Iduna
Elsa simply stared, still trying to make sense of what she had just witnessed.
What did it just say?
The Spirit observed them in complete silence for a second too much, then leaned in towards the closest person – an Arendellian soldier whose teeth chatter she could hear all the way from where she was.
"You're still humans, right?"
After the Nokk's silent judgment and Logi's grave pronouncements, this was... unexpected. She tried to chase the image of her people encaged and focused on the oddly sheepish simian in front of her.
"We are," she managed, earning a face whirl at breakneck speed – quite literally – from the Spirit. "Though I'm not entirely sure whether we should be talking to you."
"Oh, thank the core!" it exclaimed, shifting through multiple forms and sizes in its enthusiasm. "If I listened to the boss, we wouldn't be talkin' at all, but you passed my trial so I do what I want, and you guys get a free session."
The Spirit settled into a smaller monkey while it zigzagged through the still recovering poor souls and stopped before Elsa, building back up into a gorilla and extending a large hand.
"'Grats, by the way. I'm Bergrisi."
She eyed it – him? Was it a him? – with suspicion deliberately left unconcealed.
"Come on, cous'!" the Spirit said, throwing his arms up. "Logi almost fried you and I get the cold shoulder?" He snorted at that. "Sorry, bad joke. But seriously, Snow Queen. You should get used to life-and-death stuff. That's not stoppin' anytime soon."
Elsa crossed her arms. "Logi didn't intentionally put my family, my friends, and my people in danger unprovoked."
"She would have killed them too if you'd messed up," Bergrisi said, and this time his voice was a rumble that even Elsa could feel was closer to how a spirit of legend should sound. "These are trials. We ain't completely ourselves until they're done, and no one inside the forest is outta reach. Don't forget that."
"Is that a threat?"
"Nope. Just a warning. Us spirits are pretty nice all things considered. The boss might surprise you."
"The… boss?"
"Yeah. Big starsky thingy with a lot of voices? That's our boss. We're all a bit miffed cuz they said we would be. Spoiler alert, the last trial's theirs. You're up for a tall order, Your Snowniness."
Bergrisi looked at her for a moment, then at the Arendellians massed around them.
Was that pain? On a gorilla's face?
"For what it's worth, I'm real sorry about all that. The part of me that wasn't angry knew y'all would make it." He got closer and put a hand to the side of his mouth. "Cage people won't remember a thing, if that's any comfort."
Elsa sighed and turned to Anna and Garret for some measure of reassurance. Both seemed fine, if completely speechless. Garret was focusing on her shoulders somewhat, and before she could start wondering why, his eyes narrowed in what she could only assume was still hazy confusion. It was when he met her gaze with a frown that she understood why. She smiled, small and bittersweet.
You noticed, huh?
Ryder, who had been standing frozen since the spirit had first spoken, made a strangled sound that might have been a laugh or a whimper. Honeymaren placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Kristoff said slowly, "but aren't you supposed to be... more..."
"Formal?" Honeymaren suggested.
"Mysterious?" Anna offered.
"Terrifying?" Olaf squeaked out.
"Dignified?" Elsa finished.
Bergrisi waved a long arm. "You try maintaining mystical aura for a few centuries. Gets old real quick. We're immortal, not unbreakable." Then he morphed into a chimp. Elsa still had trouble getting used to the Spirit moving from ape to monkey every few seconds like he couldn't quite decide which suited him best. "Besides, pretty sure you chirpy three had enough serious during the trial, yeah?"
Elsa couldn't argue with that. She glanced at Ryder, who looked like he was still processing everything that had happened, then at Kristoff, who was doing his best not to stare at Anna like she could pop out of existence at any moment.
The Earth Spirit followed her gaze, his own expression softening into something more thoughtful.
"Speaking of the trial..." Bergrisi scratched his chin, studying Ryder with quiet intensity. "You, deceptively quiet young man. Good call on the pearl. You like reindeer, right?"
The question seemed to startle Ryder out of his daze. He looked around as if checking whether the spirit could be talking to someone else, then gave a hesitant nod.
"Alriiiiight." Bergrisi's face split into a grin as he held up his hand closer to him. "Give me some."
Elsa watched in growing amusement Ryder rooted to his spot, clearly having no idea how to respond to the rocky offer. Behind her, she heard Anna trying to muffle what sounded suspiciously like snorts.
Bergrisi waited a moment, then heaved a dramatic sigh that rustled leaves. With an exaggerated sway of his shoulders, he ambled over, manually arranged a terrified Ryder's arm into a high-five position, returned, and delivered an enthusiastic clap that echoed through the trees.
"Ouh yeah!"
Honeymaren looked like she was trying very hard not to burst into laughter. Garret, who had been quiet until then, spoke up.
"So, what's your deal? If Fire's trust and Water's truth, what do you represent?"
The answer came from Ryder and Honeymaren instead of the primate.
"Balance."
Bergrisi's grin widened, showing a startling number of teeth. "Exactly. I'm all about that balance, baby. Yin and yang, push and pull, mountains and pits, carbs and proteins, all that good stuff."
"That would make you… the peacemaker of the spirits?" Elsa asked.
"Or the crap-stirrer, depending on how calm things are." Bergrisi then pointed at Ryder. "Kinda like ya, reindeer boy. But not like ya, spear lady."
Honeymaren raised an amused eyebrow. "That supposed to be us?"
"Yuh-huh. I would have called you 'Mar' and 'Ry', but your old man always thought those were just his. Shame really, we woulda been a rocking team."
