"So... That man really was the king of Arendelle?"
Anna looked incredulously at the ice statue of Roderick that had appeared in the midst of the Northuldra camp. His silhouette, cape billowing in the wind, pointed his sword towards a gigantic Narwhal with an ornate horn and intricate angles.
By her side stood Kristoff, Yelena, and Honeymaren, who seemed just as lost as she was. In the distance, the Northuldra and Arendelle refugees' camp continued its usual activity, oblivious to the existence of the statues that could decide the fate of the entire kingdom.
"So, this is what happened that day," Yelena murmured.
All turned to look at her.
"We heard a terrible noise," she explained, "like a thousand thunderclaps. Shortly after, an eternal storm descended upon the sea surrounding our forest. That noise, it was Roderick's cannons murdering the Narwhal..."
"I don't remember that," Honeymaren admitted.
"It happened a few years before you were born. I was just a young woman at the time. I had completely forgotten about that event..."
They turned their attention back to the two statues now towering over the camp, reflecting on everything they had heard. Anna suddenly exclaimed so loudly that Kristoff rushed to her side, thinking she had hurt herself. He embraced her and held her close as tears rolled down the young woman's cheeks.
"What's wrong, Anna?"
"It's... It's his fault!" she sobbed loudly.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, furrowing his brow.
Anna gently pulled away from his embrace, trying to wipe her tears as she glared angrily at the figure of Roderick.
"If that man hadn't killed the Narwhal," she continued, hiccupping, "there would never have been an eternal storm in the sea of the Enchanted Forest. And our parents' ship would never have sunk."
Kristoff took her hand, and when the redhead turned to him, he planted a comforting kiss on her forehead. She nestled back into him, trying to calm her trembling sobs, and he slowly stroked her hair, understanding the whirlwind of emotions engulfing her.
Beside them, Yelena and Honeymaren watched the scene without intervening, giving the queen some privacy until her grief subsided somewhat. Finally, the chief of the Northuldra cleared her throat and took a step forward, speaking softly:
"Forgive me, Anna, I know this revelation is difficult for you. But we must now reflect on everything your sister has conveyed to us. There must be a clue somewhere that could help us defeat Roderick."
Anna stepped back, quickly kissed Kristoff to thank him, then turned to Yelena, wiping her cheeks once more.
"You're right, forgive me," she sniffled.
She took a deep breath to regain her composure and once again faced the ice statues with determination.
"Let's see..."
"I've been wondering about something," Kristoff admitted. "Who was this Runeard who deposed Roderick?"
"My grandfather," Anna answered matter-of-factly. "You know, the one who built the dam."
"Oh!" Kristoff exclaimed, surprised he hadn't thought of that. "Oh yes, of course."
"But what surprises me is that there was no trace of Roderick in the royal archives," Anna murmured.
"It doesn't seem like the kind of thing you read for pleasure," Honeymaren quipped, hoping to lighten the mood.
Anna turned to her with a small smile. Despite her red and puffy eyes, she seemed amused.
"When you spend years alone in a huge castle without being able to leave, believe me, even the library grimoires seem interesting."
"Wait, you read all the books in the castle library?" Kristoff asked, impressed.
"A very large part, yes," Anna admitted with a shrug. "The history of all the kings was recorded in the royal archives, but Roderick's name was nowhere to be found..."
"The people of Arendelle must have really been ashamed of him after what he did to the Narwhal," Yelena sighed. "He who was apparently so admired by his kingdom..."
Listening distractedly to Yelena's words, Anna looked at the Narwhal. The shape of its horn, resembling a square angular question mark, reminded her of something... She stared at the horn while rummaging through her memory.
"The Narwhal, the Narwhal... The Narwhal!" she suddenly exclaimed in a shrill cry.
She turned to the other three, a wide smile on her face.
"The Light Narwhal! It was said to be able to dispel even the densest darkness with its horn! That's what we need, its horn!"
"But there's a problem," Honeymaren retorted. "The Narwhal is dead."
"Not entirely," Yelena corrected.
The others turned to her, looking astonished.
"Don't look at me like that, come on. Remember Runeard mentioned a sword? A sword of light?"
"Yes, he did mention it," Kristoff conceded, thinking. "He said it was..."
"'A shard of light that would have fallen from the Narwhal,'" Anna immediately completed. Which means..."
"That a part of the Narwhal still lives within that sword," Yelena finished. "If we manage to find the sword, it's likely we can bring back the Narwhal to use its horn and save Arendelle."
A long silence followed her words. Unconsciously, Anna had moved closer to Yelena, excited by this series of discoveries she naturally awaited the continuation of. But the silence brought down her emotions, and her smile slowly slipped from her face.
"You don't know where to find this sword, do you?" she guessed somberly.
