Buried Anger-Repost

by skyjadeprincess

Just to gather all chapters into one story.

39. Chapter 39

Author's note:

Sorry about the huge delay, everyone.

Life got in the way and writer's block can be annoying.

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Happy New Year

"Is everything ready?"

"Yes, my queen."

Ofund rolled her eyes at Óðr's obsequious tone. Yes, she took her subjects' devotion as her due, but there were times her minions could get over the top, even by her standards. Well, she didn't want to dwell on it.

At least, she could get her vengeance on the mortal whore her husband coveted.

She still couldn't understand Anna's appeal.

Evighet wasn't the only Elder God who desired her. Hell, there were gods who were equally enamored of Elsa. But WHY? Ofund couldn't comprehend the reasons why the gods had any desires for the weakling sisters. In her mind, they were insipid, ignorant, stupid and rather pathetic.

It only made Ofund even more determined to get rid of Anna once and for all. Maybe, in the future, she could target Elsa as well. It would definitely hurt Anna, which was a win in Ofund's book. It would also teach the mortals a lesson: don't reach beyond your station. First, she would focus her wrath upon Anna.

Prophecy or no prophecy.

She stood back, watching with eagle eyes as Óðr got everything ready. He better not make a single mistake. The ritual was risky, even by their standards. She also kept a watchful eye out for her husband.

Syn wouldn't lie about Evighet having spies that would watch her every move.

Carefully, Óðr drew runic symbols all over the floor.

They were in a carefully warded chamber located deep within the bowels of her favorite retreat. Ofund didn't dare risk a spell of any kind at the palace. It was her husband's stomping grounds, after all.

She squashed the urge to tell him to hurry up.

This was a ritual that couldn't be hurried or rushed.

Ofund took many steps backwards so that she could pace back and forth with her hands clasped behind her back. She was too angry and restless to sit still. Not to mention she didn't want to do anything that would interfere with the ritual. They had a limited window of opportunity. The mortal whore was in a vulnerable period when it came to her training. It was the perfect time to attack.

Let the world burn.

Ofund didn't give a damn about the mortals.

She didn't care if she had to destroy the entire solar system. They could always make another planet. Just as long as Anna was obliterated, she didn't care about any civilian casualties or collateral damage. Not that she ever cared for them in the first place. They were akin to dirt and dust she would wipe from her fingernails.

Why, HER!?

Ofund still couldn't believe her husband was falling in love with a mere mortal.

Óðr glanced carefully at the queen. The arrogant Goddess of the Skies was too busy muttering under her breath and glaring at nothing in particular to pay any attention to what he was doing.

He gazed at her dreamily.

Pondering over how he could win her heart.

If he had been paying proper attention, he would have realized that he made a slight error on one of the runic symbols he was etching. This slight error would have major consequences for not only the Elder Gods.

But the world as well.

Oblivious, Óðr turned his attention back to the ritual.

Like most of the Elder Gods, he didn't give a damn about the mortals. While he was well aware of the prophecies surrounding Anna and her sister, to Óðr, they were nothing more than worthless trash.

Personally, he didn't see what the fuss was all about.

Not to mention, if he got rid of Anna, this would put him in Ofund's favor.

---

Nothing.

There was absolutely nothing.

Elsa exchanged dazed, shocked glances with Mattias and Kristoff. Instead of a small village, they found nothing but a huge crater. How? How could there be so much damage in such a short period of time?

She felt a sudden chill as she rubbed at her arms.

This didn't feel natural at all.

There was a cloying, nauseous sense of something...evil permeating the air. No wonder the horses were so reluctant to approach. Even the Nokk was betraying its uneasiness as it whinnied and shifted back and forth.

Sven was copying its behavior.

Well, she admitted to herself, animals DO have sharper senses than humans.

But even if you were the most oblivious person in the world, you couldn't miss the crater that was where Tapt used to be. It couldn't have been an earthquake either.

They would have felt the tremors in the ground.

They would have also heard something.

Besides, there was no damage to the surrounding area. Even the trees were still intact! Elsa pursed her lips grimly as she dismounted. Well, she thought, there was no way they were going to get any clues now.

Mattias looked especially devastated.

She wasn't surprised, as he had family in Tapt.

Elsa gazed the crater again.

This wasn't natural.

Something told her that slavers weren't involved. They wouldn't even bother trying to cover their tracks as they were too busy trying to get away with their "cargo". She also doubted they would use supernatural means to get rid of the evidence. Then another horrible thought occurred to her.

If other villages were being targeted...

...what if the other villages were little more than craters?

---

Ginnarr was furious.

So much so that he couldn't even enjoy the screams of his idiotic minion.

Heimskr screamed his lungs off as he was held suspended in the air, in a spread-eagle position. Thin, black roots ensnared his wrists and ankles as Ginnarr made his displeasure known.

In other words, he was electrocuting the fool with black lightning.

He should have known better than to send Heimskr to do such a seemingly simple task. If anyone had a talent for screwing things up every time he was assigned a mission. Even when it was something as simple as fetching dinner for a council meeting, Heimskr would find some way to screw it up, the incompetent fool. Ginnarr could only attribute his recent string of his bad decisions to desperation and temporary stupidity. Not to mention he was pressed for time as he didn't want to leave anything to chance. Besides, if he was going to be brutally honest, Ginnarr could safely admit to another reason: Heimskr was the only one available.

He was supposed to make sure there was no evidence of what happened on Tapt.

But he was NOT supposed to leave behind obvious signs that something unnatural occurred!

Because of Heimskr's bungling incompetence, Elsa, Kristoff and Mattias were now aware that something wrong happened in Tapt. If Heimskr had even a smidgen of intelligence, he would have left proof that pirates or slavers were involved. No one was supposed to get even a hint of Ginnarr's presence yet!

While his minions were getting his armies ready, it wasn't yet time to make his presence known.

Thanks to Heimskr's idiocy, the mortals were aware something sinister was going on.

The only good thing was that the literal craters didn't leave any evidence behind. But he wasn't arrogant enough to believe that there weren't members of that hunting party who were unaware of his existence.

Mattias had family members that belonged to his cult.

This would only confirm his suspicions.

Ginnarr enjoyed taking his anger and frustrations out on Heimskr, but it wasn't enough. Everything was running like clockwork until now. He knew that he had to do something to throw Elsa off the trail.

While she was no match for him, she was connected enough with Ahtohallan to be annoying.

As he mentioned before, she COULD get lucky.

Heimskr kept on begging and pleading for mercy. Ginnarr snorted. Did Heimskr think him a fool? Did the idiot really think he was capable of mercy? The sheer arrogance and audacity of the request annoyed him.

How dare Heimskr PRESUME to beg for HIS mercy?

Thoroughly enraged beyond reason, Ginnarr increased the intensity of the lightning.

---

Honeymaren pasted a friendly smile on her face.

She could feel her grandmother's judgmental stare.

Yelana wasn't kidding when she said that she wanted the Harvest Moon Festival to run smoothly. Honeymaren could understand her grandmother's reasoning. Even the Northuldra could be a prickly bunch.

One wrong move or gesture could indicate the difference between war and peace.

But Honeymaren's mind wasn't on serving food or making nice with the other tribes.

Oh, how she wished she could tell her grandmother the truth. But the head of their order, the priestess Asatro, was adamant that secrecy was paramount. Besides, Honeymaren had to be honest with herself.

She doubted that Yelana would understand the necessity of her actions.

The fate of the world was at stake!

No one would ever believe her in regard to the growing, potential threat that Anna represented. But Honeymaren couldn't be arrogant enough to dismiss her own culpability in Elsa and Anna's suffering.

The entire order was responsible.

It was why she wished that she could sneak away.

She had to speak with Asatro and tell her they needed to go in a different direction. They needed to make amends with the Arendellian sisters for their role in what they endured over the years.

But she also needed to find a way to keep Anna from becoming a threat.

Honeymaren had horrible nightmares over what she could do if something made her snap.

Unfortunately, Honeymaren had to concede that she only made this dark future more than a frightening possibility. Every human had their limits and Anna had few positive memories in her life. In fact, you could count them on one hand and still have many fingers left over.

If they weren't careful, they would make the monster they were so determined to keep from becoming reality.

Honeymaren felt the weight of her grandmother's disapproving stare again.

Don't get her wrong, she loved her grandmother. But there were times she felt like wringing her neck. Didn't she understand that Honeymaren had greater concerns than the welfare of the Northuldra?

Although, to be fair, Yelana didn't know the truth about Anna.

What she COULD become in the future.

The festival seemed to be taking FOREVER. Honeymaren's face was starting to hurt from smiling so much. She had to constantly remind herself to focus on the various people she was conversing with.

She wanted to get to Asatro as soon as she could.

But inciting a conflict between the tribes would only make things worse.

Finally, the festival was over. But she couldn't sneak away immediately, as her grandmother expected her to help with the cleanup. There were times that Honeymaren REALLY resented the designated roles for women.

Even though she had help from the other female members of her tribe, the cleanup took longer than she liked.

When they were all done, everyone went to bed...except for one person.

Honeymaren didn't act until the torches and fires were extinguished. Acting quickly, she closed the flaps of her tent and shoved a bunch of clothes underneath her blankets. She tried to make it seem like she was underneath the blankets. Then she threw on a cloak and hood before peeking out from the flaps of her tent.

The coast was clear.

Honeymaren snuck out of the area, unaware she was being followed.

---

Agnarr was grateful for the silence.

He wasn't up for a conversation.

Iduna was (rightfully) still furious with him. She was pointedly ignoring his existence by glaring in the other direction, focusing on nothing in particular. She was muttering unintelligible words under her breath.

Agnarr was never one for self-reflection...until his death.

He never thought he could be such a monster.

Agnarr gazed sorrowfully at the icy floor of the chamber he was imprisoned in. The usual questions haunted him: How could be imprison Elsa in her quarters? How could be treat Anna so abominably? How could his research to help Elsa contain her powers consume him so completely that he ignored his duties to Arendelle?

Like Elsa and Anna, he became aware they owed Grand Pabbie for Arendelle's continued peace.

Weselton wouldn't have been the only nation to try and exploit the kingdom and its growing isolation.

Indeed, the vultures would have been circling around Arendelle as if it were a piece of rotting meat. Agnarr didn't even think about Arendelle's possible enemies. Only "curing" Elsa of her powers-or at the very least, finding a way to help her control them-mattered to the royal couple.

Everything else fell to the wayside.

He refused to bond with Anna, considering her a nuisance at best.

And a monster at worst.

Agnarr was well aware he used his research into Elsa's abilities as an excuse to treat Anna so shabbily.

In fact, it was even worse, he thought with a grimace. While Ahtohallan helped him to forget that he nearly sold his own daughter in exchange for a cure, there were other times he had been tempted by that tree.

Despite the best efforts of his forefathers, Agnarr would stumble upon information about the tree.

There was even another time he tried to get rid of her by involving the tree:

FLASHBACK

Agnarr couldn't wait in his bedchamber anymore.

Elsa had yet another temper tantrum, which resulted in yet another violent snowstorm.

Iduna remained behind in Elsa's room to try and calm her down. Agnarr tried to focus on a treaty proposal from Austria, but he couldn't concentrate. For once, Anna proved she had two brain cells to rub together. Not only was it proof that miracles could happen, but it was also evidence there was a god.

In other words, she stayed away from her sister.

Nor did she try to bother her parents.

Unfortunately for Anna, he happened to stumble upon her as she was returning from the kitchens with a glass of water. Thoroughly annoyed, Agnarr brutally shoved her aside on his way to the gardens.

He ignored her startled cries of shock and pain as she impacted against the wall.

She slid to the floor with a grunt, dazed and confused.

Agnarr felt nothing, save the usual wave of contempt and a growing sense of sadistic, vindictive satisfaction when it came to her suffering. He reached the gardens without further incident, and he started to pace back and forth.

Wringing his hands.

Wondering what he should do next.

"Your Majesty?"

He stopped, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Who dared?

Agnarr whirled around, a sharp retort on his lips and one hand on the pommel of his sword.

It died instantly once he focused on the speaker.

Duke Ubarmhjertig.

He had known Ubarmhjertig ever since he was a child. Unfortunately, he was always taller, stronger and more muscled than Agnarr. He had salt and pepper hair with chilling blue-grey eyes.

As usual, he didn't betray any emotion.

Some whispered he was born straight out of the glaciers the ice harvesters used as their stock.

His ambition could not be denied. Even now, he was trying to arrange a marriage between Elsa and his own son and heir, Hjaldr. Agnarr was not about to let that happen. Ubarmhjertig came from a prominent family.

But they might as well have come from Brynjar's era.

They were ruthless warmongers and Agnarr wouldn't trust them to preside over an ant colony.

"Please go away." Agnarr said. "I do not wish to be disturbed."

"I'm afraid I can't, Sire." Ubarmhjertig said smoothly.

"You dare!?" Agnarr snapped, his eyes flashing with rage.

"This concerns your daughter, the Princess Elsa." Ubarmhjertig said, unfazed by his anger.

"For the last time, I am not betrothing her to Hjaldr." Agnarr said.

"This does not concern Her Highness's potential betrothal." Ubarmhjertig said.

"Then what IS it about?" Agnarr said.

"It concerns Her Highness's abilities." Ubarmhjertig said smugly.

"What abilities?" Agnarr asked, even as his mind was racing. "She is capable of many things."

"I am referring to her powers." Ubarmhjertig said.

