeted into the darkness alongside glittering shards.
Elsa awoke with a start.
Chirping insects. Crackling fire. A snoring soldier.
Recognition and awareness came with a few blinks. This was their second evening en route to Fort Arne. Nokk's mental and magical presence was still crisp and clear. She was safe.
A dull ache felt chipped into her skull. She sat up, rubbing her hands against her temples.
"Are you alright?"
She jumped at the voice, looking over her shoulder to see Maren sitting on the ground, leaning her back against a tree. The captain appeared calm, as if she had already been awake.
"Yes, just a dream. I'm sorry."
Or at least, she hoped it was. Last time she had done a poor job listening to the visions and warnings of the spirits. But this one left much to be desired in the way of actual information. The voice seemed so familiar though...
If Maren sensed her hesitation, she did not comment on it. Only a firm, single nod was given in acknowledgement. She looked back to the campfire.
Elsa too turned back around. Her mother was dead, and Elsa had certainly been through quite the ordeal lately. Not every dream a spirit had needed to be a dark premonition of danger to come, right?
She sighed. Dwelling on it would only cause worry, and she had no answers at the moment. Instead, she peered into the ring of darkened, glowing wood and dancing orange flames. Little smoke escaped; the rangers knew how to build their camp to avoid detection. Still, as small and humble as it was, the warmth and light tucked here between the trees reminded her of the forest of Northuldra.
"I miss the fires in the village," she mused softly, trying to keep her voice low enough not to wake anyone, curling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.
"To keep warm?" she heard Maren quip behind her.
The Ice spirit rolled her eyes, hiding a smirk. It had been two days of hot and cold from the captain. Playful sarcasm seemed arguably a good sign Maren was in a fair mood this evening, even if Elsa still did not yet know where they stood in their friendship, or whatever they were. The frozen acorn pendant seemed heavy on her neck, tucked and concealed under the high collar of her shirt.
"Everyone always came together and sat with nature. It was nice," Elsa continued fondly, "I still love the people of Arendelle. We'd have huge dinners in the town square and play games and..." she trailed off, struggling, turning to look over her shoulder at the Northuldran, "it was good. It just wasn't…"
"The forest?" the other woman finished for her.
Elsa nodded. She loved both, she really did. One simply felt more like home. Still, it didn't stop her from feeling immensely guilty for playing favorites. Maren, for what it was worth, did not appear to judge her for it, her face remaining neutral.
"The city's changed a bit. Her Majesty made sure everyone knew about you and the other spirits," Maren explained before looking down at the ground to mutter, "Even if they get the stories wrong most of the time."
"Which ones?"
She tilted her head, contemplating the question. "They speak of Altohollan as just a place. Don't worry, a mystic, unknown, far off place, so no one gets any ideas to charge across the Dark Sea like you did," she replied with a pointed look at Elsa.
Elsa thought she saw a flash of mirth in those eyes. Perhaps it was just the reflection of the fire's light.
Maren continued on, looking back to the campfire, "But, Altohollan, she's more than all of that."
"How so?"
"She's life. She gave us the sun and the glacier. For water, for fire. To cultivate earth and give us air to breathe," Maren described with awe and reverence, "She came before everything and is everything. You can't embrace that in pieces or thinking someone in some distant place is watching. You need to be in it. The forest is alive, we are a part of the forest. It's not a place, it is her, it is us, it is all of it together," she outlined in hushed excitement, her hands gesturing to the trees around them.
"Balance," Elsa murmured, knowing the feeling and connection she maintained with the other spirits.
"Yes," Maren affirmed before nodding towards the sleeping rangers, "They're good people, and I gladly fight beside them. Most Arendellians are respectful and ask Northuldra for their wisdom and want to celebrate their Blue Dragon. But..." she hesitantly paused. It was the first time since their reunion Elsa thought she looked almost sheepish rather than the sturdy soldier.
"You can be honest with me, it's alright," Elsa assured her, stretching her legs out and turning more fully to face the other woman.
Maren's amber eyes assessed her before she nodded and continued, "In the city, it will still never be what it's supposed to be. Being with the spirits in the woods we all share. I've caught up on their culture as well. I've done my reading," a bitterness rose in her voice even if her volume was still quiet in the night air, "King Runeard made sure the hate of magic ran deep. He conquered most of the continent through war, including that little island nation to the south that hates us so much now. He murdered many of my people and erased much of our history, and we're still helping to clean up his mess."
Runeard. Elsa wondered how many others in the world had fallen victim to her grandfather's atrocities beyond what she saw in the frozen memories of the glacier. By making his son fearful, he might as well have been the one that locked her in her room all those years, and she was just a single person. Whole counties had fallen to his greed in past wars, like the Southern Isles and Northuldra...what else had he tainted in his wrath?
Maren's voice grew softer, interrupting her pondering. "You and your sister have changed much. I'm proud our nations work together," she leaned back against her tree, staring hard now at the fire, "But this will always be what makes the Northuldra, the People of the Sun, one with the spirits and keeps Arendelle just a city that reaps the benefits of magic they never had to suffer for."
It was harsh, but Maren was right. Elsa had been part of the problem for so long, blinded by what the Arendellian history books told her about her family and country. For all her pain and suffering in the past, she had still been marked as city royalty, protected and privileged.
"It's odd enough feeling like I'm from both worlds, and I'm still sorely lacking in my mother's culture," Elsa stated slowly, trying to ensure there was purpose in each word, "I can't imagine how hard it must be watching someone tamper with something of yours they probably don't fully understand. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry," Maren sighed, shaking her head, "That was a very long, ranting way of agreeing with you," she glanced at Elsa, a small smile alighting her face, "I too miss the fires."
The breath snagged and caught in Elsa's throat. That smile. There she was. Honeymaren.
She displayed the ferocity of a warrior that passionately cared for the village and forest and yet was the soft, loving woman that Elsa would have agreed to marry five years too late.
Did she miss home? It sounded as if she had not been back for some considerable time. Did she miss their nights together? Elsa had cherished every night by the fires, catching up on each other's days. Did she miss her people, or a person? Perhaps she had left a lover behind, someone waiting for her to come back...
The Noruldran crossed her arms, adding, "If anything, you have a right to miss them more than me."
"What do you mean?"
There was a pause. Maren cleared her throat.
"Well, the nightly fire, besides the obvious of staying warm, is to honor the spirits and Altohollan for giving us the sun. We always have one, even in summer. Anyway, if you think about it, it was quite literally for you as one of the spirits," she explained with a shrug.
Elsa frowned. "How come you never told me?"
Golden eyes moved around from the fire to the ground to the tree line. "I knew you already felt the people's reverence to be a bit much. I didn't want you to feel embarrassed and stop coming."
