Frozen 3

Chapter 17

Elsa

I took off my nightgown and put on my blue travel outfit. I hadn't worn it for ages. At least to me. The last time was when I arrived in the Enchanted Forest three months before. I smiled as I thought back to the somewhat special encounter with the Northuldra. I had been impressed that these people had stayed locked up in this forest for more than thirty-four years without batting an eyelid, without falling gradually into madness.

It was early. The sun had not yet risen. Yet I had to leave now if I wanted to get to Arendelle before it got too dark. I sat down on a small wooden chair in my room and combed my long hair. I winced every time the brush hit a knot that gave me a hard time. When I was done, I tied it up in a ponytail, making sure to leave a few strands loose on the sides of my face. I thought about Ryder's look the day before, who had stared at me from top to bottom without any restraint. He had made me feel terribly uncomfortable, even though I had tried not to show it too much. I wasn't used to being looked at like that. In the past, I had received frightened looks. The young man's was completely different. There was something unsettling about it.

I stood up, ready at last, and walked to the front door. I pushed it open. It didn't open. I tried again, leaning against it a little more. The result was the same. It seemed to be blocked. The handle was useless and was working in a vacuum. I then wedged my shoulder against the door and brutally accentuated my pressure. It ended up opening with difficulty. I finally discovered what was preventing a normal opening: the snow that had continued to fall tirelessly all night long had blocked part of my entrance, forming a large dent against it. I had never seen so much snow falling naturally in such a short time, even though it was my element, what defined me. This was not normal. Outside, the wind was blowing until the trees in the enchanted forest were bending. Many branches had been broken off and were lying on the ground, quickly being covered by the flakes. The storm seemed to be getting worse and worse by the minute. I took a few steps through the snow, finally venturing outside. The violent gusts of wind nearly knocked me down with each step. I put my hands in front of my face, trying to make out where I was going in the middle of the chaos. I recognized the outline of the first Northuldra huts in the distance.

***

Some tents had been destroyed. The damage was more severe in the camp itself than below where I lived. Entire trees lay on the ground, broken in half by the wind as if they were mere twigs. Everything had been left as it was, leaving the impression of a devastated battlefield. There was no one there. I was the only one who dared to go out in the raging storm. The reindeer pen was empty. I had no choice. I had to go back to Ryder's house, although I wasn't thrilled with the idea of seeing him again and potentially reliving the same scene as the day before. I knocked on the door of his hut. There was no answer. There was no sound from inside the little house. It also seemed deserted. I wanted to try my luck again. Before my fingers even touched the heavy wooden door, a voice shouted behind me, trying to cover the incessant wind noise:

"You won't find Ryder here. He left last night to take his reindeer to the plains further north for safekeeping."

I turned, finding myself facing Yelena. The Northuldra chief seemed firmly planted in the snow, not letting the gusts of wind rattle her. She had planted her staff next to her and was holding on to it firmly with one hand.

"How can I find him?" I asked, also raising my voice.