A/N: Hey! So I'm sorry for the lack of updating. (Hence I have posted two chapters). I have, however, been busy at work, and starting a seasonal fic for the holidays coming up. It will focus on Asgeir and the sisters with their first Christmas together, and I hope to have the first chapter up tomorrow. I also had forgotten to write more of the flashback chapters that accompany the events with Season 4, and therefore spent most of today working on this chapter right here. I hope you enjoy, and on that note, here we go!

Chapter 4: Past-Gemini

The Templar Order of this realm truly were made of the slimiest bunch of nobles. Their leader was King George of the Western Valleys in Misthaven, with King Elias of the Southern Isles as his right hand. Some of the other vermin that made up his club were Queen Cora, with her daughter Regina soon to take a place beside her. Those are only a few of them that are easy to put faces to. The rest you wouldn't know. Elias was grooming his sons to become Templars, and with the end of his life in plain sight, he was ensuring that his efforts would bear more members of their Order, and in return, grant him the support to take the rest of the Island Kingdoms under his grip. But the others of the Order didn't trust his sons entirely. Hans was weaseling his way in, but when his plans to take the throne were exposed, his hopes were shattered, and Anna was put at the top of the list. And now that there was an Assassin in Arendelle, a lot of talk was arising. Could the Templars be losing their grip on Arendelle? Was it now Assassins who controlled it?

If Fritz and Franz were coming here, they were obviously sent by their father, and they would hide their true purposes by appearing to target Elsa and Anna. I needed to be on guard for their sake.

"Asgeir?"

Anna's fingers snapping brought me back to earth. I was sitting in the lounge with her, the board between us.

"You said you played well, but I expected you'd have made a move by now."

Anna gestured to the board. So far she had lost three pawns and a bishop. I lost only one pawn and a knight, but I saw an opening.

It was a week after I had gotten the message from Matthew. Anna had asked me earlier what kind of stuff I did for fun. I explained that as an Assassin, I didn't have much time to really smell the roses. I did find a fondness in poetry, and handled myself very well in a knife game I knew, but finally Anna and I found that we both knew chess. She had taught herself when she was nine, and I learned it as required by my training. Assassins learned chess to study the art of sacrifice, and searching for an opening in an opponent's defenses. And right now, Anna was wide open for an attack. I just hadn't made my move yet.

I moved my bishop forward just beside my pawns, and stopped there. Right now she was vulnerable for me taking her queen, and I was hoping she wouldn't see it.

It threw me off a little bit of the condition the king pieces were in. Both had the ornaments on the tops of their heads still on. In the Assassins, we usually snapped off the cross for obvious reasons. The pieces were of a beautifully hand carved mahogany, one a deep reddish brown, and the other a white comparable to porcelain.

Anna didn't see what I had planned. The ace up me sleeve. She moved a pawn forward from its starting position, but it was the one I wanted her to. I responded by charging my bishop through the pawns and into the queen that she never got the chance to move. The rooks were my worst enemies in the game besides the queen, but I could wait for them, despite the threat that they posed. Rooks proved to be a very aggressive piece in my opinion, so I always aimed to take them out quickly. The queen I would try to take out as well, but if my opponent played smartly, they would always keep their queen locked up tightly until the midgame approached. Anna was a smart player. Not as good as she aimed to be, but I could teach her.

"Is there something wrong, Asgeir?" asked Anna as I removed the queen from the board. She winced when she saw the mistake that she made.

"How can you tell?" I asked.

Anna moved her knight forward, just in front of my bishop. "I could always tell that Elsa was hiding something from me as we were growing up. I've almost become an expert in knowing if someone was hiding a secret from me."

"Sure." I said. I paused, trying to think of the words to put to Anna exactly what it was that was bothering me. "What do you know of the Southern Isle Princes?" I asked her, then quickly adding in "besides Hans."

Anna glanced into the fireplace, shaking her head. "I know that they all pose a threat to Arendelle now. Hans was cleared of all charges that the ambassador put on him when he returned to the Isles. Elias swore to Elsa that this was not over. He blamed me for something that happened between him and Hans."

"Did he say what?" I asked.

"No. He was very obscure. All he said was 'they forsaken him'. What does that mean?"

"I don't know." I said. But I did. Elias was talking about the other Templars.

Anna frowned. "You're lying." She said. "Does this have something to do with the Assassins?"

I looked down on the board, trying to avoid Anna's glare. "I can't say, Anna. I'm not trying to protect you, but I can't tell you what's going on."

