It was a bright day, the sun warming Anna as she lay in a field of flowers with her eyes closed. It really couldn't get much better than this; she had everything she wanted and needed; Kristoff lay nearby, his head next to hers and body perpendicular. Elsa lay on the other side in a similar position, and forming the last part of their compass was Olaf.
She opened her eyes, and everything was sore. Anna was sore in places that she didn't know existed, muscles complaining, her head pounding and mouth as dry as the desert. Despite the soreness, she actually felt really well rested, "What…"
Kristoff was leaning over her, eyes wide with concern and a relieved smile on chapped, cracked lips. He was thinner than she'd ever seen him, but he was also the most beautiful handsome thing she'd ever seen in her life. With a cry, she sat up and wrapped her arms around him, holding on tight and afraid if she let go this would all prove to be a nightmare and they'd all be asleep.
"Your Majesty."
She lifted her head from Kristoff's shoulder as Doctor Engberg approached, Soyun at her side. The women both looked exhausted, and Anna suspected they resemble what she'd looked like before the illness had claimed her. "How long was I out for?"
"Two days, give or take." Soyun sat on the bed next to Anna, and Anna pulled her into an awkward one-armed hug without letting go of Kristoff. "Everyone started to wake up a few hours ago. Kristoff was the first, and he's been at your side ever since."
Anna turned her head towards her fiance. "Thank you, honey."
"I wouldn't leave unless I absolutely had to," he promised.
"She took good care of you when she wasn't busy trying to keep the country from collapsing," Engberg remarked.
"Food needs-"
Kristoff put his finger over Anna's mouth, "They've got this, Anna."
"Once you've eaten you can work yourself into exhaustion." Soyun's tone made Anna wonder how it had gone while she was asleep.
She squeezed her again. "You'll have to fill me in on what I missed, but please tell me there's still an Arendelle."
"I did everything I thought you would do." Soyun pushed herself wearily to her feet. "But I am glad you're awake, I can't imagine how you were able to keep this all up as long as you did."
"Shoulders," Anna said, smiling at her. "There's an old saying about standing on the shoulders of giants. I couldn't have done it without you, and everyone else in this kingdom who went above and beyond."
She fished around in her clothing until she pulled out her pad, scribbling a note, and the date.
"What's that?" Kristoff asked.
"A reminder," Anna said, flipping the pad closed. So that she wouldn't forget to give credit where it was due, and not just to Soyun, Kai and the doctor.
A glance out the window gave her a different reminder; Olaf's tree, frozen by Elsa's magic. It still stood, pristine and glittering and surrounded by snow from the storm that had passed. Anna sagged against Kristoff as relief flooded through her. "Elsa's alive."
"How do you know?" He pulled his head away, the question more out of curiosity than any kind of disbelief. He was as relieved as she was.
"I just do." She pointed, "Besides, the holiday tree Olaf put up is still frozen."
Despite the proof (to her eyes) and the feeling (deep in her heart), Anna wasn't ready to celebrate just yet. Elsa was alive, but she could be wounded, or hurt, or trapped somewhere. Anna wanted nothing more than to sail out to find her and bring her home.
Anna knew that wasn't at all an option, and it grated at her. Despite that, she wasn't angry about it; Arendelle needed her, and she would not abandon her people.
She wouldn't abandon Elsa either. "When you're feeling up to it, I want you to find the Admiral. She's to prepare one of the ships to sail, whichever one she deems appropriate for this. If Elsa doesn't return within a week, she's going to go looking for her." And maybe Elsa would come back before then and it could just be a welcome party. With fireworks.
Anna liked that idea better.
"That's a great idea. But for now you need to rest."
"Rest?" Anna shook her head, "I've been sleeping for two days what I need is food and Kristoff! Look at you! You need food! Water! You're emaciated! What are you doing up lie down lie down and eat something for the love of God!"
Kristoff laughed, but didn't argue as she pulled him onto the cot with her and made him lay down. If her muscles protested this much and she felt this week from just two days without food, she couldn't imagine how Kristoff was even up and about.
There was still so much to do; get the search mission ready, get a message to the Northuldra to see how they were doing, do a headcount and find out if anyone needed extra help in recovering. They needed to take stock of supplies and - Kristoff looped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Anna squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath.
All that could wait. Right now, Kristoff was the important thing, and regaining her own strength so she could give Soyun a much needed break.