"She doesn't have any powers." Agnarr said a little too quickly. "She is as normal as anyone else."

"Come now, Sire, we mustn't play games." Ubarmhjertig purred.

"How DARE you speak to me that way!" Agnarr seethed at his condescending, arrogantly presumptuous tone.

"We both know the Princess has powers." Ubarmhjertig said. "Isn't it getting a little COLD outside?"

"What do you want?" Agnarr wouldn't hesitate to have the arrogant duke executed. He took him aside to a more private garden, to lessen the chances of possible spies and spooks overhearing something they shouldn't.

"Actually, my king, it's more about what YOU desire." Ubarmhjertig said.

"I don't follow." Agnarr frowned.

"People tend to notice things, Sire." Ubarmhjertig said.

"Notice what?" Agnarr asked tightly.

"For instance, we know you do not care for the Princess Anna." Ubarmhjertig examined his fingernails. He sounded so casual, he might as well have been talking about the weather. Despite Agnarr's hatred and contempt for his younger spawn, he couldn't ignore the curious chill going up and down his spine.

"I could have you whipped for your lies and insolence." Agnarr didn't care for Anna, but he didn't want to advertise the fact. It would make him look bad if there were any evidence of discord in the royal family. It would entice Arendelle's enemies to circle her once more, like spilled blood luring in some sharks in the ocean. As was usual with Agnarr, he blamed Anna for this. Her mere existence caused him far more problems than he would have liked.

He ignored the fact that every time he had to pretend to be a kind, loving father to Anna at any public event, it made him want to vomit. If he had to touch her hand or place a hand on her shoulder, it was all he could do to avoid squeezing either body part painfully. When the event was over, he would arrange a bath in his chambers and scrub his skin so vigorously until it turned red. Even he knew he was being melodramatic, but he couldn't help feeling polluted. It was as if Anna was nothing more than a virus, spreading germs and trouble anywhere. It made his skin scrawl every time he had to touch her in any way.

"Like I said, my king, the entire court has noticed." Ubarmhjertig said.

"What of it?" Agnarr would see what he wanted before punishing the arrogant duke.

"I know of a way to get rid of her." Ubarmhjertig said.

"You speak of treason." Agnarr said.

"I am speaking as a loyal citizen of Arendelle." Ubarmhjertig corrected. "I am loyal to YOU, Sire. As I've just mentioned, I know of a way to get rid of the princess without anything being traced back to you."

"How?" Agnarr said.

"Have you ever heard of the God, Ginnarr?" Ubarmhjertig asked.

"No." Agnarr admitted, even as an odd, icy sensation went up and down his spine.

"He has many followers, Sire." Ubarmhjertig said.

"What does that have to do with Anna?" Agnarr demanded.

"He has an entire religion dedicated to Him." Ubarmhjertig said. "He can offer anything you desire, but nothing ever comes for free." He added, raising a finger in warning. "If you like, Sire, we can arrange for the princess to be sacrificed. Her blood would sate Ginnarr. In exchange, you would get a cure for Princess Elsa. Or at the very least, Ginnarr would provide a way for her to control her powers."

"Are you a member of this religion?" Agnarr's mind started racing.

"My entire family is." Ubarmhjertig said.

"What do you want in exchange?" Agnarr asked.

"Perhaps I am just a willing servant to Your Majesty." Ubarmhjertig said.

"But you said, nothing ever comes for free." Agnarr countered.

"Astute as ever, Sire." Ubarmhjertig clasped his hands behind his back, even as Agnarr instinctively bristled at the sarcastic undertones in the duke's reply. "I would request a boon in exchange for Princess Anna's life. I still desire for my son to be betrothed to the crown princess."

"Deal." Agnarr said.

They shook hands and parted ways.

Agnarr hated that he had to pretend to want to spend time with Anna.

But the little brat was so desperate for love and affection, it was no trick at all to lure her out of her bedroom the next night. It was almost insultingly and laughably easy, taking advantage of her desperation. This only made Agnarr lower his opinion of Anna's so-called intelligence, or lack there-of, even more. Agnarr pretended to be concerned as he "lovingly" tended to her wounds that she received hours earlier. Once again, his skin crawled at having to touch her skin and made him want to run to his chambers to take a bath.

Inwardly, he vomited as he apologized for pushing her.

To "make up" for it, he offered to take her on a stroll around the palace grounds.

When Anna wasn't looking, he would roll his eyes while she chattered like a chipmunk about something or other. Agnarr would nod and hum at the appropriate moments, but he wasn't paying attention to her inane chatter.

As usual, Anna had nothing interesting to talk about.

"Stay right here." Agnarr said.

"Why, Papa?" Anna asked innocently.

"I have a surprise for you." It was all Agnarr could do to avoid backhanding his daughter for daring to address him as her father. Like Ubarmhjertig, she was far too arrogant and insolent for his liking.

"Really?" Anna asked eagerly.

"Really." Agnarr confirmed, giving her a fake, condescending smile. "I'll be right back."

He had lured her to an out of the way garden. It took some "creative maneuvering" on his part, but he scheduled for the guards to patrol a particular set of gardens at different times. He left Anna at the pre-arranged spot and hid behind an oak tree. He felt nothing but glee as several hooded figures surrounded Anna.

One of them clamped a hand over her mouth and spirited her away before she could even cry out.

Gleefully, Agnarr returned to the palace, certain that everything would go according to plan.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Obviously, Ubarmhjertig didn't succeed in his vile plans for Elsa and Anna.

Agnarr would forget the entire conversation.

So would the duke, for that matter.

Agnarr knew that Ahtohallan was responsible.

But it wasn't until Agnarr died and fell into limbo that he would find himself witnessing things that he had forgotten or glossed over. His time in Ahtohallan was bringing more and more unwanted memories to the surface. He wasn't aware of what Anna suffered until recently. He didn't think about her at all.

All he cared about was finding a way for Elsa to gain control over her abilities.

It was only now that he could see what happened to his second daughter...and Ubarmhjertig.

FLASHBACK

Meanwhile, Anna was bound and gagged.

Someone dropped her like a bag of potatoes on the back of a black horse.

She kept on screaming for help, but her cries were muffled. She felt fear and confusion as the hooded figures rode deep into the night. No one came to her rescue. Papa never came for her.

Anna didn't know what was going on.

She never felt so scared in her life.

Anna didn't want to fall off the horse, so she didn't dare to try and struggle. Tears ran down her cheeks as they rode further and further away from Arendelle. They were smart enough to keep to the shadows.

It was too dark for anyone to see what was happening.

Anna didn't want to think her father arranged for this.

Yes, she was aware that he was angry with her for whatever real or imagined infractions she "committed" against him. But she didn't want to think that he despised her so much that he arranged her kidnapping.

This couldn't possibly be the "surprise" he was talking about.

Could it?

Her wrists and ankles were bound so tightly, she couldn't help feeling she was starting to lose circulation in aforementioned limbs. What did they want from her? Why were they doing this to her?

Who were these people?

She had tried to glance up, to see who her captors were.

She got a firm backhand for her troubles.

Anna got the message.

DO NOT look at her captors.

Apparently, they didn't want her to know who they were.

Anna's cheek throbbed in pain. She also felt some agony and discomfort from the brutal ride as they continued their journey. The journey itself was long, even on horseback.

She was kept under guard 24/7.

They would feed her stale bread and water when they stopped to camp.

Anna didn't know how long they were on the road. Finally, they reached a desert near a dead-looking tree. But they didn't venture further into the desert. Instead, the leader approached the tree and pressed the knot.

A secret doorway was revealed.

Anna was thrown over someone's shoulder as the group descended underground.

She tried to gaze around to search for clues. But the torches only provided so much illumination. There were many carvings and symbols on the walls that she couldn't make out. She shivered in cold and fear.

It was freezing in here.

The air itself was filled with an evil so dark and thick, it became a miasma. She could barely breathe.

The group finally reached the bottom. Anna stiffened in fear as the group approached a stone altar. It had the same carvings and symbols as the walls did. But Anna couldn't make out what any of them meant.

She struggled as she was brought over to the altar.

Her captors held her in place as they placed manacles over her wrists and ankles from the four corners of the altar. They didn't bother removing her gag, as it was clear they didn't want to hear her cries and pleas.

More and more hooded figures joined them.

They surrounded the altar, raising and lowering their bodies.

Chanting in an ancient language.

She couldn't understand any of them.

The leader then stepped forward. Another acolyte approached with an ornately carved box. The leader opened the box, revealing a ritualistic athame dagger. Anna resumed her struggles.

Her little heart pounded in fear and alarm.

She had dreamt about this.

No one ever believed her. They insisted, just as they always did, that she was making it up. Mama and Papa would shout at her for "lying" and confine her to her room. If Papa was alone, she would feel the back of his hand before being shoved into a nearby wall. If Mama was alone, she would get a tongue-lashing.

Full of cutting insults and scathing remarks.

If it was the servants, they would give her patronizing smiles and condescending pats on the head.

As for Elsa, if she was truly desperate to try and confide in her estranged sister, Elsa would just yell at her to go away before she could finish her sentence or get a word in edgewise. Even talking to the portraits never brought much comfort.

Her only outlet was drawing.

At least the drawings couldn't judge her or be cruel to her.

She could only watch helplessly as the leader slowly lifted the dagger into the air.

It was the last thing she remembered before everything went black.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Agnarr shuddered.

He had nearly lost his second daughter that night.

Even worse, he had poured himself a glass of wine to celebrate the fact that they were a family of three again. He even went so far as to give a mocking toast to Anna for being useful for once in her miserable, pathetic and misbegotten life. Iduna was oblivious as she became consumed with her research in the royal library following Elsa's latest temper tantrum.

Agnarr was sitting at his favorite wing chair before the fireplace.

He was perfectly relaxed as he enjoyed the warmth of the fire and savored the taste of the wine.

But he wasn't able to celebrate for long.

He shuddered in remembrance.

FLASHBACK

The attack came without warning. Agnarr was startled as a bunch of evil roots burst through the floor of his bedroom, sending debris and wood fragments flying everywhere. The roots were dripping with black fluids, like oil and molasses mixed together.

One moment, he was celebrating his triumph against the monster.

He was enjoying the fire and his favorite wine, when the attack came from out of nowhere.

He made to rise to his feet.

But the roots grabbed him by the neck and shoved him against the wall.

Agnarr gagged, futilely grabbing at the roots to try and free himself. He was barely able to breathe as he soiled himself in fear. It didn't help that the root clutching his neck had somehow formed a hand.

The roots were so dark and evil, he wanted to vomit.

He struggled and writhed, but it was clear he wasn't going anywhere.

He couldn't even utter a word, so tight was the grip on his neck. All he could do was gasp for air. Agnarr could only watch helplessly as one of the roots reached out towards him, forming a finger. It touched his forehead. He screamed as black lightning struck him from head to toe.

He had never felt so much pain in his life.

Somehow, the source of the roots prevented anyone from hearing his screams.

No one came to his aid and Agnarr felt true fear and uncertainty for the first time in years. Like his father before him, he relied upon his soldiers for protection. Like any arrogant, self-proclaimed ruler, he felt invincible and that nothing could touch him, as he was king. He hated any reminders that he was all too human. Self-preservation was starting to rear its ugly head as he instinctively tried to beg and plead for the entity to have mercy and spare his life. But he could sense it had none to give. He felt helpless, as no one came to aid their king. This even surpassed what happened in the Enchanted Forest, when he and Iduna lost their fathers at the same time.

Agnarr didn't know how long the torture lasted.

All he knew was pain.

Tears ran down his cheeks as he tried once more to beg for mercy. But whoever controlled the roots was, obviously enough, in no mood for mercy. Agnarr was electrocuted for hours on end. He was sobbing and panting heavily by the time it was over.

He felt confusion as all of his wounds were healed.

But the pain remained. Then everything went black when the root's finger touched his forehead.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Agnarr shuddered once more.

It was clear that the entity behind the attack was the one who healed his wounds.

But he remembered that the pain lingered for months on end. It took that long for Agnarr to heal completely. Doctor Heinrich and his assistants examined the king time and time again.

But they couldn't find anything wrong with him.

Agnarr's memories of the events were removed.

However, he felt a lingering, primeval fear ever since. Agnarr was never able to truly relax, and it only fed his anger and impatience. Unfortunately, this made him double down on Anna's mistreatment and Elsa's imprisonment and isolation. He took his anxiety and bad mood out on his innocent daughters, especially Anna.

Agnarr wasn't proud of himself.

He'd been a right fool.

However, he wasn't the only person who had been punished for agreeing to this stupid plan in the first place. Agnarr was lucky in that he was spared and healed. Eventually, anyway. He couldn't say the same for Ubarmhjertig, his followers and his family. He remembered when the entire family was struck down with a sudden, debilitating illness.

The duke's castle was put under quarantine.

No one was spared.

Agnarr didn't think much of the sudden deaths of Ubarmhjertig and his family. There was no reason to think foul play was involved, as the mysterious plague was striking the entire kingdom without warning. In fact, he was secretly pleased that Fate took care of Ubarmhjertig, as he and his ambitions were a thorn in his side.

Unfortunately, Ubarmhjertig had powerful connections. He was cunning, dangerous and he had increasing support at court. Agnarr could have been forced to yield to public pressure to betroth Elsa to Hjaldr.

Agnarr was too busy being grateful for the sudden illness to ever question its mysterious circumstances or the suspicious timing of its arrival.

