Chapter 4: Adrift

Iduna clung to the piece of debris, her knuckles white as she gazed out at the wreckage of the ship. The storm still raged on, the waves crashing against the debris, but she was numb, her mind reeling with the loss of Agnarr. She had watched in horror as he was pulled under the water, his struggles futile against the crushing pressure. The reality of his death hit her like a ton of bricks, and she felt herself slipping under the surface, the debris her only lifeline. As she floated there, the cold water seeping into her bones, Iduna's thoughts turned to her daughters, Elsa and Anna. She had been so determined to reach Ahtohallan, to learn more about their destinies, but now it seemed that fate had other plans. The thought of never seeing them again, of never getting to share with them the secrets she hoped to uncover, was almost too much to bear. The storm raged on, but Iduna hardly noticed. She was lost in her grief, her body numb and her mind foggy. She clung to the debris, her eyes fixed on the horizon, and waited for the dawn to come. The darkness seemed to closing in around her, and she felt herself becoming one with the sea. As the hours ticked by, Iduna's body began to feel the effects of the cold and the exhaustion. Her muscles ached, her fingers numb, and her mind foggy. She knew she had to keep moving, to keep fighting against the odds, but it was hard to find the strength to go on. The sun began to rise, casting a pale light over the horizon. Iduna's eyes were fixed on the east, her gaze drawn to the faint glow of dawn. She knew that she had to hold on, for Elsa and Anna's sake, and for the future that lay ahead. As the sun rose higher in the sky, Iduna spotted something on the horizon. At first, she thought it was just a mirage, a trick of the light, but as she looked closer, she saw that it was a boat, a small fishing vessel heading towards her. Iduna's heart leapt with hope as she waved her arm, her voice hoarse from shouting. The fishermen spotted her, and they altered their course, heading straight for her. Iduna was pulled aboard, her body wrapped in warm blankets, and a cup of hot tea thrust into her hands. She sipped the tea gratefully, feeling the warmth spread through her chilled body. The fishermen looked at her with kind eyes, their faces weathered from years at sea. They asked her questions, but Iduna couldn't answer, her mind still reeling with the loss of Agnarr. She just shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. One of the fishermen, an older man with a bushy beard, put a hand on her shoulder. "You're safe now, lass," he said. "You're safe." Iduna nodded, her eyes fixed on the horizon, her heart heavy with grief. She knew that she would never forget Agnarr, and the journey they had undertaken together. But she also knew that she had to move on, for her daughters' sake, and for the future that lay ahead. The fishermen took her aboard, and Iduna let them tend to her, her body and mind exhausted from the ordeal. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, and let the tears flow, mourning the loss of the man she loved. As she drifted off into a fitful sleep, she knew that she would have to find a way to heal, to learn to live without Agnarr by her side. But for now, she just let the grief wash over her, and let the warmth of the tea and the kindness of the fishermen envelop her.