"You were always very considerate of my anxieties," Elsa murmured, slightly embarrassed how tender her voice sounded.
"You had a right to be there. And I wanted to see you," Maren admitted, gaze settling on the ground between them, "It was selfish."
Oh, Honeymaren.
Before Elsa could even contemplate a response, the other woman uncrossed her arms and moved to stand up.
"I've kept you up too long. Get some rest," Maren stated simply, brushing the dirt off her pants and walking across the camp to where the horses and Ryder were tied.
Elsa sighed, once again defeated in the wake of another one of the captain's retreats. Hot and cold. Fire and ice. Maren's moods seemed just as poetically and dramatically oppositional. Even the fabled Fifth Spirit didn't know how to balance that anomaly of nature.
Maren finally decided she was firmly suspicious. Three days in the woods, and all had been quiet. It was her plan after all, but she still expected something in the way of resistance. In a few hours, they would be at their destination, and rather than feeling safer, she strangely felt they were running out of time.
The dread did not expire as they weaved between thinning trees, the rising sun easily breaking through. As their path kept sloping further and further down, fewer and fewer trees lined the way, until finally, she could see through the large gaps at the threshold of the woods.
They had reached Arne Valley.
The grand mountain ranges of the north immediately dominated the horizon with their impressive peaks and chilling grey presence. Insurmountable and deadly, the natural barricade loomed over Arendelle's countryside. Bluer mountains to the south offered more gentle, rolling slopes, adorned with trees and wildlife emerging in the afternoon light, much like their own party now did, blinking against the high sun. Overhead foliage was replaced with flowers and field as they weaved down to the flat, rolling plains of the valley proper.
To the western edge, the Agrap River was not a lazy, bumbling brook but a surging force that required passage via the grand Bridge of Eagles that spread the massive gap. Melting snow from the mountains in the warm springtime air made the river strong, and based on Maren's past trips, she knew they would soon hear the rushing water when they got close.
Fort Arne stood tall and mighty near the bridge as the regal protector. Unlike Halvor, Arne oozed significance and power as a proper fortress almost as big as the castle in the capital. White limestone shined like a divine beacon against the rugged backdrop of the mountains.
Maren was partially dreading the involvement of the pretentious generals waiting there, but in the very least, Elsa would be safe. Fort Arne had fairly earned its nickname as the Shield of Arendelle; no enemy army had ever crossed the bridge.
"Wow."
A voice interrupted Maren's thoughts, and she turned to only briefly see Elsa's look of sheer wonder before it dissolved to embarrassment.
"It's bigger than I thought it would be," she said with a sheepish smile, "The books didn't capture the scale of it."
The captain's own lips twitched as she tried to fight the urge to laugh.
By the Five, this woman was going to kill her with cuteness.
Their party began the steady march through the valley, a light wind at their backs in the vast, open field. Another hour or two of meandering walking on horseback, and they would find themselves at the keep. Ryder's massive head, antlers and all, kept turning longingly to the dandelions and weeds dotting the ground.
Then, like a choking breath, the breeze itself seemed to shudder. Maren whipped her head around at the same time Elsa did, the only two that seemed to notice. The movement, however, alerted the others.
Despite the sun shining brightly at the crest of its daily arc, night fell upon the foothills to the south. At first glance, one would suspect a large cloud had blocked the sun to cast such darkness. But it continued to bleed across the luscious greens, now tainted black, dripping steadily down to the opposite side of the valley.
Death had arrived before them.
Such a hoard of Shadows had never before been witnessed. Maren's mouth fell open at the sheer size. Hundreds upon hundreds of monsters were required for such magnitude. In the face of such strength, the end felt inevitable. Choice had been an illusion. Such doom would have met them on any path, any field, any plan she had conjured.
Their peaceful journey was a trap. She was right to have been suspicious.
Maren hated being right.
"To the fort!" she shouted, swiftly kicking Ryder and bolting forward.
Few precious minutes stood between them and annihilation. Perhaps if they could reach the fort, they could make a stand, hold them off.
Her fellow members of the Silver Battalion followed their orders, horses charging beside her, sights set on the grand castle. Sparkling blue too rushed beside them as Nokk's clawed paws thundered alongside them. Elsa, however, was still looking over her shoulder at the approaching wave.
Maren narrowed her eyes, trying to clear the vision blurry with movement from riding her mount.
Oh, spirits, no.
Elsa twisted again, eyes darting between fort and foe.
No, no.
With the almost imperceptible turn of Elsa's body, Nokk immediately heeded, arcing away from the group and turning around to race towards the oncoming darkness.
Damn! Damn her and her need to be the savior.
"Don't stop, ride hard," the captain shouted, catching Alfen's eye. The lieutenant gave a firm nod before Maren yanked the reins, peeling away and chasing after Elsa. She pushed Ryder to catch up with the spirits, each step bringing them closer to the inching nightmare across the vast valley.
Her fate was tied to Elsa's. If this was their path, she would follow. She would give her final breath to protect the woman she loved.
"Go with them," Elsa called out over their mounts pounding against the ground.
"No."
"Maren!"
"I'm not losing you again!" she screamed into the wind whipping by them.
Elsa practically growled in frustration, and Nokk slid to a halt. Their rider threw her leg over and hopped to the grass. As Maren stopped Ryder, the frozen wolf bolted away to the northwest.
"Where's Nokk going?"
"To get help," Elsa muttered, riding gloves crumpling apart into snow and falling to the ground.
Maren huffed. That was vague.
She leapt from the saddle and swatted the beast on his flank, sending him flying. He quickly turned around and charged towards the fort.
"Where's he going?"
"To get help," she mimicked sarcastically, pulling her bow from the quiver. Just because she was stupid enough to die didn't mean her reindeer had to.
Maren glanced down to the quiver at her hip. Thirty-three arrows. She had counted before they left Halvor.
Thirty three against a thousand.
Quickly lacing one through her bow, she asked, "What's the plan?"
Elsa untied the cloak at her neck, releasing it into the wind. The cape dissolved into flurries.
"I'll focus on the group. You get any that slip through?" she replied hesitantly.
Maren took aim, staring at the approaching mass along the length of the arrow shaft. They had a minute, maybe less. The captain then eyed the woman beside her from her peripheral.
Elsa took a deep breath.
A single finger quickly drew out a circle before she slammed the palm of her hand into the newly hardened disc. The creation cracked and flipped wildly through the air, rushing to the sky. The signature six-pointed figure remained as the crushed fragments fell away. Suddenly locked in place, towering above the approaching masses, the snowflake began to glow. Rapid pulses of icicles shot out from its center, raining down huge spikes that blasted the Shadows with blue light. The few dozen that ran through the column were easily disposed of, but the massive wave continued plowing forward.