Doctor Heinrich and his fellow medics did the best they could.

But they lost entire families to that plague.

One day, the plague left as mysteriously as it had arrived. The entire kingdom was too busy rejoicing over the fact to ponder what the plague was or where it came from. Agnarr himself didn't find out the truth.

Until his soul was sent to limbo.

FLASHBACK

Ubarmhjertig had a manic grin on his face as he approached the princess.

Finally, everything was going according to plan.

For years, he had tried to betroth Hjaldr to the crown princess Elsa. But Agnarr kept on snubbing anyone who suggested Elsa's future husband. Annoyingly, Agnarr found ways to postpone the issue or distract his lords. Ubarmhjertig had to resort to spying and subterfuge to get dirt on the royal family.

One of his spies finally came through when he learned about Elsa's powers.

However, it was the younger princess who was the key to his plans.

He wasn't lying when he told Agnarr that the court knew about his contempt for Princess Anna. From all accounts, she was a clumsy, useless child. So stupid, weak and pathetic. No one would miss her if she met with a sudden "accident".

Feh.

No wonder Agnarr regarded her with disdain.

Ubarmhjertig was prepared to kill two birds with one stone.

First, he would ingratiate himself to the king by ridding Arendelle of the useless spare heir to the throne. He shuddered at the very frightening possibility that the stupid bitch would ascend to the throne someday. Arendelle would collapse within days of her ineffectual rule. Then he would negotiate the future betrothal of Hjaldr to Princess Elsa.

Finally, Princess Anna's innocent blood was bound to sate Ginnarr.

Everyone wins.

Ubarmhjertig couldn't help feeling smug as he slowly lifted the athame dagger into the air. He was prepared to plunge the dagger into the little bitch's heart. He couldn't help sharing Agnarr's contempt for her. She was finally serving a purpose for once in her worthless life and she couldn't even be grateful.

He was giving her a gift far beyond her feeble station and comprehension!

Females. They were so useless regardless of the age.

Well, no matter.

He would rid the world of her putrid presence soon enough.

Unfortunately for Ubarmhjertig, he was oblivious to Gunnar's obsession with Princess Anna. Before he could kill her, giant roots erupted from the ground and ensnared all of the followers.

Ubarmhjertig stiffened as he felt his lord and master's anger and displeasure.

He was soon ensnared by the same roots, unable to move so much as a centimeter.

The acolytes could only watch as the same roots gently lifted Anna into the air after breaking her bonds. It touched her forehead, rendering the girl unconscious. Ubarmhjertig had a feeling it was removing her memories. He did a double take as the root unleashed waves of magic over the princess, healing any cuts and bruises she received from her father and the acolytes. Then Ginnarr created a demon and ordered it to return Anna to the Arendellian palace at once after the healing glow died down.

Ubarmhjertig didn't understand. Why would his lord and master heal the princess's injuries?

What the-

Ubarmhjertig didn't have time to ponder this odd turn of events for long. He could only watch helplessly as more and more demons emerged from the shadows. The acolytes futilely struggled and begged for mercy as they were dragged into the shadows to be punished. Ubarmhjertig couldn't even imagine what they would suffer.

Then he realized he should be worried for HIMSELF.

Before he could even recoil, two hulking demons were reaching out for him.

Ubarmhjertig barely managed to dodge their menacing-looking, pointed claws and ran for his life. In between dodging dangerous demons and thick, tangled roots bursting from the floor, it was a wonder that Ubarmhjertig was still free. He was barely cognizant of his surroundings as the "fight or flight" response took over. He saw an opening and dived between two demons. He winced as he was clawed all over his body.

But he still managed to escape despite their attempts to grab him.

Then he raced for the exit. His only thought was on getting away.

Too late did Ubarmhjertig realize that he had fallen for a trap. He should have known that it was far too easy for him to dodge those demons. They were toying with him the entire time.

He had also forgotten that Ginnarr controlled all aspects under his domain.

In other words, the ritual room in the tree existed in a parallel dimension to Earth.

Rather than reaching outside after bursting through the door, Ubarmhjertig found himself in another chamber. It was a room he didn't recognize. He stiffened as Ginnarr's enraged, menacing growls filled the air.

Before he could even recoil, he was lifted into the air by an unseen force.

Just before gravity kicked in, thin, sharp roots with jagged edges erupted from the ground and ceiling.

They ensnared his wrists and ankles, forcing him apart in a spreadeagle position. Ubarmhjertig winced as he felt the roots digging into his skin, sending rivulets of blood trailing down his arms and legs.

"How dare you!" Ginnarr seethed.

"My lord?" Ubarmhjertig asked feebly. It was all he could do not to soil himself further.

"Did you really think I would let your insolence slide?" Ginnarr snarled.

"But Master, I was only arranging for a proper sacrifice to weaken those chains." Ubarmhjertig protested.

"Do not take me for a fool, Ubarmhjertig!" Ginnarr hissed. "You would have used this sacrifice as a means to an end. You were more concerned about making sure your line controlled the throne of Arendelle rather than in serving me. I do not tolerate so-called followers who dare not to make me their only priority or have the insolence to use me as a pawn and excuse for their schemes!"

"Please forgive me, my lord!" Ubarmhjertig cried. "I'll make it up to you, I swear!"

"Why do my useless minions constantly think I am capable of mercy?" Ginnarr asked rhetorically.

"Ahhhhhh!" Ubarmhjertig screamed as he was electrocuted by black lightning.

"It's such a pity, Ubarmhjertig." Ginnarr said mockingly. "I had such high hopes for you."

"Master, please!" Ubarmhjertig begged between screams.

"There is another reason I'm punishing you, you pathetic fool!" Ginnarr growled. "I thought I made it perfectly clear that no harm was to come to Princess Anna." Ubarmhjertig was barely able to concentrate, but he winced, nevertheless. His lord and master had warned all of his followers that no harm was to come to Anna the very day that Northuldran bitch Iduna brought her screaming into the world. But Ubarmhjertig forgot all about that as he was preoccupied with advancing his ambitions. He was frustrated by Agnarr's continued refusals to betroth Princess Elsa to his son. As Ginnarr (rightfully) suspected, his loyalty to his lord and master took a second seat to his desires to tie his seed to the royal bloodline. His obsession consumed him.

"Forgive this unworthy servant, my lord!" Ubarmhjertig cried. "I had forgotten!"

"Do not presume to give ME orders!" Ginnarr yelled.

"Ahhhhh!" Ubarmhjertig screamed once more as Ginnarr increased the intensity of the lightning.

"The fact that you forgot is on you, Ubarmhjertig." Ginnarr snarled.

"AHHHHH!" Ubarmhjertig was too busy screaming his head off to answer.

"I wasn't lying when I said it was a pity about you, Ubarmhjertig." Ginnarr said casually, as if he were talking about the weather. "You were a useful, promising acolyte, once upon a time. But you allowed your ambitions for Arendelle to consume you. It has now become clear that nothing else matters to you."

"Master, please." Ubarmhjertig begged once more.

"Do not even think to lie to me." Ginnarr hissed. "I can see into your infinitesimal mind."

"AHHHHH!" Ubarmhjertig screamed and writhed as the intensity increased.

"Do not think I also missed how you think so low of Princess Anna." Ginnarr's eyes flashed with rage.

"Master!" Ubarmhjertig could only croak feebly once the initial punishment was over.

"I do have to wonder at the collective intelligence of my minions." Ginnarr sighed with mock sadness. "Not one of you ever pondered the reason why I demanded that she remain unharmed, when I have never been known to spare anyone or care about some random mortal."

"Please Master, I promise, I'll do better." Ubarmhjertig said hoarsely.

"What makes you think there will even BE a next time." Ginnarr purred.

"Master, no!" Ubarmhjertig cried, as tears poured like rivers down his cheeks.

"In a way, you should be honored, Ubarmhjertig." Ginnarr mocked.

"Ahhhhh!" Ubarmhjertig yelled as the lightning started once more.

"Your death shall serve a purpose in keeping my acolytes in line." Ginnarr said. "I see now that I have been too lenient with my minions. That was my mistake. But make no MISTAKE, Ubarmhjertig. You will suffer a thousand-fold for what you have planned to do to MY future queen!" Ginnarr had whispered the last sentence into Ubarmhjertig's ear. He knew this event would be witnessed in the future and he didn't want to give Agnarr any clues.

"What!" Ubarmhjertig gasped in shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Now, let the punishment commence!" Ginnarr declared.

Ubarmhjertig cried out in pain and shock as the roots disappeared and gravity kicked in. He went screaming hoarsely to the floor and feebly yelled out his pain and suffering as he hit the floor.

His eyes widened in horror as his master's demons emerged from the shadows.

They came from all sides, and he couldn't see any way out.

In desperation, driven by an instinctive sense of self preservation, Ubarmhjertig crawled on the floor. He dragged himself forward as a surge of adrenalin, spurred on by desperation and a growing sense of fear and dread, flowed through his veins.

Intellectually, he knew that he was finished.

But he wasn't ready to die.

It didn't help that the demons were deliberately prolonging what would happen to him. Their eyes glowed with unholy glee and anticipation now that their master let them loose. Ubarmhjertig suppressed a shudder.

He didn't even want to imagine what they wanted to do to him.

Frantically, he searched around for an exit.

Finally, he spotted an opening. Feeling a tentative stirring of hope, Ubarmhjertig began crawling towards aforementioned opening. His entire body was aching, and he was on the verge of collapse.

His arms and legs were aching.

Occasionally, his body would twitch, and his nerve endings were on fire.

But Ubarmhjertig knew that he couldn't give up, or he would be annihilated. Once again, the demons were deliberately prolonging the punishment to give the foolish human one last semblance of hope.

Just as Ubarmhjertig was about to reach the exit, two clawed hands grabbed his ankles.

"NO!" Ubarmhjertig yelled feebly as he was dragged backwards.

The demons chuckled gleefully and merrily at his fear and desperation as they dragged him towards another chamber. He clawed futilely at the ground, hoping in vain to gain some purchase. There was a door he'd never noticed before. It was glowing with an evil, malignant purpose and intent. The "good" duke felt a sudden, primeval and instinctive fear, not wanting to enter whatever chamber the door led to. Ginnarr's indulgent chuckles followed in their wake.

Ginnarr was definitely looking forward to this.

What followed next defied any worldly description.

Ubarmhjertig was tortured three ways from Sunday. While humans have come up with creative ways and torture devices over the centuries, they have nothing on Ginnarr and his minions. Ubarmhjertig had never felt such pain and suffering in his life. He had never felt so violated, polluted and unclean throughout his miserable existence. Like all nobles, he was sheltered and spoiled.

His own father spoiled and indulged him.

Ubarmhjertig was used to inflicting pain and suffering, not being on the receiving end.

When it was over, he was covered all over in blood and other fluids, with bruises and cuts everywhere.

He was nearly broken when it was finally over.

The key word being nearly.

But there was a method to Ginnarr's madness. He didn't order the torture and brutalization to stop until Ubarmhjertig was on the verge of snapping and losing his sanity. He didn't want the "fun" to end just yet.

Ginnarr ordered that Ubarmhjertig be returned to his castle.

But not before healing his wounds and temporarily removing his memories of his punishment.

Ubarmhjertig continued with his life, oblivious to what happened, blissfully none the wiser to what Ginnarr had planned for him. He had forgotten his vile plans for Princess Anna and kept on scheming ways to get her sister betrothed to his own son and heir. He still thought he remained a loyal servant to his God.

The plague didn't quickly go through Ubarmhjertig's family.

It started with a lowly maid.

Ubarmhjertig barely paid attention when Ulla got sick. He didn't give a shit about lowly peasants, and he was far more focused on his schemes. In fact, he punished Ulf, his butler, for daring to waste his time with reports about his pathetic servants. In other words, the poor man was flogged for his "insolence".

From that moment on, Ulf didn't bother his lord and master with "trivial concerns".

As a result, Ubarmhjertig didn't notice as more and more servants got sick.

Ubarmhjertig was oblivious to the danger to his household, until his favorite niece, Ylva, got sick one night. He was enraged to learn about the illness literally plaguing his house and summoned Ulf for answers.

He conveniently ignored the fact that he ordered Ulf not to disturb him with news about the servants.

Instead, he took out his rage and frustration out on Ulf.

The doctors did the best they could, but Ylva eventually succumbed to her illness. One by one, more and more family members contracted the mysterious plague. Ubarmhjertig reached out to the king for help.

But Agnarr was already fearful as the plague was spreading.

So, he ordered that the duke's castle be put under quarantine.

Ubarmhjertig reached out to various doctors, begging and pleading for them to come up with a cure. His sleep was nonexistent as he had to listen to the moans and groans of the afflicted from various family members.

Desperate, he offered a king's ransom to the first doctor who could come up with a proper cure.

But even greed wasn't enough to trump self-preservation.

In other words, no one was willing to chance getting infected with the plague by visiting Ubarmhjertig's castle. It didn't help that Ubarmhjertig's main physician contracted the illness and died after several weeks.

Finally, only Ubarmhjertig and Hjaldr were left.

Losing his wife Irma was a blow he never recovered from.

Ubarmhjertig was a cold, ambitious man. He didn't want to beg and plead, as he considered both to be "womanly" emotions and a sign of weakness. But he wasn't completely without feeling either.

His wife and eldest son were his whole world.

Hjaldr was everything he could ask for in a son.

