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12/08/2019 06:34 PM  Flight Before Christmas ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the land The people were dreaming of the Christmases they’d planned But up in the castle, awake in the hall Was the Snow Queen named Elsa, draped in a shawl. Her fingers moved lightly, magic spilling from them as she slowly created an icy work of art upon the walls of the Grand Hall. Pillars of ice joined together by decorative twists and shapes, covering the walls and the ceiling (though not the floor, she’d learned her lesson last year). Once she was done, Elsa stepped back to admire her handiwork, pulling her mother’s shawl tightly around her shoulders now that the room had something of a chill. It was strange to think that once upon a time, she had feared this magic. Hated it. It became a symbol for her isolation and her overwhelming fear of hurting someone. She had hated her magic, and hated herself. Everything she was had been the reason that her sister had been hurt, and her own fear of hurting Anna again had been the reason that neither of them had a normal childhood growing up. Now, however, Elsa could admire the skills of her own hand, and the magic that fell from them. The ice was beautiful. Cold, but beautiful and the cold didn’t bother her anyway. Besides, when the room was filled with those she loved, no one would feel the cold. She moved towards the Christmas tree of ice, an exact replica of the one she had created in the forest during their first proper Christmas together. Anna had asked for it again this year, and so Elsa had created one in the grand hall, complete with lantern decorations and an Olaf snowflake as a tree toppers. This tree was a little less clear, and a little more glistening, as Elsa had added a bit of permafrost to make sure it didn’t melt over the weeks leading to Christmas. Beneath the tree sat hundreds of presents. Elsa had gone a little overboard this year, enjoying simply being able to buy for people she loved in a way she hadn’t before, but she was sure that they wouldn’t mind. Christmas was also a time for presents, if they were all honest. Love and compassion was one thing, the food was another, but truly the spirit of Christmas came from the giving and receiving of gifts bought or made with love. Elsa knelt gently down before the tree, straightening a few of the gifts up until they all lay in perfect piles, neatly stacked. “Perfect” Once she was done in the grand hall, she made her way slowly up the stairs, attempting not to step on the creaky steps along the way. She needed to get some sleep, because she had learned the previous year that Anna plus the excitement of Christmas lead to another ‘the sky’s awake so I’m awake so we have to play’ moment for the Queen, yet she had one thing she wanted to do before she slept. She stopped outside Anna’s bedroom and slowly opened the door, the light from the hallway falling into the room enough to illuminate Elsa’s path towards the princess’ bed. Anna was sleeping in the most ridiculous position, arms over her face, flat on her back, and Elsa couldn’t help but chuckle. “Anna” she whispered softly, gently nudging her sister “Anna, wake up. I want to show you something.” After 15 minutes, Elsa had managed to wake Anna and bundle her into some of her warmest winter clothes, leading her out into the cold air of the night. “Where are we going?” Anna asked softly, still managing to look somewhat cold even covered in the layers Elsa had piled upon her. The Queen turned to look at her sister, holding out her hand. “Do you trust me?” “Of course I do, what kind of question is that?” Anna frowned, placing her gloved hand into Elsa’s bare one. Even through her gloves, she could feel the cold radiating from her sister but if it bothered her, she didn’t show it to Elsa. “You’ll enjoy this, I promise” It took another 20 minutes to get to where Elsa planned to be, and both sisters were silent as they walked. The snow was thick, a foot and a half deep, but Elsa used her magic to make the path clear before them making the journey much easier. The path took them to the top of a snowy hill, the dark shadow of Arendelle visible in the distance and the sky above clear and full of stars. This was where they stopped, looking at the sleeping city below, and Elsa wrapped an arm around her sister. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” she spoke softly, looking to Anna who was so caught up in the beauty of the night that she didn’t speak. A large thud behind them made the redhead break her gaze from Arendelle and turn, where she came face to face with the white dragon, crafted of living ice. He was still young, but had already grown to about the size of two or three large horses, with large wings of ice that cast shadows over Elsa and Anna. “Jörmungandr, you scared me!” Anna laughed softly, and the great beast gently nudged her with his snout. “Alright, alright.. we’re coming..” Elsa chuckled, and the dragon turned his attention to his ‘mother’, giving her a soft chirp in greeting. “Coming? Coming where?” Anna looked to her sister, who simply nodded her head towards Jörmungandr. “What? Elsa.. no.. I told you.. I can’t.. I’ll fall off..” “You’ll be fine. I promise. I’ve got you..” The dragon extended his wing, giving the young royals a route to his back. Elsa moved behind her sister and gently pushed Anna towards the wing, forcing her to climb onto the back of the beast and getting on behind her. Jörmungandr’s spine was coated in a thick row of ‘spikes’ made of ice. Each spike was far enough apart for the average human to sit. “Hold on..” Elsa whispered to her sister before grabbing hold of the dragon herself. Jörmungandr spread his wings, launching himself from the top of the cliff. He carried the sisters into the sky, climbing higher and higher until he levelled out, wings catching one of the air currents. He then turned towards the mountains, wings beating slowly as he half flew, half glided in their direction. Elsa gripped tight to his back as he began to weave his way through the large stone peaks at an incredible speed that had both sisters squealing slightly, and yet he was steady enough that neither felt as though they were about to fall. Almost as quickly as they had reached the mountains, they were through them and flying over a carpet of tall trees. Jörmungandr swooped down, low enough for the tops of the trees to brush against Anna and Elsa’s boots. Before long, even the trees began to thin and disappear, replaced by a blanket of snow and stone and Elsa looked at her sister, smiling softly “Incredible, isn’t it?” “It’s.. terrifying but.. yes, incredible” Jörmungandr paused in mid-air for a moment, hovering in one spot before he began to climb high in the air once more, continuing to increase his height until they were above the clouds, underneath a royal blue blanket of sky and stars. Everywhere the royals looked, all they could see was bright white stars, twinkling gently. It was an incredible sight, one that Elsa had never seen before so she knew it was new to her sister too. She reached around Anna, hugging her from behind as she gently squeezed her sister’s hand. “Merry Christmas Anna.” She smiled, kissing her sister on the cheek “Come on. Let’s get home. We need some sleep before the celebrations begin..” 0 Comments  Report Post

12/03/2019 07:09 PM  Merry Christmas Jon Snow The large dragon’s feet crunches down on the thick ice, leaving oversized footprints in the snow. On his back sat the fair haired Snow Queen, her cheeks slightly rosy from the cold, her hair tied back in her usual braid. Her eyes scanned the White wasteland before her, the snow awash with the softest hint of pink as it reflected the redness in the sky as the sun rose to greet Arendelle. As Jörmungandr landed and settled himself upon the snow covered hill, Elsa swung her leg over his spine and gently climbed down the dragon until her feet were planted firmly on the snowy ground. Almost as if she was floating on air, Elsa moved through the snow until she came face to face with the head of the large beast. Her arm extended to place her hand on Jörmungandr’s snout, and he closed his bright blue eyes briefly, slowly, in a motion that Elsa always assumed was the dragon version of a kiss, or a hug. “I enjoy our early morning rides..” she said softly, and Jörmungandr responded with a gentle chirp, nudging himself forward slightly to push his scales further into her hand. She laughed, stroking the icy flesh beneath her fingers before finally pulling her hand back. “Be good today. I’ll be back later this evening..” Feet crunches against the snow as Elsa made her way towards the outer walls of the city of Arendelle, walking easily over the thickly laid powder as it seemed to part before her feet as she took each step. She loved Arendelle, she loved everything about it. The familiar smell of bread baking every morning as she returned from her morning flights, the sound of children playing in the village square, their laughter always managing to filter up towards the castle. The city was a small one, isolated from much of the known world, too far beyond the wall for the Westerosi to care about them, too close to the Land of Always Winter for the Wildlings to venture near. Then again, after all that had happened with the White Walkers, she’d see to it that the Wildlings were made to feel welcome if they ever did venture this far North. She looked up at the outside wall. It looked rather plain which just wouldn’t do at this time of year, and so she used her unique form of magic to paint extensive, exquisite decorations of ice upon the brickwork, all along the height and length of the walls, from the ground right up to the very tops of the watch towers. The ice sparkled in the sunlight, giving a very Christmassy look to the entire Kingdom. Usually, Elsa would have entered Arendelle through the lower gate that lead out to the edge of the Fjord. It had been her way out when she fled from her own coronation, full of fear now that her own secret had been revealed, and it was always the way she snuck out to spend time with her dragons. This morning, however, Elsa made her way through the main gates, smiling at the people of Arendelle as they gave her greeting. The smell of roasting chestnuts filled the air of the city, the scent of Turkey lingering on the wind. She loved Christmas. It filled her with nostalgic memories of her past, and hopeful dreams of her future while always making sure she appreciated every second of her present. Sweeping down the grand staircase after a quick bath and outfit change, Elsa chuckled at the sound of Anna’s delightful laughter coming from the drawing room. Christmas was always their favourite time of year, and the Queen was just happy that the sound of joy and laughter were once again filling the rooms of their home. As she entered the room, she took in the sight she was met with for a few moments. Anna giggling softly as she placed a flimsy paper crown on top of Kristoff’s head. By the tree, Olaf lay reading a book