Where Magic Flows

M. Lauren

Part Three: Of the Flame

"How is he doing?"

Elsa stood in the entryway, leaning against the doorframe. Warmth from the center fire encouraged her further inside the hut, but she stood her ground.

Her lips were pinched to the side. Deep lines creased into the skin of her forehead, and her eyes weighed heavy. The color around her lids had darkened significantly from sleep loss. Elsa was tired; an understatement. She was afraid and she was anxious.

Before her, a collection of cots had been lined into two rows. The elders worked alongside one another, tending to the few villagers who had been injured during the fire. Of them, was Ryder. He slept deeply under whatever spell Yelena's concoction had placed him under. She was redressing his foot and had not looked up at Elsa.

"He is doing better this morning." Yelena's words were dry. "Much of his coloring has returned. I do not see any reason he should not make a full recovery."

Elsa released a small sigh. "That is so good to hear."

Yelena would never say otherwise, but Elsa could not help believing that the elders blamed her for the fire. Had she been in the forest as she was meant to be, the destruction would not have been as bad. Ryder and the few others who suffered, they would have been left unscathed. Elsa also wondered if she might have even been able to tame Bruni; instead of being forced to cage him away.

Feeling guilty, and with no further words spoken by Yelena, Elsa left the hut. The cool breath of morning air hit her with a rush of emotions. Elsa willed herself to see the damage that had been done the night before. While the smoke had cleared, and the flames faded away; Elsa was burdened by a sense of failure still burning deep inside her chest.

Despite her years of progress, some hurts would always remain. Magic held no merit when it came to self confidence, and because of that; Elsa knew her past would always come back to dictate her future.

"Good morning."

Her eyes had barely opened. Limbs beneath the covers had only just begun to stretch, yet Kristoff was already there and looking down at her. Before Anna's vision had cleared from sleep, he was in her face; Kristoff's expression full of concern.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked quietly.

Anna grumbled and pushed a hand against his chest. She rose to sit when he backed away, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I don't know yet." Anna yawned. "How long have you been watching me sleep?"

Fatigue laced Kristoff's complexion. The whites of his eyes had grown dry and red. Lips arched downward, and his arm held around her waist just a little too tight.

"Only for a little while." His eyes turned from hers as he spoke.

She saw through his lie immediately. "Kristoff…" Anna sighed, and Kristoff quickly shook his head.

"No, don't." He whispered. "Don't do that. You don't have to protect me from anything, remember? I am here for you always, come what may. Now, let me see about that fever."

The back of his hand pressed against her forehead. Anna watched as Kristoff's brow furrowed in deep thought.

"Your verdict, doctor?" She teased as she felt Kristoff's touch slowly slipping away.

"No fever, but I would be lying if I told you, you look okay."

Anna whacked him across the chest. "I just woke up! You should see how you look!"

"Yeah, but I am tired-"

"-and so am I." Anna defended before pulling Kristoff close. "We are both stressed, and stress does crazy things to people; especially when there is too much of it..."

He sighed, bringing his head to lean against Anna's chest. Her arms tightened around him and her cheek pressed to his hair. Beneath Kristoff's ear, he listened to the beating of Anna's heart. He felt how strong it worked against her ribs, and he tucked himself further into her hold.

"I worry about you."

Anna's fingers came to scratch against his back. "I know, and I worry about you, too. But look-"

Kristoff's head rotated just enough to see Anna pointing to her face.

"I am feeling much better today."

A smile grew slowly across his cheeks before turning coy. "Really?" His brow arched.

"Really, really."

Kristoff chuckled softly. "Fine, you are feeling better, but I am still suggesting you take an easy day."

Anna hummed. "So, does that mean you'll bring me breakfast in bed, then?"

Kristoff groaned, and his head returned to Anna's chest. "I will bring you whatever you like, my love."

"Woah! You're in a hurry!"

Honeymaren leapt quickly out of Elsa's way. She was a woman on a mission with her shoulders back, and a face like stone. Elsa's fists were tight. Her brows lowered, and she marched off toward the North Trails; showing no indication that she recognized anyone else was with her in the forest.

Having seen her Elsa's face as she left the medical tent, Honeymaren took it upon herself to go and check on her. Elsa's expression had gone from saddened to angry; all in less time than it takes to blink. Elsa was working through something internal. Something waged war on her mind, and whatever demons had found themselves there; they left Elsa walking blind.

She had nearly knocked Honeymaren to her rear, and Elsa continued to walk away as if Honeymaren hadn't existed. It was rare for Elsa not to offer even the smallest wave or head nod. She had always been quite personable in that way.

"Hey!" Honeymaren tried again.

