A week had passed since the train had settled down in the valley. Life was relatively calm as the soldiers and civilians intermingled with the locals. To pass the time, Artyom and Pavel found themselves standing in the back of a classroom, watching Roman teach the class the basic rules of their way of life. Not only that, but it reminded the Polis Ranger of younger times when he used to attend the station's local school every day as he was growing up. Seeing these children being taught the basic requirements in speaking properly and reading the basic materials had made him happy that even in this wild land, it was essential.
Roman began to write on the chalkboard while the children take the moment to turn their heads towards them. A curiosity that any boy or girl would want to sate. In response, Artyom quietly left a smile and waved his hand towards them. Soon after, they would turn their attention towards their instructor trying to instill the knowledge that would help them survive in this forgotten world.
Artyom's comms started to crackle and rather than let him interrupt the class, he stepped out and found himself standing near a cliffside, overlooking the entire settlement. His eyes enjoyed its beauty underneath a wonderful sunset, but it was a fleeting appearance with the dangers of the dam echoing into the back of his mind. The Polis Ranger reached for his radio and held down the speaker button. "You got my attention, what's up?"
"Sniper team saw the bandit hideout," The soldier answered, "They're readying their boats."
"Are they leaving?"
"No, they're packing as much weaponry as they can. They're seeing grenades and told me that they've got a heavy machine gun. From what it looks, the settlement by the shore is going to be attacked."
It was ominous news; however, he was fortunate enough to receive it before they would proceed with their plans. Artyom began to run past the local homes as their occupants became unaware of what would occur. From climbing steps to ziplining across sentry posts, his pace began to earn unwanted attention to himself as he arrived at the meeting grounds. Unlike his initial arrival, few people were present, often talking to each other about everyday affairs. The young man scanned the surroundings to find Olga order an armed man to return to his post before he approached her. "I got bad news."
He brought his full attention to himself as the Child of the Forest crossed her arms. "Speak."
"My sniper team on top of the dam saw the group of bandits readying their boats."
"They must be leaving then," She replied, "Perhaps we can grant them that small mercy after they captured Roman? Thanks to you, I would be doubtful if they ever muster the courage to be a threat to us after these few weeks."
Artyom shook his head. "They are preparing their boats with weapons, not supplies. The bandits are going to attack the settlement by the shore."
Olga's eyes were horrified by his words as she took a moment to recognize the threat that had come for her people. "We need to warn those down there. Can you help us?"
"Let me and Pavel fetch any men to help," He assured her, "If you can evacuate them out, we could form some kind of ambush and delay them."
She nodded her head at the makeshift plan he had laid out and began to look around. "Wake up people! Our friends by the shore settlement are going to be attacked bandits, I need every able-bodied pioneer and pirate to evacuate them right now!"
One of the locals shouted to the top of his lungs. "Sound the drums and ready your crossbows, guys! We have some bastards to string up!"
The call to war had begun.
Several wagons were littered outside of the castle as the servants ran to and fro, supplying the baggage train meant for the north. Yet, they were not the only ones to accompany the royals. Russian soldiers from the Exhibition station were making their preparations as well with dozens of tables out in the open for them to load bullets into their magazines and scrub their gear for their journey. It was a stark contrast from the Arendellians, but a relieving sight for the Queen of Arendelle.
Elsa was not idle on this day as she approached one of the tables with a weapon slung over her shoulder. It was rather difficult to maneuver around the crowds with the weight bringing her down, but a gift from her friend deserved to be used at some point. She planted her automatic shotgun on the table as she reluctantly looked around to see if there was someone with a similar setup that she could copy. However, the weapon's configuration was much more refined than anyone else in the plaza.
Sukhoi stepped in from the opposite side of the table and greeted her with a warm smile. "I never knew that her majesty would be lugging around a Shambler of all things."
"It was your son's gift to me," She replied with joy in her heart, "I don't know how Artyom would feel if I left it in the dust."
He let out a chuckle as he reached forward and gestured the weapon towards himself. She gently shoved the weapon towards him as he began to inspect the weapon on the table.
"A box magazine… He had something dangerous to face to have this installed," Noted the old man as he looked down the sights before cocking the weapon's reloading mechanisms, "Automatic as well."
"What does that mean for me?"
The station commander passed the weapon back to her. "It means that you wouldn't have to reload as much, but it will be heavy. If there is one thing my boy understood, how to maintain a fine weapon."
He turned his head away from her and called upon his people.
"I need a few shotgun belts. Queen Elsa needs some ammo."
Those words alone seemed to have garnered the attention of the Russians as one of them joked. "A magic queen with a shotgun. Now I have seen everything."
It was an amusing thought to the company of Russians and herself.
The people at the shoreline settlement had been rescued; however, the bandits were hot on their heels as they fled to the safety of the forests. Olga wanted to chastise them for not building proper defenses, but the fish was too valuable to risk in the middle of construction. Nonetheless, she would have to worry about the future after her enemies were dealt with.