Bergrisi snickered, but something changed in the siblings' expressions. Ryder's hand flew to his pocket where she knew his father's pearl had been, and for once Honeymaren didn't try to mask the shine in her eyes. Her usual calm demeanor cracked just enough to show the little girl who must have beamed every time her father had called her that name. They both exchanged a look then, one that evoked memories Elsa could almost see dancing in the space between them, before they collected themselves way too fast for her taste.
Grandfather... Why cause all this?
Anna, who had gotten rid of any trace of doubt in her expression, practically vibrated with contained questions and finally burst out:
"You're sooooo different! Is there a reason? N-not that that's bad!" she added quickly. "Just not really what we imagined? Logi was all..." She dropped her voice to a dramatic grumble. "Mortals, your heart must be cleansed by the inferno of my bosom."
Elsa pressed her lips together, trying to maintain some dignity as Queen, but she couldn't quite help the quick chortle that escaped when Bergrisi rolled his eyes so hard his whole body seemed to rotate.
"Yeah, she talks like that. Also does that mind speakin' thing. That's what she does."
Elsa glanced at her companions, trying to gauge their reactions. Anna was delighted, her earlier wariness completely forgotten. Kristoff seemed torn between amusement and lingering surprise, while Garret had settled into a cautious sort of fascination. Honeymaren was grinning openly now, clearly enjoying the spirit's irreverence. Only Ryder still looked shell-shocked, rubbing his palm absently.
Elsa felt yet another twinge of guilt at that. He'd taken it the hardest out of them three. The spirit must have seen something in her expression judging by his tone when he spoke again.
"I know it wasn't easy." He turned to Kristoff and Ryder, his voice gentling. "You three. Good job. Balance is harder to find when the ground's shakin'. You impressed me. It doesn't happen often. Last time, y'all barely knew how to write."
Ryder cleared his throat, brows knit in uncertain curiosity. "Is... is it gone?"
Bergrisi winced. "Yeah, lil' buddy. Wouldn't be a trial if I just gave it back to you."
"Okay, seriously," Anna interjected. "Why do you talk like… a person?"
Bergrisi considered the question. Then he shrugged.
"Eh, always was like that. I'm a chatty one, and I already spent too much time gallivantin' around here, so I gotta split before the boss gets around to smitin' me. Just one last thing, your Snowflakeness." He went back to his rumbling voice, the one that vibrated against her with each word. "There's always a great stabilizer, a big equalizer. It's the boss' whole schtick about needin' a balance for everything – between normal and borin', between tomorrow's lunch and a country's future, between unknown and dangerous. You're the key to all this. Stick to your balance. You ain't gettin' to Ahtohallan without it. As for the truth of Earth, it's pretty simple if you ask me."
Bergrisi jumped to the nearest tree, taking on the body of the smallest macaque she'd seen him showcase.
"Balance needed a sacrifice no one wanted to make."
Much like Logi before him, he bore into her with a gravity she wouldn't have suspected. Even larger, somehow, thanks to Bergrisi's way with words. Like the fate of more than just her kingdom was played with. The Spirit smiled.
"Ah, don't sweat it too much. You wouldn't have made it this far if you weren't up for the job." His gaze turned knowing one last time and went to the Northuldra siblings before coming back. "Happy huntin'."
Elsa met his brilliant yellow eyes, seeing understanding there, and something that could be put close to respect. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly.
"Thank you."
And with that, the macaque plunged downward, disappearing into the ground like it was a grassy lake and only leaving behind a single tremor.
"No pressure," Kristoff muttered, echoing her thoughts.
Anna elbowed him, but Elsa could see the concern in her eyes.
Honeymaren shook her head, a rueful smile plastered over her lips. "All this time, Dad tried to sell us a solemn entity of ancient knowledge when he's actually just the mix of an overexcited kid and an earthquake."
Her arm found its way around Ryder's shoulders, pulling him close in a gesture Elsa had done herself that very morning. Ryder leaned into his sister's embrace, some of the tension draining from his frame as she whispered something in his ear. The reverence in their eyes reawakened something in Elsa's chest; a familiar longing she didn't like revisiting.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a chorus of gasps and exclamations from behind. She turned to find the Arendellians staring in wonder at what had previously been their makeshift camp. Where tents and rough-hewn shelters had stood battered by the trial a few minutes beforehand, neat stone cottages had risen from earth, their walls smooth and sturdy. Warm light spilled from windows, and smoke swirled in inviting and homey curls from fresh chimneys. The barren fields beyond had transformed into lush croplands with plants standing tall and healthy in neat rows. Even the trees around them looked like they burst with life anew.
Fire and Earth, working together.
One of the girls tugged at her mother's sleeve, eyes wide. "Didn't you say...?"
"Yes. That's what a house looks like, sweetheart." The soldier's voice wavered as she took in the sight. "Good old houses."
The Arendellians drifted back toward their transformed home in twos and threes, their expressions both confusion and joy. Some seemed to have already forgotten the spirit's visit, chatting excitedly about the new amenities as if they'd always been there. Mattias moved through the group, directing people to examine the buildings while Anna and Kristoff followed in his wake, helping out wherever they could. Her future brother-in-law still looked somewhat stunned.
And Anna hasn't mentioned the scarf yet, Elsa thought, her hand drifting on its own to where the familiar weight was sorely missing.
"If I noticed it, she definitely did."
Garret's voice had come from just behind her right shoulder, gentle and calm. Elsa couldn't help the small sigh that escaped.
"And here I was thinking she wasn't staring at me quite so intently."
"Sorry about that..." He shifted on his feet, that endearing uncertainty creeping into his tone. "And sorry about the scarf. I know how much it meant to you."
"It was important, yes..." Elsa paused, held his gaze. "…but not the most important."