In other words, he was the carbon copy of Ubarmhjertig and even inherited the same personality. Despite the best efforts of several doctors, Hjaldr succumbed to the plague. Ubarmhjertig was devastated.

No one was surprised when he himself became infected.

But his death was worse than everyone else's.

He spent his final weeks lingering between life and death. He coughed up copious amounts of blood and would get waves of icy chills and hot flashes. He was covered from head to toe with blistering and festering boils. He wallowed in his own filth as no one would help him bathe or use the chamber pot.

Ubarmhjertig ruled his castle with an iron fist.

Fear and abuse kept the servants in line.

Now that Ubarmhjertig was no longer a threat, no one bothered to help him, much less obey his orders. Besides, it wasn't long before he lost the few servants he had left. Ubarmhjertig was on his own.

His dreams were torture within themselves.

He wouldn't remember any of them.

But he would get phantom limb pain. He would feel dirty and polluted. His body ached all over and his nerve endings were on fire. His entire body would throb with pain, which didn't make any sense to him.

He was never tortured or injured.

Right?

As was mentioned before, there was a method to Ginnarr's madness. Slowly, gradually, over time he would remember what he had planned for Princess Anna. The process was slow going as he would only remember bits and pieces of his dreams. In reality, he would also deal with the effects of the plague.

And any other illness and physical ailments assaulting his body.

Finally, he remembered everything.

But Ginnarr wasn't through with him yet.

Not by a long shot.

During his last days alive, Ubarmhjertig would relive what he endured. In his dreams, he would be dragged back to Ginnarr's realm to experience the torture on a repeated loop. He would frequently get electrocuted by Ginnarr's lightning attacks. No one would have been able to explain his unexpected wounds.

No one was around to see them.

But they would have been hard to explain, nevertheless.

Ubarmhjertig never got a moment of surcease. Ginnarr was THAT determined to make an example of the stupid, arrogant duke. The worst part was that it would work. Ginnarr's minions would be extra careful in the future.

Finally, Ginnarr deigned to put Ubarmhjertig out of his misery.

But his soul would never go to either heaven, hell or Purgatory.

Instead, Ginnarr activated the mental link he had with all of his minions and ordered them to come to his chambers. Ubarmhjertig's soul was summoned to his master's realm before his petrified audience.

Everyone watched as Ubarmhjertig's soul was destroyed, one iota at a time.

The destruction was pain-filled and full of suffering.

The tactic worked as Ubarmhjertig's soul was destroyed so utterly, he would never go on to any sort of afterlife. He would never be reincarnated, have a family, start a new life, what have you.

It was like he never existed in the first place.

Ginnarr's plan worked, and everyone present vowed to NEVER betray him again!

FLASHBACK ENDS

Agnarr grimaced.

He was oblivious to a lot of things, wasn't he?

His punishment was mild compared to Ubarmhjertig's. While he never cared for the arrogant bastard one way or another, it didn't mean that his entire family deserved to suffer the way they did.

Agnarr's soul was still intact.

He couldn't say the same for Ubarmhjertig.

Not only was Agnarr a lousy father and husband, but he was also an inept king. He never paid attention to the mysterious ills-literally and metaphorically-plaguing his kingdom. Just as he ignored the dangers his surrounding neighbors could present to Arendelle, Agnarr never looked for potential enemies within.

Everything took a back seat to his research for helping Elsa control her powers.

He never felt any fear or concern for Anna's life, until now.

He couldn't help wondering what Ginnarr whispered into Ubarmhjertig's ear before his punishment began. Why did he want Anna unharmed? What did he want with her? It couldn't mean anything good.

Judging from what Ginnarr revealed, the evil god had been obsessed with her from the day she was born.

Then Agnarr remembered that Ginnarr promised to provide an answer for Elsa's powers.

IF Anna were given in exchange.

He was so desperate and eager to get rid of her, he happily agreed.

Hindsight was indeed twenty/twenty. He was indeed the monster haunting his nightmares for years. The worst part was, he was too arrogant and blind to see it. He thought that he was different from his father.

Instead, he repeated the cycle of abuse.

It was only now he could admit that Runeard's "tough love" approach was abuse.

Agnarr was so worried about his daughters. While Elsa fulfilled her destiny and became the Fifth Spirit, Anna had her own prophecy to worry about. Not to mention that Ginnarr himself was still out there.

The old legends and fairy tales didn't do him any justice.

He was far worse than he initially feared.

Agnarr was dreading the moment Anna came to confront them. Her memories were fully restored, her mind healed from Grand Pabbie's machinations and predations. He would be equally fearful of Elsa.

But Anna had it worse than her sister in several ways.

Anna had no reason to trust, let alone forgive, either of her parents.

Agnarr was jolted from his thoughts when Iduna pointedly cleared her throat.

"Agnarr...we need to talk." She said coldly.

Uh-oh...

---

"Anna!" Volva called.

"Where could she be, my lady?" Laeknir asked.

"I don't know." Volva could cheerfully kick herself for being too absorbed and preoccupied with her conversation with Laeknir to pay attention to what her granddaughter was doing, or where she was going. Anna could be anywhere.

"Anna!" Laeknir said, cupping her hands around her mouth as she did so.

"Volva, Laeknir." Jord said as she appeared. "Follow me, I know where she is."

"Is she all right?" Volva asked.

"I don't know." Jord admitted. Volva and her apprentice exchanged alarmed looks.

What did she mean by that?

But Jord left before they could question her further.

Thoroughly alarmed by this point, Volva and Laeknir followed Jord through a series of icy corridors and chambers. They couldn't help cursing the fact that Ahtohallan was bigger than it looked. One could easily get lost if they didn't know the way. Especially in the realm of dreams.

It seemed to take hours.

Finally, they managed to find Anna.

"Anna!" Volva called, racing to the poor girl and kneeling at her side. Anna was lying prone on the ground. She looked PHYSICALLY unharmed, but her expression was frozen in a rictus of fear and pain. She was muttering under her breath as she moved restlessly from side to side. What happened to her!?

"My lady, did you see what happened?" Volva asked.

"No." Jord admitted.

"How is that possible, my lady?" Volva asked, even as Laeknir examined her granddaughter after opening her healer's kit. Volva thought Jord knew everything that happened at Ahtohallan.

"Something blocked my sight." Jord said. "By the time I managed to find Anna, it was all over."

"Was she attacked?" Volva asked.

"I can't say for sure." Jord said. "But I have a feeling she was."

"I don't see any physical marks on her, my lady." Laeknir said.

"Not all wounds are physical." Volva said grimly.

"I'll try and scan her mind." Jord knelt by Anna's head and placed her see-through fingertips on the queen's forehead. Unfortunately, something was blocking her. Jord grunted as she was hit by something invisible.

"My lady!" Volva cried out, alarmed, as Jord was hurled back against the icy wall.

"I'm fine." Jord said. But she was visibly weakened as she struggled to rise to her feet, even though she didn't have a physical body to speak of. Volva didn't like the implications. Who or what was powerful enough to attack Ahtohallan itself?

"Should I try, my lady?" Volva asked.

"No." Jord rubbed her forehead in frustration.

"But something could be wrong with her." Volva bit her lower lip in worry and agitation.

"We can't do anything but wait for her to awaken." Jord said.

"What if she doesn't..." Volva couldn't finish her sentence.

"Do not worry, Volva." Jord hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. "Remember, Anna has a destiny to fulfill. I am confident that she is going to awaken. For now, we must be patient."

She gestured and Anna was slowly lifted into the air.

Volva was relieved, as she didn't think she and Laeknir were up to carrying her around.

---

Ofund groaned as she came to.

What happened?

She glanced around. She was stunned to find herself in her chambers. What was she doing back in bed? She tried to remember what happened, but she kept on drawing a blank. Her head was throbbing like there was no tomorrow. What was the last thing she could recall? Ofund could remember attending that pointless meeting.

Then Syn wanted to talk to her about...something.

Then everything went black after that.

Ofund checked the date and noticed it was the day after the meeting. She didn't want to think of the implications, but, somehow, she managed to miss an entire day. Or someone or something attacked her.

And took away some of her memories.

Or altered them completely.

Could it have been Evighet? As much as she hated to admit it, her bastard husband had the power and wherewithal to attack her and alter her memories. But she had a feeling Evighet had nothing to do with it.

He was spiteful enough to do more than attack her mind if he caught her acting against him.

No, she mused, she would have lost far more than a day's worth of memories.

Confused, angry and alarmed, Ofund tried to rise to her feet. She couldn't, due to a sudden rush of dizziness. She automatically held a hand to her head, closing her eyes as she waited for the dizzy spell to pass. It took longer than she would have liked. Ofund scowled. She hated suffering weaknesses of any kind. Especially weaknesses that would compare her to mere mortals.

Whether it was emotional, mental or physical.

As it was an insult to her status as an Elder Goddess.

Once she was steady, Ofund carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. She was thankful for her caution. She could feel her legs buckling and she had to grab the nightstand to steady herself. Ofund was also thankful that no one was around to witness her momentary bout of weakness. Her rivals at court would never let her hear the end of it and her enemies would definitely take advantage of aforementioned weakness.

Quickly, Ofund headed for a nearby chest.

She opened it and grabbed a series of potions.

Fortunately, she DID feel better after she consumed the potions. But she couldn't dismiss the feeling that something was wrong. Given that Evighet would take ANY opportunity to get rid of her, Ofund couldn't afford to ignore her instincts. It also didn't help that Evighet was eager to replace her.

Ofund then headed for the bathroom.

With little more than a thought, she magicked away her clothing.

As was her wont, Ofund would admire her perfect face and magnificent body as she examined her reflection in the full-length mirror, before she took a bath. At first, she didn't see anything wrong.

Her visage was beautiful and perfect to behold, as usual.

Then she paused.

Her eyes widened in alarm when she noticed a light series of scars all over her face. Quickly, she opened her medicine cabinet and grabbed a series of lotions and cremes.

Her panic rose when she couldn't get rid of the scars.

Ofund tried using her magic, but her spells failed as well.

Choking on a sob, Ofund examined the rest of her body. Sure enough, she had identical scars all over her person. Quickly, she took a hot bath. Then she used a bunch of cremes to hide the scars.

Once she was decent enough-barely, by her standards-Ofund magically got dressed.

Then she headed for her private retreat, as the main palace had too many supporters of Evighet for her liking. She summoned her spies. Her first priority was to locate her husband, in case he was behind the attack.

To her annoyance, Evighet was still using the enchanted pools to spy upon his latest obsession.

Judging from what her spies were telling her, Evighet never bothered to leave the room since yesterday.

The other reports weren't really all that alarming. The other gods and goddesses were up to their usual petty schemes and power games. But it didn't seem like any of their plots involved her in any way.

However, one thing DID alarm her.

The spies lost track of her presence yesterday and weren't able to locate her, until now.

Not wanting to expose any weaknesses to her spies, Ofund dismissed them and tried to retrace her steps. Her servants had the same news to report. In other words, none of them could locate her for twenty-four hours.

She didn't like the implications.

Pursing her lips grimly, Ofund decided to summon her minions.

I.e., the idiots who were obsessed with her.

---

Honeymaren went as quietly as she could to where Asatro's camp was waiting.

She knew the priestess wouldn't like what she was about to report.

But her dreams were clear. If they wanted to prevent Anna from becoming the very monster that haunted Honeymaren's dreams, or rather, nightmares, they needed to go about it a different way.

Keeping her alone and separated from Elsa was no longer an option.

Honeymaren knew she had to be careful.

Elsa was bound to get suspicious of her repeated attempts to lure the former back to the Enchanted Forest. Honeymaren had no idea why the Fifth Spirit was still lingering in Arendelle.

But it had to be serious if Elsa kept ignoring her notes.

Every so often, Honeymaren glanced behind her, to make sure she wasn't being followed.

All she could see were shadowed trees and the occasional animal running here and there. Satisfied, Honeymaren resumed her journey. If she had been paying more attention, she would have noticed a certain someone hiding behind trees or ducking into bushes every time she turned around.

She became lost in thought once more.

Honeymaren shuddered.

While Elsa was dangerous enough as the Fifth Spirit, Anna had more magical potential. It was foretold that someone would train her someday. It was this event that Asatro was trying to prevent.

Anna would be more dangerous once she got her training.

She stood at the fork of a road.

One path led to peace and salvation.

The other to death and destruction.

Honeymaren knew that Asatro and her group only helped Anna "travel" more towards the second path. Due to their bumbling arrogance and stupidity, Anna had a boatload of issues and darker emotions to deal with.

Finally, she reached Asatro's camp.

Not surprisingly, the priestess was waiting for her.

---

Ginnarr clenched his teeth.

Someone or something DARED to attack his future queen!

Jord, Volva and Laeknir returned her to the chamber where she was completing her training. So far, it seemed like Anna wasn't harmed physically. But there were other ways to attack a person.

Ginnarr tried to look into the timestream.

Unfortunately, his attempts to look into it kept failing.

He didn't like the implications. He had the feeling that Ofund was involved somehow. The stupid bitch became even MORE of an idiot when her jealousy and secret insecurities got the better of her.

It would be just like her to attack Anna out of sheer spite.

Clearly, she didn't care about the prophecies anymore.

Ginnarr then attempted to peek into Anna's mind. But there was a strong barrier surrounding her mind, something that he couldn't penetrate. Working quickly, Ginnarr tried to probe for any weaknesses.

So far, he wasn't finding any.

He hated feeling helpless, but there was little he could do in his current form.

