~𝒩𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝐿𝑒𝓉 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒢𝑜~

2. Frozen Woods

(Y/N)'s POV

As my winter boots crunch through the snow, I tighten my coat, and the straps of my survival backpack around my body.

The cold harshly bites my cheeks, stinging my tender flesh, yet I think the Ice Queen must be in a good mood today since there is no raging blizzard through the frozen moors.

This afternoon, there is only a light snowfall accompanied by the chilly wind.

With gloved fingers, I pull my scarf over my, chapped lips and retuck my (h/c) hair into my wool hat.

I believe in many myths and legends, though the story of the Icy Enchantress is more alluring than any of the prior legends.

My homeland was just shy of getting hit by the massive and magical snowstorm five years ago, so I never witnessed the magical snow and ice for myself, but the stories have intrigued me to find out once and for all, if the Snow Queen is real.

With each step in the high snow drifts, a satisfying crunch sounds into the otherwise almost silent frozen woods.

I wish I knew why the tale of the Ice Queen draws me in as much as it has, but I don't.

Perhaps it's the promise of a hidden world where magic and wonder exist beyond imagination, with a powerful queen ruling over it all.

Maybe it's the whispers about her that never truly seized, almost echoing in the dark, the voices so quiet they seemed to come from beyond the grave. It's as if even the dead can't resist sharing their innermost thoughts of the frozen-over and perished kingdom.

Whatever the reason, what started out as hearing a rumor in the marketplace, has turned into an adventure of me seeking the truth to the legend.

I am determined to find the certitude behind the Snow Queen's lore to settle and move on from this obsession that has plagued my mind for months once and for all.

Even if it means risking my safety with the high chance of hypothermia and starvation. Hopefully, the risks are worth quenching my curiosity about Arendelle's former queen.

My vision for miles is of pine trees blanketed in snow, the tundra transforming into a labyrinth.

Ice coats the branches akin to a cast, although a single touch would shatter the wood like glass.

On the ground, the mounds of snow twinkle akin to an endless sea of white glitter.

Besides the fluttering of snowflakes to the ground, accompanied by a light chilly breeze, the rest of the world is still. Eerily still and quiet as if the world has been encapsulated in time.

How is this supposed to be the realm of the ruthless Ice Queen when what she has created is so beautiful?

Abliet Winter is a pale-colored canvas, the Ice Queen has created an ethereal, other-worldly frozen heaven.

I shake my head, and tiny snowflakes flutter off from my eyelashes for the time being.

Although difficult, I push away any mental distractions to focus on my mission and task at hand. I need to find shelter soon; the hourglass until nightfall nearing empty as the afternoon sun begins to descend.

Even now with the sun exposed, there is prickling in my chest like icicles puncturing my lungs. Any longer in these conditions, and freezing to death by the soonest witching hour is sure.

Reaching behind for my backpack with heavy arms, I pull out my map of Arendelle and the surrounding kingdoms.

The map's paper is crinkled, discolored, and slightly outdated, but it remains my best effort for survival and locating the Ice Queen.