Northuldra

Honeymaren crouched to the ground and blew the dust away from the umpteenth supplies sack she had to carry outside, her gaze wandering around the stocks they would need for the coming weeks. The results of the last season's harvest were relatively plentiful, but they still weren't enough for their ever-growing population.

The hanging silence reigning inside the tent was a welcome change from the previous night's lively supper. Getting to witness the elder's reunion was a rare occasion, if not a relaxing one. Discussing the Arendellians' movements certainly did not help tune the debate's volume down.

Her fingers shot up and massaged her closed eyelids. Sleep had been elusive for the last couple of nights, but not because of the noise—the sheer terror her brother must have felt and how powerless she had been…

Her mind and hand flew to her last hunt and injured arm.

The light burn over her forearm still stung sometimes, but the healers told it would heal correctly with minimal scarring. She trusted their judgment.

Have to let it go.

She had promised.

But promises charred as surely as wood did under the lick of a scorching flame. If it hadn't been for that Arendellian, they'd surely both be dead.

No use thinking about it now.

With another resigned breath, Honeymaren lifted the first sack and stood straight. The box's weight almost tipped her over when her feet caught up in a single thread of tissue torn away from the hut's cloth.

After holding back a curse and wiggling her foot to free it from the deceivingly dangerous line of ochre weave, she stepped outside. The early morning's warm glint and balmy atmosphere coupled with the faint chirps and tweets in the distance would have drawn a satisfied smile on her face if she hadn't just come face to face with a large grin and saluting hand.

Ryder was hunched over the fence at her left, racy and ready to annoy her, it seemed.

"Hey, Sis'! What're you doing?"

Honeymaren arched an eyebrow, already bracing herself for the dull pain that was about to storm her poor brain.

"What does it look like?" she answered.

Ryder leaned over the wooden barrier in an exaggerated attempt to peek at what her sack's content was. "Hauling heavy stuff out that hut, for a reason that is unknown to my poor ignorant soul?"

"That's it. You got it. Now be a good boy and let me work," Honeymaren deadpanned and resumed her walk to the small yard's corner where the day's hunting parties would later come to pick their equipment up.

"Want some help? That arm isn't healed yet."

For all the headaches, he was a good kid.

"Don't need help, but thanks. I was bored anyway."

He crossed his arms and tilted his head in another overemphasized display of both eagerness and confusion. "So, you'd rather bust your butt at work than spend time with your adorable baby bro."

Honeymaren simply shrugged. "Not really. This just needed to be done at some point, and if I leave it—"

"Okaydon'tcare," he interrupted with a quick wave of his hand. "Drop everything. Yelena called me."

"I don't see how that's my problem," she said after a quick pause and several blinks of disbelief.

"She called you too. After. In second. Afterthought kind of deal. But she called you too. So, I guess I should have said that she called us. It's dawn. Didn't sleep well. Can't think straight."

There was the headache.

Honeymaren sighed for the third time in ten minutes and brought a hand to her temple. "Why so many words to express such a simple thing? You asked if you could help, knowing that we had to go? Do you have any idea how much time you could have saved?"

"Oh, I know," Ryder said with an unapologetically mischievous grin. "I just want to fill your day up. I was told you weren't up to much."

Cocky brat, Honeymaren thought, although she had some trouble ordering the corners of her mouth to stand still.

"That copper tongue of yours is gonna kill you one day."

"You mean silver tongue?"

"I know what I said."

"Eh. It got me out of a mess or two," Ryder said while bringing both his arms behind his head.

"Didn't know you were that piteous. And Christian? Careful there, starting to sound like an Arendellian."

"Oh haha, religion joke. I bet you love those," he said, immediately falling into a pout afterwards.

Honeymaren couldn't hold in a quick snicker at how serious he looked while pouting, compared to his bubbly and cheerful serious face.

"That's the Ryder I know." She hurried inside and moved one last sack to the pile of polished and clean hunting gear. She then dusted her hands while inching closer to Ryder, lightly smacked the back of his head and motioned for him to follow her. "Come on." He didn't object and fell into step. "Do you know what she wants to talk about?"

"Probably the idea I discussed with her."

She waited for him to elaborate, only to find herself staring into his smug grin once again.

"I can't read minds yet," she said with a shake of her head.

"A few scouts came back yesterday saying the Arendellians are patrolling around our spot," he explained. "They're probably looking for the beast's lair. I convinced her to give us a few men to find it before them."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. To suggest such an operation was unheard of on his behalf. More concerning, pursuing an angry spirit was dangerous beyond measure.

And not very clever.

"That's a long-ass way to say Please punch the stupid out of me, Sis'."

"Wait, I got that wrong. We just have to find the Arendellians and beat the crap out of them before," he corrected with a mock tap on his own forehead as they strode through the mostly slumbering village. "Oh, come on. It's way more dangerous to let them find it. It was mildly angry last time but imagine if it had been furious."

The rage of the spirit roared inside her memory. The fangs of heat diving into her flesh burned her through time itself, and her own hand shot up to her right forearm's bandages.

"We wouldn't be here to talk about it." She met Ryder's concerned gaze and immediately relaxed her grasp on her own limb. "But we're here anyway."

