The Redemption of the Snow Queen

A Once Upon a Time WHAT IF Tale

Part 1

Mysthaven

Dark Ones Castle

Dark Vault

21 December

Wrong.

That was the only word floating through Ingrids fear frozen mind as she stood in the center of the Dark Ones Vault.

Everything that transpired the last three weeks was wrong.

All of it

Anna had explained herself carefully to Elsa, concerning the hat and what she was going to do with it. Hide it, bury it, anything so that thrice damned imp wouldn't get his hands on it again. Ingrid saw the love between the two girls was strong, much like her with her sisters before her mistake.

But that was when the last three weeks just began to fall apart when Elsa still showed anger towards her sister for keeping the truth from her about the hat. And after seeing the hat box even activate at any presence of magic near it to begin with. It scared the young queen fircely. Enough to cause a mini blizzard within the castle library. Ingrid imedieatly dispelled the hat. Giving it to Anna, Elsa requested the hat either be burned or buried or just hidden away. Anything to keep the nightmares from happening.

Ingrid knew those nightmares all too well. Inside the urn for twenty years, and yet she looked no older than twenty six! And Elsa was twenty three! Three years younger than herself! But Ingrid did not feel that old. But she felt the bond between the two girls, queen and princess, it was strong enough to see it visibily before her.

So why was she standing in the Dark Ones' massive Dark Vault, hugging the urn as if her life depended on who was locked inside it ? Because she had made her choice. Promising Anna that she'd bring back Elsa, the young Queen of Arendelle, back home, alive, safe, free forever, and unharmed. Ingrid however knew they would both not be able to get out of the Dark Ones Vault. One of them would have to stay behind.

Finally after a very long moment, Ingrid nodded to herself, her choice was made. Unsealing the urn she poured out the blue liquid that formed into her niece, prone on the floor, Elsa was weeping. Setting the urn aside Ingrid knelt next to Elsa, the younger girls body shook violently as she wept. "Elsa, Elsa its Ok. You're Ok, you're safe!" Elsa said nothing, hugging Ingrid tightly, still crying a river. Ingrid just hugged her niece tightly, letting Elsa weep as long as the young queen needed. Oh how she missed it when her sister Idun or Helga did the same when they needed an arm to lean on. But Idun was lost at sea, and Helga...

No! Ingrid told herself, No, Helga wasn't dead, it was impossible! But was it ?

For long moments there was no sound within the dark ones vast vault. The only sound was of Elsas crying. Finally the young queen slowly got a grip on herself and looked around, with a shuddering gasp she stared at the strange artefacts around her. Her eyes fell on a item, that looked alarmingly similar to something her mother once had a painting of.

She felt hands around her, Her aunt was there holding her! "Aunt Ingrid ?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, Elsa, its me. I tricked the dark one into thinking the urn he had in here was fake, for the moment at least, I'm not sure how long it will last. We have to get you home to Anna before she gets it in her head to come after us both. Come on." Ingrid helped Elsa to her feet, the young queen stumbled slightly as she slowly regained her balance. Ingrid helped her stand up. Moving over to a chair Elsa sat down. Running a hand through her hair she saw she still wore the gloves.

Ripping the gloves off her hands she threw them aside as snow floated off her fingertips freely, never to be contained again, "How long was I in there ?" She asked, she tried to stand back up, but her head and vision swam and forced her to sit back down heavily.

"Three weeks." Ingrid said, Elsa was horrified, she sat back in the chair, seemingly defeated, three weeks of nothing but fear, memories swarming around her, and her crying. Trying to drown them all out. "Anna was worried sick when you disappeared but she gave advice of what to do once I found you." Ingrid replied. She recounted what had occurred three weeks before. "Its a little long, but I'll do my best to explain as best I can remember." Ingrid said, at Elsas icey look she began her tale, trying to keep it brief because she had no idea how long her lie would hold up to Rumplestiltskin.

Arendelle

Three weeks before

1 December

Anna, with Khristoff and Jukes -Elsas personal bodyguard- help, finally broke the door to the library open and the two men fell to the floor as the floor was slick with ice. The window was broken open and her aunt sat against it on the floor weeping. "Elsa ?!" Anna shrieked. Looking for her sister frantically through the many bookshelves in the room.

Ingrid was vaugly aware of Juke coming to her and helping her to a chair at a desk, Ingrid merely set her forehead on the desk top and just sat there and sobbed. It was so wrong, completely wrong. All of it! She wanted a family that loved her, and after seeing that bond between her nieces, she wanted to be a part of it, with them both. But then ihe/i showed up while the two of them, her and Elsa were trying something concerning the gloves. And heat.

And the Imp, the trice goddamned imp, Rumplestiltskin, showed up out of nowhere. Scaring the wits out of Elsa at his arrival It was all Ingrid could do to keep the younger woman calm as she tried to reason with the imp, but to no avail. Rumple had something that belonged to Anna, a partly magically damaged necklace, Elsa gave a sharp cry at the sight of the silver necklace and glared daggers at the imp, who smirked at her.

Taunting her niece he said "Your sister came to visit, your parents too." He said, Elsa just glared icey dagges at him as he acted as if he owned the place. "You see, when your parents came to me oh... how long ago was it, five years ago now, maybe six years ? No ? Doesnt really matter anyhow. They came to me asking me for help about. Well, you of course." He said to Elsas unasked question.

