The Love That Bonds Us

Chapter 4 : Kindness of Arendelle

IDUNA

With a sudden jolt of the carriage, I was awoken from my slightly restless sleep.

I was aware of a scratchy material rubbing against my cheek and swatted it away.

Broad daylight flooded my vision and once I had blinked away the stars, I looked out at the unfamiliar trees and sounds and smells and road; gradually remembering where I was - or rather, where I was headed.

I gave a deep sigh; so much for not wanting to meet them. Though I found I did not regret saving that Arendellian boy.

I looked over at him now. He looked so peaceful. Though, his hair had turned red where he'd hit his head. I wasn't sure how to go about treating it however - I had nothing except my clothes which might work as a temporary bandage.

I delved into my bag, pulled out the hem of an old dress that barely fit me anymore and ripped it from the rest of the skirt. I wondered why I'd bothered packing it, but it was remarkably convenient so I didn't complain.

The wind carefully lifted the boy slightly and I wrapped the make-shift bandage around his head, pulling it tight to blot the bleeding. I wasn't sure how severely he had hit his head, nor did I want to know. I was sure someone would take care of him once we arrived back at his Kingdom, they'd have their hands full anyway, so what would one more be?

I gazed at him a while as we continued to bounce and rock on the old wooden carriage. My mind wandered to who he could be. I thought for a fleeting moment that he could be that Prince Iona was on about, but I shook my head at that and almost laughed.

I had to give it to him though, he didn't look half-bad. In fact, he was rather attractive.

I stopped as that notion crossed my mind and firmly turned it to other things. The Arendellians would eventually find out about the fighting. I didn't think it would be wise to tell anyone I was Northuldran, therefore putting my safety in jeapardy. I would just wander around like any other citizen, find somewhere to sleep at night and locate a good place for food. It would be rough, but one day I'd return to the forest, so I wouldn't be in Arendelle that long anyway.

For the rest of the trip I sat with my mind thinking about random things that had no relation to each other in the slightest, and stared out across the new landscape as it leisurely blurred past.

I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep for, but I'd heard the Kingdom was quite far away and we arrived not too long after I'd woken.

I jumped off the carriage before it entered through the Castle gates and watched it disappear. All the others were nowhere in sight but I didn't bother myself with that, they had probably just arrived in the Kingdom earlier than us.

As I trudged on into the village to search for a suitable shelter, I became quite frustrated and flustered when the boy didn't leave my mind for a second. I didn't understand why he wouldn't; it was as if he had made an imprint in my brain and now I couldn't forget him.

In any case, it was distracting and I probably would have found shelter sooner, but I eventually stumbled across a wooden structure with hay and animals. It looked rather cramped and small, but it would suffice.

It was getting late and I arranged my blanket on the straw to make a comfortable bed before stretching out on it with my hands behind my head, tangled in my mess of dark brown hair.

Even with the blanket, the straw was still slightly scratchy, but it worked and I eventually dozed off, with my last thought wondering if the boy was OK.

The next morning I was awoken by enraged shouting.

The wind immediately picked me up, collected my bag and blanket, and hastily carried me from the shelter as I apologised profusely to the old man who had come in waving a pitchfork and now watched me leave with stunned eyes.