Frozen Apart // Frozen/RotG // Jelsa

Chapter 10: Death

Jack

Something felt off about today, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. It was almost as though there was a thick veil over the valley. It wasn't dark. The air just felt humid and thick, thick with something foreign that sent chills down his spine and made the hairs on his arms stand up. Something that felt like magic.

Dark magic.

He shook his head and rolled his shoulders, trying to get out the kinks between his shoulder blades from the long trip. Today was his first day back in Arendelle. He had sent a letter a few years back to Elsa, saying how he would have to be staying longer due to some technical difficulties.

He trudged along through the forest, his thoughts muddled and mixed by premonition and the choking air around him.

His first instinct after being away so long was to run to Elsa and hold her close. But he wanted to surprise her, she didn't know he was back. He smiled, he was going to sneak into her room with a specially prepared dinner so they could reunite under the moonlight. It was her 18th birthday after all, that one day should be very special.

He's even picked up a few new recipes overseas, some from the southern Nordic region and others more inland Europe. He intended to make as many as possible for her surprise tonight. He started to mentally tick of ingredients, smiling when the warm smell of burning wood hit him, accompanied by the filtered view of his house.

He readjusted the pack on his shoulder, and Alexandria's present that was tied to them. His sister must've grown a lot in the past three years, he wouldn't even be surprised if she'd started looking at others romantically by now; well, maybe a little surprised.

He opened the front door quietly, grinning when he saw Alexandria asleep and curled up in a large chair by the fire. He set his luggage down as quietly as possible, the metal clinking together, before moving to pull out ingredients for later.

He was almost bouncing in anticipation, his spirits brightening with each piece from his past that lit up like a series of candles on a Christmas tree.

He couldn't wait to see Elsa tonight, but first, he was going to take his sister, Alexandria, iceskating.

[A/N: oops, my hand slipped]
***

"It's okay, it's okay. Don't look down, just look at me."

Jack was worried, as soon as they headed out with the skates, he knew something was up. The invisible fog from earlier had thickened since they'd headed out with the skates, and while before at had felt more like an itch, now he could practically feel it trickling down his throat. Magic, dark magic.

Alexandria was on the ice, and he could see the faint fissures under her feet, his fists clenched and eyes narrowed slightly, trying to think of some way to get his sister, the most important person in his life, to safety.

"Jack, I'm scared!" The ice cracked more underneath her, her wobbling knees accompanied by the quiet undertone of the fracturing ice below her.

"I know, I know," he took a slow step forward, the ice fissuring a little more as he shifted his weight, "but you're gonna be alright. You're not gonna fall in. Uhh-" an idea started to form in his head that would hopefully keep her distracted from the impending danger.

"We're gonna have a little fun instead!"

"No we're not!"

"Would I trick you?"

"Yes! You always play tricks!"

"Well, alright, but not- not this time. I promise, I promise. You're gonna be... you're gonna be fine." He looked at her scared expression again.

"You have to believe in me. You wanna play a game?! We're gonna play hopscotch! Like we play everyday. It's as easy as one-" he took a step to the right and winced as the ice cracked again.

"Two-" he started to flail his arms in a dramatic way, this earned a laugh from her.

"Three!" He leaned down to pick up his wooden staff with the crook on the end.

He crouched down, with his staff at the ready, in case she fell. This was bad, in the space of the time he'd been trying to calm her down, the ice beneath her had fractured a few more feet outwards.

This was far from natural. He glanced up, eyes stinging from what he'd now determined could only be magic. He supposed he could be wrong, but he'd been around it so often that he felt certain. A shadow crossed his vision, and he shook slightly, turning back to Alexandria.

"Now it's your turn." He gave an encouraging smile.

"One-" It cracked some more and she gave a startled gasp. He leaned closer with the staff, his face masked with worry and concentration.

"Two-" Another gasp and another crack.

"Three." He leapt forward to hook her around the waist with the crook of the staff and fling her to safety, taking her spot on the quickly deteriorating ice.

She landed and gave a wide smile.

He gave a relieved chuckle and took a step forward, his thoughts calming slightly now that she was safe. He stood up a little straighter when his eyes caught on a figure by the tree line just over Alexandria's shoulder.

He opened his mouth to call out, instead snapping it shut when he felt the world drop out from under him.

The last thing he heard was Alexandria screaming his name, and his own echoing thoughts of the man dressed in all black and a sinister smile. A man dressed in shadows and pitch black...

And then Jack Overland knew no more.

***

Last Edited: 3.13.16