Ryder raised a hand to her shoulder and gently squeezed. "There's my fun-loving-but-still-kinda-serious older sibling. I just want us not to be burned to death by a creepy monster because the stupid foreigner thinks it's funny to poke it with a stick."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, passing huts whose progressively emerging occupants greeted them with lively Hellos on the way.

Soon enough they were standing outside the largest tent in the entire village. Honeymaren knocked on the wooden panel hanging right next to its entrance and waited for the chief's approval to step inside.

A begrudging "Come in!" echoed from within and she pushed the fine-crafted flaps away to let her brother in.

"After you," she said, gliding quietly after him.

The little light that managed to pass through the fog was filtered once again when diffracted inside the tent.

The cold turquoise of its empty interior clashed in elegant harmony with the crimson of the twelve-inches-wide wooden columns. The drums and fadno were neatly arranged in a dedicated corner, not far from where the only shelf and alchemy desk stood.

Yelena worked silently next to her cot, carefully folding her prayer to Horagalles inside her personal stash.

What residual heat Honeymaren had absorbed in the morning's sunlight was already gone; it had been her buffer, but unknowingly she had squandered it in a few breaths inside.

She knew Yelena always preferred chilly atmospheres, but that tent was a bubble of winter amidst the surrounding fall—she was only surprised that there wasn't any snow around.

Honeymaren repressed a shiver and sat on her knees. She then gave a quick and curt nod to Ryder inviting him to mirror her gestures—he snapped to attention and followed her down.

"Yelena," they both greeted.

Their elder turned around and gave them a warm smile—as warm as Yelena managed to smile, anyway.

"Is your arm better, Honeymaren?" she asked.

"It is. The burn marks almost disappeared; I'll just keep a light bruising."

"Good." Yelena finished rummaging through her morning's ritual readings and came closer, sitting a foot away from them with her legs tucked underneath. "Now, Ryder came to me with an interesting proposal that had already been marinating inside my head."

"Interesting, huh?" Honeymaren whispered with a very light push of her elbow into his sides.

"It involves a hunter group tailing the enemy's—"

"I already got a quick rundown on it."

"Oh. Very well then," Yelena said, flashing a quick glare at Ryder all the while. She had probably told him to keep it quiet, but she eventually sighed and continued. "You two seem to be overflowing with initiative these days. The Fire is known to be quite impulsive, and an infestation doesn't help its short temper. The sacred grounds were off-limits for a long while, but now is time for us to step in before those goons destroy the entire forest out of sheer sciolism."

"Scio—what?" Ryder asked in a hushed hurry.

"Dumb," Honeymaren answered.

"Hey, I really don't know what it mea—"

"It means that they're dumb."

Ryder's eyes widened then narrowed in quick succession as an Oh of understanding slipped past his lips.

Yelena coughed into her knuckle to bring both their attentions back to her.

"You can take Hira's hunting party. Those four have had a few days to rest, they should be enough to help you. I'll leave the rest to Ryder."

"Thank you," Honeymaren and Ryder uttered in synch.

Before she could leave the tent, however, Yelena's voice called her back.

"Honeymaren?"

The tone was now a lot gentler, less official. The matters to discuss were more personal.

"I'd like another word." Honeymaren sat right back. "About Lieutenant Mattias."

"I'm all ears."

Yelena marked a pregnant pause. "Did he escape?"

Of course, she'd want to know.

Honeymaren didn't even have to try to remember the relevant moments. "Ryder and I were busy trying to avoid the fires. He used our inattention to his advantage. I don't know if he made it."

Yelena's hand drifted atop Honeymaren's and gave it a reassuring pat. "He could've killed you."

"I'm not sure our lives were his priority. We all jumped into the river as fast as possible. We lost him near the dam."

"Near the dam? Are you certain?"

"It was in front of us, yes."

The hand retracted to Yelena's lap. "That is interesting news. Report back to me when you come back from this expedition. I would like you to join our next session."

That was new.

All sessions were free for the village dwellers to listen to but only the five elders could say anything. Normally.

"Why?" Honeymaren asked in genuine confusion.

"Because if what you told me is right, he was taken by the Nokk for his lies. If the Arendellians don't have Mattias anymore, they're going to be a lot more aggressive. We have to plan accordingly."

With a final nod, Yelena dismissed her. Honeymaren stood, bowed in respect and exited the tent.

Ryder was waiting for her, his back pressed against a nearby hut while he chewed on a blade of grass.

"What did she want?" he asked as soon as Honeymaren was close enough to whisper.

"You weren't in there for a reason."

"Come on, I know it has to do with what happened two days ago," he said with a clap of his hands. "I'm dumb but not that dumb."

"You're a lot of things, Ryder. Fortunately for the world and unfortunately for me, dumb isn't one of them."

"Aww. I love you too."

Honeymaren stared into his soul for a few moments, trying to decipher any intent of a prank about her answer—nothing caught her eye.

Won't hurt.

"She wanted to know stuff about that Arendellian lieutenant."

"Did you lie?"

"Just a bit."

He put his closed fists on his hips and bobbed his head a bit too low for her to take him seriously.

"Dad would not be happy about this. A lie's a lie, no matter the why."

The mention of her father drained her of any will to laugh the matter up.

"Well, he's not here, is he?" she said, her voice way too harsh for what she wanted to convey.

Ryder perceived it and immediately dropped the cheerful act.

