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Brother and sister hid in the vast brush of the Enchanted Forest, his bow ready and her sword drawn. Honeymaren signaled behind her, and a small group of fellow hunters began to fan out around the cliff before them. A herd of wild hogs snorted while they grazed.
Ryder grabbed the shoulder of a young boy next to him. "You ready for this?" he asked the youth.
The eleven-year-old drew his dagger. "Climb a tree if they charge, right?"
"Right." Ryder gave him a comforting pat. "Here goes." His sister nodded and prepared to leap out of the forest but stopped dead in her tracks.
"What's wrong with that one?" she asked quietly. Ryder followed her gaze. A young adult hog had begun squealing and kicking the air around it, alarming the rest of the herd as they ran away. A gasp escaped Honeymaren when she saw a cloud of darkness swarm around the animal. Its cries filled the cliffside as it attempted to fight off the darkness.
"Get Isa out of here!" Ryder shouted, drawing an arrow. The other hunters let their arrows fly. "No!" he hollered. The hogs squealed and took off in all directions. Ryder hid behind a large spruce tree as the herd sprinted past, their brown fur raised in fright. Labored breathes sounded above him, and the young man looked up to see his sister and Isa perched on a thick branch. Other than some scratches that covered his forearms from the climb, the boy was unharmed. Ryder and Honeymaren sighed in relief. They dropped down and began retreating up the hill.
"My knife! I dropped it!" Isa cried.
Demonic squeals echoed around the brush. The three watched as the hog ran into a boulder in a blind frenzy while the dark entity leeched onto it. "We'll come back for it later. Let's go!" Honeymaren urged, pulling him along.
"My dad gave it to me!" Isa broke free and sprinted. "I can't leave it!" Ryder rushed after the boy, but as soon as Isa reached the edge of the tree line, Ryder was knocked back with sudden force. A wall of fire had appeared out of nowhere and separated the forest from the cliff. Ryder gasped and stumbled backward on all fours, his sister grabbing his shoulder.
"Isa!" they screamed. Ryder gritted his teeth and charged forward, leaping through the wall of fire. He collapsed on the coarse ground with a cough. Isa was still on the ground from the impact, but with a small lizard standing in front of him. The fire spirit growled cutely, and a blaze of fire shot up from its body. The darkness infected hog pawed the dirt before charging.
The wall of fire ceased to burn as a blast of ice froze it solid. A tall young woman shot over the hill, her body covered in what appeared to be dark armor. She skated along the ice wall and grabbed Isa by the shoulder. Ryder watched with pure wonder and audibly gasped. Marie glided by and grabbed him by the foot. He let out a high-pitched scream. Marie struggled under the weight of the two and fell. Their bodies rolled several feet before coming to a stop. Ryder shook his disoriented head, Isa groaning beside him. Marie stood and eyed them, holding a dark sword. "Are you hurt?" she asked.
Ryder sat up. She was nearly his height but was slender. Her blue eyes pierced into them intensely yet softly. Her loose brown hair was held back by what appeared to be a helmet made of darkness. He could sense that this darkness was not evil, though. The woman seemed to be working with it harmoniously. He swallowed a lump in his throat. "W-we're fine!" he stammered.
Another mage rocketed into the air using a gust of wind from the wind spirit, Gale. Elsa aimed her ice-covered palms at the hog and imprisoned it in a frozen cage. It slammed into it and let out a furious cry. She landed and ran to their sides. "Another animal," Elsa commented.
Marie twirled her dark blade. "Yeah, but this one's fighting." The two women grasped each other's arms, and Ryder let out a startled scream as Elsa's body became covered in darkness and the other woman's body became covered in ice. Leaves danced around them as Gale rushed past.
"Look after them for me, will you?" Elsa asked. Bruni leaped over and flared up, his beady little eyes narrowed into slits. The two women charged forward. The darkness let out a hiss and grew as they approached, forming demonic hands and lashing out at them. Elsa threw two ice spikes that stabbed through its palms. A squeal of pure agony filled the air. Marie and Elsa came to a halt and grabbed their ears in pain.
"Argh! What the hell?" Marie stumbled backward as the darkness roared and formed a cyclone. "We can't attack it without hurting the pig!" A familiar whistling sound surrounded them, and Marie and Elsa were blown back as Gale circled the hog.
Elsa shielded her face. "No! Get out of there!" Gale fought the dark cyclone, attempting to change the direction of the wind current. Soon, the darkness attacked the wind spirit, causing the hog to levitate. Marie formed a ward and blocked nearby debris from hitting Elsa.
Can't…take it anymore… The women gasped at the voice that filled their minds. The hog slammed to the ground and slowly dug its hooves into the dirt. Can't take it anymore! Gale struggled against the darkness, unable to stop the current from changing direction. Suddenly the hog cried desperately and jumped off the edge of the cliff. The two women could only watch as the darkness was ripped away from Gale and tossed into the sea below. Marie stumbled to her feet and ran to the edge. The hog had already hit the surface of the water, the darkness following suit.