"Help with what ? What about my niece ?" Ingrid said stepping between the imp and Elsa, working to keep Elsa out of his view and take whatever was to be thrown at the young queen of Arendelle.

Rumplestiltskin ignored Ingrid, "Why, your powers of course. They wanted me to strip you of your magic. I told them that I personally was unable to do such a thing. But I did give them some information. But, I see that it was unable to be seen through now wasn't it my dear Ingrid ? I see you still have the gloves after so long as well." Elsa just glowered at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh don't give me that look dearie. There is something that you should know about your auntie here." Rumple gave Ingrid a knowing look, the horrified expression on her aunts face prompted the question to be asked.

"What ? Did mother come to you ? Aunt Ingrid, what is going on ? What do I not know ?" Elsa asked, turning her aunt around to face her, confusion was clearly seein in the young queens bright sapphire eyes. Confusion and horror of some truth she did not want to know, but felt she needed to know.

Ingrid was torn, tell the truth, or lie, tell the truth, or lie, she told the truth. "Your mother, Idun came to me, where she hid the urn. She let me out. And asked me if it were possible for me to remove your powers, you were an infant at the time. I refused. I said that if it was the price of magic, then there was no going back on it. I even offered to teach you. But Idun refused to listen or even think on my offer, and trapped me in the urn again. And then you found it and that one lad set me free."

"Prince Hans, yes, I remember." Elsa said, her eyes wanting to know more, her heart already dreading what she was being told. "But why did mother trap you again rather than take up your offer to teach me ?"

"I can answer that." Rumps spoke up from where he'd suddenly sat at the long table in the library, dangerously close to Elsa, which prompted Ingrid to move her niece away from the table and half step in front of Elsa between the imp and the young queen once more. "I even made your parents an offer, but they refused, so I let them leave at the time. But when they found the urn after so long. A little after your birth I hear in fact. It got me to thinking; if they ever found someone or something able to strip another of their magic. I'd want to meet such a person or possess such an item. But your aunt here refused to even think of such a notion. So I simply continued searching on my own. At least until your sister showed up at my castle; you see, when your parents died, they were looking for something. A hat. But what they did not know was what the hat did."

"It strips magic from a person, making them powerless, grants it to others." Elsa said, Ingrid shook her head.

"No, it does worse then that; if you're lucky, then you're just powerless after it takes your powers, otherwise, it sucks you in, powers and all, and traps you inside it, living for ever inside the hat as a star on it until released. That's not the fate I would have wanted for you, for my family, anyone in my family to suffer." Ingrid said. Ok, those words made Elsa just a bit more nervous and caused snow to start to fall inside the library.

"That is interesting, a blizzard, in the middle of summer, inside the room, amazing." Rumple stood from the chair, ambling over to the urn on the mantle he picked it up. "Now then, I have things I must do. Say hello to your sister for me my dear, I've got a date." He opened the urn and pointed it at Ingrid. Freaked out, Ingrid backpedaled quickly and reached out to keep Elsa from getting ensnared, but she was too slow as Elsa jumped between her and the imp. And the opened urn, which sought out the magic directly in front of it. To defend her.

The magical urn sought out Elsas icey powers, and it found her.

"No! You can't have her!" Elsa shrieked, intending only to defend her aunt, as the pull of the magical urn suddenly grabbed her! Struggling as hard as she could against the pull of the urn Elsa stared, horrified at the grim, dark, forboding smile on the imps face, and then she stared in complete slackjawed horror at her hands turning into pale blue liquid right before her eyes, the gloves; her hands, her dress sleeves. Elsa felt her body turning into the liquid as it went up her arms and down her body, turning her into pale blue jelly like liquid and sucked into the urn.

Ingrid stared, horrified at what just happened as Rumplestiltskin set the top on the urn as soon as Elsa was within it. "Ah, what a bummer, was hoping to grab you again, as you had greater control, greater power, but alas, I must go. Good day to you Ingrid, give my regards to the princess!"

With that Ingrid shrieked one word, "Drittsekk!" and jumped for the Imp and grabbed the urn from his hands, backing up quickly, holding the urn tightly to her chest. "You can't have either of us!" She hissed madly at him, throwing ice at the imp. He ducked aside and grabbed something from the fireplace mantle where he had set it when he picked up the urn.

It was Annas snowflake necklace.

He smiled as he held it up, the partly melted silvertine necklace Elsa had seemingly created and given to her sister as a wedding gift. "I have this now; Its all I need then, unless you want the princess out in the hall free of any marks placed upon her by othres. I suggest you give me the urn and who is in it." Rumplestiltskin said calmly. He held out Annas half melted necklace in a way of trade. Ingrid was torn, she did not want to give up Elsa, nor did she want Anna to be in torment of the imp either.

For a long moment there was silence, with only the clamoring at the door to try and open the magically locked thing. Finally, as if not thinking or acting of her own accord, Ingrid slowly held out the urn containing Elsa within it, a tear in her eye. The imp smiled, tossing the necklace to Ingrid, he swiftly snagged the urn from her hands and disappeared in purple smoke and the window exploded out into the courtyard below.

Ignoring the tossed necklace, Ingrid ran to the window and stared out, watching the purple mist float away and disapper, and then she sat at the window on the floor crying at the mistake she had made until Juke helped her to the desk.