"Sorry," he said, and he sounded sincere. He scratched his chin, visibly trying to find a subject to redirect the discussion towards. "We gotta find Hira and Birki when they wake up. I'm pretty sure we can head out tonight." He examined her for a moment. "It's gonna be okay, Sis'. We just have to drive them out, they don't even need to see us. Easy mission."

His attempts to cheer her up even though his mistake had been unintentional warmed her heart.

"I don't know why, but I feel like this forest is about to get a lot livelier," she said. "Also, you're the one calling the shots and that's concerning."

"Ugh, we'll do okay. Do you trust me?"

"No."

"Do you have a choice?"

"No."

He lifted both arms to the air and flashed a content smile. "Then no sense in worrying, right?"

"That logic of yours transcends my mortal understanding," Honeymaren said with a drop of her shoulders.

"Is that Maren for 'Ryder's a god'?"

"Shut it." They walked until they were at the village's outer rim, where no one could hear them. "I'm probably going to check on him before we go. We can't risk him joining his buddies."

Ryder's eyebrows shot up and his smile disappeared a lot faster than she thought physically possible. His voice went from passive amusement to open concern. "He just woke up yesterday. He won't be swinging swords anytime soon."

"Maybe not. Can't hurt to check."

"Your big heart is gonna kill you one day," he said after a sigh. "I thought we hated Arendellians, anyway? We really should have just let him sink."

"Only repaying a debt. Starting today, he's on his own."

"Tell yourself that." Ryder looked sheepish for a minute or two, then spoke so low Honeymaren had to prick her ears up to make out his words. "Can I come?"

Honeymaren couldn't contain an honest chuckle. "Let's move, kid."

Even though Elsa was squinting harder than she ever did, the veil in front of her wasn't getting any clearer.

She could only see a small green patch below her feet following her as she advanced and Anna's hand, stuck around hers like a bear's jaw on its prey.

"I can't see past my nose," her sister said, a distinct fear weaving into the assurance she obviously tried to infuse into her trembling voice.

"I can't even see my nose," Kristoff added. "And it's freaking huge."

"Did you know enchanted forests are places of transformation?" Olaf's sentence made her and Anna gasp. "I'm curious to see what it has in store for each of us."

"Where did that come from?" Anna asked after a panicked yelp.

"Below you!"

The muffled rummaging from her left almost clawed a cry out of Elsa. Fortunately, Garret's calm voice—he sounded almost annoyed—prevented her from giving in to her impulse too early.

"Oh, sorry Olaf."

"Good thing I took my crossbow," Kristoff said from behind her. "I bet my aim's only getting deadlier with the fog,"

"Tell that to Garret," Anna teased.

She didn't have to see it, but Elsa knew that smile was already growing across his face.

"I can aim fine," he replied.

"I call cow piss!"

"That's not…"

"If you're that perceptive, then where am—AH!" Anna exclaimed. A tiny plop had echoed dangerously close to Elsa's ear, and she heard a ruffle at her side.

"Don't need to see," Garret said. That smile was now a toothy grin, Elsa could bet her life on it.

Anna was still rumpling her hair—surely massaging the point of impact. "That's not fair! I want your ears. Gimme."

"And I want to get out of here," Elsa added, shaking her head at their childish antics.

As soon as she finished her sentence, the weight of a hand pressed at the small of her back. Before she could process the embarrassment, the hand seemed to grow in size and covered her entire, then launched her forward with a strength that overrode her own walking.

Judging by the lack of tension on her arm—as well as the little shouts—everyone else was being pushed as well.

"Wow, wow, wow!"

"Calm down, calm down!"

The entire group was nearly propelled out of the dense cloud, the last tendrils of scintillating steam drizzling down their bodies to rejoin the bright mass. Elsa stared at the vaporous wall with wide eyes.

The slight opening sealed itself off and the veil stood back to its original impregnable state.

"Well, aren't we eager?" Anna said.

Kristoff dusted his sleeves and adjusted his crossbow over his shoulder. "What was that?"

Elsa stood closer and tried to examine it in more detail. Such a diffuse material wouldn't have been able to exert enough pressure to push such heavy bodies out of itself. It was obviously magic, maybe hers would elicit some kind of reaction?

She summoned her ice inside her right hand and shot it forward.

"No, Elsa, wai—" Anna started.

The blue gleam darted inside the wall… and immediately rushed out full speed as if it had been deflected by a barrier. The powerful burst of magic nearly missed her cheek and struck something behind her with a thump.

She then heard a faint sigh. Elsa and her insides turned as the realization of what—or rather, who—that was.

Garret stood tall, arms crossed, and face lifted to the sky, the fragments of her magic-heavy snow breaking down over it. He dissolved them away with a quick snap of his fingers, and slowly brought his head down while keeping his eyes sealed and lips pursed.

"Even when you don't do it on purpose, the universe decides I'm the butt of your jokes, I guess?" he said, though he sounded more entertained than she thought he'd be.

Elsa, however, wasn't entertained at all. She dashed at his side, heart racing, and frantically looked for the tiniest sign of injury.

"Oh spirits, Garret, I'm so terribly sorry! A-are you okay?"

She checked his face for crystal markings, his hair for any white strands. She looked once, twice in case she'd missed anything, thrice in case the panic had made her careless.

She didn't want them to, but the tears were already stinging the corners of her eyes.

Garret chuckled, gently grabbed the small hands that paced on his still cold face and lowered them.

