[https://i.postimg.cc/J0hFJyqs/Final-Cover-Part-2.jpg" alt=]

Acknowledgments

To my loving parents, Major Sudheer Anandath and Captain Babitha Anandath, who did not overlook this work as a mere ‘retelling’ and understood the potential of the story it had to tell the world.

To my little sister, Geetika Anandath, whose comments, recommendations and criticisms helped develop my work.

To Captain Abhaya Nath Tiwari, author of Self-Knowledge: A Critical Factor for Self Transformation, who listened to my ideas at length and held my hand when I needed it the most by guiding me through the world of book marketing, even though our endeavors were not successful.

To Mrs. Sahana Ahemed, author of Combat Skirts, for familiarizing a new author like myself with traditional publishing and teaching me how to write a query letter, synopsis, and contact literary agents.

To the Grammarly editor, whose suggestions, revisions, and polishing touches shined my manuscript like an army boot.

To Mr. Juan Pedro Muñoz, for the spectacular illustration of the cover for Part One and the painstaking efforts he put in to capture every detail.

To Ms. Diana Laudando, for the awe-inspiring character illustrations and scene creation for the cover of Part Two.

To Mr. Nick Russ and Ms. Yanina Sol Sidelski, whose impassioned voices breathed life into one of the most evocative scenes in my story.

To Astitwa Das, my dedicated proofreader.

To everyone else who contributed to this book.

And last but never the least, to God and time, without whose will and availability this project would have never been possible.

[https://i.postimg.cc/L6NZxnQM/TTB-2-Head.png]

PROLOGUE

Far to the north of Arendelle stood an ancient and enchanted forest. It was home to the mysterious Northuldra people, who lived off the land and followed their reindeer herds wherever they roamed. The intimate bond these nomadic people had with nature made it seem to many that they were magical. But much more powerful magical spirits guarded this forest—those of air, fire, water, and earth.

King Runeard, the first ruler of Arendelle, led an expedition into these lands and confronted their peaceful neighbors. Thus and so, a cordial relationship was developed with them. To strengthen their waters, the king began constructing a mighty dam.

A few months later, King Runeard, his teenage son Prince Agnarr and their personal guard, Lieutenant Destin Mattias, went into the forest once again: this time in procession along with a battalion of soldiers. The Northuldra, too, came in procession to inaugurate and acknowledge this gift of peace and friendship.

Looking at picturesque landscapes around him, young Agnarr was struck dumb with wonder. His eyes browsed the surroundings in amazement. Soon, a familiar hand gripped him by the chin.

“Stand tall, Agnarr.” instructed his father with a generous yet reserved smile. He then advanced to meet the leader of the Northuldra. Heeding to his father, the young prince refined his stance and tried to ape Lieutenant Mattias, who stood beside at perfect attention.

Later, the Northuldra showed off their finesse of holding onto the antlers of galloping reindeer. The Arendellian soldiers standing around the performing Northuldra clapped and cheered.

A few soldiers discovered that they could walk on the waters of a nearby river, while others watched a curious ball of fire jumping on pebbles around them. Rocks lept up into the air and made a towering reindeer statue.

Agnarr watched these tussles, which were becoming a new normal for him. A quick gust of wind caught his attention. As his eyes followed its path, he was greeted by soft intriguing laughter from deeper in the forest. Hypnotized by it, he was pulled to its source.

Away from the clamor and merrymaking, he entered a quiet and calm part of the forest. Deciduous trees shed their leaves, leaving behind an autumn landscape. However, as he ventured further in, Agnarr witnessed a sight that defied his understanding—a young girl twirled up and down in the wind!

Agnarr mustered up the courage to start, “Hello…?”

The girl seized her incessant laughter at the instant, and the wind gently set her down, perfectly following her will. She turned pink as she tentatively paced toward young Agnarr. At a respectful distance, she began to observe him with wide eyes, as though he were a wild animal.

