Chapter Text
„Do you really have to go?”
He simply nodded as an answer to her question and smiled warmly.
“You’ll be fine!”, he said. He seemed to grow distant, as he put his arm around the hip of the woman at his side. Both smiled, the woman waved at her.
“Don’t leave me alone!”, she wanted to cry out, but nothing came over her lips.
The couple disappeared onto a ship and the next thing she saw were dark clouds, rising in a portentous wind.
As if hit by a thunderbolt, she jolted up in her bed.
She had unconsciously reached out with her hand, which now was trembling.
“No!”, she breathed.
“Elsa?”, she heard a soft knock on the door.
Slowly, she broke away from her stupor and left behind her memories of her nightmare.
“Anna, come in!”, she said with a hoarse voice.
“Elsa, you really need to-“ Anna froze in the middle of the doorway, as she saw ice flowers all over the walls. Worried, she quickly stepped closer to her sister’s bed. “Are you alright?”
With a slight smile, Elsa turned to her and nodded.
“Everything’s fine. Only a nightmare.”, she said in a faint voice. Suddenly, she found herself captured in a warm and loving hug.
“The storm last night must have reminded you of something.”, Anna whispered softly, as if she had read her sisters mind. In silence they stayed in their embrace, feeling the pain of the loss of their parents. It still was hard for them to talk about it.
A while passed and Elsa broke away from the soothing touch.
“What did you want to say?”, she asked, supporting herself with one arm. Why did she feel so dizzy?
“Hm? Oh, yeah! Elsa, you really need to do something about that heat. I’m afraid that Olaf will start melting.”, Anna sputtered. “Oh, and Kristoff might have some problems asw-“
Elsa raised her hand to stop her sister’s flood of speech.
“Yes, I’ll handle that!”, she said and caressed her temple with her fingertips. This headache was unbearable.
Sighing in relief, Anna lifted herself from bed and left her sister’s room with a “Glad to hear that!”.
Moaning, Elsa sank back to her pillows and squinted her eyes.
This heat is killing me! Wait! Heat!?
She peeled herself from the sheets with caution, stepped closer to the window and looked out.
Was it her imagination or did the air seem to flare?
With a thoughtful expression, Elsa turned her back to the window.
What’s going on here? I’ve got a bad feeling about that!
Sparkles flashed across his sight as he opened his eyes.
His head ached, as if Thor in person had bashed it with his hammer.
Moaning, he slowly got up from a provisional bed and examined his surroundings.
He had no idea, where he was or how he got here. Actually, he didn’t know anything.
“Ouch!” A piercing pain ran from his foot through his leg. “What happened?”, he mumbled absentmindedly.
Someone entered the room.
“Ah, you’re awake! That’s good.”, said an infirm elderly man kindly.
“Where am I?” The man grinned slightly and reached for a mug, handing it to the stranger.
“You’re in Arendelle. Here! You must be thirsty.” He watched the younger man taking a cautious sip and then avidly emptying the mug.
“What’s your name, boy?”, the man asked after a while.
The young man stopped in his motion, thinking. Hazy memories appeared in his mind, fractals. He seemed to remember a voice calling for him, but he wasn’t sure. Hesitantly, he cleaned his throat and faced the old man.
“Finn. My name is Finn. I suppose.”
Sympathetically, the old man tapped on Finn’s shoulder.
“Think you hit your head quite hard, buddy. I’m Bjorg, but most people call me fisher.”, he introduced himself. Finn nodded with a slight smile.
“How did I get here, Bjorg?”
“I picked you up, down at the beach. Think you’re not from here or the surrounding area.”, he answered, shrugging his shoulders. He received a questioning look from Finn’s amber eyes. “Such belt-buckles are not produced around here and I’ve never seen such an eye-colour either.”, Bjorg explained.
Distractedly, Finn ran his finger over the adorned belt-buckle.
Beach. Yeah, I remember that it was wet. And... stormy.
Cleaning his throat, Bjorg stood up. “You were lucky, that’s for sure! The last storm of this kind, that I remember, was three years ago. Well, you must be hungry!”
With that, Bjorg left Finn all alone to his thoughts.
My name is Finn. Obviously I had a shipwreck and now I’m in Arendelle.