"Yes, I'm fine. It didn't hurt," he said.

Though his tone was light, the light in his eyes was strong. Their green glint poured into her with that gentle yet unwavering gaze; he wasn't injured, and he wanted her to know he wasn't.

Elsa eventually relaxed, but she checked one last time—he wasn't the most expressive when it came to pain management. With a final relieved sigh, she tried the best she could to groom his hair back to their pre-ice-attack state, sneakily pushing his bang up a little bit higher than it used to be… which he immediately brought back down with a silly grin.

"Don't push your luck."

"I'll never stop fighting that thing," she responded with a light-hearted yet slightly shaking smile.

Anna put firm hands on her hips. "Great. We're locked inside. Let's hope there's a way to get out."

"Or we'll have to get used to red, I guess," Kristoff said, Sven bellowing in agreement at his side.

"At least the fog isn't covering the entire forest."

Elsa finally could get a good look at her surroundings.

The Red Forest wasn't just a name, and it still somehow didn't do justice to the panorama before her.

The forest hummed with life all around her. Elsa twirled about, gazing up at the canopy, searching for the birds that sang sweetly. Crimson rays broke through the cracks that twined the red cover above her, lighting up the dirt path ahead, decorated with outgrown roots, wildflowers and fallen leaves that crunched beneath her feet.

Elsa trudged on, taking in the fragrance of minty grass and the damp earth. Each inspiration was like water, fresh and cleansing, flowing freely into her lungs.

Her fingers unconsciously lifted to meet a rough tree bark, tickled by the light kiss of hanging moss.

"This forest is beautiful," she said once her breath came back to her.

Garret didn't look as enraptured if she was to believe his furrowed brows. "Well, you know what they say about frogs and bright colors..."

"Please don't lick the trees," Elsa replied without skipping a beat.

He immediately rolled his eyes. "I wasn't—ugh, nevermind. I'll go ahead."

He passed a chuckling Elsa and continued deeper into the woods, only for them both to be called by Anna's voice a little further to her right. After a quick exchange of puzzled glances, Elsa and Garret trotted to where the call had come from.

As soon as they reached her, Anna whistled loudly and gently pushed Kristoff to the side to reveal the scenery his body had been concealing.

Before them was an obsidian-shaded dam three hundred feet high. The mighty construct held up a lake the size of Arendelle's entire bay and merged with a broad span of Tuscany-blue steam hovering over it, making it appear like nature's amphitheater. The hollowness of the valley magnified all sounds, from burbling streams to the bumble of bees. The visage of the lake was veneer-clear and tranquil, flanked by an avenue of autumn cedar trees. Plip-plopping fish caused concentric rings to puff out and disappear as the air hummed all around them. A phalanx of flies was patrolling the water's edge, called into service by the fog-filtered light.

The view from that narrow walkway at the top must be incredible, Elsa thought.

Yet another panorama that would stick to her mind.

"The dam. Grandfather's papers described it," Anna said.

"Damn." Everyone turned to Kristoff, and three simultaneous sighs were heard, while Olaf exploded into laughter. Under his fiancée's disappointed glare, the mountain man winced and stroked the back of its neck. "It was right there…"

Elsa ignored his poor attempt at an apology and turned back to the greatest of Arendelle's constructions. "It's very majestic. They completed it in three years, apparently."

"Hopefully it'll last long," Kristoff said, having regained a serious tone. "Can't imagine the chaos if it breaks; the entire fjord could drown."

"The entire fjord? You mean, Arendelle too?"

"Yeah, Arendelle too. But this looks like solid work, it'll hold for a while. I still can't understand the location, though… Why put a dam there?"

"What do you mean?" Garret asked.

"If these Northuldra live inside, it does help concentrate the fertile soils closer to the habitable grounds, but stocking all that water upstream does them no favors in the long run. Half the forest will lack irrigation, and they can't use the river for transportation," he explained, pointing his finger towards the base and top of the construct. "It is a good solution to urgent watering needs, but not much more."

Anna gawked at Kristoff with giant eyes. "Since when are you an expert in dam engineering?"

"Don't need to be a genius, just common sense," he said with a shrug.

Elsa stood closer to the cliff's edge, her arms tightly knit together.

"I remember Grandfather mentioning it was a gift in one of his executive orders."

"A gift?" Garret asked, sounding more surprised than curious.

"A sign of friendship between Arendelle and the Northuldra," Elsa explained. "Unfortunately, they betrayed us not long after its completion."

Anna inched closer to her and held her hand once more. "So, they realized the dam might not have been that good a gift?"

"I don't think so, they must have known from the start," Kristoff said, his eyes grave. "They can't be that blind."

The group stared for a few more minutes. Elsa basked in the place's eldritch beauty, only magnified by the jet-black gloss of the dam's columns and arcades.

Anna eventually released Elsa's hand and clapped hers together. "No use sitting here wondering about that now. Have to find that scout camp."

She then disappeared inside the thick forest with lively steps, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf following her immediately.

Elsa stayed a little longer, confused as to why Garret was so silent and grim-faced.

"You look troubled," she said.

He crossed his arms, not letting his eyes leave the dam. "I'd lie if I said I wasn't."

"What do you have in mind?"

"This whole situation is very strange. The not-good side of strange…" he said, his right fist drifting up to cover his mouth.

