~Uncertain Future~
୨ৎ pairing: young!Agnarr x young!Iduna
୨ৎ summary: As Arendelle's people flee the forest, rushing to reach safety from the clutches of the battle, two young individuals sit in a cart - having only each other as they travel steadfast into the uncertain future.
୨ৎ warnings: mention and insinuation of war, violence, grief, trauma, loss ; angst to bittersweet comfort
୨ৎ inspired song/s: That's When - Taylor Swift ft. Keith Urban ; Always Forever - Cults ; Heaven Over our Heads - TV Girl
a/n: I was inspired by a deleted scene from Frozen 2 - so it might not be the most accurate in terms of the official cut but I hope you enjoy reading it anyway :) I enjoyed writing it and honestly I would love to kind of turn this into a series of sort because I feel like it has so much potential, so let me know if anyone is interested in that! It is intended for light mode and might look a bit strange otherwise <3
Iduna grimaces, her skin stiff, as she attempts to suppress and swallow the acidic vomit threatening to rise from her throat - leaving a terribly sour taste, peristalsis slowly moving it back down.
They were considerably further away from the forest - her forest - now, yet there the blond and ragged boy continues to sit.
What she assumes must have been made of the finest, most royal materials are now soaked in already dried mud if not torn as Agnarr desperately clutches to the back of the wooden cart.
She saw it surround her forest, her home, her people. A shiver-inducing disturbance to the homeostasis of the environment.
She's trying not to think about it, grabbing at her mother's patterned scarf wrapped around her.
It is quiet beyond the sounds of the people's walking, them finding it appropriate to complete the journey in silence, for there was nothing much to say.
A shaky sigh leaves Agnarr's throat as he turns, bringing his knees up to his chest. He fiddles with the torn seams of his pant cuffs, feeling his own breath against his skin.
"They're not coming back, are they?"
Iduna's eyes shoot up at the sound of his voice, still boyish despite the weight of emotion present.
He made no move to look at anything but his shoes, the blond wraps of his hair falling into his face as he softly chews at his lip.
"I'm sorry." Her reply is gentle but not unassuming, opening her scarf to the side - an invitation.
He glances up at her, slight hesitance before moving to crawl over to her, cringing at the accidental scraping of his bruised knee on the rough wood of the cart.
Agnarr grabs hold of the scarf, scooching to her side before shakily wrapping it around him.
"Thank you..f-for the scarf and, um, earlier."
Iduna sniffs, pulling a slightly tight smile.
"What's going to happen now?"
A deep breath rakes itself through his lungs, the air passing his lips and lightly flittering onto her skin due to their proximity. When his eyes meet hers they're shaky, uncertain, afraid - but he manages to keep his voice steady - albeit faux, as he replies.
"We're heading back to Arendelle now. I-"
He clears his throat, blinking away the stinging in his eyes.
"-we'll probably wait a bit. See if anyone, um, returns - but if not - we will mourn and move on."
Iduna frowns deeply, eyes switching between his, but he speaks again before she her lips even part to respond.
"You called for your mother? Do you have anywhere to go?"
Her throat bulbs as she swallows, the bolus of saliva almost sore as it presses down her cartilage and into her stomach. Iduna shakes her head.
Agnarr nods, the movement slow and thoughtful, and Iduna can sense the intricate grief stuck within the features of his expression but she just as well observes the force with which he keeps it detained. Her eyes refocus when he glances back up to her.
"You saved me. I owe you my life, and thereby, so does Arendelle. I promise you that I shall provide you with everything you may ever need so that I am able to repay my debt to you."
Iduna watches as the boy attempts to emulate the maturity he likely knows he'll be forced into not too long from now. It feels unnatural. Wrong. She knows she can't do anything to change it, nor can she afford to decline or refuse his claim, so she nods.
Their eyes stay connected for a brief moment longer but flicker away, leaving the rest of the journey in the uneasily comfortable silence.
The scarf is welcomely warm over their slouched shoulders, their bodies imperceptibly pressing against each other in a somewhat futile attempt to insulate themselves.
They travel for about a day. The stops are frequent and long, at first filled with desperate hope but soon became stuffy with the weight of the grief and anger. No person returning to Arendelle was going back whole, but Agnarr and Iduna found tiny moments, where they didn't necessarily feel as shredded apart as they actually were.
It was in those moments then that laid the foundation of their future commitments to each other and the people they loved.
They may not have understood it then, and one can only hope they came to understand it eventually, for the two children suffered great loss that day - but in order to gain one must first lose - and within that suffering they found each other.
*Credit to the rightful owners of the images used<3
Do not repost, steal or copy.