“Arendelle...”, he mumbled and weighed each syllable on his tongue.
Elsa sighed in exhaustion.
Why did she feel so dreadful?
It seemed as if the sweltering heat demanded a great deal of her strength to keep it in check. Even the easiest duties needed the maximum of her concentration.
This is no normal heat!
A formal knock on the door made her jump.
“Your Majesty! Your Scouts found debris alongside the coast. It seems as if a ship was hit by the storm last night.”, a servant reported.
Rash, but with a collected countenance, Elsa opened the door to her study. Her resolute glance made the servant cringe as his eyes met hers.
“Search for survivors and bring them here! Take care to set up a ward to immediately provide the castaways with medical help! I want to talk to them, as soon as they are out and about again.”, Elsa commanded and received a salute.
She turned back to return into her study, but hesitated halfway.
“And look for hints, from where and to where the ship was about to travel!”
Again the servant saluted. “Very well, Your Majesty!”, he responded proudly and set out to fulfil his mission.
Elsa leaned against the door, heavily exhaling, as she closed it behind her.
Why now? Her knees gave way and she slid slowly to the ground. Still, she was assailed by a throbbing headache. Hopefully there’ll be survivors.
Suddenly the pictures of her nightmare reappeared in her mind and she felt a thin layer of ice forming at her back. Her hands quickly found their way up to her temples and started caressing them diligently.
No, no, no, Elsa! Calm down! There’ll be survivors for sure! Don’t panic, this won’t repeat. Just stay calm. More important is now: What’s the source of this sudden heat? Think!
Her breathing was stressed, but she managed to calm herself down a bit. Meanwhile, her fingertips started to glimmer in a soft shade of blue, as always, when she tried to keep cool.
Everything started last night. A ship was hit by the storm, with the storm came the heat and it increased as time passed. Alright, got it so far!
Could it be that all of these are just convenient coincidences? Summer storms that cause an increase in temperature are rare, but cannot be excluded... No, that’s impossible! The change was too harsh and too sudden. It doesn’t seem to be... natural. It’s more like...
Then the scales fell from her eyes. Of course! It must have something to do with that ship! Someone or something must have caused this heat!
Finn left the fishing hut slightly hobbling. Luxurious, he craned his neck towards the sun. The shafts of sunlight danced in his wind-combed mane. He looked, twinkling with his eyes, up to the clouds in a beautiful blue sky. His bright eyes made a stunning contrast to his black hair. In them there was something bold and mischievous, yet serious. A goatie that almost looked exactly like Thor’s hammer covered his prominent chin.
Nothing about him appeared to be originated in this country. Neither his dark hair, nor his suntanned skin fit in the typical image of Arendelle, not to mention his clothing. Beneath his simple linen shirt, his athletic figure was showing. Like most sailors do, he left his top-buttons open. His legs were tucked in burgundy trousers and common brown leather boots.
Three days have passed and still Finn could only recall his memories of the time before his “arrival” in Arendelle fragmentary. However, there wasn’t much room he could have spent on reflection. Most of his time, he spent sleeping, agonized by mazy dreams and if he was awake, he was ailed by throbbing headaches.
He stretched himself in a deep yawn.
“Bjorg?”, he asked but didn’t receive an answer. “Hmm. He must have set out for fishing.”, Finn mumbled and let his gaze trail over his surroundings. Bjorg’s fishing hut was situated on a hill outside of Arendelle and offered an astonishing view over the capital.
Quite extraordinary for a fisherman to live on a hill., thought Finn, as he shook his head in a grin.
Leisurely, he started his way down, watching the ambience intently.
“Arendelle...”, escaped his lips, more talking to himself than anything else.
Wasn’t it known for its moderate to cool climate?
The grass crunched under his feet. Brown and dry it loomed out of the soil. Finn gazed upon the Fjords and like a flash, a memory came up his mind.
“Arendelle! The kingdom of ice and snow!”, he realized in surprise.
Why is it so warm then? Where’s the snow? A drought?
The closer he got to the capital, the miserable scenery appeared to him.
Everywhere the grass had turned brown and the trees were almost bald. Even the capital itself seemed to groan under the heat. Only a few citizens were out on the streets. Finn strolled around randomly. As he passed a group of young women, that stayed in the cooling shades of a pub, they started to whisper excitedly.