Maren glanced back to the woman next to her. They were going to need a little bit more juice.
Elsa's hands slapped together and fingers interlaced, an intense white light poking out from the joined digits. When she flayed her hands and spread them away, a glowing snowball levitated between them, still swelling and gaining mass. With a scooping motion, she lobbed it forward, propelling it a shocking distance across the field with such a simple toss. Despite the grass lacking any powder, the snowball rolled and bounced, getting bigger and bigger before a second ball popped off.
Both spheres rolled forward, growing and bouncing until they each rivaled the size of a cottage. Maren's eyes went wide behind her drawn arrow as icy legs burst from the snow, continuing the charge forward. Arms followed and then heads and even claws and a roar from an unseen mouth. The snowball giants leapt unflinchingly into the swarm of Shadows, swiping up clumps of the monsters scurrying by.
Anna had once told her about Marshmallow, Olaf's brother of sorts. Elsa was extraordinary.
"Can you build an army?" she dared to ask.
"Too much energy at once," Elsa grunted distractedly, arms already bending into the next spell. She was grimacing from the focus.
A massive, spiked wall of ice, like a chipped and jagged chunk of glacier shot from the dirt, and for the briefest moment, they lost all visuals on the Shadows. Maren knew this would only stall them very briefly.
"Can you do a big storm again?"
"Like at the fjord? I had the other spirits. And I lost control," she muttered, whipping a bolt of white energy as black figures leapt over her wall.
They were close now. Maren loosed her arrow at one that popped above the wall, and it disappeared into mist.
One down. Thirty-two.
Elsa had destroyed at least ten in the same span it took Maren to kill one. Flurries of hail and beams of magic practically leapt from her hands before another one instantly followed. Clouds of white dust puffed up as the front line advanced from the group tumbling over the wall.
It wasn't enough. They kept coming. Maren immediately notched another and shot it off. And another, and another.
Black leached into the sky, and Maren shifted to fire an arrow before she realized it was not a jumping Shadow. A small sphere of dark energy quickly grew closer and closer as it moved towards them, an unnatural hum and vibration in the air growing louder.
After sensing quick movement beside her, an ice shard connected with the warbling orb, dissipating both with a poof. Two more approached, and Maren ducked to the side. Ice enveloped Elsa's arm, and she swatted them away like flies.
"Range attacks. That's new," Maren intoned, firing another arrow.
"Looks familiar," Elsa grimaced before rising narrow columns of ice to block more incoming blasts.
It looked too familiar.
They were learning how to attack at a distance from another master of magic. The dangerous implications could be discussed at a later time, if they survived.
Maren took a step back with each shot now as she reloaded. The woman beside her too was backing up as she practically danced, twirling to launch a blast then shuffling in a small retreat. A few more precious feet, a few more seconds for one last attack.
She could easily see the glowing eyes of the nightmares now. They were upon them.
Maren tensed. And then, they pivoted, jerking towards the left and right, their immense force splitting in two.
Shit. Why did that seem worse?
She immediately turned with the tide, turning to the left as she was on Elsa's left, leaving the right to the mercy of the other's magic. If the Shadows truly wished to reach the fort, perhaps they could still delay them. Arrows picked off one or two, but they moved too fast. They would soon shoot past them to the castle.
They didn't. They turned again.
The Shadow hoard was circling them. Maren cursed, pressing her back to Elsa's, who's whole body suddenly jerked with upwards momentum. A huge barrier of ice shot up from the ground and encircled them, rounding off into a dome above their heads.
They weren't here to launch an attack on the troops with Elsa in the way. They weren't here as an enemy of Arendelle. They were here solely for Elsa.
Maren really, really hated when she was right.
They could hear pounding vibrations through the walls. That trick had surely only bought them seconds with that many Shadows.
"Stick to the plan," Maren instructed, assessing her quiver. Twelve left.
The ice started to crack.
Elsa glanced over her shoulder, voice shrill, "There's too many, I could hurt you."
The captain drew an arrow and aimed at a widening splinter on her side of the wall.
"Just blast. I'll stay at your back."
"Maren, I-"
"I trust you."
Words caught in Elsa's throat as the ice wall burst and darkness fell upon them.
Maren surrendered to instinct. Her body knew what to do after so many years of training and war. The blurs in her peripheral, the surges of adrenaline at a charging enemy, the lifesaving dodges before yet another was attacking…she could bend with the flow of battle, at least as well as a mortal could when facing Shadows. Above all, she was attuned to the spirit behind her, dancing and spinning together though danger.
When Elsa turned, she moved with her, remaining back to back in order to face the incoming destruction all around them. Magic sprung forward from Elsa's fingertips to entrap or expire a group of Shadows before Maren swapped into position to stall the one or two that slipped through. In a game of sheer numbers, the enchantress certainly held the advantage, but the test of endurance meant the captain simply had to cover the other woman's back just long enough between turns as they revolved around the roulette of darkness.
Ice and snow were starting to litter the area. Additional terrain gave them desperately needed milliseconds as the Shadows needed to bound around or above them. Maren shot an arrow as one popped from behind an icicle sticking from the ground, moving with Elsa's turn to switch sides. The scene changed again, more ice, a shield of sorts constructed from a frozen wave, arched and twisted.
Maren kicked a loose chunk of ice, managing to dissolve the leg off a Shadow, sending it stumbling. An arrow quickly followed through its head. Movement behind her suddenly felt more frantic. She whipped around to see Elsa's arms flinging forward and unleashing a blast of white energy that splashed forward like water before hardening. Shadows froze and shattered in its wake.
One jumped above the spray, projecting itself to the source. As Elsa gasped, Maren's arrow pierced it. Elsa's look of gratitude only took a fraction of a second and quickly fell away as they both turned back to the void surrounding them.
Maren knew she was low on ammo. As an arrow shot forth to puncture one enemy, she rolled forward to avoid the slicing arm of another. Snatching a fallen arrow in the process, she managed to shoot the attacking Shadow from her knee. With a twirl, she plucked another from the quiver, sending it flying with a twist back to Elsa's side.
Her fingers gripped the feathered end of her last arrow much more tightly. Whipping her hand back from the quiver, she then punched forward, stabbing the silver tip into a Shadow almost on top of her. She immediately drew back as the misty form dissolved, shooting down another already bounding towards her.
"I'm out!" Maren shouted, lobbing her bow at an incoming knot of Shadows in a desperate act of annoyance. Simple wood, it phased through their swirling skin.
"Duck!"
