Chapter Text
As relieved as Elsa felt to see Jack after all that anxiety she felt the day before, she wondered what he was doing headed towards the Enchanted Forest at this hour.
“Did they send you to pick me up?” She asked him as she stepped a little forward.
“No...I uh, sent myself here,” he’d sheepishly admit before clearing his throat, “It feels…rude for you to be unescorted,” he paused slightly before telling Elsa a believable reason for him to go fetch her. There was no way he was going to tell her that he wanted to make some memories with her in case her mind gets wiped.
“O-Oh. Thank you,” she showed her appreciation with a tiny smile, “I mean, I know my way there and back, but…I appreciate you taking the time to escort me.”
“Don’t mention it,” Jack tries to play it cool, “Anyway, you can get back up on your horse, Elsa. I’ll take you the rest of the way,” he says as he looks at Nokk and Bruni. The salamander looked rather happy to see this other ice person, as Elsa appeared to lighten up when he was around. But the Nook seemed less than enthusiastic.
At first, the frozen horse is skeptical of Jack and sniffs him just to be sure. The fox-man would remain calm as he was used to animals checking if he was safe to be around. Nokk wasn’t an ordinary animal, but Jack wasn’t an ordinary person either. Once Nokk has had a good whiff, it offers Jack its head to pat. The winter-haired lad nods and gives the aquatic equine a few gentle strokes, which was soothing for the animal. Apart from it being made of ice, Jack found that Nokk was not so different from the horses he knows. They all just want the occasional pat.
“Seems that the water spirit has taken a shine to you,” Elsa is fascinated by how Nokk was noticeably more relaxed when Jack touched its face.
“Animals seem to get me,” he jokes, considering he can turn into one, “Anyway, they’re waiting for you, so best if we get moving,” he says after one more pat on Nokk’s head.
“Right! But uh, could we just take it easy, please? I know Cassandra said be there at the earliest, but she never said be there at the crack of dawn, right?” Elsa pointed out the malleability of a verbal contract. She didn’t sign anything and thus, she could interpret the request any which way. And if said interpretation allows more time to know Jack a little more, so be it.
Upon hearing this, Jack was impressed how Elsa played with this little loophole, “No, she didn’t say that at all. For all we know, ‘earliest’ can mean at your earliest convenience. And in case the Master hasn’t made his decision by the time you arrive, then you’ll need to wait longer than you have to. So, a leisurely stroll is in order?”
“I’d like that,” she smiled at him. One of the things she wanted on her way back was to spend more time with him and connect. Looks like she was getting her wish.
“Phew. Even if we’re delaying the inevitable, at least we get more time,” Jack thinks to himself before leading the way. Elsa has Nokk walk at a steady pace, neither speeding up or falling behind. Bruni is simply bobbing his head along as they traverse.
“So…are you going to tell me more about the fox now?” She was ready to take advantage of the leisurely stroll. Last time they took a walk together, she pressed him a bit about the life of the fox, but Jack pushed back, claiming there wouldn’t be enough time to explain it all as they’d lose daylight. But because they met so early in the, losing daylight won’t be too much of a problem. If anything, they’ll be gaining it.
“D’oh! I should have seen that coming,” Jack covered his face briefly with his palm before regaining his composure. His reaction made Elsa and Bruni chuckle a bit. Looking at her face and how happy she looked around him for whatever reason, Jack figured it wouldn’t hurt to give in to her a bit after everything that happened the day before, “...What exactly do you want to know, Elsa?”
“The basics would be a good place to start,” she responded, “How are you able to turn into an arctic fox in the first place?”
“I’m the current holder of the arctic fox spirit. It was passed down to me through bloodline,” he explains to her, “No two people can possess the spirit at a time, so I inherited the spirit after my grandfather passed. I’ve never met him since I wasn’t born yet, but I heard he was pretty great from his best pal,” he added. Jack didn’t have much emotional attachment to a grandfather he never met, so it wasn’t too painful to mention. Still, it felt like a piece of him was missing somehow and he can only learn through journals and the memories of others.
“Sorry to hear that, Jack,” Elsa expressed her empathy as she understood missing pieces of oneself; her with the loss of her and Anna’s parents at sea, while Jack never got to know his grandfather at all. If things worked differently, the old man could have mentored him or at the very least, be a kindred spirit.
