Anna paced back and forth in her room and tried to figure out her current dilemma as the newly sworn Queen. "Oh, my god, what do I do?" She turned to Beatrice feeling helpless. "Beatrice?"

The librarian held her head in her hands as her tears fell. "What just happened? You are really the Queen, now?"

"You have to help me, now. Will you do it?"

Both women turned to the doors as Master Kai burst into the room. "Queen Anna, where is your son?"

The Queen went over to the couch and picked up her son. "Where are we going?"

"To the Privy Chamber! Decisions must be made, and your authority must be acknowledged!" The Master of the Castle held open the door. "Come along, my Queen!"

Skelfr Yggdrasils askr standandi,

ymr it aldna tré, en jötunn losnar;

hræðask allir á helvegum

áðr Surtar þann sefi of gleypir.

Hvat er með ásum? Hvat er með alfum?

Gnýr allr Jötunheimr, æsir ro á þingi,

stynja dvergar fyr steindurum,

veggbergs vísir. Vituð ér enn - eða hvat?

At first, Colonel Lindar and Bishop Johannes traveled along Mímisbrunnr at a steady and quick pace. But the root suddenly rose at a forty-degree angle upwards, making it hard for the bishop, as he was an older man. After a while, the two finally stopped near the root's end and looked up to the discord above them.

Johannes gasped as several creatures rose from Niflheim, and stopped on Bifrost, not knowing where to go. "Look at that, Lindar! What are they?"

"I don't know. But they are right in our path." Lindar unsheathed his sword, and then noticed as several stags came into view. They were screaming and stomping their hooves. "The stags . . . what—who is that?"

Bragi, husband of the great goddess, Iðunn, rode ahead of the red deer on his large steed and brandished his flaming sword. "Leave, you wretched creatures, in the name of the Æsir!"

Níðhöggr cackled with delight as more of his fellow serpents arose to stand with him. "Do you think you can stop us, weakling god. Even the great serpent, Jörmungandr, couldn't stop me."

Both Lindar and Johannes gasped at that. This creature had somehow met the Midgard serpent, Elsa. But before they could react another creature-Glæmer—one of the frost jötnar, came into their site.

Lindar grasped the bishop's hand and pulled. "Come on! We got to get to Yggdrasil." The colonel pulled with all his might, and both landed at the Giant White Tree's base. Lindar put his sword in front of him. "Who is on the side of Arendelle?"

Níðhöggr stopped laughing and coolly regarded the man. "What do we have here? A human?"

Bragi whirled to the two men. "My wife, Iðunn, has led an army of stags to Queen Elsa's domain."

The bishop stood tall and put his crosier in front of him. "Then you are with us!"

Bragi made a leap for Níðhöggr and easily beheaded the serpent, and this angered his brethren, who rose by the hundreds.

Several things happened at once. Several stags, surprised at the number of serpents, fell dead in less than a minute as the evil creatures eviscerated them. And the fall of the stags angered the frost jötnar, who screamed and lunged at the giant serpents, killing the first ten rows of them as they fell off the root, spilling their blood on Bifröst, and then freezing the creatures so they couldn't resurrect. Fenja and Menja broke through the Jötnar line and threw great slabs of sharp ice at the giant creatures, dismembering them and sending body parts flying. Bragi and half of the stags turned towards Yggdrasil and considered Hvergelmir.

Lindar saw the confusion on the god's face and rushed to his side. "I will follow you anywhere, great god of the Yggdrasil and the Æsir." He lifted his sword. "For Queen Elsa, and Arendelle!"

The Æsir God struck Lindar's sword with his own, creating another flaming blade. "Rise up, Stags of the Yggdrasil!"

Half of the stags, and one-third of the frost Jötnar flew down the root along with Bragi and Lindar. Horrified, Johannes dropped his crosier and fell to his knees. "No, no, no! You can't leave!"

A Jötunn, Jörd, one of the strongest of his brethren, cautiously went over to the bishop. "Bishop Johannes? Why do you grieve?"

Johannes picked up his crosier, got up, and his eyes never left the Jötunn. "You fellows must be the Frost Jötnar. My name is Johannes, and I am Her Majesty's religious leader."

Jörd looked back at the other jötnar. "We have come to defend Yggdrasil at your command." He bent down on one knee. "Don't you remember?"

"Well, let me see . . ." The bishop was so disoriented by Lindar's absence that his mind went blank." Yes, Lindar and I came to you . . . yes, I remember, I think."