Blind faith sent Maren dropping to her knees.
Bolts of blue flashed above her head, sticking into the foggy black of dozens of Shadows before her. Their forms flashed into white snow around the ice arrows sticking from their chests. In one second, Elsa had exterminated more than Maren's whole quiver-worth had managed.
Magical arrows. Showoff.
Silver blade flashed as Maren drew her sword, leaping up from the ground. Both hands tightened on the hilt as she parried away the weaponized arms of their assailants.
From behind her, Elsa called out, "Finally!"
Maren heard a grunt and cold powder hit her cheek. She glanced to see a large path of slick ice had cleared part of the way to the east.
More and more Shadows burst into thin air in the distance. Maren turned back to stab at one of the monsters charging her. When she glanced back, water was sliding across the grass and ice, like a rising tide or the calm remains of a surging wave having arrived at its maximum reach.
After another swing of her sword, shallow water was lapping at her boots.
A dozen of Nokk's direwolves bounded across the valley, sloshing and glittering with fresh river water. As they stepped upon the icy surface laid before them, Elsa's magic immediately blossomed on their translucent forms, the opaque haze of hard ice spreading from their legs. Teeth and claws could now cut.
Reinforcements had arrived.
As they continued barreling towards them, some Shadows redirected to the new force, others still continued the previous assault. Maren managed to slash one into oblivion in the confusion.
"Hold tight," Elsa shouted over as she whipped a spell in the other direction.
"What do-"
The wind was knocked from Maren's lungs and the question left unfinished as something plowed into her. Her gut reaction was to try and grab at whatever she could with her free hand, still clinging to her sword in the other. Fingers gripped at something cold. She never fell, never hit the ground, and was still flying forward.
One of the Nokk wolves had crashed through the lines of Shadows with Maren now clinging to its icicle mane. With blinking recognition, the expert reindeer wrangler managed to swing her body properly atop the huge canine, clinging with her legs in the absence of a saddle. With impressive speed, this Nokk tore through Shadows with mighty bites as they passed.
Maren steeled herself and readied her sword. A Northuldran and a spirit fighting side by side was a force to be reckoned with.
"Alright, let's show them how we do it back home."
The Water entity barked below her and jumped into the air. They came down to pin a Shadow to the ground before chomping the head away from the body. Maren easily skewered another enemy that tried to swipe at Nokk's flanks. The duo darted off again, the highly intelligent mount expertly darting between groups of Shadows still coating the field in their massive force. Nokk swiftly lined the monsters up as easy targets for Maren's blade and clean slices as they charged past.
Suddenly, a scream cut through the air and tore through Maren's heart.
Elsa.
The ice wolf skidded to a halt, and Maren whipped her head towards the sound echoing carrying across the field. White energy surged in a massive column from the ground shooting up to the sky. Clouds and hail whipped around violently in the vortex of an instant storm.
Below her, Nokk hunched over, seemingly in pain. A whimper sounded before the icy snout pointed to the sky and howled.
The light storm and scream abruptly died.
Maren desperately tried to urge Nokk to turn and return north.
"She needs help!"
Then she heard the giggle.
Maren's short locks rustled in the breeze that passed them before a surge of wind practically slapped her in the face. She turned to see Shadows violently ripped from the ground.
"Get 'em, Gale!" the Northuldran cheered, relief almost knocking her as hard as the initial fear.
Elsa had to be fine if more spirits were arriving. Right?
Leaves and petals kicked up from the ground as circling air suddenly strengthened into small tornados across the valley. Shadows were sucked into the swirling masses as they gathered speed before being promptly shot into the air with tall arcs. Nokk launched across the grass as they flew like tossed and discarded toys. With such force, Maren simply had to raise her blade for the Shadows to cut across them and disappear.
Water, Wind, and woman continued to barrel through the crowds growing more and more dispersed. Everything was so much more chaotic now. Maren saw flashes of lightning strike down into the fray, the air buzzing with charge. Another wolf dashed past them, ramming into their target. Maren thought she saw flashes of blue light, presumably from Elsa or perhaps fires starting from the lightning storm. She could barely focus on swiping at Shadows as Nokk propelled them forward through pockets of storms, tornados, and even hail.
Black blasted from the left and into Nokk's muzzle, sending shards of ice cutting into Maren's cheek. Ignoring the small sting, her eyes narrows on the Shadow that had hurled the magic blast, now charging towards them.
Even headless, the Water spirit shuffled. Maren expected Nokk to run. Instead, they turned and violently bucked, launching her screaming into the air. A gust whipped across her body, shooting up from the ground to slow her speed before she fell hard against it.
She foggily saw the glass-like wolf disappear behind a mob of ravenous Shadows while her cheek was mashed against the dirt. Maren swayed as she stood, trying to shake the spinning from her head and gain her bearings. Her sword was barely raised in time as an enemy clashed their own blade-like arms against the metal.
Boots shuffled and staggered as she backpedaled, on the defensive. It was loud now; booming thunder and hurled magic from friends and foes made her whole being vibrate. So much was happening.
Maren yelped as the Shadow managed to slice her right arm, and her sword suddenly felt heavy as pain shot down the appendage. Her left hand gripped her forearm to muffle the hurt and stop the flowing blood already drenching her sleeve.
The monster drew back to strike again. Maren knew she wasn't going to be fast enough.
A giant white claw crashed down into view, and the Shadow exploded. Maren dumbly looked up at her savior, one of Elsa's huge snowmen. Half of its face had been crushed in since the start of the battle.
Shadows jumped and clung to the massive arms, digging in with their spiked hands. The living snow sculpture groaned and stumbled forward, sending Maren scrambling to avoid being smashed. She dived between its legs as the lumbering creature passed above her, shaking the earth.
More Shadows immediately were before her. Maren was clambering to her feet again, trying to get her blade upright and ready in time as her arm strung in protest.
Intense light flashed, crashing boomed, and Maren's arm blocked her face as her eyes screwed shut. When she opened them again, fire quickly consumed the grass, Shadows already turned black dust mixed with the smoke. The red flames from the lightning strike darkened to purple and rapidly spread. Heat made the air choking and thick.
Everything was happening so fast. Maren turned and began jogging away, only to jump back as a frenzy of Shadows exploded in her face. When the haze cleared, she saw what had killed them in their retreat.
A cyclone made of pure fire twisted and hurled towards her, its magnitude rivaling the height of Arendelle's castle. Blue and purple flames scorched their path with no resistance. Her skin already stung with a scalding sensation despite the sweat dripping from her brow mere moments before.
Maren anxiously twisted her head to either side, looking for an opening, but neither blue sky nor green grass beckoned to her. Black clouds, thick smoke, and walls of eerie purple flame surrounded her. No Nokk, no animated snowman, no spirit was in sight to save her.