“Thanks,” the fox-man appreciated her sensitivity towards the subject, “It would have helped me a lot if he was around, but that’s just how the cycle works,” which only added to his feelings of loneliness and being singled out. Regardless if Elsa will forget about this or not, at least he could share with someone what he wished was the case.
“Are there…any other arctic fox spirits?”
“No, not to anyone’s knowledge,” he shook his head, “Sure, there are the actual arctic foxes that are drawn to me and huddle around me whenever I encounter them, but they are not spirits. At least from what I can tell.”
“That’s so cute,” Elsa mutters under her breath. She could just imagine Jack being nuzzled by the cloud-like foxes. And the man himself trying not to drown in the fluffiness.
“Hm, you said something?” Jack turned his head towards her curiously.
“Nope, not at all,” she denied quickly with her hand covering the lower part of her face. He’ll give her the benefit of the doubt this time. After all, she doesn’t see the fox as a menace unlike most people. If only he knew how enamored she actually was.
“Okay then,” he shrugs it off before continuing to lead the way, “Now that I’ve shared plenty on my side. I think it’s only fair if you trade something in return,” he proposed an equivalent exchange of information.
“I guess it would be fine. Maybe not go in too deep?” She requested of him. There were many things about her life she wasn’t quite ready to explain as she herself had yet to unpack a lot, even with Anna as a confidant.
“I don’t plan to, Elsa. All I wanna know right now is something you mentioned yesterday,” he assured her before going ahead with the question, “You said you were once the Queen of Arendelle, but you abdicated the throne. I suppose it had something to do with you being a Spirit of the Enchanted Forest, right?”
The young lady was pleased and relieved that it wasn’t anything too personal, not that she had much reason to think he would so early. But still, it was a good question to ask since he did listen during the interview with Cassandra, “You’d be right. I was asked to stay in the Forest by the Northuldra. I learned some time ago that my mother was part of their tribe.”
“Do they have ice powers too?” he asked her, parallel to her question regarding the existence of other arctic fox spirits.
“They don’t, but they do have a special connection to the Forest and the spirits,” she clarifies, “The Northuldra don’t possess any powers of their own, but they greatly benefit from what the Spirits offer due to their care and protection of the Forest. Everything has a story and life, so they make sure to always pay their respects in many ways,” which range from replanting any trees or vegetation harvested, to using every part of the animals they hunt.
“They sound like they live bountiful and rewarding lives in there,” Jack voices his admiration for the tribe and their ways, “You’re really fortunate to have roots with them and the Forest.”
It almost had him a bit envious that Elsa knew where part of her came from while he felt like his own bloodline’s history is so hazy that he doesn’t know if there are any other fox spirits out there, arctic or otherwise.
“I have my mother to thank for that. And she’s also responsible for me having powers.”
“How so?”
“She saved my father’s life,” Elsa decides to go with the short version of the story for now, “When my parents were very young, my father was caught in the middle of a conflict and fell unconscious. My mother, despite being on the opposite side, rescued him from further harm. Because of this selfless act, the spirits gifted her first-born child ice powers, which was me.”
This revelation ebbed away the envy Jack felt and replaced it with more respect and admiration. While he and Elsa had their powers from birth, he believed his companion earned hers rightfully thanks to her mother’s kindness. He doesn’t know yet the turmoil she encountered because of her powers, but as far as he’s concerned, she was the luckiest icecaster around to have that kind of love and grow up to be an upstanding woman.
“Now I know where you get it from,” he offers her his compliments, “By which I mean, doing right by people, even for someone you barely know,” he assures that he didn’t necessarily mean only her powers.
Elsa was a bit hesitant to accept such praise, knowing that she hasn’t always been brave enough to stand up for herself, let alone for anyone else. Being kept inside so you don’t accidentally hurt someone with your powers, especially your sister, can make you feel you can’t do anything. But still, the Snow Queen was learning little by little to not only reach out to people, but also help them in more practical ways, which was something that was necessary as a ruler. She wasn’t a social butterfly like Anna, but she did more than enough to earn favor from her subjects despite the eternal winter that took place.
That strong affection sometimes overwhelmed her to the point she’d have to reflect a bit more before taking action to never disappoint anyone ever again. After all, a lot of these people knew her as a child and their children looked up to her, thus she believed they had high expectations she needed to fulfill.