“Who is he?”
“What a handsome man!”
With a broad grin, he perked up his ears. Acting as if he hadn’t noticed a thing, he leaned nonchalantly against a pillar of the pub’s shed.
“Well, ladies? Quite hot today, isn’t it?”, Finn said smirking and the women immediately started to chuckle in excitement.
Obviously amused, he watched them, until the quick clopping of hooves made him look over to the closest well.
The people had already rallied around the well, when Elsa and a handful of soldiers arrived. Pleading, they looked up to their queen, mugs and buckets in their hands.
For how long shall this drought continue?, Elsa thought.
She dismounted with a suppressed groan in pain. Each movement cost her great deal of force, but she braced herself to retain her composure.
“Please, Your Highness. I’m so thirsty!”, al small boy approached her, his eyes wide and bidding. With a gentle smile, Elsa softly stroked his hair.
“Don’t be afraid! You shall receive your water.”
She stepped closer to the well and let a huge block of ice come into existence.
Brace yourself! Don’t let them see, how you’re really doing!, she admonished herself when she felt the first beads of sweat on her forehead.
Suddenly the horses started to clop nervously on their spot that made Elsa avert her eyes off the well in irritation. “Shh! Calm!”, a soldier tried to conciliate the horses.
It fizzed and she quickly looked back to the well. The huge ice-block had completely vaporised. Frightened the people stared at the well.
“What’s going on here?”, Elsa whispered. Out of the tails of her eyes she saw of the crowd split itself.
The temperature is rising!, crossed her mind.
Then she saw a man, running to her with a facial expression twisted in rage.
Rash her soldiers placed themselves in his way, but flinched with cries of pain the net moment. In rising panic, Elsa supported herself at the well brim. She gazed directly into a pair of amber eyes that eye-locked with hers in furious rage.
Elsa stretched out her hand and instinctively formed an ice-wall between herself and the stranger, but the instant it was set up, it vaporised and left nothing but a puddle.
“YOU!”, the man yelled at her. He couldn't help himself but dash forward. Something in his head was taking control over his actions. The only thing he knew was, that this woman was the reason why he went on his journey and that he needed to eliminate her.
Finally, I can remember! Just as he described her. I will never forget that face ever again nor my mission!
As fast as her legs could carry her, she fled behind the well. Again, Elsa raised her hands to fight back when a darting flame hit her hard and tossed her back. The impact made her slump down unconsciously.
The crowd ran in panic and fled in all directions.
Three soldiers bravely lined up to defend their queen from the aggressor. In solidarity and pulled swords they walled up.
“Don’t let him come near the queen!”, captain Gunnar instructed his men, standing in the middle of the wall.
Unimpressed, the stranger kept his path towards his aim.
“Come at me, if you dare!”, he yelled at them and slowed his pace.
Nothing can stop me now! I will kill that devil! Wait, no. First I need some information from her and then…
“ATTACK!”
Absolutely determined they rushed forward, bridging the last few metres.
Suddenly sharp flames darted towards them and in cries of pain two brave soldiers kissed the dust.
With a dive roll it was possible for Captain Gunnar to escape narrowly.
“FOR ARENDELLE!” He bravely swung his sword over his head and took his pace back up.
“Pah!”, the stranger bristled with anger.
Another darting Flame hit Gunnar hard and jerked him to the ground. Petrified with pain, he saw the man approaching the queen and crouching down at her side.
“Where do you detain him?!”, his voice was rumbling harsh, as he shook Elsa.
His eyes focused on the queen’s features as if they tried to read her mind.
I know you… How could you? FINN!
Finn squinted his eyes. Someone was calling him to stop.
Don’t! She’s the – SHUT UP!
He didn’t notice that Gunnar had partly recovered and managed to stand back up, stepping closer to him from his back.
The Captain haled him back from his queen, choking him. Another heatwave washed over Gunnar, but he clenched his teeth, trying to ignore all impressions.
For the queen!
He hauled off for a strike that hit the man’s temple hard and made him pass out.
Exhausted, Gunnar slumped next to him and rounded his men panting. They hurried to convey their queen and the convict to the castle.