Eventually, they became friends: they never spoke a word to one another, maybe because they spoke different tongues. Both of them indulged in a game of hide-and-seek, wherein the mysterious girl took unfair advantage of the wind spirit to win. When Agnarr’s chance came, she was nowhere to be found; the most frustrating part, perhaps, was that he didn’t even know her name.

Hours passed, and night drew near. The young prince gave up his search and decided to head back to the others. Without further ado, a very fundamental question aroused in his mind: ‘Was it this way, or that way?’

He was undoubtedly lost in the woods. As darkness overcame the light, the forest became a very different place. He felt impounded by the eerie silence and darkness that had somehow crept into this lively forest. Agnarr gulped, wondering what awaited him.

He heard the clash of swords and shouting of soldiers. Fearing the worst, he darted toward the noise. Not long after, he also began to hear arrows whizzing past him.

“Return to the camp!” a sergeant instructed her troops. Catching sight of Agnarr, she grasped his arm.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Your Highness! Where have you been? We’ve been looking all around for you!” she exclaimed with great concern, relieved to find him. The enlisted woman escorted him to Lieutenant Mattias.

“Mind telling me before you disappear into the bushes again?” inquired Mattias, offended.

The prince opened his heart to him, “I saw this mysterious girl… And she was flying in the wind… And--”

Mattias was not impressed. He interrupted, “Look, you had your father worried. Don’t just wander away like that again, understand?”

Agnarr hung his head and tagged along behind Mattias.

Both of them soon rejoined the king.

“Stay low, my son.” Warned King Runeard, sensing some danger.

“Yes, father.”

A reindeer shot past them at once and galloped its way to the top of a nearby boulder. Absurdly, it stood up on its hind legs—that was no reindeer.

The figure of a man with a shady face could be made out. The king drew out his sword and tucked it under a cloth around his son’s waist.

“This is the Royal Sword of Arendelle, Agnarr. Take good care of it.” urged the king.

“But father…” Agnarr wondered what that meant, in disbelief.

“Mattias, get the boy out of here,” instructed King Runeard.

“But, Your Majesty, my orders are to never leave your side. Besides, you are not even armed!” protested the lieutenant.

The king took the crossbow in his arms and ordered, “Mattias, lest anything should happen, protect the dam at all costs.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Mattias obeyed.

“Now, LEAVE! I want my son safe.”

Tugging him forcefully, the lieutenant persuaded, “Come, Prince Agnarr, please!”

“No, FATHER!” Agnarr cried in vain.

As they began to flee, the forest started to twist and churn—the ground below their feet was giving in.

However, Mattias didn’t give up: he grasped the boy close to his chest and began to run, skillfully evading obstacles such as falling trees, rocks, and blazing fires. It looked as though the spirits of the forest were angry. A few moments later, a thunderous shockwave was felt—a shockwave that swept through the woods, knocking Agnarr unconscious.

Then, a mysterious voice filled his ears, and someone saved him: he never quite knew who did. Further, he was told that the spirits vanished forever, and a powerful mist covered the Enchanted Forest. Most soldiers managed to get out, while a few others were locked in.

----------------------------------------

Many years hence, King Agnarr told this story to his little daughters, Anna and Elsa.

“And that night, I came home. King of Arendelle.” He concluded, blowing out the candle he held in his hand. Little Anna was blown away too. Her mouth hung open like a codfish.

The night was quiet, and the Northern Lights illuminated the girls’ faces, who sat on Elsa’s bed. Queen Iduna sat behind them and looked at King Agnarr, seated at the bedside. She wore a troubled face. Anna and Elsa were nothing short of stupefied.

“Woah, Papa, that was epic! Whoever saved you, I love them.” Said Anna, falling into her mother’s lap. The queen found her childish drama ridiculous. She covered little Anna’s face up in the scarf that she often wore. King Agnarr accepted,

“I wish I knew who it was.”

Elsa was mesmerized; she took a lot more from the story than her little sister. “What happened to the spirits? What’s in the forest now?” asked a worried yet curious Elsa.