Anna maintained her glare to me. "But can you tell me something at least?"

I did by asking another question. "What do you know of the Southern Twins as they are known?"

"I heard they're called the Gemini down there." Said Anna, sitting back in her chair. "Princes Fritz and Franz of the Southern Isles. They're the sailors of the thirteen, and even have their own man o war, also called the Gemini. Rarely seen one of them without the other close by."

Nice. So with two Templars on the way, then I had best do what I could to prepare for whatever they had coming. Although I only knew that they were coming. Not when they were coming.

"Why do you ask about them?" asked Anna.

I shook my head. "Just doing my homework. Get to know my sisters and their enemies."

There is no Assassin Order in the Southern Isles. The Templars have too strong a grip on the kingdom to allow the Assassin any occupation in there. But it is one of the only places in the realm that has no Assassin influence. And there are more places that are influenced by us than the Templars. But what we have in our true north, we lack in big guns. Guns that Templars have.

Elsa summoned me to her study later that day as I was swinging away at a practice dummy. The guard Forrester said she was asking for me. Elsa wasn't wearing her typical glare she had fixed on me for the past few weeks and a bit that we had known each other. She was at her desk, but she looked more worried than angry.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" I asked as I came in.

Elsa gestured me to the seat across from her. As I sat down, she slid the letter in front of her towards me.

"Can you explain this to me?" she asked

I turned the letter around, reading it carefully. It was a scout's report from the southern borders of Arendelle. A small fleet of warships was approaching Arendelle, flying King Elias' colors.

"Not much I can really say, Your Majesty." I said. "The Southern Isles had declared their allegiance against Arendelle months ago."

"But this seems different. There was another flag waving on the man o war. A Red Cross"

I winced, realizing that Elsa was lashing out against me one again. She blamed me just like always.

"It's clear to me that they're here for you." Said Elsa, her glare returning to her face. "I want you gone from the kingdom by this evening. I don't care who you are, or what you want out of us. You Assassins can't help but bring trouble wherever you go. I will make it well known that you are gone, and that will make sure that the twins, the Gemini, and it's fleet is turning it's tail right back to the Southern Isles."

I stood up. It was in that moment that I suddenly didn't see the point anymore. Why try to connect with Elsa if she would only see the bad that my cause did? At least she wasn't with the Templars either, in which case her throat would be cut open within seconds.

"By your command, Your Majesty." I said, bowing my head.

Elsa stood up, a small thump of her foot brushing against the leg of her desk. "I won't banish you either, but I request that you leave and don't ever show yourself to me or-"

The stained glass window off to the side of the office shattered. I threw myself in front of it, blocking Elsa from the shards. A couple shards grazed me, but I had been through much worse. Elsa seemed unhurt by the shards, because no blood showed. In that instant I realized that the thump I heard was actually the cannon fire from the ships. The twins were here.

Elsa lifted her hands from her head. We both rushed to the window. Every part of the fjord's waters was filled with gunships, the route out of the bay blocked. A massive man o war with sky blue sails with a yellow palm tree decorating it was charging the only frigate on Arendelle's side. She feebly sank, with no chance to stop it due to her being caught by surprise.

"Damn!" I called out. "Those bloody twins sure are going through a lot of innocents to get to me!"

Elsa put her hands to her mouth. "What are we going to do?" She gasped.

I scoffed. "'We'? I thought you made it perfectly clear that there is no 'we' in this. I was just leaving."

Elsa stared even harder at me, raising her hand. I saw it glow slightly. "If you really care for Anna, you will help us push back the twins."

I groaned. "Do you have any ships ready to fight?"

Elsa nodded. "We have one brig. It's old, but can do the job right."

"Good. I can take out most of those gunboats with the brig. In the meantime I would recommend staying here and keeping out of sight. I'll be back."

I jumped down through the hole and slid down the slanted wall to the courtyard, sprinting down to the dockyard. I recognized the brig as soon as it came into my view. She did look old enough, but she was well kept, and with a fair amount of guns and a decent hull. Workmen ran about the deck, trying to get her ready.

"Weigh anchor and quick, boys!" Called who I thought was the captain. "We need to get this ship ready to kick those Southern bastards back to their isles!"

I jumped aboard and up to the helm. "Hurry with that anchor!" I called. I turned to the man at the wheel. "I am here to help, Captain."

