Chapter Sixteen: Anywhere
"Oh fuck me." Elsa groaned miserably.
Anna mirrored Elsa sentiment, grumbling "What the hell happened?"
As Anna pried her eyes open the world seemed to swim back into focus, revealing that the pressure she felt all around her was due to the way in which she and Elsa had become entangled. Elsa seemed unbothered by the proximity, even as the old ropes that surrounded them caused their world to sway in a sickeningly pendulous motion.
"You guys okay?" Kris called from below.
He had tried, and failed, to hide the snort of laughter that escaped him along with his question. Anna glanced to Elsa, who looked all the more irate now that Kris seemed to be finding so much amusement in their predicament.
"Fine." Anna huffed
She wriggled this way and that, making tiny movements in an attempt to disengage her body from Elsa's. Try as she might every little motion only seemed to press them closer together, and judging by the unhappy scowl on Elsa's face she was less than thrilled about Anna's attempts.
"Quit fidgeting." Elsa hissed at her. "Didn't you bring a knife? Give it to me, I'll cut us free."
"Right." Anna said the word quickly, cursing herself for not thinking about it sooner.
"It's down here, West." Kris called from the ground, and a glance downward confirmed that he held the small weapon in his hand.
"Damn it." Elsa's face contorted in frustration as she adjusted herself. Her movements set the rope trap to swaying all over again, something for which Anna was far from grateful. "You know, they teach school children not to wander too far away from a group. I guess that's not something you picked up on?"
Anna rolled her eyes, grumbling loudly before calling down to Kris. "You've got the knife, so can't you just cut us free?"
"Oh sure I can," Kris sounded almost cheerful in his response, "so long as you're fine with plummeting to the ground and breaking an arm. And maybe a leg too. Oh, or your spine!"
"Ignore him." Elsa's words were a low rumble as she leveled her gaze with Anna's, an edge of seriousness to the quiet sound of her voice. "Just focus on me."
Anna could feel the heat beginning at the back of her neck, threatening to creep up and up the closer Elsa inched. Elsa was steadying herself using Anna as a balance, that much was clear, but as she crouched before Anna the ropes around them began to creak ominously. The sound only intensified as Elsa reached above Anna's head to do something to the ropes there.
"What are you doing?" Anna had tried not to let the words escape her in a whine, but they sounded pitiful to her own ears all the same.
"I'm getting us out of here." Elsa was clearly concentrating hard, the frustration in her voice had almost drained away while she worked. "Just trust me, alright?"
"Sure, sure." Anna muttered quietly, trying to stare anywhere but at Elsa's chest. A task made all the more difficult by the fact that it was hovering mere inches from her face. "This would be a lot easier if I hadn't seen you naked."
The sound of a quick, quiet laugh being exhaled from above her sent a chill of terror into Anna's stomach. I thought that, right? Please tell me I thought it. Anna raised her gaze to find Elsa staring down at her, a brow raised, silently confirming that Anna had most certainly said the last portion of her 'thought' aloud.
"Oh my god. N-not that you aren't, I just mean-"
"It's nothing you haven't seen before, right? Nothing special." Elsa adjusted herself a little, as if trying fruitlessly to put more space between them. "You're going to want to hold onto me, arms and legs."
"W-what?" Anna stammered, certain that her face was entirely flushed.
"Get it together, Fields." Elsa was clearly biting back laughter now to spare Anna's feelings, but Kris could be heard guffawing loudly from the ground. "This is no time for a gay panic."
"No panic here." Anna breathed, most certainly panicking as she did what she was told.
"I've found some weak spots in the ropes, I'm going to use those as starting points to chew through sections. Sort of perforating it. Once I get entirely through the first section the weight should cause the sections to snap in sequence and theoretically drop us closer to the ground." Elsa paused, almost as if she was done speaking, but then she added in a whisper rife with uncertainty "Just...don't look at me, okay?"
"Okay..."
