#and hurrying to the northuldra crops

[justlookatthosesausages]

Inktober 2022 day 4 🐚 "Scallop"

On her first week in the Forest, Elsa quickly found ways to make herself useful around the Northuldra camp. Especially when the tribe decided to move to another area now that the Mist was lifted, reconnecting with their nomad traditions and changing the place where they would put their goahtis.

Once they were done unpacking and building them in the new land, Elsa rubbed the sweat off her forehead with satisfaction, smiling at the Northuldra who thanked her for her help and involvement. She then headed to the sea, the close point of interest that caused the Northuldra to pick this place, and kneeled to wash her face and hands.

There was a ripple on the surface, and two magical blue eyes appeared in its depths. Elsa chuckled.

"Hello there. If I didn't sense your presence through magic when I arrived, I would have been startled!"

Nokk neighed from below the surface, then popped at it, his horse face the only thing appearing at Elsa's level. She grinned at the odd apparition, and petted the horse now that her hands were clean.

She had a look at the sea. "It's way more calm now that we're all at peace, uh?"

Nokk nudged her face at her humor, splashing her cheek, and she let out a laugh.

"Having fun?" Said a familiar voice behind her.

Elsa quickly stood up and twirled around with composure, straightened even. Honeymaren blinked at her change of attitude. Why did she look that stiff?

There was an awkward silence, and Elsa realized that she still had habits from her years as Queen. She cleared her throat before looking at the Water Spirit, then her friend again. "Y-yeah, we, uh... We're having fun. It's a lovely weather today, isn't it?"

Elsa immediately wanted to smash her head first on the pebbles of the shore. Talking about weather, really? However, Honeymaren found the transition logical. She bowed to the water horse, who indeed was the reason of most of pressure changes, and showed Elsa her basket.

"Indeed. That's why we're going into the waters."

The Fifth Spirit looked behind the brunette and saw that several Northuldra were happily chatting as they walked to the sea with baskets.

"What for?" Smiled Elsa.

"We'll pick up empty scallops to break them."

The Snow Queen blinked, confused. "To break them? But seashells are beautiful."

From her youngest age, she had always admired the wonders of the fjord, especially its underwater plants and the shells that ended on the shore. She loved how iridescent some of them were, and it reminded her of ice in a way. She had read countless books about wildlife when she was a reclused kid, and wondered why someone would destroy them... For fun?

Honeymaren chuckled at her expression. "It's for medicinal use. We put them in a mortar and smash them to tiny pieces then powder."

"Ohhh. Right." Nodded Elsa. She was about to tell her new friend that she had read books on the topic as well, but didn't want to look too nerdy for her first week within the tribe.

"You want to come along?" Invited Honeymaren.

Elsa grinned, delighted. "Sure!"

The Northuldra took off their boots and rolled up their pants, and the Snow Queen vanished her ice ones to the knees, before the whole group walked into the water.

Nevertheless, half an hour later, Elsa hadn't found a single shell yet. She felt disastrous. The basket she shared with Honeymaren was nearly full, but only the brunette was filling it. Elsa clenched her fists in frustration; she was used to find and observe things underwater with the fjord, which was much more transparent. Here, she was a beginner again.

For the following ten minutes, she tried techniques to spot them, imitating Honeymaren or other Northuldra, but when they turned their heads to ask the Fifth Spirit if she needed anything starting at them like that, she blushed and looked elsewhere.

Elsa tried to walk further, searching in a new spot and hoping that there would be scallops there. But in vain. Desperate, Elsa slumped her shoulders. She was failing miserably, and didn't like it at all. She wanted to be helpful!

Nokk sensed her disarray, and approached at her feet, neighing at her. She gave him a sad smile. "It's okay, I'll just wait for them to end this activity then I'll make myself useful for something else."

She sighed, looking at the Northuldra being active in the distance while she did nothing. 'I'm making an awful first Fifth Spirit impression.' She thought bitterly.

