So since I graced you with a combined chapter last time, with two Ana chapters tacked together to make one, I'm doing the same with Elsa. (That and the second chapter is much to short to be on its own)
Hope you all had a chocolate filled Easter!
The wind finally died down, and Elsa sat in the silence, waiting. She had forgotten what she was waiting for, but she knew she was expecting something.
After a few minutes of silence, save the occasional snort from one of the horses, Matthew came outside and started walking around the house, saying something over and over, but he was just too far away to be heard clearly from the stable.
After a second lap, Elsa stood and walked over to him to catch him on the third and ask him if he was alright. When he saw her, though, she didn't get a chance because he rushed up to her and hugged her, shoulders shaking.
Elsa remembered how loudly the woman was screaming, and realized she wasn't any more.
She wasn't affectionate, and generally hated to be touched, but she let him hug her, and even wrapped an arm around him, not sure what else to do. He was still mumbling something, and she still couldn't make it out.
After a moment of uncomfortable comforting, Elsa built up the courage to ask. "What happened?" She was expecting something awful from his actions, but he pulled away, holding onto her shoulders. He stared at her at the same time as staring through her, his eyes unable to focus, with the biggest, truest smile she had ever seen in her life. "Twins!" He said. "A boy and a girl, both healthy." He focused on her. "We have twins! We have been blessed!" He let her go and stared at the sky. "Thank you!" He shouted. "Thank you for all three of them!" He turned to Elsa again. "She blessed us with twins and she blessed me with my wife! I'm blessed by her own hand!"
Elsa really had no idea what to do, or who 'She' was, but she was happy for him, as well as a little worried. He was acting crazy, shouting at the sky and crying in happiness, and his excitement held a hit of fear for whoever 'She' was. She was so confused.
Instead of saying anything else, she left the man to his prayers and walked around the house and inside.
She was met by a strange smell: Herbs and what she could only assume was the result of having a child.
The woman was laying on the floor, topless, with two sheets held up to her chest. Upon closer inspection, the sheets were moving gently.
The woman looked up, as if sensing Elsa's watch. "Would you like to see them?" she asked, nodding her over to sit next to her.
"Um," Elsa hadn't seen a baby since Ana was born, and that was almost 19 years ago. All she remembered was not being allowed to touch her because babies were so small and fragile.
She saw Arthur across the room, looking to him for guidance. Should she look? She was fearful, particularly with so little control of her powers.
"It's alright, Elsa, you can't hurt them, they're little but tough." He encouraged.
Elsa gave the tiniest of nods before settling down next to the new mother.
"My name is Ayla," the woman offered, carefully, seeing the hesitation.
"Elsa," she responded, watching the sheets wiggle.
Ayla smiled, finding her nervous, but trustworthy. "Elsa is such a pretty name. She gently pried the baby closest to Elsa from her chest and passed the bundle over, before re-positioning the other. "This is my son, and I'm naming him after our king, Kaerus." She smiled fondly at him, tipping the blanket back to reveal his head.
Elsa stared the the sour faced newborn in her arms. There was nothing attractive about him, so Elsa suspected it was a motherly thing.
"Hello," she murmured, not sure what else to do. She didn't sign up for holding the baby, so she was on edge.
Kaerus open his eyes and looked at her. There was a silver rim around his sky blue eyes, and for a moment, Elsa felt herself drawn in, lost in the new eyes. That moment was broken, however, when the baby's eyes watered and he started screaming like the devil was upon him.
Elsa was wound too tight to deal with a screaming baby, and as a result, almost dropped him there. She caught herself at the last second, but not before feeling like she jumped a mile high. She carefully, but quickly handed the baby back.
She remembered all too well what happened to her sister.
Ayla looked quite confused with Elsa's reaction as she picked up Kaerus, but said nothing.
Arthur interrupted then, changing the subject, if there was one to start with. "Dr Drangonson, you certainly know your herbs and tonics."
The doctors eyes lit up with the chance to tell a story. "Tolls." he said simply. He paused for a few seconds to add effect, before continuing. "They can fix ails and ills with magic, legend says, but were also advanced in herbal and natural remedies. A long time ago, Trolls were welcome members in society, but the people started abusing their powers, coming to them for simple ails such as colds, when there were people with broken bones or when they simply needed to rest. So, they went into hiding." He crossed his arms and leant back against the wall, a smug look on his face. "I found them, one day, looking for Abyss roots. They're good for most poison antidotes, you know. I was doing rather well, so I sat myself on a rock to take a break, when suddenly the rock shouted at me, telling me to get off. Gosh, I was so surprised to hear a voice in that part of the forest, and so close, that my waterskin few right out of my hands and emptied itself onto another rock. It then rolled right up to me, turned into a short little troll, and proceeded to shout at me.