There was doubt behind Anna's agreement, but all of that drained away when she felt the muscles in Elsa's chest shift and change beneath her ear. Anna tried to ready an argument for why they shouldn't go through with the plan, why they should think of anything else but something that could still potentially send them falling to their doom, but before she could compose a solid point the first audible snap of rope sent all thoughts flying out of her head.
Anna clung to Elsa for dear life as they jolted forward again and again before coming to a swinging stop with the last set of snaps. Anna had shut her eyes at some point, but the feeling of Elsa shifting back was unmistakable with her ear pressed this tightly to Elsa's chest. If Elsa could focus enough to shift back, then that had to mean that they were done dropping, right?
Elsa dropped her hand down one more rung on one side, then the other in quick succession, drawing a sharp, frantic breath from Anna.
"We'll be fine, just hang on to me." Elsa had made an attempt to sound soothing, at least it sounded that way to Anna, but her voice was shaking from the exertion of holding both of them up.
Worry roiled in Anna's stomach as Elsa worked them down the rope in small increments. If Elsa's bruising hadn't healed up entirely last night then it was possible that this was putting her in serious pain,possibly even making the injury worse, yet she hadn't uttered a single word of complaint all the while. Was this the mark of a leader, or was there something more behind her silence?
Elsa's brave face could not last forever though, and by the time they had reached the literal end of their rope Elsa's attempt at maintaining a strong facade had dropped. Her breath had developed a distinct, ragged edge and the sound made Anna's chest ache with guilt.
"I should have stayed with you." Anna laughed quietly, more to herself than to Elsa.
"Hands off the merchandise when you shimmy down, yeah?" Elsa grunted, shaking both of them slightly as she adjusted her grip.
Anna glared up at Elsa, ready to remind her that she had said she would lay off the teasing, only to see that Elsa's arms were twitching and shaking as she held them in place. The effort she was exerting had to be tremendous, and in light of that Anna chose to follow the order instead of arguing. She crept down Elsa's body with care, but on reaching Elsa's boots her heart sunk as she realized she still couldn't feel ground beneath her feet.
"I got you, Fields! You're almost there!" Kris cheered from below them. "Come on, let go! I got you!"
"You better!" Anna whimpered, letting go of Elsa and free falling the remainder of the way.
True to his word, Kris caught Anna with a celebratory 'whoop!' and carried her out from beneath the trap. As soon as he set Anna down he shouted back up to Elsa. "We're clear!"
Elsa didn't wait a second longer before letting go of the ropes, dropping to the ground and landing with a flourish. She stood up as if the whole ordeal hadn't phased her in the slightest, brushing a few leaves from her pants and straightening her braid back over her shoulder.
"Show off." Kris crossed his arms over his chest, animatedly rolling his eyes at Elsa. "First you cheat death, now this?"
Elsa raised an arm and flexed, then poked her tongue out at Kris. She didn't retort, which seemed odd, but Anna didn't have time to question it before Kris began theorizing about the minds behind the trap.
"So, clearly these people are pretty self sufficient. Traps probably mean they're catching their own food, and if we are where I think we are there should be a water source not too far from here." Kris rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Might be a native group?"
"Could be." Elsa replied, a hint of doubt in her voice. "But anyone can research how to be self sufficient in the woods, especially if they're particularly motivated to keep themselves hidden."
"True enough."
"I still think we should scout things out." Anna chimed in. "See what's going on and-"
Elsa's hand flew up, a signal for Anna to stop speaking. At first a flicker of indignation began in Anna, but then she heard it. Footsteps. The steady sound of crunching leaves filled the area ominously, but it was impossible to pinpoint where the sound was originating from, whoever it was seemed to be approaching from all directions at once.
When a fog began to roll in ahead of the footfalls, Anna reached instinctively for the spot on her belt where her knife should have been. She cursed as she remembered that Kris had it, but on turning to retrieve it she witnessed something that shouldn't have been possible. The mist had formed tendrils, which rose rapidly and wrapped themselves up Elsa's legs. They pulled her to her knees, all the while Elsa clawed at her chest as if she were in pain.