Garret's eyes softened. "At least we get a resplendent new village out of it," he said, sweeping over the transformed camp before returning to her and the excited Arendellians, a playful glint surfacing.
Laughter sprang before Elsa could stop it, quiet but impossible to contain.
"I appreciate you laughing at that, but I don't think it deserved that much politeness," he said, his confused grin so genuine it almost set her off again.
It felt good to laugh after everything that had happened, the last of her stress fading thanks to Garret's familiar warmth. She took a couple of breaths before speaking, a single eyebrow raised at him.
"Resplendent?"
"What of it?"
"You and your fancy words..." She shook her head. "Sometimes you get one out like it's the most normal thing in the world. Who says resplendent besides a play character?"
His eyes sparked with that particular mischief that usually preceded some sort of trouble, a slow smirk growing.
"Oh, you're making fun of the vocabulary I specifically expanded so you didn't have to listen to my sorry bum say 'you're shitting me' every time something happens?"
"Hey!" She went for scandalized but couldn't quite decide how, ending in a perfectly ineffective mix of a squeak and a chuckle while a fuzzy feeling spreading through her chest at his playful defiance. Her hand shot up to lightly swat his shoulder. "This is not an excuse! Spirits, whatever must I do to keep things appropriate."
"You were asking for this one."
"Okay, fine. I'll get you a thesaurus for your birthday."
His grin widened and she knew immediately she'd walked into something.
"Don't bother..." His smile turned impish as he shifted even closer, voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Already have one."
She blinked, thrown off balance by both the words and his proximity. Not only she didn't know where he'd purchase it, she also didn't know with what money – those books were so expensive even her castle only had two.
"You bought a thesaurus?"
"Nope."
"Who...?"
"Anna."
"...why?"
"She heard us mention my slips at some point." He shrugged. "She thought we were being serious, and that it would, uh... help."
Oh, Anna.
The simplest explanations.
"At least now you can show off at parties," Elsa said.
"I've had a game for a few," he confided, still leaning in like he was sharing a secret. "I try to sneak in three new words at every reception. Last time, I managed taradiddle, vicissitudes and antediluvian."
Elsa stared at him, running through as many scenarios as she could where those words wouldn't sound terribly misplaced. There weren't a lot, and all involved quite a few drinks she knew he never had.
"How?"
"Forgot, to be quite honest. They did look at me funny, though. Also, do I get to point out you know what those meant?"
The picture surfaced then – dignitaries who usually tried to monopolize her attention suddenly finding urgent business elsewhere after brief conversations with her Lieutenant. She smiled fondly at him, understanding blooming. How many times had he deliberately played the verbose soldier to spare her from tedious small talk?
She sighed again, contentment settling over her.
"I want in on that game too." A particular memory sparked; both of them on a pier, far from Arendelle. "And you did call me ravishing once, so I guess that was always something you did."
His cheeks colored slightly at that, but he made no move to pull away. "That was more than two years ago. Talk about words having an impact."
She nodded. "You gave me my first Garret speech right after." Then, almost without thinking, she said, "We should go back to London sometime after all this is done."
His eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. "I didn't peg you for a megapolis type."
"It would certainly be a change of decor."
"Well, then. We could take Anna and Kristoff?"
"And leave the kingdom unsupervised?"
"A few days can't hurt. Olaf can hold everyone at bay for an entire week with random factoids alone, and my boy Kai can handle the rest."
Elsa chuckled and patted his shoulder. "You still have no idea how Arendelle runs, dear."
With that, they made their way back toward the transformed camp where the Arendellians were still marveling at their new dwellings, and they stood next to Anna and Kristoff. Elsa simply breathed in, sharing the intoxicating joy, though her heart ached at how so simple a comfort could provoke such wonder.
Mattias approached them, his rigid posture tempered by what seemed to be relief.
"The siblings asked for some time alone," he said. "Can't blame them, after what just happened."
Anna nodded, her own expression a mix of sympathy and lingering worry. Elsa knew her sister was probably thinking of the scarf.
"I took quick inventory," Mattias continued. "And I think... with what we have, and the sugar left from our beets... we could manage a few eplepais."
"Traditional apple pies," Elsa whispered over her shoulder when she heard Garret slightly lean toward her.
Anna's entire face lit up. "Oh, I love those!"
"Then we'll give it our best shot," Mattias declared with a mock salute that drew chuckles from several nearby soldiers. Their eyes shone with an enthusiasm that spoke of more than just dessert—it was finally something normal, away from the hurdles of survival.
"Oh, no, you don't have to—" Anna started, suddenly flustered. Her hands waved in that familiar way that meant she was about to launch into one of her ramblings. "I mean, I couldn't possibly expect—it's not an order or anything—"
Mattias simply laughed. "Don't worry, Your Highness. We love them too."
As the excitement settled and people began organizing themselves for the task ahead, Elsa noticed a subtle shift in his movements. That hint of playfulness gave way to something more serious with how he slightly tensed.
"While they're preparing," he said. "We could take a moment to finally talk? I swear, if another world-ending event shows up..."
Elsa gave him a short laugh, but her nerves acted up at what was to come. "...I'll make sure it waits for its turn."
Garret and Kristoff exchanged a single look. They'd grown good at reading these situations.
"We should probably go help," Garret said, already half-turned toward the bustle of activity.
Anna's little smile toward Kristoff was genuine, though he returned it somewhat stiffly.
"You can stay if you want, boys," she clarified, just in case. Something Elsa should probably have done before her.
"The pies are Arendelle's highest order of business," Garret said, clapping Kristoff's shoulder. The mountain man nodded before Garret could even finish. "Share it with us later if you think it's relevant."
