Elsa crashed into the surf as she was pushed back from the current. Come on, Nokk, where are you? She waded deeper trying to space herself from Iver. "You have to come out sometime. That water is frigid this time of year, and you're going to attract predators with your bleeding." He crossed his arms as he watched her. A large wave crashed into her pushing her back towards shore. Iver ran into the surf and grabbed a hold of her arm using the current to his advantage. She screamed as her arm made a loud popping sound when he jerked her towards him moving his hands around her neck. "Your life belongs to me, remember?" He squeezed harder as he spoke. Elsa's lungs were on fire when she started to lose consciousness fighting to stay awake. Her eyes opened wide as she was pushed under the surface of the water. She faintly heard braying as her world went dark.
The ride back to the castle was silent as nobody knew what to say. They all felt the devastation from having failed. "When do we set out again to continue the search." Jakob asked. Kristoff pulled on the reins to stop Sven from moving just outside of the castle. Anna looked at Maren and started to cry, it felt as if she had a massive hole punched in her gut. "This feels worse than when I thought she died back at Ahtohallan. I don't even know if she is alive. How can anyone live with that much blood loss?" She sobbed while holding her chest.
Kristoff looked straight ahead trying to hold back the tears that pricked his eyes as his fiance wept. If her sister is truly gone, Anna will never be the same. "The only clues we had pointed us to an empty farmhouse. We all want to find her, but there isn't anything to go on." General Mattias responded. Maren looked around at everyone trying to keep it together. She has to be somewhere. Maren thought to herself. "We can't give up on her." Maren looked at everyone in disbelief. "She is out there somewhere hurt and who knows….." Tears began to fall down her face as she tried to search for words. General Mattias pulled Maren into a hug. "I know, kid. We all wanted to save her." He said as a tear fell down his face. Kristoff urged Sven forward to get home before anyone could hear the commotion.
Mattias and Jakob relayed what happened to Kai and the council members as soon as they were back. Anna was carried back into the castle by Kristoff as she retreated into herself shortly after her outburst. Maren walked back into the winter spirits bedroom tears overflowing as she looked at the bed she last saw her love. I cannot be in here. She thought as she walked out onto the balcony sinking down and pulled her legs up to her chest. She sat there staring at the setting sun.
"It would be nice to have some help to find my way back to the camp." Came a soft reply from the winter spirit. Elsa looked down at Honeymaren extending her hand to help her up. "Here." Maren smiled as she recalled the first time she realized she was smitten. "OMG, Why can't I function around her?!" Elsa groaned to herself unaware she said it aloud trying to right herself. "I could ask myself the same thing." Honeymaren replied while carefully detangling herself from the winter spirit. She smiled when she recalled the first time she realized she was not the only one that felt that way. Honeymaren smiled and leaned forward pressing her warm lips against the winter spirits. Maren traced her lips with her finger tips and more tears fell. Okay maybe easy was an overstatement. Maren thought as she watched the winter spirit try to mimic her. Honeymaren couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her lips as the winter spirit almost fell over. "Here, Let me show you." A smile tugged at her lips recalling the winter spirit out of her element. "Wake up, sweet spirit". "No." She simply whispered out. Maren laughed. "No?" Elsa smiled and snuggled closer to Maren. This should get interesting. Maren thought to herself as a plan started to form. "I can make you get up, Elsa." She smirked. "No, you can't." Elsa repeated her protest. Maren smiled as her fingers dove between Elsa's legs. Maren's head hit her knees. Our story isn't finished. She thought as she began to sob.
Nokk ran down the coast as gently as he could as Elsa hung lifelessly from his mouth. Please hang on Mistress. He struggled to keep her above water as he pushed himself forward. You found her. Gale blew around the water spirit. I need someone to get her out of the water. Nokk urged the wind spirit to get someone to help her. She raced forward towards Arendelle. She circled the castle when the reindeer herder caught her attention. Gale whirled around Maren causing her to lightly shiver. Maren looked up. "Please Wind spirit, I just want to be left alone right now." She pushed herself up and walked inside, quietly closing the door. She made it to the bed before the balcony door began to rattle and blew open. Maren jumped as the wind circled around her. "What is up with you Gale?" She looked around waiting for a reply.
I can't talk to the spirits, what am I doing? She walked over and closed the balcony door when something slammed into her back. "Hey! What's that for?" She grumbled as she looked down to see Elsa's dress on the ground. "I don't understand." Another dress flew at her. What? She ducked behind the changing screen. She peeked out to see more of Elsa's clothing lifting in the air as they began swirling around in a small tornado. "Are you trying to tell me something?" She called out from behind the screen. The clothing dropped to the ground. "Okay then. What do you want me to know?" Another dress flew at her head. "Hey. Stop that." She fumed. Wait a minute. "Are you trying to tell me something about Elsa?" The bedroom door rattled. She walked over and opened the door when the wind blew past her and towards the stairs. Maren followed the direction of the breeze to the stairs waiting for Gale to do something more when the front door rattled. "Outside we go then." She whispered to herself.