Knife all but forgotten Anna managed to take a few steps toward Elsa before the points of two spears were shoved into her face. Cloaked figures, faces cast in shadow from their hoods, stood in Anna's path, menacing her away from Elsa.
"We're not a threat." Anna tried to sound as calm as she could, given the situation. With hands raised, she attempted to reason with the armed strangers. "She's obviously hurt, can't you let me-"
A gaunt woman stepped forward between two of the spear wielding men, pushing her cloak back as she smiled at Anna. "We are blessed. The forest smiles upon us this day!"
Anna glanced at Kris, who now seemed unsteady on his feet, but he looked just as confused as Anna felt. "O...okay? Look can I just help her? Please?"
The woman continued to smile at Anna, then shook her head before rounding on Elsa's crumpled form. She inspected Elsa the way someone at a supermarket might take a good look at a package of meat, or a bag of fruit, before taking it home with them. With a snap of her fingers the woman summoned two men to her side, and without a word they picked Elsa's limp body up and dragged her further down the path. Anna made to follow, but was stopped by more goons wielding weapons.
"Where are you taking her?" Anna asked, growing uneasy as she rocked on the spot and tried to find a path through the spears to get to Elsa. "She's not a threat, we're not threats!"
"You needn't be concerned with her." The woman gave a dismissive wave of her hand, "She will serve her purpose, as we all must."
Anna made to protest again, but the woman's hand came up under her chin and turned her head forcefully. She seemed to be appraising Anna just as she had done with Elsa.
"What are you doing?" Anna snapped, jerking her head from the woman's grip.
"The fire in you is alluring." The woman's lips curled up even more, giving her smile an unsettling edge. Anna took a step back at that, only to run into one of the goons this woman had brought with her. "You will do nicely at my side. Once I tame you, that is. Boys?"
Before Anna could even open her mouth to argue both her arms had been forcefully seized and she was being led against her will down the forest path, shouting her displeasure all the way.
XXX
With a short, startled inhale Elsa awoke. The breath burned all the way to the depths of her lungs, as if it didn't belong there. She pried her eyes open to a blur of color, then attempted to wipe her eyes to no avail. The feel of rope around her wrists registered in her brain as she blinked furiously in an attempt to clear her vision.
"Shh." A woman soothed, running a thumb over Elsa's brow. "Don't try to talk just yet."
The woman who knelt at her side was young, younger than Anna perhaps, with golden tendrils cascading down past her shoulders. Unlike Elsa's harsh platinum color, this woman's hair was filled with warmth. The color of sunlight and spring.
Through the haze of confusion a single, invasive thought pushed to the forefront of her mind. Had that woman's eyes been blue? It was suddenly very, very important to her that they be blue.
"My companions?" Elsa croaked, hissing in pain as the act of speaking renewed the burning in her lungs.
The question prompted the woman to finally look at her, mild irritation written all over her face. More importantly than her expression though, were her eyes. Eyes that were blue as the sky.
No, blue as a river. Like a light bulb turning on in a dark room the memory of Maleficent's request surfaced through the haze.
"You are very brave." The woman turned from Elsa to pick up a bowl filled with a strange liquid, showing it to Elsa before raising it to Elsa's lips. "Asking after your friends when in such a precarious position yourself."
The liquid was opaque and entirely without scent or flavor, but as it slid down Elsa's throat it soothed the burning there in an instant.
"That's it." The woman chuckled as Elsa now greedily swallowed every last drop. "Good, good."
"My friends?" Elsa asked, hardly waiting a second after the bowl had been removed from her lips to do so. "Are they safe?"
"As far as I know, they are." The woman responded, her tone turning guarded.
Elsa visibly breathed a sigh of relief, which the woman raised a brow at but didn't say anything more. Elsa couldn't decide if her own mind was acting conspiratorially, or if the mannerisms of this woman mirrored Maleficent's.
"My name is Elsa." Elsa had expected the woman to at least show a little interest, but instead her face simply went blank. The expression, or lack thereof, made Elsa squirm uneasily. "And you are?"
