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The thick morning fog swayed amidst the light trees of the Enchanted Forest, wrapping itself in a mysterious twist of magic. Elsa quietly stepped through leaves on the ground, breathing in the crispness of a beautiful autumn day. She had strayed away from camp to explore deep between the cracks of nature and report back a status of the forest. The Earth giants had been spotted the day prior by the Northuldra folk which sent a panic amongst the tribe. Elsa had left from her tent at the first sign of dawn and strapped on her loose sandals. She debated on whether taking the Nokk would be faster than on foot, but ultimately decided her own two feet would be less likely to disturb the Earth giants.
Elsa worked to tie her hair in a braided bun, much like the ones she used to do back in Arendelle for fancy occasions. Lately she had balanced life delicately between interim queen and guiding the Northuldra folk as promised. As her hands worked to finish the loose ends of her hairstyle she turned to face a stark breeze from the west. The wind twisted beneath her dress and through her sleeves, enough to send a shiver down her spine. Her eyes remained steady towards the west realizing most of her exploring would be in the opposite direction and not out by the sea.
Elsa gave her small village of a home one final look before grabbing her leather satchel and striding further into the tendrils of the forest.
-
The crunch of red and orange leaves sounded beneath her feet. Her senses were alert for any intrusion of the Earth giants or other creatures which could intrude. The fog became denser by the minute, making it difficult to see two feet in front of her. She wondered what the Northuldra folk thought of such drastic change in weather immediately upon the change of the seasons. From what she has observed so far, they were quick to adapt to the transitions, however struggle with the long Norwegian winters. Being a part of the seasons was just one of the new ways the people were forced to be nowadays. Elsa recalled the conversations with Yelena about how the people of her kingdom and neighboring kingdoms embraced the change of the seasons with festivals, baked goods, and music. Yelena seemed intrigued at the time, yet hesitant of the traditions of the mainlanders.
Elsa walked along carefully, feeling the jagged bark of the trees- watching for any signs of scorched nature to warn the giants had passed. The fog continued to turn denser with poor visibility now confusing her depth of field. Her eyes darted from side to side to spot where she last had stepped. Gauging from when she first started, the sun according to her judgment would be approximately just beginning to rise from the east. Though there was no telltale sign of where the sun was in the sky.
Sighing in frustration, she remained solemn trying to enjoy at the very least her early morning connection with the Enchanted Forest. To her left she spotted a widening of the trees not far ahead. A curious thought pricked at her brain of what could lie in the middle. She knew better from her first encounter in the forest to run at full pace towards whatever was calling her, but to instead proceed with caution as her sister had warned her. She wondered for a moment what Anna was doing at this time of day. Most likely she was preparing for yet another council meeting, securing more trades for the villagers or noting inventory on supplies Arendelle was running low on. She was glad to be free of some old queenly duties with her new focus on bridging the gap between Arendelle and the spirits of nature. It was a challenging task to remain with some royal obligations, though nothing near what she used to take on.
As she strolled along, the widening opened into a rather large circle. Odd for nature to have such perfect symmetry with a circular gap in the middle of her path. She quickly looked around to scan for any signs of magic before standing at the tree line. The fog had somehow stopped at the edge of the trees, allowing for a clear view of what was in front of her.
In the middle of the clearing stood an old well made of sturdy brick and wood overhead to cover. She had never seen such a thing in her many months of strolling acres of forest. She’d sworn she had come this way before or at least around this area and never seen the well before. Now more interested than ever, she came closer to run her finger along the grey bricks lining in a circle. As she felt the smooth brick, a gasp escaped her lips. A few birds in the distance flocked away at her noise.
Inside the well was a swirling mix of dark blue and white, the deepest blue water she’d ever seen in her life. Elsa whipped around to see if anyone had followed her or if something was nearby. Her eyes continued to witness the stoic trees around her. As she turned around, flinging her satchel on her hip she noticed the water starting to part ways around the reflection of herself. She watched in awe as the image started to morph into something bizarre. Elsa hunched over the well further to catch what the water was transforming into. A whisper spoke out from around the trees.
Command thy grief unto the deep, and be made still.