One of the stags swung his antlers towards Yggdrasil's Great Forest. "They have stopped their forward progress. Foul creatures have joined those in the forest. What do we do?"

A great rumbling started at Yggdrasil's base, it shook everything around the tree, including Johannes, who fell again. And then, with a mighty trumpet blast, the Ljósálfar, the good elves, appeared at the White Tree's base, from Alfheim. They were the "white elves of olde." Who were alive when the Nine Worlds were young.

Freyr appeared last in line and guided his black steed towards the Great Forest. "We can't stay with you, we are sorry, but a greater malevolence appears in the north-west—we feel their black hearts. We must go! White Elves of Alfheim, follow me!"

A mighty host emerged from the three roots, from one of the nine worlds, and fled in the direction of Arendelle's north-western lands.

Again, Johannes was stupefied. "What on earth is going on here?"

Fárbauti, another jötunn, knelt in front of the religious man. "We have pledged to you and to Queen Elsa, holy man. Where are we to go?"

Johannes thought of all the places the Queen had mentioned to him, and all the gods and other mystical creatures. His eyes widened. "Who is going to the Vanir?" He felt an uneasiness envelope him. "Aren't they the enemies of the Æsir? Someone needs to go and see what they are up to?" Frustrated, the bishop turned to the jötnar. "Where are they?"

Jörd turned to his brethren. "Who wants to go to Vanaheimr?"

"To where?"

All eyes turned to the path that led to Arendelle. In their confusion, they had not heard the mens approach. A man on a horse was at the end of the path, forty horsemen behind him. "I've been sent by Queen Elsa to safeguard Yggdrasil."

Johannes nodded at the middle-aged man. "Duke Volmer, is that you?"

The duke removed his helm and bowed at the waist. "In the flesh, Bishop."

The holy man sighed in relief. "We don't need you here, Volmer. But there is another place—Vanaheimr—that needs to be visited—stealthily."

Volmer grinned. "Sounds like a job for me. There is much I do for the Queen that remains secret."

Njord, another jötunn, stepped away from the others. "I will go with him—Duke Volmer, is it?"

"Yes?"

"Come with me. No, leave your horse."

Njord turned to the bishop and unsheathed his sword. He touched it to the man's crosier. "Here is my help to you. Any creature that touches your staff will be struck dead, so be careful with it."

Before Johannes could respond a cry was heard in the Heavens. The clouds parted as a bright beam of light fell on the ground near Yggdrasil and suddenly a heavenly body floated there, its wings flapping, sword in hand. He had blond hair, and it flapped with the wind, and his breastplate shone a golden while .

The bishop recognized him immediately. "Oh, my God!"

Elsa stopped Kai at the castle's gates. "You stay here, Kai. I must do this without help."

The Master of the Castle blanched. "Are you kidding, Your Highness? You can't go alone, you'll be killed!"

Elsa smiled and touched the man's shoulder. "You will need to be here, and guide Anna in her decisions." She grabbed the handle and pulled open the door. "Please, Kai. She needs you."

"I'm not letting you leave without the proper clothing! Stay here while I get a coat and hat." Kai ran in the direction of a nearby closet and returned with a sizable coat and officer's helmet. "Here, take these."

At that moment the gates slammed open, and twenty men rushed into the dry warmth, headed by Harald's son, Dieter Absolan.

Elsa was astonished, as she had assumed the duke had returned to his Duchy. "Dieter!"

The duke knelt before Elsa. "Your Majesty." He gently took her hand and kissed it.

Kai turned to the Princess. "Are you going to tell him?"

Dieter stood. "Tell me what?"

The Princess glared at the Master of the Castle, then turned to the duke. "Dieter, I don't have time for a lengthy explanation so just listen. Anna is now Queen, so you will show her the proper deference when you see her. But I need you and your men to follow me to the docks, I could use your help. Kai, get these men proper coats."

Sleet and wind blew in from the open gates.

"Come with me." Kai led the men to the large closet and gave each one a coat and officer's helm.

The Princess took hold of the duke's arm. "I need help making sure the cannons are working in this foul weather."

"Or course, my Princess, is there a problem with them?"

"I don't know; therefore, I need your help. I can't spare Admiral Crispin now." Elsa led the men to the castle gates. "Kai, to the Queen—now!"

The Princess and the men were off before Kai could answer. He closed the gates and stopped for a moment, absorbing every detail. Then he ran up the great spiral staircase.

The sun was about to set on the horizon, falling into a sea the caravan couldn't see.

Baroness Clarisse of the Vestfold raised her hand and stopped her caravan. "What can you tell us?"