"I suppose it couldn't hurt for you to know." The woman didn't look at Elsa as she spoke, "My mother called me Aurora. But here, she calls me Rose. Briar Rose."
"She?" Elsa asked, "Who is 'she' exactly?"
"Queen Ingris. Or at least, she will be queen. Her powers were stripped from her by...by..." Aurora stopped speaking.
Elsa studied Aurora's face carefully, it was clear that she was thinking of something that was painful for her. That telltale crease of her brows, the set line of tension in her less than sturdy jaw. Aurora never finished her sentence, leaving Elsa to attempt to piece things together.
Maleficent had sent her here to find the cult, but had mentioned the young woman she wanted to be kept safe. She had to have suspected the woman was with the cult, or else why bother with the request? Then there was Aurora, who spoke of a mother in the past tense and of a queen who supposedly had her powers taken from her.
Elsa swallowed past a lump of uncertainty in her throat, then asked plainly. "And if my blood is spilled, then her powers will be restored?"
Aurora's hands clenched into fists, then loosened again. "I have no ill will toward you, but the queen decrees that it must be done."
"But I'm not the first." Elsa stated with certainty, she knew that much from Maleficent. "And you aren't sure I will be the last, are you Aurora?"
The use of her name seemed to stiffen Aurora, who froze momentarily before regaining her composure. "Creatures and less. You are the right one, the queen has decreed it."
"Let's say my life does restore her powers. What then?"
"She will rule fairly. Be of help to all." Aurora explained, head held high as she spoke. "She will not hide away in a grotto of creatures or sequester herself away from others like-"
"Like Maleficent."
"You know of her great evil." Aurora's voice had turned haughty at Maleficent's name, her entire demeanor changed. "Then you should be honored to die for such a cause."
"Of the two, I will say that Maleficent didn't attempt to sacrifice me to maybe gain some kind of power. So maybe she's not the evil one here."
"You saw her then?" Aurora's expression became quite serious at that. "How did she seem?"
"How did she seem?" Elsa scoffed, "You said she was some great evil, but you want to know how she's doing?"
Aurora looked to the side briefly, then stared Elsa down. "I only wonder if the threat to our queen is still as great as it had been when I last saw her."
"Something was troubling her." Elsa said, "Perhaps she was considering what a mother could have done to turn her daughter against her?"
It had been a gamble, but at this point Elsa didn't have much to lose. The look on Aurora's face was reward enough though, for it told her just about everything she needed to know. Aurora certainly didn't look magical, but the way Maleficent had described her so tenderly, it had to be true.
Aurora's eyes narrowed at Elsa, then she got to her feet and began to pace. "More like how long could a mother hide her evil before another opened her daughter's eyes to the truth."
Elsa had wondered how a cult leader could gather followers out here in the wilds of the Black Forest, but Aurora's words set all the pieces into place for Elsa. This Ingris played on the fears of her followers, of that Elsa had no doubt. She had likely seen Maleficent in action at some point and managed to convince Aurora that Maleficent was some great evil, a thief of power and the rightful rule of the forest.
Elsa's heart ached for the pain Maleficent must have felt, knowing that her own daughter saw her as a threat. Knowing that someone she cared so much for would leave at the word of another. It was no wonder Maleficent had spoken so harshly of humans to Elsa, there was no doubt in her mind that she would have done the same in Maleficent's situation.
"Ingris is the evil one." Elsa glared up at Aurora, then her expression softened as she felt a stab of guilt. "Maleficent asked me to be sure you were safe, unharmed."
"You lie." Aurora accused, "Ingris warned us of the silver tongues of outsiders, but I never imagined-"
"What reason do I have to lie to you, Aurora?" Elsa spat, her voice rising again as guilt gave way to anger. How could Aurora not see? "Or would you prefer Briar Rose, now that Ingris has filled your head with her lies?"
"You will not raise your voice at me, you, you-"
"The world is crumbling around you." Elsa spoke over Aurora's stammering, with more conviction than she should have had given how little she knew about what was actually happening. "Are you claiming not to have seen what destruction Ingris' sacrifices have wrought on the forest?"