Feeling frustrated, Ginnarr decided to observe Ofund next. Fortunately, there was nothing blocking him from observing her. Despite the current situation, he couldn't help smirking in dark satisfaction.

Ofund prided herself on her beauty and "physical perfection".

Despite the heavy cremes she wore, he could easily spot the scars covering her from head to toe.

His amusement vanished like ice underneath a blazing sun. The scars indicated a spell backfiring of some kind, as it wasn't easy to harm an Elder God or Goddess. This proved she was behind the attack on Anna.

Ofund easily penetrated his sister-in-law's mind.

Her barriers were no match for his superior strength and power.

Unfortunately, it was clear that someone or something attacked HER tiny, pathetic little mind. She couldn't remember the past twenty-four hours. She was consulting with her minions to see if they knew anything.

She wasn't having much luck in that regard.

Then again, it WOULD be a miracle if she proved that she had a brain to begin with.

For all of her power, wealth and status as Queen of the Nordish Elder Gods, Ofund was as petty, jealous and pathetic as Hera, Queen of the Greek Gods. Before, she amused him with her childish antics.

Now, those selfsame qualities were threatening Anna's life.

As if that wasn't bad enough, a new threat was acting in the shadows.

Whether it was the same entity that attacked Elsa and Kristoff with those nightmares, it was hard to say. Ginnarr didn't like the fact that there were unknown threats he wasn't aware of, until now.

The only thing that assured him was Anna's prophecy.

It was foretold Anna would go on a journey, which meant she would recover from the attack.

However, Ginnarr wasn't stupid, unlike Ofund. He was well aware this strange attack would change her somehow. He could feel it. It was as if a higher power from an astral plane made a move on a universal chessboard of some kind. This attack altered the future and Anna herself.

As much as he hated to admit it, he would have to wait until it was revealed to see what was changed.

---

Ryder suppressed a Northuldran curse when his sister turned around.

Again.

He was barely in time to hide behind a thick tree. He couldn't help cursing the fact that most of the trees had thin widths. Damn, Honeymaren was paranoid, he thought. She was clearly against being followed.

What was she up to?

Ryder felt his curiosity increasing by the minute.

He was glad that he obeyed his initial instincts to follow his sister. It had to be something important if she was sneaking away from the camp for destinations unknown. What the hell was she doing anyway?

He had a feeling this involved Elsa and Anna somehow.

Especially since Honeymaren seemed to go out of her way to keep Elsa away from Arendelle.

Honeymaren thought that no one noticed. But something would mar her normally serene facade whenever Anna's name was mentioned. There was a brief fissure of contempt and annoyance on her face.

A flash of negative emotion in her eyes.

But...why?

It just didn't make any sense. It took BOTH sisters to heal the Enchanted Forest, lift the curse and get rid of the dam weakening the waters for the Northuldra. BOTH sisters were needed to tame the restless, aggressive and confused Elemental Spirits. Yet Honeymaren was acting like Anna was little more than an annoyance, a pest that had to be swatted down and ignored once and for all.

Anna couldn't be sweeter and nicer if she tried.

So, why did Honeymaren hate her?

Ryder peeked around the tree. Fortunately, Honeymaren resumed her journey. He counted down to ten before following after her. He would hide behind trees and duck into bushes in case she turned around.

He glanced over his shoulder.

He wondered if he should have taken anyone with him.

Unfortunately, the friends he had were about as sneaky and silent as the lumbering earth giants. Not to mention they couldn't be trusted to keep their mouths shut.

Besides, Honeymaren was still his sister.

He didn't want anything to happen to her.

Finally, Honeymaren seemed to reach her destination. She was approaching a beautiful woman dressed in elaborate robes. The mysterious woman stood on the outskirts of a strange-looking village.

While they had tents and whatnot, they weren't like any Northuldra he had ever seen before.

And what was with that strange temple in the center of the makeshift village?

---

Elsa knew there wasn't any time to waste.

She REALLY wanted to return to the palace.

But she, Mattias, Kristoff and the guards needed to see if something similar happened to nearby villages. Tapt wasn't the only small, isolated village located on the very borders of Arendelle.

She sent Gale to scout ahead.

No sense in going on a wild goose chase until they knew where they were going.

While Gale was getting the lay of the land, so to speak, everyone was silent as they waited. No one bothered to make camp, as they were eager to continue with their investigations.

Poor Mattias was muttering under his breath.

He was pacing back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back.

Elsa couldn't quite suppress a shudder as she gazed in the direction of where Tapt used to be. Given that she had ice powers, it made sense that she was more sensitive than most to magic.

Especially since she became the Fifth Spirit.

She felt the sudden urge to take a bath again.

Whoever or whatever destroyed Tapt was an agent of evil. The foulest of magicks was used to turn the tiny village into a giant crater. It clung to the air, leaving behind something toxic and poisonous that no one wanted to inhale, much less touch in any way. Elsa had tried to investigate the crater herself.

But she couldn't let go of her aversion.

Her feet remained stuck to the ground at the edges of the crater.

Elsa tried repeatedly, but she couldn't make herself go any further than the outskirts of the crater. Finally, she acknowledged defeat and decided to use Gale as a scout to scan the surrounding areas.

They were out here.

They might as well take advantage of the fact before they returned to the palace.

Bruni was snuggling against her neck, sensing that she felt cold and uneasy despite her powers. He warmed himself just enough to act as a small furnace. But not so much that he burned her skin.

Elsa was grateful.

She remembered when she first picked him up and he was still hot to the touch.

Forcing down her nausea, Elsa turned away from the crater. Kristoff was talking quietly with Sven, but he wasn't speaking for the reindeer for a change. Sven was nuzzling his human's neck, trying to cheer him up.

Judging from Kristoff's expression, Sven's attempts weren't working.

No doubt Kristoff was trying not to let himself think about Grand Pabbie's betrayal.

Or the strange scars that appeared from out of nowhere.

Elsa tried not to wince as she thought about her own scars.

She knew this wasn't the time or place. It was more important to figure out what happened to Tapt and finding out where the kidnapped villagers were. But she couldn't help it. She thought back to her dream.

Something she was remembering less of as time went by.

Elsa knew the scars and the dream were connected somehow.

Even though only she and Kristoff were aware of their existence, she couldn't help feeling self-conscious. It felt like everyone was aware of them and was staring when they thought she wasn't looking.

The scars themselves were starting to itch.

As if determined to add to her annoyance and agitation.

It wasn't rational, she knew. The other soldiers were more focused on Tapt, especially Mattias. But Elsa was as human as anyone else. She didn't like the fact that an unknown entity was able to scar her somehow.

Fortunately, Gale arrived.

Elsa could sense her alarm as she whistled by in a swirl of dead leaves and flowers.

As Gale relayed what happened, Elsa couldn't help paling herself.

Quickly, she turned to the Nokk and mounted it.

"Elsa, what are you doing?" Kristoff asked.

"We need to leave." Elsa said urgently.

"Why?" Mattias demanded.

"Elsa, what happened?" Kristoff mounted Sven.

"I'll explain on the way." Elsa said. "We must go. Now!" She imbued the last word with imperial command when everyone looked ready to protest and demand some answers.

Fortunately, they remembered she was still a princess of Arendelle and obeyed.

With visible reluctance, she couldn't help but note with some annoyance.

---

Anna didn't know where she was.

"Jord?" Anna called. "Volva? Laeknir?"

There was no answer.

She didn't see anyone or anything that was even remotely familiar. She couldn't even tell if she was in Ahtohallan anymore. Instead, she found herself walking down a dark, shadowy corridor.

There was nothing but a dim source of illumination.

She couldn't even make out the walls on either side of her.

Anna tried to remember what happened previously. She recalled leaving for some "air" and wanting some privacy so that she could process her distress over what she remembered. Then she encountered someone after being lost in her thoughts.

Then...nothing.

It all went blank after that.

Frustrated, Anna tried to utilize her training and see if she couldn't pierce the timestream. Unfortunately, someone or something was blocking her efforts. Or she didn't advance that far in her training yet. Anna didn't let down her guard. Just because she couldn't SEE any damage, didn't mean an attack of some kind didn't take place. She couldn't ignore the disturbing possibility that she was attacked magically or mentally, for that matter.

And why was she in this strange corridor?

Why couldn't she stop herself from walking?

Anna carefully examined herself earlier after she came to. She couldn't find any visible wounds or scars. Thankfully, she wasn't bleeding either. But she didn't like the fact that she couldn't remember a thing. As it was only a bitter reminder of what Grand Pabbie did to her and Elsa.

Grand Pabbie.

Feh.

There was nothing "grand" about Pabbie.

Unless you realized he was a grand bastard.

Anna wished she could stop walking, but her body wouldn't obey her commands. If there was any "bright side" to her dismal situation-not to mention her equally dim surroundings-it was that her current form wasn't tethered to any sort of earthly limitations.

In other words, her feet weren't killing her.

Nor did she feel the slightest hint of exhaustion.

It was a wonder she wasn't losing her mind. She constantly found herself in a dream within a dream. She had a feeling that Ahtohallan itself was acting as her mental anchor.

Once again, she tried to remember what happened after she met that shadowy person at Ahtohallan.

But she found herself drawing yet another blank.

Frustrated, Anna ran a hand through her hair. She couldn't help feeling like she was back to her old self. In other words, she felt like a lost lamb, stumbling in the dark. Anna felt clueless, the last person to know everything. She felt like someone was trying to snatch away or alter her memories. Again. The only thing that she felt certain of, was the fact that Grand Pabbie wasn't responsible for a change.

Anna tested her growing abilities as a Seer.

Amazingly enough, she was still getting visions. She could control the ebb and flow of what she was witnessing. For some reason, she couldn't get any visions of what happened after encountering the entity.

It was as if a deity reached into the timestream with a giant hand and wiped the slate clean.

Well, at least her power still worked, to an extent.

However, she felt as powerless and vulnerable as she did at the palace. From the age of five to twenty-one, Anna grew up under a cloud of obliviousness, fractured memories, pain and confusion.

It took Ahtohallan to restore her.

Deep down, however, Anna had a feeling that some things were still being kept hidden from her.

Jord all but admitted the Powers That Be were only letting her see and remember so much. Despite her resentment over the situation, Anna wasn't arrogant or stupid enough to go against a higher power.

Even Elsa wouldn't stand a chance against them.

While she was the Fifth Spirit, she had human imitations just like any other mortal.

Anna finally found herself at the end of her journey.

But the room she ended up in made even less sense than the shadowy corridor.

It was like she was back at Ahtohallan, but she couldn't find a hint of ice anywhere. Instead, she was in a large, shadowy chamber. Despite her hesitation, Anna found herself walking forward.

She finally stopped when she reached the center of the chamber.

Then she was overwhelmed by a giant burst of dark light.

---

By now, they were all in the chamber where Anna was commencing her training.

Volva and Laeknir were making small talk in a vain effort to distract themselves from their worries.

But they wouldn't relax until Anna woke up.

She was still tossing and turning, muttering under her breath.

Jord tried repeatedly to scan her mind, but the same dark force kept on blocking her. She knew that Ginnarr wasn't involved. He wouldn't dare do something that would harm the woman he coveted.

Jord pursed her lips grimly.

This...wasn't something she had foreseen.

Nothing in the timestream even remotely hinted at something like this. Volva admitted as much when she herself tried to peek into the timestream. But something was blocking Volva's Sight as well.

Which in itself was dangerous.

Volva was one of the most potent Seers around.

While Anna would surpass her grandmother in time, she wasn't there yet. Jord glanced at the young Queen of Arendelle and couldn't help but wonder if Anna and her sister were cursed in some way.

It seemed like they did nothing but suffer from the moment they were born.

The only thing that gave Jord any hope was the prophecy surrounding Anna.

Yes, it grated to be dependent upon the prophecy that linked Anna's future with that of Ginnarr's. However, nothing would gainsay Fate and the Powers That Be were clear that Anna would fight in the war to come.

Both her and sister were vital to the world's future.

It was the only hope Jord had to cling to at the moment.

Jord glanced at Anna again. What was going on inside her mind? Who attacked her, and why? Like she said before, Ginnarr would never attack Anna. Grand Pabbie was in no position to hurt her further in any way.

Not that he WOULD attack her again.

Not if he knew what was good for him!

Jord wondered if something happened to her own abilities. Just to make sure, Jord reached out and tried to sense Elsa. She was easily able to determine the Fifth Spirit's location.

Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, Mattias and other Arendellian guards were on the way to Feigr, a village that was about twenty miles west to Tapt. Jord knew that Elsa was trying to confirm whether or not Tapt was the only target. And whether or not that Ginnarr's forces left any clues behind.

But she hoped Elsa didn't get too distracted.

Rescuing the people was important, yes, but Anna needed her, too.

Jord reached out as much as she was able to follow Goði and his forces. She was careful to keep her distance, as she couldn't afford to suffer an unexpected attack from Ginnarr and his minions.

While Ginnarr was confined to the tree, it didn't mean he was powerless and helpless.

In any event, Goði and his minions were targeting other villages.

This time, Ginnarr wasn't leaving anything to chance and didn't rely upon Heimskr-who was no longer among the living-to get rid of the evidence regarding the abductions.

He was trying to make it appear slavers were responsible.

If there was any bright side, it was that Ginnarr was applying this strategy far too late to make any difference. Elsa and her party were already aware that something was wrong, due to Heimskr's stupidity.

Unfortunately, it meant they won't have any clues to work with.