Captivated more than ever, Elsa worked to lower her body more into the water, listening to the echoes growing louder. The water continued to part ways for her, now completely entranced by the voices which held her. Elsa submerged her blonde head far into the water, feeling the bitter shock of the ice cold water. Liquid filled her ears, the subtle noises of the forest now silent. As she held her breath in the water far in deep beyond her field of vision she noticed a distant image of a little girl with silver blonde hair. Squinting to get a better look, Elsa caught sight of a little girl in a blue gown much like the one she wore as a child. Next to her a tall, slim, brunette stood by comforting her in a moment of sorrow. Elsa immediately recognized the scene from her childhood. The times where her mother and father would console her at the despair of her magic. Watching the memory in real time made her stomach churn. The memories she had worked hard to compartmentalize for 20 years. The swirls of her parents soon vanished and blossomed into a new conjured image of her sister and her playing in one of the grand rooms of the castle. The room where the incident of her first occurrence of dangerous powers happened. Elsa felt the shame creep in her throat, but before she could fully process the event again, the water whisked into Anna and a dirty blonde man- Kristoff.
Anna and Kristoff slowly danced on a dimly lit dock by the water, her sister adorned in a white silken dress and a flower crown. Anna was beaming from ear to ear, Kristoff holding her waist and rocking her side to side. In the background, Arendelle was lit up with the excitement of their night. Elsa found tears in her eyes when the water violently swirled into another image. A man with white, snow-like hair peaked from out of the trees, his crooked brown staff in one hand and careless demeanor floating about. She was confused at to who this man was, running about the forest like he himself owned it. Elsa saw a woman with dark blue looking for the man who was now playing jokes on the woman. From afar the silhouette seemed much like herself, with the same stature and height. The two individuals then were in the castle, her castle. Leaning in even more into the water she watched as the man attempted to talk to the woman who was distraught. Elsa looked to her right where the dark waters showed a small child, with hair and eyes much like the man and woman. She blinked harder at the unknown child who was all too familiar…
The woman lifted her child from a crib in her bedroom and stood at the balcony during sunset.
Elsa’s heart fanatically raced, now recognizing the child was hers, and the man’s. Suddenly she felt something behind her jerk her shoulders from the well and onto the ground. Elsa fell hard on her back, knocking the breath out of her. She coughed hard, trying to catch her breath and crawled on her knees to catch a glimpse of the force that pulled her from the well. Soaked from head to toe she could’t see yet again in front of her aside from the trees which stood still. Fear now fully encapsulated her mind and body, as she tried to make sense of what she witnessed but, also the the someone, or something that pulled her from it.
“Well, well, well, look what the Enchanted Forest dragged in,” a raspy voice said behind her.
Elsa turned her head sharply to squint at the trees, trying to focus on any subtle movement she could detect. Water continued to drip from her thick braid onto the forest floor where deep imprints of her hands and knees laid.
“You look more like Iduna than I thought,” the voice said again, only this time closer to where she was crouched.
Elsa stood up confidently, slowly rising to her feet. “Reveal yourself,” she commanded towards the trees.
A small rustling came from the north side of the clearing. Her heart was nearly ready to burst from beneath her ribcage at the sight.
“Ah-ah, that would ruin the fun now wouldn’t it, Elsa?”
The timid queen readied her hands at her name.
How did it know who she was?
“I command you to show your face!” Elsa yelled, sending a nearby bird scattering away.
The voice clicked it’s tongue, as if making fun of her. From between the fog, a small dart-like object flew past her face. Elsa attempted to dodge the object, however miscalculated her moves. A stinging sensation pierced her cheeks, her face now streaked with blood.
“Oh Elsa, you have a hard time listening. So this is going to occur one of two ways. You surrendering, or me forcing you to do so.”
Blood poured rapidly from her skin onto her dress.
“No answer?” The voice grew more demonic. “Let’s see just how strong you really are.”
Without warning dark ice shards rushed past her like a flock of manic birds; wings so sharp, it ripped through her dress. Elsa struck a beam of her own ice at the flock and began to run out of the clearing.
Elsa ran quickly, shooting ice over her shoulder without gauging her accuracy. Her lungs heaved with great effort as she tried to keep a steady rhythm with her legs and heartbeat. The voice laughed in the trees behind her, as if entertained by her suffering. Another dark shard flew her way, only to be met with the queen’s white ice. From her perspective, Elsa had thought she had managed to outrun the voice.