While searching the library for her sister, Anna spotted her necklace on the floor, it was damaged, and picked it up. Turning towards her aunt she asked her, "Where's Elsa ? I heard her scream something. Then the window exploded but nobody was on the ground outside. What happened ?"

"Rumplestiltskin happened." Ingrid said sadly. She explained the entire event, the horrifieid look on Elsas face as the urn sucked her in; the helpless feeling Ingrid had when she could do nothing to stop Elsa from being pulled in. the smug grin on the imps face. All of it.

Anna reeled backwards from the news. Her sister was gone, a prisoner of the urn, just like her aunt once was! And Rumplestiltskin had it. "No! He promised! He broke the deal! He promised!"

"What deal ? He said you went to him, what deal are you talking about ?" Ingrid asked, her pale green eyes bloodshot from so much crying.

"When I got the hat from him, I had his dagger at the same time. Its the only thing that can let anyone control him, I made him swear to me that he'd never come here, he'd never harm me or Elsa, or even think of harming the man who originally guarded the hat." Anna said, "He broke the deal by coming here! And now he's got my sister, I want her back!" Anna was clearly unhappy.

"As far as I am aware its two weeks by sea to the dark castle. Or at least misthavens borders." Ingrid said, she flicked her wrist and called forth a few maps to the table. "When you traveled there where did you go, what path did you take ? Who did you meet ? Where did you stay ?"

Anna recounted the entire trip, including her encounter with Bo Peep. Ingrid snickered, "That stupid warlord and she even branded you too ? Seriously ? Damn; this is not going to go well then. I will have to do this myself. Rumple ment to trap me in the urn for something, but Elsa took my place as his victim, she tried to protect me, and ended up trapped." Ingrid said.

"Why ?" Anna asked suddenly out of the blue.

"Because I'm family ?" Ingrid replied in a confused tone.

"No I mean, why did he want you ?" Anna clearified her words carefully. "If rumple was after you, why ? What did he want you for ?"

"He said I had greater control, better knowledge or some such." Ingrid replied, "Concerning my powers of course. Just calling these maps here; I can do it, just not with ice or snow"

"So he wanted you, but got my sister instead when she jumped to your defense ?" Anna said, she sat across from her aunt, piling over the maps and charts carefully. "Its two weeks to Mysthaven by sea, I spent two days just getting to his castle alone. Once inside the place is a maze."

"I've been there beore, as had your mother as well." Ingrid replied, recounting the very scary scene she and her sisters had gone through first as children when she first discovered her icey magic, then as younger mature adults looking for someone to teach her. "My sisters and I, your mother Idun, Helga, and myself, we went to him, wanting his help, instruction really. I wanted to learn to control my magic. But instead he gave me a pair of gloves, and the urn. Saying the gloves dispelled magic as long as they were worn, and the urn sought active magic to suck it in to keep it inside until released. In the case I got dangerous. Which I had..."

Anna could tell her aunt did not want to talk about it, a death in the family was not an easy thing to live through. Ever. Anna knew it all too well with the loss of her parents. So she said simply "Say no more aunt Ingrid. What happened happened in the past, its over. A memory. Unwanted, but still a memory. You can't change the past." Ingrid looked up from the map, the tears in her eyes at the loss of Helga by her own icey magic stung, but she saw something of grim determination in her niece's eyes.

"But we cannot get Elsa back with you breaking down about what happened in the past." Anna said. "We both want the same thing, we both want my sister, your niece, back, safe and sound. Ok ?" Ingrid saw that what Anna said was true, they both wanted Elsa back in Arendelle, right there with them right then!

With a deep breath and firm nod, Ingrid spoke "Elsa tried to defend me when the urn was opened, but its magic overpowered her own and pulled her into it. It was meant for me, not her. I will go and get her, with any luck the imp put the urn with Elsa inside it in his vault, anything he cannot control goes in there, even if its in an urn." Ingrid said. She picked up the hat box. Handing it to Emma she said. "Find a place to hide this, bury it if you must. Or give it to Pabbie. I doubt even the dark one will try to match magic with Pabbie or any of the other trolls."

Anna nodded, "Alright, its two weeks by ship, and the fastest ship in Arendelle is The Whitehawk, it could get you there within a week, maybe a week and a half with full crew and provison, barring storms on the seas at least." Anna said thoughtfully.

"No, I can go on deerback instead, it will be far quicker besides. Once I get to mysthaven, I can easily get to the dark ones castle." Ingrid said, she stood from the table and turned to leave, "I'll leave now, you stay here and keep peace in the kingdom. I will bring Elsa back safely, You have my word."

"And if you break it." Anna said, Ingrid stopped at the library door and turned to look at her niece, already wondering what Anna was thinking, "I will find another urn, and trap you in it, and go after my sister myself"

Ingrid smiled, giving Anna a tight hug she said "Stop worrying, Elsa is as good as safely in her bed!" With that she turned and quickly left the library and headed for the stables.

Anna followed her, giving some advice as the two walked along. "When you get to mysthaven look for a farm run by a woman named Ruth, her son, David, is a nice man and can give directions or even lodging, whatever's needed" She said, finally the steed that Ingrid had chosen for herself was ready, upon getting onto the deer to head for mysthaven, Anna handed her aunt something.

"What is this ?" Ingrid asked, there was a paper, with five names listed on it. Only one name she recognised instantly. A woman named The Friar

"When you get Elsa free and you two get seperated, be sure to give her this note, it lists locations where she can hide over night until finding Davids farm, or his brothers castle. Both are safe locations from the imp. And should you get seperated, you can regroup at either place before returning home." Anna said.

