frozensnowwitch asked:

How do you think Elsa's first night alone in The Enchanted Woods went?


A night of insomnia.

Great.

Again.

Didn't she have enough when she lived in the castle? And it's not like her brain was free of any worry now that she had finally ended all the paperwork and ceremonies to pass her role to Anna, now that she had long discussions about it with her to make sure everything was like her little sister wanted, long discussions with Kristoff, with Kai, with Gerda, with the people of Arendelle, with the trolls even.

Then why, why on Earth couldn't she find sleep?

She tossed and turned in the bed which the Northuldra had adorably made for her. She passed her hand on the pelts and the sheets. It was just perfect. It was comfortable and surprisingly dry, despite the humidity of the autumnal night, thanks to the stack of pine branches that the mattress was lying on. So now Elsa wondered, why did she feel at ease physically but not mentally?

She'd had alone nights. Many of them. Even after the Great Thaw. And she enjoyed them. So why now was any diff–

A knock on the door stopped her train of thoughts. In a jolt, she sat up. The noise didn't scare her, but she was surprised and curious.

"…Come in." Invited the blonde, not sure what to say when someone knocked to a hut, and still emotional at the fact she had her own one.

A face popped at the entrance, and despite the darkness, she recognized Ryder. He didn't dare to look at her right away, making sure first that he wasn't breaking privacy.

"Am I disturbing you?" He asked, in a timid voice.

"No, no, it's fine. I wasn't asleep anyway."

'Awesome, just outright tell him that you're not feeling good living here…' Thought Elsa, angry at herself for this reply.

"Well, I uh… I just wanted to know if you would like to join us. Around the camp fire."

Elsa smiled at his bashfulness. He also had taken off his hat in a respectful way.

"We sometimes tell stories and old tales, and… It's Honeymaren's turn this time, and she is a master storyteller. I was thinking that maybe you would want to join us on your first time here…"

He then felt bad for his assumption, and almost stepped back out of the hut. "I mean, you're not obliged. It's not–"

"It's a great idea." Smiled Elsa, assured. She hopped off the bed, crafted herself new ice sandals and a thicker outfit, and followed him outside.

In the distance, she saw the center of the camp - the Northuldra had built her hut at the border of it, as if they magically knew her need for tranquility - and her smile got larger when she saw the children and adults listening closely to Honeymaren's expressive tale. She was making faces, waving her arms around, and the reactions of the others filled Elsa's heart with something that she wasn't sure she had felt before.

As she walked with Ryder to the circle of people, the light of the flames heated her soul in the best way.