Forseti, a god of the Æsir, stopped his steed next to the Baroness'. "Did you want to know your future, Baroness Clarisse? This is what I see. I cannot see the outcome of battle, only the futures of individuals. We have a decision to make."

Clarisse looked back to her caravan of thirty carriages of soldiers. "What do you mean?"

"Two great battles are within our grasp. Which one needs our help more than the other."

The Baroness frowned. "Tell me about them?"

The god sat up and appeared to be in a trance. "To the North an inferior army will battle the Dökkálfar—the evil Elves of Olde. The men will be slaughtered, I fear. But at Yggdrasil, an even greater evil aligns itself with men, deep in the Forest. They are surrounded by our allies, but I fear it will not be enough."

"I thought you couldn't see the future, o great god of the Æsir?"

"This is not the future—it is happening now. You must decide!"

The Baroness threw her sword on the ground and dismounted her horse. She walked away, muttering to herself. "What do I do . . .what do I do . . . "

The god dismounted as well and called after her. "I decision must be made, now! I can help with your choice, but I can't make it for you." He turned towards the North, and saw the ill-prepared army of men, and made a decision. He spread his arms apart and cried to the heavens.

Clarisse whirled around to see what was happening and marveled at the god, who was now ten times his height. "What the—"

"As you can see, I can do more than see your future." His voice boomed over the plateau.

The Baroness strained to see the god's face. "What are you doing?"

"I will run to the North as you proceed to Yggdrasil. Perhaps we will meet again." With those words the god turned and ran in a north-west direction; the ground shook as he ran.

Clarisse picked up her sword and adjusted the pistol in her belt. "God help us."

One of her Captains dropped from his carriage and walked up to her. "What is happening, my Baroness?"

"We have a date with the devil, go and lead the caravan towards Yggdrasil, follow the map. I will stay behind the caravan."

Geri and Freki stood immediately at the city gates, their hairs standing on end, and they growled deep in their throats. Óðinn and Thor rushed out the Cathedral and ran towards the gates. Each grabbed one of the large wolves and held on tightly and waited for whatever was heading their way. Both gods relaxed to see Freyja, another great goddess of the Æsir, bearing the golden necklace—Brising—resplendent on her white horse, and she stopped at the gates. As always, she was still mourning Oder, and her tears were red and gold.

"Óðinn, Thor, what are you still doing here when war is at hand? Elsa has gone to the sea and awaits Jörmungandr! Evil invades the Forest of Yggdrasil—and men go to war along with the Æsir! Ása-Þórr, you dally with your father! The Norns have left the Well of Urðr and seek the Vanir! They have withdrawn their sacred water from Yggdrasil. Why don't you stop them?"

Óðinn stoop straight and tall and adjusted his great helm. "Do they have fell intentions, or do they go to avenge?"

"Summon your steeds, we will go together and see what befalls the Norns."

Thor looked skittish, his inner self telling him to seek the Midgard serpent and destroy it. Óðinn could feel the inner turmoil that befell his son and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Steady, Thor, we have a job to do."

Hans was in the galley along with Duke Magnus, trying to eat their afternoon meal, and wavered as the waves crashed down on Weselton's flagship. The ship rocked to port, and Prince Hans had to grab his tankard before it could slide off the small table. He growled.

Magnus glanced at the surly man. "Having troubles again, Your Highness?" The duke smirked as he drank from his tankard of ale.

"What are you smirking at?"

"You, dear prince. You act like you've never been on a ship during a storm before." Magnus laughed.

Hans seethed on the inside. "This isn't a normal storm."

Magnus frowned and put down his ale. "What are you talking about?"

Hans stood and looked out of a port window. "Come and look, Your Grace. See how the waves are only crashing against our ship. If you look to the horizon the sea is calm." He was looking away from Arendelle.

"Let me see." Magnus looked out the window and his eyes widened. He turned his head towards Hans. "How long have you known this?"

"For about two days." He shoved the duke away from the window. "Strange that you didn't." The prince looked out of the porthole again and shook his head. "I don't know, but it seems like—o, I don't know."

The duke grabbed at Hans' lapel. What? What aren't you saying?"

The prince shoved the duke's arm away. "Dark magic."

Magnus stared at Hans for about a minute, then leaned on the bulkhead and laughed. "Are you alright in the head, man?"

Hans was angry. "What the hell is wrong with you? We at the Southern Isles knew that some sort of divine intervention would steer our way—the earthquake was evidence of it!" The prince turned to the porthole again. "But we weren't expecting something like this. This dark magic."