Ingrid smiled. "I will be back with Elsa, safely, and hopefully unharmed." She said, kicking the deer in the flank, the muledeer took off out of the stables.

Mysthaven

Twelve days later

Davids Farm

13 December

The muledeer came to a halt outside a well worked and very well kept farm, a young man tended to the sheep and fed some horses not far away. Ingrid looked carefully the farm, this must be Davids homestead. She thought. It have to have been, Anna had detailed it carefully.

David saw Ingrid and stepped towards her, "Can I help you with something madam ?" He asked her.

"Yes, are you David ? I was advised by a mutual friend of ours to stop here for rest or a bite of food." Ingrid asked

"I am, what can I do for you ?" David replied, mutal friend, did she mean Joan ? Or was her name really Anna ? "By any chance" David asked, "Are you from Arendelle ?"

"I am yes, why ?" Ingrid asked, clearly confused. "Do you know someone from there ?"

"Two actually, well, three now." David replied, he knew Kristoff by word of mouth, and also met him, once. And then there was Joan, or Anna, whatever the girls name was. And now this beautiful older woman. Clearly a princess or a queen ? David was half right, Ingrid was a princess, it was Elsa who was the queen.

"Really, who ?"

"You, Anna, I believe her name is, and Kristoff, the ice harvestor." David replied, he held up a hand to help Ingrid to the ground from the muledeer. "Is there anything you need at the moment ?"

"Thank you, uh, just a bit of rest, maybe some food. And directions. It has been a while since I have been to mysthaven." Ingrid said

"Directions to where ?" David asked

"The dark ones castle." Ingrid replied, at Davids shocked look she smiled, "relax, I am pretty sure he's expecting me. After all he has taken someone of extremly great value to me and mine. Someone I want back."

"It is not easy to make deals with him. But OK, I guess." David replied, "Is there anything else you need ?" He asked as they walked from the muledeer into the farm house.

"No, not at the moment, thank you." Ingrid said as David pulled out a chair at the table for her to sit. His mother was cooking in the kitchen and brought to the table some food.

"Here, have a bite to eat, best to save up your strength" She said, "Tomorrow when the rain ends, you can get back on your long road."

Ingrid smiled, "Thank you."

Mysthaven

The next day

14 December

Ingrid was out as soon as the rain had stopped, David was already saddling up the muledeer. He handed Ingrid a paper, "Follow this; when you have what you seek after you leave the dark ones castle, head to my brothers kingdom, you'll be safe there and gain passage back to Arendelle in safety." He said to her. Ingrid gave his thanks.

A few hours later and she arrived at the great gates to the Dark Ones castle, Well this was going to be most fun indeed. She conjured up a chest, colored to match the urn and tossed it over the into the moat. Let him scrounge for it, she made it weight to the bottom.

She got off the muledeer and hammered on the castle gate. "Rumplestiltskin! Open this door, I know you're there! You have something I want, and I have something you want!" Ingrid shouted at the door, for a long moment there was silence and then the door opened on its own accord.

Stepping inside she saw Rumplestiltskin enter calm as ever. "Ah! My lovely Ingrid, what can I do for you dearie ? What brings you to my, humble abode ?" his voice and tone was loaded with both sarcasm and something of erotic fantasy concering the woman before him. Yet Ingrid held her head high and ignored his tone, which annoyed the hell out of the imp. "Alright woman, what do you want ? I haven't got all day!" he grumbled

"You dropped something in your moat." Ingrid said, "From what I could tell it looked like an urn or a chest of some kind." An urn, maybe a chest, dropped in his moat ? "Might have been expensive." It was time to goad him on.

"Oh get out of my sight dearie!" Rumple said with a snap of his fingers, instantly transporting Ingrid to his vault. Better her down there than wandering his castle so freely, he thought. However, the notion that there was an urn or a chest of some kind in his castles moat made him get some swimming gear before hopping into the moat to go looking for this other urn, or chest or whateverthehellitwas.

Ingrid looked around briefly before spotting the urn that contained her niece within it. Aha! Grabbing it up she backed away from the shelf it was placed on. Suddenly very scared. Only one of them could escape the dark ones vault. One would have to stay behind, in the urn.

For a long moment Ingrid stood there, hugging the urn that contained her niece, She wanted Elsa to be free, she wanted to be free. But only one of them could leave freely. Finally she nodded, her mind made up, Elsa was going to be free.

In the Dark Vault

Present Time

"... And that's how I got here. I promised Anna I'd bring you home. But I do not think I can with you, any minute now and Rumple will figure out my deception." Ingrid said. "Can you stand ?" She asked, she picked up the urn from where she had set it on the ground and set it on the table, Elsa tensed up when she saw the urn so close, seemingly shrinking back in her chair. "Don't worry, you're not going back in there. If anyone should be put in there, it should be me, not you or anyone else." Ingrid said, Elsa turned to look at her aunt, a confused look to her eyes. What did she mean ?

"What are you talking about Aunt Ingrid ?" Elsa asked; standing up from the table, Using the edge of it to keep her balance as she was still woozy. "You promised Anna you'd get me home safely, so lets go!"

