When they returned to the village, the two sisters were a bit worried that they might have been caught. However, nobody said anything to them about what happened, so they couldn't really do anything about it. They had decided to stop always sticking together in front of the others though, and to mingle with everyone a bit.
Anna thought that she'd go and talk with Moana, but she was nowhere to be seen, so she approached Ariel instead. She didn't like the way the woman was always flirting with Elsa, but maybe this was the occasion to cunningly tell her she should stop.
The red-haired woman was currently reading a book in a deckchair, and Anna sat down next to her. Ariel gave her a brief smile as she saw her, and Anna took it as an invitation to chat.
"We explored the island a bit, and it's really beautiful." Anna started. "We found an amazing little lake."
"Oh. Yeah. It's a nice place. We used to bathe there before we came up with the shower system we have now." Ariel replied, mentioning the hand-crafted shower cabins Anna had spotted.
Anna took out her pareo to work on her tan, and she caught Ariel staring at her from the corner of her eye. Well, she's definitely into girls.
"So, what's life like in the old world?" Ariel asked. "I haven't been there in almost twenty years."
"Hmm… it's calmer here. But... there's also more to do there."
"Do you have a special someone there?" Ariel asked with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah, I do." Anna replied.
"Married? Engaged? Boyfriend?"
"Girlfriend." Anna said. Sister. "I was engaged to a guy though. But we broke up not so long ago."
"Oh! Switching teams, huh?"
"I guess."
"What about your sister? You two look a bit different, but you're both really gorgeous women."
"Haha, thanks." Anna said, accepting the compliment. "She's taken too."
"Damn!" Ariel cursed and pouted, and Anna chuckled.
"You could have asked sooner. My sister's a bit clueless with these kinds of things, but it was so obvious you were trying to flirt with her."
Ariel sighed. "Yeah, well if you hadn't seen a new face for ten years and then two beautiful girls appeared on your island, you'd try to score too!"
Anna chuckled and looked at her. She sounded like a nice person after all. "With some luck, you'll be out of here soon. And once you're out, I'm pretty sure you'll find plenty of women, or men, willing to get to know you better."
"Yeah. I can't wait to get out of here. Not only for… well, you know. But I desperately need to meet new people, have something to do besides reading, training and swimming, and I just want to do something with my life."
"What are you gonna do once you get out there? Do… do you have a place to go?" Anna asked, hoping she wasn't pushing too far.
"Not really. I guess I could go back to my family. But, I'm not sure. They've believed that I've been dead for years now. And the people here are my family too. I'm always saying I want out of here, but I would miss everything as well. And I wouldn't want to get away from everyone here. Kida and her mom-like attitude, little Moana… everyone here actually. Even Belle…" she said, and Anna could feel as if there was still something there.
"So… where would you go then? Arendelle?"
"Yeah, I think so. I mean, if we're bringing back the White Tower, and Elsa turns out to be our Amyrlin, we should all stay together, right? I think the plan is to actually build a White Tower as our base. And what better place than Arendelle? From what I know, people are quite happy to have the Ice Queen there, and Hans is the mayor, so..."
"Hmm… what exactly are you expecting from Elsa?" she asked, a bit worried.
"I don't really know. Normally, she's supposed to be the head of the order. Back in the days, the Amyrlin's mission was to make sure girls with powers were properly trained and taught not to use their powers for their own interests. She was like the head of our government, and decided how our order could make the world better."
"So she's supposed to make all the decisions?"
"Yes, but she was helped by advisors." Ariel explained as she put her book away, mostly realizing that they were in for a long talk. "Each Ajah selected a leader."
"Ajah?" Anna asked, wishing she had brought a pen and some paper.
"Yeah. These were like… orders within the order? Different branches, dedicated to specific missions and talents."
"Hmm… like what? I mean… for example, what Ajah would you be in? Or Elsa?"
"Well, the Amyrlin is supposed to represent all Ajahs. But if she wasn't the Amyrlin, I guess she'd be in the red or green one."
"Red?...Green?"
"Yeah, the reds were the ones who took care of rogue channellers. They were specialized in dealing with other people with powers. Greens were like… the army of the Order."
"Oh. Pretty violent branches then?"
"Yeah. Yellow ones were specialized in healing. But we don't even have a single woman here who can heal, so I'm afraid that talent is lost."
Huh? Can't Rapunzel do that? And she seemed rather good at it.
"What else?" Anna asked, trying to remember everything she was being told.
"The Greys focused on diplomacy and politics, taking care of our relationship with the rest of the world. The Brown were all about knowledge, books and discovering new weaves. There were a few others, but they weren't the most useful, and would definitely have no place in a modern world.
"Where did you learn all of this?" Anna asked. She didn't even know when all of this had taken place, since she definitely had never read anything about it in any history books, so she wondered how Ariel knew so much of it.