At the mention of the forest and destruction, Aurora fell silent. There was something in her eyes that spoke of desperation and perhaps even fear. Her pacing had stopped and now her hands were tightly clasped in front of her.
"Our queen would never harm the forest around her." Aurora spoke in a robotic tone, clearly it was something that had been drilled into her. "All we do is in homage to the-"
"There are massive areas of death." Elsa interrupted sternly, "Nothing grows and the soil has been sapped of every drop of moisture. Even the plants themselves reach out to punish any who wander into the area.
"I should know, I was pulled down into the chasm depths by something I have never laid eyes on before. How else would I have met Maleficent? How else would I have known your connection to her if she hadn't spoken to me of you?"
"Impossible." Aurora responded instantly.
"She loves you, Aurora."
Aurora's expression softened at the words, it was clear that Aurora was considering Elsa's argument in spite of herself. Whatever she may have been able to say though was cut short by the sound of a door, and a man addressing Aurora.
"Put this one with the other, north of the pyre. Queen Ingris has requested all hands for the ceremony." He said, leaving without bothering to assist her.
Pyre. Elsa swallowed hard, a sick feeling sinking into her stomach like a stone. Being burned alive was one of her top ten ways she definitely did not want to die. All hope Elsa had for mercy faded as Aurora roughly grabbed her arms and, with a surprising strength, tugged Elsa to her feet and shoved her toward the door.
As they crossed the threshold Elsa realized that night had fallen, meaning that hours had passed since she last remembered anything. That thought that made her all the more anxious to locate her team and get out of here as quickly as possible. Aurora muttered something that Elsa didn't quite catch as she shoved Elsa to the ground by a tree and left her there, presumably to join up with the other cultists.
"West?"
"Bjorgman." Elsa breathed his name like a whispered prayer. One down, one to go. "Do you have eyes on Fields?"
"Negative." He said tentatively.
"How many, do you think?" She asked, peering as far as she could in either direction but seeing no one in sight.
"They knocked me out when they picked us up and it was already getting dark when I came to." Kris admitted, "Can't be sure, but I've seen at least six. Probably more."
"They didn't tie me to the tree, just my hands. You?" Elsa asked.
"Same. But without Fields in sight-"
A brilliant flash of light stopped Elsa's sentence in her throat. In the distance the massive pyre, no doubt the one she was to be burned upon, had been set aflame all at once.
Frantic drumbeats began softly, only growing louder as a line of figures came into view. Fifteen, at least, each cloaked in a fur of some sort, hoods hiding their faces as they marched in synchrony. One figure was raised above them, being led toward the fire on some sort of open air litter.
As the litter passed in front of the flames, Elsa could only groan miserably. It was Anna atop the litter, looking like a frightened, sacrificial lamb. Flowers had been woven into a fresh braid that draped down her back and Elsa could see the outline of antlers that had been set on Anna's head like a crown. Her mouth was moving, as if she were trying to reason with the figures, but her voice was no match for the frenzied drumbeats.
Then, silence. Save the crackling of the fire there was nothing. One of the figures stepped forward and extended a hand to Anna, their head inclining slightly as they guided Anna to the ground. Elsa tensed at the sight, wondering if she was not to be the only sacrifice tonight.
"What's happening?" Kris whispered nervously. "That sounds like a lot more than six people."
"Well, you're not wrong." Elsa was as quiet as she could manage to be, hoping not to draw the eyes of the cultists. "The woman that brought me here said I was going to be sacrificed. They've got Anna in some strange get up though, I don't like the way it looks..."
"We have to do something."
Elsa bit back a snarky comment, promising herself that she would bring up his stupid suggestion later. Instead, she focused on freeing herself from her bindings before anything happened to Anna.
"Friends!" It had been a woman who had helped Anna down, that much was made clear when her booming voice addressed the gathering. "The forest draws its' penance from us each day, but on this day we have been deemed worthy at long last. Gifts beyond imagination were brought right to our doorstep! A sacrifice, and someone to rule at my side when my powers are restored to me."