He was right, it was a type of bizarre endeavor that had left her father's whole administration at a loss. She knew him to be a kind and voluntary leader, and Elsa was sure that his time inside the forest had been an enormous influence on his peaceful—albeit short—reign.

"I know. To lash at a new friendly country's first attempt at diplomacy is not something I would have expected either."

Garret vehemently shook his head. "You got it backwards. I'm more concerned about Arendelle's involvement."

It was Elsa's turn to be surprised.

"Huh? Why?"

"The poisoned gift is a strategy I've already seen before." Garret finally faced her with eyes tight in worry, the marks of honest concern marring his face. "That's how the Empire used to kickstart the colonies that didn't have a choice but to accept. Everything about this sounds dangerously close to that."

Something sank inside Elsa, crashing above her stomach like an anvil dropped from the top of her castle.

"Oh."

Was he suggesting that Arendelle had projected colonization?

That couldn't be it.

It couldn't make sense with how openly friendly they had been to the Northuldra.

She had studied the history of Northuldra and Arendellian relations. The first efforts had been initiated by King Runeard's father and followed upon by his son. A diplomatic relationship that new would have been dangerous ground to use as a vessel for dominion.

That couldn't be it.

The toll of war within foreign territory would be too heavy to bear. Unless he had used the dam as an excuse to scout that same territory, which…

…is a very tangible possibility.

Elsa had heard the stories about her grandfather from her own father. He hadn't been ruthless, he hadn't been bloodthirsty, he hadn't been greedy. Why would he want a colony?

Garret seemed to perceive the intense mind exploration she was partaking in, and with a small smile put a hand over her shoulder.

"Let's not draw early conclusions, though. We don't have enough elements right now. We should probably go."

The tornado inside her head quieted down, its last gales washing the traces of panic away.

He was right. They would have the time to investigate the matters of Arendelle's past once its future would be freed from a potential catastrophe.

With a firm nod, she walked behind him, the minutes passing by in a blur while they traversed the now very quiet rows and rows of gold and scarlet autumn trees.

Across the first clearing, the laughs of a little girl rang against her ear, fading away as soon as she whirled around.

She could hear a few leaves rifling together, their scrunches and munches an insolent nag playing with her sense of direction.

"Something there? Garret asked.

"I heard a noise."

"What?"

"A giggle. The same one Pabbie showed me."

Garret called for his bow and nocked an arrow on the string, his eyes alert. "Is it a spirit?"

"I think…"

They stayed mute from then on, waiting for a spirit that seemingly loved to play hide-and-seek. They stood vigilant, watching for any small twitch, every little swish and whir.

Elsa's eyes jumped here and there, following an evasive shadow that somehow knew how to stay concealed in the corner of her field of view, hidden from her wary scrutiny.

It probably ran.

Their acute observation and heightened senses were thrown into a frenzy when Anna's voice boomed from behind a thicket in front of them.

"Elsa! Garret! Come quick!"

Exchanging a sigh and vaporizing their magic, the pair hurried ahead and joined Anna and Kristoff on the edge of a slight slope that looked out into a large treeless opening, free of visual obstruction, and at the end of which Elsa perceived the reason why her sister had sounded distraught.

"You told me the scout camp was a mile or two outside the forest, right Garret?" Anna said.

"Aye."

"Doesn't that big pile of burnt ash look like it could be it?"

Elsa's throat tightened at the sight unfolding before her eyes.

A gigantic square of scorched earth, charred ash and calcinated metal surrounded what must have been a wooden tower of which only the frame now barely protruded from the ground, its strips of wood fused together into blackish molasses by relentless flames.

The veil was mere feet away from the area's limits.

"Oh, God."

"Please, no…" Elsa let out.

The mile they jogged felt a lot shorter than that; their steps were maybe more rapid from sheer anxiety? Soon enough, they were able to make out the blackened surface more precisely.

Garret's voice dropped an octave and sounded like a horn in the surrounding silence.

"I'll go check, you stay put."

"I'm coming," Elsa replied immediately. To his scowl, she responded with a determined nod. "Garret, please. I'm not waiting here and leaving you in potential danger alone."

"I'm coming too," Anna said.

Garret rolled his eyes but still smiled. He knew fighting their resolve would be pointless.

"All right. Full party it is."

The group walked closer and stood at the edge of the burned area, letting Garret alone trudge beyond the limit to inspect it in further detail.

He rummaged to the left, examined the remains of an equipment crate to the right, turned over a dozen burnt planks, then stood up while drawing a long breath.

"There was little doubt with the tower, but this was the camp. The veil must have gotten closer suddenly." He came back to them, his eyes grave but shining with hope. "Good and bad news. Good news, there are no bodies and no traces of blood, so they most likely got out of here alive. Bad news, they didn't pick up their equipment, so if they're alive, they're defenseless…" He clicked his tongue. "That damn Rutger even left his armor."

Elsa could now finally breathe, her hand shooting up to her heart in relief. "Thank the heavens. I'd much rather decorate slightly undone shirts than coffins. We have to find them."

"Is there a trail we can follow?" Anna asked.

Garret turned to the best tracker in their group. "Kristoff?"

"Not much. Sven isn't picking up any scent. This is old. But there's something weird…" The reindeer waved its muzzle and neighed towards its owner and friend. "He says there's another burned site, much more recent. Out there," Kristoff resumed, his finger pointed towards the lushest part of the forest.

