Elsa and Aodhan had spent the morning preparing for the journey and receiving encouragement from the Northuldras and Arendelle refugees. The latter were unaware of the details of what was happening, but they knew that what the queen and her friend were doing would allow them to reclaim their beloved kingdom. The atmosphere in the camp was febrile, as none could focus on their tasks while a crowd had formed around Elsa and Aodhan.
The sun was already high in the sky when the crowd dispersed and the two companions finally made their way to Nokk, ready to leave, the Narwhal's Thorn carefully tucked into the sheath at the young man's belt. They were about to mount their steed when a voice called out to Elsa. She turned to see Anna rushing towards them.
She stopped and caught her breath, clearly relieved to finally have time to see her sister before her departure.
"Elsa, I know you're strong, and that Aodhan has trained hard," she said, glancing at the sword at his belt, "but I can't help but worry. Please be careful, I don't want to lose you..."
Faced with Anna's pleading gaze, a reassuring smile stretched across Elsa's lips as she hugged her sister.
"I promise, Anna. Be careful too, Arendelle needs you."
She stepped back slightly and continued in a more cheerful tone:
"And above all, keep an eye on the boys too. I wouldn't want Olaf getting into trouble."
Anna chuckled as she hugged her again, albeit briefly.
"We'll wait for your return," she whispered, trying to calm her laughter.
She stepped back again, her hands resting on Elsa's shoulders.
"Take care of yourself," she repeated.
She then stood facing Aodhan, who had watched their exchange with affection. For a few seconds, they stood there looking at each other, unsure of what to do, then Anna finally reached out her hand to him.
"And you too, Aodhan."
"We'll be back soon, and with the Narwhal's horn," he assured her with a smile as he shook her hand, once the surprise had passed.
Elsa and Aodhan exchanged a determined look and finally mounted Nokk. Anna watched them ride away, as she had done a few days earlier. She was much more confident in their success, but apprehension still gripped her heart.
A sea of clouds covered the hills on the coast of the Enchanted Forest. Elsa and Aodhan had set foot on one of them, the only one illuminated by a ray of sunlight piercing through the thick black clouds.
Around them, the colors of the vegetation were dull, the branches of the dead, gnarled trees creaking in the light breeze. Only the echo of waves crashing on the shore broke the silence that enveloped them. The cold bit their skin, but the shivers running down their spines had nothing to do with autumn.
"We're here," Elsa murmured.
Almost involuntarily, her gaze drifted away from the sea stretching out before them, and she turned to face the sight she dreaded: the wreckage of her parents' ship. Aodhan followed suit, and as they silently observed the ship, Elsa slipped a trembling hand into his.
The planks of the wreck creaked menacingly, as the wind lazily lifted the sad, torn remains of the sails. Hanging from the stern, a large banner bearing Arendelle's coat of arms rose and fell with the breeze. Torn in places, the fabric had become entangled in the branches of the murderous-looking trees surrounding the ship.
"Father, Mother," the young woman murmured. "I will save our kingdom."
Aodhan squeezed Elsa's hand reassuringly, his gaze filled with compassion as he looked at her. He could only imagine what she must be feeling at this very moment, knowing that the battle that awaited them, crucial for the retaking of Arendelle, was unfolding just a few meters from the ship where her parents had lost their lives. He could feel the weight of responsibility weighing on the young woman's shoulders. He kept his hand in hers. He shared this burden with her. Elsa was no longer alone.
Finally, Elsa wiped the tears from her cheeks and turned to him.
"I'm ready, Aodhan."
"Then let's go," he replied, determined.
They turned away from the silhouette of the ship and stepped forward to the top of the hill, illuminated by the only ray of sunlight that managed to penetrate the clouds. Aodhan tried to remember the prophecy Anna had heard: "On the hill overlooking the tragedy, invoke me and set me free."
He drew the Narwhal's Thorn and brandished it above his head, its golden blade reflecting a dazzling light, a beam that he managed to direct into the ocean. Before he could utter a word, the ground trembled slightly. The sky was completely covered and the sun's rays disappeared, plunging them into the semi-darkness of a dark stormy day. A shockwave then swept across the sea, starting from the hill where they stood, sending the waves back with force. Aodhan let his arm fall to his side as he watched the event with surprise. Elsa, beside him, clung to his other arm. The wind rose, blowing harder and harder, violently agitating their clothes and sending the waves higher and higher. Something was emerging from the ocean, just in front of them.