Another wave of the creature’s powers sent her spiraling towards the ground, enough to lose her balance and plant face first onto the solid ground.
“You are pretty, but you sure aren’t the intelligent niece I thought you were.”
Niece?
Without time to ponder on what the voice had just uttered, Elsa used her wobbly arms to bring her head off the ground. Blood from her face now was caked onto her clothing and hands. From just yards away, she could hear the footsteps coming closer to where she was.
Groaning, Elsa lifted herself halfway up to get a better glance at where she had run to. The fog from earlier set in heavily, leaving everywhere to appear the same as it once was.
Her ears pounded with the frantic beat of her heart, head now spinning in circles.
In the distance the creature summoned her magic at once. The sharp shards flew past Elsa again, this time in an orderly fashion onto the voice’s coat. The voice brushed off dirt from her dark pants and flicked a piece of dirt from underneath her nails. Elsa could see the person coming so close, she wouldn’t have time to make any kind of strategic breakaway.
“My, this is exactly the type of greeting I was dreaming of,” said the woman menacingly.
Elsa strained to look behind her.
“The Northuldra people will be looking for me at any moment,” Elsa said, coughing at the dirt which intruded her lungs.
The woman laughed. “Northuldra? The people whose camp I invaded yesterday? They were quick to give up your location.”
Elsa was unsure how to respond. The woman could be attempting to trick her.
“And I assume your Arendellian soldiers won’t be coming near the Enchanted Forest. It’s far too dangerous for them to travel this far without magic.”
The voice was right, her soldiers were unequipped to travel the distance she had without magic or forces. The only way the Northuldra could survive in such harsh conditions was due to their adaptability over decades.
“Anna is most likely tied up with queenly duties to come to your service, and Jack well… I don’t believe you’ve met him yet dear.”
“Don’t-” Elsa sneered. “Don’t say her name.”
The woman rolled her eyes. “Oh! You don’t think I know who Anna is? Iduna bragged about her children more than I ever wanted to hear. Especially you Elsa. Subjected to the power of her own demise and still searching for her purpose in life.”
“How do you know who mother is?” Elsa barked at her, now able to sit fully upright.
“Iduna was as annoying as ever,” the voice slowly dragged out. “Well to make this simple, my baby sister married Agnarr and had you- which makes us related.”
Elsa blinked hard. Her mother had never mentioned having siblings, let alone a sister.
The footsteps stopped in their tracks, now planted firmly in front of Elsa. The entity was but a woman. Tall, striking, and dark haired like her mother. Her sharp features were recognizable from her family and eyes as deep as hers. The woman wore long leather pants, spiky blue boots, and a long black cape the size of her entire body. From behind her, the shards of magic collected in an organized bunch on her cloak.
“I think Iduna was too afraid to mention my name out loud, and we had a rather harsh greeting don’t you think?”
The queen stared hard into the woman’s eyes, noticing her pupils dilating largely.
“Ingrid may ring an unfamiliar bell.”
As if on cue, Elsa recalled a forgotten memory from Ahtohallan. Many months ago on a mission to retrieve a memory for Anna, she had come across an obscure vision of her mother with other girls around her age. The girls had been almost a spitting image of each other, all possessing piercing eyes, brunette hair, and slender bodies. One of the girls who looked the eldest and run off into the forest and displayed what seemed like powers. Elsa at the time had thought it was herself in an alternate universe, but didn’t question whether it was related differently to her mother.
“You. You’re the one who was in the memories of mother,” Elsa said, awestruck her own discovery.
Ingrid flashed her eyebrows. “Ahtohallan has a knack for storing things that were never meant to be seen on the surface. Much like your mother and her retched husband intended.”
Elsa disregarded her last comment about her parents. “What happened to you?”
Ingrid breathed in deeply. “I would explain, but it’s a rather exhausting and tragic story.”
The woman raised her hands which flashed a flicker of dark magic. Elsa stood up straighter now, preparing if Ingrid decided to take a twist of fate on her.
“Relax. As much as I would love to see more of your powers I’m more interested in something else.”
Elsa was now completely confused. “What do you want from me?”
Ingrid lifted her claw-like finger at Elsa’s chin, observing the fear in her. “I want you.”
The blonde took a large step back, shaking her head. “I-I don’t understand.”
