The forest gave way to the horse chestnuts and beech trees the further into the troll's territory they wandered. The well-worn paths disappeared once again to be replaced by a rockier terrain and the appearance of the hot springs. Elsa felt more comfortable as the time passed, and the closer she came to Yggdrasil, but her thoughts kept straying back to Arendelle, and to Anna. It wasn't long before the sun seemed to stop its movement in the sky, and time halted altogether. The sky took on a golden color, interspersed with its usual blue, and the air itself hung heavily about them. Not only were the horses edgy, but so was Kristoff, as a new understanding of the land sank deeper into his conscious. He looked about at every noise, startling himself and his horse.

The Queen turned her horse closer to Kristoff's. "Relax, I guarantee nothing bad is going to happen to you." She spurred her horse to a trot. "Follow me, Kristoff."

It was mid-afternoon when the Queen of Arendelle arrived at the Valley of the Living Rock. Elsa led them past the clearing and into the deeper forest where the golden rays of sun fell between the thick branches of the tall conifers. After a half an hour of weaving in between the tall, thick trees Elsa finally saw their destination: Yggdrasil, and the trolls were gathered about it.

Elsa halted about fifty yards from the giant white tree and dismounted. "We walk the rest of the way."

Kristoff looked about him. "I've never been this deep into the forest. It's a little—spooky. Like the dark magic Anna was talking about."

The Queen briefly touched his arm. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Kristoff, please believe me."

The mountain man smiled weakly. "Okay, Your Majesty."

Elsa turned to go, then paused. "Kristoff, I think you can dispense with the honorific. You can call me 'Elsa'." She smiled at the man before leading them towards whatever destiny had in store for them.

As they got closer to Yggdrasil Elsa removed her officer's coat and threw it on the ground; her wings began to flutter in anticipation underneath her shirt. Kristoff saw this and his eyes went wide. Even though Elsa had told him all about her physical transformations he still had harbored some doubts. No more. Here was the clear evidence that the Queen had been truthful about everything. He drew in a sharp breath and wondered at the things Anna had said while drunk. Was all of it true?

Elsa stopped on the periphery of the small clearing around the giant white tree and nodded to Pabbie who was standing at its base. The remainder of the trolls were scattered about on the massive spherical stone that surrounded Yggdrasil, and appeared to be in a trance. "Jörmungandr has returned."

The old troll nodded once, and his apprentice, Hølje, stepped up to Elsa. "What is your intent, Jörmungandr? Have you come to challenge the future?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, I have accepted my destiny and my place in the world. I seek knowledge, and understanding. I seek counsel with the jötunn, and to beseech upon their mercy."

Hølje glanced back at Pabbie, and they exchanged a meaningful glance. The shaman turned around and touched the Yggdrasil. "The knowledge of which you seek—from the jötnar of old—life and death, good and evil, sublime and ridiculous. You will find upon the branches of Yggdrasil." He turned around and faced Elsa. "Frey, the son of Njörð, had seated himself on Hliðskjálf, and looked out across all the worlds. He sought to subdue jötunn to his will, and failed. Is this what you seek, Jörmungandr?"

Elsa blinked and took a step back. "No, there is no guile in me. Come and place your hand upon my heart and know the truth."

Pabbie walked up to Elsa, but kept his hands to himself, respecting her royal stature. "To do so would be an act of insolence, Queen Elsa." The old troll smiled and indicated for Elsa to follow him as he ambled around Yggdrasil. "Just as from Niflheim there arose coldness and all things grim, so what was facing close to Muspell was hot and bright, but Ginnungagap was as mild as a windless sky. And when the rime and the blowing of the warmth met so that it thawed and dripped, there was a quickening from these flowing drops due to the power of the source of the heat, and it became the form of a human." Grand Pabbie stopped and looked pointed at Elsa. "Does this speak a truth to you, Jörmungandr?"

Elsa pondered the words, but their meaning eluded her. "I am afraid I don't understand."

Pabbie stopped when the trolls that were standing around on the giant spherical rock began to chant, albeit almost silently. "If you seek understanding with the jötnar you must understand the prophecies, Queen Elsa. Everything now is depending on your power to perceive, and your actions upon your discernment."

The Queen stopped walking and thought over the old trolls words. Quickening—what on earth did the prophecy mean by this? She knew the word meant something like 'hastening' or 'moving along' but what did… "Wait, you said to the effect that when this quickening happened a man appeared?"

"No, not a man, Queen Elsa."

"A human, then? When the cold rime was swept by blowing warmth? These two elemental forces created—life?"