Ingrid shook her head, "No, I made my choice when I came to get you and take you home. I want you to trap me in the urn, but before you do, I have something I want you to have." Ingrid conjured a snowflake between them, but this snowflake drew Ingrds power from all directions into it. It was the size of a small after dinner mint, and it glowed brightly with the greater part of Ingrids power. Elsa stared at the snowflake as it span freely between them. "Eat this snowflake."

"Why ?" The young queen stared at her aunt, was she crazy ?

"You'll get your strength back. And also the greater part of my powers and knowledge." Ingrid eplained.

"What ? Wait, what about you ?" Elsa asked

"I still have a little bit of power left in me to get sucked into the urn. One of us has to get out of here. Here." Ingrid held out a hand, there was a paper in it "Your sister gave this to me and said to give you a copy of it. I think you will have better need of this than I." Ingrid told her.

"Yeah, but." Elsa started to say before Ingrid cut her off.

"No buts! Eat the snowflake. When you do you'll inherit almost all my power and knowledge on how to control it; everything that I can, could do, you will be able to do on a whim, without harming anyone around you." Ingrid said. She raised a finger and wagged it before Elsas face, like a mother repremanding her child. "Eat the snowflake. Regain your strength. We do not have much time."

Elsa thought for a long moment then ate the snowflake in one go. It tasted like lavender, and then went slightly sour like dead water. She felt her strength coming back as her aunts powers coursed through her body. Her heart hammered as the blood flowed with her aunts energy and strength. Her vision swam briefly before clearing. She could see clearer, almost completely clearer infact.

Finally after a long moment Elsa asked, as Ingrid picked up the thrown away gloves and begain putting them on as Elsa spoke. "Why are you doing this ? You promised Anna we'd be home safely." Elsa stood from the chair and put a hand on her aunts now gloved right hand. Stopping her aunts movements. "Please, don't make me put you in there. We should destroy it and flee, nothing more. Please! Let us both get out of here, destroy the urn and run, split up, meet up, whatever, just both of us get out of here. Forget this ever happened!" Elsa begged her aunt.

For a long moment Ingrid stared at her niece. She could feel her nieces cool touch against the gloves, through the gloves as she begged for them to both flee the dark vault back to home, to safety. With her ungloved hand Ingrid caressed her nieces face and whiped away a tear. "If only it were that easy." She said softly.

"I made my choice to come and get you, to set you free. I was put into the urn because of what I did to my sister in the past. You and your sister saved yourselves together, Anna sacrificed herself to save you, and saved herself. I deserve to be in the urn because I killed my sister, Helga. You were saved by Anna. You were never to be in the urn, or even a prisoner. Embrace the ice and snow, Elsa!" Ingrid said Elsa started to cry and hugged her aunt. Ingrid too cried as well. The two women, queen and princess, hugged each other tightly.

Finally Elsa said as she broke the hug, looking to her Aunt, "I will get you free; I will go back home and devise a plan to bring you home. Anna and I, we're your family, you are our only link to mother. You are all we have left. I promise you that I will come back to free you." Ingrid tried to smile, it was sad, but she smiled, and nodded, the two women hugged again.

Finally Elsa stepped back, regarding her aunt, the once regal and very deadly Snow Queen, her mothers elder sister. The gloves were on her aunts hands. Elsa bit her lip and picked up the urn. Finally, after a long moment turned away and lifted the lid of the urn. Her aunt said three words. "Thank you, Elsa." Before disappearing into the urn in white liquid. Just as she had come out when Hans freed her.

At her words Elsa turned her bright sapphire gaze back to her aunt. Seeing the bravery, the love, and something of pure happiness in her aunts eyes, whereas her own bright sapphire blue eyes were filled with nothing but sadness and pain, as her aunt disappeared and the urn sealed itself in her hands. Elsa held the urn close, tracing a hand over the surface. Her aunts name appeared along the top. "I promise, I will come back for you, You will be part of our family, Ingrid, my aunt, my friend, My teacher." Setting the urn on the table she stepped back. Hearing a noise from a door not far away, Elsa figured leaving was a good plan.

How had her aunt done it ? Oh yes, snowflakes! At that thought Elsa disappeared in a flurry of snow and ice, which instantly faded as Rumplestiltskin entered the Dark Vault. Elsa had yet to fully escape the dark vault, but figured to play him a bit. She saw her mothers old ribbin she used to have on a nearby table; along with two other ribbons. What she had told Elsa and Anna about, a childhood toy of sorts. Flicking her wrist, Elsa made herself appear as her aunt, everything, including her voice, was her aunt.

She watched for a moment as Rumplestiltskin went to the table, Rattling off a few things and drying off another urn, one unlike anything Elsa had ever seen. "The snow bitch was right. There was an urn in my moat! Lets see, what was inside it ?" Casting a fast binding spell over the seams of the strange urn, which looked more like a chest than an urn. Upon opening it, the only thing heard, was a heartbeat. "What in the name of myself..." Rumple stated softly as he removed from the small chest a blue item.

A heart, frozen of course, still beating. Hammering loudly in fact, loud enough for Elsa to even hear it. Elsa stepped into view then as her aunt. "I was wondering where you had gone off too my dear." Rumple said without turning around to face her. "You may leave. Did you see what you sought ?"

"Yes" Elsa replied, in her aunts tone and all, she had thoughts planning in her mind. She pointed. "Are those my ribbons ?" She asked.