Ingris. All the words that followed were drowned out by the sound of Elsa's own heart beating loudly, purposefully in her ears. Fear slithered like eels in her stomach as Elsa tried to reign her emotions in. Anna would be safe, they all would, if she could just get her mind around a plan.
The air smelled of pelts, of fire and ash, but otherwise she couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary. They're humans. Elsa thought to herself as she frantically worked the knots binding her loose. But they've been sacrificing non-humans. They know enough, surely. I won't drive them all into madness if I have to...
"Listen, I'm not what you think I-" Anna tried to interject, but Ingris cut her off with a gentle touch to her cheek. The sight spurred Elsa's fingers to move faster.
"The forest spoke to me of your arrival, my dear." Ingris' voice teetered on anger, but just as quickly backed off into more dulcet tones. "That you would arrive with your bright spirit, and bring with you the one who must be sacrificed to bring back my powers to me."
"I don't know who you think I am" Anna insisted again, "but I absolutely cannot lead a group of...who are you, exactly?"
"You jest." Ingris responded calmly, laughing a little before continuing. "Surely you would not make liars of the trees?"
"I-" Anna was stammering now, obviously searching for words that she didn't have. "I'm not, I don't have..."
The crowd began to murmur. They voiced their unease softly at first but grew louder until Ingris raised a fist into the air. Silence fell again at the gesture, but Elsa could see that some of them were exchanging looks of doubt.
"I'm not what you think I am." Anna's voice shook at first, quavering a little but becoming more confident with each word she spoke. "I am so much more. She speaks of me as some plaything! Can you not feel the wildness within me, threatening to come forth at my will? Can you not see the true power of the forest in my eyes? Look, and know that this woman is a false prophet."
Elsa's movements paused as a wave of admiration rushed through her. In an instant she realized that she had been worried for nothing. All this time she thought Anna might need rescuing, but the way Anna's voice changed, the surge of confidence that overcame her as as she took on this imaginary role of forest guardian...it was inspirational enough to send a pleasant shiver down Elsa's spine.
"She's clever." Kris chortled under his breath, "I'm free, you?"
"Yes." Elsa exhaled a nervous breath in response, "I just need an opening so I can get to her, then we run like hell and call for backup. These people are nuts."
"You deny our queen her rightful place? What proof have we of your supposed power?" A naysayer from the crowd spoke up, and behind his voice came jeers of agreement as they shifted forward slightly.
"Silence!" Anna bellowed over the crowd. "You wish for a demonstration? Then you shall have it."
"As their queen, I will not deny them a demonstration of your power. Even if I doubt that it will rival my own when it is returned to me at long last." Ingris sneered, "You may choose any of my men-"
"They are not worthy." Anna spat the words, and with a clicking sound of disapproval Ingris stepped back from her with arms spread wide in a gesture that seemed to give Anna free reign.
Anna must have given some indication for the crowd to part, for they opened up a clear path to where Elsa sat. Anna moved with a grace that Elsa hadn't seen from her before, each step smooth and serene until she stood right at Elsa's feet.
The regal expression Anna had been wearing for the crowd was replaced briefly by a smirk, and a wink. Elsa had the feeling that if Anna could have gotten away with a more obvious gesture she would have done so. Anna then turned back to the crowd and raised her arms in the air.
"Your queen says this sacrifice will return her power." Anna's voice carried an unfamiliar strength, and just the right amount of disapprocal, as she addressed the crowd. "I say that she has stolen precious time from all of you for no reason but to bolster her own ego. She has no power, and I will prove it."
The crowd rumbled with disapproval but Anna dropped her arms and did something that Elsa couldn't see. Whatever it had been it quieted them all. Then Anna turned back to her and a strange feeling gripped Elsa. For the first time since knowing her Elsa felt small under Anna's gaze. That realization startled her more than she cared to admit.
"Please tell me you're wearing the good stuff today. Because this is going to get real awkward if not."