Magnus retrieved his pipe from his jacket pocket and lit it. "You are crazy, do you know that?" I'll be in the bridge if you need me."

Both men staggered as a particularly strong wave hit their hull. Magnus held onto the window, but Hans was sent flying into the small table, the glasses of ale toppled onto him, and he cracked one rib.

When Hans cried out in pain the duke rushed over to him and rested the prince's neck in his hand and took hold of his hand. "Hans, are you alright?"

The prince winched as Magnus helped him to his feet. "My ribs—I think one is broken."

"There is a doctor on the ship. Do you want me to go get him?"

"If you don't mind."

The duke picked up the table before heading out the door. "I'll be right back."

Hans leaned on the table and clutched his side. "What am I supposed to do now?"

The doctor appeared at the door. "Yes, Your Highness?"

"Come and look at my side. I think I broke something." With great effort Hans removed his officer's coat and shirt.

The doctor gently ran his fingers over the princes' ribs on his left side. He looked up when Hans hissed. "Right there, isn't it? Well, it's not broken, Your Highness, but cracked. "Let me wrap it up and give you a pain killer."

"No . . . no pain killers. I must keep my wits about me."

"Very well, Your Highness."

As Hans looked away into the porthole again, his ire growing. He realized he would have to accelerate his plans accordingly, as Magnus was now even more of a threat.

"Prince Hans! Prince Hans!" A sailor slammed the gally door open and waved Hans over to him. "You need to see this. Come on!"

The prince followed the sailor onto the main deck of the ship and took the sailor's spyglass. His eyes widened at what he saw. Off in the far distance, barely visible because of the storm, was land. He was sure of it. When he turned towards the bridge, he winced in pain again. "Magnus, bring down the map!" He was leaning on the rail when Magnus came.

Magnus unfolded the map and pointed out their position. "We should be here. Is that Arendelle?"

Hans grinned, his eyes never leaving the land. "It sure it. Will cannon fire hit it?"

"No, too far way. But maybe by nightfall." Magnus continued to smoke his pipe.

Hans eyed the duke and nodded. He would have two chores to do tonight—kill Magnus and fire at Arendelle. "Wonderful," he whispered.

Aleksandar and his horsemen traveled about a mile into the Forest and then stopped when several lights could be seen in the distance. He knew who they were and rode to the front of his lines. He turned towards his men and the mercenaries and brandished his sword. "Men of Weselton and honored soldiers! Allies are approaching and I encourage you to remain calm and steadfast."

A Captain of his reared his horse next to his leader. "Are those men?"

Aleksandar grinned and lowered his sword. "Not quite. But with them we cannot lose."

The Captain, Ansfrid, felt fear begin in his gut, and shivered somewhat. "Oh, my god! What are they?"

"Vanaheimr is now empty. But Freyr abandoned us, and now fights with the Æsir," Aleksandar whispered.

The deities continued to advance towards the Weselton men and their mercenaries. The men who were in the front lines of Aleksander's forces began to fidget in fright. Once more, General Aleksandar admonished them to remain calm. He dismounted his horse and turned towards his men again. All Weselton men, dismount!"

About five hundred men dismounted their horses and waited as per Alexandar's instructions. They clutched at their horse's reins and took several deep breaths to feel calm. The only problem was the mercenaries who were traveling by foot. They began to fidget again and some of the men broke their lines and ran off into the Forest.

The General took hold of a mercenary in front of him and shoved his blade into him. "Is this what you mercenaries want—to die by my sword, or the other swords around you?"

No one spoke up, and Aleksandar didn't expect them to, as his rule over them was absolute. The figures got closer, and many of his men gasped as they were partially glowing and were at least twice the size of ordinary men and women. The general turned beck them, a maniacal grin on his face. Finally, one of the creatures caught up to the General's forces and looked down on the general.

"General Aleksandar, I presume." Kvasir nodded to his fellow gods and goddesses.

"And you and your group are the Vanir?" The general extended his hand, but the Vanr only looked at it. "In my culture it is customary for friends to shake hands."

The rest of the Vanir party arrived at the general's lines and regarded the humans before them. They looked like they were prepared for the battle they were charged to make. And Aleksandar regarded them before moving over to the rest of the Vanir.

"I think it's time, don't you think, Kvasir?"

"Only if you think its best. As Aleksandar you are formidable foe."