When they walked away, Elsa caught Anna's eyes following Kristoff, saw the way her sister's hands flexed briefly before stilling. What had passed between them was going to linger unless they did something about it.
The trek up the small hill they spent in silence, until they reached the clearing overlooking the transformed Arendellian camp. Below them, Kristoff and Garret were helping organize supplies into the new stone buildings, their figures small but distinct.
Mattias – Destin, Elsa reminded herself – settled onto a fallen log, his movements carrying the weight of memories she could almost see pressing down on his shoulders. Anna stood cross-armed beside her, and Elsa remained standing too, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.
"Your father... he used to sit somewhere very much like this inside the castle. Always said he wanted birches back when he was just a boy who'd sneak away from his lessons to bury himself in his books."
Anna shifted closer to Elsa, their shoulders touching. Destin's words stirred something deep and bittersweet for them both, it seemed.
"I was assigned as his personal guard when he was six. King Runeard wanted someone to keep his son in line, make sure he didn't stray too far from proper Arendellian ways," he said. "But Agnarr was different. More open, less cautious. He saw wonder where others saw wilderness. Especially when it came to your mother. And your mother..." He turned to look at them both, his expression softening. "She was extraordinary. Even then, before we knew what she could do."
He marked a pause, and his eyes grew distant.
"You wanted to know why Arendelle attacked. The truth is... it wasn't Arendelle. Not at first. It was your grandfather. Just him."
Anna's sharp intake of breath mirrored the jolt in Elsa's chest.
"What do you mean?" she asked, forcing her voice steady.
"I'm the only one of those remaining who was there. The ceremony was meant to be a celebration. The dam was complete. Supposedly, a gift." A shadow passed over his weathered features. "It didn't really make sense, but I wasn't privy to the politics of it all. I was just a Lieutenant – no offense to Lt. Carter, Your Majesty."
"None taken, Garret's an exception. What happened?"
Anna's hand found hers. She gave her a gentle caress with her thumb.
"They were dancing," Destin resumed. "Not formally, they were just showing some Northuldran steps she'd taught him in front of everybody. I'd never seen him so happy. Then Runeard... I didn't understand at first. One moment everything was peaceful, the next..." He shook his head. "He ran straight at her. At the sweet little girl. I've never really understood why."
The silence that followed was deafening. Elsa had to remember to keep the temperature from dropping around her. Anna's grip on her hand tightened.
"He didn't get to her." Destin's words came slower now, heavy and leaden while he seemed to be struggling to piece it together. "I remember trying to reach Agnarr, but then Runeard was on the ground." He gestured helplessly in front of him, towards something he had probably been seeing for years. "Next thing I knew, the soldiers were charging. The Northuldra killed our king, and they called the spirits. They unleashed them upon us."
"But Mother..." Anna prompted.
"She protected him. Both of us, really. She appeared in the midst of it all. And the wind – gods, the wind responded to her like it was alive. She screamed something, something I couldn't understand, and then..." He spread his hands. "Gone. Swept away. That's the last clear memory I have of that day. What came after..." He pointed at the mist visible in the distance. "You can see how that turned out."
"Why didn't they tell us? Any of it?"
"I knew your father. Perhaps better than anyone who wasn't your mother. He must have carried the weight of that day until the end. To lose his father, almost lose his love, and watch his kingdom plunge into war, all in the span of moments..." He sighed. "Some burdens are too heavy to pass on. I wouldn't be surprised if he destroyed every weapon Arendelle had just to make sure it would never happen again. They were just children. Children who had watched their whole world burn. How do you tell your own children that?"
Elsa finally found her voice. "And Mother left everything behind..."
"She made her choice. For herself, for Agnarr." His eyes met Elsa's. "And in a sense, also for you. Though she couldn't have known that at the time."
Below them, the sounds of the camp drifted up – children laughing, people calling to each other, life continuing.
"You know, she was the one who came to me. Asked me what books Agnarr liked, if I could teach her to read Arendellian so she could talk to him." Mattias studied their faces. "They were both smitten from pretty much the first day, but she was the quicker one. I'm guessing that's not a surprise?"
Anna laughed softly. "Not at all."
Destin gave her a warm chuckle. "You miss them."
It wasn't a question. Losing them had left a void Elsa wasn't sure could ever be filled, yet here in the forest, with pieces of their past coming to light, she felt closer to them than she had in years.
"More than I thought possible," Elsa answered in a whisper.
Destin's gaze moved between them, tenderness evident in the way he nodded.
"You look like her, but you sound like him," he said to Elsa, then turned to Anna. "And you look like him, but you sound like her." He stood. Pride crept into his voice, squared his shoulders and held his head high. "I don't know if you want to share this with the Northuldra. I've tried it before; they will not listen. However, whatever happens, know that we stand with you."
"That means the world to us, Destin. There's still much to uncover, to understand, but this brings us closer," Elsa said, determination hardening her tone. "I will discuss this with Yelena back at their village."
Another paternal grin spread across Destin's face. "And you'll go with bellies full of delicious pie. Karl has a knack for making them crunchy. Assuming he didn't forget how to." He bowed, but when he straightened, his expression had grown serious. "The hope you've given them, I thought I would never see it again. I'm grateful but, Your Majesty... be careful not to let any of this consume you. We'll still need our Queen after all."
Elsa caught Anna's worried look and smiled fondly. "I'm not going anywhere."
The walk back to camp was somehow even quieter, each lost in their own thoughts. Their mother's choice, their grandfather's actions, the weight of history that had brought them to this moment—it was a lot.
But something feels odd about what grandfather did.
