Chapter Text

Yelena was about to enter a goathi and Elsa approached her. "Yelena, may I speak to you?"

"Sure, Fifth Spirit."

"Actually, I need to discuss matters with you as Queen of Arendelle."

The leader of the Northuldra looked at Elsa expectantly. Elsa looked around, some children were playing not too far and other few people were just minding their business. She was used to a different setting, but supposed that going in a drawing room to discuss delicate matters made little sense here.

“Lieutenant Mattias told me you had only a cease-fire. Why haven't you signed a peace treaty? Is there any unresolved conflict?”

“It’s not like he had the authority to sign a peace treaty.” Responded Yelena bluntly. “Anyway, it would have made no difference. It’s been a while since the last battle with the Arendellians.”

“So, are you on good terms, now? When we arrived in the Forest, things seemed tense…”

“Things are always a little bit tense before winter. It always seems that food provisions will not be enough. You always try to forage more than needed since you can’t know if it will be a harsh winter or a mild one.” Yelena broke her rigid posture and continued in a slightly warmer tone. “But I personally don’t hate them. In fact, I pitied them. We have families and our young had children. Life was going on despite the Mist. We had our share of funerals, but also joyful celebrations like weddings and births. They have no family and only celebrated deaths… They had nothing to grab onto but their pride in being Arendiallian soldiers.” Yelena put on her typical stern face. “Anyway, now they can go out of my hair.” With a little nod, she took leave of the Fifth Spirit.

A smirk worked on Elsa’s face as she watched the Northuldra leader walk away. Yelena seemed harsh, but truly she was a good-hearted person.

Elsa will have to talk to Anna about the peace treaty with Northurldra, since her little sister would be Queen of Arendelle. An important act like that is better done by a new monarch than an abdicating one. But first, Elsa decided to check on the Nokk and Earth Giant.

~

As Elsa was near the flooded valley, she started to feel a strong sense of unease. She could feel the magic flow in the forest, which made the forest even more beautiful. But something was wrong in this area.

As soon as she arrived at the top of a hill that enclosed the flooded valley, Elsa shuddered. It was a landscape of death. The valley was empty of water save for a muddy stream on the valley bottom. Everything was covered in silt. There were trees that had been underwater for more than thirty years now looked like ghost trees. No leaves, no bark, only mudded skewers, some still upright, some forming a prickly stack.

Elsa started down the hill. Her sandals offered no protection and it was difficult to walk in that slippery mire. There were several dead fish and wilted aquatic plants littering the sides of the valley. The view and the foul smell was making Elsa nauseous.

She paused for a moment, steadying herself on a dead tree. At the bottom of the valley she saw an Earth Giant in the muddy stream, and she could also sense the Nokk there. They were in distress.

Elsa hurried toward them but lost her footing and fell in the mud, tumbling and sliding. When she finally stopped and got up, she was covered in mud. She decided to get rid of the sandals and the arm capes, and she shortened the dress. They were an hindrance in the sticky mud.

When she finally reached the Giant, she saw that he was stuck deep in the mud at the bottom of the valley. The Nokk, barely recognizable in the brown murky water, was rumbling water near the giant's foot.

"Oh, no! Let me help you!"

The Giant and the Nokk calmed down at the voice and presence of the Fifth Spirit.

Elsa considered how to free the Giant and remembered Kristoff’s demonstration on how to get out of a frozen lake if the ice broke. Sure, it wasn’t a lesson for her, but Elsa was pleasantly impressed by Kristoff’s ice skills and the fact that he put Anna’s safety as top priority. Don’t put the weight on a single part, or the thin ice will break. Distribute your weight on thicker ice and then slowly crawl to safety. Quicksands or mud are not exactly the same, but the physics should be similar.

Elsa created a thick ice raft near the Giant. "Lie down this raft and only then try to slowly get out your feet." The Giant did as told and, since the foot was no longer bearing all the Giant's weight, it came easily unstuck. With some crawling and more ice platforms, they made it to a more solid ground, with less sedimented silt. They were now upstream, near the entrance of the flooded valley.

"I think that now we are good." Elsa made for nuzzling the Nokk, but he was not solid as usual and Elsa's hand sunk into the Spirit's neck. With the murky water he barely managed to keep his form. "I need to go to Arendelle soon. Could we meet later at the sea?" The Nokk neighed affirmatively and sploshed away in the muddy stream.

"Let's get out of here, shall we?" At that, the Giant gently picked up Elsa, put her on his shoulder, and climbed out the flooded valley.

Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Elsa was again feeling sick and worried. This valley was dead and the magic was not properly flowing. No wonder the Nokk and the Earth Giants weren't celebrating last night. They were most likely affected by this. How could Elsa repair this damage to the Forest?

Deep in thought, Elsa realized that the Giant was no longer moving and someone was calling her.

"Are you okay?" It was Honeymaren. She seemed to have run to keep up with the Giant.

"I am okay, but the flooded valley is not. I have to do something about it."

"Maybe it is better to clean up first?" Said Honeymaren with an uncertain tone.

Elsa suddenly felt aware of her state. She was completely covered in mud, with the mud in her hair starting to dry and crust. "Ugh, right. Please put me down; I can manage from here." After putting her down, the Giant made a rumbling that Elsa understood as a thank you and stomped toward North.

"There is a waterfall with a pool nearby. We usually bathe there in summer, but I can light up a fire to dry you off in no time."

"Just the water is fine, the cold doesn't bother me anyway."

“Ah, I should have known. Well, I will go and get a towel for you to dry off and a change of clothes...”

“That is not necessary. I can dry off by myself and these clothes are all made of ice.” Elsa gestured at the shorter version of the Fifth Spirit’s dress.

Honeymaren followed Elsa’s gesture, and then quickly averted her gaze. After a moment, Honeymaren turned toward Elsa, a questioning look in her eyes. But in the end, she said nothing and looked ahead on the trail, a little frown on her face. After a short walk, they arrived at a small, secluded waterfall with a deep pond.

“Here we are. I could at least bring you a brush and some soap, or I could leave you alone, if I am annoying you.” Honeymaren said with uncharacteristic hesitation.

Elsa frowned a little, maybe she had been too cold. “Sorry, it’s not you. Stay, please. I just don’t know what to do for the valley.”

“Hey, you don’t have to solve it right now. And remember, you are not alone.”

Elsa was going in the water when she saw Honeymaren averting her gaze from her. Oh, maybe that is why she seemed uncomfortable. Elsa decided to keep her dress on and went under the waterfall. Her mind started to clear as the water was washing away the mud.

When she began to feel better, Elsa dove into the pool and emerged near Honeymaren. She was fumbling with her tunic with a sort of worried frown.

Elsa teased her a little and questioned Honeymaren with a smirk, “Are you going to join me?”

“Uh, no… I just...” Honeymaren blushed, looking taken aback. Then she regained her usual confident tone, “I want to show you something.”

Honeymaren lifted her tunic and Elsa saw parallel scars on her bust and side. They seemed old, and must have been deep cuts.

"More than ten years ago, it was spring and we were foraging on berries... I was stupidly running around without looking and I suddenly found myself in front of a bear cub. I didn't even see the mama bear… She attacked me, throwing me against a tree." Elsa's eyes went wide, she knew the ferocity of a protective mother bear.

"Luckily, the others were nearby and immediately came to help. So, in the end, I just had a broken rib and these cuts here and on the thigh. Hildra, our healer, is great but still I had a high fever for a week. They were all worried. I got a little better, but still had to be in bed for a while. Hel and Yoled would bring me cloudberries. At least, Hildra allowed me to stay outside the healing hut when the weather was good.” Honeymaren smiled fondly, “Ryder would bring some reindeers and pretend the reindeers were telling a story. I think that’s when he started to do the reindeers’ voices. I had to repress laughter because every time I felt a jolt of pain from my broken rib. Finally, Hildra told me that I could resume my usual life and duties, but still sometimes the rib ached and for a while I had to be careful not to overexert myself." Honeymaren stopped and looked at Elsa. "The point is, it takes time to heal a wound and a lot of help from the whole village. And still I have these scars. But I am good now, actually more than good now. Also the valley will be, too. It just needs time and help from everyone."

Honeymaren put her clothes back on and Elsa stayed silent for a while.

"Well, Fifth Spirit, I am going back to the village, are you coming?"

“I will stay here a little bit longer." Elsa didn’t want to get out of the water yet. “And, Honeymaren, you don't have to address me as Fifth Spirit. Just Elsa is fine.”

"Ah, sorry. Yelena told us this morning to address you with proper respect." Honeymaren scratched her head and then flashed a tentative smile. “You can call me Maren, if you want.”

"Thank you, Maren.”

Honeymaren’s smile grew confident. “Anytime. See you later, then, Elsa."

"Goodbye, Maren."

Elsa swam unhurriedly in the pool, basking in the cold clear water and soothing sounds of the waterfall. Finally, she decided to get out and dressed herself again in the full Fifth Spirit regalia.