Secret of Frost and Moon

World War

Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry for the wait. I've been ill, and putting some extra sleep in each day, so I've not written much over the past couple of weeks. But I'm back now, so here's the next chapter :)

And to answer the question by anonymous reviewer "Hannah", as to if the other Spirits and Lieutenants of the Seasons would sense when Pitch attacks him and so come charging to the rescue, the answer is no. The only ones who would sense it are Mother Nature and the Lieutenants of Winter. The Lieutenants WILL show up at the end of the scene where he fixes his staff, but Mother Nature doesn't and she stays out of the way. She knows he can take care of himself, even against Pitch :)

And one last side-note, North is still using the old-style sleigh hehehe.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians, the Guardians of Childhood, or any related characters etc. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes.

~(-)~

Chapter 43: World War

War... It was something one would think he'd be used to by now, given the wars he'd already witnessed in various places around the world during his two centuries as the Spirit of Winter. But no matter how often he'd already seen them, Jack never failed to view them with frustration at the foolishness of those who started them...

It was September 1914, and a massive war had broken out a few months ago in Europe; fought between two alliances of nations. The Immortals were, for the most part, keeping their distance as usual except when performing their duties. But the hostilities were escalating, and there were already brewing signs that more and more countries would be drawn into the conflict.

Jack sat on the side of a mountain, somewhere near the middle of Alaska, where Northern Winter had already taken hold. It was too early still to go to Burgess, Winter Threshold wasn't for another six weeks, which meant he had little to distract him. The first war he'd witnessed, the American Revolutionary War as it was called these days, he'd buried forts and intervening wilderness in snow to hamper hostilities during Northern Winters, but that wouldn't make much difference these days.

Humans had machines now, vehicles that could with modification, plough through the snow unless he made it really deep. But he couldn't do that, even if he blanketed both forces, because of the sheer numbers of soldiers he knew it would kill. Be it through cold, or through starvation because supplies couldn't get to them, he couldn't and wouldn't do it. There were certain lines that were never crossed, no matter how distressing it was to sit by and do nothing.

Jack scowled to himself, his thoughts turning to another matter. Once again he'd been forbidden from spreading frostdust over the affected regions, to ease the fears of the children living in them. He understood the reasons why, the need to prevent any chance of Pitch discovering the truth about him, but it was becoming harder and harder to accept that restriction. Each war he witnessed, pushed Jack closer towards the need to act and to rebel against the Man in the Moon's instructions. All he could do to alleviate that frustration was to spend time with the children of Burgess, but until Winter Threshold that option was out-of-reach.

The Spirit of Winter let out a sigh, cursing under his breath, before in a fit of temper he set off an avalanche on the isolated slope beneath him. He was a long way from any people, that was why he'd picked this mountain. So that he could vent his emotions without harming anyone, while still being in the North of the World tending to his duties.

Jack watched the snow tumble down the slope, picking up more as it went and growing larger and larger. The similarity to how conflicts picked up momentum in the same sort of way, then crossed his mind unbidden and he took flight to get away. Even his distractions were making him brood. He needed to find something else to do.