Elsa had been painting a much less meliorative picture of King Runeard over the last few days, but there were still gaps here and there in what he did and what her father told her of him that didn't really make sense. Every question would need answering for truth to come out, and she only seemed to be getting pieces of it.
Garret welcomed them at the settlement, his movements carrying that slight edge she'd learned to recognize as his tactical mind at work.
"Lieutenant Mattias," he called. "I know resources are scarce, but Arendelle had a position at the forest's border. It got swallowed by the mist before we came, and the men stationed there are missing."
Destin paused, turning to face him with raised eyebrows. "Arendellian scouts?"
"Yes. Our most forward post," Garret explained. "And Captain Karel – my superior – was due to meet us tomorrow with her team, but she'll hit the mist wall. We need someone to watch that area and find Rutger and his men. Three of them in total, all slightly younger than I am. They can handle themselves and Logi's calmed down, so I'm not overly worried, but they might still need our help."
Destin hummed in understanding, military precision returning to his bearing. "Ollie, Espen," he called out to where the two soldiers were helping organize supplies. They looked up immediately. "Gear up. We're needed." Two sharp nods, and Destin turned back. "We know these woods well enough by now. We'll find them."
Garret smiled. "Don't want to take some dessert? They could use the boost."
"Good call, Carter," Destin confirmed with a knowing grin of his own. "We'll depart right after. Might even take some for the younglings."
Even in the midst of all these revelations about history, about the trials themselves, Garret's first thoughts had been of her scouts' safety. But more than that, she saw in his concerned planning the same dedication to Arendelle that she strived for herself. Elsa thanked him with another smile he gave back instantly.
You really have become one of us.
While the two men shared a rapid salute, Honeymaren and Ryder emerged from the crimson shadows, their expressions unreadable. The air seemed to quiet around them as they approached, and Elsa noticed how Anna instinctively shifted closer to her side.
"We're terribly sor—" she started.
"No."
Ryder's voice overrode hers, firm yet lacking its earlier hostility. Elsa raised an eyebrow, noting how interrupting Arendellian apologies seemed to be some kind of Northuldran tradition. But there was something different about his stance now. Less defensive, more resolved.
"I'm done with all that. I gave it up for her." He jerked his thumb toward Honeymaren, who scratched her nose in embarrassment while pride shone in her eyes. "I'm not going to pretend to be your friend, but you're trying to make things right, and you want to reach Ahtohallan. I choose to believe that for now. You'll have my help. Willing help."
He turned to Kristoff, and gave a single, quick nod. But before he could leave, Anna stepped forward.
"Thank you," she said. "I know what it means to give up something precious. What it costs."
Ryder shrugged. "I guess the ring was close enough."
"The wha–"
Anna whirled to a wincing Kristoff. Elsa shared the poor man's grimace almost involuntarily.
He's either getting pats or a punch.
Honeymaren moved closer to her brother. "The pearl was Dad's last gift," she explained, her voice lower than usual. "But we can get over trinkets."
"Balance," Ryder added. "That's everything he ever fought for. Maybe the wrong way. That's why I'm here. Some people are smart enough to figure that out before I do."
He bumped his shoulder against his sister's, and for the first time, Elsa saw him smile. A tiny smile, but a smile it was. It suited him.
"Speaking of," Kristoff butted in with a knowing look after he cleared his throat away from the disbelieving scowl Anna was giving him. "Sven's been asking about you."
"No, he hasn't," Ryder protested, but his posture softened further. "...has he?"
"Why don't you go find out? I'm sure he'd love to hear about your newfound wisdom."
Ryder rolled his eyes but started walking, leaving behind a silence that was more possibility than tension. Honeymaren's eyes followed him as he went, a complicated mix of emotions across her usually composed features.
"You have no idea what it took from me to get him to admit that."
Elsa didn't miss the slight shaking in her voice, the way she relaxed just a fraction. This wasn't just about Ryder.
It looked like peace.
The aroma of fresh-baked apple pie wafted through the transformed camp, mingling with laughter and animated conversation. Anna watched Elsa and Garret discussing with Honeymaren, happy with how her sister had kept herself together despite the missing scarf. The way Elsa leaned slightly into his space when he spoke, how her smile reached her eyes even after giving up one of their mother's last tokens – she had come so far. She stood tall, every inch the Queen she was born to be.
No need to talk about it right about this instant. We're both doing surprisingly well. Good job Anna too!
Even Ryder seemed to be having some fun when Sven poked his ribs with his nose to get a piece. The sight made Anna's fingers drift unconsciously to where her first ring would never come back to. The weightlessness felt stranger now, but somehow not as overbearing as she'd expected.
Kristoff sat apart from the others, methodically dissecting his slice without actually eating it, and she'd never known him to do anything but devour desserts with childlike enthusiasm. Everything about him had seemed a tiny bit heavier long before she'd understood what the trial had claimed from them both. Making up her mind, she stood and walked over to him.
"Come on," she said, offering her hand.
He looked up, confusion flickering before he nodded and took it. They wandered through the camp's new stone path, its borders smoothed and carved into intricate patterns dipping in and out of the ground by Bergrisi's surprising attention to detail.
He and Elsa would get along.
With privacy reached, Anna stopped and turned to him.
"Usually, you'd have taken that thing apart by now."
"Yeah, well... Got things to brew over."
"Okay, Kristoff, listen–"
"I shouldn't have brought it," he blurted out. "The ring. I shouldn't have..."
"I don't care about the ring." The hurt and shock he displayed made her blood run colder for a second. "Oh! No, I meant–Of course I care! But you had no choice. The Spirit, the trial..."
"Yeah. Because I brought it." His voice sounded too droopy not to worry Anna. "I just had a feeling, but if I hadn't…"
"I want to see this as a sign," she announced loud enough to – hopefully – silence his thoughts.
