It was with great relief that they finally arrived at the Northuldra encampment. The clatter of the cart wheels on the dirt road drew the attention of the refugees, and as the small group approached Yelena and Honeymaren's camp, they saw two familiar blond heads rushing towards them. Anna jumped off the moving cart and into her sister's arms.
"Elsa!"
"Anna!"
"Are you okay? When did you get back?"
"I'm fine. We got back last night," Elsa replied with a smile.
As the sisters embraced each other with relief, Kristoff approached Aodhan, who was watching the scene with some tenderness. He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, noting the bandage on his cheek.
"How are you, Aodhan? What happened to your cheek?"
"We encountered one of Roderick's creatures on the way here," he explained with a shrug. "Elsa healed me right after, and Honeymaren changed the bandage when we arrived last night. Apparently, I might have a scar," he added with a smile that suggested he didn't mind.
"Did you too encounter one of those shadows?" Kristoff asked.
"'You too'? Yelena told us about the Grove. What happened there?"
"I think we have a lot to catch up on," Anna declared as she approached them, followed closely by Elsa. "Has anyone seen Olaf?"
They looked all around before spotting the snowman near the cart, holding a long object wrapped in fabric, under Sven's gaze. Anna exclaimed in concern and rushed towards him.
"Don't leave him with a sword!"
She knelt beside Olaf, who looked at her with glassy eyes and a lethargic smile, appearing absent-minded. He was clearly under the influence of the Narwhal's thorn magic.
"Is everything okay, Olaf...?" Anna hesitated, while the others approached them.
"Have we forgotten how to listen to the whispers of nature, or has the frantic race to modernity simply rendered us deaf to its sweet melody?" he asked in a slow, grave voice, not addressing anyone in particular.
They exchanged puzzled looks.
"I think he's still in... 'adolescent crisis'," Elsa murmured.
Anna slowly took the sword from Olaf's hands, who immediately regained his usual zest for life.
"Wow, it's like I've been sunbathing on the most beautiful beach!" he exclaimed, though his mood darkened slightly. "Although the heat would probably melt me," he added somberly, before brightening up again. "Who wants to play hide and seek? I'm the seeker!"
Before they could respond, the snowman darted towards the refugee camp, immediately followed by the laughing children who enjoyed watching his antics.
Anna got to her feet with an amused sigh and kept the sword close to her, while Kristoff hid behind Aodhan to laugh.
"I'd better keep it for now."
The others nodded, seeing no objection.
Nokk slowly approached Anna, who remained petrified. She wasn't really used to the spirit getting so close to her. When it reached her, the water horse let out a long, mournful neigh and nudged the sword with its muzzle. They all noticed a tear welling up in its eye and rolling down its frosted surface. Elsa approached and embraced the water spirit's neck.
"I understand," she murmured.
She pulled back, offering an apologetic smile to the horse, then turned to the others.
"The Narwhal was surely a friend of Nokk. That would explain why the spirits granted him powers of light even though he was just an ordinary animal."
"That's also why a storm has been raging over the Sea of the Enchanted Forest since his death!" Anna exclaimed.
Elsa nodded, looking saddened, her eyes fixed on the sword.
"We must honor the memory of the Narwhal by using his horn and this sword to fight Roderick's darkness."
Seated alongside Yelena and Honeymaren, they shared the story of their adventures throughout the morning. Elsa held back a surprised exclamation when Anna described their escape from the Grove.
"There's something else," the queen confided.
She glanced at Kristoff. She had waited until they were all together to talk about it, and she hoped he would forgive her for not telling him what she was about to say. The others, all around her, looked at her with curiosity.
"When I took the sword," she began, "I heard... a voice, in my head."
Olaf approached Elsa and tried to discreetly whisper to her - which everyone heard clearly:
"I think she's losing her mind."
"It was like a prophecy," Anna continued, ignoring the snowman's remark, as he was wont to do. "It said..."
She took a few seconds to try to remember it in its entirety:
"'Bearer of light, my soul is tainted by darkness. Upon the hill overlooking tragedy, summon me and set me free. My horn is the key to our salvation.'"
Silence fell as they all pondered her words. Kristoff stared off into the distance, frowning, while Elsa was lost in deep thought. Aodhan tried to think about this prophecy, but he knew too little about the Enchanted Forest and its history to be of any help to the others.