Anna had whispered the words as she knelt dramatically in front of Elsa, gripping Elsa's chin firmly and forcing her to look into Anna's eyes. A show, for the crowd no doubt, but one that caught Elsa's breath in her throat.
"Yes." Elsa barely breathed her reply, unable to summon more than the single word.
Anna seemed to trust that Elsa would know what to do, or she didn't want to risk anyone overhearing her, for she didn't say anything more. She feigned untying the knots behind Elsa's back, and Elsa thought she heard her exhale a laugh as she realized that Elsa was already free of her binding. Then, Anna brought Elsa to her feet and reached up to place hands on both of her shoulders.
Elsa fought her racing heart by taking slow, steadying breaths and trying to appear as gracious as she could. All eyes were on them as Anna pressed to her tip toes and gripped Elsa's shoulders tightly as she leaned in to Elsa's neck. Her breath was hot there for a second as she hesitated, then she bit down gently. Though Elsa's brain short circuited at the pressure of teeth on skin, the plan became all too clear the moment Anna's teeth made contact.
"Ah!" Elsa called out, contorting her face in feigned pain as she extended the word into a short, agony filled scream.
Anna lingered there, her mouth uncomfortably hot against Elsa's neck while Elsa pretended to writhe in pain. When Anna at last withdrew, Elsa raised her hand to the spot, both to hide the lack of a wound and to soothe the tingling of her skin.
The crowd was visibly unnerved now, shifting this way and that as they exchanged whispers. Elsa fell to a knee before Anna, still holding her neck with one hand, and reaching for Anna with the other. Anna rolled her eyes at Elsa before putting her game face on and turning back to the crowd.
"Ingris calls herself a queen, but she hasn't told you about the darker side of the power she craves." Anna declared, her voice taking a dark tone as she gestured back at Elsa. "Watch, see what she wishes for all of you. Watch and know that your queen is false, and that your 'gifts' to her have angered the forest. You do not belong here."
She knew the words were spoken as part of the plan, but some part of Elsa felt a pang of hurt at them. Coming so close on the heels of the albeit unintentional insults from days prior, it was difficult to not feel at least a little sting. In spite of it, Elsa wrangled her emotions and put on the best damn act that she could muster.
They won't lose it if they see you. She reminded herself, hoping beyond hope that she was right.
Elsa let the hand that had been reaching for Anna fall to the ground, then clutched at the dirt below her fingers as her other hand clawed at the 'wound' in her neck. The intermittent whimpers of pain evolved into frantic bellows as she fell to her side, writhing in the dirt and curling in on herself. First she changed a hand, then her feet and legs, until the fearful cries became deep, rumbling growls and all that was left of her was her most monstrous form.
The crowd had begun to whisper now, the sound like tens of frantic snakes testing the air. Feigning weakness, Elsa placed a transformed hand flat to the ground, swaying as she rose up onto two feet. She made sure to blink slowly, to glance at her limbs as if she had never seen them before, to do anything that she recalled seeing in cheesy monster movies. When she took the first shaky step forward the crowd gasped in abject horror and recoiled. But to her relief, none showed signs of madness.
"The forest is beautiful, yes, but your false queen cannot, and should not, control the wild that lives here." Anna called into the night.
"Surely you will not believe this stranger!" Ingris frantically pushed her way through the crowd and made a beeline toward Anna.
Elsa lunged forward, protectively standing in front of Anna as a growl rumbled low and menacing in her throat.
"Your queen has only mastered control over what she's made of you. This creature of the forest so blatantly rejects her." Anna's voice was like silk draped over the point of a blade, utterly smooth but with a hint of a threat buried just beneath the surface. "The forest will not be controlled, certainly not by her."
She pointed openly at Ingris, and the accusatory gesture paired with her suggestion was more than enough to set the crowd to speaking openly of how unhappy they were. Some even shed their heavy cloaks, revealing frames so thin that Elsa wondered if they were merely skeletons brought to life.