Dozens upon dozens of men, women, and children were following a beaten path that would lead them straight into the heart of their original settlement. The pioneers and the armed pirates, guided their kin home as they staggered themselves alongside the road while searching for defensible positions. The senior leader began to load her crossbow as she followed her people, but then she looked to her left to find a ridge with enough rocks to form a defensive line. "Anyone armed, I need you to hide behind those rocks once the last stragglers are through!"
A branch cracked behind her as she turned around to find the train people stepping out from an area filled with tall grass and large bushes. It was enough to hide some fighters to ambush those coming along the trail.
"Just in time, could you all of you hide back in there until we ambush the bandits?"
A man in front of her nodded his head and rallied his men by spinning his arm. "Alright, back in the bushes people. Get comfortable."
Out from the hidden positions was Pavel carrying a small submachine gun with a scope attached to it. "Olga, I just got word that Artyom and his Polis Rangers have settled further towards the shoreline. He's set up a blocking force to close their retreat and come in from the rear."
"That is good to know," She replied as she looked upon the last few non-combatants fleeing the scene, "Will you be joining him?"
"No. I'm attached to your ambush group here in case he sees something worth our attention."
"Follow me, we have to hide before they find us standing here."
With those words said, Olga and Pavel ran up towards the ridge and hid behind a rock overlooking the path below. Opposite from them was the tall grass and bushes where the train soldiers were. She looked amongst those beside her to see a mixture of the locals and the foreigners silently looking over the edge of their natural defenses. Minutes passed as they waited for their would-be victims to walk into their trap.
The silence was unnerving for her despite the odds seemingly being in her favor. Yet, the waiting only prolonged this suffering as she observed the surrounding terrain in hopes of obtaining a good glimpse of the enemy.
Pavel's radio beeped for a moment and Artyom's quiet voice had managed to get through. "They are passing right over us. You should be seeing them soon."
A loud commotion of voices was enough to attract Olga's attention as she anticipated the arrival of the bandits. Conversations, laughter, or orders passed through their number as dozens upon dozens of men were jogging up the path, carrying a multitude of weapons, from ancient bolt-action rifles to the more modern models of firearms in their care. The one that stood out the most was a team carrying parts for a heavy machine gun that the young woman had only heard of in stories.
"Damn, we need to kill them first before they set up," Whispered the man beside her, "They'll chew us up if they can."
She readied her crossbow and turned her head towards the man from the train. "Ready to fight?"
"On your mark, this is your home after all."
"Fire!"
In several seconds, the disorganized columns of bandits found themselves caught in the open as the Children of the Forest and the train soldiers initiated the firefight. While the bandits were being killed at that moment, some tried to put up a resistance and return fire on the ambushers, but the numbers were against their favor as the slaughter began.
Those who managed to survive the initial minutes had taken refuge on the opposite side of the trail, hoping the newfound cover would shelter them from the attack. However, the soldiers hiding in the tall grass and bushes had revealed themselves as unleashed the same degree of intense combat from their concealed positions.
Olga watched as a dozen bandits jumped onto the beaten path and attempt to retreat, leaving those who remained at the mercy of her people, only to have her fighters on the ridge prey upon them. Those who weren't killed during the retreat had found themselves escaping for their lives, unaware of those that had warned her.
It was a surprise to still find survivors after as the wounded whimpered and groaned in pain while those beside the shrubbery stepped out of cover and laid their weapons on the ground. "Don't shoot, we surrender!"
Gunfire echoed off in the distance as men screamed for their lives. Minutes passed as the silence took over. Pavel's radio spoke up once more with Artyom being firm in his tone. "That is the last of them."
"Hey, comrade," The communist officer called to him, "You should come up here. This was a complete turkey shoot."
"It's that bad for them? Alright, I'll check it out after we check the guys here for anything useful."
When the fighting was over, Olga stepped forward and began to make her way towards the fallen bandits with her people. Of course, the pioneers strode beside her while the pirates were eager to descend upon them. The loot was too good to pass up as they began to scavenge materials, weapons, and equipment upon the wounded and the dying. Yet, the pioneers took the moment to focus on the well-being of their enemies, healing them of their wounds or granting them final mercy.
"Get off of me, bastards!" Cried out one of the wounded as something was tossed into the air, "Fuck off!"
There was a sudden realization as Pavel screamed at the top of his lungs. "Grenade, get down!"
She quickly fell to the ground before the explosion went off with a piece of shrapnel flying over her head. Any second later and she would have been put under intensive care.
"Check if anyone's hit!" He ordered.
Soon, a pioneer yelled. "Roman's hit."
Olga frantically searched for him upon hearing his name, rushing past the looting and the wounded to find him. Then she heard her kin growling in pain as he was bleeding out on the ground. "Be still, I'll try to stop the bleeding."
It was so sudden, but a black blur rushed towards Roman's body as everyone noticed Artyom entering the area and sought the man's side. He pulled out an orange case and revealed a needle of morphine in his hands. When he slid the cap off and injected it into him, he glanced over towards her. "Can you staunch the bleeding?"
"Yes," She answered as she tore parts of her clothes to pull it off, "Give me a moment."