"I wish I could pick up all the scallops in one go!" She mumbled in despair, gesturing to the whole spot they were searching through.

Nokk didn't need to be told twice. He suddenly disappeared in a splash, heading elsewhere at great speed, and Elsa wondered where he had gone.

Great, even him had given up on her. But right when she started to sigh again, she heard the Northuldra nearby letting out surprised gasps and giggles, like something was tickling their feet and legs.

Honeymaren laughed out loud when the Water Spirit shook the water above the sand under her toes and took out several seashells, then picked them up in his mouth.

The water horse then headed back to the Fifth Spirit, who had widened her eyes when she realized both what was happening and her mistake.

The Spirits obeyed her now. Which meant, if she wished for something, they gave her that thing.

And that thing was nearly thirty empty scallops floating in Nokk's body as he fully emerged from the water in a proud gesture, his hooves trotting on the surface. Elsa dropped her jaw at the sight, and could only reach out in astonishment when his body sparkled in the daylight with all the multicolored seashells he was transporting.

The Fifth Spirit blushed, thanking Nokk a bit clumsily, especially when she felt all the looks on her and heard Honeymaren's laughter. She just as clumsily crafter a basket made out of ice, and picked up the shells one by one.

Elsa undeniably was excited to know that the Water Spirit had gone from a powerful challenger to a very friendly helper. What else could they do together? But she also felt embarrassed, and the tip of her ears burned when Honeymaren approached.

"Well... If I didn't find that impressive and wasn't admirative to see the Spirits being our allies again, I would say that you're cheating, holy Fifth Spirit."

Elsa fidgeted with her basket, her blush renewed, but she couldn't help the smile that pulled her lips.

#dare to tell me that such a situation isn't canon #it's certain that she struggled and did her (awkward) best on her first weeks in the tribe #and discovered how her bond with the spirits actually works #and used it for good and sly situations #i am holding to this headcanon with my bare hands COZ IT'S REALISTIC AND HILARIOUS #imagine that nerdy dork #waking up one morning #and thinking #holy shxt i just realize that i can command rain now #and hurrying to the northuldra crops #frozen #frozen 2 #post frozen 2 #fifth spirit elsa #snow queen elsa #frozen fanfics #drabbles #inktober #inktober 2022

[bigfrozenfan]

Frozen III fanfic - Part 7

The Secret of the Northuldra

Previous parts: one, two, three, four, five, six.

It was just before sunset when they reached Arendelle, Mattias' timing had been correct. They rode right through the upper rock gate and all the splendour of their homeland opened before them. When they left two days ago they still had the journey ahead of them and did not look back. But now they had Arendelle in front of them and the view from up here was overwhelming. The fields on the mountain slopes glowed in intense colours, from the gold of the wheat, through rich green and yellow of different crops for humans and animals, to a bright mixture of colours from the many fields of flowers used for decoration and for sale in shops and at the market of Arendelle. In the harbour the ships and boats rocked in the soft, warm breeze and behind the majestic castle of the royal family, bathed in the orange light of the setting sun, the calm waters of the Arenfjord glittered.

Mattias could not tear himself away from the sight and gently brought his horse to a halt. Halima did the same and looked over to him. He had a dreamy expression on his face. She had to smile. She could understand his feelings, as harvest time was approaching and his homeland showed itself to him in all its beauty and fertility. She was looking forward to the harvest festival. This time they would celebrate it together.

Finally they rode slowly and they heard the bell at the clock tower in the distance strike seven times. On the way down they passed Halima's cozy little cottage and they reined the horses. Mattias jumped boldly out of the saddle and walked around the horse to help Halima get off.

"Mattias! You jump off your horse as if you were still the lieutenant from back then. Remember that you are not young anymore. You could easily sprain your ankle," she said laughing and shook her head over his exuberance.

He grinned and helped her dismount. "Don't worry, dearest, I'm not that old." They held each other in their arms and looked at each other in love. Time seemed to stand still for a moment. Then he kissed her tenderly and she lifted one foot in rapture.