"Yes, they are, take them if you wish, They're yours. You were right, I did indeed drop something into the moat on returning. Most interesting however. I never thought that I'd do such a thing." A frozen heart. Elsa herself had never seen such a thing. But she had heard of such. She willed herself to stay calm. Afraid that it was her own heart he held in his scaly hands. "If that is all you sought of what I had of yours, what exactly, can you give me ?"

Elsa pointed at the heart in his hands "That. I do not know what it is, I merely saw it in your moat within that chest. Its yours. Are we done here ?" she asked in her best possible annoyed as all hell tone that her aunt once used.

"Of course, tata" With that, Elsa disappeared to outside the dark ones castle. With her aunts ribbons. She had exactly what was needed to get her aunt back. And then some. She now needed that frozen heart.

Because it belonged to her aunt Helga!

Mysthaven

King Georges Lands

Merry Men Riverside Campsite

23 December

Two days later Elsa found herself completely lost. Riding her aunts muledeer to location after location, finding first one house and then another, each one giving random directions that got her further and further lost. Finally she was about to give up when she came across nothing more than a simple group of tents beside a rushing river. Well, this was different. Elsa thought; she wanted to get home, she wanted to set her aunt free. But she needed the right thing to get as leverage to get the imp to do as she wanted.

She lifted a leg over the muledeer and hopped off the steed. Muledeer were easier for Arendelle natives to ride over horses any day of the week. Not only were they quicker, stronger, and more durable, they were also quiet creatures as well. Elsa steppted towards the tents, calling out when she saw a fire brightly lit but none around "Hello ? Is anyone around ? I've lost my way and I need some help. Hello ?" Seeing none at the fire, she peeked into the first tent, none in there either. She looked towards the water, what the hell was going on ?

Was this a bad dream, was Rumplestiltskin screwing with her head ? Was she still in the urn ? No, she was not in the urn, and the imp let her go, no questions asked, as if he did not want her around in the moment any more. Or didn't even have need of her to begin with. He had the urn, and what Elsa could see, the frozen heart. There just had to be a way to free her aunt once and for all of that stupid little imps power. She called out again, "Hello ? Is anyone here ?"

She heard the slight noise, the twang of a bowstring. Turning her gaze towards where she thought she heard the sound come from she felt a sudden explosion of pain from her right side as something struck her.

What the ?

Snapping her gaze down she saw an white fletched dark brown arrow sticking out of her right side, and blood, iher blood/i, staining her icey greenishblue dress. For a long few seconds she just stared at the quickly expanding red stain on her dress.

Finally the pain set in on her otherwise confused brain and she shrieked, grabbing at the arrow, only making the pain worse. Turning she forced herself to her mount and made to get onto it, only to make the arrow dig deeper into her, She collapsed screaming in pain. God in heaven it hurt! A hand clamped tightly on the arrow to keep it from moving, pain made her vision swam.

"You idiot!" Thundered a voice; it was a male voice, "How many times do I gotta tell you ?! Never shoot people before they're hostile towards you!" Elsa tried to look around her emense pain, but nothing worked, she dragged herself with one hand and leaned against her mount, which thankfully was unharmed.

"Dozens less times than you said to shoot first and ask questions later" Said what was apparently a female voice.

"God Damnit Marian; look at her!" Said a third voice, another male. The second male to speak dashed forwards and inspected Elsas wound. "What were you thinking ? If Prince James hears about us in this area we'll have to move again!"

"Its not my fault she was looking for something to steal!" Marian retorted.

"Jesus Marian, not everyone showing up at our camp is looking to steal something." the first male said. Turning to the fellow inspecting their newly wounded unexpected guest he asked, "Little John, how is it ?"

"Its deep, Pete, but nothing the Friar can't handle." Little John replied. "Help me get her into my tent I fetch the Friar after we get her inside." Thankfully Elsa had stopped moving and simply passed out from the pain of the arrow sticking out of her side. The two men gently lifted Elsa from the ground and carried her to a large tent and laid her on the only cot within it. Peter, the man told by the larger man, Little John took off to find The Friar.

Sadly, the friar came that night long hours later. Elsa was in and out of wakeful pain and dead sleep very hour or so. Unable to move because of the pain, and no feeling below her feet. What confused Peter however was the fact that the bloodstain, which was quite large upon the womans icey blue-green clothing was slowly drying and flaking off like bloodstained icicles. Leaving a beautiful bright and shiny cloth behind untouched and unstained by blood.

Gaining enough sense and focusing, briefly on Peter, whom Little John had told to keep an eye on her else she injure herself further. With no feeling below her stomach, Elsa had no idea what had happened due to the arrow shot into her. Elsa asked painfully, "What happened ? where am I ? Who are you ?" She tried to move but lacked the strengh, that and Peter kept a hand on her and shook his head. Her nose picked up a strong tangy watery smell. Like it was raining or drizzle. Either one.

"Don't try to move, you've been hit with an arrow from an enchanted bow, you're lucky you're not dead either, You're safe, you're in Little Johns tent, part of the Merry Men, Little John went off to fetch the Friar, who should be here soon. They're the only one that knows how to deal with wounds dealt from the Enchanted bow." Peter replied, He pointed to himself, "I'm Peter, one of the Merry Men, Now that I've answered your questions, perhaps you can answer some of mine to get your mind off the fact that you got an arrow sticking out of your right side ?"

Elsa thought a moment, at least she was not naked in the bed. That would not have been a good thing. Finally she replied, "I guess, Since I cannot feel my feet or legs..."