"I have a few books."
"Really? Could you lend them to me? I'd love to learn more. And I'm sure Elsa should know about all of this too."
"Of course."
They were silent for a while, until Anna spoke up again. "I had hoped everything would quiet down once Arendelle was clear of crime and corruption."
"I'm afraid it's only the beginning." Ariel answered with a laugh.
"Yeah… I'm not done worrying about her."
"You two seem pretty close. I mean, you told me she's got someone, but she comes here with her sister?"
"Uh… yeah. We've always been pretty close. Us against the world kind of thing."
"I see..."
"So I can't help but worry about her. When I learned she was the Ice Queen… I was proud, but I couldn't help spending my nights asking myself if she was hurt."
"Why don't you form a Bond, then? If you're so close, it shouldn't be too hard. Although your girlfriend might not approve… well, she doesn't have to know, right?" Ariel asked, laughing.
"Huh… what?" Anna asked, having no idea what she was talking about.
"Bonding. You don't know about that?"
"Uh… no?"
"Oh. Well, it's a weave that allows two people to bind together. Well, it's said that you can bind with more than one person, but I can't imagine the mess that would make."
"What… what does it do?"
"Well, it kinda links your mind to the other. You can feel the other's emotions, for example. It's hard to explain, but a lot of things can be shared through the Bond. Back in the days, it was mostly used between a channeller and a talented warrior. They served as some sort of epic bodyguard and they were somewhat complementary. It's… rather intimate though. So, it can be tricky. The Black Tower uses it to link a novice with a mentor."
"The Black Tower?" Anna asked. She had plenty of questions, but this was the one that came out first.
"Male channellers. The Bond is broken once the novice is dedicated."
"What exactly happens with that Bond?"
"Well, there's a… like a sort of link between the two people. That way, you always know where your partner is, and what he's feeling. That's why I told you that. No more worrying. Unless she really is in trouble, because then you know for sure something is wrong."
"Why did you say my girlfriend wouldn't like it?"
"Well… it's pretty intimate. I mean, there's nothing more intimate, actually. And it could get pretty awkward. I mean, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to wake up feeling horny during the night because you can feel your sister having the time of her life with her lover. The link can be tuned down, but still."
Anna blushed at the words. She would definitely like that, but she stayed mute. "So… imagine I'm in my bed while Elsa is out there working as the Ice Queen. If everything is going ok, I could feel it? And then if she's in trouble, I could feel it too?"
"Well, you'd feel that she's happy, tired, or angry. Or hurt. Whatever she's feeling. Only if she doesn't tune down the link though. And the further you are from each other, the less you'd feel. If she were on the other side of the world, you'd only feel a tiny speck in your mind. But if she's in the next apartment block, you can feel anything she doesn't try to hide."
"Wow." I need this. "That's awesome." I totally need to know she's safe.
"Would it work even if I don't have powers?"
"Yep. Only the one casting the weave needs to know how to channel. Obviously."
"Damn. That's awesome!"
"Huh… yeah, well, there are downsides too. You can't really lie to the person any more. Or even hide some of your feelings. I mean, we are constantly doing that. Not straightforward lying, but imagine not being able to hide anything from someone. It can get pretty rough."
"Yeah, but still..."
"That's how Belle and I broke up." Ariel said.
"Oh."
"Yeah… we were perfect together, so we decided we could Bond. It was like the ultimate show of love. But it tore us apart…"
"I… I see..." Anna muttered, not really knowing what to say.
"The break-up was even more violent because we had to sever the Bond. Now, I miss her even more."
"I… I'm sorry."
"Well, it's too late anyway."
"Thanks for telling me though. I… I'll speak about it with my sister."
Ariel stayed quiet, and Anna took some time to think about it. What would it be like to feel all of her sister's emotions? It would definitely be interesting to always know she's safe. And it would most likely be nice to know how she felt, especially because Elsa wasn't always really open to people. But at the same time, not being able to hide anything from her? What do I have to hide, anyway? I absolutely love her, and she knows it. I don't even remember the last time we had a fight about anything. And even if we did, those are things that can happen in any kind of relationship.
Elsa knew she was supposed to mingle with people and talk to them, but it wasn't that easy. They had all known each other for many years, and she didn't know how to break the ice. It seemed easy for Anna, who seemed to be already deep into a conversation with Ariel, but she didn't know how to approach people. So she had decided she'd walk around awkwardly. Maybe I'll find Moana. We haven't even given her the books we bought her yet.
Fortunately, it seemed as if someone took pity on her, and she turned around when she heard her name.
"Hey, Elsa! Wanna play a game?" A woman asked, and Elsa recognized Esmeralda.
She walked over to her, and shrugged. "Yeah, why not? What are we playing exactly?"
"Beach volley, of course."
Elsa laughed, but then realized the girl wasn't joking. "What? Really?"
