Our Future

Chapter 2 - Show Yourself

"Everyone who is willing to help investigate stand up and get your reindeer ready. Now!" Honeymaren commanded mounting her own buck. There was no hesitation. Those who spent every day hunting and protecting the village followed their future leader. Ryder pulled up next to his sister and gave her a nod.

"We are ready Mar." He adjusted his spear on his back. Yelena rode beside them. "You should stay grandmother." Ryder was thumped on the back of the head with the blunt end of his grandmother's spear.

"I'm not dying yet. Besides, our little fifth spirit seems to have refrained from listening to her lessons on not going off on her own. Clearly, I can't leave her to you two. You're soft on her and it's getting on my nerves." She ushered everyone to follow. Ryder looked at Honeymaren who sat upon her buck stoned faced and silent.

"Mar?" He knew his grandmother's words stung. Honeymaren scowled and ushered her reindeer to follow the others ignoring her brother's attempts to reach out for her. Ryder sighed sadly but followed.

Elsa rode through the woods upon Knokk's back towards a faint glimmer in the woods. "Slow down Knokk." Elsa commanded. The water spirit was moving fast through the thicket causing Elsa to become slightly nervous. The horse seemed to be ignoring her commands and continued his desperate run through the woods. "What's up with him?" Elsa questioned.

She could feel his anxiety and uneasiness. The horse only slowed when they began to come to a clearing where the lightning strike seemed to have created a large crater in the Northuldra woods. Knokk came to a sudden crashing halt sending Elsa flying head over heals down the side of the crater.

"Ahhhh!" Elsa screamed as she hit the ground and tumbled down the side of crater. She landed on her stomach and groaned. She laid there trying to catch her breath and for the pain radiating through her body to calm.

Elsa slowly pushed herself on her hands and knees disoriented and dizzy. She focused hard on the ground to try and stop herself from seeing double. Her vision cleared and she slowly focused on a cloaked figure laying in front of her.

"Who?" She mumbled weakly and jumped at the sound of Knokk screaming at her. She looked up at the Water spirit pacing frantically back and forth. As much as he tried, he couldn't make his way towards Elsa.

"A Barrier. Can you not get through?" Elsa called up to him. He responded by whining and pawing at the ground. "Calm down Knokk! I'm ok!" Elsa returned her attention to the unconscious person in front of her. She crawled over to the figure and placed a hand on its shoulder.

"Hey are you alright?" She asked, what she believed to be a woman, as she rolled her over. She couldn't see her face. She reached for her hood but stopped as the woman began to shift.

"W – water." The woman rasped. Elsa quickly reached under her tunic for her drinking skin and cursed when she realized she never refilled it after her training. She cursed and formed a small snow ball in the palm of her hand. "Hold on miss." She squeezed her fist shut and dissolved her creation

And carefully poured the liquid into the flask. She felt the woman tense under her grip. Did she see her magic?

"Elsa?" The woman mumbled her name quietly. Elsa Froze and before she could question how this person knew her name, she was on the ground with a dagger to her throat. She quickly grabbed the woman's wrist to keep her from advancing the weapon.

"What are you doing!?" Elsa asked horrified. She couldn't register what was happening.

"You need to snap out of it! Please! For Anna's sake! Don't make me use this dagger!" The woman pleaded. Elsa clenched her jaw. She could feel the ice leaving her fingertips and crawling up the woman's arms. She squeezed her eyes shut and called her magic to retreat.