"Uh... yeah... about that..." Elsa looked at Peter with an icey glare that could have killed a man on the spot, but she wanted to know what made him so nervous. "Not only were you hit in a not exactly vital area, but you were hit under the intention of learning who you were and why you were snooping around. But like I said the Friar is the only person that can heal wounds from the Enchanted Bow. But since you weren't intended to be killed, only questioned and let go, the only thing you'll most likely walk away with is a arrow wound, if that. Depending on how deep it went"

"What ? All I wanted was directions." Elsa said confused, she dug a hand into her left sleeve and removed the note her aunt had given her from her sister. She held it out to Peter. "I'm trying to find this man, Prince James. I need his help about aquring a certain object from a dark castle on the west edge of the forest." She said

"You mean the son of King George the Vengeful ?" Peter asked

"Who ? No, I am merely looking for Prince James, my sister said that he could be trusted because she had met his brother on one of her travels. If I cannot find him, then I can find his brother, David." Elsa said in reply, stifling a pained hiss as feeling started to come back to her feet. Thankfully Little John's cot was very comfortable with thick soft bear and elk skins lining it. And all of them were cleaned that same morning as well.

"Prince James lives in the castle about a half day southeast of here on foot, less on horseback, or in your case, deerback, that way" Peter said, pointing to his left, directly to Elsas right. "The river is that way" He pointed more behind him, past Elsas feet on the bed. Elsa came up from the riverside to the camp following a well kept path along the river to begin with. "So, to get to the castle, just stay along the river, keep it to your left as you go along the path until it splits off to the north and south and take the south direction, there's a bridge there, when you cross it the river will be on your left; within a mile or so there's a town, and the castle is at the heart of it." Peter said.

"Thank you."

"Now, one last thing." Peter mused aloud, Elsa looked at him confused, the pain was starting to make her vision swim she blinked rapidly to clear it. "May I ask you your name and where you are from, and what you seek from the Dark Castle ?"

"My name is Elsa. I'm from the North Mountain" She said, it was true, in a way, but then the question remained, which one ? "The Dark One has something important to me that I want back, I was told that Prince James could help me get it." she explained the blue heart; and also mentioned the urn that contained her parents ashes. She wanted both items back. She hated having to lie about the urn however, it contained her aunt, not her parents ashes

"Getting anything from the Dark One is not easy, he always demands a price. But I can understand the value of such an item or two." Peter said, it was then that Little John and a dark haired woman entered.

"Is this her ?" The dark haired woman asked, it was not a voice Elsa reocgnise, it sound more motherlike, more serene, more... queenlike apparently.

"Yes ma'am" Said Peter, "Marian struck her, not intending to kill, only to question and set free. We moved her from outside before it rained." It was then that Elsa was aware of her surroundings completely, it was raining out, that explained the weird tangy water smell.

The dark haired young woman went over to Elsa and sat down. Looking up to the two men she said "Leave, I wont be but a moment, but what I am about to do, you cannot see." The two men knew what she ment and left the tent, securing the doorway closed and moved to the fire. Turning to Elsa the dark haired woman said simply "Do not worry, I'm here to help you get better, I'm the Friar as they all call me. But you may call me Regina, what is your name ?"

"I am Elsa; it is a pleasure, I guess, to meet you." Elsa replied

"Elsa, the pleasure is all mine. Let me get a look at your wound; From what I was told by Lady Marian, and Little John, they only intended to ask you questions of why you were snooping around their camp here by the river." Regina replied. Elsa went quiet and nodded, Regina lit a small flame with a snap of her fingers and inspected the arrow wound. She saw through the drying blood that the arrow did not in fact penetrate Elsas dress, but pushed the fabric, so expertly woven, deep into her body by the arrowhead itself, which then, by design of the broadhead alone; was unmoving nomatter how Elsa moved. "That is most interesting." Regina mused thoughtfully.

"What is ?" Elsa asked

"The cloth of your dress stopped the arrow from cutting the fabric, but it did not stop the arrow from penetrating your skin, instead, the cloth was merely pushed into your body by the force of the arrow itself. I can remove it, thankfully, without having to remove or damage your clothing. But it will still hurt." Regina said apolgietcially.

"Do what you must, I want to find Prince James, I need his help in retriving something lost to me at the dark castle" Elsa said, at Reginas confused look Elsa explained "My parents ashes are in a urn he keeps in his vault, I saw it there. But he refused to give it to me. He also had something else that belonged to my aunt that I wanted to take back home." She described the frozen heart. Which she feared belonged to her aunt herself. But she was wrong of who the Frozen Heart belonged, it belonged not to her aunt Ingrid, but to her aunt Helga; whose shattered frozen body was contained in another urn within the dark vault.

"A frozen heart ?" Regina murmured softly, she had never heard of such a thing. So she prompted the question then "You are from the northlands then ?" At Elsas nod, Regina asked then "Where exactly ?"

"North mountain" came the reply, stifling a scream as Regina plucked the arrow from Elsas side.

Placing a hand instantly over the wound through the fabric to stop the bloodflow Regina said softly, almost apologetically "I cannot get to the wound through your dress, do you mind if I lift it to heal it ?" Elsa shook her head, mouthing the words, 'do what you must!' and unable to speak due to trying not to shriek in pain. Regina did just that, lifting Elsa dress just enough and sliding her hands to the wound as the blood flowed, using soft healing magic to heal Elsa of her wound. And since the arrow did not penetrate the cloth of the expertly woven dress, the wound would not leave a mark whatsoever.

