The Rift

Chapter 14

              The sun beat down on Willis's back as he tended to his garden. He groaned and stood up, stretching his muscles. His grandchildren pulled weeds below him. "Yuri, be careful not to mix up the parsley with the weeds," he commented. The little girl frowned and reached for a pig weed. Suddenly its roots shot up from the dirt, darkness wrapping around it. Willis automatically swatted the possessed plant with a hoe. "Yuri! Run!"

"Wh-what is that?!" his grandson, Haru, exclaimed, grabbing his sister and running. They all gasped as the plant twisted and shriveled in midair and the darkness shot from it, having drained it of life.

"Hey!" Willis guarded his parsley as the dark mass snaked its way towards it. "Leave my garden alone!"

An icicle pierced the darkness. It flung into a nearby squash plant. Elsa checked the children. "Are you all right?" she asked gently. They nodded. "Mister Rigatoni, are you okay?"

The squash plant struck the hoe out of the Italian man's hand. The sound of the roots ripping out of the ground made Elsa shiver. A yell shot through the air. Marie swung the hoe and knocked the dark plant down. She offered it back to Willis. "Parsley grows fast," Marie said with a smile. The plant whipped several vines at her. Marie blocked with the hoe, grunting in effort as she was pushed back. Beads of sweat ran down her worn face. Elsa pointed a hand at the plant and froze it solid. Vines that had wrapped around Marie snapped into frozen pieces to the ground. Marie stumbled, shaking off the rest.

Elsa neared her, her icy hands at the ready. "It seemed to be targeting you," she commented, looking to the sky for any remaining dark power.

Marie brushed her arm off. "No kidding."

A flicker of concern ignited in Elsa's chest. "Why didn't you use your magic?" she asked.

Marie blinked rapidly. "It all happened too fast," she said. Elsa eyed her but said nothing. The two women lowered their hands in dismissal when the darkness did not make a reappearance. Elsa could not help but sigh in relief. The darkness had struck three times that day, and although its possessions were not too dangerous, they had all been in Arendelle. She watched Marie greet the children, Willis coming to her side.

"Thank you, Your Highness," he said, picking up the hoe. "But may I ask if you can move aside? You're standing on some parsley." Elsa moved aside and rolled her eyes fondly.

"Elsa!" A head full of red hair rounded the corner, and Elsa was taken aback by her sister's sudden embrace. "Someone saw from the road and told us. We came right away. Are you hurt?"

The blonde squeezed her sibling's hands. "I'm all right," she reassured.

A giggle sounded around them while Olaf jumped off Sven's back. "You look worse for wear," he stated, flicking a vine off Marie.

She smiled and said, "You could say I nearly got squashed." Olaf wheezed and fell backward in the dirt. Kristoff shook his head while Sven grunted. A quiet snort escaped Elsa. She quickly hid her face from Marie, feeling herself turn red.

"Impressive showmanship." A pair of wide shoulders came around the house. Dominic pulled his hands behind his back and looked around the backyard. Elsa's demeanor immediately changed.

"Get out of my garden!" Willis suddenly yelled. The group flinched but obeyed, double checking for any injuries on the Rigatonis. They started for the castle, idle conversation buzzing among them. A gentle breeze blew by, tossing Elsa's hair along with it. She breathed in deeply. Her fingers grasped at the invisible reins on The Nokk, her mind replaying the memory. The hum of the rock giants and the whistle of Gale echoed inside of her, and she could not help but smile.