"Well, yeah. Nothing much to do here, and besides swimming, that's like the only sport we can play. Well, there's soccer too. But I think you're more of a volleyball player."
"I… actually, sports aren't really my thing." Elsa said.
"Really? With that toned body of yours?" Esmeralda asked with a wink.
"Well… uh… I work out. But I haven't played any sports in a long, long time. Since high school, actually."
"Well, you're gonna get your ass kicked then. But no worries, it'll be fun."
"Huh… well… ok then." Anna did say we had to fit in.
"Follow me then. Belle and Aurora are already there. I was going to ask Ariel, but she seems pretty busy with your sister right now. She must be asking her for tips on how to get into your pants."
"What?!" Elsa asked, shocked.
"Haven't you realized? She's clearly into you."
"Wha… what? Really? No… No, I hadn't noticed." Was that why Anna acted so… weird around her? Damn, she should have told me.
"Well, now you know." Esmeralda simply said as she started walking towards the beach.
"So… this is the first time I'm seeing you without your girlfriend around." Elsa said as they walked, trying to strike up a conversation.
"Yeah, we tend to cling to each other a lot. It's not like we have anything else to do here, right?"
"I… I guess."
"You seem to be pretty close to your sister too."
"Well, yeah. But… I mean, it's not the same. Right? I mean, obviously."
"Yeah, obviously." Esmeralda said, and Elsa started worrying. Was she the one who saw us? This is so embarrassing. No, she wouldn't just talk like this if it was the case.
"Hey, look who I found to play with us!" Esmeralda shouted as they reached the beach. A net had been raised up, and some lines had been drawn on the sand. The other two girls were already warming up, passing the ball to each other over the net.
"Side with Belle, she's better at this than me or Aurora."
Elsa did so, and joined Belle on her side of the field. They started playing, and although Elsa had never really been fond of sports, she had to admit she was having fun. It was getting hot, though, and the girls whistled as she took off her top to reveal a bikini top like the others.
They played some more, and they had been winning for quite some time when she saw Aurora channel, and weave something. The ball slightly changed course, and ended up in the net.
"Looks like we won this round!" Esmeralda said with a big smile on her face, and Elsa looked at her partner with wide eyes.
"Yep. That's her alright. Cheating with her wind affinity. Well, game's on! Show us your ice powers." Belle said, and Elsa shook her head playfully. Really, using our powers over a volleyball game?
Still, when Aurora used her powers to send the ball flying over the net at full speed, Elsa quickly cast a wall of ice over the net in order to stop it. She hadn't expected Esmeralda to get involved, though, and a red hot beam of fire shot from her hand and pierced Elsa's wall. Then the ball went right through it, and touched the ground on her side.
The two girls in front of them high-fived, visibly proud of themselves, and Elsa looked at Belle grimly.
"Let's give them hell." She told her and channelled all the energy she could. The other three girls did the same, all grinning, and Elsa braced herself before launching the ball back.
By the time they agreed to call it a draw, they were all exhausted. The game had slowly turned into anything but volleyball, and the field looked more like a war zone than a quiet beach.
"Does this happen often?" Elsa asked the others as they all went to take a dive in the ocean to get rid of the sweat covering their bodies.
"Yeah, definitely. Especially when Aurora is losing!" Belle answered.
"We sure as hell didn't lose. We agreed to a draw, but I'm pretty sure we were ahead on the score." Esmeralda argued, and Elsa shook her head playfully.
Elsa dived into the water and took a few breaststrokes. It felt nice to be in the cool water, and the other girls followed. I wish Anna was here. We haven't even gone swimming together yet. We did only arrive yesterday, though. I guess we'll have time.
"So, how is the training going?" Aurora asked as they all got closer to each other, water up to their necks.
"Kida is trying to teach me how to Travel." Elsa said. "I hope I'll learn."
"One thing is certain, you do have an amazing reserve of power." Esmeralda said. "Never seen anything like it. I'm pretty sure you can hold as much as Hans. And he's a guy."
"Does it matter?" Elsa asked, surprised.
"Well, yeah. Nobody told you? Most men can channel more power than women, overall."
"What? Really? That's… that's kinda unfair. And sexist." Elsa said, and the other chuckled.
"It's like that. Can't do anything about it."
"Still… so… they are both generally physically stronger and more talented with powers?"
"Nope! I didn't say they were more talented. Actually, it's quite the opposite. They have more power, but they can't Link together without a woman's lead."
"Link?"
"Damn, you really are clueless about all this! A link can be established between channellers, men or women. It's as if all the members entrusted the energy they tap into the Source to someone, the ring leader. Men can be integrated into one, but they can't lead one. I guess that's why Hans wants you to help him so badly." Esmeralda said.
"A full ring of thirteen channellers is more powerful than two dozen individual person, male or female."