Anna drew Blue out of its sheath. "Do we want to go there?"

"It's not like we don't have two snow cannons to extinguish fires or anything…"

She chortled and conceded the point with a quick tilt of her head. "Then let's be on our merry way."

Elsa acquiesced too, but her mind wandered into a gloomy void when her eyes fell once again upon the cinders next to her feet.

She tried hard not to fabricate the screams and cries of her own citizens, but her imagination was a bit too fast for her. They had been in danger because of Arendelle.

Garret's voice snapped her out of her morbid reverie.

"You okay?"

She gave him a gentle smile, and his shoulder a soft rub.

"I don't know, truthfully… But thank you for asking."

Honeymaren stealthily stood next to the rocky alcove's entrance, sweeping her surroundings for any suspicious movement. For once, stumbling upon Arendellians would be the lesser evil.

Fortunately, not a single soul was around, and only her brother's jerky breaths reached her ears.

She could call for him without delay.

"You still there?" she whispered, directing her voice towards the shroud of darkness inside the cave.

The silence lasted for mere seconds, and a deep voice answered her question. "I'm growing on you, Northuldra. Next thing I know you're going to be bringing me flowers."

Lieutenant Mattias' head popped out of the obscurity. He was leaning against the cold stone, his entire body limp and frail over the makeshift leafy bed she had confectioned. His near-drowning had been hard on him, but he was on the mend. Honeymaren was fairly sure he could now move on his own.

"Get over your head, this is the last time I want to see you," she said while stepping inside.

The Arendellian grinned. "Oh, and junior's here, too."

Ryder was not grinning. "Call me that one more time and you'll wish that water had eaten you."

"Sorry. I just thought we were becoming friends," the Arendellian retorted with an exaggeratedly disappointed shrug.

"You saved his life, we saved yours. Don't look that much into it," Honeymaren said.

She dropped to her knees and put her small satchel next to him. A quick examination told her his legs were now rested enough to support his weight—the trembles and shakes had died down. He had enough strength to move around on his own.

She then untied the knot at her small bag's very top, allowing it to spill its content over the clean cloth—a chunk of dried meat, a small gourd of freshwater, a few pieces of wholemeal bread and two apples.

"Here, these should last you today and tomorrow morning. Rest. Go back to your camp. And hope we never meet again," she explained.

"Indeed."

He shuffled on his spot, his hands hovering over the little supplies they had brought him. Honeymaren stood back up, nodded curtly to wish him luck and promptly proceeded to exit the cave.

Before she could step outside, his voice reached her again.

"Why?"

Honeymaren turned around. "There are a lot of answers to that question. Be more specific."

The Arendellian's eyes stayed glued to the food at his side. "Even if I did what I did, why not leave me behind? You were in danger too. You could have avoided getting that nasty burn."

Honeymaren exchanged a fleeting glance with Ryder, quietly evaluating what to say.

"It didn't seem right," she finally said.

"Northuldra," Mattias called with a chuckle. He lifted his eyes so they'd meet hers. "Stop acting tough."

Honeymaren scoffed and exited the small alcove, Ryder following closely.

The return trip to the village started as uneventfully as their morning's stroll. Crossing the eastern parts of the Forest was easy enough when one knew what not to follow, and more importantly, what noise not to make—Honeymaren knew them all too well.

Which made the small ruffles she perceived farther to her right all the more concerning. A prick of her ears suddenly caught something that shouldn't have been there. A voice.

"Wait, Sis'. You hear that?" Ryder whispered.

"I do."

They both stopped, their wooden spears now unstrapped from their makeshift sheaths.

"This is way too early for the patrol. It's not even the right area."

"Hush. Be prepared."

The voice was drawing closer, she only needed to set up an ambush. The next instructions she gave Ryder with nothing but signs of her hands.

Stay low, I go up. Don't attack until I attack. Run if problem.

He nodded in comprehension, leaving her to climb the highest tree she could find in the immediate vicinity.

She settled on the thickest branch, nestled like a hawk on her perch, scrutinizing the ground below her with a keen and attentive eye.

The source of the unwelcome noise appeared a few minutes later. A huge man with blond hair and a strange leather jacket was aimlessly meandering about with a crossbow hanging over his shoulder and a reindeer that somehow looked as lost as he was directly on his tail.

He unknowingly came directly under her, setting himself up perfectly. There was her opportunity.

She slid out of her branch and sliced through the air, falling towards the ground behind his back. She landed with feline grace, immediately stood up and brandished her spear, pointing it at the intruder's neck.

She could see the hair on his nape stand up when she threw a vicious whisper.

"Drop the crossbow."

His hands slowly rose, and he risked a look at her over his shoulder. She had expected that, there was nothing she could do about it. What she wasn't expecting was the small cocky smile that appeared once he could see her.

It was already too late when she realized what had happened. The cold of a steel sword's flat was gently pressing over her own shoulder—she could see the radiant glint of its blade.

He hadn't been alone. Yet she hadn't heard anyone else.

Who were these people?

"Drop the spear," a feminine voice said.

"Wha—"

"We don't want this to get ugly. Drop the spear. Please."

There was no choice but to obey. Honeymaren abdicated and let her weapon fall with a thud to the humid grass.