She couldn't outrun the blistering speed of the firestorm blazing her way. There was no escape.
Maren closed her eyes to accept her fate, sword in hand.
"Hold tight."
"What do-"
Elsa watched as one of Nokk's wolves went shooting off into the distance, leaping over Shadows with a shouting Maren in tow. She inhaled deeply, eyes narrowing at the incoming Shadows. With Maren safely out of the way, she could blast away a bit more indiscriminately. Elsa had been conserving her energy since she exerted so much at the start of the battle.
As the pack of frozen Water spirits dispersed into the crowd, Elsa beckoned to the piles of remnant spells behind her, bidding the pieces of ice to animate forward. The white rocks flung to her, hovering in close proximity as they swirled around her body, some as small as her first and others as large as her head.
When Shadows dove forward, their faux axes and blades clashed against the hunks. With a simple tilt of the head, the ice plowed forward, pushing down the attacking Shadows before pulverising into more behind them. She glanced over her shoulder, a blink shooting the remaining bits at the monsters charging from behind.
Facing back to the front, bleeding purples separated from the beasts' inky forms, pulsating forward, shooting dark magical bolts her way at close range. Ice immediately encased her skin, wrapping her arm to deflect a blast. Her thigh and calf followed suit. Their missiles bounced off as she enveloped her entire body in a solid block of ice.
Elsa frowned at the cloudy ice blocking her face. Not her best idea. She willed the suit of cold armor forward, feeling the satisfying collisions as she slammed against the unseen targets. Her head rocked as she came to a jerking stop. Vibrations and the sounds of chipping told her multiple Shadows now wailed on the icy capsule.
She inhaled deeply through her nose, lungs full, chest tight. Then, she flooded her whole body with magic. The suit shattered, exploding heavy chunks in every direction, taking out dozens of Shadows that had crowded around her.
More quickly replaced them, and Elsa twisted her ankle, adding a sharp, icicle heel to her boot. With a sweeping, slicing kick, one monster's legs plopped into snow, sending the torso careening to the ground. She turned from the weakened enemy, moving on to another. Her mind's eye clearly saw as one of Nokk's wolves pounced and finished the job on the one she left behind with a chomp.
As she batted away one beside her, two Shadows vaulted into the air on track to collide. Instead, the billowing black masses spun together, and the distorted mess fell heavily before Elsa. Before she could discern limb or body, a club-like fist burst forward, making a direct impact upon her skull. Grunting with recoil, she countered the surprise attack by shoving her fist into the rapidly forming torso, discharging ice inside. Still not fully fused, the duo burst into a puff of snow.
However, the damage was done, and she stumbled as she turned to a new foe. Her head throbbed, and her sight grew dizzy.
Colors were dingy and stale, the images blurry. She was running with countless others. Tired, so tired from days of marching. So scared.
Reality slapped her awake, instinct raising her hand to blast away a lurching Shadow at the last moment.
Metal clashed against metal. A glinting shield of one of her companions caught her eye with the tarnished golden sigil of Arendelle before blood splattered against it.
These memories weren't hers. What were they doing in her head? Her eyesight swam as she blocked another Shadow's attempt to charge her.
She was going to die, she had to fight harder. Her country and her family were counting on her. But she could barely raise her sword, she was so tired.
Elsa's arm felt heavy as she raised an ice spike from the ground to pierce an oncoming enemy.
An enemy's greatsword was turning upon her, steel raised high and heavy.
Frost blossomed from her feet, coating the grass.
The blade embedded in her chest.
She screamed.
Agony and pain. Doubt and guilt. They pulsed through her and exploded into the world in a blinding, excruciating rupture. Infinite and absolute. It was everything, and it was pure terror.
There's a river full of memory…
Then it was gone. A cup emptied. Her cry faded. She opened her eyes to a giant circle of ice and blasted, preserved Shadows. More were coming, but she stood with bated breath as the fog of her mind cleared.
Nokk flooded her consciousness with concern and questioning, and yet...
Another presence joined. And another.
Doubt gave way to the freedom of wind. Guilt melted against the passion for life. Energy surged through her veins once more.
Gale and Bruni had returned.
Elsa immediately flung shards of ice into the air, and a gust of wind whipped from behind, snatching them with invisible hands. The sheer force projected them widely into the sky before plummeting them down to impale a group of Shadows.
Better late than never.
Shadows beside her screeched as blue flames poured over them. Elsa eagerly turned to see the newest arrival approaching her.
No longer the adorable salamander, Bruni was a large reptile not unlike the crocodiles of the Southern Isles or the monitor lizards of the outer dukedoms far to the east. They certainly wouldn't fit on her shoulder anymore. Their periwinkle coloring had blossomed to an electric blue and two purple stripes decorated the length of their back. Instead of a cute, little tongue, the appendage flashed long and forked as fire poured from their mouth, small but sharp teeth flashing in the light. They proudly whipped their strong tail, flinging a Shadow away in the process. Bruni then eyed her cockily, as if arrogant smiling was possible for a lizard.
She mentally scoffed at the ego radiating through their linked thoughts. This Blue Dragon theme was out of control, but she had missed the playful spirit.
Hands wrapped around air, and a sphere of snow molded on the ground beneath her. With a violent twist, she kicked the snowball, launching it into a wave of Shadows, knocking them over in a line.
Elsa pushed out with her mind, feeling Nokk's water puppets moving across the field, very aware of the one that held and guarded Maren. Gale soared around and above them, manipulating the natural harmony of the air; dark clouds were building.
"Let's end this."
With a nod, Bruni's eyes began to glow purple along with the stripes on their back. When they opened their jaws, magenta flame poured forward, gleaming purple and indigo as the fire danced on ignited crisis grass and set individual Shadows ablaze. Their black bodies crumpled into piles of soot.
Their enemies adjusted, trying to dodge the jettison of fire and moving to flank them. Elsa slid her foot in a wide arc on the ground, rapidly spreading permafrost on the dirt. Nearby Shadows found their lower limbs frozen upon contact, stopped in place. A simple toss of the flamethrower's head sent the purple flare in their direction, burned to a crisp.
The spirits pressed forward, balancing the opposites of ice and fire. One to freeze attackers in place, the other to cremate them. Despite their stubby arms, Bruni moved just as inhumanly quick as Elsa and the Shadows. Thunder was rumbling in earnest now. The two newcomers had found themselves rich with energy after so long a sleep.
Elsa dipped deeper, pouring magic into a heavy push upwards, shooting a massive glacial fragment from the ground. Shadows easily bounded around it, but thankfully, this ice was not for them.