"It was all a big misunderstanding, you see. They heard me talking to myself about finding them, and what I would say if I did, so when I sat on one, they all thought I was taking him hostage and panicked. Within a few seconds, I was surrounded, and their voices sounded like a wasp nest if wasps spoke. They were shouting and yelling and yelling and shouting and when their leader, their Queen, arrives, the hush came over them so quickly, I'd have sworn I'd have gone deaf on the spot.
"I hardly believed it when she said she'd train me in herbology and medicine, but teach me she did. I spent a few years there with her, learning everything she could teach me. I was young, and soaked it all up. Alas, I had to return home, and we celebrated my parting and her nephews 'coronation' if you will, together.
"I visited regularly, though, sometimes with questions, sometimes just to have tea. They became a second family to me."
The doctor had everyone listening, their full attention on him alone. Even the babies seemed quieter.
"Do you still see her?" Arthur asked, curious, after a moment. Perhaps their magic could help his companion with her powers
"No," Dragonson said simply. "She passed many years ago. I was a man of twenty seven years, if I remember. She was old, almost two hundred years. Do I still see them? No. Once she died, they moved on and I did not ask where. All I know is they headed south, but how far, I know not." He pulled himself off the wall he was leaning on as Matthew came back inside. He knelt next to his wife and peeked at this son and daughter. It was a moment not to be disturbed.
"Doctor, I think we will take our leave, then." Arthur walked around the couple, already lost in their own world, to shake hands with their host. "Thank you for your hospitality and for breakfast."
"My pleasure. I may not have magic like the trolls, but my magic comes from helping those in need." He took Arthur's hand and the two older men shook. "And Elsa, it has been wonderful having you here. If ever you are in the area again, I will be so very happy to see you again." He held his hand out to Elsa on the ground, who took it, standing up.
Elsa tried to summon her snow foal a few more times as they rode further North, but more life-size, however, every time she managed to get a hold, something would drag her attention away. At first it was small things, like Arthur clearing his throat, or the howl or a wolf echoing in the mountain range on their left, but fate or luck or whatever it was was not in her favour, for the more she tried, the more infuriating her distractions became. Like the grey-brown of a wolf's coat through the trees, or Walnut getting lazy in his stride and tripping over a root or a stone.
She gave up when she saw a pair of wolf eyes, staring at them through the dense wood that ran along side the track.
A lone wolf wouldn't attack a fully grown, healthy horse, but a pack might attack two with or without riders. So they moved along quickly.
The sun was beginning to set before they were sure they had outpaced them, so they slowed to a walk again.
The temperature was dropping drastically, and their hopes of finding a place to rest were sinking lower and lower, when they saw a man on horseback a way up the road. Quickly, the pair kicked their horses up a pace to catch up. They called out, and they saw him stop and look around, back to them.
When they finally pulled alongside him, they introduced themselves as Marissa and Jon.
"We've had a summoning by His Grace, King Kaerus, and we were wanted to know how much further it was until we arrive." Arthur, as Jon, explained.
"See them mountains in the distance?" He pointed them out. From this distance, they stood no higher than Elsa's thumb from her hand. "The King lives on the other side, built int' the mountain. There's a pass between them two mountains, it'll lead you down the side 'til you reach the ground level. The path should also continue 'round t' the front gates.
"You can't approach from the top. Wouldn't want to, mind. Forget the part about it being a sheer cliff face, if those guards so much as see ya poking around up there, they ain't gonna hesitate to shoot ya dead." He pointed to a cross road and continued. "Take the path t' the left. It's longer, but more pleasant t' ride. The path t' the right is faster, but bandits are know t' have hiding spots all down it.
"Left?" Arthur turned to Elsa, confirming.
"Left," Elsa agreed.
"Left." They said in unison, turning back to the man.
"We'll take the left path." Arthur stated, happy the could agree so easily.
There was a pause.
"Um," Elsa broke it. "Do you know where we might rest for the night? An Inn or a friendly farm?"
"Inn?" The man laughed loudly. "Ya must be from the Eastern Shores. We call them 'Tav'rn' here. Fill ya belly, rest ya head." He laughed again. "Yeh, there's one an hour or so ride down the left path. Don't walk it, mind. It may be the safer route, but no King's Road is bandit free."
The pair nodded, understanding.
They talked some more, before parting ways. They took the left road, and he took the fourth road heading home.
They started at an easy trot, but knew if there was trouble or if the other picked up speed, they'd get out of there fast.
They arrived safely, and managed to get free accommodation in the barn, provided they'd stay out of sight of paying boarders.
The Castle of the King was a day's ride away, they were old, but by taking the longer route, it would add at least another half day to their trip, if not more, depending on their speed.
While they went hungry that night, and the next morning, they could only dream about something warm to drink and a good, hearty meal. Their makeshift beds of straw and itchy dust mites and the smell of pony gifts made them dream of a soft warm beds, with down mattresses, and wool blankets. They couldn't wait to finally get to the castle.