The time has come for Prince Hans to commit. He had to lest he wastes his opportunity being nothing more than a queen's lover and that could change at any point. Queen Elsa was last seen in front of her castle; however, he needed to isolate her and make it private. The young man traversed through the halls bypassing the servants carrying clothes and baggage in hand. Each person he passed, Hans granted them a smile, unaware of his hidden intentions to their ruler.
When he found himself at the front of Elsa's bedroom, the royal gave himself a moment before knocking. Just as his hand was at the level of his eye, it unlocked with the door swinging open and Queen Elsa wearing a yellow dress filled with black oil marks. "Goodness!"
"Did I catch you at a bad time?" The young man asked, "Should I come back later?"
"No, I was just about to take a bath, but are you here for something?"
"Yes. It is a personal matter and I was hoping we could do this privately. It's a gift I want to share with you."
She turned her head over to the hallway and looked in both directions before stepping back inside her bedroom and gesturing for him to come in. As the queen led him inside, she went over to her desk and began to inspect herself in the mirror. "I was hoping that the next time we meet, it would be over another fine dinner."
"Indeed," He said as he watched Elsa's back, taking the moment to take a knee towards the ground and reaching for his pocket, brandishing the ring that would decide their fates, "It's just that we have been together for a while that I think we can take this to a new level.
Her majesty turned around and stumbled back into her furniture, taken aback by his proposal. "Hans… is that what I think it is? Are you asking me?"
The young man smiled with joy since it had to be genuine to make it believable. The queen walked over to him with great reluctance with each step, "Yes. We have been together for quite some time and I want to take our relationship to a greater level."
Now he needed to assure Elsa of her fears.
"I love you, your majesty. Ever since we met at your coronation, I could not help myself from being at your side and serving you well as a friend and lover. You have endured hardships and carried a strength that I adore so much. Perhaps it may be too much to ask, but will you marry me?"
"I do," Answered the queen as her eyes let out tears of joy and reached out for him in a massive hug, "Before we proceed with anything, we need to get the blessing of my father. What would he think if we got married without his say-so?"
He failed to consider that while he savored the moment. Fortunately, he would not have to worry as much since Elsa's consent was all that was needed to get him to his crown. "Will we have the time to convince him? You and your family will be heading out to Northuldra and it would take some until then."
She laughed as her hands pulled him up from his knee. "True, but maybe it will give you time to prepare for my inevitable return with him. All you need to do is make your preparations."
Deep down in the young man's heart, his preparations for having the Arendelle crown were closer every minute.
It was a good victory for the Children of the Forest and they began to celebrate it with their allies. Decades had passed since they had good visitors to this place; however, the train people's goodwill to fight alongside them had relieved this notion that every passerby was a bandit. Now they drank and ate alongside their new brothers in arms. The joy at the settlement had reached its zenith with men daring each other to drink the longest.
Olga watched from the sidelines; yet, she was not the only one. Artyom could be seen across the meeting grounds, conversing with Pavel on issues she probably does not know. What enamored her was his willingness to save Roman, who is partying amongst those who have saved him twice. There was genuine goodness in his heart and where others would be partying, he would wait and see if they were enjoying the celebration before himself. Part of her wanted to reward such an act.
She walked around the meeting grounds and managed to snatch a cup full of alcohol for herself from a table as she made her way towards Artyom. The woman quickly sipped her drink with vigor while her body tingled at this new wave of feelings that came into her. All it did was give her the courage to even attempt this as she was reserved with what her heart desired. Pavel finished his conversation as he walked away and joined the celebration with the rest, leaving her the opportunity to approach his companion by himself.
"You stay all by yourself while the others party," She began, "Surely, you want some company this night?"
The young man shook his head. "It looks fun and I do want to join the others, but my mind is concerned on more pressing matters."
"Like what?"
"What will I do when I reach Vladivostok? For almost everyone on that train, their journey has ended while mine continues," Artyom explained, "There is much to be done and someone I need to question."
Olga couldn't help herself from smiling at the man. "You got initiative, I grant you that. Perhaps you should come over to my place and you could tell me what you intend to do?"
He shook his head at the idea of what she was implying. "Are you truly asking me about my plans?"
"Well, no. Roman is one of our best people and to see you come to his aid… hard not to admire that," Came to her reasoning and it was filled with some truth after recalling his eagerness to save him, "You would do me quite the honor to spend a night with me."
His gaze fell upon her and she shuddered at what would follow, but it was not of pleasure and delight. Artyom let out a deep breath before he spoke. "You desire something I cannot give. I am sorry, but my heart belongs to another."
It surprised her that he openly said that. He could have let the dark hour take over and whoever loved him wouldn't have known about what could have transpired tonight. Yet, Artyom was a man of principle, one who took his relationships to heart. "I must admit, there is a lot more to you than meets the eye. What is her name?"
"Elsa," He answered, "Queen Elsa of Arendelle. She is perhaps the reason why I head to Vladivostok. I love her."
"Then she must be a lucky girl," There wasn't much left beyond silent jealousy, "Goodnight, Artyom."
"Likewise, ma'am."
The moment passed as the two parted ways from each other for the rest of the night.