For just a few hours and a meal or two, at least.
?
Honeymaren was so used to traveling at night that she didn't think to stop for several hours after the sun had set. Elsa didn't seem to mind either, but eventually, even with the stars to guide them, it was too dark to travel safely.
The sky was crisp and clear, for the first time in days, so Maren didn't mind sleeping beneath it. What she minded was how energetic she felt. She'd barely slept a day and her body just wasn't ready to crawl into bed yet, even with the beautiful woman curled up at her side.
"You're bouncing."
Maren winced, and stilled herself, "Sorry. Go back to sleep."
Elsa shifted, moving until she had her head in Maren's lap. "I'm having trouble sleeping."
"Sorry."
"No, it's not you. I'm just… You would think after everything I could sleep for a week, but all I can think about is getting back and checking on Anna and Kristoff and Ryder. I want to find Olaf and Sven."
Honeymaren chewed on her lip, finding Elsa's frustrated expression to be very cute. "I want the same thing, but it's going to take a couple of days just to get back to the coast."
Sven would make it faster, she knew, or a horse, or something. Gently, Maren stroked her fingers through Elsa's hair. It was still a little coarse and gritty from their trials, but Honeymaren didn't mind. "I don't think teleportation comes with the whole spirit thing."
"It doesn't," Elsa agreed. "If the Nokk could hear me, we could get to the coast quicker. We could take him all the way back to Arendelle but that would mean leaving Sven and Olaf behind, which I'm not going to do."
She seemed to deflate, "But if he didn't hear me while I was in the stream, we must still be too far away from Arendelle or the forest. I wish I could just get a message to Anna..."
"Or maybe there's just no easy way to get from the ocean to that stream," Maren pointed out. Her fingers trailed to Elsa's face, tracing the contours of her jaw and her cheeks, and then caressing the shell of her ears.
"Mm…" Elsa's eyes fluttered closed and she scooted in closer, "You're trying to distract me."
"Is it working?" Maren grinned as Elsa turned her head into the touch.
Elsa squirmed, "Maybe."
Maren's hand moved from Elsa's ear and back along her jaw. She touched her throat, lightly grazing her thumb down the sensitive skin there. Elsa swallowed, breath hitching and her eyes half-lidded. It was enough to distract Maren. Maren's fingers touched the delicately raised bump of Elsa's collarbone and she followed it up to her right shoulder.
Her lips buzzed with the need to follow her fingers along Elsa's skin, but that would either require moving, or an inhuman level of flexibility. She brought her hand back to Elsa's face and Elsa turned her head towards it, pressing her lips into Maren's palm. Maren's heart started to beat its way out of her chest; so she pulled Elsa up, kissing her, Elsa's hand pushing instantly at Maren's tunic.
Cold fingers brushed at Honeymaren's waist and under her tunic, causing a shiver to run through her that didn't really have all that much to do with the cold. Nor did that do anything to cool how heated she was feeling, like she'd been set aflame by that look in Elsa's eyes.
"Samantha?"
A voice startled them both, Maren rolling to her feet and brandishing a branch as Elsa held her hands up, magical energy swirling around them.
The owner of the voice waddled forward. "Elsa! Honeymaren!"
"Olaf!" Elsa cried and dropped to her knees, enveloping him tightly in her arms. Maren relaxed, looking past him and hoping to see Sven.
There were worse things to be interrupted by, and as soon as she saw the reindeer she hugged him. "I'm so glad you're both okay."
Elsa looked up from Olaf and smiled at Sven. "Me too. How did you find us?"
"I don't know." Olaf shrugged his shoulder, snuggling into Elsa's arms, "I woke up in a cave, sandwiched between Sven and a family of puffins!" He sighed happily. "Anna loves sandwiches."
"She does," Maren agreed. Sven looked like he needed a bath, but that would probably have to wait. She glanced at Elsa, who smiled apologetically. Maren mouthed, "It's okay."
Elsa raised her eyebrows and smirked like it was some kind of promise.
As she found a brush to at least give Sven some kind of cleaning, Maren had a chance to consider what might come next for them after they returned. She moved to the other side of Sven so she could gaze at Elsa as she worked.
Once everyone was safe and they had a chance to slow down, what came next? They were on the same page, but that didn't always mean anything.