She may have been overstepping some boundaries here. Honeymaren certainly felt she was, however, she could not let this one go. Elsa's face bore more weight than Ryder's injury could have caused on its own. Her expression spoke of guilt, of regrets, and of anguish. It was as if Ryder was the tipping point on a large scale of troubles, and per-usual; Elsa was ready to face them on her own.

"Elsa!" Honeymaren breathed as she reached her side. She caught Elsa by the elbow and spun her around.

Elsa looked down at the hand against her arm. A frown worked its way onto her lips, and her eyes dropped low with anger.

"I am on my way to Ahtohallan." She explained almost mechanically.

As Elsa raised her eyes, Honeymaren released her. She was surprised by the reaction her touch had caused. Deep in Elsa's blue eyes, she saw a fury that nearly scared her. It was Elsa looking back at her, but Honeymaren could barely recognize her face.

"Are you alright?" Honeymaren stepped back. Her head cocked to the side.

"I am fine." Elsa rushed. "Do you need me for something or-"

Honeymaren quickly shook her head. "No, I-" Her words fell briefly. "I was worried about you, is all."

"Worried about me?" Elsa's volume rose. "There is no need for that. I am fine, as I said."

Honeymaren's toes turned in the dirt. "Elsa, you almost knocked me over back there. It was like you didn't even see me."

Pulling in air through her nose, Elsa willed herself to relax. "I apologize for that. My thoughts were elsewhere, but your worries are misplaced. Now, if you'll excuse me." Elsa turned away sharply.

Honeymaren's gaze flickered to the men and women at work in the village behind them. They were busied by the rebuild on a few of their homes, and working to clear the scattered debris. Distracted or not, there was no privacy here for a conversation; and Elsa was clearly in desperate need of one.

Honeymaren decidedly hurried after Elsa, and stopped her once more. "Perhaps we could talk somewhere else for a moment?" Her brow arched suggestively.

"Can this wait?" Elsa asked. She dragged a hand impatiently through her hair. "I have too much on my mind at the moment, and too many things that need to be taken care of."

A small feigned grin worked across Honeymaren's cheeks. "Sure." She nodded. "Of course. I probably should have stayed out of it anyway..."

Her shoulders shrugged into her ears as Honeymaren headed back up the hill.

Elsa watched her go. Honeymaren's gaze had dropped low, and her expression strained. Elsa had hurt Honeymaren with her dismissiveness. She hadn't meant to, but still, guilt surged within her chest; and Elsa was filled with even more guilt than she had felt before.

Here she was, dwelling over all the ways in which she had not changed since childhood. Elsa was angry at herself for what happened in the village. She was upset by the self-loathing that resurfaced every time she felt scared. And here she was, still continuing to push away the people who cared for her the most. Yet, despite their love, and despite Elsa's newfound trust; she was still finding ways to hurt them. She still convinced herself of all reasons that she should hold them further at bay.

Elsa finally sighed. Her hands returned to fists. She reeled in a deep breath, and hurried into a run.

"Honeymaren, wait." Elsa caught her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I was being rude. I-"

Elsa watched Honeymaren turn and her appearance had Elsa losing her words. Something strange settled over Honeymaren's face. She didn't appear angry or sad. She looked deflated and completely drained. There was a rare look of disappointment there as well; a disappointment that Elsa took rapidly to heart.

"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry." She finished.

Honeymaren's lips flattened. Her eyes turned sympathetic. "It's okay, Elsa. I understand."

Elsa offered her a small grin. She pulled her hand away, and her head tilt with encouragement. "May I have a rain check on that talk, please?"

She shrugged. "Sure, if that is what you would like."

Honeymaren nodded slowly as her gaze dropped to her feet.

Despite Elsa's attempt to make things better, Honeymaren's light had not returned. Her smile was far too weak to be genuine, and her eyes filled with an emptiness that Elsa, herself, could not understand.

"Thank you for thinking of me, though." Elsa tried again.

Honeymaren did not respond. Instead, her hands pulled in uncomfortably at her waist, and she began fidgeting with her fingers.

"Um, I guess I should be going then…" Elsa swayed on her feet.

"Right," Honeymaren looked up. "I have work I need to get back to in the village."

She pulled from Elsa's stare before she said another word. A heavy weight sat against her chest, and had Honeymaren's return to the village proving very difficult. She was too encumbered by rejection to assist in the repairs. Honeymaren's heart hurt, and that pain had her mind traveling elsewhere.

Honeymaren did not know why it was so important to her that Elsa trust her with her thoughts. She wanted to help, but Elsa was being too stubborn. Elsa held the lock so tight on all her troubles, and she refused to let anyone in. Honeymaren wanted to help Elsa work through those problems. She only wished to be her friend. She wanted to show Elsa that families came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and prove to Elsa that there were people here who cared about her deeply...