aloud to the two large direwolves of contrasting colours. The snowman’s white figure shimmered in the sunlight that streamed in through the window. She would never quite get used to the little living snowman that graced their lives, but he was a joy. Fenrir, Anna’s jet black direwolf, wasn’t phased by Olaf, and sat watching him curiously as he continued to read. Elsa wondered whether the direwolf understood the words Olaf was speaking, or whether he was just responding to the sound of the snowman’s voice. Beside Fenrir, looking at Olaf with an expression of sheer confusion, was the large white direwolf belonging to their guest. Ghost, as Jon had named him, very much took after his moniker, not just in the colour of his fur, but in the reticence of his movements. While Fenrir had claws that clipped and tapped upon the stone and tile floors around the castle, Ghost moved across them in unmatched silence, resulting in him spooking both Anna and Elsa at various times throughout his visit. Ghost and Fenrir has bonded quickly, not least as Fenrir was the direwolf who had sired Ghost and his siblings. The older wolf had become quite attached to the other, and Elsa wasn’t sure how he would fare when Jon and Ghost returned home. Feeling someone behind her, Elsa turned her head and smiled, seeing Jon. It felt like years since they had flown dragons together, side by side as they battled against the army of the dead, and there was a new sorrow in Jon’s eyes that hadn’t been there before. He had sad eyes when they first met, the deaths of his father and brother so obviously weighing heavy on his heart the way that the death of Elsa’s parents weighed on hers. She had felt the deep sorrow in him then, but this was different and new. She knew where it came from, whose loss made his eyes this sad, but neither of them mentioned her name. “Merry Christmas Jon” she smiled softly as she stepped into the drawing room, motioning him inside with her. She frowned, receiving a puzzled look from the Lord Commander “Merry what?” At his words, the room became silent, apart from the crackling of the log on the fire. Anna rose from the spot where she had settled and moved over to where her sister and their guest stood. “Wait, what? You don’t have Christmas south of the Wall?” “Chris-what?” “Christmas!” Olaf exclaimed, “that special time of year, where we give presents and have a feast and Kristoff builds a shrine to some old troll for some reason” Elsa watched as Jon’s eyes rested on Olaf for a moment. She was 90% sure that the man from Westeros still couldn’t believe his eyes when met with the walking, talking snowman and she found that quite amusing. “But what is it?” “The birth of Jesus” Anna chimed back in, still puzzled that Jon had never heard of Christmas. Everything she learned about Westeros made is seem less and less fun. “Who?” “Jesus. The son of God. The baby born in a distant land who died to forgive the sins of the world” “The baby died?” “No.. well yes but he wasn’t a baby when he died. He was 30-something. But he died, and then he came back to life. But Christmas is all about baby Jesus” Elsa had expected questions around the ‘came back to life’ part of Anna’s recounting of the tale, but Jon hadn’t even looked surprised by that revelation. She pondered this for a moment before Anna pulled out a Christmas cracker and shoved one end into Jon’s hand. “What’s this?” “A cracker. Just.. pull as hard as you can.. watch” she grinned, taking the other end and giving it a tug. Jon seemed to quickly work out what he needed to do, as he joined Anna in tugging on the cracker until, with a decent ‘bang’, it split open, revealing its inner treasure. Anna, who had a lot of experience pulling crackers, had won the bigger half and squealed in glee as she fished a small silver thimble from within, before pulling out the traditional thin paper crown. “Perfect colour for you” she grinned at Jon, placing the Stark-grey hat upon his head. Elsa almost burst out laughing. The juxtaposition between the festive Christmas hat and the sulky, confused expression on Jon’s face was too much to cope with and she had to turn away to stop herself collapsing in a fit of giggles. “Mostly, Christmas is a time for us to show those around us what they mean to us, how much we appreciate them.” Elsa said softly as she moved towards the tree. Kneeling gently, she pulled out a short but wide gift, wrapped in paper of royal blue and purple, decorated with tiny white snowmen. She handed the gift to Jon and watched as he looked it over for a moment before slowly removing the paper. He was so calm, his fingers working so delicately to unwrap the paper in the places that Elsa had secured it, in order to keep it in a good condition and not tear it. To her left, Anna was unwrapping her own present, the area around her a flurry of torn paper. “What is this?” Jon asked and Elsa moved forward. On Jon’s lap sat half of a box, filled with snow. The Queen gently ran her fingers over the top layer of white, revealing a clearly solid egg beneath. “It’s the egg of an ice dragon. I thought it was about time that the blood of the dragon took flight once more..” 0 Comments  Report Post