When they separated again he gave her a last short kiss on her cheek as a farewell. "I must ride to the castle now to take care of everything before nightfall. I will see you later. I'll pick you up for dinner."

"All right, darling. I'll just go down to the library and drop off some books. I'd forgotten to bring them back before we left. I hope it's still open. I'll see you later."

He got back on his horse, put the other one on a leash and waved to her as he rode off. She waved back and gazed after him till he vanished behind the next corner of the houses. Then she went inside to get the books.

***

As he had passed through the castle gate, he handed the horses over to a stable boy who was just passing by, and was about to go through the front door of the castle when the captain of the guard approached him.

"General Mattias. May I have a word, please?" He saluted him and Mattias nodded.

"What's it, Captain?"

"Well, I... am a little confused. I see you, but where are the queen and her fiancé? Has something happened?" His gaze showed a mixture of amazement and concern, but Mattias also noticed a slight hint of anger on his face.

"You have nothing to worry about. She is well and she is still with her sister Elsa. She'll be back in two days."

"With all due respect, Sir, but you left without any protection from her guards and now you're returning alone? That's-"

"Irresponsible, you mean?" Mattias gruffly interrupted the young, overzealous captain of the guard. But he looked at him favorably. "She is in the best of hands with Elsa, no bodyguard in the world could protect her better than she. Have you forgotten what she did last autumn to save us all from the flood? Well...?"

The captain became a little pale around the nose and stuttered, unsure what to answer, "Um... yes, well... in that sense, of course, you're right, Sir, I just thought I... I mean..."

"That's all right, Captain. You're just doing your duty and being very observant, that's fine. Keep up the good work. But if you'll excuse me now, i have important business to attend to." Mattias turned and left the captain stood speechless.

***

Of course, it had only been half the truth and he had to lie partly; Mattias thought, but in this situation it was necessary not to tell the captain everything.

In the following hour he called together some of the older councillors who were still faithfully carrying out their duties in Queen Elsa's time and informed them of the precarious situation. He instructed everyone to keep it under wraps and to treat the matter as confidential. Everyone agreed without reservation. On most faces there was great concern and some asked about the condition of their Queen Anna. He answered their questions in concise words, but made it clear to them that a lengthy discussion would have to wait until their return.

He then went to the royal physician and asked him to prepare everything necessary and to look for answers for Elsa's condition. He did not need to tell a doctor about his duty of confidentiality. The physician nodded and hurried away to look for precedents in his textbooks.

Finally, only one thing remained to be done. He had to find two reliable people to accompany him. He already knew who.

When he stepped outside again it had already become dark and the courtyard was bathed in the flickering light of the fire bowls and some big torches. He had fresh horses brought and rode to his home. On the way, however, he stopped briefly to visit two of his old comrades who were locked up with him in the Enchanted Forest. He could trust them absolutely. Among them was a woman who was supposed to take care of suitable camouflage clothes for Elsa. The man was supposed to get an inconspicuous wagon, some long weapons, food and everything else for such an action. Both of them did not ask any questions and immediately took care of this responsible task, with the intention not to arouse suspicion.

Arriving at home, he threw on fresh clothes suitable for a dinner. After his return last autumn he had to take care of a completely new wardrobe, because he simply did not fit into the old clothes anymore. He always took care of a tidy appearance, especially now, because of Halima.

***

The host cleared away the leftovers of their dinner while they leaned back contentedly. He enquired how it had tasted to them.

"That was delicious," Halima said, smiling at the host and wiping the corner of a napkin over the corners of her mouth. "Compliments to the cook," she added as he left. Her eyes lit up at Mattias, who rubbed his belly with satiation.

"I must have overdone it a bit with the portion," he giggled and reached for his glass of red wine. "To your health, Halima."

"To us, Mattias," she said as she lifted her glass, toasting with him, while they looked each other in the eyes.