A dark, gigantic silhouette emerged from the waves, rising slowly into the sky, casting a torrential rain over them. This titanic black mass seemed endless as it continued to rise, while a sound rang in their ears, like the plaintive song of a whale. When the silhouette finally emerged completely from the water, it turned to face them, freezing in the air, its fins and tail lazily beating the air, as if they were sweeping the waves. A blinding light shone at the top of the Narwhal's skull as its skin slowly illuminated, casting a soft, warm light, almost divine, dancing like reflections in the water upon them. Squinting, they discovered the darkness that plagued the mind of the Light Narwhal: shadows swarmed along its massive body, like parasites trying to smother the creature's light. The shadows formed a compact mass around the Narwhal's horn, the source of the powerful light flooding the area. They sought to seize it, but the light of the horn relentlessly pushed them back. Nevertheless, the shadows seemed to gain ground little by little. The glow of the Narwhal wavered under the repeated assaults of the monsters, betraying the growing weakness of the legendary animal. Elsa and Aodhan understood that time was running out for them. They had to seize the horn now.
They exchanged a determined look, and Elsa nodded. They immediately leaped forward and jumped into the void. The young woman conjured ice under her feet on which she skillfully slid, while Aodhan seemed to climb an invisible staircase as he used his fire powers under his steps to propel himself up to the Narwhal. They landed on the beast and were surprised by the texture of its skin. They felt as if they were walking in shallow water, as if the animal were made of liquid light. They didn't have time to dwell on it, as a swarm of shadows rushed towards them, all claws outstretched. Aodhan prepared his sword, but Elsa was faster, and long, sharp ice stalagmites formed and impaled the creatures, which disappeared in plumes of black smoke. As Elsa jumped off the Narwhal and began to surf on her ice around the legendary beast, attacking the shadows from a distance, Aodhan jumped over the stalagmites and used his "blade wall," as he called it, to progress while slashing through the shadows in his path. With the support of Elsa's powers watching his back, he advanced towards the horn, which he could finally see in detail. Sheltered under a protective dome of light, it formed a square question mark with pronounced angles. He only had a few meters left to reach it... A dark mass rose on his right, and before he could react, a veritable tidal wave of shadows crashed down on him. For long seconds, he was plunged into darkness, thrown in all directions, unable to breathe. Suddenly, he was ejected from this gigantic wave of shadows and he fell into the void, several meters from the Narwhal. He tried to use his powers to stabilize himself, but it was impossible. It was as if they had disappeared. The wind whistled louder and louder in his ears as the ground dangerously approached.
Elsa, seeing her friend continue to fall, ceased her assaults against the shadows and veered to glide down to Aodhan. She barely caught him and huddled against him before conjuring a large ice slide beneath them. They landed heavily on the hill, bruised but alive. Aodhan immediately got up, panting, his hand clutching his right arm from which black smoke was emanating. Elsa looked at him with wide eyes.
"Aodhan, your arm! The darkness left a mark on you!" she exclaimed, panicked. "I know!" he replied. "I think this mark prevents me from using my magic... We must avoid getting touched at all costs!"
Elsa tried to get up, but her trembling legs seemed unable to support her weight. She had rarely used her magic so much, and she was starting to feel exhausted. A wave of terror overwhelmed her: if neither she nor Aodhan could use their magic, then they had no advantage against the Narwhal.
"Elsa!" Aodhan exclaimed.
The latter looked up. She hadn't seen that he had reached out his hand to help her up, but she nodded to let him know it was impossible. Tears threatened to flood her cheeks.
"Aodhan, I'm sorry..." "It's not over!" he interrupted her.
He squatted in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders. The young woman held back a surprised exclamation: Aodhan's eyes had taken on a bright orange color and sparkled with anger in the darkness surrounding them. The darkness may have prevented him from using his magic, but it was still present in him, consuming with rage.
"Aodhan, I can't use my magic for both of us... I'm almost out of strength," she murmured.
This time, she let herself be overwhelmed by tears. But the young man did not succumb to despair.
"Then go to safety, and use your magic to help me get back on the Narwhal. Its surface looks like water, you should be able to create ice on it."
He didn't let her respond and stood up to face the Narwhal again. The latter let out a new lament, so strong that it made the earth tremble, as Aodhan turned his head towards Elsa. From there, she could only see his flaming eyes.
"I told Anna that we would return with the horn."
Elsa's heart skipped a beat, and a few seconds passed as she couldn't take her eyes off Aodhan. A wave of gratitude towards him engulfed her, and she got up again, wiping her tears, looking determined again. He was ready to fight to save Arendelle even though he had no magic left, so she had to use her last bit of strength to help him.
"I'm ready."