All traces of color drained from his face. "I can't say I'm surprised..."
Anna mentally kicked herself. Twice.
"Waitwaitwait. Everything I say comes out so wrong." She drew a deep breath and stepped closer, placing her hand over his heart. "I just think this is a good opportunity for us to start over. I wasn't... completely honest with you either." She met his eyes. "There are ways for you to still go outside. We just need to discuss what you need."
She explained what Elsa had suggested: overseeing the reserves, managing supply routes, having responsibilities that would let him stay true to himself while serving the kingdom. She added some of her own ideas, like that one open-air park-museum hybrid she thought about and that he could be a ranger for, or the new guard section dedicated to patrolling Arendelle's farmlands.
"That would get you out a couple days a week?" she finished. "Would that suit you?"
Kristoff rubbed his chin, gaze unfocused. "I guess."
Something in his tone made Anna's stomach twist yet again. It was somehow both encouraging and concerning.
"I'm really sorry I didn't tell you. There's nothing to excuse that."
He looked at her then, but not with the intensity she'd come to expect. Leaves ruffled, and Anna heard the squeaks of a Sally she had forgotten about. His tiny head tilted toward her from a branch, and as if understanding what moment he had been intruding on, the lizard scurried away with a puff of white smoke.
Two crowns say Elsa sent him.
Anna went back to her technically-almost-former-but-hopefully-soon-to-be-again fiancé.
"What bothers you?" she asked, half-dreading the answer.
His head dropped. She took his hand and her heart warmed when he squeezed back.
"I have trouble with the people you have to deal with," he admitted, hushed and secretive. "And... I'm not refined. I'm not educated. I'm rude, I don't talk like you. Even Garret was a knight back home. Sometimes I can barely hold a conversation with Elsa, imagine someone I don't know..."
Anna grabbed a shoulder with a hand, raised his chin with the other.
"Kristoff. You would be the prince of a kingdom whose ruler is one, a gal, two, a snow mage. A kingdom who's had open borders for about as long as we know, whose princess spends her days going around the city saying hello to everyone she meets, and whose receptions either end up in peace treaties or arm-wrestling contests." It felt good to have that conviction. It meant it would show as clearly as possible. "You would be a margin of error. Someone like you, someone real, is the best thing we could hope for. You're going to keep us exactly where we need to be. As long as you don't punch anyone we like – don't worry, I'd give you rundowns – you're going to be fine. Remember Hans?"
The memory stung less than it used to. Kristoff chuckled and nodded.
"That's about what we do. Only more subtle." Her voice softened. "I also fell in love with you because you're exactly who you say you are. If you think you can stay that Kristoff at the castle and be happy with some arrangements, no one really cares if you curtsey weird. Garret does all he does because Elsa likes it." The way he looked at her then made her heart skip; she knew what that look usually meant. While heat rushed to her cheeks, she noticed his plate tilting precariously and steadied it. "Careful Bjorgman. That pie's taken work."
He opened his mouth to speak but she pressed her fingers to his lips, fugitive excitement cooling down.
"There's nothing to say right now. This is thinking time. If that's what you want, if you believe you could do that and keep being my Kristoff?" A smile bloomed across her face. "I'll be the one to propose."
Kristoff's eyebrows shot up, his familiar smirk fighting its way back to his face. "You?"
She crossed her arms. "And I'll definitely blow your mind."
"Okay, feisty pants," he said after a moment, hope burning in his eyes. "I'll give it a thought or two. But what about you?"
Anna rose on her tiptoes and captured his lips in a tender kiss, pouring all her love and certainty into it. When she pulled back, her smile was so wide it pulled on her cheeks.
"My love isn't fragile. I know my answer."
That got a blush out of him. Finally. Behind all that manly stoniness was still a heart. Kristoff took a look at his plate, then shrugged.
"Want it? I don't feel like pie after everything today."
She gave a quizzical raise of brows. He nodded in response and deposited the slice over her hands. Then he presented his elbow with an inviting nod toward the rest of the stone path.
"I do feel like a walk though."
Anna laughed, circled her arm around his and brought the fork over to her mouth with an enthusiastic chomp; pastry and fruit spread across her palate, both sting of adventure and sweet taste of home. She kept her eyes on Kristoff and was once again reminded why she'd chosen him by the clear and untroubled gaze he maintained on her smile.
"I'm kinda happy I got another serving," she said between sessions of excited munching. "This is the second speech I give in two days, and they get you hun-gry like you wouldn't believe. We could try to find some carrots for you, if you want?"
"Can't say no to that," he answered with a chuckle.
The sun cast long shadows through the crimson canopy while Anna and Elsa made their final rounds. They paused at each new house, each new play area where children had scattered their toys in the dirt, and her chest tightened at the thought of leaving them even for a short while.
"We'll be back before you know it," she assured the group of young ones who had clustered around her. She knelt down to their level, trying to memorize their faces.
Little Samantha, barely six and missing her front teeth, threw her arms around Anna's neck. "I'll miss you," she whispered, and Anna pulled her close, taking in the familiar scent of pine needles that clung to them at all times.
"I'll miss you too, sweetheart," Anna murmured, giving her an extra squeeze before standing.
"Be good to the grown-ups, okay?" Elsa said.
The children nodded solemnly, though Anna recognized that gleam of mischief in their eyes – she'd worn it often enough herself as a child, making similar promises with crossed fingers behind her back.
Olaf stood among them, his personal flurry dusting their hair with gentle snowflakes.
"Don't you worry about a thing," he announced, puffing up his chest. "I'll keep everyone entertained."