Elsa would see that for herself, if only she remembered to let her new family in.

"This was a fantastic idea!" Anna cheered through her full mouth.

Kristoff laughed at his wife's antics. "You think anything that involves food is a fantastic idea."

"And can you blame me?"

Anna dropped back into the pillows. Her feet stretched out front, and her hand went to the tray beside her. Kristoff had layered their spread with danish and mixed cheeses; all of Anna's favorite foods. Together, they were enjoying some lazy snacking as their morning turned to early afternoon.

"The only one who will blame you is Gerda, if you get any crumbs in this bed." Kristoff pointed a danish at Anna's chest, shaking crumbs onto the sheets. "Better yet, don't tell Gerda anything." He quickly brushed them away. "I brought the food up here and if she finds out, Gerda is going to have my head for it!"

Anna giggled and rolled her eyes. "Gerda already knows."

"What?" Kristoff balked.

"She already knows!" Anna sang again. "Nothing ever gets passed Gerda. She is probably outside the door right now, waiting for us to leave so she can give us both a good scolding."

Kristoff watched his wife take a large bite of her danish. Anna teased him mercifully with her wandering gaze.

"You knew this, and yet you still asked me to sneak up this tray?" Kristoff scoffed

Anna turned to him cheekily. "Maybe…" She sang.

"Oh, I see how it is now. You want me to be the one that gets in trouble for your bad decisions!"

Anna rolled onto her side and casually shrugged. "It's about time someone around here other than me started getting into trouble..."

"Dear," Kristoff hummed as he mocked her. "No one around here will ever get into as much trouble as you have."

Anna faked a pout.

"No, no. None of that please." Kristoff's arms folded over his chest. He was determined not to fall for her grumbling this time.

Anna held her glare as she slid from the bed, but Kristoff swiftly caught her hand and held her still.

"Hey!" He teased. "Where do you think you are going?"

He spun her around by the arm and forced their eyes to meet. In an instant, Anna's anger had faded, and she disrupted into giggles.

"You are so mean to me!" Kristoff released her hand with a pout. "I'm going to tell the kingdom how rude their queen is to her husband!"

Throwing himself back into the pillows, Kristoff covered his face. Anna's laughter faded away, and her silence took over. Thinking she was ready to give into his sulking, Kristoff pulled back to glare at his wife.

Quickly though, their humor stopped. Kristoff leapt up onto his knees and hurriedly crawled to Anna's side.

She was upright, but swaying. Her hands gripped the bedsheets, and her face had grown incredibly pale. Anna's eyes held shut. Her mouth wavered in distress. Kristoff caught Anna arms with his hands and slowly pulled her into his lap.

"Hey…" He soothed a hand over her back. "I'm right here. What's wrong?"

Anna allowed herself to fall into him; heavy and limp.

"I'm just dizzy." She whispered. "I must have stood up too fast."

She bat at the air with an open hand, but Kristoff caught it, holding it firmly in his own.

Anna's head leisurely tucked against his chest. She sighed into her husband's touch, and wrapped her arms around him.

"Just relax for a minute, okay." Kristoff's lips pressed to Anna's head.

"I'm okay. Really, I promise..."

But Anna was lying to them both now, and she knew it. She had known it when the darkness took over her vision, and she had known it when the spins set back in.

Anna was sick; and she was sick with an illness that not even their doctor knew yet how to fight.

It was well after dusk when Elsa returned to the village.

Hut lanterns had long since been dimed. The broth pot by the fire had cooled, and the people retired to their beds.

Elsa planned to return to her hut as well. She was tired. Her emotions were caught in a frenzy, and staying up would only mean having more time to dwell. However, a light in the recovery hut had Elsa changing her direction. She crept across the clearing and knocked against the hut's frame.

"Come in." Someone directed.

Elsa's head peered skeptically through the crack in the door. Inside, Ryder had sat up in bed, a small calf nuzzling against his side. Ryder smiled when he saw it was Elsa who entered, and he motioned for her to join him in the light.

Nodding graciously, Elsa left the door wide as she approached. Her feet were slow, and her eyes hesitant.

"Everyone left you." Elsa giggled, and turned to view the empty cots.

"Yeah," Ryder scoffed. "Yelena said I can try walking again tomorrow. But for now, I am stuck in here on my own."

"I am sorry to hear that." Elsa frowned. She sat timidly in the chair at Ryder's bedside. "May I see your injury?"

"Sure." Ryder shrugged. He leaned down and rolled his pant leg up to his knee. "It feels worse that it looks."