Leaving the gates of the castle with trial and error she looked up at the fjord. "Why are we here?" She whispered as a tear fell from her face. "I really don't want to be here." She continued. She turned to go back towards the castle when splashing stomps caught her attention. Maren froze and looked behind her. She gasped out. "Elsa!' She scrambled towards the docks tripping over her feet to get to her girlfriend. Maren reached out carefully as not to fall into the icy water and pulled hard. She landed on the dock with her girlfriend's lifeless body. Maren leaned forward and scooped Elsa into her arms slightly rocking as she kissed the top of her head. She carefully laid her down and looked over her flinching. Is she alive? Maren frantically looked for signs of life from the woman she loved. She's still breathing. She sighed in relief as she watched Elsa's chest rise and fall. Maren pressed hard on the winter spirit's shoulder as it was still bleeding. What am I going to do? Maren's eyes widened in horror at the devastation that was her girlfriend. She had a gash on her forehead above her eye, her lip was busted, there was a bruise that extended her jaw, there was a large ringed bruise around her neck, She pulled Elsa's arm up and saw the cuts on her wrists. A tear fell down her face as she found small cuts and gashes were everywhere she looked. What happened to you? She thought as she stood and leaned over to pick up Elsa. She started to jog, careful of the goddess in her arms. "Help!" She yelled to get someone's attention as she approached the castle. "Please!" She struggled to keep hold of the soaking wet queen.
The castle gate swung open and a frenzied panic ensued. General Mattias ran up to Maren with wide eyes. "How did? Where did? you..." He stammered. Maren gritted her teeth as she was losing her hold on the winter spirit. Mattias reached out and went to grab his Queen when Maren pulled her tighter to her. "Let me take her, It's okay." He said as he gently took Elsa into his arms. He took off into a sprint towards the castle. "Call a doctor immediately and get Queen Anna." Mattias yelled as he ran inside. Anna was in disbelief as she was told her sister was home. "Where?" She sprang from her bedroom towards Elsa's. Maren was sitting down in the hallway when Anna rounded the corner and froze as she took in the sight of her. She's covered in blood and is dripping wet. "Maren." She said quietly. Maren looked up with tears in her eyes. "She's really bad, but the doctor is working on her." Anna slid down the wall next to the Northuldran woman. "Where did you find her?" Anna whispered out. "Gale took me to her. Nokk brought her back here." Maren said with a sniffle. Anna sighed. "Thank you." She said as she reached over to hold Maren's hand.
The doctor finally came out of the room and wiped his forehead. The two women stood up and waited for him to start. "Your Majesty, We have much to discuss." He said as he looked at the Northuldran woman. "In private." He finished. Anna's brow furrowed and she followed his gaze. "She can hear whatever you need to say about my sister." Anna curtly replied. "My apologies, Queen Elsa suffered traumatic injuries all over her body. I reset her dislocated shoulder, and I stitched the various contusions around her body. There are few areas of concern though. She didn't respond when I was treating some of her more grave injuries. She also has several broken ribs, so she absolutely cannot be moved. ." Anna held her hand over her mouth trying to hold back the tears."Is she going to be okay?" Anna asked just above a whisper. The doctor paused. "Your sister hasn't responded to pain which isn't a very good sign. We will simply have to wait and see if she wakes up." He said as he walked away. Maren embraced Anna. "She'll wake up. She's too tenacious not too." Anna sniffled. "I really hope so." Anna said as she walked into the room, Maren following not too far behind her.
"She looks like she's sleeping." Maren commented on the relaxed features of the winter spirit. Anna sat on the bed and sobbed. "She looks so broken. We can't even bring to justice the person responsible unless she wakes up." Maren stood next to the bed and crossed her arms in front of herself. Anna stood and went to her sisters wardrobe to pull out a light colored shirt and tan breeches. "Elsa would be upset if I let her girlfriend get sick, put these on, ." Anna smiled. Maren walked over to the changing screen and quickly got out of her wet clothing. Anna grabbed her clothes as she tossed it and looked down at the stains. "I can see if the wash staff can get the blood out for you." Anna said with a frown. "Thank you." Maren said as she rounded the corner of the changing screen. "It's late, how about we get some sleep. We both can fit in the bed if you want to sleep in here with Elsa." She softly said as she pointed at the bed. Anna shook her head. I don't know if Elsa ever told you, but I am a restless sleeper. I'm afraid I'd hurt her. Maren walked around the bed and pulled her in a hug. "You'd never hurt her on purpose." Maren offered a warm smile. Anna returned the hug. "I'll see you in the morning, Please let me know if anything changes with her." Anna demanded. "You can count on it." Maren said as she watched Anna close the door. Maren walked to her side of the bed and pulled the covers back. She winced at the black and blue markings that marred the queens skin while carefully climbing in to not jostle the sleeping goddess. She leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her lover's lips. She laid her head down on the pillow and whispered "I love you sweet spirit." as she drifted off to sleep not noticing the tears that fell on her lovers face.
A/N: I loved the reviews I got from the last chapter; The feedback I received was actually a lot more positive than I expected to receive. lol. Trust me, I cringed a lot writing it out, but alas it was needed for this story. Here is the very promised (not so traumatizing chapter for you). Fun note: I am a little more than half the chapters in with about a little less word count as my first ever fanfiction with way more reviews this go around. I absolutely love the responses I get with this story which makes it so much more fun to crank out those chapters for you guys. I am super stoked. See you guys tomorrow ;)