At least Ryder's sa—

"Maren!"

Her brother jumped out of a giant grove and dove towards the woman behind her.

But there were two of them. And he was alone.

The panic she had been holding back washed over her.

"No, stay back!" she screamed.

Ryder ran fast enough to catch at least one of them short, but the hit never landed. A hissing sound rumbled at his feet, and he was pinned to the ground in an instant.

With a puzzled grunt, he dropped his gaze and released a small cry of surprise. His soles were held together, encased in crystal ice solid enough to resist his attempts at freeing them yet clear enough to let his shoes show through.

"Please don't move."

The sentence had come from a third person—a very pale and strangely clothed platinum blonde woman with arms outstretched.

"What—What is this?!" Ryder exclaimed.

Honeymaren had one chance. She took the opportunity offered by the fleeting moment of distraction provoked by Ryder's appearance and darted down. She pushed the sword away with the palm of her right hand, using her left to grab her spear and pull herself away from the two strangers' reach.

She rolled on her back and kneeled, but another chill ran down her spine. Steam flowed above her head, and when her eyes lifted, they were met by the tip of a frozen arrow and similarly icy bow, behind which a red-headed man's gaze drilled at her.

"I'd listen to the girl," he said. "We just want to talk."

"You're Northuldra, right?" The pale woman lowered her hands and focused on Ryder. The ice encasings over his feet slowly receded into nothingness. "We mean no harm."

Honeymaren could not believe her eyes.

"Magic…" she said. "…from Arendellians?"

"No, stop!"

There was someone else? No, she recognized that voice. It was that Lieutenant.

"They're… They're friendly!" Mattias said, grabbing onto a nearby tree's trunk to avoid falling headfirst to the ground. He looked tired. Had he followed them?

"The arrow pointed at my neck disagrees with you," Honeymaren said.

"Not… Not talking to you. I'm talking to my soldiers," he explained, his breath still short. "I heard the voices and came running. Thank you for listen—Wait."

The red-haired swordswoman sheathed her weapon while her eyes grew larger. "That's an Arendellian sigil!"

"Yes, I have the same one," the ice archer said.

Honeymaren scoffed. "A bit young to be your soldiers."

The Lieutenant had not looked that grave since the encounter with the Fire.

"Who are you?" he asked, his brows furrowed.

"Lieutenant Mattias!" the swordswoman said.

Those same brows arched up. He now seemed more surprised than Honeymaren was. "I'm sorr—Does this—Do I know you?"

The woman walked closer to him, a bright smile on her face. "Library, second portrait on the left. You were our father's official guard!"

"Your father's… Wait, you're Agnarr's children?!" The light returned to his eyes as comprehension fell upon him. "Then…" He immediately knelt, his right hand over his heart. "Your Majesty!"

"Oh, that's flattering, but my sister's the queen, actually. I'm Anna Arnadalr, First Princess. This is Kristoff, soon to be Prince Consort." 'Kristoff' waved with a nervous half-grin. "This is Sven, his best friend."

"I'm Elsa, Queen of Arendelle," the pale woman said as she stood right next to her sister. "A pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Mattias."

The shock of having another Arendelle ruler inside the Forest pulsed inside Honeymaren like lightning. And it wasn't even the strangest thing she had yet seen; a talking, walking snowman had just wobbled out a thicket.

"I'm Olaf! Let me tell you a story of two sisters who bra—"

"It's kind of you but I'm not sure we have enough time, Olaf," Elsa interrupted. She motioned towards the arrow-wielding redhead in front of Honeymaren. "And finally, this is Garret. Who just happens to be a Lieutenant for Arendelle and my personal guard."

Garret gave a sharp salute. The ice bow had disappeared, but he still kept a watchful eye over both her and Ryder.

Mattias got back up. "It is my honor to meet you, my liege. And you too, new me, even if you don't sound Arendellian."

"Adopted. Long story."

His mouth stretched into a nostalgic smile. "Agnarr and the sweet little girl made it back… What a relief. Did they come with you?"

Anna and Elsa's cheeks paled slightly, and both their gazes dropped to the ground.

"Unfortunately, our parent's ship was lost to the Southern Sea six years ago," the younger sister said, her voice low.

Mattias drew a sharp breath. The pain barely showed on his features, but it was there.

Although she didn't have a reason to, Honeymaren sympathized with his grief. Just a bit.

"I thought that not seeing him again was a possibility. He was a good boy, I was proud to be his guardian," he said, regaining a more cheerful expression. "You both look a lot like him. I see him in your faces."

Anna clasped her hands together and looked like she was about to melt on her spot. "Really?"

Honeymaren could only stare, wide-eyed in puzzlement.

They went from 'ready-to-kill' to 'smiles-and-laughs' a bit too fast here.

"There's an entire contingent of Arendelle's military inside this forest. We may be getting on our years, but we will serve the crown with pri—"

"Wait," Honeymaren said. She shifted into a more comfortable sitting position. "I don't know exactly what happened here…"

"Your grampa slaughtered us," Ryder spat.

Elsa winced and took a step back. "…we wish no harm. Please, understand that. I'm here to try and lift the fog." She put a hand over her heart. "Someone has called me here."

Then… Oh.

Honeymaren was starting to get a sense of what was happening. Yelena had been correct after all.

"Was your ice there since your birth?"