"Actually, I do," Yelena sighed. "But it's in a part of the forest where even the Northuldra dare not venture."
"Why?" Kristoff asked, raising an eyebrow.
Honeymaren turned to Yelena, visibly surprised, her mouth forming a perfect 'O'.
"You don't mean the Frozen Grove, do you?"
"I'm afraid so, my dear. The Grove lies in a large clearing to the west of here. You can't miss it; the trees are like petrified, overrun with thorns, and a large beam of light sits at its center. We've never dared to venture there, the animals avoid the grove, and even the spirits have always refused to go near it."
Anna straightened up, determined.
"If there's even a chance that this sword can save Arendelle, then we must go!"
"Anna, be careful!" Yelena exclaimed.
But already, the young queen was rushing towards Sven, who was peacefully grazing a few meters away. He widened his eyes as Anna approached him, her mind already set on action, and wondered what he had done this time.
"Anna, wait!" Kristoff called out as he chased after her.
He grabbed her by the arm, but she quickly shook free with a sharp jerk.
"No, Kristoff, we can't wait any longer! Elsa trusts us to handle this while she's away!"
"I know, that's not what I said!" he protested.
"It's about the future of Arendelle!"
"Anna, listen to me!"
She stood facing him, hands on her hips and a pout on her face. She was willing to listen, but he knew it wouldn't last long. Anna wasn't patient. But he just smiled, pointing to his reindeer, who clearly had no idea what was going on.
"We'll need a cart," he simply said. "Think about poor Sven's back! We'll need space to sit, to store our provisions, to..."
"Me!" a voice exclaimed from below them.
They looked down to see Olaf looking up at them with a wide, somewhat dopey smile, as usual.
"Olaf? Since when have you been here?" Anna asked, squatting down in front of him.
"I heard about a narwhal and a weird forest," he admitted, looking down guiltily.
He looked up at her again, suddenly excited.
"It sounds dangerous! Are we going?"
"Okay," Anna agreed, lifting the snowman and placing him on Sven's back. "Kristoff, can you handle the cart?"
With pleasure," he sighed, partly amused, partly weary.
Anna tightened her mother's shawl around her shoulders. The cart pulled by Sven jolted along a path almost erased by vegetation. In the back, Olaf slept peacefully, apparently exhausted from playing so much with the children of the camp.
Grayish clouds began to darken the previously azure sky, gradually turning daylight into a dim, pale, and cold glow. Thick silence enveloped them despite the wind gently stirring the few leaves still clinging desperately to the trees. Kristoff cleared his throat and tried to break the silence.
"We need to be careful," Yelena told us that shadows have been spotted in the forest. They seem to be increasing in number."
"Mhm," Anna replied absentmindedly.
The young woman was still lost in thought, but Kristoff continued:
"You know, I can't believe you read the entire royal library. I always thought you were too impatient to stay in front of a book for more than a few minutes."
He chuckled softly, and it was this sound that finally pulled Anna out of her reverie. She looked at her fiancé with surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, uh," Kristoff stammered, suddenly embarrassed. "Let's say you're very... spontaneous? And I don't think the royal library contains very interesting books."
He attempted another laugh. Anna sighed, returning her attention to the path ahead of them, a faint smile stretching her lips.
"Well, I guess being locked up in a castle for years gave me a lot of time to read. Even I can eventually get tired of running around everywhere."
"I find that hard to believe."
She elbowed Kristoff, who laughed heartily this time. The echo of their voices resonated through the trees for a moment before silence fell between them again. Anna had resumed her worried expression.
"What are you thinking about?" Kristoff asked softly.
"I'm trying to remember something I might have read about this sword," she explained. "I know I've heard of it before, but I can't remember where!"
She let out an annoyed exclamation.
"It's so frustrating!"
"Anna, the royal library contains hundreds, if not thousands, of books..."
"But I remember almost every book I've read!" she exclaimed. "But this story of the sword of light is the only one that won't come back to me!"
"Wait, all the books?" Kristoff repeated, nodding his head, visibly impressed. "You always surprise me. I mean, I can barely remember what I had for breakfast yesterday," he added with a small laugh.
"Knowing you, it was probably a carrot that you shared with Sven," the young woman laughed.
"Hey!" Kristoff exclaimed, laughing.
The reindeer brayed, agreeing with Anna's words.
"Don't worry, it happens to me sometimes too," she continued. "But I'm sure I've read something about a sword like the one we're looking for. All I remember is information that Yelena has already given us."
Her eyes wandered aimlessly again, and Kristoff guessed she was mentally scanning Arendelle's library. He decided not to disturb her and looked at the path they were following. According to the directions Yelena had given them before they left, they weren't far now.