And yet, she didn’t hesitate at all yesterday to take responsibility for her actions during the battle of shadows and the accidental revelation of the fox. Even if Jack was a little cross with her for risking her safety, she stood firm that she was doing the right thing by not abandoning him and even escorting him back. It didn’t quite go according to plan, but her heart was in the right place. At that point, Jack was just a stranger to her and she had no real reason to try and gain his favor; all she wanted to do was help someone in a tough spot out.
Her level of courage is not always linear, but her sense of justice and integrity remains consistent.
“That’s something that I hope I can keep doing. But…it’s nice to hear it from you,” Elsa acknowledges with a chuckle, which made Jack turn his head again to hide his shyness.
“H-Hey, I’m only stating the obvious here. No need to be so modest,” he’s struggling not to check if she’s still smiling. He catches her still grinning and lighting up from his praise. Even for a presumably brief second, this’ll be burnt into his memory.
“I-I’ll keep that in mind,” the young lady says as she looks downward a bit to avert her gaze towards him, lest he sees a face that grapples with showing her true joy. Bruni and Nokk don’t say much, but inside, they were snickering from this entertaining interaction.
As the group was getting closer to the enclosure, Jack decided to steer them towards the main gate rather than to the tunnel’s entrance. The three spirits were perplexed. Weren’t outsiders like them going to be seen by everyone?
“Hey, Jack. Why aren’t we going towards the tunnel?” Elsa inquired. She didn’t exactly find the first traverses there pleasant and got through them alright thanks to the fox-man guiding her. But if he takes her through here, he could get in trouble for real this time.
“It’s clear you didn’t like the tunnel very much. A scenic route will put you at more ease,” he answered, not wanting her to be in such an uncomfortable position again. A part of Elsa was indeed curious to see what the main path was like, but she couldn’t shake that Jack might fall deeper into hotter water.
“Thank you, but you don’t have to do this all for me,” she tried to turn down the idea as she disliked causing more trouble for him, “The tunnel wasn’t too bad since you were there to guide me anyway both times.”
Jack shook his head, “…Sorry, Elsa. But I can’t let you go through that again. You were only doing what you believed was right in helping me out and you were made to walk in a dank tunnel blindfolded. With Hubert leading the way in,” he makes a dig at the jerkass handler to further prove his point.
“But…what about you? Aren’t you going to get reprimanded?” She expressed her concerns about his welfare. Bruni and Nokk would look at him too, sharing Elsa’s worries.
“Not if a good number of villagers outside the main estate like me,” he reassures her, “They’re grateful that I guard the enclosure anytime the shadows cast over. So, any time I go out to the square, they look happy to see me. Well, mostly the kids to young adults. The middle-aged and elders look at me funny sometimes.”
Elsa was both surprised and relieved upon hearing of Jack’s relationships with the villagers, even if it was mostly young people. It seemed that they viewed him better in comparison to how some of the people within the estate saw him, particularly Cassandra, Hubert, and assuming the Master. She’s like to ask why such a stark difference, but she’ll save it for later. Right now, she’d like to see for herself if Jack is as treated well as he claims.
“Well, I’ll believe it when I see it,” she finally agrees, “Lead the way, Jack.”
Jack nods before continuing to lead the path to the main gate. He rolled up his sleeve to use his wrist device to unlock the gate, the same ones he and Hubert used for the tunnel doors.
“What is that thing anyway?” Elsa asked as she saw a faint glow coming from it.
“It’s pretty much a universal key for the enclosure. Every clan member and villager has one,” he described it to her, showing a flat stone attached to a braided wristband, “It was invented a long time ago to keep the place secure from marauders.”
“Marauders?”
“It mostly happened a long time ago, but lately the only ones have been the shadows, solicitors, and some curious climbers. Clan history says it was a lot more than that, from barbarians to wyrms,” he says so casually, which baffled Elsa a bit.
A series of four clicks can be heard before the door creaks open from being unlocked. In sharp contrast to the tunnel, the main gate would reveal a bright and bustling community full of chattering townsfolk, playful children, smells of freshly cooked meals, and thriving businesses. Considering her experience in the main estate, Elsa was concerned the village would be listless and morose. But this village felt as warm and welcoming as Arendelle, if not more. There were blooming flower beds, abundant crop fields, specialized ranches with uniquely colored livestock, and most noticeable of all, large trees that appeared to have pink and white flowers covered in snow. These are almost unheard of up north, but finding these in the enclosure is part of the gift that keeps on giving.