"Again, Queen Elsa, what does this knowledge speak to you?"

Elsa looked back to Kristoff but he merely shrugged his shoulders, a strange and distant look on his face. The Queen rubbed at her temples in an effort to ward off an impending headache, and her horns started to hurt. "Are you asking me to give my own meaning to the words?"

Grand Pabbie stopped at the base of the giant tree and touched it again. "How can the jötnar help you if you do not understand?"

"I'm trying." Elsa watched the swaying branches on the white tree, and thought she saw an enormous hawk staring down at her from high above. There was a shift in the branches, and she realized the hawk was sitting on the head—between the eyes—of a much larger eagle. They were testing her, and she knew it.

Pabbie followed Elsa's line of sight. "Veðrfölnir awaits, are you ready to ascend to the truth, Queen Elsa?"

Elsa blew out a frustrated breath. "What does the creation of life have to do with me?"

Pabbie just stared at her, his face inscrutable. "Creation and procreation."

"Okay, what does procreation have to—" She stopped mid-sentence, her heart racing at the implication. Pabbie knew. Kin will lie with kin…procreation… oh, my god… Her head swam and she felt her legs starting to give out on her, so she sank to the ground on her knees, and then sat back on her heels.

The shaman turned back to face Elsa, his expression grim. "With understanding comes awareness, and with awareness comes an almost unbearable sorrow."

Kristoff went to the Queen's side and knelt next to her. "What is he talking about, Elsa?" When the Elsa didn't answer he turned his head to Pabbie. "Grandfather, what did you mean?"

Elsa put her arm on Kristoff's. "Kristoff, please don't worry about this. This is something that I alone must bear."

The mountain man smiled down at her. "Will you be alright?"

"Of course—I think." Elsa reached up and kissed Kristoff on the cheek. "Will you help me up?" Elsa stood on shaky legs and walked up to Pabbie. "Am I ready to face the jötnar?"

"You are ready." Pabbie hobbled over to Kristoff, a heavy weight on his shoulders. "Walk with me." Kristoff glanced over his shoulder at the Queen as he walked away with his grandfather and gave her a reassuring smile.

Elsa noticed that the other trolls had turned in on themselves and now bore a striking resemblance to rocks. She blinked and glanced around her; there was absolute silence in the forest. Even Yggdrasil's swaying branches failed to make a sound. After taking a deep breath she knew what she had to do.

The Queen unbuttoned her shirt and let it fall to the ground. Then she stooped and removed her boots, flexing her toes when done. Her wings began to flutter again in anticipation as she stepped to the base of the tree and hauled herself up to the lowest branch. Yggdrasil reacted to Elsa's touch and a low moan started in its three roots and vibrated up the trunk. She stood on the branch and waited, but nothing happened. It was then that she realized she needed to climb higher into the tree to discover its secrets. Once again, she climbed, and this time scaled up the trunk to about twenty feet and felt the rumbling from the foundation of the world. Elsa clung to a certain branch when she felt a familiar pulling at her back; her wings were growing out again, and she could feel the sting of blood dripping down her back as they forced themselves further out of her body. She grunted into the pain and released a shuddering breath. After awhile the pain subsided, and she was able to proceed up the tree.

Elsa flapped her wings robustly for the first time, and they helped her to ascend higher into Yggdrasil. At this point the humming from the tree grew louder and the branches became shrouded in a thin mist. As she stepped up to a particularly large branch the eagle poked its massive head from a copse of leaves. The hawk between its eyes squawked rather loudly and Elsa would have fallen if her wings hadn't helped to steady her. She held on tightly to the branches and glared at Veðrfölnir and the eagle.

The hawk glared back at the Queen. "Seeker of knowledge. You ascend Yggdrasil as ignorant as a newborn babe."

Elsa bristled. "I may be many things, Veðrfölnir, but ignorant is not one of them. Do you not recognize the great Jörmungandr?" She stood firm and didn't back down.

The eagle remained silent, but the hawk was agitated at the news. "Great Jörmungandr, how may I truly know it is really you?"

Elsa smirked. "Send Ratatoskr the squirrel to the foundation and the three roots, and inquire of the wyrm Níðhöggr as to the truth. I imprisoned him there."

The hawk bellowed and Ratatoskr climbed up the tree, and then eyed Elsa warily for a moment, then it cried out. "Oh, Jörmungandr, why do you return to punish your lowly servants?"

Veðrfölnir cackled and flapped his wings. "Ratatoskr, you know—this creature?"

But the messenger wasn't listening, and slowly backed away from Elsa in supplication. After it was gone she turned her attention back to the hawk. "Let me pass, now!"