Elsa felt the pain lesson and the feeling quickly returned to her legs and feet, tired muscles ached slightly yet with Reginas healing touch the ach went away and she felt no more wound or bleeding. It was such sweet relief that Elsa blacked out into a dreamless sleep as Regina healed the young queen for a few long hours, removing all fatigue from the young blonde.

Mysthaven

King Georges Lands

Merry Men Campsite

Just after dusk

Regina exited the tent and closed it behind her, Little John and Peter came right up to her, Peter asked meekly though quietly, "How is she ?"

"Peter I didn't know you cared" Lady Marian growled, apparently unhappy that the woman had spoken with Peter and not her over why she was there to begin with.

Peter was about to throw a retort at Lady Marian, but Regina beat him by saying, "She will be fine, she is asleep now, the arrow did not go as deep as I feared, come moring she will be hungry for certain. When she wakes up, direct her to Prince James castle; go with her if you must. Inform her that I will be at the castle court treating with King George over something important concerning the Dark One and his castle. She wants something important to her family that the imp stole from her, I am going to help her get the items lost back into her possession." Regina said.

"Of course Ma'am; I will inform her." Peter replied bowing to the Princess before him. Regina was Coras daughter, and learned healing magics and used them to help her family, her mother, friends, and at times, those injured by the Enchanted bow. "Is there anything else you wish me to tell her ?"

"Only that I will help her in recovering what she has lost to the Dark One. The Dark One craves power, I want to see if he will contend with mine, long enough to let her get what she lost, and flee without harm." Regina replied Imps were immortal creatures, but Regina was a healer, and could heal even herself and live longer than any human being in the Enchanted Forest. And yet, when she healed the young woman in the tent, she felt magic in the woman. Cold icey magic.

"Anything else ?" Little John asked after trading looks with Peter; the younger man seemed more concerned about their guest than Little John had originally thought.

"No, other then I myself must go now, Prince James must be ready for her arrival tomorrow, oh, and yes, I want one of you two go with her, make sure she gets there safely. Something about her makes me worry for her safety." Regina said to the two men "She's from the north, a place I have never been to or really heard or cared of before, I need to look into this carefully. If what she says is true, we will all have to help her regain what she has lost."

"OK, I'll go." Peter said before Little John could say anything "I asked her the questions that Lady Marian wanted to ask her. And I was also more worried of her condition as well just like Little John was." Little John nodded, Peter was right, Peter had insisted to stay at the tent while he went to go get Regina for help

"The good news is, the wound will not leave a mark on her whatsoever. Her dress stopped the arrow, whoevever made it, they wove the cloth so expertly that the arrow was unable to penetrate the cloth. It stopped the arrow from going directly into her skin through the dress, but it did not stop the bleeding or the pain of being struck by an arrow from the Enchanted Bow" Regina said, something of admiration was in her voice.

"How is that good news ?" Little John asked.

"The dress kept the arrow from cutting her skin and leaving a much more harder to heal wound; whoever made the dress knew what they were doing. The arrow merely pushed the cloth of the dress ahead of its point deep into her body, it never cut her skin, it forced the dress into her skin. It also caused bleeding, But the Arrow itself never cut her skin. That is the good news."

"If it were not good news then you'd still be in there" Peter said thoughtfully, Regina nodded. "So we're good ?"

"For the moment, she's asleep now, come morning Robin will want to know what transpired and why Little John slept on the breakfast table again, which thankfully this time I would not have much to do with that if at all." Regina said, it made Little John go red, and Peter choke on his own laughter; the last time Little John slept on the breakfast table by the fire was when he got shot in the leg, on complete accident at that.

"Never the less, she is asleep now. So that is good, when she wakes up I'll take her to the Village to see Prince James." Peter said, with that he took a seat outside the front flap of the tent where Elsa laid within asleep. Regina smiled seeing how Peter was acting over what Marian had done.

Before she left Regina stepped next to Peter after bidding goodnight to Little John, "You did the right thing Peter. Don't worry, What she said was true, she lost something to the Dark One; she wants to get it back, I will help her get it back. Take her tomorrow to Prince James, he is almost always in the marketplace at sunrise. Where is her steed ?"

Peter pointed across the way, where a large deer stood eating, acting more like a horse than a skittesh deer. "She tried to get back onto that. But when she tried, the arrow moved and caused her to collapse and pass out." he said

Regina took one look at the muledeer and then looked back at Peter before pointing at the muledeer, in a confused tone she said "That's a deer. How is that a steed ?"

"Apparently its a version of deer that we have yet to really meet, The woman was able to ride it easily" Peter replied

"Elsa" Regina corrected, "Her name is Elsa"

"Right, my mistake, Ma'am, Elsa, she was able to ride it without too much trouble. It even has a saddle on it as well." Peter said thoughtfully. "It makes me wonder; how was she able to ride such a beast ?"

"And why is the deer not skittish to begin with ?" Regina asked herself thoughtfully. Questions to be answered at a later date no doubt. "It does not matter, tomorrow morning make sure she gets to the market place to speak with Prince James. I will meet you two tomorrow morning after she speaks with Prince James, understood ?"

"Intimately. Safe traveles Ma'am" Peter said, bidding Regina good bye, Regins smiled and left the riverside camp.

To Be Concluded