Frozen 3

Chapter 2

Yelena

She was there. Tall, beautiful, young, majestic. All admired her, seemingly irresistibly attracted to her. None looked like her. Since her arrival in the enchanted forest, they seemed captivated and watched her every move with attention. The younger ones enjoyed her powers to control snow and ice. The older ones envied the purity of her beauty. A yet icy beauty with a skin and hair so clear that they could almost merge on the snow of this beginning of January. Her bright blue eyes seemed to pierce through everything they stood on. She was not like us. And that's what I understood more and more. I had been watching her since she arrived. She had freed us and brought the spirits back to us. I certainly owed her a lot. But she was one of them, not one of us. I knew some of her abilities. She could destroy us just as easily as she saved us, I was convinced. I never trusted the people of Arendelle. Our past was a lesson. I was only thirty years old when I watched helplessly as King Runeard betrayed our people. I saw whole families being slaughtered in front of my eyes. My father was among those who were killed, unjustly provoked into a duel by the king of Arendelle. That same evening I had become chief of the Northuldra, though I had never really been prepared for such a role. Elsa was a direct descendant of Runeard, but also of Iduna, who had cowardly abandoned her people, never giving sign of life again. And why? To follow Agnarr, the heir to the throne of Arendelle, whom she barely knew. For some, this second betrayal had been a sledgehammer, sometimes much more painful than the first. I still remembered the lost looks, filled with misunderstanding when we had searched in vain for Iduna. She had disappeared while no one was watching her. She had taken advantage of a moment of inattention to slip away and never come back. Deep down, I was convinced that there was another reason for this sudden departure. But I didn't know which one. My chance to discover the truth one day, however, was dead, along with Iduna. She took her secret with her, making sure it never surfaced. She must have ignored the harm she had done us. Being part of one of our oldest families, she was so respected at the time, despite her young age, that she was nothing but a disgrace, a detail of our history that we no longer wanted to discuss. That's where we were. No one dared to mention that unfortunate adventure any more. The wound didn't seem to have closed. She had left us behind, without even looking back, at the moment when we suffered the most. I looked at Elsa from inside my tent, slightly opening the reindeer skins that covered the entrance. She held Bruni, the spirit of fire, in her hands and seemed amused by the playful behavior of the little salamander. A few people approached the young woman and began a conversation with her. I felt anger rise in me. I hated the fact that the Northuldras had more and more relationships with her. I was sure Elsa would betray us. Her face had the features of her mother. They were the same.

***

I had climbed the heights, far beyond our camp. Leaning against a rock, I watched the valley below. The trees, devoid of their leaves, had put on their winter white mantle which enveloped their branches. A thick layer of snow had been covering the ground for a few days. The creek in which we used to feed ourselves and our animals was completely frozen. I knew it was the same for the Dark Sea, a few kilometres further north. Each year, as astonishing as it may seem, its tumultuous waves suddenly stopped throwing themselves against the little cove that led to it. So, a solid layer of ice formed over it, preventing their usual back and forth. Some, too reckless, had tried to reach Ahtohallan, taking advantage that the Dark Sea was thus frozen. Seeming at first perfectly harmless and harmless at this time of the year, they were not suspicious, much too consumed by curiosity and the desire to finally discover this legendary island of which they had always heard. They took a decisive step on the ice, never letting themselves be destabilized by its cold and slippery appearance. But when they thought they were halfway there, standing above the deepest point of the Dark Sea, Nokk, a fiery horse embodying the spirit of water, broke the ice under their feet. They were desperately clinging to everything they could, struggling to find the land. But it was impossible. Nokk drew them into the icy water, dragging them ever deeper and preventing them from rising to the surface. We had already lost so many Northuldra as well... Most of them were young adults, unable to reason. I had stopped warning for years, realizing that it was no longer useful. They were determined to join Ahtohallan, one way or another, even if it cost them their lives. Only Elsa had achieved this feat and that worried me. Faced with the young woman's success, more of them would try their luck this year. It was a waste of time. For centuries this had been the case. Elsa had been the only exception. By some miracle, the former queen had tamed Nokk, allowing her to go to the island as she pleased. The horse had never allowed anyone to ride it. Despite many attempts, he had always won his water battles against those who wanted to tame him. Nokk was a wild animal who cared most about his freedom. He must have felt that she was like him, a spirit capable of controlling an element of nature, I thought without conviction.

A breeze whipped my face, suddenly bringing my hair back. Winter was going to be cold this year, the spirits couldn't fool me. I then looked at the huge stick from which I almost never parted. Symbols, all different, had been carefully engraved in his polished wood over the years. Each of the mysterious figures represented the one who carved it. They were all different and unique. Mine was not yet there. This stick has been in my family for generations, always passed down from father to son. Being an only child and having lost all the rest of my family in the attack, I had become the first female leader of the Northuldra. It has been thirty-four years now. But I never felt the need to engrave my symbol, to leave an indelible trace of my history. I picked up a small pointed stone at my feet. I breathed deeply. I knew what I had to do. It was the right time. Very slowly, I pushed the tip into the hardwood. I slowly drew the contours of my tiny drawing. I knew exactly what I had to engrave, I always knew. My actions were precise. My stone was sinking and withdrawing regularly from the stick, gradually giving shape to my symbol. I stood up, proudly contemplating my work, while dusting with my fingers the wood residue still hanging on it. I smiled. It was perfect. I looked up to the sky. It was perfectly blue, no cloud came to disturb it. Blue as Elsa's eyes, I thought. The sun dazzles me. I gently closed the eyelids, letting its rays and soft warmth caress my face. I loved that feeling of fullness that was so little granted to me. I rarely found myself alone. So when I did, I used to enjoy it like it was the last time. After a few moments of calm and serenity, I opened my eyes and looked at the symbol that had just appeared on the stick. It has been obvious for a long time. However, I had never felt this way before, despite its importance. Remaining to observe it for long minutes, I then realized all that this small motif could represent for me. I gently passed my fingers over its contours, feeling every notch I had created under my skin. It was more than just a drawing. That was what kept us alive and protected us. We, the Northuldra. I got up, leaving the rock on which I had remained all morning. Taking one last look at the valley as it seemed asleep, I slowly pulled away, leaning on my stick. I felt the face I had just engraved rubbing under the palm of my hand. A large smile appeared on my lips without my even realizing it. My symbol would remain engraved there for eternity. I left a trace of my story now. My drawing would leave a trace. My sun would remain forever embedded in this stick.