The hawk bowed its head. "Forgive me, Jörmungandr. My eyes are now open."

A low growl emanated from the eagle and it bowed its head before disappearing behind the leaves. Elsa's wings fluttered in satisfaction and she grasped at the branches above her. After about twenty minutes of climbing she came to another enormous branch and easily lifted herself on it. The humming in Yggdrasil increased, and the mist that was surrounding the tree began to swirl as if in a breeze; and then, out of nowhere, dísir appeared, formed out of the mist itself and they began to swirl around the Queen.

One of them stopped in front of Elsa and regarded her. The dís looked at her strangely, as if taking her measure. "Fate."

Elsa waited, her wings fluttering madly behind her. "Yes?"

"That which has come to pass and that which is in the process of happening are one and the same. Two worlds that come together to form one cohesiveness—unitary and inseparable. What do you seek, o mighty Jörmungandr—how may Fate serve you?"

Elsa cleared her throat. "I seek counsel with the jötnar. I want to secure their promise, through a treaty, to come to Arendelle's aid in the war to come."

The ghost laughed. "And how do you propose to engage jötunn with a treaty? Treaties are for men and their evil purposes. Their oaths mean nothing to us!"

Elsa struggled to stay calm, and clung to the branches. "Then what must I do as Jörmungandr to gain favor with them?"

"You wish to know the wisdom of the nine worlds, o great wyrm, and once possessed of such knowledge, what would you do with it?"

"I want Arendelle safe!" Elsa couldn't keep the fury out of her voice.

"Arendelle? Is this your only consideration?"

Elsa swallowed, and the truth that Pabbie was trying to convey to her, came crashing down upon her. "No. I must keep Anna safe, if what I think to be true, is indeed." She looked down and couldn't see the base of the tree. "You are Fate, aren't you? Is it true, is Anna—oh, god, I can't even say it." Elsa cursed her weakness at that moment, and a single tear fell down her cheek; and as much as she tried she couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and broke down completely. "Anna is pregnant, with my child, isn't she? You must help me protect her!" She clung to the trunk of the tree and let her tears fall freely, and her tears fell onto the trunk itself and were absorbed by Yggdrasil. Those tears held everything that Elsa was—her hopes and dreams and her dismal failures; her loftiest thoughts to her baser emotions. All that was Elsa fell onto the great tree.

Yggdrasil fell silent; it's humming stopped completely; and the deep rumble at the foundation of the world quieted. All the dísir stopped their swirling and coalesced into one being and the creature that came forth was human like in its appearance. It regarded Elsa as she cried and reached out to capture one tear on its finger. It brought the tear up to its mouth and dropped it on its tongue. "It appears that the jötnar have heard your pleas, Jörmungandr, and have agreed to help you, in any way they can."

"What of Anna and Arendelle?" Elsa stopped crying, but was still feeling vulnerable.

"You are one with Arendelle and you must keep it safe."

The Queen wiped at her tears with the back of her hand, her heart conflicted over what she had learned on this day. She stepped away from the trunk and sat down on the large branch. Her emotions were still raw, and she wished she was back in Arendelle, and in the safety of Anna's arms. Elsa let out a deep cleansing breath, and shook her head slightly, to clear away all negativity.

She looked up and the creature was still before her, smiling in a knowing way. "What happens now?"

"Now, you go to sleep."

Elsa awoke at the base of the great white tree, and lifted her head. But she was uncomfortable on her back, as her wings were larger, and so she shifted onto her side. After a moment she decided to experiment with her wings, and used their momentum to propel herself off of the stone and onto her feet. She picked up her discarded shirt and put it on, but couldn't quite button it up so she let it hang freely. After putting on her boots she looked around and noticed that the trolls were gone so she used her new instincts to guide her back to the cave that she and Anna had used when they were in the Valley. After about a half an hour she was at the cave, and so were Kristoff, Pabbie, and the rest of the trolls.

Pabbie stepped forward, but the shaman didn't look well, and clung to his apprentice. "What of the future, Jörmungandr?"

Elsa released another cleansing breath. "The jötnar have agreed to help me."

Pabbie released a great sigh. "Then my task is completed." He dropped his walking stick on the ground. "I have returned Jörmungandr to the world and have seen to its future, and my time is now over."

Kristoff turned to his grandfather. "Hey, wait a minute. What are you saying?"

Bulda, alarmed, also came over and grasped her father's hand. "Father?"