Elsa waved a hand and dissipated the ice wall behind them. Marie slammed a fist on the ground. "Shit!" she hissed.
A hand rested on her shoulder. "Not every battle can be won," Elsa said. "It made its choice." A gust of wind blew past them while their armor faded. The royal held out a hand. "I'm glad you're okay, Gale. At least everyone else is-"
"Isa!" A familiar voice rang through the trees, causing Elsa to flinch. Honeymaren skidded to a halt as she embraced her brother and the young boy. "Ryder! You okay?"
Ryder scratched his head and smiled widely. "I think so. You should have seen what happened! Ow!" He grabbed his arm after his sister smacked him.
"Idiot! Charging through fire like that!" Honeymaren snatched his ear and pulled him to his feet. "Just wait until Yelena gets ahold of you."
"Elsa!" Isa bolted for the blonde and hugged her tightly. "You made it just in time!" He pulled away, his light brown eyes resting on the woman behind her. "Is she the one you told us about?"
She turned to introduce Marie but paused for a moment. The brunette was gazing out into the sea with Bruni on her shoulder. The lizard licked his eyeball as she spoke to him. Elsa cleared her throat. Marie turned. "Oh! Sorry! My name's Marie. No, I don't have evil powers, yes I'm from another world and yes, my nose really looks like this."
Honeymaren's shoulders bounced slightly as she let out a chuckle. "It reminds me of the rest of the townspeople. These two got their mother's nose," she said, motioning with her head at Elsa. She held out a hand. "Honeymaren."
Marie shook it. "Half my ancestors are from Norway, so that makes sense!" She held out a hand to Ryder. "I hope I didn't hurt you guys when I grabbed you." Ryder managed to grab her hand and shake it roughly while staring. Marie withdrew and knelt. "This almost blew over the edge." A dark grey blade reflected in the morning sun. "Hang onto it, bud."
"You must be the stranger from another land." A tan-skinned woman with long, grey braided hair stepped out of the forest, the rest of the hunters following. Her narrow face tensed at the sight of Marie. "I saw the fight from the camp."
The brunette stepped forward. "You must be Yelena." The leader of the Northuldra continued to peer at Marie. She held a hand to her chest. "In my world, you're part of Elsa and Anna's journey. It's the most famous animated film to this day." Marie held out a hand. "I can explain everything, starting at the beginning."
Elsa did not need a reminder as to why her chest suddenly throbbed. She gave Yelena a confident nod. Yelena relaxed and opened her arms. "If Elsa trusts you, so shall we." Marie stepped forward and scratched her head. Elsa watched with an unknowing smile. Honeymaren lowered her gaze to the ground.
"You'll like our camp!" Ryder said excitedly, leaping to Marie's side and walking with the group. "Name's Ryder."
"Hello," the foreigner said. "That was pretty brave what you did back there, jumping in after him."
"It was also stupid!" Elsa put a hand over her own mouth in surprise. The words just flooded out of her after Marie had spoken. Ryder kept grinning widely and put his hands behind his head proudly, much to Elsa's content. She breathed in deeply and stood up straight. "You could have been hurt."
The morning rolled into the afternoon and soon the evening. Elsa had brought some papers and produce from Arendelle in the wagon. The guards had departed the camp in the late afternoon with the traded goods and signed documents. Elsa felt the evening rays shine upon her face as she and Yelena walked around the camp. A few children ran in front of them, a baby reindeer not far behind. Yelena scolded them warmly. "They've been acting like that ever since the summer program was set back."
A familiar feminine voice reached her ears from the other end of camp. Elsa squeezed her hands together at the sight of Marie celebrating her archery skills. Most of the day had been spent with the Northuldra showing the newcomer around camp and the forest. Marie had followed eagerly, soaking up every detail like a hyper child. Elsa could not help but smile at the memory of Marie's copious amount of questions. Another shout of praise sounded next to Marie, and Elsa found herself frowning slightly at the sight of Ryder high-fiving Marie. To no one's surprise, several children and teenagers crowded around the new mage. A small crowd had followed Marie all day. Elsa looked at her fondly. "I don't think it'll be for long," she responded.
"ELSA! ELSA! ELSA! WATCH THIS!" Marie jumped up and down, entertaining the youth around her. Elsa picked up her dress and trotted forward. "Watch what happens when I tip the arrow with my darkness!" Marie breathed in and pulled back an arrow. Her forefinger pressed against the shaft while her jaw anchored. A sound like a flame flickering erupted as the arrow was covered in Marie's power. She froze for a moment before releasing. The arrow flew, and Elsa watched as it blew the wooden target backward five feet. Marie grinned widely and lowered the bow. Elsa's eyes flickered between her and the fallen target. Suddenly her palms ignited with ice. Without even looking at the target next to it, Elsa wordlessly conjured her own bow and sent a frozen arrow flying. It exploded the target upon impact. Marie jumped in alarm. Elsa lowered her hands and dismissed her bow, her eyes never leaving Marie, who closed her gaping mouth and bowed dramatically. The urge to break her composure rocketed Elsa as the rest of the crowd followed suit. Elsa lifted her nose into the air and began to walk away slowly. Marie continued to bow but eyed the queen. "Showoff," she muttered. Elsa turned her head and winked coyly. Marie stood and hid her face, alarmed at how red it had gotten.