Jord wished that she could supply them, but she couldn't go against the dictates of Fate.

She also knew that Goði was starting to summon more and more minions, the demons that make up Ginnarr's army. Fortunately for Earth, going through the portal between worlds weakened them for a time.

It would take months until they were battle ready.

This would hopefully give Anna enough time to make her journey.

For now, all they could do was wait.

And wait for Anna to "reawaken".

So to speak.

In the meantime, she would do what she could to level the playing field for Earth.

---

I couldn't help smirking in satisfaction.

My plan worked.

Not only did Ofund and Óðr attack Anna as planned, but no one even saw it coming. True, there was the exception as far as Gaius was concerned, but I was quick to subdue the little irritant.

Other than Gaius, no one knew about Ofund's little scheme.

Jord.

Volva.

Elsa.

Grand Pabbie.

Ginnarr.

No one.

Well, perhaps Syn knew something, but she was bound by the same ancient laws that bound the Elder Gods. In other words, she couldn't interfere with my plans directly. She had to protect the timestream.

Or SHE would face the wrath of the Powers That Be.

My spell to affect the memory of everyone who (unwittingly) participated worked as well.

In other words, they lost their memory.

Hopefully, no one would remember, period.

Well, I knew I couldn't defend upon luck. In the meantime, I would prepare my spells and schemes accordingly so that no one ever discovered what I have done. Mentally, I patted myself on the back.

It couldn't have gone any better.

My smirk slipped microscopically.

Well, ALMOST any better.

Something interfered.

An event that I have not foreseen.

Carefully, I gazed into the timestream. Anna was still in the dreamscape at Ahtohallan, currently undergoing a battle of the mind. Not that Jord and Volva could sense anything amiss.

My spells were still blocking them.

I tried to peek into Anna's mind...then my smirk faded completely.

I couldn't sense what was going on myself. My baser emotions tried to get the better of me, but I was quick to suppress my anger. I couldn't afford to make any decisions under the influence of rage.

Quickly, I took a calming breath.

Then I tried again.

Unfortunately, it was obvious my spells have worked a little TOO well. I couldn't enter Anna's mind and try to influence her in any way. Nor could I see the outcome of the battle raging inside her mind.

A kernel of uncertainty tried to worm its way into my mind.

Quickly, I crushed it with a mental fist.

This is only a temporary setback. I have come too far to let any doubts and insecurities get in the way now. Besides, how could anything go wrong? My plan worked out for the most part.

Ofund and Óðr were able to attack Anna when she was at her most vulnerable.

But I made sure they didn't render her insane.

After all, how could Anna fulfill my revenge if they drove her to madness? It was a fine line that I had to tread carefully. Anna was akin to a powerful cannon that could destroy me and anything else that stood in her way.

Driving her insane wasn't my goal.

Making her lose her lingering naivete and innocence was.

Despite the fact that Anna has grown up and she isn't burying her darker emotions anymore, there was a part of her that remained blind to how things were. This was due to her stunted upbringing.

Not to mention the psychological and emotional damage she suffered growing up.

I also can't forget the physical abuse as well.

She was entirely too dependent upon her sister. While Anna was more and more aware of the fact that she chased after Elsa like a pathetic puppy in the Enchanted Forest, Anna was clinging to her bond with her sister. This was a big no-no in my opinion. Elsa could interfere with my plans for her.

And I couldn't afford to let that happen.

I had to show Anna that Elsa was a huge threat to her.

That Elsa would only do more and more damage. Elsa made a lot of stupid decisions where her sister was concerned. Not that Anna herself was perfect. Anna even admitted that she was never a saint.

But I was seeing my siblings in Elsa.

It wasn't a comparison I cared for.

Like I said before, I could relate to Anna. Both of us grew up unloved and unwanted. We were the designated black sheep of the family. We became the scapegoat for everyone's problems.

It was far easier to blame us.

Rather than for the bastards to acknowledge their own sins and culpabilities in THEIR messes.

Just as Anna had doors slammed shut in her face, my own family constantly shoved me aside. Whereas Anna's family had no time for her and used her as a target for their fear and anger, I faced similar neglect, abuse and disdain. I knew what it was like, being the last person to know everything.

When I finally learned WHY they loathed me so much, it pushed me over the edge.

No one helped or intervened either.

I have no doubt Grand Pabbie and his minions were aware of my situation. But the bastards never intervened upon my behalf. Just like when Grand Pabbie and his minions did nothing to prevent the deaths of Kristoff's parents. The same could be said with Ahtohallan and the Powers That Be.

I am alone.

And I would always BE alone.

But I was patient. After my family's betrayal, I traveled the world. I used questionable means to acquire the necessary knowledge and wealth. But I wasn't about to let any pesky things like morals get in my way. I would watch my so-called family from afar. None of them were aware of my plans, let alone my movements.

Once again, they underestimated me.

Not that I'm surprised. They never thought anything good about me in the first place.

However, getting wealth and acquiring knowledge and spells wasn't my only goal. I was aware that Ginnarr wasn't myth and legend. My idiotic family were quick to dismiss any notion that the evil god existed.

More the fool they.

Besides, their blindness would play to my advantage.

None of them were aware of the ancient books that were located in the bowels of the main house. It was how I learned about Ginnarr. I was also helped along by my visions. But I was a realist as well.

While I acquired knowledge and power, I couldn't do this alone.

If I were to get my revenge and see the world burn, I needed help.

Fortunately, my visions came through. It was how I was able to sense when Elsa and Anna were born. I immediately knew the princesses of Arendelle were the subjects of extremely ancient prophecies.

Prophecies that were literally thousands of years old.

I carefully watched over both sisters from afar.

Both of them inherited great magical potential, courtesy of their great-grandmother, Hefnd. I initially toyed with the idea of using Elsa. After all, she had control over snow and ice.

She was also destined to become the Fifth Spirit.

Especially when you consider Anna's "minor" powers by comparison.

After all, Anna was "merely" an empath and a Seer. However, as if to balance things out and make things more equal between the sisters, Anna not only had more magical potential, but she could also learn any form of magic that she wanted: light, dark, neutral, what have you.

Her prophecy also connected her to Ginnarr.

Besides, if I'm going to be honest, I could relate more to Anna herself.

I know that I'm repeating myself, but we have similar childhoods and backgrounds. I won't deny that Elsa suffered in her own way.

But she had the love and affection of her parents.

Anna didn't.

She never did.

Elsa was also extremely blind to how she hurt and damaged her sister.

It literally had to be shoved into her face to make her aware of the damage to their bond. At least Anna had the excuse of a miserable, abusive childhood and the magical interference of the trolls to excuse her obliviousness. Elsa was so consumed with her own fears and anxieties as she grew, she was oblivious to anyone else's.

Especially her sister's.

As I watched Anna, I couldn't help but suck in my breath.

It was like witnessing my own pisspoor childhood. It was like looking in a mirror.

I could see myself in her.

At last, I found someone kindred, someone who could relate to my pain and suffering. It was almost like gazing at my reflection in the mirror, watching the events of my life as I have some sort of out of body experience. Agnarr and Iduna became the face of my own hateful, abusive parents.

Elsa took the place of my cold, distant siblings.

Anna was someone I could relate to.

When you add the fact that she has such incredible magical potential, it was an added bonus. I finally found the person who could aid me in my plans. There was also the fact that she was a Child of Prophecy.

As soon as I realized her connection to Ginnarr, I knew she was the one.

I tried to peer into her mind again, but something was blocking ME.

I guess it was a bitter reminder that for all of my power and ability, I was as mortal and limited as anyone else. In other words, it meant that not everything was going to go according to plan.

Once again, a fissure of fear and uncertainty tried to rise to the surface.

Ruthlessly, I squished it down.

I managed to convince myself that it was a minor setback and nothing more. Still...I pursed my lips grimly as I returned to my desk. I would be a fool if I let my overconfidence get the better of me.

No plan survives first contact with the enemy.

When I intervened in Anna's mental fight with Ofund and Óðr, something happened.

It was an event that I couldn't anticipate.

Much less plan for.

While I still had confidence in my plan, I would be remiss if I didn't plan for contingencies. In other words, I had to make back-up plans and schemes in the event that something else went awry.

As the old saying went, back to ye old drawing board.

---

Such...arrogance.

Syn couldn't help shaking her head.

The mortal that pulled Ofund's strings was powerful, yes, but they were letting their overconfidence get the better of them. Unfortunately, the mental attack was supposed to happen.

She cursed the fact that she couldn't intervene and help Anna more.

Even though she, instinctively, was able to protect herself.

However, there were going to be repercussions following this attack. No one would recognize Anna when she awoke. Elsa and Kristoff in particular were going to be shocked by the changes in her.

Syn hated this had to happen.

Normally, she was indifferent to the plight of mortals.

Like the mortal said, her main task was to protect the timestream. But she knew that Elsa and Anna suffered so much growing up, especially the latter. This current task would either make or break Anna.

But it would prepare her for the war with Ginnarr.

It was why she made sure Jord and Volva didn't foresee this outcome.

It was unfortunate what happened to Gaius, but he would be none the worse for wear. He just won't remember what would happen to Anna. This was a battle that was not only fated to happen, it was a fight that Anna had to deal with on her own.

Just as Elsa had to journey to Ahtohallan on her own.

It was a fight that would test Anna physically, emotionally and mentally.

Fortunately, Anna was tougher than she looked. Everyone seemed to underestimate her, even Elsa to a certain extent. In some ways, to Elsa, Anna was still the sheltered five year old she accidentally hurt with her powers.

As Anna noted earlier, she had to leave the nest and spread her wings.

Anna grew up, but in many ways, Elsa was refusing to see it.

Elsa loved her and Anna knew that. But Elsa still saw herself as the older sister who had to look out for her younger sibling, especially since their parents perished six years before.

The overprotectiveness grew when Anna recklessly tried to help Elsa tame Bruni.

Yes, Elsa saw her in a new light after witnessing what Anna accomplished, thanks to Ahtohallan.

But she still viewed Anna as the hurt little girl who was accidentally struck with an ice blast. Just as Anna herself had to learn to let Elsa go so she could live her own life, Elsa had to do the same in return.

In other words, she had to accept that Anna needed to discover herself.

That she was grown up enough to make her own decisions.

Of course, Elsa was going to object. The sisters were together in some fashion every time they went on an adventure, starting on Elsa's 21st birthday when she was crowned Queen of Arendelle.

However, Anna needed to go on her own journey.

Elsa's path led to Ahtohallan.

It became a journey of self discovery, as Elsa finally learned the reasons why she was gifted with ice and snow powers. Well, Anna had to go on her own journey to not only realize her destiny, but to learn who she was.

Anna had to learn how to live for herself.

It would be difficult, as she was always put others before herself.

It didn't help that Agnarr put the fear of God into her. Anna was trained to realize that she couldn't be "selfish". That she couldn't get angry, make decisions on her own behalf or bother people with her problems. Anna was always told she was wrong if she ever tried to stand up for herself.

Especially with Agnarr.

As a result, Anna had to learn how to become at least a little selfish.

Syn gazed into the timestream again. Anna was still busy with her literal and metaphorical internal and psychological battles. The only thing that she couldn't ultimately see was Anna's decision.

This was the turning point.

The future hinged upon the choice she made.

Realizing this would take awhile, Syn turned her gaze towards Ofund. The clueless Elder Goddess was trying in vain to cover her scars and figure out what happened. She even forgot about her grudge with Anna.

The mortal's spells were THAT strong.

Eventually, Ofund would remember. But she wouldn't realize she was doomed until it was too late.

---

Kristoff tried to curb his impatience.

He was anxious to return to the palace and his loving fiancée.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side. He knew he had to eventually confront his hurt and anger regarding Grand Pabbie and the trolls. But Kristoff wasn't yet ready for aforementioned confrontation.

Not to mention they had to worry about the villagers of Tapt.

Who were taken for unknown reasons.

Elsa was right in that they had to check the other villages along the borders of Arendelle. Especially since Tapt wasn't the only isolated village. He suppressed a shudder as he thought about Tapt.

And what was left of it.

That crater felt so evil and unnatural.

"Easy there, buddy." Kristoff caressed Sven's fur soothingly as his faithful companion grunted his unease. Kristoff didn't blame him as he felt the same way. There was something evil and foul in the air.

You didn't need to be magical or psychic to sense that much.

No one said a word, as each was lost to their own thoughts.

Kristoff glanced at Elsa, who was trying-and failing-to keep her usual composure. Her fear and anxiety was written all over her face and it transferred to the Nokk. Occasionally, the Nokk would whinny, betraying its more negative emotions. Gale would whistle on by occasionally, as if urging them to go faster.

Everyone couldn't help feeling that time was of the essence.

Kristoff also couldn't shake the feeling that it was connected to his dream somehow.

Like Elsa, he was remembering less and less. But the sense of shock and betrayal still lingered. It didn't help that his hidden scars would throb every now and then. Almost as if they were acting as a reminder.

Or a taunt.

It was hard to tell which.

Kristoff was also worried about the villagers. Elsa explained on the way that something similar happened to Feigr, another isolated township in the middle of nowhere.

It didn't make any sense.

Why kidnap simple peasants who were content to mind their own business?

Like Elsa, Kristoff didn't think that slavers were involved. Slavers wouldn't try to wipe out any evidence of their existence through supernatural means. They would be more concerned about their "cargo".

Kristoff glanced in the direction of the palace.

They couldn't investigate every village, could they?