A short time later, they went for their walk, as previously planned. It was a starry night and Arenfjord glittered silvery in the bright moonlight. Down in the village all the lanterns were lit and from up here you could see that the taverns were very busy, now and then even the laughter of some guests came up here.

"How did it go at the castle?" Halima asked abruptly.

"Good. Everything is arranged and prepared. Everything is going according to plan."

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Before sunrise. On the one hand, we gain some time, because of the vehicle and on the other hand, there is hardly anyone on the streets and we will probably come out unnoticed. He paused. "How was it with you? Was the library still open?"

"Yes, barely. Mr. Oddvar was just about to close, but I was able to return the books."

They sat down in the grass and Mattias put an arm around her. Halima looked at him and then rested her head on his shoulder. They both remained silent and enjoyed their romantic evening on the hill above Arendelle for a long time.

***

Kristoff had woken up in the middle of the night because Anna was snoring loudly. It was still dark so he closed his eyes again. How would it be once they were married and he would have to sleep in their bed from now on; he thought. He grinned. He hadn't known that about Anna yet.

He recalled last night before his inner eyes. They had talked for a long time about what Anna had seen, and he had tried to convince her that what she had observed did not necessarily have to be true. Perhaps this impression was troubling. At some point she had calmed down again and he went out to get them both a warm dinner, which they then consumed silently inside the kota.

Afterwards she had prepared herself for the night while he turned his back on her for decency. She did not want to sleep alone and asked him to lie beside her. Inside the kota it was quite warm and so he asked if she would mind if he took off his thick leather tunic. She grinned at him and shook her head. It hadn't taken long then and she snuggled up comfortably against him. Through her thin nightdress he felt her warmth on his naked upper body, his hand lay light and tenderly above her waist. He enjoyed feeling her closeness in this way. Her slender, warm body seemed so fragile at this moment, but he knew that it was not so. If she wanted to, she could unleash an unimagined strength, not to mention her willpower and her sometimes almost unbearable pig-headedness. But at the moment all he felt was her softness and warm breath on his chest, her gentle hand on his back and her hair tickling his cheek. Sometimes she hummed softly and contentedly when she moved.

Finally her breath became more regular and she fell asleep. This night could last forever if he had his way; he thought, if only there wasn't this little thing that she snores such like she does now. But at some point he got so tired that it didn't bother him any more and he fell asleep again, with a broad smile on his face.

***

It was already after midnight when Honeymaren stepped out of Elsa's kota and almost silently closed the flap behind her. Elsa had fallen asleep at some point and she didn't want to wake her up.

She looked up and watched the twinkling stars in the cloudless night sky. The moon had already set and so she was now standing there in deep black darkness. "Crap," she whispered softly to herself and turned towards her own Kota by feeling. She knew that she would also find the way blindly and it was not far away. Nevertheless, she moved forward very carefully, one arm stretched out in front of her, to notice trees or a hut in time.

She finally reached the kota and listened. An unmistakable snoring told her that she was standing in front of the right hut. Her parents had certainly wondered where she was again, but it was extremely rare that she was so late. Silently she opened the flap and crept in. She groped her way to her sleeping place, unbuckled her belt and pulled the tunic over her head. Then she lay down, sighed quietly and soon fell into sleep like a rock.

***

At sunrise Yelana left the camp and made a long walk to a kota far away. She hadn't been here for a long time and when she finally stood in front of the hut, it immediately struck her that it had seen better days before. The wood was heavily weathered and there were open gaps between the boards in some places. Nobody had repaired or renewed anything here for a long time. She opened the flap and stepped in. In the middle of the kota sat an elderly woman who was busy with a handicraft.

"Hello, Gyda."

"Don't call me that, Yelana. You know very well I hate that nickname." She did not even look up when she answered in a dark and powerful voice, but continued to care for her traditional duodji. She just made one of the belts as they all wore it over the tunic here in camp. However, certain details onto it told Yelana that this belt was meant for an unmarried Northuldra.