Aodhan nodded and once again leaped into the void, alone this time. With a tense face, Elsa conjured ice pillars from the sea to help her friend cross the distance that separated him from the Narwhal. When he reached its flank, she used the surface of the beast to create footholds for him. Aodhan was right: the Narwhal's skin was similar to water, and she could create ice on it. Aodhan climbed skillfully to the top of the Narwhal's back, pushing back the shadows trying to make him fall again. But once at the top, he was stuck by the same sea of creatures blocking his way to the horn. He was at a standstill, and there seemed to be no way to cross or bypass it. From here, Elsa couldn't help him anymore. She fell to her knees, completely drained of energy, panting as if she had just run several kilometers. She looked up with desperate eyes at Aodhan, who could no longer move forward. The shadows were dangerously close...
Suddenly, a gigantic rock crashed down on the swarm of monsters, with such force that the Narwhal staggered. Surprised, Elsa looked around. Behind her, the ground was shaking at a regular rhythm, and she immediately understood when she turned around.
"Right on target!" exclaimed Honeymaren joyfully, jumping up and down.
The young Northuldra was perched on the shoulder of a stone giant, which slowly advanced towards the Narwhal. Behind them, two other giants were carrying titanic boulders. When they reached Elsa's height, the giants stopped.
"Honeymaren!" Elsa called out with all the strength she had left. "I told you not to come!" "But you're glad I did!" she retorted with a smile. "Come on, we need to help Aodhan!"
The giant on which she stood turned to one of its fellows, lifted one of the rocks it was carrying, and hurled it with force towards the Narwhal. Elsa gasped in horror, bringing her hands to her mouth.
"You're crazy! You'll hit him too!" "I know what I'm doing, look!"
She pointed in the direction of the Narwhal's back, and Elsa squinted to see what she was showing her.
The sea of shadows had fragmented, and many creatures were falling from the Narwhal or disappearing in black smoke. In one of the gaps created in the mass teeming with the rocks, Aodhan rushed, dodging the shadows trying to grab him. He had managed to cross.
In front of him, other shadows were trying to seize the horn, but the dome of light was pushing them back with violence. But with each impact, the dome's power weakened, and it was dangerously shrinking. Aodhan approached and swung his sword to kill the few shadows in his path and plunged forward. He passed through the dome without any problem, and as he got up, he felt enveloped by a gentle and comforting warmth. He reached out for the horn and grabbed it. As soon as he brandished it in the air, the horn lit up. A blinding light forced them all to close their eyes, while it radiated throughout the area. Shrill cries rang out all around Aodhan, and he realized that the shadows were disappearing, completely destroyed by the power of the horn. The weight of the dark mark on his arm disappeared too. Finally, the light dimmed and returned to its receptacle. When they opened their eyes, Elsa found that all the creatures that had invaded the Narwhal, like a corrupted bloodstream, had disappeared. In front of her stood the mythical creature in all its splendor. Honeymaren's stone giant reached out towards the Narwhal's head, and Aodhan jumped into its hard palm. He set him down on the hill, near Elsa, who rushed to take him in her arms. The young man returned her embrace, still holding the horn in his hand. He closed his eyes, which had returned to their normal color, to enjoy this moment.
"We did it," he murmured with a smile.
They broke their embrace when Honeymaren joined them, and together, they advanced to the top of the hill. In front of them, the Narwhal of Light looked at them, floating peacefully in the air. The black clouds were fading away, revealing the sky, which was beginning to be tinted with the last rays of the sun. The narwhal let out a new chant. Far from the lament, it sounded more like a great relief. The animal was starting to disappear, its silhouette mingling with the sky and the sea becoming calm again. It blinked, as if to thank them for having freed it, and its spirit disappeared definitively, carried away by a warm breeze. The Narwhal was at peace.
Night had fallen long ago when Elsa and Aodhan finally arrived back at the Northuldra camp on the back of Nokk, accompanied by Honeymaren once again perched on the shoulder of the stone giant. Aodhan proudly held the Narwhal's horn in his clenched hand, as if afraid it would disappear too. But the horn was there, projecting its faint golden glow on them, vibrant with magic. They all felt euphoric and couldn't wait to share the joy of their victory with their friends. But when they set foot on the ground, they immediately noticed that something was wrong. The tents were scattered and in disarray, the Northuldra and the refugees from Arendelle were scattered in small groups trembling with fear. The three companions exchanged worried looks and hurried towards Yelena's tent. Hearing them approaching, Kristoff and Olaf emerged from their tent and hastened to meet them.
"Kristoff! Olaf!" exclaimed Elsa, her voice betraying her growing panic. "What happened?"
Kristoff bit his lip, visibly uncomfortable. He seemed to be searching for his words and carefully avoided meeting Elsa's gaze. She was increasingly dreading what he was about to tell her. The cold wind swept away the silence that had settled between them, and the young blond finally spoke up:
"Elsa, while you were away, Roderick invaded the camp with his shadows. He... He abducted Anna."