The man looked at me uneasily. "I'm not the captain. He was on the Ruby when she sank!" He pointed out to the only frigate we had, still sinking. The few desperate souls were either swimming towards shore, or climbing the masts.

I rolled my eyes. "I can take the wheel, mate!" I called. "Get that anchor out, and untie us!"

What felt like hours finally transpired, and we were free from the grip of the dock.

"Loose all! Let's get moving!" I yelled.

I looked around the deck at what the ship had in firepower. Two swivel guns beside me, and one mortar cannon. Not much to take the ship down, but I had good sea legs.

I had spent three whole years of my life in the far south of the realm, learning the ins and outs of sailing, eventually landing me at the position of first mate and a long time at the helm of the frigate I served on board, the Satan's Trident. My experience was enough that I could sink almost every ship in the fjord, if I was lucky.

Several of the gunboats were zeroing in on us, along with two fierce schooners. I pushed the wheel down, spinning the ship's broadside towards the boats.

"Ready!" I called out, the noise of the cannons being loaded up rising. I could see the other boats readying their own guns, but they would not have the chance to do so.

"FIRE!" I roared out.

The massive metal spheres soared out from the cannons and rained down on the gunboats. A number sank instantly, and the other set of them could do nothing as the fires and explosions set their sails ablaze.

I turned the ship around again, this time pointing the bow directly at the incapacitated vessels.

"Ready the frontside cannons!" I called out. "And FIRE!"

Several Southern Isle crewmembers desperately jumped overboard as the cannonballs blasted the boats apart, figuring that drowning or getting taken by Arendelle's troops would be a much better fate than dying in an exploding ship.

By now only one other smaller boat remained, and I had something special for them.

"Topsails! Gallants! Royals! Loose all!"

The ship rapidly began gaining speed as it sliced through the crashing whitecap waves through to the last schooner. The crew for a rat of a ship could do nothing but pray a quick death to come upon them as the ram cracked the entire ship in half, the masts forming an arch right over the ship like the gate of a mansion.

I smirked and the crew cheered. Good chunks of the attacking fleet were now left with the choice of swimming ashore and taken prisoner, or stay and spend eternity singing for Davy Jones. The remainder of the fleet was a small brig, and the Gemini.

I called over to the first mate. "What's your first name?" I called.

"Alonso!" He replied.

"Alright Alonso! I'm going to bring us close to the Gemini! I can take the deck and stop the ship if you can get me aboard!"

Alonso gave me the typical reaction to that psychotic plan. "You'll be skewered by their crew if you take them alone!"

I shook my head. "The hell I will."

Alonso took the wheel as I climbed up towards the swing line on the ship. The Gemini's crewmembers were getting ready to blow us apart with their massive cannons, but didn't expect the one man with all guts and no brains to swing on the line and stab two of them as the ship came around. They circled me as I got up from taking their dead friends.

"Assassin…" said one of them. "Didn't think you'd give yourself up to us."

"I came aboard your ship, but it means a far cry from what you seem to think I am here to do." I drew my cutlasses. "Who's first?"

There's this misnomer among people in the Order. It's said by several that all we really are is just blood thirsty. But to tell you the truth, I hate blood. It's messy and hot and just disturbing and emotionally scarring. You take your first life, and you won't forget what it felt like when their blood ended up from their heart, onto your hands.

The entire deck was drenched in blood after the battle was finished, and barely any of it was my own. Only the commander at the helm was left. He drew his blade, and smirked like the cocky bastards the Templars were.

"I'll only ask this once, wanker." I snapped. "Where are the twins?"

"Oh, you expect a confession out of me? That I will suddenly back down after you slaughtered my entire crew? That I will cower in fear and tell you exactly where to find my masters?"

I sighed, then pulled my flintlock out and shot him right in the face. "Yes, as a matter of fact I was hoping as such."

The commander fell back first onto the deck among the other bodies that littered the deck. Obviously the only safe place left in the ship was the captain's cabin. I walked over to the cabin's door, and kicked them in, sending splinters flying outwards.

The entire cabin was deserted, but I saw something that was obviously meant for me. It was almost as if the twins foresaw the response I would have towards their assault on Arendelle. I saw a number of massive powder kegs strewn out over the room, and two dummies sitting in chairs, with a note attached to them reading "Merry Christmas, Assassin bastard!"

The clicking gave it away. I had hit a tripwire when I kicked the doors in. In a flash, I flew across the cabin's floor, and smashed through the stern window. The man of war lit up in a massive display of explosions as I fell into the water, then swimming back towards the ship. Why would the twins sabotage their ship just to kill me? And where were they if not on their man o war?