Later that night, the village began to die down as the dew settled. Elsa sighed happily as steam from fresh vegetable stew soaked into her pores. Once Marie and she had explained their story, the Northuldra were relentless with asking the foreigner questions about her world. Marie reveled in the attention and the actress shone brighter than the fire as she continued storytelling. Elsa's toes wiggled. The fire. Her thoughts drifted back to the night before. What had it all meant? Her blue eyes stared into the flames as her lips tingled. Had she gone too far? Her toes wiggled faster as it replayed in her mind repeatedly.
"Hello?"
Reality snapped her back into focus. "Oh, sorry!" Elsa shook her head and put on a pleasant smile. "I must have gotten lost in thought." Her breath caught in her throat when the face of Marie stared back at her. Only a couple people sat around the fire.
Marie tilted her head, her long body squatted. "You've been sitting there for nearly two hours," she said. "I was afraid your ice powers had finally frozen you solid." Elsa rolled her eyes and shot her a glare. Marie settled next to her by the nearly empty fireside, their sides nearly touching. The royal set her bowl of stew down and bit her lip nervously.
Should I bring it up? Elsa's arms wrapped around her knees. Do I bring it up now or later before we go to bed? Her eyes grew wide. We're sharing my tent! The tribe had given Elsa a giant teepee that expanded nearly twenty feet at its radius. Although it was not stone and marble, she found it quite cozy and comfortable. It was even big enough to house a small fire in the center.
"Has the darkness ever attacked the spirits like that before?" came a quiet question from Marie. Elsa flinched out of her thoughts and looked at her. The foreigner's blue eyes were glued to the fire, but her face was contorted in worry. Suddenly Elsa felt foolish.
"No," she pondered. "That was the first time." Elsa closed her eyes with a frown. Of course, Marie was not wasting her time thinking about their encounter. The burn of shame scorched within Elsa's chest. What's gotten into me?
"But it wasn't the first suicide," Marie stated. "Your sister mentioned it before. I-I know it was just a pig, but still…" She threw a twig into the fire. "It didn't hesitate as soon as Gale got involved."
Elsa gazed at her for a moment. On the other side of the fire, Yelena and Honeymaren spoke quietly. The Northuldra leader's ear picked up on their conversation but she said nothing. Elsa breathed in heavily and nudged Marie with her shoulder. "The spirits aren't like normal creatures. They exist to protect the forest. They don't have the sense of conscientiousness that living beings do." Marie grunted in protest but remained silent. Elsa continued, "When Bruni woke us up this morning and led us here, it's because the spirits trust us. They know it's our job to rebalance."
Marie looked away. "And we failed," she murmured.
"Did we?" Elsa made eye contact with her. "We saved many lives today, human and animal. We did all we could, and sometimes that's not enough, but we keep going."
A corner of Marie's mouth lifted into a smile. The brunette tore her gaze away and tensed. "I've no idea why, but what you said made me think of my mother." Her voice changed. Elsa found herself immediately captivated at the familiar tone of vulnerability. "She's such a strong woman, very loved by all. After she kicked my father out, she raised my brother and I the best she could, but sometimes it wasn't enough. I don't resent her, but I can't help but resent how she acted." A defeated huff escaped Marie. "Everyday, we all have the choice to mend our brokenness or let it consume us. The days when she let it consume her were the days that I hated the most, because I still tried to make it better. The night I came here, I was visiting her for the first time in months. I was going to tell her that I had finally realized how human she was, that she had made mistakes. That I needed space to be angry but that I couldn't hate her because I love her."
A hand gently grabbed Marie's hand. She turned her face towards Elsa only to suck in a breath as the blonde guided her fingers to Marie's chin and lifted it slightly. Intense blue eyes cascaded over Marie. "Don't ever doubt why you were chosen, Marie. You shine brighter than any darkness." Her fingers released and Elsa stood. "I'm going to turn in. Goodnight," she said softly. Each step she made on the grassy terrain met Marie's ears fervently. The woman could only stare straight ahead at nothing.
A disgruntled sigh sounded next to Marie. Yelena took a drink from a mead bottle. "Damn Arendellians know how to make alcohol, I'll give them that." Her worn but beautiful face turned towards the young woman. "Once. That look on your face only comes once in a lifetime. Treasure it." Yelena bid her farewell and departed for her own tent.
Marie managed to blink, and her lips parted to utter the words, "I can't."