Pabbie gently pulled his hand away and touched his daughter's cheek. "It is the way of things, my daughter, one leaves and…" He looked up at Elsa. "…one is soon to come." And with those parting words, the old troll fell onto the ground, and died.

The mountain man fell onto his knees and clutched Pabbie to him. "No, no, no! Pabbie!" He lifted his head and a great wail rolled to the heavens. The trolls wept, all except Hølje, the old troll's apprentice. He placed his hand on Pabbie's forehead and then placed his other one on Kristoff's. The mountain man gasped, and fell back onto his rear, still cradling his grandfather in his arms.

Elsa changed into one of Kristoff's larger shirts and sighed. She walked outside the cave to find the blonde man sitting on a large boulder outside the cave, and smoking a pipe. She regarded him sorrowfully. "I didn't know you smoked, Kristoff."

"Only when I need to think." Kristoff deadpanned. He remained on the rock and didn't turn around.

The Queen walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Kristoff." She sat down next to him.

"He showed me his memories."

"What?"

"Pabbie's memories, Your Majesty. Hølje showed me everything about the Fimbulwinter and my family's role in it." He looked at the pipe in his hands. "Why didn't he tell me about it sooner. I could have—helped him in some way."

Elsa looked at the blonde man. "Maybe Pabbie didn't want to burden you unnecessarily, Kristoff."

The mountain man grunted. "That's the story of my life, Your Majesty. No one wants to burden poor, dumb Kristoff."

Elsa cringed. "No, no. You are hardly a stupid man, Kristoff. Please don't think of yourself like that."

The blonde man wiped at a few tears. "Well, I've come to a decision, Elsa. I can't leave my family now. My mom is so hurt, and vulnerable—I just can't do it. I'm staying here and helping them anyway I can."

Elsa nodded. "Are you sure?"

Kristoff glanced at the Queen. "I've never been so sure in my life. Not even with Anna. I'm going to learn everything they know about this Fimbulwinter and help them when the war comes."

The Queen sighed, and then rested her head on the mountain man's shoulder. "You are a good man, Kristoff. You know, you and the trolls are welcome to come to Arendelle at any time."

Kristoff rested his cheek on Elsa's head, but then lifted quickly when he felt a horn. "Thank you for the invitation. But I've got to go back to the white tree and learn everything there is to know. I know Hølje is going to be the next shaman—but Pabbie was more than just a shaman, he was a leader. My people need a leader, Your Majesty, and I'm going to be the one to do it."

"Whatever Arendelle can do to help you, please don't hesitate to ask." Elsa lifted her head and smiled at the blonde man. "I suppose you'll want to have Sven back."

"Absolutely. What's a leader without a right-hand man." He grinned as Elsa swatted his arm.

Elsa left the Valley of the Living Rock and promised to return if needed. Despite leaving Kristoff in a good mood, she found herself slowly receding into a contemplative state the farther away from the Valley she rode. So by the time she left the safety of the magical land her mood darkened, and a weight settled onto her shoulders. There was still something she needed to deal with when she returned home; and that was Anna. How am I going to get through to her…?

The Queen had no idea how she was going to approach her sister. It was bad enough that Anna had gotten drunk with the blonde man, but did she really want to sleep with him, or was it simply because she was drunk? Elsa stopped her horse at a small stream to let it drink, and she got down to relieve herself.

She looked at her reflection in the water and wondered why her parents had been so remiss in this most important part of her life. Why had they gone to their graves without a least giving her some sort of preparation for the times ahead. Had her mother really been that scared of the responsibility? Elsa realized she was very tired and she took her horses reins and walked along the familiar path that she knew would take her back to Arendelle.

Elsa had never believed in Fate before this last week, and, like Anna, had always thought her actions themselves set the course of her life. But now, with Fimbulvetr and the war to come, and her role as Jörmungandr—it was all almost too much to think on at that moment. So she removed it from her mind and settled onto her peaceful surroundings. But after awhile she felt a prickling at the back of her neck, and her wings started to flutter slightly. She stopped walking and erased all thoughts, except for that crawling feeling up her spine. I am being watched…

The Queen let go of the horse's reins and took off her riding gloves, placing them on the saddle. Then she let go of all reason and let the instinct of the dragon take over. She discarded the officer's coat and began to unbutton her shirt. It too was set on the saddle and she let her wings unfold to their longest length. She concentrated on the wings and felt a tearing at her skin again, and more of the wing popped out of her back, until they spanned a length of almost six feet. She rolled her head and let the beast take over, moaning as her mind receded and the animal took over.