Elsa keeps turning her head to see everything the village contains, in awe of how teeming with life it was. She takes a deep breath of the fresh air, detecting a hint of freshly baked goods and homemade perfumes wafting about.
“Still prefer the tunnel, Elsa?” Jack asked her teasingly after she “insisted” on going through the underground tunnel again that smelled of standing water and rocks.
“Absolutely not,” she responds to him with a stunned look, “If I had known how magnificent the village was, I would have kicked Hubert for dragging me through that tunnel.”
“You can still do it if you want to. Nobody would bat an eye,” Jack half-jokingly suggests to Elsa, to which she responds with an eye-roll. She never really considered herself a fighter, but for people like that jerk, perhaps she’d make a small exception.
After sharing a scoff, Elsa dismounts from Nokk before she was to enter the gate with Jack. She’ll take Bruni along with her, with the little amphibian opting to stay in her pocket. Nokk, on the other hand, heads out to a nearby pond to hide out until Elsa needs it again.
“Will it be okay staying out here?” Jack asks as he watches it sink into the water, melting off its temporary ice coat.
“I’m sure it will. It always feels at home in most bodies of water,” she explains just before Nokk completely disappears into the water. Once they were sure it was comfortable in the pond, they’d proceed to step inside through the gates and the feeling of awe within Elsa continued to grow. She could see everything much closer, from the children laughing around the fountain to the musicians playing instruments unique to her. Her sister and perhaps their cousin would probably jump in to have some fun, but Elsa preferred being an observer more often than not. Not to mention there was a bit of self-consciousness, being trained from childhood to be a monarch and all.
Two children were dashing towards the way to the schoolhouse when they spotted the fox-man and his new companion. They stopped in their tracks to greet them.
“Good morning!” The two children addressed the pair along with little nods. Elsa, having only met these children, nods gently back. Tatiana would look at awe in this new person while Kazuma seemed to mostly pay attention to Jack.
“Mornin’, Kazuma and Tatiana,” the young man greeted them back with little pats on their heads, “Headin’ to school today?”
Kazuma jumped to answer, “Yup! We’ll be learning about the Renaissance this week.”
“Renaissance, eh? Which one are you focusing on? Northern, Italian, Macedonian?” Jack wanted to confirm the options, as different regions had their own take on what a Renaissance is.
“Northern,” confirmed Tatiana, “It’s starkly different from the Italian one. The artwork’s a lot more dull and it looks so sad.”
“Why do you say so, little one?” Elsa encouraged Tatiana to share her thoughts.
“Well, the Northern paintings just show me things I see every day. Farms, frozen lakes, my mother, it’s all too boring. Meanwhile, the Italian renaissance has all the angels and bright colors. It sort of makes ordinary life look so drab and sets too many standards. It’s like they clash on what life should be.”
“Yeah, it looks like such a downer. I wanna escape from the slow life,” Kazuma complained, “I don’t need to see a painting of a marketplace full of fish and vegetables when I see one everyday in real life. I want to see an angel piercing a demon in the chest.”
“I see,” the young woman listened to both children’s points and concerns, “Well, the way I see it, I think both styles actually complement each other. While the Italian Renaissance seems to be all about grandeur, it’s also about rebirth and revitalization, especially after hardships. The Northern Renaissance, on the other hand, embraces everyday life. Sure, at first you may see mundaneness, but there’s also comfort and familiarity. Plus, while the former focuses on detailed people, the latter does a lot with the scenery.”
Both Kazuma and Tatiana were impressed by Elsa’s eloquent spiel. This stranger with Jack sounded like a really well-read and smart person to have such a profound explanation.
“Can I steal that explanation, Ma’am? Our teacher is going to be so impressed!” the little boy asked Elsa excitedly.
“No, I wanna steal it, Kazuma!” Tatiana argued with her friend, much to the amusement of both icecasters.
“Now, now. I’d be happy to share it with you two,” laughed Elsa, “But of course, it’s still important for you to see things on your own so you can come up with your own opinions.”
“She’s right, kids,” Jack added as he walked around the children, “Besides, your teacher is going to be suspicious about how you would come up with that suddenly. Instead of stealing the words verbatim, look at some Northern Renaissance paintings yourself with her words in mind and find something you like about them. They can’t be all bad, right?”