“I don’t know. The mist still stands. No one can get in, and no one has since come out.”

Queen Iduna felt furthermore uneasy and said quickly, “So we’re safe.”

King Agnarr turned to Elsa and said with finality, “Yes, but the forest could wake again, and we must be prepared for whatever danger it may bring.”

Not wishing to hear anymore, the queen insisted, “And on that note, how about we say good night to your father?”

She placed her hand on the king’s, gesturing him to leave. Anna was disgruntled. “Oh, but I still have so many questions!” she said impatiently.

“Save them for another night, Anna.” replied the king as he left the room.

“Urgh, you know I don’t have that kind of patience. Why did the Northuldra attack us anyway? Who attacks people who give them gifts?”

Disquieted, Elsa asked her mother, “Do you think the forest will wake again?”

“Only Ahtohallan knows.” declared Queen Iduna.

“Ahto-who-what?” Anna was puzzled. The queen smiled at her daughter’s innocent faces,

“When I was little… My mother would sing a song about a special river called Ahtohallan… That was said to hold all the answers about the past, about what we are a part of.”

 “Wow,” Anna exclaimed, finding this amusing. Both the sisters looked longingly into their mother’s eyes. Elsa eagerly requested,

“Will you sing it for us, please?”

The queen didn’t want to dishearten her little daughters.

“Okay, cuddle close. Scooch in,” she smiled as she tucked her two little daughters and herself into her warm scarf and began to sing.

Their mother’s soothing lullaby put Anna to sleep almost instantly. While singing to Elsa, Queen Iduna picked little Anna and gently placed her on her bed across the room. When placed on her bed, a sleeping Anna spread out her little arms and legs in all directions and snorted with her mouth wide open. Covering her in a blanket, her mother softly closed her mouth. Smiling in sweet slumber, Anna drifted away.

On the other hand, Elsa stayed awake and listened intently—she took this as a mysterious message about her powers. Putting Anna to sleep, Queen Iduna went over to Elsa’s bedside and picked her up. She walked over to the enormous triangular window with her daughter in her arms, and they both gazed at the spectacular Northern Lights. Once her song was finished, the queen put Elsa back on her bed.

“Now sleep, my little snow.” she crooned, kissing both her tiny hands. The queen ruffled Elsa’s pillow and stroked her hair.

A candle flickered at the bedside. The queen picked it up and prepared to exit. Although much more relaxed and sleepier, Elsa had just one more question.

“Mother?” she called, just as the queen was about to leave the room. “Do you think Ahothallan knows why I have magical power?”

Briefly contemplating, her mother answered carefully: “If Ahtohallan is out there, I imagine it knows that and much more.”

Elsa yawned and leaned into her comfy pillow.

“Someone should really try and find it.” She said, sinking into her bed and closing her eyes. Queen Iduna smiled at her daughter and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind her. Her mother’s lullaby echoed in her ears as she dreamt of finding Ahtohallan and having all her questions answered.

Far into the night, Arendelle was silent. The castle was all but still—little Anna, however, wasn’t the least bit sleepy. Pulling herself into her sister’s bed across the room, she shook Elsa’s shoulder.

“Elsa,” she whispered. Seeing that her effort was futile, she began to further shake her.

“Psst, Elsa! Wake up, wake up, wake up!”

This woke her up. Keeping her eyes closed and smiling, she told her sister, “Anna, go back to sleep!”

Anna seemed slightly frustrated now. Flopping onto Elsa in her blankets, she threw a tantrum.

“I just can’t. The sky’s awake, so I’m awake, so we have to play!” Seeing that her sister wasn’t getting up, she poked at her and prodded her. She even tried to pull off her blankets!

Realizing that sleeping was not an option anymore, she asked, “If I agree to play with you for a little bit, will you let me sleep as long as I want when we’re done?”

Delighted, Anna was charged up with energy.

“Yes!”

Moments later, Anna was dragging her sister down the stairway: into a new chapter that would change their lives forever.