Honeymoon Viking-style

14.

Elsa, Astrid, and Fury flew over the enchanted forest looking for the Northuldra. They had already visited all the enclaves most frequented by the northerners, but they hadn't found any clue of them anywhere. Elsa was beginning to worry when, in the distance, on the west coast, they saw several columns of smoke.

As they approached, they saw the horizon full of large anchored ships, the coast full of boats, and a large number of soldiers everywhere, busy with different tasks: building tents, moving supplies, sharpening weapons...

"What now?" Elsa said, horrified at the idea of having to deal with another enemy as well.

"Look!" Astrid said then.

A little further on they could see the characteristic Northuldra tents. Elsa sighed in relief.

An arrow whistled near them and they then saw how the soldiers moved like frightened ants, looking for places to take refuge or bows to face the dragon that had appeared in the sky.

Elsa quickly raised a shield of ice around them, stopping or deflecting a new wave of arrows that sought to bring them down, but soon they began to hear echoes of screams in which the order to a cease-fire was given.

When they were sure of receiving no more attacks, Elsa dissolved the shield and Fury was able to land in the middle of the camp, before the astonished gaze of most of the soldiers.

With a quick glance, Elsa was able to make out emblems from several nearby kingdoms, including the Southern Islands. The mere memory of Hans gave her a chill, but the truth was that his brothers had nothing to do with him.

"Elsa!" Said a voice behind them. "You have returned!"

"Olaf!"

They both gave each other a warm hug.

"What is going on? What is all this?"

Elsa was still stunned, looking around her and recognizing even more emblems.

"Well... I thought that when you're in trouble, the best thing to do is asking your friends for help. Living with Anna, I was in charge of sending communications to our neighbors many times, so, after what happened in the forest, I wrote them to ask for advice on how to fight dragons or immortals. Before long, soldiers began to arrive from all over and we had to settle here on the coast. I'm sorry, I didn't expect them to start sending people here..." The snowman's expression darkened. "Are you angry?"

Elsa couldn't believe it.

"Angry? I'm delighted! Thank you very much, Olaf!"

"Yeah!" Astrid seconded. "You save our ass!"

The snowman laughed delightedly.

"Your highness."

Elsa turned to see a red-haired man with long sideburns kneeling in front of her. She didn't need to look at the emblem on his armor to know where it came from.

"I am Caleb, firstborn of the Southern Islands."

"Please, get up," Elsa asked. "I am not a queen anymore and I do not deserve such treatment. In any case, I should be the one to bow down to you."

"No way," he said. "Not after what my brother did to you."

"So... let's put aside the formalities?"

"So be it." The man smiled and got up. "Allow me to offer my apologies again for everything that happened with Hans. My father sends us in the hope that we can finally make up for that terrible fault since, as you know, we have few commercial contracts and have not been able to redeem ourselves until today. I swear on my honor that we will help you in any way possible, even if it costs us our lives."