Chapter 03 – Pools
"Elsa..." Anna said aloud in thought. "It's a very beautiful name," for a very beautiful queen. It was elegant, just like the woman before her.
Elsa didn't so much as respond. She snapped her fingers and Anna turned and ran to keep up with her. How does she walk in heels on this ice? Anna was in awe of just how easily she moved. There was no effort and no noise. Meanwhile Anna's clunky footsteps echoed off of the walls, causing an ugly sound to reverberate back at them.
"The palace will be too cold for you. You'll spend your time resting in the mountain caves," Elsa explained as she led the way, not slowing for a second. Anna was too breathless to reply but she let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't hesitated to accept Elsa's conditions but she had wondered if she'd have survived seven nights in this freezing castle.
Stopping midway down a hall, Elsa waved her hand and transformed a wall of ice into a door. Anna watched in awe as the shapes melted and refroze; a million frozen fractals decorated the piece. Reaching out, Anna's fingers traced the intricate design. Does she make them consciously? The contact was lost as the door slid open, and Elsa briskly walked through.
"Don't dawdle," she snapped, and Anna had to run to catch up.
Leaving the palace, they stepped out across a precarious bridge of ice, only a metre or so in length, and into a hollow opening in the rock beyond. The thing that struck Anna more so than anything else was the presence of a single, burning torch fixed to the wall. She can make fire. Her thoughts flickered back to when she awoke in the shelter earlier that day. It only reaffirmed her suspicion that it was Elsa who had found her.
"You'll find a lantern by the entrance," Elsa said as she picked a small one up, using the fire from the torch to light the candle. Unlike the beauty of the ice palace, Anna found the metal forged frame crude in comparison, and yet she could not help but wonder where Elsa acquired it, and why she needed it.
Following the Snow Queen into the pitch dark of the caves, she quickly realised that despite being able to tolerate the extreme cold in nothing but a dress, Elsa couldn't see in the dark. I guess ice doesn't light up very well.
"If you get lost, follow the marked paths. They will lead you back to me."
Anna didn't catch her meaning until she passed a wall with a snowflake mural painted across it. She brushed her hand over it, convinced it wasn't made from magic or ice. This was painted. Where did she get paint up here? The enigma of Elsa continued to grow, but Anna had no time to linger on it. The woman was already further down the tunnel, along with the only source of light.
A crisp breeze blew through, almost extinguishing the candle as the pair reached an opening.
"Woah," Anna breathed, eyes wide as she gazed over a series of pools. Steam drifted off of them, upward through an opening above. It was as cold as Elsa's ice palace, and now Anna knew why. There was no ceiling. In its place shone the first stars of the evening sky.
Anna wasn't sure if she was more in awe of the view of the sky or the series of hot springs. Definitely the hot springs. She had forgotten just how exhausted she was from her hike up the mountain, and now faced with such respite she became acutely aware of her aching limbs. She was ready to collapse right there and then.
"Do you mind?" she asked Elsa, glancing between the pools and Elsa's stony expression. For a moment she thought the Queen would deny her request, but she simply shrugged.
"Do as you wish."
Before Elsa even had time to finish Anna was throwing her clothes off: every last piece. She didn't care if Elsa could see her. The woman had already seen all of her anyway; it wasn't like she needed to hide those scars anymore.
The water burned as she entered, and Anna wasn't sure if it was just the difference in temperature or whether she really would inflict severe burns upon her skin. It didn't matter. Her body sorely needed the warmth.
Submerging herself completely, Anna dipped her head under and held herself there for just a moment as she would when she bathed at home. Drowning out the world around her had always been one of her most liberating things to do, if only for a few moments. Beneath the water she could hear nothing, and no one could hear her.
She said yes. She still couldn't believe the Snow Queen had granted her request. Seven nights. Anna had her concerns, but after finding this spring she was certain she could survive this. And Elsa hadn't been that bad; certainly not as terrible as the stories said. She pondered on Elsa; her flowing blonde hair and sparkling dress, those lonely eyes and chilling fingers. Elsa had touched her so intimately in the palace, and Anna could still feel her hand on her. It sent an involuntary thrill through her to relive it. Fleeting thoughts were interrupted by her need for air, and Anna burst up from the depths gasping for breath. She almost let out a scream when she came face to face with bright blue eyes.
"Gods, Elsa! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"I thought you were drowning," Elsa said, no humour in her words.
"Oh, right. Yeah," Anna said sheepishly, giving her an apologetic smile. She subconsciously took a step back in the small pool. Her eyes wandered over Elsa's frame before she could realise what she was doing, though the water obscured anything below her shoulders. Anna hadn't seen another woman before, not naked, and she was instantly aware Elsa was no longer wearing her dress. She hadn't meant for her to follow her in, and Elsa looked as uncomfortable being as close to her as Anna did.
Trying to look anywhere but at Elsa's body, Anna opened her mouth and nervously began talking, "When I'm in water I like to just duck my head under and think… and sometimes scream. No one can hear you. Though I suppose you wouldn't need to do that up here, on account of it being so empty – no, I don't mean – wait -"
"- Hush," Elsa's voice was low, and it silenced Anna in one fell swoop.