The two youngsters listened to their advice and started to think about what they do find appealing about these styles of paintings.
Tatiana was the first to speak, “...I do like how they use oil paint for them. It has that distinct gloss and the slower drying times allow the artist to add more detail before everything dries. The colors are still distinguishable even if they aren’t too vibrant.”
“As for me, I enjoy seeing the paintings of animals look realistic to the point that they might jump off the page,” Kazuma followed up with his own take, “I almost got in trouble when I got too close to a painting of a dog in the gallery because I thought it was real.”
Jack smiled at both of their answers, “There you go. Wasn’t so hard, right? Sometimes the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side. It’s just a different shade or even a different color.”
“Just tell your teacher what you told us and you’ll do great,” Elsa encouraged them as well. It thrilled her to know that they were not only getting a good education, but they are applying what they know.
“Thank you Jack and…uh, I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name, Ma’am,” Tatiana inquired so she could thank them both properly.
“You can call me Elsa. I’m Jack’s…um, visitor,” the snowy lady paused for a bit before answering. They only just met yesterday, so it probably would be too soon to call herself his friend. Jack nodded in agreement, since he wasn’t certain what they exactly were yet either. Definitely not enemies, however.
“A visitor of Jack’s, huh?” Kazuma raised a question, “Wow! You’re really lucky to get to be an honored guest of the main Ein-Mani clan!” he expressed his excitement for her. Elsa nervously chuckles, knowing her first impressions with the clan was a mixed bag, but not entirely negative. She’d save her full judgement for when she meets the rest of the members.
“Y-Yeah!” Jack says with a little shaky thumbs-up and looking a bit tensed up, “Elsa’s going to have a great experience getting to know us better and witnessing what we all have to offer. Make for some great memories,” he showed enthusiasm for the sake of the kids so they wouldn’t worry, but his companion was concerned that he must have been hiding something. She might have to press this on a little later, since she didn’t want to keep the kids too long before school.
“I hope she gets to see Tadashi’s creations or Isabela’s floral shows,” Tatiana listed down some of the other clan members’ special abilities, “But Jack’s powers are the best because he can make ice and snow!”
Kazuma then added, “He uses it to fight the shadow things that bother us and then sometimes he—”
The little girl quickly claps a hand over her friend’s mouth before he can blow the “secret”, “Shh! We can’t say that to just anyone, Kazuma!” Even if they weren’t part of the main clan, they too were still sworn to secrecy regarding the fox.. What they didn’t know was that Elsa already knew.
“Sorry, Miss Elsa and Jack! But I think it’s time we get to class,” she apologized as she grabbed Kazuma’s hand.
“You’re right, Tatiana. Don’t wanna be late now,” the fox-man pats the kids on their backs to send them off, “We can talk again another time. Until then, see you around!”
The two youngsters smile before nodding and running off, waving and exchanging their goodbyes. Once they were out of sight, Jack slumped his shoulders a bit, as if he was relieved that the conversation was over. It’s not that he didn’t want to be open with the kids. He’d like to be. But there’s so much that the kids and most of the other villagers still don’t know. And there’s an outsider next to him who was about to be privy to more secrets, even if things went okay. If he let his tongue slip too much, innocent people could have their lives changed and not necessarily for the better.
Elsa’s worry for him grew and she’d gently tap him on the shoulder, “Jack…are you okay?”
“Hm? Oh, I’m good,” he snaps back to a somewhat personable tone, “Just…that was a close call.”
If this was an ordinary visitor, they’d likely just laugh off the kids’ so-called “imaginations” and go on their merry way to observe the other marvels of the enclosure. For Elsa, this just raised even more questions and curiosity about the world she’s stepped into.
“I’ll say,” the young woman agreed, “So…they know about the fox?”
“They do, yes. They’re part of the Ein-Mani clan as well, so it’s customary. But since they are the branch members, not everything is revealed to them,” Jack tells her a bit about the system the clan has in place, “The upside for them is more freedom and less expectations.”
The villagers knew of Elsa’s ice powers publicly during the Eternal Winter, but it was never really something that had to be sworn to secrecy. Hell, it was public knowledge to most adjacent kingdoms and nations. Some were accepting, others were indifferent, and a small number was skeptical or untrusting. But because of Arendelle’s strong influence, not even the naysayers would have enough force to topple the kingdom.