Bruni's fire engulfed the massive chunk, and water poured forth as the solid dissolved. They quickly redirected so as not to burn up the liquid, leaving a small pool on the field. Nokk's magic immediately rippled across the surface, spinning into multiple funnels. The elongated sprouts slithered apart on the singed grass in the form of snakes.
Elsa smirked. That was better than another trip to the river. She flung her own magical essence towards them, hardening their bodies and hungry fangs to wreak havoc on what remained in the valley.
Darkness still closed in with ever haunting white eyes. The blackened sky lashed out with strikes of lightning. Elsa could feel Bruni pushing against the sparks of electricity, inciting heat and fire to spread on the greenery of the valley. Red flame deepened to purple under their magic, and the terrain grew dangerous for the multitude of enemies still abound.
Nokk's animations were weakening in the face of so many Shadows, but Maren was still with a wolf, the picture growing fuzzy in Elsa's mind. Fire spread and storms swirled faster. The emotions that fed their powers were beginning to feel tangled and frayed, as if the invisible strings that united them were knotting. Bruni's ambition enraged too quickly, Gale's snickering laughter was too easily tempted. Magic was free flowing.
They had to be careful.
Wind whipped her ponytail as one of spinning vortexes drew closer. Elsa extended her hand and directed her palm at the tornado. White mist glittered from her hand, easily sucked into the twister. Another breath from Bruni scorched enemies that drifted too close to her.
Magic to ice. The frost collected and hardened. The whirlwind whipped hail violently, not just pushing and pulling Shadows but piercing them with the sharp pellets. Elsa allowed the fusion of her and Gale's creations a few brief seconds of life so that it could offer death to the terrible monsters they faced. Then, with the simple lowering of her hand, her ice stopped. The storm slowed. The air column collapsed and was no more. She could not risk leaving it unattended.
Bruni inhaled, his attacks paused as lungs of fire rekindled. The Shadows surrounding them surged forth at the opportunity. Elsa's left arm flew to cover Bruni as the brutes tried a volley of little black meteors. A round shield of sturdy ice cemented to her arm took the brunt of the force with ease. When they stalked closer, a long rod of ice extended from Elsa's right hand. As she drew the weapon back, the cold crystal flattened and sharpened into a proper blade.
When she sliced down, it was like cutting through snow. The sword glided without contest clean through, and the black void turned white powder fell pathetically on the ground. She was no expert, but she at least hit her targets with her hacking as they circled her.
Bruni exhaled, purple once again erupting across Elsa's vision. It felt hot, even to the woman who never truly felt bothered by heat or cold. To foe or mortal, it must have been beyond blood boiling. She channeled more magic into the blade to avoid melting. With a flourish and spin, she quickly cleaved a Shadow in half as hellfire consumed the rest nearby.
Maybe Maren wasn't the only one that could handle a sword.
"Wait, where's Maren?" She couldn't feel her presence with Nokk any longer. Most of the animal puppets had been destroyed, and Nokk's visibility was limited.
The outpouring of energy from Bruni in their collective consciousness hesitated, scrambling. Frantic panic cut through her, through all of them. Gale's focus suddenly shifted, funneling magic to stop momentum, but it was too late.
Elsa turned instinctively with instant dread, knowing what she would see before her own eyes saw it.
A cyclone of pure fire.
Maren was going to die.
She was caught in the middle of their storm, just as Elsa had feared. Flame had grown too strong and too large from the fueling air feeding it, flaring from almost nothing so quickly. Neither Bruni nor Gale could hope to stop the momentous inferno at its current size and speed.
Elsa charged across the valley, blasting away any Shadow that dared step into her path. She watched helplessly as the captain turned and faced the wall of death.
Maren was going to die.
Bruni and Gale struggled for control with no avail. The Ice spirit threw her sword into the abyssal gut of a Shadow as she leapt forward. They chipped away at her shield as she flew past before it melted into nothing.
She had never felt such an oppressive heat, her body ached even moving towards it. There were still so many Shadows between her and Maren.
She watched in horror as a veil of flames closed completely, blocking her path. Maren was gone.
Maren was going to die.
"No!"
Elsa did not hesitate, diving right into the massive fireball, reaching out for the woman she loved.
White flashed in blinding light. Elsa screwed her eyes shut. The deadly heat disappeared completely.
It was quiet.
Elsa opened her eyes. Familiar bluish haze of thick ice surrounded her. One hand was outstretched and pressed to the sloping wall. She had sealed them in a bubble of ice, like two inhabitants of a snow globe. The other arm was tightly wrapped around Maren's waist, whose limp form was pressed against Elsa's chest. Foggy breaths intermingled between them in the intense cold and proximity of their icy sphere, including Elsa's sigh of relief. She could feel the captain's rising chest press against her torso with each calm, slow inhale and exhale.
Maren's beautiful face was a mere inch from hers, eyes shut in seemingly peaceful sleep. Small cuts lined her cheek along with smoky smudges and grime from the flames. Urgency of battle waned, but Elsa's heart still raced.
Eyelids slowly slid open. Maren still looked serene and content. Black pupils lazily focused on the face hovering above them.
Then, the woman draped in Elsa's arm smiled.
"This is nice. I thought it would hurt more," Maren whispered softly, hand reaching up to stroke Elsa's cheek.
"What?" Elsa asked breathlessly, unable to stop herself from grinning as well.
She was soaring with giddy relief. This was the woman she had left behind. They were both alive and so, so close...
"Dying," Maren hummed, her thumb brushing Elsa's bottom lip.
Elsa leaned more deeply into the caress. "You're not dead, silly."
The hand froze stiffly in place, and the rest of Maren's body rigidly followed suit. Her head jerked back, suddenly taking in the opaque crystal that surrounded them. After profusely blinking, she cleared her throat and moved to stand, bumping her shoulder against the ice in the tight space.
"Careful, let me."
Warmth in her chest was easily transmuted into the magic at her fingertips. The hand still placed against the ice shimmered as white light swirled into the surface like etched glass, spreading and twirling across the entire orb. Glowing ice flurried into snow that drifted and melted away, dispelled by love.
Maren stood up properly now, wincing slightly before she wrapped her left hand around her right forearm. Elsa moved to put a steading hand on her shoulder, but Maren suddenly looked horrified at the appendage.
"You're hurt."
Elsa frowned. She felt fine.
Her eyes followed Maren's and looked down, surprised to see her sleeves were gone, the magic melted, and angry red marks instead blotched across her skin. She pulled the limb back and held it in front of her face. The blisters looked rather intense, and yet, she felt only mildly sore. As she inspected them, faint shimmering tendrils began to wrap and lick the skin. Tingling and soothing, subtle frost now glistened on both her arms and hands, all without her instruction or command.