Anna waited, catching the indecision in the Queen's eye.
"You are exhausted. Tonight you will rest."
Anna opened her mouth to question her, but her words were muted as Elsa stepped out of the pool, beads of liquid falling from flushed skin. There was not a single blemish upon her, and Anna could not draw her eyes away; she was enraptured... the arch in her back, her firm buttocks, long and slender legs... She sucked in a breath as Elsa turned to face her, and she was unsure whether she was relieved, disappointed, or just in complete awe as her magic manifested a sparkling dress around her, covering her completely before Anna was able to steal a glance at more.
"There is a shelter just beyond the path," Elsa gestured, and Anna had to snap out of her daydream to follow where she meant.
"I'll leave some food for you, just -" Elsa hesitated to continue, and Anna shivered under her intense gaze. "- don't pass out in the water."
A smirk crept onto Anna's lips as Elsa walked away. She cares. Anna wasn't sure why, but it felt good.
As Elsa's deceptively quiet footsteps grew fainter, Anna sank back into the water and allowed herself to truly reflect on how far she had come. It was surreal to think just an hour ago she was still trudging through the snow, or just a week ago she was back home. Home... Just the thought of how angry her father would be at her disappearance made her wince. Even if she did return with a frozen heart she knew his wrath would be unmatched.
"Just focus on the next step. Deal with everything else afterwards."
As much as Anna wished to stay submerged in the soothing water forever, she heeded Elsa's warning and did not linger in the pool. Now she was resting she was in danger of nodding off, and as much as Anna would have enjoyed Elsa jumping in to save her again she didn't fancy facing her disappointment. What an odd feeling. She couldn't help but muse. As scary as the tales were of the Snow Queen, Anna felt no fear of her wrath, merely her dissatisfaction.
Bracing herself for the blistering cold, Anna hopped out of the pool and hastily wiped herself down with her dress. I should have thought about towels first. She lamented her poor decision, quickly wrapping her heavy coat around herself to retain the heat. She bounced on the spot as she tugged at her boots. Not wasting a minute in the freezing cold, Anna scooted down the tunnel and paused at what she could only have assumed was the room Elsa mentioned. Anna's hand brushed across a wooden door. It wasn't like in the castle; the detail and craftsmanship were rough, but despite that the makeshift wall and door were fixed firmly against the rock.
Anna shrugged and let herself in, even more surprised at the interior. Glowing in the dim candlelight was a room decorated with soft furnishings and roughly made wooden furniture. As Anna's eyes traced fur lined cushions and clothing made from animal hide it became apparent this was not Elsa's dwelling. Someone else had lived here.
"She must hunt," Anna could only assume. "And sew as well? Where would she even get the supplies?" It was like the conundrum with the paint. "I suppose the real question is does she have guests often, or does someone else live here?" Anna wasn't quite sure what to think, but whatever the answer was she wasn't working it out tonight. She let out a big yawn as she tossed her clothing on the table, her eyelids already threatening to give way.
She had to double take at the bowl she passed on the way to the makeshift bed. Berries? She questioned. Her stomach made a gurgling sound at the sight of them. Seeing no alternative in her small room, Anna tentatively tasted one. The flavour exploded in her mouth and she winced from the intensity of the sharp tang. She couldn't remember the last time she had a meal, not that this really counted, but her body needed all the energy she could get. Scoffing the lot, Anna caught a glimpse of a small wooden model reindeer across the table. Like everything else in the room it was handcrafted, and remarkably detailed. Another enigma to add to her growing list of things to work out about Elsa.
"I should probably put the light out," she supposed it would be the safest thing to do if she planned to rest. The last thing she wanted was to cause a fire, even if Elsa could magic it away in the blink of an eye. Anna took a minute to get her bearings before walking to the candle and blowing it out, leaving her in pitch darkness.
She moved gingerly through the room until she reached the makeshift bed. Crawling between the fur duvets, she found the animal hide rug beneath far more comfortable than she was expecting. Then again, anything beat sleeping out on the mountain at the mercy of the elements. Here she was safe, insulated and secure. And she was certain in the knowledge that no matter what happened, Elsa would be watching over her.
Elsa couldn't shake Anna's soft smile and honest eyes. The way she had relaxed after they had made the deal unsettled her more than she thought possible. What is her goal? Elsa already knew it was a frozen heart. So why was she so happy and carefree? Did she not realise her request was a curse? That this week would be a prison?
She berated herself for climbing into the pool when Anna's head had been under for seconds too long. The way her guest watched her, Elsa had seen that look in the eyes of men who had made it this far. Despite being confined to this mountain, she knew enough of the world to understand its meaning. It only confirmed her suspicion Anna did not remember her, nor know who she was.
Sitting back in the dimly lit room, lantern by her side, she watched as her guest's chest rose and fell in a slow and regular rhythm. The girl was asleep, her delicate face at peace snuggled within the layers of duvets. How she could relax enough to rest astounded Elsa almost as much as every other thing she had done today.
With just a flick of my wrist I could so easily take that life, and she isn't even afraid.
"Just what have you been through?" She murmured ever so quietly. "And why don't you remember me?"