Even with the loss clear to all other eyes, Ingris hadn't seemed to realize her place yet. With a manic look, she produced a knife and brandished it at Elsa. "You will leave. You will forget this place and-"
"Want to try that again, lady?" Kris growled from the shadows. The sound of a gun cocking told Elsa that he had taken the liberty of locating their confiscated weapons while all eyes had been on Anna. "Drop it."
For half a second it looked like Ingris was ready to put up a fight, but her hand began to shake and she threw the knife to the ground without much fuss. Like lightning Kris was at Ingris' side, binding her with ropes that he seemed to conjure from nowhere.
Elsa let loose of a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding when she saw Ingris forced to the ground, bound tightly and gagged. Elsa turned to Anna for some sign that it was safe to change back, but Anna practically threw herself at Elsa in that moment. The transformation back to humanity rushed over her fluidly as she clumsily extended her arms to catch Anna in an awkward hug.
"They were really here!" Anna whispered excitedly, "We did it!"
Elsa shook her head, laughing breathlessly. "You did it. That was incredible Fields, I-"
"Elsa!"
Aurora's voice was nearly frantic as she approached at a jog, slowing with a confused look as she realized that Elsa was no longer the brutish beast that she had been a moment before. Hurriedly Aurora grasped Elsa's arm and all but pulled her from Anna's arms. She began patting Elsa down and turning her this way and that to look her over.
Apologetically, Aurora asked. "Are you alright? Let me look at you, please. It's the least I can do."
Elsa's eyes widened, unsure why Aurora would bother coming back to her when a route to freedom had been so readily provided to her. Then, a more terrifying thought occurred to her. If Anna insisted on reporting Aurora's existence, then Maleficent would be at risk as well.
"Who is this, West?" Anna seemed on edge, looking between Aurora and Elsa with a wary expression.
"Fields, you have to forget that you saw her." Elsa pleaded, gently pushing Aurora behind her as if the act might make Anna forget her. It didn't matter if she looked foolish as long as Aurora and Maleficent were safe at the end of the day. "They can't know about her, they just can't."
"You want me to lie?" Anna's brows pinched together as she took a step back from Elsa and Aurora, the look in her eyes veering dangerously close to betrayal. Anna angrily stammered, "I don't even, who is this girl West?"
"Why is she calling you West?" Aurora interrupted, reaching out and grasping Elsa's arm to gently tug her backward and farther away from Anna. "Elsa, we should go. There's no telling what more these people will do to harm you if you stay. "
"Why is she calling you Elsa?" Anna's voice had risen slightly, almost accusatory as she demanded to know, "What the hell is going on here?"
Elsa's mind spiraled in spite of herself. Anna had been too proficient an actress for her own good and Aurora had eaten up every bit of that act. Aurora believed that Anna had genuinely harmed Elsa, and Anna was suspicious of someone who had obviously been one of the cultists. The situation had to be diffused, and quickly. There was not much time before they would have to contact S.N.O. with numbers and details about the rescue.
Elsa turned to Aurora, putting on her best smile in hopes that it might help mask her concern. "Aurora, you have to go. She'll explain when you get there, but it's important that you get out of here. Now."
Not fooled by Elsa's act, Aurora stood firm and shook her head. "That woman has made you some kind of beast. I can't leave you with her, if I did Maleficent would-"
"Stop!" Elsa hissed frantically, grasping one of Aurora's hands between her own for emphasis as she pleaded again. "She'll make everything clear when you get home. Tell her thank you again, from me."
That seemed to have done the trick, though Aurora still looked more somber than was necessary. The two hardly knew one another yet Aurora was looking at her as if she were leaving an old friend. She nodded resolutely and in a last gesture of kindness she brushed Elsa's bangs from her face before heading fearlessly into the woods.
"Who the hell was-"
Elsa turned back to Anna, ready to grovel on her knees if she had to. If it kept knowledge of what really lived in this forest out of S.N.O. intelligence then she would do it a hundred times over.
"I know it looks bad, but there's a good reason for this, I promise you. I wouldn't do this if it wasn't necessary." Elsa's voice nearly cracked as she pleaded her case, "Anna, please."