"Yes, it was. Garret received it when he was older, but around the time I was born. I'd like to know why. Is there anything you know that could help us? Please?"

"I know someone who might."

The queen's face started radiating pure, raw hope. "Can you take us to them?"

"What if I say no?" Honeymaren asked with a lifted eyebrow and crossed arms.

Elsa was taken aback. "I… I mean… That wouldn't be very nice?"

Honeymaren repressed a chuckle. These people couldn't be killers. Except for that soldier, maybe.

"I have one condition," she said as she lifted her index finger. "Will the Arendellians listen to you?"

"Will they, Lieutenant?" Elsa asked.

Mattias nodded with confidence. "I'll make sure they will."

"Then, swear to me that they'll stay away from us. And that you're here for the truth."

Elsa clasped her hands in her back and nodded with a solemn air. "I swear."

Diplomacy and negotiation were not Honeymaren's strong suit. But there was a way to check whether this Elsa was lying or not.

If they had been there to kill her, they already would have. And if they wanted to reach the village, this test would prove it.

In her situation, she didn't have much of a choice.

"Great. Ryder? Go to Yelena, tell her to meet me at the lake, right next to the rose field."

He looked like she had just suggested to strike her with her own spear. "Wait, what? Are you kidding me? We're just fine with this?"

"She swore."

"I swear all the damn time, that doesn't mean crap, damn it!"

"Calm down, kid. And go. She has to come alone, don't tell her why."

Honeymaren stood straight and discreetly twisted her ring finger around her pinky. He knew what that meant.

Ryder sighed, stared at the Arendellians in contempt, then rushed away from the small clearing.

Honeymaren threw an amused smile towards the newcomers. "You'll go with me. Not you, Butt Stick. You go back as we agreed."

Mattias crossed his arms and somehow looked even more serious. "I won't let my queen and princess alone."

"I'm with them, Lieutenant," Garret said. "And they can hold their own anyway. We'll find the Arendellian camp. Don't worry about us."

"You look like you're in no condition," Elsa added. "Please, get some rest. Tell the others that we came for them. We came to bring them home."

Mattias was at a loss for words. He relented with a quick nod and bowed his head in acknowledgment.

"Well, then. Shall we be on our way?" Honeymaren said.

"Lead on," Kristoff answered.

After a last exchange with Mattias, the Arendellians followed her into the woods.

Walking around with four of them on her tail was less stressful than she thought it'd be. The two ice-wielders stayed mute the entire way, but Anna, Kristoff and that snowman's chatter was an uninterrupted flow of often pointless words.

She would have been annoyed at it under any other circumstances, but Honeymaren was too focused on finding ways to elongate their trip without tipping anyone off.

Yelena had to reach the lake first—Honeymaren couldn't risk her glimpsing her guests and deciding not to show up, or worse: show up with the entire village. Ryder was fast, but the old woman not so much.

Half an hour was a realistic timeline—if nobody in the group noticed they were basically drawing circles.

"Maren, was it?" Garret eventually asked. His voice had startled her.

"Honeymaren to you."

"Understood. Tell me, why use a spear when you're obviously more comfortable with a bow?"

She turned to face him, her eyes narrowed. "What?"

Both him and Elsa were way too sheepish looking. "Your stance was rigid yet balanced. You're trained, but you clocked in a lot more hours with arrows."

He had a keen eye. Her father had tried to teach her the different stances for years, with little success.

"What makes you think I want to discuss combat training with a potential enemy?"

"Oh, you know. Similar trade. Thought we might exchange tips. No pun intended."

What is he talking about?

"Well, I'll be frank, I don't care enough right now. We're almost there anyway."

The lake was indeed not far. Honeymaren sighted Yelena's crouching silhouette at the water's edge, her white locks gently flowing with the wind.

"Yelena," she called as soon as she was within earshot.

The village chief turned around in a slow movement, and for the first time in memory, Honeymaren saw surprise flash inside Yelena's eyes as they crossed Elsa's. No, not surprise. Hurt.

Maybe this wasn't that good an idea…

The poor woman stared aghast at the Arendellian, and Honeymaren saw the twinkle of tears shine through her empty eyes. Was the sense of betrayal that strong?

She prepared to drop to her knees and ask for forgiveness while the guilt sank in, but Yelena's breathless and shaky voice was faster and broke the ghastly wail of the breeze around them.

"Iduna?"

AN: Thank you for reading!

And I'm terribly sorry I've been this late!

- Work has taken over my life for half a month (inventory season), then lockdown came (I live in Europe). Motivation was hard to come by, I won't lie. Spending all my time at home, alone, while having to work, didn't make for a good writing mood.

- I was planning to use my last buffer for this one, but I wasn't happy with how it turned out, so I rewrote it from scratch. Deleting those 7k words was hard, but IMO necessary.

- Also, I made the wonderful mistake of discovering Persona 4 Golden, and spent every waking non-working hour on it for two weeks straight. That was my bad. If you're in the mood for amazing writing (a bit unsubtle, I agree, but amazing nonetheless), good characters and plot, along with good gameplay, I can't recommend it enough.

I apologize again, and hope I didn't make you wait too long.

Speaking of Persona, the next chapter's theme is The Path is Open, from the Persona 4 Golden soundtrack.

As always, anything you have to say is very welcome!

That's all for now, see you next time.

Peace,

CalAm.