The ship sailed back towards shore. I jumped off onto the docks, realizing that this wasn't over. The twins wouldn't go to all this trouble just to end up with my sisters or me unscathed. It was almost as if they didn't even try to fight us.

However, when I saw the Southern Isle soldiers with their rifles trained on the Arendelle guards, I knew this wasn't over. I drew my blades and stabbed two of the firing line guards from the left side. After a short battle involving the use of making every guard shoot their own troops, and impaling the last one on his bayonet, I ran up to the castle.

Elsa and a group of guards were in the courtyard, Elsa sitting on the edge of the fountain. She was crying, the water in the fountain freezing, and snow falling all around her. As she was sobbing I came up.

"Jayus, Elsa. What the hell happened here?" I said as the guards outside carried their wounded towards the castle.

Elsa looked up at me, frosty tears on her cheeks. She didn't look furious at me for the second time that day. She only gave me a look of pure misery. "Anna. They took Anna!"

I fell to my knees. Those pricks were counting on this. They used the invasion from the water as a ruse to snatch Anna. And as I found out later, they didn't stop there. They took Kristoff with them, too.

"Son of a BITCH!" I thundered, punching the ground. "GAAAAAAAAUUGGH!"

"Our scouts are sweeping the woods for their camps." Said Kai. "There's no sign of them, but I would remain hopeful, Your Majesty." He knelt down in front of her, smiling a little. "It's what Princess Anna would want you to do."

Kai turned to me. "I don't understand what you were thinking, Connor, but you truly are a brave soul to take on that man o war's crew on your own. You have my thanks."

I nodded, sitting down beside Elsa. I didn't know what to really say to her. Normal people would reassure her that it would be alright, and that we would find Anna and Kristoff. But I couldn't be certain of that. The Templars were cruel people, and they had only just sent assassins to kill Anna weeks ago. I had no idea of what they would do to Anna now that they had her. It would mean war for Arendelle if they killed her, though.

"Look, Your Majesty." I said. "I know you blame me for this-"

"Don't." Said Elsa. "It isn't your fault, it's mine." Elsa sniffed. "I should have seen this coming. Ever since Hans, King Elias has made it his mission to take Arendelle from us. He thinks that this kingdom shouldn't be run by a blonde queen with ice magic and a bumbling fool of a sister." She glanced at me. "His words, not mine."

I smirked. "It would be much worse with me pulling the strings in this kingdom. I've spilt too much blood to really remember what death means for most souls. I'm a bastard born of lust, not love. I believe in anarchy, not the system of a controlling government or monarchy, and yet I try to connect with my only living family who are the only remains of Arendelle's royal family. And to top it off, I'm a- oh, what did you call me?- a cold hearted killer. I'm an Assassin, and the Southern Isles royal family are Templars."

Elsa seemed confused by my statement on anarchy. "I don't understand. Why try to connect with me? I'm the one in control here. This is order, not anarchy. Everyone is under my command to do what I say when I say it. No one is running wild causing chaos or openly opposing what I do with this kingdom."

"That's not what anarchy means." I said. "I believe in what a famous anarchist woman who once believed in. 'Anarchism stand for the liberation from the human mind from the dominion of religion and liberation of the human body from the coercion of property; liberation from the shackles and restraint of government. It stands for a social order based on the free grouping of individuals.' I believe that chaos and anarchy are two very different things. Anarchy means that everyone is free to do what he or she wishes to do, and are free to think whatever they want to think. It means that we can help each other without the obligation to do so simply because you or whoever it is that is in charge desires them to do so." I placed my hand over Elsa's, the chill spreading onto my hand. I ignored it, gazing into Elsa's pale blue eyes. "You desire a better world. One where people are free to choose what path they want to do. Am I right?"

"Yes."

"This is what the Assassins aim to do, and this is what the Templars aim to oppose. They want to build a world where they control everyone and make them think whatever they want. I joined the Assassins not just because my father was a legend in their past, but because I can't sit by knowing that I am capable of breaking the chains put down on the weaker souls. I can make a difference and bring hope to the ones who wish to be able to think for themselves. It may be our methods that are questionable, but let me ask you something very important, Elsa: is there any way to move a mountain aside from destroying it completely? The only true way to ensure that the Templars never hurt another soul is to take them away from this life altogether. I need you to understand that."