The children had already dubbed him their official 'Chief Snowfficer', complete with a crown of autumn leaves they'd woven specially for him.
Anna and Elsa left with reluctant waves then joined Garret, Kristoff, Sven and the Northuldra siblings by the camp's edge. Karl was lounging against a tree trunk while Liyana checked Destin's team's equipment one last time.
"Don't have too much fun without us," the Sergeant called out towards him and his two companions. She focused on the leg Anna knew had been injured, and he stretched it in response as if to prove it still worked as it should.
"I'm okay, Liyana. I'll try not to come back with another approximately tamed wolf pup at least. The last one ate my best boots." He fastened his belt around his torso. "Keep our people safe," he added, clasping her shoulder. "And remember what we discussed about the perimeter."
"Yes, sir." Liyana threw quick glance toward where Honeymaren stood with her brother, followed by some slyness in her voice. "It'll do us good to sit this one out. Last patrol left Karl fuming for two days."
"We both know why," Karl protested. "Good luck, Your Majesty, Your Highness."
The two groups parted ways then – Anna following Elsa and their group north, while Destin led his team south along the forest path. She turned back once, watching the children's goodbye waves until the dense trees finally blocked them from view.
Anna spent most of the next half hour watching her feet as they picked their way across the forest, grateful for the excuse to collect her thoughts. The weight of everything they'd learned sat in her chest, and she could tell from Elsa's too-straight posture that her sister felt it too.
They needed some form of distraction.
"You know, I've been thinking about what Bergrisi said," she began, breaking the contemplative silence that had fallen over them. "The way he spoke about your dad was... strange."
The siblings exchanged one of their characteristic looks. After some consideration, Honeymaren slowed her pace to walk beside Anna.
"Yeah, we noticed too," she confirmed. "It can't really make sense to you unless you know something about how the spirits interact with us."
"Dad was earth-touched," Ryder continued. "But it sounded like Bergrisi had planned on blessing him..."
"Blessing him?" Kristoff asked.
Anna noticed how intently Elsa and Garret were listening.
"When things are not being actively ass-upped, spirit-touched appear a few times per decade or so," Honeymaren explained. "It's rare, don't get me wrong... just not exceptional. Kinda the same as having a smart kid."
"Sometimes it happens randomly long after birth," Ryder stated in a flat tone. "Like the spirits are tossing gifts around. The touched understand them better and do have a privileged relationship with one of them, but it's not a partnership."
"A blessing goes further. Spirit-blessed are everything the touched are, pushed to eleven. They don't just sense their spirit and the forest better – they can actually commune with them. Sometimes even call it to channel its power."
Anna took a second to think and her mind flew back to the words Destin had used to describe her mother's intervention all those years ago. Even the way the mysterious Kara had talked about her, the insistence on the bond she had shared with the Wind Spirit – everything pointed out to her being wind-blessed instead of touched.
"They're picked by the spirit directly. Usually, one per generation," Ryder added, his voice interrupting her thoughts. "The spirits see something in them, some quality they need." He paused. "And then there are the spirit-chosen."
Anna felt over her skin rather than saw Elsa's attention sharpen even more.
"Those are basically legend," Honeymaren said. "The last one we know of lived a few centuries ago. We don't really know how they exist, but our best bet is that they gain a part of a spirit's essence."
"They're not only different from the touched or the blessed," Ryder explained, and Anna saw the careful way his gaze slid toward Elsa. "They're different from humans. The closest things we have to hybrids. They have magic of their own. Real magic."
Anna's head turned toward her sister immediately, and she could tell by how her eyes had just widened that they were both reaching the same conclusion. Elsa's powers had always been a mystery – something unprecedented, unexplainable. But perhaps...
"I know how that sounds like," Honeymaren resumed, clearly having sensed the change in atmosphere. "But I don't think she is one. One, there's no ice spirit. Two, even if there was it shouldn't have changed how she looks. Three…"
"You're too strong," Ryder finished. "Even the strongest in myth couldn't do what you do."
"Yeah. Iceman over there is weaker enough he might have been one, if ice made sense and if he'd lived anywhere near the forest when he got it."
"I didn't," Garret clarified, pensive. "Also, ouch."
"Quit the drama," Honeymaren said with a knowing grin. "You don't care a bit."
"And no one knows why they're chosen?" Anna asked, her voice quiet against the whisper of wind through the leaves. The sound it made was strange, like a small girl's giggle.
"No one. It's been too long."
Elsa's head was now dropped, her eyes stubbornly stuck to the path under her feet. Garret moved a step closer to her. His presence seemed to help somewhat, though the temperature around them remained notably cooler.
Before her next question could come out, the air grew thicker and uncomfortable around Anna, an unnatural chill descending that even made Elsa shiver – and Elsa never shivered. The crimson light that had bathed the forest dimmed as if something was drinking it away, leaving shadows that twisted in ways that defied nature.
Another trial? Already?!
Looking up told her it wasn't a trial.
When the figure emerged from the gathering darkness between trees a few paces in front of them, Anna's heart skipped. The being before them seemed to consume light rather than reflect it, the cosmos trapped within their robes pulsing with cold, discordant rhythms that made her skin crawl.
She'd seen Ahtola before, remembered the ethereal piece of night sky that seemed neither good nor evil. But this... was wrong.
"Elsa?" she whispered, unable to keep the uncertainty from her voice. "What's happening?"
Her sister studied the figure, and when Elsa's shoulders tensed and her eyes narrowed in recognition – or rather, in the lack of it – Anna knew she had to brace herself.
"That's not Ahtola."