He was tempted to send some guards to investigate, so they could return to the palace. Kristoff couldn't shake the feeling that his beloved was in danger somehow. He wanted to get back to her.

Unfortunately, he couldn't just leave the villagers to their fate.

What kind of example would he be setting as the future king?

Like it or not, he couldn't ignore the plight of his future subjects. Kristoff wanted to tear his hair off in frustration, as he felt like he was being dragged in different directions.

There was Anna, his chief worry and primary concern.

There were Grand Pabbie and the trolls, who used him ever since he was a child.

Finally, there were the missing villagers, kidnapped for reasons unknown. Somehow, the fact that they weren't taken by slavers made it scarier in his "humble" opinion. No, the motives were more sinister.

He could feel it.

Truth be told, Kristoff didn't know what to do.

After all, it wasn't like Tapt left them any clues to go on. They had no idea who or what. How many were in the kidnappers' gang. What organization they belonged to. Hell, they didn't even know what their motives were in the first place! Poor Anna was stuck in the palace, trying to recover from her exhaustion.

Kristoff could cheerfully kick himself for not seeing the warning signs.

While Anna was a capable queen, she was as human as anyone else.

Now that he thought about it, she was pushing herself to her limits. She dived headfirst into her royal duties, working for hours at a time, as if determined to prove she was just as capable as Elsa. Not to mention she was trying to repair the years of damage that isolation brought to Ahtohallan, no thanks to Agnarr's idiocies.

Even now, he thought sadly, Anna didn't think much of herself.

Once again, he felt the overwhelming urge to strangle Agnarr and Iduna for this.

It was their idiotic decision to isolate the sisters and their kingdom. They started the countdown for Anna's eventual blow-up with her sister. Once upon a time, Kristoff thought they had a strong sisterly bond.

Belatedly, he was realizing he was allowing himself to become deluded.

It was just like when he was lost in the Enchanted Forest after Elsa and Anna left him behind.

Back then, there was a growing distance between Anna and himself. Thankfully, Kristoff was able to close the gap and propose to the woman he loved. Now, he could see there was a distance between the sisters.

If they weren't careful, the estrangement would start anew.

Kristoff didn't know HOW, but he knew it would be disastrous if their bond was never repaired.

Of course, he knew he had his own mental demons to confront. He didn't want to let his personal issues get in the way of their investigation. He also wanted to help Anna reconcile with her sister.

But he was human, not a saint.

Kristoff rubbed his temples to offset an incoming headache.

It seemed like they were on a speeding train heading for a wreck, ever since Olaf made that fateful remark. Then again, he had to admit, if Olaf didn't say anything, something else would have set Anna off.

It was also annoying.

There was never any time to handle personal issues.

Yes, Kristoff knew he was being melodramatic and somewhat egotistical. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something or someone in the cosmos was deliberately conspiring against them.

Creating events designed to separate them and distract.

So, there was no time to reconcile or talk things out.

Kristoff shook his head and gave himself a mental slap, so he didn't lose himself to paranoia. His hurt and anger wanted to "invade" his mental space, so to speak. He gritted his teeth as he pushed his feelings aside.

Now was not the time.

It would become his personal mantra.

Kristoff glanced in the direction of the palace again. He felt so conflicted. He wanted to return to Anna immediately. But Elsa was right. They had to find out what happened to the villagers.

Fortunately for Kristoff, someone up there took pity on him and his conflicting feelings.

They could see Feigr in the distance.

---

"What is it, Iduna?"

Iduna bristled.

She couldn't believe her husband's nerve. They were stuck, spreadeagled, to a frozen wall due to icy manacles securing their wrists and ankles. She had just learned that not only was he an abusive, neglectful bastard to their children, especially Anna, he had tried to MURDER her and sell her out to Ginnarr.

Yes, Iduna was guilty of the latter herself.

But Agnarr couldn't help his arrogant, presumptuous tone despite their predicament!

Fortunately, Agnarr DID prove that he had at least two brain cells to rub together. He withered under her menacing glare and let out a few uncomfortable coughs before giving her a sheepish, apologetic look.

"I apologize." Agnarr tried to give her a humble, self-effacing smile.

"Agnarr, don't." Iduna warned. "Don't forget, Ahtohallan will show me the truth if you lie."

"What do you wish to know, Iduna?" Agnarr asked.

"Is it true?" Iduna demanded. "Did you try to kill Anna when she was only a baby?"

"Yes." Agnarr admitted after a lengthy silence.

"Why?" Iduna snapped.

"I nearly lost you." Agnarr said.

"She was only a baby!" Iduna exclaimed.

"I know." Agnarr winced. "It was a very dark time for me, Iduna. Your condition was touch and go for months. No one knew if you were going to make it. Elsa kept on throwing tantrums, as she was too young to understand why she couldn't go to you. I also had to fit being king in between the cracks of it all. You mean the world to me, Iduna. Both you and Elsa. I lost my parents at a young age, alongside my unborn brother. I couldn't lose you on top of everything else. It didn't help that you struggled so much with Anna as she grew inside you. I wrestled with my fear and anger. It also didn't help that you were getting weaker while she thrived."

"So, you blamed her for being born." Iduna sneered in disgust.

"Yes." Agnarr said shamefully. "When it looked like I was going to lose you, I snapped."

"What did you do?" Iduna demanded.

"I nearly smothered her with a pillow." Agnarr confessed.

"Who or what stopped you?" Iduna asked. "I doubted it was your conscience. Something you lack."

"Kai did." Agnarr said, even as he winced at her venomous words. "When he announced that you were going to make it after all."

"So, it was only due to circumstance that you spared her." Iduna shook her head.

"I know I screwed up, Iduna." Agnarr said. Then he visibly braced himself. "In fact, I tried to sell her to Ginnarr more than once." Iduna immediately snapped her head to meet his gaze.

"Explain." Iduna ordered.

"It all started when Elsa's gloves didn't work as well as they should." Quickly, Agnarr explained the initial journey to the tree and what happened with Ubarmhjertig. He didn't dare leave anything out either. He had a grim feeling that only giving her the broad strokes of what happened would only set her off and make things worse.

"Or Ahtohallan will just show her everything." Agnarr thought, grimacing inwardly.

"Agnarr, you are lucky you're already dead and I can't reach you at the moment." Iduna hissed.

"Iduna-" Agnarr tried.

"Dont." Iduna said. "Sometimes, I have to wonder what I ever saw in you."

"But." Agnarr said.

"It's bad enough you nearly killed our daughter when she was only a baby." Iduna said. "Or that you sold her to Ginnarr multiple times. You nearly sold our ELDEST daughter in marriage in exchange, to Hjaldr, of all people!"

"I know." Agnarr said.

"Agnarr, need I remind you that we are at least TRYING to make amends with Anna?" Iduna snapped.

"No, you don't need to remind me." Agnarr said.

"You made that job exponentially harder." Iduna hissed.

"Iduna, my sweet-" Agnarr tried.

"No, you don't get to use your empty and annoying platitudes." Iduna cut in. "How could we possibly expect Anna to forgive us? No doubt she knows that you tried to murder her. There is also the fact that sooner or later, she IS going to learn about Ginnarr. Or the fact that we tried to sell her to that evil god!"

"Iduna, I'm sure she'll forgive us." Agnarr said. "Anna is not the type to hold a grudge."

"Agnarr, her mind and personality were damaged due to the trolls." Iduna pointed out.

"Yikes, I forgot about that." Agnarr said.

"And surely you've seen my initial meeting with her at Ahtohallan." Iduna added.

"Yeah, she didn't sound forgiving, did she?" Agnarr conceded.

"Agnarr, we have to accept the fact that Anna isn't a doormat anymore." Iduna said. "There is only so much a person could take, until they snap. Anna remembers everything we have done to Elsa and her, with the exception of Ginnarr, of course. When we meet with her, I know her reception will be icier than Ahtohallan."

"Iduna, I'm so sorry." Agnarr said.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to." Iduna said coldly.

---

"Well, this is annoying."

"What do you mean, Amalie?"

Amalie didn't answer her best friend, Anja, for a few minutes. Like the other women, they were stuck helping to clean up after the Harvest Festival. As usual, the men didn't have to do anything.

At least, nothing in terms of cooking and cleaning.

But the earth giants were supposed to be repairing some of their homes.

Amalie wasn't in the mood for this. All she wanted to do was go to bed. Unfortunately, their leader, Sigurd, was rigid and traditional. No doubt he would insist the women prepare the homes for repair.

While the men either slept off their hangovers or looked for the earth giants.

In other words, it would be up to the women to do everything.

Typical, Amalie thought, shaking her head in silent derision. She was annoyed the earth giants just up and left without any explanation. Then she paused and gazed at the sky.

Was there another curse going on that she wasn't aware of?

Fortunately, she could see aforementioned sky. No accursed mists were blanketing the forest again.

Amalie was also annoyed with the so-called Fifth Spirit. Unlike most of the Northuldra, she didn't see what the fuss was all about. If Elsa was truly the Fifth Spirit, then why the hell wasn't she here?

The Northuldra could use her help.

She should be here, trying to find the earth giants so they could repair their homes!

Then again, what else could she expect from an Arendellian/Northuldran half-breed? Amalie knew that she was being racist, but she didn't give a shit. She lost her father and grandfather, no thanks to Runeard.

Her mother, Inga, struggled to raise Amalie and her sisters on her own.

They didn't have any other family around to help out.

If it wasn't for Anja and her family, Amalie didn't know what they would have done to survive. But Amalie didn't trust anyone that came from Arendelle. Elsa left her tiny country to live in the forest.

Again, it begs the question, where was she?

If she was the Fifth Spirit, why wasn't she tending to her duties?

Don't get her wrong, Amalie was grateful to the Arendellian princesses for ending the curse that confined the Northdulra to the Enchanted Forest. She was also relieved they managed to tame the Elemental Spirits. But that didn't mean she was going to forget Runeard's sins. After all, the ambitious, warmongering wannabe was the one to start the conflict, curse the forest and enrage the elements in the first place!

It didn't help that Elsa and Queen Anna were direct descendants of the bastard.

"The earth giants didn't finish repairing our homes." Amalie said finally.

"Ooh." Anja winced, knowing fully well what that meant. "They just up and left, too."

"This is bullshit." Amalie spat. Normally, she wouldn't swear. Judging from Anja's shocked expression, she knew it too. But Amalie was already exhausted from having to cook and clean for the festival.

"Amalie!" Anja exclaimed.

"Spare me, Anja." Amalie said. "You know what Sigurd is going to order next."

"I know." Anja grimaced, getting phantom limb pain already. She could just imagine spending all night repairing houses after working hard at the Harvest Festival. The men, of course, wouldn't have to do anything. Sigurd was very "liberal" when it came to his interpretations of Northuldran traditions. In other words, the men didn't have to lift a finger when it came to cooking and cleaning. The fact that it was normally the men who managed hard tasks like heavy lifting and construction seemed to slip his mind...if he even had a mind to begin with.

"Tell me about it." Amalie snorted. "You can thank our so-called Fifth Spirit for this."

"Amalie?" Anja was startled by the bitterness in her friend's voice.

"If she was around to do her so-called duties, the earth giants wouldn't have just up and left!" Amalie snorted in derision. "Instead, she's flitting about only God knows where, instead of being here, looking after the Northuldra and the Enchanted Forest. You have to wonder what Ahtohallan was thinking, choosing her of all people to represent the bridge between nature/magic and humanity."

"Careful, Amalie." Anja warned, looking around warily. After all, Ahtohallan was sacred to their people, and it was dangerous to question its wisdom and choices. She didn't want to see her friend punished.

"You can't trust her, Anja." Amalie said, rubbing her forehead.

"Why?" Anja asked.

"Think about who she is descended from." Amalie said.

"Oh, you mean Runeard." Anja winced.

"Yes, Runeard." Amalie spat. "The same bastard who started the conflict when he killed Vaettir and cursed the forest. My grandfather and father were killed in that battle and mother had to raise my sisters and me alone. I still can't believe Yelana made peace with the very people who caused the curse in the first place."

"But Elsa and Anna are nothing like their grandsire." Anja pointed out.

"They come from Arendelle." Amalie said, spitting out the last word with venom.

"You can't blame Elsa and Anna for something their grandfather did." Anja argued. "Going by that twisted logic, should you be punished for what your great-grandfather tried to do with the leader of another tribe?" Amalie grimaced. She didn't like to be reminded of her ancestor's stupidities. Logically, she could understand what her friend was trying to tell her. But she couldn't erase years of anger and bitterness.

"I can't take it anymore, Anja." Amalie said. "Something has to be done about this."

"Amalie, what are you planning?" Anja asked warily.

"Excuse me." Sigurd called. For once, Amalie was thankful for Sigurd's presence. The arrogant blowhard successfully diverted Anja's attentions for the moment. Not surprisingly, it was left to the women to finish repairs while the men retired in their nearby tents. Amalie's quick mind was racing as she worked.

She was telling her friend the truth.

As far as she was concerned, the sins of the fathers were visited upon the heads of the children.

In other words, she felt Elsa and Anna had to pay for what Runeard did. She couldn't trust either of them, as they were directly related to the bastard who caused the conflict and curse in the first place.

Her sleep was plagued by nightmares.

Her grandfather and father would visit her in her sleep.

They would appear bloodied and wounded. They would beseech her to avenge their deaths. Amalie knew she wouldn't get any peace of mind until the accursed sisters were dealt with. But how?