The creature turned abruptly and was face to face with a Norn, so far removed from Yggdrasil that a creature of its kind had ever been. The Norn hissed, and circled around Elsa, but she matched the creature move for move, and when the Norn lunged at her she was easily able to evade it. Elsa blast ice from her left hand and this surprised the Norn more than anything. The blast hit it on its left shoulder and it wailed in pain. Elsa flapped her wings and lifted off the ground as the Norn set about another attack and she eluded it once again.

The Norn scowled. "Do you think you are so clever Jörmungandr that you can elude destiny?"

"Dying at your hands is hardly my destiny." She flipped over and landed on her feet in back of the Norn, and blasted it for a second time with her freezing ice. The creature glowered again at her before it fled back in the direction of the Valley, back to Yggdrasil.

Elsa growled deep in her throat, and blinked her eyes several times in an effort to calm down and come back to herself. It worked, and in a few minutes was breathing out a ragged breath. She felt blood at the slits in her back and cringed when she put her shirt back on, and tried to smooth out her ruffled plait. After looking around she spotted her horse about fifty yards away and slowly started walking back to it.

Anna sat in the Conservatory and tried to concentrate on her music, but her mind refused to focus on the notes before her, and she rested her hands on her knees. Elsa was due back on this day, and she had no idea how to express to her the sorrow she felt on the inside. Anna knew that she had messed up badly, and desperately wanted to do something to make it right again. You complete and utter fool, messing with Kristoff that way when you knew you didn't really want him…

Anna got up and moved to sit by the fireplace, where a warm fire burned. She reached over to a decanter of brandy and was about to pour some into a glass when there was a knock on the door.

The princess looked up. "Come in."

Gerda poked her head into the room. "Your Highness, I thought you'd like to know that the Queen has returned. But she has requested a few hours—" The Head of the Household didn't get a chance to finish her sentence, as the princess flew by her.

Anna didn't even bother to knock, and rushed into Elsa's parlor and looked around frantically, but Elsa wasn't in her parlor so she went into the Queen's bedroom and Elsa wasn't in her bedroom. She heard a splashing sound in the bathroom and slowly went to the door and poked her head in.

Elsa was in her tub, sitting crosswise, her head down. "Don't you ever knock?" She didn't look up, and splashed hot water on her face.

Anna noticed the dried blood on the Queen's back. "Are you hurt?"

Elsa finally looked up. "Come here." She handed a soapy wet cloth to Anna. "Can you clean my back…please?"

The princess fell to her knees and took the cloth and then gently rubbed it over the Queen's back. She reached over and grabbed the closest wing and spread it out, then she ran the cloth over the wing to clean it. "Elsa, were you in a fight?"

The Queen closed her eyes. "How can you tell?"

"Your wings are filthy, and this one has a slight tear in it. Can't you feel that?"

Elsa exhaled loudly. "Now that you mention it." Anna's hands were smooth on her back and wings, and her touch was gentle. Elsa's body, despite its utter state of exhaustion, responded. She grit her teeth and then her hand lashed out and grabbed Anna's. She used the momentum to spin around and face her sister. Their eyes locked and a fire erupted between them.

Elsa staggered out of the tub and pinned Anna to her bathroom wall. All of her hurt, frustration, and lust burst from her at that moment, and used her superior strength to part Anna's legs.

Anna gasped, her body a pent up coil of need. "Oh, gods…please…" She needed forgiveness from Elsa, but she also needed this—this purely wanton gift that only Elsa could give her. Her core burned , and the heat spread out like fine tendrils of the purest pleasure. All thought was obliterated as she helped Elsa to hike up her skirt. There would be time, much latter, for soft-spoken words and gentle caresses, but not now. She gasped again when Elsa plunged deep inside her; and she threw her head back and grunted as Elsa's thrusts slammed her against the wall again and again. Yes, healing was for another place and time… or perhaps this was part of that process, she couldn't be sure, not with Elsa rutting into her like she was.

Anna drifted in and out of awareness for the longest time, and marveled at Elsa's stamina. After an eternity of exquisite pleasure the muscles in her lower abdomen clenched, and her inner walls constricted around Elsa's heated flesh. She had brought herself to orgasm a number of times, but none of them were like this—this visceral sensation of a thousand exploding stars. Her pleasure rippled out in waves, and caught her in its incendiary grip. She barely registered Elsa's own cries, or the hot flow of her seed as it filled her up completely. Their eyes met again, and instead of the pain that both expected, there was only their mingled breaths of satiation.

Elsa closed her eyes and rested her head on Anna's shoulder. It felt good to be home.

I can't believe this is here already. I think I updated just a few days ago. Anyway, please let me know what you think, please review.