Immediately, three sounds. Garret's bow materializing in a swirl of frost, an arrow already nocked and aimed. Her own hand finding Blue's hilt instinctively, drawing the sword in a quick spur of steel that felt too loud in the eerie quiet. Sally flaring brighter on Elsa's shoulder, his scales shifting from violet to defensive blue.
Honeymaren and Ryder exchange confused glances.
"What do you mean, not Ahtola?" she asked.
Elsa stepped forward, and Anna had to fight the urge to pull her sister back. Ice grew on her hand while she addressed the being with all the authority of both queen and ice-wielder.
"You're the reason the spirits are angry. Who are you?"
The veil waved and broke, and Anna caught a glimpse of something crystalline and vast beneath the starlit facade. When they spoke, it was with every voice they'd ever heard them borrow, layered into a haunting chorus that made her recoil.
"Your progress troubles us, intruder."
Now she could hear what was wrong – their voices sounded like they had no life behind them, as if coming from a distant memory. They stretched higher, seeming to devour more light with each passing moment.
"You undo the arbiter. You undo the judgement passed." Not-Ahtola shifted closer with a motion that looked too snappy. "No more."
Elsa took another step that had Anna's heart jump to her throat. Her eyes shone brighter, her magic pulsed harder around her. Garret and Kristoff followed, the former's eyes veering to blue, the latter's fingers coiled around his crossbow.
The void grew, the stars within grew more, but before anything could happen, Anna heard a change – dead air suddenly roaring to life around them. At first, she thought it Elsa's ice, but there were no glitters, no sparkles. Leaves whirled, shooting up in a burst of force.
She stumbled back while massive current of pure tempest materialized overhead, blocking out the misty sky. The giggle she'd heard gave way to a screech that lifted small pebbles and discarded twigs, and an eagle larger than any she'd imagined possible, born from a storm itself, appeared above them. Its body was dense clouds, its wings living tornadoes. Lightning arced through it, each wingbeat sending shockwaves that made the ancient trees groan in protest.
The Wind Spirit's eyes blazed green.
It positioned itself between them and the false Ahtola. Its scream shook the very ground, a sound of challenge and protection that made the starlight within the vast unknown flicker and dim.
"You disobey?" the stolen voices asked in unison.
The Wind Spirit's response rumbled like distant thunder, each word charged and powerful. "While you overstep."
"You will soon return to the fold."
"Not until the last trial is attempted."
The being's robes wavered, swirling violet and gold within their shape beating cold and distant. "We are fair in our tests. And they shall be performed just."
With that, they dissolved into the shadows and took the unnatural chill and obscurity with them, leaving only whisps of cosmic dust behind.
The massive eagle drifted down, and as it did, it began to change. The storm contained within its body calmed first; lightning slowed to static that crackled between clouded feathers. Those same feathers shifted and broke apart, scattering into threads of mist that wove themselves into the shape of cloth and skin. The wings, immense cyclones of raw power, compressed and twisted, flowing down like water until they built the illusion of a shawl. The eagle's fierce head dissolved last, features melting from beak to human face in a dance of wind and vapor.
Each detail of the old woman was crafted from currents of air so fine they looked solid – even the wrinkles on her skin were delicate streams moving in perfect patterns. Short dark hair, darker eyes. There was a familiar spring to her step, though nothing about her was truly solid. When she pivoted, ripples of breeze revealed the illusion.
"You're Kara?!" Anna exclaimed after a second of silence, startling pretty much everyone besides Kristoff, who pinched the bridge of his nose. "You were the Wind Spirit all along?"
The spirit's eyes sparkled. "Please excuse the deception, young ones. You can understand my normal state would create a bit of a commotion." Her smile grew tender. "My real name is Kári. I know, originality has never been my strongest quality."
Anna would never have dared to imagine a spirit taking a human form like that, she had thought at first that Kara was going to joyously reveal herself as their grandma. Elsa, on the other hand, digested that information way too quickly – maybe she had suspected it?
"That's how you knew Mother," she said softly, her magic now soothed. "How you knew her so well."
Kári glanced at her walking stick. She shrugged, released her hold on it, and it scattered into autumn debris that danced away on the wind. The breeze stirred around them, carrying whispers of long-forgotten songs.
"I knew her as well as she knew me. She was my last memory."
"Wait," Kristoff interrupted. "You were normal from the start, even when we talked in the Northuldra village? Aren't spirits supposed to go bonkers before their trial?"
"Ah yes, my trial..." She gave them a quick upward tilt of the chin, accompanied by a slight raise of her brows. Her body shimmered like heat waves rising from summer stones. "Wind's was passed long ago."
"What? How?" Anna asked, exchanging a bewildered look with Elsa and Garret.
Kári's smile turned enigmatic.
"Iduna."
Before they could question her further, her body began dissolving, blurring back into pure wind.
"I will give you my truth in time. You still have Water to convince. Go North, even further than the Northuldra camp. You'll know when to stop. I will find you there."
And Kári was gone with the gale.
AN:
Thank you for reading!
You cannot imagine the fun I had coming up with Bergrisi's lines. Also, my own butt actually belting out the thesaurus to get words that nobody would ever use was pretty meta now that I think about it.
So, Truth, Trust, Balance… aaaaaand we'll see what's remaining. Interested in knowing what you think the last concept is! Hint: it's not pizza.
It's also really exciting to get some worldbuilding done! That was one of my major gripes with FII (the entire spirit lore not making a lick of sense), hopefully this will provide something more structured.
Chapter 12 – Tether's theme is the first time I ever use an Idina Menzel song… Cuz let's be honest it's kind of cheating, that woman can carry a movie on her own. Song is Small World, by the queen herself.
More shitposts may or may not be coming soon too. Have a good one, and until next time.
Peace,
CalAm.