Despite her hatred for Elsa, she would be stupid if she dismissed the ice bitch as weak.

Even if she wasn't the Fifth Spirit, Elsa wielded formidable powers over ice and snow.

As for Queen Anna, while she didn't have powers herself, she ruled Arendelle. Despite being a tiny country, Arendelle boasted a formidable army and equally deadly navy. Not to mention Anna proved time and again that she would persevere and triumph against overwhelming odds.

No, Amalie wouldn't underestimate her either.

Fortunately, Amalie had connections of her own.

No, she didn't come from a wealthy family. But there were secrets passed along the family line. Secrets that her clan was desperate to keep hidden. They tried so hard to disconnect from their roots.

Unfortunately for them, a member of the family would occasionally stumble upon said secrets.

Amalie was one of them.

She couldn't go anywhere now. Judging from the looks Anja kept sending her, she knew their previous conversation wasn't over. But Amalie wasn't about to trust her friend with anything like this.

It was too risky.

Anja would definitely go blabbing to Sigurd out of a misguided need to "save her from herself".

Feh, Amalie scoffed to herself.

Anja didn't understand.

How could she? After all, Anja never lost any family members in the conflict. She came from a loving family and her clan was far better off financially. Even though they were best friends, Amalie felt there were times that Anja couldn't understand her, like now.

Amalie glanced over her shoulder, in the direction of Yelana's village.

Despite what Honeymaren thought, there were others who were aware of the priestess Asatro.

But the original group splintered centuries before, due to conflicting beliefs and philosophies. Amalie and her family had connections to one of the more extreme groups.

In other words, they weren't afraid to get their hands dirty.

Not to mention bloody.

While Amalie didn't have powers of her own, the same couldn't be said for other members of the order. She was hoping to use them against Elsa and Anna. She wouldn't rest until both sisters were dead.

And Arendelle itself was burned to the ground.

---

"Damn you, Ahtohallan!"

Ginnarr was furious, to say the least.

Jord took advantage of the fact that his demonic minions were temporarily weakened as they pierced the veil between the dimensions. It would take months for them to recover as they had to expend a lot of energy just to remain intact. Unfortunately, Jord was quick to capitalize on this moment before he could stop her.

As much as he hated to admit it, Jord won this round.

Before Ginnarr knew what was happening, his minions were attacked as soon as they arrived.

Not wanting to show any weakness-and refusing to take any personal responsibility for this failure-Ginnarr took all of his frustrations out on Goði. Yes, Goði succeeded in capturing many villagers.

But he was the one to perform the rituals to summon Ginnarr's minions.

The fool left an opening for Jord to exploit.

Not to mention he left behind more than enough clues for Elsa and her merry band of idiots to realize that something unnatural was going on. Yes, they were able to get rid of any evidence that pointed to Ginnarr.

But they made it more than obvious something "evil" was occurring.

Hence Goði's numerous punishments.

Ginnarr couldn't help cursing the fact that he was bound to this damnable tree. Due to the spells and limitations still holding him in place, he couldn't intervene and aid his minions.

Loath as he was to admit it.

No thanks to Jord, Ginnarr's enemies had more time to prepare for his inevitable escape.

Frustrated-and knowing he couldn't do anything for the time being-Ginnarr focused his attentions upon his beloved once more. Unfortunately, she was still out cold from whoever or whatever attacked her.

He made a mental note to punish Jord, Volva and Laeknir for failing to protect her.

It did seem to be the story of Anna's life.

For example, Elsa hurt her when they were only children. As a result of the accident, Anna was abused, neglected and ignored. Her parents weren't really there for her as she grew. As they should have been. Then they went on that stupid, fateful journey. Ginnarr felt no shame or remorse. Agnarr and Iduna brought their deaths upon themselves.

They received multiple hints that they shouldn't go on their journey.

Unfortunately, man's conceit, hubris and arrogance overtook them and corrupted their judgment.

They were Anna's parents. They were supposed to love and support her as she grew. Unfortunately, Anna never really registered in their minds, as they were busy with trying to rule Arendelle and help Elsa control her powers.

Elsa herself was just as bad.

Anna grew up not knowing why Elsa shouted for her to go away or slammed doors in her face.

The trolls were equally culpable, as they messed with Anna's mind time and again in their zeal to keep Elsa imprisoned on her room. Anna was never allowed to leave the palace. She had no friends or refuge to speak of. The servants had no time for her, and her parents were more preoccupied with helping Elsa.

In a nutshell, everyone failed Anna.

Ginnarr would even include Kristoff in that group.

After all, the pathetic ice harvester all but delivered her into Hans' hands and walked away before seeing to it that she was all right. In Ginnarr's opinion, Kristoff was a wimp who didn't even TRY to get beyond the gates to help her. Due to his stupidity, Anna nearly froze to death in that room.

He made another mental note: punish Hans for his role in Anna's suffering.

Again, he tried to scan Anna's mind, but he was blocked. He didn't like the implications.

If someone was powerful enough to block her mind and interfere with Ofund's vile plans for her, then this meant they were a threat. Oh, how he wished he could give his minions someone to hunt.

Unfortunately, they were clever and cunning.

Thus far, they were able to remain anonymous and hidden.

Ginnarr was frustrated at the problems that kept cropping up. It seemed like one event after another kept on disrupting his plans for Anna and the universe at large. There were other dark forces stirring.

He had a feeling they were targeting Anna.

They only differed if they wanted her alive or dead.

If only his demons weren't so weak! He could have sent one or two to act as her bodyguards. Unfortunately, no thanks to Jord, it would take months, if not a year or so, for them to heal completely.

As much as he hated to admit it, Jord knew what she was doing.

Ginnarr shifted his focus to Elsa and her pathetic tag-a-longs.

They were getting closer and closer to Feigr. As much as he wanted to smite them for their annoying interference, he knew that he couldn't intervene in Fate's grand design.

He suppressed a shudder.

Yes, he was an extremely powerful Elder God.

But he had nothing on Urðr, the Elder Goddess of Fate. She was ruthless when it came to punishing idiots who interfered with her "tapestry". Urðr felt that no one could escape their destiny.

It didn't matter if you were mortal, immortal or a god or goddess.

Fate would catch up with you sooner or later.

As arrogant as he was, Ginnarr wasn't about to challenge Urðr. He paused, deep in thought. Maybe that was why he was able to sense what was hidden for so long. Urðr didn't care for anyone who was threatening to undo everything she sent into motion. It would certainly explain why he was suddenly able to sense these dark threats and forces. Urðr was hardly being subtle, but he managed to get the message, nevertheless.

Get rid of these threats before I'M forced to intervene.

While even his visions could get a little haphazard, Ginnarr was forced to admit he wasn't all-powerful. He would get brief visual fragments and vague hints about these so-called threats.

He was slipping, he realized.

Ginnarr hated being caught off guard like that. It was a blatant reminder he wasn't omniscient.

Frustrated beyond belief, Ginnarr took it out on Elsa, her minions and Goði. He couldn't attack Elsa's party, but he COULD provide obstacles and distractions to delay their arrival at the palace.

At least with Goði, he didn't have to worry about exposure.

Not to mention, his screams were music to Ginnarr's ears.

---

Before Honeymaren made her appearance, Asatro was in her tent.

Visibly wringing her hands as she paced back and forth.

Not for the first time did she question the decision to recruit Honeymaren. While she had the ability to see into the future, her gift lent itself more towards possible outcomes and probabilities.

She wasn't a Seer in the true sense of the word.

Unfortunately, Honeymaren was the only person available.

Asatro opened the flaps of her tent and peered in the direction of the makeshift temple. Since they were a tribe of nomads, it wouldn't make any sense to build a giant edifice.

But it wasn't worthy of Him.

It wasn't luxurious or grand enough.

Still, she reflected, they had to make do and they were pressed for time. She still remembered a series of dark omens that let them know the Accursed One had been brought into the world.

Asatro was only a child at the time.

She was stuck in the Enchanted Forest when Anna of Arendelle was born.

Just as He foretold, Anna would only bring death and devastation wherever she went. Just look at how she nearly killed her own mother within minutes of being born. Even Iduna's pregnancy was difficult.

Agnarr had the right of it the entire time.

Anna should have been killed from the moment she was conceived.

That fateful June 21 became known as the Day of Reckoning for her tribe. Like she said, a series of unfortunate events plagued them the day Anna was brought screaming into the world.

Just as it was foretold long ago.

Their order wasn't anything new.

It existed for centuries. The god they followed warned of the inevitable arrival of the Accursed One. He would order His followers to look for the warning signs that heralded his or her emergence into the world:

A comet would pierce the sky.

The river would swallow one of their own.

A violent storm would rock the Enchanted Forest.

The crops would fail.

Finally, the main statue depicting their god would be destroyed alongside the main temple.

Asatro never thought it would happen in her lifetime. She was horrified when one of her followers burst into her tent, frantically waving his telescope. In a rush, he told her about the comet in the sky.

Before Asatro could do anything, another came into the tent.

She had tears streaming down her cheeks as she talked about the death of her husband.

He was a fisherman. Before the comet's arrival, the river was nice and calm. All of a sudden, the river churned violently, and whirlpools formed as if from out of nowhere. The fisherman was in a boat.

Aforementioned boat capsized and he was hurled into the violent, churning waters.

It was unfortunate, but he couldn't swim.

The fisherman called for help, but it was too late for him as he was dragged into the nearest whirlpool and drowned. Once he died, the Enchanted Forest was suddenly besieged by an extremely violent storm.

The skies darkened.

Thunder sounded out and lightning flashed.

Everyone was forced to seek shelter into nearby caves as their tents were too flimsy to provide adequate shelter. Due to the sudden influx of heavy rain, the nearby river grew more unstable and started to flood, washing away their tents and belongings. The winds were howling with fury, making the trees shake and taking the leaves away. She later learned the storm lasted as long as Queen Iduna's struggle to give birth.

As a result, the storm lasted for hours.

It would take them weeks to repair the damage.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the crops failed. They had to rely on fish and hunting game for a while if they were going to get any sustenance. Then, the earth giants got into a tussle near their village.

It was just their luck, settling in a place near bickering earth giants.

The fight was so violent, it caused an earthquake.

Everyone was horrified when their main temple was destroyed, alongside the statue of their god. It was then they knew they couldn't deny it anymore: the Accursed One had been born.

Before the temple was destroyed, Asatro and her people were in a state of denial.

It was childish, yes, but no one wanted to face the fact that the Accursed One was here.

Now, they couldn't ignore the signs even if they wanted to. Unfortunately, there wasn't much they could do directly. After all, thanks to Runeard's stupidity, they were stuck in the Enchanted Forest.

Fortunately, one of Asatro's followers was a Mindweaver.

She was able to manipulate Grand Pabbie's mind from afar, so he could act as their unwitting agent.

Asatro hoped that Grand Pabbie would get rid of Anna for good. Unfortunately, the troll elder was more focused on keeping Elsa contained. She was tempted to convince the Mindweaver to "convert" more "agents".

Unfortunately, Asatro didn't have the support of the whole village.

There was a growing number of pacifists who felt a peaceful approach should be tried first.

The debate raged on for months, until a vote was taken. Asatro was annoyed when the pacifists won the battle. Hence the focus to keep Elsa and Anna separated through nonviolent means.

Carefully, the Mindweaver helped Grand Pabbie manipulate both sisters mentally.

Honeymaren would do her part once Elsa and her friends headed to the Enchanted Forest.

At least Honeymaren wasn't stupid enough to send any alarm bells ringing. Slowly, gradually, she lured Elsa away from Arendelle and to the Enchanted Forest, where she belonged, seeing as she was the Fifth Spirit.

It worked, as a rift started to form between the sisters.

Elsa was stupid enough to help it grow when she sent Anna and Olaf away in that ice canoe.

Then Honeymaren helped to further convince Elsa that her destiny was no longer confined to Arendelle. Once Elsa abdicated the throne, Honeymaren kept her further distracted with mundane tasks and requests for aid.

As a result, Elsa wasn't around to see that something was off with Anna.

With her growing preoccupation with the Enchanted Forest, Elsa never looked below the surface.

In other words, Anna was right when she accused Elsa of treating her weekly visits to Arendelle like a chore. The more and more distance between Elsa and Arendelle, the bigger the rift grew between Elsa and Anna.

Just like Asatro planned.

Anna could NOT be allowed to reach her full potential.

While Elsa was powerful enough with her ice magic and being the Fifth Spirit, not to mention the potential she inherited from Hefnd, she had nothing on Anna. In other words, Anna had tremendous potential in the magickal arts. So much so that she would be equally devastating in light, dark and neutral magicks.

Everything was going swimmingly.

Elsa was not in Arendelle, she was growing more estranged from her sister and Anna herself was limited.

Confined.

She was unaware that she had powers of her own.

Asatro sighed. She should have known better than to relax her guard. Anna discovered some of her abilities and despite Honeymaren's best efforts, Elsa was refusing to return to the Enchanted Forest.

Like Honeymaren, she realized their plans have backfired.

All they had to show for their efforts, was that Anna became more and more likely to realize her dark destiny. In other words, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Anna was threatening to become more and more dark and evil, now that she was realizing she had buried anger and unresolved issues.

Asatro was honest enough with herself to admit they contributed to the problem.

Anna could not be allowed to become the Accursed One.

When Honeymaren arrived, they had to come up with a new plan.

Honeymaren wouldn't like it.

But Anna had to be dealt with ... permanently.