It was Yelena who finally broke the silence:
"Could 'the tragedy' describe the place where Roderick killed the Narwhal?"
"It would make sense," Elsa agreed. "But we don't know where that is."
"Actually, we do," Yelena confessed. "I spoke with the elders among the Northuldra, and they remember the fear they felt when they saw the Narwhal fall. It was, I believe, northeast of the island."
"Northeast?" Elsa repeated.
She exchanged a worried look with Anna.
"Do you think it's over there?" Anna asked in a hushed voice.
"Yes," Elsa nodded. "I'm certain that also corresponds to where our parents' shipwreck is located," she explained to the rest of the group.
Anna took her sister's hand as they both tried to hold back their tears. Aodhan watched them in disbelief, now understanding why Elsa had insisted on making a detour to and from Ahtohallan.
"There's something else that bothers me," Kristoff intervened. "'My soul is tainted by darkness' doesn't that mean the Narwhal will be surrounded by Roderick's creatures, those... shadows?"
"That's what I was thinking," Aodhan added, finally daring to speak up. "Even with Arendelle's guard, we don't know if we'll be enough to face them. We need to retrieve the Narwhal's horn as a priority, if I understood the rest of this prophecy correctly."
"There's no way we're putting civilians in danger, and we need to involve as few people as possible," Elsa explained. "If we... If we fail, there must be people capable of protecting the people of Arendelle and the Northuldra."
Anna pondered. Her position as queen was proving to be much more complex than she had imagined just a few days earlier. She agreed with her sister's explanations, but she couldn't help but think that the more of them there were, the better their chances of success. She finally let out a tired sigh.
"I agree with Elsa," she finally conceded. "If we fail, Roderick's darkness will continue to invade the Enchanted Forest. With the help of Arendelle's guard, the refugees will have a chance to escape. If all the guard come with us and we fail anyway..." (She shuddered at the thought) "Arendelle and the Northuldra will be doomed for sure."
"So what do we do?" Honeymaren asked.
They all plunged back into their thoughts, except Aodhan who intervened once again:
"If I may…"
He scowled when all attention was focused on him. After clearing his throat, he continued:
"Mattias had offered to train me in swordplay, and Elsa wanted to continue my magic training. If you're willing to entrust me with the Thorn, I'm sure Elsa and I can handle the shadows once I'm properly trained."
"If necessary, the spirits of the Forest can come to our aid," Elsa added.
"Wait, I refuse to put you in danger, Elsa!" Anna exclaimed. "What if something happens to you? You won't be enough for two to face the shadows, and even if the spirits support you…"
"Anna, what other choice do we have?" Elsa interrupted, raising a hand. "Aodhan and I are the only ones with powers here, it would be too dangerous for the rest of you to come with us. As you said yourself, we'll only be two, which isn't enough to defend you."
"But…"
"I could help you," Honeymaren intervened. "Now that the earth giants have been pacified, I could lead them to help you fight?"
"Which brings me back to what I was saying," Elsa concluded. "The spirits of the Forest can help us if Aodhan and I are in trouble."
A long silence followed. Apparently, no one found anything to object to Elsa and Aodhan's plan. It was risky, too risky, but they couldn't afford to waste time finding an alternative. While they debated, Roderick's shadows were gaining ground.
Anna suddenly stood up, grabbed the sword, and walked towards Aodhan. She stopped in front of him and handed him the golden weapon, squinting her eyes, an almost defiant look on her face.
"You better take your training seriously."
For the next week, Aodhan's days were punctuated by intensive training. Every morning, at dawn, he met with Mattias to learn how to wield the Thorn of the Narwhal. The captain of the guard was impressed by his skill; the sword seemed to be an extension of the young man's arm, greatly aided by the weapon's lightness.
After learning different stances and basic movements, Aodhan began to develop his own style. He would gracefully whirl the sword around him, creating a pratically impenetrable wall, and after a long battle, he managed to disarm the three people who volunteered to face him at once. Even Mattias was surprised by Aodhan's ease, as the exercises he imposed on him were far from easy. Behind his impassive trainer's mask lay a deep empathy for the young man.