“It’s easy. You abdicate the throne at your own volition, and allow me to rule over the Enchanted Forest and Arendelle,” Ingrid rolled her eyes as if bored.
She felt a rock in her stomach. Why would the throne serve her?
“I cannot abandon my people,” Elsa breathed out.
“Then we’re going to have to approach this an entirely different way,” Ingrid said, extending her nails out.
Elsa backed away slowly, snapping a branch underneath her feet. The fog around them was denser than ever, with the darkness of the evening starting to settle in. She watched in horror as Ingrid drew up her cloak of shards, ready to attack. Elsa scanned her eyes around her, now surrounded by nothing but the depths of the trees.
“Please, I don’t want to fight,” she begged her aunt, now praying for anyone to stumble upon them.
“I think I would like to see the Queen of Arendelle flex her ice powers a bit,” Ingrid said, backing Elsa closer to a tree.
Elsa shot out a large stream of ice at Ingrid’s face. Ingrid reacted quickly back, sending her ice daggers at her niece. Elsa ducked just in time for the daggers to shatter against the tree behind her. Ingrid growled, but before she could shoot another beam of her magic, Elsa took off running into the blinding fog.
Her feet moved at a inhuman pace, brushing past bushes and obstacles of trees in her way. She created a slick ice sheet behind her, hoping Ingrid would at least slow down. From behind, Ingrid growled in anger as she slid across the slick ground, collapsing on her knees. Elsa managed to keep pushing forward far enough ahead to lose sight of Ingrid. She was unsure how long her little tactic would hold her aunt back for. Elsa rounded a corner near boulders and crouched behind a large opening of rocks. As soon as she tucked herself in, an unsettling feeling washed over.
She was now in Earth giant territory.
Elsa tried not to panic since Ingrid would most likely find her soon. From where she was crouched, there were no signs of the Earth giants nearby, though she was directly in their place of dwelling. Her breath shifted into small, shallow breaths. Perhaps she was quiet enough to send Ingrid off into another corridor of the forest. Elsa closed her eyes tight, fighting the newly developed headache at her temples. For the first time in days she realized she was exhausted from all her travels.
She listened carefully to her surroundings, pausing for any signs of movement around. After a few minutes she released the tension in her shoulders and leaned back against the wall. Ingrid must have followed the wrong trail past where the Earth giants lived. She debated in her mind whether to stay, or run as fast as possible in the other direction. Yelena was most likely wondering where she was at this hour. It was unlikely that she was late to her meetings. Elsa let out a shallow breath and stood up steadily.
Her heart pounded wildly in her ears, her brain now on full alert. Her aunt could be lurking anywhere out there at this point. There was no one around to hear her if she screamed aside from the giants themselves. Elsa squeezed her eyes again to fight the developed migraine in her head, then took off running in the twilight sky.
-
“Your mother would be so disappointed in you,” a lingering whisper sounded in her ears.
Elsa tilted her head to the side, trying to make out who the voice was. She was standing in the middle of the forest again, which she swore she left hours ago.
Branches snapped just feet away from her. She jerked her body to the side as an eerie sensation crept up her body.
“Elsa, don’t try to fight it. You know your powers are more than you can handle.”
Elsa was now furious, screaming at the entity in the air. Out of desperation, she peeked around trees trying to find where Ingrid was hiding, but couldn’t locate the whispers in one location. As she looked around one last tree, a male with white hair and a staff stood in front of her. She immediately recognized the man from her vision at the well the day before.
How was he here now?
The man locked on her blue eyes.
“You need to run. You need to run now,” he said with urgency.
The man was now ushering her to a more crowded part of the tree line out of view. Before she could protest, the man disappeared out of sight. Elsa ran further, this time far out of the Enchanted Forest to where the mountains met the fields. Her lungs burned with fire until she nearly collapsed out in an open field. She looked around to find herself in a sea of dried grass, what must have been miles from where Ingrid was. Sighing with relief, Elsa sat down in the grass, not caring if her dress was strung all about. She couldn’t stop thinking about the mysterious man who she ran into a while back. He looked just like the vision she had in the well or was he someone else?
The sky above blended into a deep orange. By the time she reached Arendelle it would be dark outside. Perhaps it would give her more time to think about everything from the past day. She prayed nothing would disturb her trek home, or cause her to question her sanity even more.