Elsa wasn't listening anymore, focused on the cawing that was becoming louder and louder. A raven landed before her foot. She was about to grab it when I pulled my flintlock and shot it. Elsa jumped back in surprise.

"What was that for?!" she cried.

"They train these birds to go right for the eyes once the receiver takes the note." I said, grabbing the raven's note. "It would have clawed your eyes out if given the chance."

Elsa read the note after I handed it to her. "It's their demands." She said.

"What do these bloody arses want?" I asked.

Elsa frowned, though much more directed to them, and not me. "The one thing they won't have: the throne."

The twins had given us the location with which we were to meet. No guards, just Elsa and I. I knew the woods well enough that I could guide Elsa to the place. She and I trudged through the woods, Elsa angrily brooding over the twins.

"They threaten my kingdom, shoot their guns at my people, and take my own sister from our home. They will know why I am the Snow Queen soon enough." She growled. I could hear the ground crackle and freeze with every step that Elsa took. I took out my flintlocks, making sure they both were loaded before holstering them again.

I always enjoy playing judge, jury, and executioner in these kinds of fights against Templars. However, given Elsa's distress, along with the sad truth that she never knew what taking a life truly meant, I had my doubts that I could let her kill either twin. Elias would surely have a reason to declare war against Arendelle if she did such a thing. However, against me, he would declare war on the people that lived in the darkness, ensuring that no innocents could be hurt.

The camp's torches cast large shadows on the tents from the trees. Southern Isle soldiers drew their rifles and aimed them at us as we entered the camp. But no one dared try to fire at either the Snow Queen or the White Reaper.

Fritz and Franz stood at the center of the camp with a fire between the four of us. It was a clear distinction of who of the twins was who. Fritz was bald and clean-shaven, with almost no hair on his head, spare his eyebrows. He was the older of the two. Franz had a thick black beard clinging to his square jaw. Both twins held either Anna or Kristoff at gun point with one arm wrapped around their neck.

"Finally decided to show yourself, Assassin!" called out Franz, smirking.

I lowered my hood, my narrowed eyes not daring to drop from the prick that now held my sister in his grasp.

"Let my sister go, twins!" cried Elsa. "This has gone too far already! We don't need war! This has nothing to do with either her or me! It has to do with the Assassins, and you attempted to invade my kingdom!"

"Exactly, Your Majesty." Spat Fritz. He pointed the gun at me. "We have a score to settle with him. This Assassin is considered a legend throughout his kind. The rest of us whisper his name in fear. But we would go down in history if we took him out. And the easiest way to do that was threaten an innocent!"

Fritz jabbed the barrel of the gun up against Anna's chin. Anna whimpered while Kristoff winced.

"We figured the easiest target was the most innocent person that our dear father could think of!"

"Let them go, fools!" I cried. "We both know that neither one of you are walking out of this alive. So I'll give you one chance. Drop your weapons, walk away, and crawl back to that set of cesspools you call the Southern Isles. Let the sisters go, because this truly has nothing to do with them."

Fritz flashed in anger. "This has everything to do with them just as it has to do with you! We won't give our baby brother the chance to take Arendelle, so we'll do it ourselves, and give you to our father. Now..."

Fritz jabbed the barrel of the gun against Anna again. This time Elsa spoke up.

"Stop! Just take him, and we can be done here. Asgeir for them."

Elsa would trade me away for her sister. While it hurt, I understood. But that trade wouldn't go down.

Franz smirked. "What do you think, brother? A fair trade?"

"Not even close. I'm settling the score with the Assassins. Let them realize that we hold Arendelle in ours hands already by taking it from this freak." Fritz gestured towards Elsa as he said this. I could see a tear fall down her face at that word. "Freak" sounded worse than "monster".

"Just watch how weAAAAAAAA!"

Elsa turned suddenly towards me. My arm was held up towards Fritz, with my Phantom Blade's crossbow open, missing the blade that was just in it moments ago. Now embedded in Fritz' shoulder.

Pandemonium erupted. Anna darted for us, and Kristoff elbowed Franz in the face. He ran for cover just as Anna ran into Elsa's arms.

"Elsa!"

"Okay, fannies!" I called out. "Negotiations are over! I'm going to give you all a chance to avoid getting every single one of your bloody gobs filled with steel. Drop your weapons now!"

The soldiers were not so cowardly. All of them drew their steel and prepared. The first one swiped his sword out widely and I tuck and rolled under, slashing my cutlasses across his back. I pulled out my flintlocks, shooting two other guards directly in their heads. The remainder of the soldiers all came in at me at once, but not one of them went without meeting the end of my swords.