Elsa forced herself to stifle a laugh. "Funny, usually people say it's the other way around."

Her eyes carried down to the bits of burned skin around Ryder's toes. The rest of the wound remained well-hidden under Yelena's dressing. To Elsa, it didn't look great, but it also didn't appear to be anything Ryder wouldn't heal from. He had come out of this fairly lucky, afterall.

"May I?" She asked. Her hands rose to hover over the clothe.

Ryder nodded. Curiosity spiked behind his eyes.

Ryder watched in awe as Elsa layered the dressing in a thin coat of frost. It soaked through to the wound, and his burn began to numb.

"There," Elsa smiled. "Hopefully that helps you rest a bit more comfortably now. I didn't get a chance to do this when I came to see you earlier. I'm afraid you were still sleeping."

Ryder's eyes enlarged. His expression baffled. "You came to check on me?" He grinned.

"Of course," She shrugged. "I wanted to apologize to you personally, for allowing you to get hurt."

Elsa turned somber, and Ryder frowned. "I don't understand. Why would you apologize to me? You didn't cause the fire."

"No," Elsa's attention diverted. She sighed and pulled her hands into her lap. "I didn't start the fire, but if I'd have been here sooner, it may not have gotten as bad as it did. And I am only sorry you got hurt because of that."

"Hey!" Ryder announced, pulling Elsa's eyes back to him. "Look at me. I'm okay! Everyone is okay because we had you to stop the fire. No one here expects you to spend every second of your life waiting around for something to happen. And no one blames you because something did. You are being too hard on yourself, Elsa."

Her eyes softened. "You think so?"

"Yup." Ryder nodded. "I know so."

With a blush, Elsa turned to admire her palms. She had never been one to handle praise well. Infact, praise made her entirely uncomfortable. Hearing it from Ryder though, his words meant the world to her, and Elsa felt an ounce of guilt leave her chest in response.

"Anyway…" Ryder sang, stopping Elsa's thoughts from spiralling. "What did happen with Bruni, by the way?"

Elsa's shoulders tightened as she dragged a hand through her hair. "I took him to Ahtohallan where he would be safe, and where we would be safe from him."

"That must have been hard for you." Ryder frowned. "I know the spirits are kind of like your friends in a way. It can't be easy to watch them turn on you like that."

Elsa's expression matched Ryder's. "Thank you for that, but I promise I will figure it out soon."

"I know you will. Still, everyone needs a little encouragement now and again." His hand stroked through the calf's soft fur. "And speaking of figuring things out; did you find any answers in Ahtohallan?"

Dejectedly, Elsa shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

Her hand joined besides Ryder's as she scratched her finger against the calf's head.

"I haven't had to exercise my full powers as the fifth spirit before now. When I came into them, the answers traveled to me on their own. It is not working quite the same way this time around. There is something blocking me from figuring out the truth. I can't find answers for Arendelle, and I can find them for Northuldra either. I'm frustrated, but I am doing everything I can to make things right."

Ryder hummed. His finger touched to his chin. "That is really weird. Do you think maybe everything is connected to the spirits leaving the forest, like Arendelle and their crazy illness? Maybe it's a spiritual balance thing after all."

"I think it would be foolish not to believe that they are all related. There are too many coincidences taking place right now. I can't see either ends of the bridge from Ahtohallan, and it's all feeling rather unsettling."

Her fingers moved through the calf's fur when suddenly Elsa was stopped. Ryder's hand settled on hers. Warmth spread through Elsa's skin. She shivered and looked up to see Ryder smiling back at her.

"You've got what it takes to solve this one, Elsa. I have faith in you, and anything you can't figure out on your own, well; you've got me and the others here to help you."

Grinning, Elsa placed her other hand on top of their combined ones. "Thank you, Ryder. That is exactly what I needed to hear tonight."

Ryder blushed but his stare fixed on hers. "Anytime."

The two returned to their small-talk, laughing over the calf who turned to his back and demanded a belly rub.

Both remained distracted by their fun, and neither noticed the woman watching them from the doorway.

Beyond hut, Honeymaren noticed how quickly their two hands separated. She saw Ryder's vibrant blush. She saw how wide his mouth turned while he laughed at what Elsa said. Honeymaren could not hear what was being spoken over the roaring fire, nonetheless, she could see it.

Honeymaren noticed the way their eyes met in playful glances. She saw Elsa smiling with an ease that Honeymaren herself had never been able to provide for her. More than anything, their interaction hurt her heart. It forced Honeymaren to take a painful step back, and bring herself to hide amongst the shadows.

"Perhaps I was wrong." She whispered sadly. "Maybe you will want to wed a Northuldra like him."

-M.