"Well, Gyríðr, but don't you think we're both a bit old for this kind of subtlety?"

Gyda looked up briefly, swung her head back and forth in a judgmental manner and then continued with the work indifferent. Yelana took a look around the dwelling. It was full of old traditional items, including a richly decorated rare gievriej, a very old sacred troll drum, as the noajde used to use it for their rituals. This was long before the People of the Sun moved here near by Ahtohallan and the fifth Spirit was chosen among them. All that remained of the old tradition was the soul song of her tribe. But this one here must have been made by Gyda.

Yelana looked at her again. She had become a very old woman, the deep wrinkles in her face showed her long life experience as wife of the fifth spirit. But it was also evident that she was still troubled by the fact that he had rejected her at that time and that she was losing her high position in the tribe on those days. At some point she retreated to this place and since then she had lived as a hermit. Afterwards she only had contact to the tribe through the few Northuldra that brought her food to survive. In return, she voluntarily made traditional clothing and therefore was provided with leather, fabric and all the other things that were necessary.

Yelana didn't know everything that was going on that time then, but she needed to know if Gyda had a child with him and could somehow hide it. She cleared her throat distinctly. "There have been disturbing events and I have an important inquiry."

Gyda didn't respond.

"Please!"

The elder woman paused and finally put her tools aside.

"Ask."

"Had the fifth spirit begotten a progeny with you?"

Gyda gave a short, dry laugh. "Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten what happened back then?"

Yelana tightened her eyebrows. "No, of course not. But you've been living so far out here for so long that nobody notices anything, even if you're pregnant, if you know how to hide it. I need to know, and also who helped you."

"Even if it were, what do you care?" Gyda picked up her tools again.

"Wait. Please listen to me." Yelana sat down and told her everything, including her suspicion that Gyda's child might be responsible. Gyda listened to her attentively and asked no questions, only her gaze grew increasingly darkened. At the end she nodded and after a little while of consideration she finally answered quietly.

"Yes, I had a child with him, a boy. I gave him the name Kolgrimr." She hesitated, but then continued, "I was already pregnant when he abandoned me because I was no longer good enough for him and could no longer perform my duties as he expected of me to. You surely remember what he was like, how ruthless and pressing. But I wanted to protect my unborn child."  She interrupted herself and took a deep breath. "I gave birth to the child some time later and Jonna helped me with. Then this king came from the south and all these strangers started to build this dam and ...," she faltered and looked sadly to the ground. "Sometime after the completion of this stony monster, he finally came back to me and told me something about a fraud and that the land was dying and the reindeer were suffering. He was so excited and angry, I can still remember it like it was yesterday."

"What happened next?" asked Yelana when Gyda lost herself in memories and did not continue speaking immediately.

"He took Kolgrimr from me. Said he had to make sure that his descendant would take over when he himself was no longer around. I didn't know what he meant then and I tried to stop him, but without success. I never saw him again and later heard that he was killed in his human form. Shortly afterwards the sun darkened and this fog came. You know the rest of the story."

"Yes, and Jonna also died fighting with the men of this dreadful king. I knew her quite well. I just don't understand why she never told me about it."

"Because she had to promise to me not to tell anybody."

Yelana understood and nodded. She felt pity for her, grabbed Gyda by the arm and said, "I'm very sorry for you, Gy-...Gyríðr. No one knew about your child, and none of us wanted you living here alone. None of us ever really got it right."

"It's not our folks' fault, I know. It was my own decision and I had my reasons."

"Have you ever seen your son again?"

Gyda looked up. Then she slowly and sadly shook her head, "No."

When Yelana later returned to the camp, she first went to her kota and thought things over thoroughly. One thing led to another and slowly a picture formed itself in her mind. It was time to make a decision, one that was very tough for her. And so she got up and walked out.

***

#frozen2 #f3 #plot idea #frozen 3 #frozen au #fanfic #part 7 #mine