The twins stood before me, both of them with their swords drawn, and Franz holding a flintlock in his other hand.

"How shall we deal with this Assassin, dear brother?" Said Fritz.

"I think that it's long past time we gut him and take his remains to our father. He would die at peace to see Asgeir's bones in front of him, rotting like an old apple."

Then I realized it. I had planned on killing both brothers, but I saw something else that would inflict much more pain and misery on them for less bloodshed. Half, in fact. But I needed a shot and I was out. The twins would not give me the chance to reload before I would have to take them both out.

I looked around quickly, thinking out my plan. I needed another gun, which I found halfway between the twins and myself, in the hands of a once living guard. Time to finish this.

Franz tried to shoot me, but I darted quickly enough that he missed miserably. I dropped to the ground, sliding across the dirt I grabbed the pistol still in the dead guard, pulled it out, and shot Franz right in the kneecap. Then I went for Fritz.

"NO!" Cried Franz, but too late to beg mercy on his best friend and twin.

Fritz knelt down in the dirt, the blood from his neck drenching his cloak. His white gloves were slowly being dyed with crimson as he tried to stop the bleeding.

"I had a chance to prove myself, Assassin." He gasped. "You easily get overlooked by many if you're the fifth in line for the throne. I was the sixth along with Franz to be inducted into a real cause!"

"Real cause, yes, but nowhere near a true one." I replied. "I seek a better world with the Creed. It's not a true form of peace and virtue, but it is the first steps towards a world with it."

Fritz laughed weakly, coughing up blood. "Remind yourself of that, when you stand at the top of the mountain of bodies, and you've obtained this twisted version of peace that you seek. I'm not alone in my efforts. My family will cry for war on the Assassins for this. You will not obtain your peace through blood and steel. You took more than my life. You took the one thing from me where I truly felt I belonged somewhere." Fritz fell back, dead in the dirt.

"To be a part of something bigger than oneself doesn't always mean that it's noble. Hvil I Fred…"

I grabbed the ring off of his hand just as I stood up from his dead body.

"You bastard!" cried Franz. "I will kill you for this!"

I saw that I could give the twins what I really wanted by taking away from each of them the one thing that made them the twins: the other. Fritz was ballsier than his twin, and therefore posed more of a threat. And he was also the one who had my own sister in his grip and threatened to kill her.

"Oh, shut up!" I extended my blade and pointed it at his neck. There was nothing he could do to stop this, as he was more focused on keeping the blood from his gunshot wound draining out. "And pass a message on to your family of shites. I will kill every last one of them if they so much as put a rowboat in Arendelle." I turned my flintlock over in my hand, and slammed it over Franz' face, knocking him out.

Anna stood back a few feet behind me. She was still shaken from what transpired. "You killed him…" She said.

I nodded. "There wasn't any other choice left, Anna. They wouldn't show any mercy on either of you. I promised myself and the Order that I would protect you as best as I could, and I will do whatever it takes to protect you."

Elsa approached me slowly. "One week." She said. "If you can truly prove to me that you don't mean us harm within one week, I will consider letting you stay."

I bowed my head. "Thank you, Elsa."

We returned to the castle at dusk. I spent the remainder of daylight in my room, staring at the ceiling. I didn't feel like going down for supper when the time came, and I just lay on my bed in silence. I had killed the first out of the Southern Isle Templars. If I continued on this path, I could eventually bring the true north to the Southern Isles and free them from their iron grip.

"Asgeir?"

I raised my head. It must have been well past dark, because Anna was in her nightdress, with a candle and it's holder in her hand. She sat at the edge of my bed. I sat up.

"How's Kristoff doing?" I asked.

"He's okay." She replied. "He's a little shaken, but I had the worse side of it."

I winced. "I wish that I was there, Anna. I could have stopped those scrubs from taking you right from here."

"That's why I'm here. It's not your fault for what transpired." She said. "I feel like I could have stopped them before they grabbed me. That there are a few things I could have learned to stop them from taking me."

This was leading to something, I realized. Something I wasn't sure about. "What are you asking me?" I said.

"I want to learn how to use a sword." She said. "And I want you to teach me." She paused. "Will you?"

I stared at Anna. She was taking a step. A step towards a path that I knew she would not turn back from. But she was right in one light: she could have defended herself, but she didn't know how.

"Yes." I said.