That seemed even more alarming. She tore her eyes away; there were more immediate issues to worry about for now.
Her arms fell to her side. "I'm alright. Are you injured?"
Before Elsa could point at the blood on Maren's uniform or the arm she was holding, the other woman's eyebrows shot up in shock as she looked towards the field.
"By Ahtohallan," she muttered in disbelief, scanning the horizon.
Elsa turned around and too felt her eyes go wide.
Snow coated the entire field as far as the eye could see. Even Elsa knew calling it a simple snowfall was beyond modesty and just horrifically incorrect. Gale's clouds and Bruni's fires had been banished. Blinding white and shining ice echoed the deadly winter she had set upon Arendelle once before, all condensed and powerfully packed into the valley. Death had hailed upon the surface, and hundreds of figures stood frozen in time and space, hollow shadows of Shadows.
Elsa shivered. She had left her fear unchecked at the thought of losing Maren. They stood in the wake of her pure destruction. The power frightened her. And yet a pricking in her mind, like a needle, so small but sharp, thrilled in the prospect. Alien and foreign, she pushed the sensation away. Again, she would have to wait until later.
She swallowed hard before turning to the blue lizard that had poked its head out from the snow nearby, tongue hanging out in apparent bliss as steam rose from the Fire spirit tucked in the cold powder.
When annoyance flashed unchecked through her veins and through their shared senses, Bruni quickly snapped to attention, jumping out from the snow pile. Snowflakes fluttered near the ground where Gale also hovered nearby. She could feel their pouting like youngsters awaiting their reprimands and punishment from a parent.
Elsa sighed, trying to remain calm but firm, "We can't lose control like that. Ever. That's how people get hurt."
Eager remorse loudly filled their mental space with bumbling, childlike apologies. Elsa couldn't remain upset with them for long. Gale and Bruni were the most playful and youthful of the spirits, and their trickster methods were never intended to harm humans. Even tranquil Nokk, lazily dozing in the river afar for now, was amused at their antics now in the face of scolding.
The Ice spirit shook her head with a smile before simply pointing to the woman standing behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see Maren still gripping her arm, mouth agape at the spirits.
Gale immediately blasted forward, ruffling Maren's short hair and swirling down her form to her legs. Bruni quickly came shuffling after, rubbing against the brunette's legs like a cat. Elsa rolled her eyes but still grinned at the trio.
"Welcome back," the Northuldran quipped fondly, a small smile alighting her weary features as she looked down at the spirits now either chewing on her bootstrap or nudging around her empty sheath and quiver.
Elsa opened her mouth to jokingly ask Maren if she accepted their apology, but a roll of thunder sounded in its place. She frowned, looking up, as she no longer spotted Gale's storm clouds against the blue sky. As the sound grew louder, she realized it came from behind her, not above her.
"Shit," Maren groaned, no longer smiling.
Bruni scampered back to Elsa as the sound grew, and she turned north to face it.
Hundreds of riders on horseback charged from the direction of the fort towards the two women. Blinding sunlight reflected off the shining, silver armor each soldier wore; the knights were impressively decorated and bore long lances. Elsa could faintly make out the engraving of wings across their breastplates, and the front visor of their helmets mimicked eagle beaks. The legendary cavalry of the valley did not disappoint as they approached with their sheer size and polish. Flag bearers carried the standard of Arendelle whipping in the wind as they continued forward.
Maren cursed again as she picked up her sword from the ground and sheathed it. Elsa glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.
"You'll see," she grumbled in response.
The leader of the pack called out to them, "Lady Elsa!"
When he stopped, the entire procession neatly halted with him. A moment passed as the rider tried to hoist his leg over his mount's neck and slither off his saddle.
Maren saluted as he stepped forward, breathing heavily from the ordeal of getting off his horse. His cuirass appeared somewhat customized to accommodate a more pronounced and rotund figure. The lifted visor revealed round, ruddy cheeks and an impressively large mustache. His helmet was adorned with the unique plumage of eagle feathers. A gauntlet-covered hand gripped the hilt of his sheathed sword as he stood as straight as possible.
A nasally voice drawled, "General Berglund, at your service."
Elsa recognized the name and offered a small nod. She had met with countless military officials in her lifetime, but if she recalled, he had held his position for some time and was always eager to let others know this prestigious fact. Repeatedly, with much gusto.
"Your Highness," he continued with a very histrionic bow, "You are most welcome to Fort Arne."
A sea of lances shot into the air as the Arendellian cavalry saluted the princess in the traditional fashion for mounted soldiers. She meekly smiled at the intense crowd.
Berglund remained bent for more than the standard sweeping bow. The seconds ticked by. Elsa glanced hesitantly at Maren and thought she saw the Northuldran's eye twitch.
She cleared her throat, trying to dust off her more regal persona.
"Thank you, General."
"No, thank you," he replied loudly, rising finally, "We certainly would not have easily survived an assault of that size without the Blue Dragon and her friends."
Elsa bashfully bowed her head. Bruni was practically purring by her leg, proudly preening.
His voice grew even more high-pitched as he turned and gestured to the ranger standing to the side. "And Captain Maren, it would seem your reputation as the Queen's Silver Hand was certainly earned."
Elsa tried to mask her surprise. That was a new title. Maren was clearly more well-known in Arendelle than she had let on, even more so than just the leader of the humble and small Northuldra.
"Sir," Maren bowed deeply at the compliment," I have much to report, but my main objective is to return Her Highness to the capital, per Her Majesty's orders."
The general waved his hand as if casting aside the comment. "Yes, yes, that'll do better with some refreshments, you must be exhausted. Come along."
With a whistle, a white horse with an empty saddle was brought forward from the ranks. Ryder the reindeer also popped his enormous head out from the crowd, eagerly trotting to his master. As Maren patted his side, Elsa glanced down at the lizard lounging at her feet. Bruni yawned, settling further into the grass. They would stand watch and make sure no Shadows returned.
After they climbed the mounts and began to march back, the thrill of the fight completely evacuated her body. They were safe. They were still alive.
Why did something still feel wrong?
Berglund said they must be exhausted and yet…exhausted wasn't quite right. She was tired, but some small, terrible part of her own soul still whispered for more. They hadn't scratched the surface of her maximum potential. Her body and spirit could yet endure thousands more Shadows. There was still so much anger pulsing through her, she could not fathom its origin or limits. To feel no pain from her injuries, to have already surpassed what a mere mortal could survive...