Far from letting him rest, the training with Elsa exhausted him mentally, while his muscles were still protesting from the morning's exercises. Aodhan could no longer create the slightest flame.
"I feel like I'm back to square one," he sighed one day, collapsing on the ground, exhausted.
Elsa joined him and sat facing him.
"Before, I had to learn to control all my anger," he explained. "But with this sword, it's different. Its magic prevents me from feeling strong emotions, except for the calm it instills."
"One might think it's a blessing for an object to have such a calming power," Elsa retorted with a smile.
"It would be in other circumstances," Aodhan replied. "But I need my magic against the Narwhal. But without anger, no magic. Before, I just had to remember my past, the injustice of my exile, the looks of others…"
He paused, visibly uncomfortable.
"But this sword prevents me from thinking about it, as if there were an invisible wall holding back those memories to prevent them from hurting me. And I can't help but feel sad."
He looked up at Elsa, an apologetic smile on his face.
"It's ironic, isn't it? Feeling sad about not being able to think about things that make us angry? Wait a minute…"
He furrowed his brow, as if he had just understood something. He placed his hand on the hilt of the sword, and once again felt that same warmth that so irritated him. But there was this hint of sorrow piercing his heart, which he had never paid attention to until now. He recalled what Anna had told them about her adventure in the Frozen Grove, the feelings she had experienced when she took the sword. She too had felt this sadness at that moment.
"This sadness," he murmured. "It's not mine…"
Elsa placed her hand on his.
"I think I understand," she finally replied. "It's Nokk's emotions. The serenity of the blade comes from the Narwhal's light power, but this sadness is that of the water spirit, mourning the loss of his friend all this time."
Tears welled up in Aodhan's eyes, as if he had lost a dear friend himself. He suddenly stood up, startling Elsa, determined.
"Then I will use this sadness instead of my anger!"
And that day, he managed to use his powers again with a newfound mastery.
In the following days, Elsa and he explored all the possibilities of his fire magic: after intense efforts, he managed to fly for a few meters, summoning flames at his feet to propel himself. The only problem remained the landing, which often ended in the mud.
They also discovered that Aodhan was capable of manipulating heat; thus, despite the approaching winter cold that bit the camp, he managed to create a bubble of warm air around him that made him feel like he was under a pleasant hot summer sun.
In the evening, when he joined the others around the campfire for dinner, he also enjoyed summoning flames on Olaf - flames devoid of any heat - which made the snowman laugh a lot. He himself could not help but play with his magic by making a flame dance along his arms, or by summoning a flame in his palm while offering Anna or Kristoff to place their hand on it. While they were obviously reluctant at first, they eventually gave in to his insistence.
"You see!" he exclaimed as their eyes betrayed their amazement. "It's like dipping your hand into a nice warm bath!"
The young man's enthusiasm in mastering his magic as well as the Thorn was contagious, and while the others did their best to help the Northuldra and the refugees, they felt increasingly feverish and confident in the success of Elsa and Aodhan's plan.
They often met after dinner, and the sound of their laughter and discussions often echoed late into the night. Elsa felt a certain pride in seeing the progress of the young man, and she felt ready to entrust her life to him when they would fight Roderick's shadows. Unwavering trust had developed between them as they became aware of each other's skills. During his training with Mattias, she watched him from afar, her thoughts navigating between pride for the young man's progress and worry for the upcoming battle. With her eyes fixed on him, she was captivated by the efforts he made, before hastily turning her gaze away when someone approached, her cheeks inexplicably turning a bright red.
Even Anna was less unpleasant with Aodhan and more inclined to talk to him, although their discussions remained mainly focused on his training. She would never admit it out loud, but Anna was beginning to feel a silent respect for Aodhan's determination, which reminded her of the determination that had driven her to brave the dangers of the Frozen Grove to find the sword and help Elsa. Perhaps, deep down, she was starting to recognize in him an ally, but she still needed time to see him as a friend.
When Aodhan impressed them by summoning flames on the blade of the Thorn and twirling it with an almost supernatural grace all around him, they decided he was ready. It was time to set their plan in motion. That evening, the atmosphere was heavy around the campfire, and even Olaf made no jokes about the battle that awaited them.
Tomorrow, they would free the Narwhal.