Icy Dream ~ Sequel to Winter Love

2 - The Hideaway

WARNING: This chapter has a slightly sexual moment near the end, although there is no actual sex.

Elsa felt abnormal. Her memories as a human and her memories as a spirit clashed and it was hard to settle in an identity. The only thing that kept her sane and focused was the thought of saving Jack Frost.

With the destruction of her castle, she and the Guardians regrouped at North's workshop. North was the only Guardian who spoke with her. The others avoided it and evaded having to go near her. Elsa understood and tried to stay out of the Guardians' way as they planned a form of attack. However, she listened in with rapt attention.

"Pitch has to have taken Jack to the same place he took my tooth fairies," Toothiana said and Sandy nodded in agreement.

"But he knows we know about it," Bunnymund objected. "He could be anywhere, hiding in any shadow."

"Pitch will go to where he feels most comfortable," Elsa interjected, somewhat shyly. She had been married to the man for centuries, she was loathe to admit it, but she knew him fairly well. She continued, "Pitch has a stronghold, buried deep underground...the entrance is a massive, undiscovered plague pit in the middle of a forest somewhere in the northern region... The United Kingdom I believe it's called now..."

"A plague pit?" Toothiana questioned in confusion.

"They are products of the Dark Ages," North murmured darkly. "Two-Thirds of Europe's population died during this era and the people had to forgo their usual burial methods and had to put their death in mass graves...in 'plague pits.' This era was when Pitch was strongest; I can't say I'm not surprised that he would use such a thing as the doorway to one of his stronghold."

"He will be stronger there," Bunnymund murmured darkly. "Despite the centuries, the residual emotions and fears from the deceased human remain...It will make Pitch stronger and weaken us."

"We have to risk it," North hissed. "Or else Jack might be lost to us forever."

Within the hour, Elsa was directing the Guardians to the plague pit. They took North's sleigh, despite Bunnymund's protest. Elsa could tell the Guardians were nervous by their hardened expressions and their white-knuckle grips on their various weapons. Though none of them mentioned it, Elsa knew they still must have been weak from their previous encounter with Pitch. He had managed to make all but one child believe in them. The children were starting to believe in them again but it was not to the same extent prior Pitch's attack. Every day they became stronger but it would be a long time until they were back to full strength.

The pit was located in one of the few surviving forests in the UK since the Industrial Revolution. It was overgrown and sat in an area that was usually densely foggy. It always shadowy and thus had always been the subject of many horror stories and malevolent myths. During the Dark Ages, it had been surrounded by over a dozen logging towns and by the end of the era all but one had been totally decimated. The modern day locals thought they found the only plague pit located in the remains of one of the destroyed towns. They did not know that, at the beginning of the plague, the locals had put the first pit deep within the forest to try and keep the infected bodies away from the villages. The second pit was placed closer to the towns when the people became too weak and the bodies became too numerous.

Elsa directed them the entire way. She had never been there personally, having never left the south, but Pitch told her where it was located. He was proud of his pit, it was where he had been born.

They never landed the sleigh but came to a hovering stop right above the pit.

"From this point on we are in Pitch's territory," North informed them. "Everyone be on guard."