"So… you think he wants me to link with him and all his followers?"
"Well, you can only link up to twelve other people. So I guess it would be better to make several links. But yeah, I think that's the idea. It would really help, especially if the Dragon has the benefit of numbers."
"It… it's frightening enough to hold all the energy I can tap. When I use the angreal, it… it really freaks me out. But adding all the link's power to that would be… unthinkable."
"You have an angreal? Well, that's a good thing." Belle said. "We're gonna need everything we have to defeat the Dragon and his minions."
Elsa shivered. She hadn't really realized what was expected of her yet. She wasn't going to do this alone of course, but she wasn't sure she had fully comprehended what she had agreed to. Was she really willing to risk her life for them? Women she didn't know, who were actually living peacefully here and weren't in real danger?
But every new girl who discovers her powers like I did is killed now. I can't let this happen. I need to put a stop to this. Then, only then will I be able to think about me. It will only be Anna and me. But first, I have to take care of this.
"Yeah… well, I'm going to head back and check on my sister." Elsa said, and the others nodded.
"We're coming with you. It's almost dinner time."
"So, how was the rest of your afternoon?" Anna asked her sister as they walked back to their hut. Dinner was over, and it had ended sooner than the previous day.
"Nice. I actually played some beach volleyball. Well, volleyball with an addition to it."
"Hmm?" Anna asked as she took her sister's hand in hers.
"We used our powers to play. It was fun, but a bit crazy! What about you? I saw you sunbathing with Ariel?"
"Yeah. We talked about plenty of things. I think she's still in love with her ex, Belle."
"Oh." Elsa simply said, stroking her sister's hand with her thumb as they walked. "I've been told she was interested in me."
"Yeah, but no worries, I told her you were taken, so she should stop now."
Elsa smiled, understanding why Anna had approached her. "Were you a bit jealous?" she asked teasingly.
"Hmpff, as if." Anna said, smiling, and Elsa stopped walking for a second to kiss her tenderly.
"Let's get back to our hut first. I wouldn't want to get caught kissing you. And it's getting dark already."
"Yeah." Elsa said before channelling and weaving a small ball of light above them.
"Handy." Anna said, and they resumed their walking. They soon arrived at their hut, and walked directly into the bedroom.
"I'm exhausted." Elsa said as she started undressing. To be honest, she was also a bit excited knowing that she was going to spend a night alone with her sister, without anyone around.
Anna undressed too, and slipped into the bed entirely naked, winking at her. Elsa, however, removed everything but put on a revealing blue nightgown she knew Anna loved. Then she joined her into the bed, and Anna snuggled up with her, her hands stroking the silk fabric.
"I was been told about Bonding today." Anna said as she rubbed herself against her, trying to find a comfortable position.
"Hmmm… I think Scar told me about that some time ago. That's how he found out his mentor was dead." Elsa answered, feeling aroused by her sister's proximity.
"Well…" Anna said, visibly trying to ask something.
"Yeah?"
"I was thinking… maybe we could do it?"
"Do what?"
"Bond."
"Is that a way to ask me if I want to make love to you?" Elsa asked, laughing. "Because you really don't need to beat around the bush."
"No, I'm speaking about that magic Bond." Anna said and Elsa looked at her, puzzled.
"But you don't have powers."
"I don't need to. Ariel told me so."
"Really? But… why?" Elsa asked. She had no idea where this was coming from, and why Anna was interested in it. Come to think of it, she had never really asked Scar what it was. Hans had mentioned it too.
"I would always know where you are. And how you feel. I'd know if you were hurt or in danger… and if anything happens to you, I'll know." Anna said. "Well, it works both ways too… if I get into trouble again, you'll know where to find me."
"Hmmm… yeah, that could be useful." She had been lucky last time, but if it ever happened again, it would come really handy to know exactly where her sister was.
"Well, of course, you'd always know where I am, but it doesn't bother me."
"I don't care either. I've got nothing to hide from you." Elsa said with a smile.
"Well, that's a good thing because… it kind of prevents you from lying too. Like, the other person knows how you feel and all. Ariel said you really need to do that with someone you trust."
"Hmmmm… I'll talk about this with Kida. See what she thinks."
"Good."
"Would… would you really want to Bond with me?" Elsa asked her sister, who smiled at her.
"Yeah. Yeah, I definitely would. Not only for knowing you're safe… I love the idea of being even closer to you."
"I think I'd like that too." Elsa said, kissing her tenderly and resting her hand on her sister's naked body, enjoying her soft skin under her fingers.
"Well, now that I've told you about this… I think I remember making plans about this night." Anna said, and a naughty smile appeared on her face.
"I… I think I remember that too." Elsa said, and Anna disappeared under the covers.
Soon, she felt her sister's tongue running up her thighs, and she shivered at the feeling. She knew she was in for a delightfully long night.