So, what rules and standards could make a thriving community like Ein-Mani so nearly isolated? Was there something bigger that couldn’t be exposed to the wide world?
“I understand the need to protect any secrets, but it’s quite lonely, don’t you think?” Elsa noted, knowing how loneliness felt and being unable to let anyone in for a long time. Everyone was entitled to keep secrets, but at this huge of a scale could spell some issues of trust.
“It is, but the storied history of our clan forced our hands to reduce our visitors to mostly trade and extremely special visits. You’re the first of the latter in many years,” confirmed Jack as he and Elsa continued on their path to the estate, “I hope you consider that a compliment.”
“It does somewhat lighten the emotional load of having to meet the Master,” Elsa joked a bit, which eased Jack’s anxiety a bit. But it quickly comes back as she asked this next question, “What am I going to expect from meeting him?”
Jack gulped. There wasn’t any way to explain this to her without her freaking out. And lying to her would be out of the question, so he might as well be frank. Or in our modern slang, rip the band-aid off.
“...Depending on the Master’s decision, he might have your memories erased,” he tells her point blank, quietly dreading her reaction. Being a main clan member meant he was meant to keep hush about the deepest secrets, but his conscience didn’t allow him to even fib to her a little. A person as good as Elsa didn't deserve to be kept in the dark, especially when she put herself on the line for a self-proclaimed dirt dog like himself.
“Oh…” Elsa paused for a moment, clutching her hands as she processed this new information. To say that your mind could be wiped is upsetting would be an understatement, “Why didn’t you mention that earlier, Jack?” she asked him, struggling eye to eye with him.
“There’d never be a good time to mention it, Elsa. In fact, I wasn’t supposed to tell you at all. It’s not my place to do so,” Jack tries his best to make this not as hard for her, but it only serves to scare Elsa, causing her to breathe rapidly and grappling with her next words.
Tampering with one’s memories was a sore spot for her, considering what had to be done to save Anna’s life when they were kids and the events after. Now, she doesn’t want to get too upset at Jack, as he wouldn’t know that part of her life in the first place. But it was still worth mentioning in her book and now would be a good time to demand more answers.
“...How much of my memories are they going to take from me?” Elsa continued.
Jack assures her as gently as he can, “Just only yesterday and today, so you don’t have any memories of the clan or this place…”
“Or me…” he thinks to himself, believing he wouldn’t have much worth to her now, considering that kept this from her until now. One big screw up towards another person and whatever he has with them is in shambles.
“...and you can go back to your life without worry. The rest of your memories will be safe, okay?” The fox-man is putting on a happy face to promise her nothing else will be affected. After all, she’ll be better off without knowing him at all. At least that’s what he believes.
Elsa almost immediately stops shaking when Jack tells her what exactly will be erased. Although in theory, no longer knowing about Jack and the clan meant she could just live her life as she always did, only concerning herself with her family, Arendelle, the Enchanted Forest, and the Northuldra. There would be no reason to explore that part of the Forest’s outside boundaries and interact with whatever was there.
But if her memories of yesterday and today were erased.…there would also be no arctic fox and no Jack.
“No,” she firmly responds, “No, that is not okay with me.”
Jack was in disbelief from what he just heard from her, “No? What do you mean no? You don’t have to deal with the stresses of the clan if you forget everything that happened. And even in the rare case where the Master might leave you be, the outsiders who’ve kept their memories often crack under the pressure and have never been the same since,” he begins to ramble about concern for her safety, but Elsa grabs his shoulder to calm him down before he spirals.
“...That’s a risk I’m willing to take, Jack,” Elsa’s stand remains unyielding.
“...But why? Why would you want to risk it all?” He softens his tone as he listens to her. Bruni briefly pops his face out Elsa’s pocket to see how this will go.
“Not only is it messed up for my memories to be tampered with…” she defends her choice strongly at this part, but she’s feeling hesitant to finish the second half, tensing her shoulders to brace herself. This could change the whole dynamic between her and Jack, but she’ll have regrets if she doesn’t state her full intentions and wishes. It’s time for her to be brave, “...but also, I don’t want to forget because I’ve waited my whole life to meet the arctic fox.”
And there it is. The truth finally comes out.