Elsa's hands were animated as she told Olaf what he'd missed, her powers granting a visual element to the story that was beautiful to witness. She sighed, oddly reassured by the smile Elsa gave her when she noticed she was watching.
Sven butted his head against her hand and the brush, waggling his eyebrows at her. Maren swatted at him and whispered, "Don't you say a word."
?
"My friends!" Ohnaka greeted them jubilantly, and would have hugged her if Elsa hadn't remained on Sven's back precisely to avoid that kind of greeting. Instead, it was an unsuspecting Maren who got engulfed in a hug.
Elsa exchanged a smile and nod with Tyra and Sam. "It's good to see all three of you."
Once she was certain Ohnaka wasn't going to invade her personal space, Elsa slipped off of Sven and patted his neck. "Bet you're excited to see Kristoff again. We just need to figure out how to get home now."
"That! Would require a ship." Ohnaka folded his arms, turning to look past the village and to the sea beyond. "I've put some thought into this, because such things require a lot of thought and-"
"We're not stealing any ships," Tyra interrupted.
"And we are not stealing any ships! Right! Of course we aren't! Doing such a thing would be an act of piracy and I! Am not! A pirate! Any longer."
He whirled around before Elsa could figure out what that last part was. "It is a bit far to swim, however."
"Yes…" Elsa had spent what coin they'd had left to cover the supplies and wagon and seriously doubted anyone would be willing to take her word on Arendelle paying for their passage. She'd been so focused on seeing Anna at the end of the road that she hadn't given much thought as to how they were going to get there.
There was wreckage all along the coast line, from Bridger and maybe a dozen other ships that had gone down in recent years. Elsa started walking towards the rocky beach, barely hearing Maren calling her name.
She reached the water, the waves lapping at her toes, and looked at it. It was calm, and she knew she couldn't fight the sea. But she could work with it. Elsa turned back towards the beach, and saw that Honeymaren and the others were standing above her curiously.
Elsa tabbed her foot on the ground. Ice spread from her feet, racing along the beach until it burst upward in a shower of snow crystals and ice. The snow fell away, revealing the skeletal framework of a ship. Elsa flicked her wrists, pulling old planks towards the frame, creating decks and cabins and even an entire cargo hold, using ice to fill in the gaps where there was no wood of the right shape or size.
Two masts grew out of the new deck, sprouting spars like branches on a tree, and on the stern was emblazoned a delicate snowflake. Mounted on the bow was a gleaming figure of ice and snow that looked suspiciously like Honeymaren.
Satisfied, Elsa created an ice slick and moved her hands to guide the ship into the water.
"She's beautiful," Ohnaka murmured, startling her.
She glanced at him and smiled, "Thank you. So… we have a crew, and we have a ship."
"We do not have a ship." Ohnaka pointed at the vessel, "A beautiful lady like that, she needs a name."
"I guess you're right." The problem was that Elsa was drawing a blank. She'd named her royal ship after Anna and it seemed like bad luck to have two ships named after one person.
The sun glinted off of the hull, striking it in such a way as to spread warm color throughout the ice. Reds and golds and oranges. Inspired, Elsa traced a word in the air before her, and a name was carved into the bow. Aurora.
It was past noon by the time they set sail, the Ohnaka's crew unfurling ice-coated sails that were filled with a wind that responded to Elsa's polite request for help.
She stood on the bow, watching it cut through the water, occasionally catching sight of a large, dark shadow passing beneath them. Elsa smiled.
"What is it?" Maren slipped her arm around her and Elsa leaned in close.
"We have an escort."
"A friend?"
"For now." Elsa turned her head, pressing her lips to Maren's cheeks, "A natural force exists, it is neither friend nor enemy."
"But something to be respected," Maren said. She brushed her fingers along Elsa's bangs, tucking hair behind her ears. She wondered if Maren was going to call her a force of nature; she felt like one and remembered that detachment. Just because Elsa knew who she was supposed to be didn't mean she wanted to lose her humanity. But Maren simply leaned in, touching her forehead to Elsa's.
Elsa relaxed, savoring the connection between them. The wind was in her hair, the world smelled of salt and sea, and Maren was so close she could taste her breath. Elsa didn't want to move from this spot, from a feeling of near perfection. Taking Maren's hand, she threaded their fingers together as a wave of joy swept through her. Maren pulled her close, their bodies flush together and Elsa kissed her, the fingers of her free hand tenderly touching her face.