08/08/2019 07:49 PM  A Dragon Of Ice Faces; shocked, horrified faces stared at her as her power revealed itself. Spines of ice, sharp and dangerous, had left her fingers, threatened her guests. Some queen she was to endanger her own guests in this way, some queen who couldn’t even control herself. She was a monster, too dangerous to be around people. And so she had fled.  Voices called behind her as she left her castle, racing towards the harbour where she paused for the slightest of moments before foot met water and immediately turned it to ice. First one foot, then the other, water turning to ice beneath her feet until the whole fjord froze, bringing with it an eternal winter for Arendelle.  The entire world had changed in the week following that day. A Gloveless Queen on the back of a Snow White Horse made the journey back to the Palace of Ice she had built in the mountains in a much happier mood than the day she had created it. She had left Anna in charge of Arendelle, and apparently Sven in charge of carrots, and set out to retrieve one of the few things she had left of her mother. What she had been feeling when she tossed away her crown she had promised herself she would never feel again. In such a short space of time, Elsa has gone from a withdrawn frightened creature, to one who fully embraced her powers. She had gone from feeling the pressure of her responsibilities, to vowing never to return to them, and eventually settling where she was now. Accepting them, realising that responsibilities could also be seen as privileges. Her powers were dangerous, but they were also protective, the greatest weapon Arendelle had against those who would do them harm.  The door of ice creaked as she pushed it open, eyes marvelling at the things she had created with her own magic. It had seemed impressive at the time she did it, but seeing how it held itself, the solid structure of ice, as strong as her castle in Arendelle, well she had to appreciate her own work. Her eyes scanned the room, eventually falling upon the thing she had intended to retrieve. Fingers stretched to pick up the golden crown, dusting off the traces of snow that had coated it where it fell.  A soft chirp behind her made the Snow Queen spin. It was a sound she had never heard before, and it spooked her. Almost instantly the fear that she had fought so hard to escape; returned, washing over her like a wave, causing snowflakes to amass around her. As she regained herself, a hand extended to draw the flakes to the floor, a breath filling her chest, relaxing her, bringing the snow to an end.  Ice blue eyes peered at her from beneath a pile of snow. She barely noticed them as she went back to admiring the palace, but a quick blink made them unmissable.  Movement in the still.  Her own eyes looked back, blue staring into blue as the blonde crossed the distance between herself and the snowy heap. Fear had left her completely, a distant memory as she found a strange comfort in those eyes, like the moment she had first met Olaf and realised that her power was greater than she’d ever known.  The creature she was approaching now was almost invisible in the snow, it’s skin the same colour as the fallen flakes. She knelt gently before it, extending a hand, resting it on the path before the critter as their eyes remained locked. Time stood as still as the two beings, unmoving, unconcerning.  Patience. One tiny claw moved, and then another and before she knew it, the small dragon had come to rest on her palm, curling it’s way up her forearm. Elsa and the dragon stared at one another once more, trying to work one another out.  “Did I create you?” She asked after a short while, fingers of her free hand moving to gently touch the tiny dragon’s horns, as clear and as cold as ice, sharper than icicles and yet, not completely ice. It was similar, there was no doubt, but it felt as though the ice was alive, as though she could feel a heartbeat. The dragon, seemingly sensed something about Elsa as she touched him. She felt a change in their dynamic as he continued his climb of her arm until he was perched securely on her shoulder. She looked at him, and it was as though she could read his very thoughts.  She knelt once more, pushing aside the heap of white until two shapes appeared. Eggs. They looked as though they had been expertly carved from ice, one a deep blue, the other as black as the night. A third, white and almost hidden, lay alongside, cracked open. Pale fingers wrapped around each one of the unhatched eggs, lifting them from their nest of snow.  “What are you going to call him?” The excitable red head practically bounced into her bedchambers as Elsa placed the dragon on her window ledge, dusting it with a foot of snow to make him more comfortable, laying the other eggs beside him.  “I bring a live ice dragon home, and your first question is about naming him?” The Queen turned to her sister, a slight twinkle in her eyes as she looked fondly at Anna, the sister who had sacrificed herself for Elsa only a week before. Anna was everything Elsa admired, brave and selfless, sunshine on a cloudy day.  “Do you remember when we were children?” She asked after a moment, “Before.. I became closed off from the world? Father used to read us that story.. the one you loved so much that you requested it every single night. The story of the dragon who grew so large that it was able to surround the world and grasp its own tail..” The red headed Princess chuckled and gave a nod  “The tale of the Mighty Jörmungandr” she responded lightly, almost proud of herself for remembering it given how fuzzy the memories of her childhood had become not long after.  “That’s right. Well.. there’s only one name befitting this little ice dragon” Elsa’s fingers moved again to run lightly over the dragons cold scales “isn’t there, Jörmungandr?” 0 Comments  Report Post

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