Then there was the episode that had summoned Gale and Bruni; she had lost control and unleashed raw power. Extremely worrying. What parts of her mind were truly just hers? What feelings? And where did the foreign ones come from? What would happen the next time she lost control?
The Shadows had learned to cast limited magical spells at range. Why did she do much of herself in these monsters? Was she the real monster, just as she had always feared?
She tried to bury her anger and unease. Maren's smile after the fire, on the other hand, had been a wonderful relief. Perhaps that one simple fact could alleviate all the doubt and grief and uncertainty the rest of the world was offering her.
She glanced over to the captain riding her reindeer nearby, hoping to catch her eye. When their gazes met, Maren turned her head to pointedly look away.
Elsa suddenly felt bitterly alone.
Fingers stretched and tightened against the bandages wrapped around Maren's knuckles, testing her flexibility. The fort's doctor had patched up a few burns and scraps, but she still had full mobility. She rolled her shoulder, luckily feeling no stabs of pain from the tended cut on her arm.
She sighed, dropping her hand back to her side. Her injuries were the least of her worries.
Overlooking her embarrassing moment of weakness and the fact she had practically groped Elsa's face, things were looking up. Wind and Fire were back. Elsa confirmed in a brief meeting in the war room that the spirits seemed to return when she unleashed large amounts of magic; they told her it woke them up like a loud noise from a deep slumber. The tedious general and others in command were ecstatic. Even the Northuldran felt a glimmer of hope with their magicks returning.
However, Elsa had been biting her lip the whole time, eagerly disappearing to the room they had offered her to rest.
So Maren was worried.
She climbed the stone stairs to the sleeping quarters reserved for the high-ranking officers and noteworthy guests. Fort Arne was large and grandiose enough to expect important people and ensure they at least had minor comforts. A carpet of deep red muffled the sound of her steps, a single brazier flickering against the darkness of the hallway. Tiny windows offered little light now that the sun had set.
Pausing before a door, she raised her hand and knocked with two short taps against the wood.
She waited. There was no response, verbal or otherwise. Maren again sighed and gingerly opened the door.
Her heart almost leapt across the room.
The curtains had been pulled back, and moonlight flooded into the room from the large window on the opposite wall from the door. Under the soft glow, draped in ethereal white, Elsa's silhouette sat on the edge of the bed, back to where Maren stood. A light blue nightgown shimmered on her frame, long sleeves and skirt leaving only the princess's neck visible to the newcomer. Blonde locks feel down across one shoulder, draped unseen to the front.
Maren swallowed, trying to steady herself against the bewitching sight.
"The doctor said you refused help."
A beat passed before she heard, "I'm fine."
A lie. Maren looked down at the ground. Maybe it was for the best to start putting space between them. Maybe Elsa was starting to see she wasn't a good choice to keep around. It would certainly make things easier once they arrived at the capital, and Maren would leave.
And yet she knew it was a lie. She knew Elsa, and Elsa was hurting.
Maren stepped into the room and gently closed the door. The only sound she made was the tapping of her boots on the wooden floor as she made her way to the bed. She slowly sat on the edge closest to the door, ensuring there was plenty of space between her and the woman on the other side.
She softly asked, "Do you trust me?"
Elsa's head finally turned towards her to look over her shoulder; Maren could see her eyes were puffy and red from tears. Pitiful, yes, but the color difference only made the cerulean of her eyes shine even more brightly. She was still hauntingly beautiful.
Those eyes were assessing her. Maren simply sat and waited. She learned long ago tending to wounded animals, one simply needed to be patient. Despite whatever internal battle raged within the other woman, after a moment, a pale hand extended across the bed.
Maren's thumb brushed against knuckles as she took the hand into her own. Elsa's skin was cool to the touch. She had missed the unique sensation, and guilt immediately flooded her chest at the realization. Burying her shame, she gently turned the limb, finding no cuts, no blisters.
She paused, and glanced back at the blonde. Elsa did not meet her eye, but she still offered a tiny nod.
Maren's fingers slowly and delicately pushed back the sleeves of the gown, revealing smooth and flawless skin. She couldn't stop her sharp intake of breath at the shock of what she saw.
"You were covered in burns," she murmured in disbelief, "I saw it."
"I don't know what's happening to me," Elsa frantically choked out, pulling her hand away, "The headaches are back, like last time. I see things and hear things that aren't my own thoughts or that of the spirits. My emotions are out of control. There are times I suddenly feel so angry and scared, I might burst. And I don't even know if those are my feelings or someone else's."
She was shaking, hands clenched tightly on her lap, struggling to contain the hitches in breathing.
Maren tried to keep her features neutral and voice calm. She should have checked her surprise before. Elsa needed confidence.
"Fear is normal when we don't understand something. But this?" Maren gestured towards Elsa's hands, "I wouldn't be too afraid of something that's helping keep you alive."
Elsa released the stressed fists, looking down at her open palms.
With a shaky breath, she replied, "I thought we knew everything already. That I could finally have peace and a home and a life."
"You'll be home at the castle soon."
"No. Not Arendelle," Elsa stated firmly, looking up to Maren with a hard expression, "Northuldra, the forest."
Home.
Elsa had been one of them. Not just by her mother's blood, not just because she was a spirit. Elsa was the most loving, caring person Maren had ever met. She adored every single person in the village, and they adored her. By the fires, in the fields, near the rivers, she lived with them and helped them as not just nature's bridge, but as a genuinely kindhearted person. Even when she was overwhelmed or uncertain, the shy and sweet Elsa still never stopped trying for them.
When Elsa had disappeared, Northuldra was no longer home. Maren had no home. She was a pathetic and terrible leader. She had run away from the memories of happiness replaced by the haunting dead. Yelana, her brother, their people, and for five years, Elsa…
Elsa deserved a future full of love and happiness, without her, without a coward and a murderer.
She was too ashamed to even admit that to her.
"Northuldra has always been the home of the spirits. You belong there," she simply said.
Elsa's lip began to tremble, her voice shrill. "Is that all I am? Ice, the Fifth Spirit?"
The captain looked anywhere but the eyes with tears threatening to overflow.
"Sometimes we become what the world needs, not what we want," she muttered.
Hunching forward to the edge, she moved to stand from the bed. Hands reached out and caught her arm, stopping her in place.
"Please, don't go," Elsa sobbed, crying now in earnest, "I'm so sorry, I just-"
Her voice halted, cut off by the weeping she could no longer contain. Her body slumped against the other woman, head falling to the Northuldran's shoulder.
Maren hesitated briefly, as if frozen. Then, she gingerly placed her arm around Elsa's quivering, crying form, rubbing her hand against her back as she held her.
"Let it out."
She wasn't strong enough to deny the woman she loved. She was still a coward.