The general walked about twenty yards from the gods and goddess' and then raised his arms. His body grew, as well, until he was as tall as the Vanir. Then he flashed a bright light before smiling down at his men. "I am the Vanr, Odr, God of frenzy and madness! Not even Duke Magnus knew my identity."

Captain Ansfrid looked on in horror. "What devilry is this? Why have you remained among us as a man, and not a god?!"

The god walked to Ansfrid. "Would you prefer I remain a man—full of frailty and weakness?"

Captain Ansfrid hesitated for only a moment. "Well . . . I guess not."

"Men of Weselton! Mercenaries! To Arendelle!"

The gods and goddesses of the Vanir cheered and began to run towards the beleaguered city and were closely followed by Weselton's men, who were now convinced of their own success.

Duke Periander broke through the trees and then stopped at General Urban's camp. He dismounted and led his horse past the General's tent. "General Urban!"

Urban, who had been at one of guard houses, turned and looked at the duke, "Periander, over here!"

The duke led his horse to the General. "What news?"

Urban pointed to Yggdrasil's Forest "There are both men and gods in that Forest now, I can feel it."

Periander looked at the General skeptically. "How could you know this? You're only a man."

Queen Elsa gave me—a bit of her sight when I saw her last. She knew there would be a bunch of us battling here and wanted us to have an advantage."

The duke looked out to the dark forest beyond them. "I, too, have a feeling but it has nothing to do with Her Majesty."

Urban grabbed the man's arm. "What is it?"

"We're all going to die."

The duke let go of his horse's reins and hit on its flank. "Return to Arendelle, Henreida! Go on, fly!" He watched as his horse turned itself around and then ran off.

Urban was angry. "We could have used that horse!"

"Look at me, General. I'm an old man and yet I'm expected to fight in this war. I neither have the will nor wherewithal to do it. If I must die, I am certainly not going to put that animal in danger."

The general grabbed the duke's lapels. "What are you doing here, then? Are you not going to fight?"

"Not as you are, General. I have something else to do." The duke shook off Urban's hands, and then straightened out his coat. "I'll be in your tent when you need me."

Urban threw down his rifle and stared at his tent, the winds kept it flapping about. "You are worthless to me, Periander." He drew back when he remembered the Queen's words not to fight with each other, or else die in the Ragnarök. He threw his helm down, as well. And, for the first time since dwelling at this location, felt his resolve begin to crumble.

"General, General Urban!"

The general stood straight and saw the horse rider coming closer. "What?"

The rider stopped and looked pleading at the officer. "There is a great rumbling from the Forest—we hear the hooves as they pound into the Forest floor."

Urban unhooked his horn and blew out a mighty blast. "Soldiers—men and women of Arendelle, into the Forest, now!" He brandished his blade again and ran to his horse.

It was a sight to behold, as hundreds of men and women either ran or mounted their own hoses to battle. The Duchess, Clarisse's men jumped from their carriages and bounded to the Forest. Duke Volmer and his men screamed as they ran into the Forest, as was their custom when fighting. Baron Frode, and Knight Asleik, who were about two miles into the Forest, stopped for a moment to let their men catch up. Baron Frode listened carefully and could hear the trampling on the forest floor beyond, he turned white. He nodded to Asleik and they, along with their men and women, stomped off into Yggdrasil's Great Forest.

Urban blew his horn so loud that even Krissoff, who was in the stables, looked up from his meal. "Oh, my god, it's time." He tossed aside his meal and then hastily put on his armor, making sure that everything was tightly attached. When he looked over to Sven's stall his heart clenched within. "Old, buddy, I could sure use you now."

The mountain man walked briskly down the stalls, looking for a horse that could accommodate his large frame. He finally found one near the end, and then quickly put a saddle on it. The horse didn't like the saddle, as Kristoff made the bindings too tight.

Kristoff growled in frustration and began to loosen the saddle. Before hopping onto the horse, he gave it a few sugar treats. The animal liked this and settled as the mountain man sat gingerly in the saddle. Kristoff drew the reins to him. "Come now, buddy, we need to wake the trolls!"

His horse flew out of the stables, and he guided it until it was on the path to the back line of the General's camp. He knew the trolls wouldn't wake even if a battle was right upon them. As he guided his horse through Arendelle proper, Elsa and Dieter Absolan made it to the docks. It was dusk, and yet the dragon wanted to be apart from Elsa and take care of the enemy at that moment.

"Hold on, Elsa," she whispered to herself. "Not yet, not yet."

The last three chapters have hardly any views, and praticularly no reviews. Its exremely discouraging, and gives me pause as to do I want to finish this . . .