Again this chapter rewritten Hope you all enjoy it and As always

Read,Review,Enjoy \(^.^)/

Chapter 5: Peek behind the Mask

Olaf waddled along the worn path until stopping and looking to his left. Elsa has been missing for months, and no one can seem to find her. Anna is sad all the time, even though she tries not to show it when she thinks no one is looking. He likes their new friend Marek, she doesn't say much but she makes him laugh a lot. Things at home are changing and not a lot of people are liking it. It makes him sad that theres so much fighting, but he knows that once he finds Elsa then things will be alright. He's happy Marshmellow decided to come along too..

Sitting up suddenly as she woke, El winced from the pain in her chest. Groaning she hissed grabbing at the hand to had landed on her shoulder. "El." That voice she knows that voice…it's the voice of the Queen. Images of blood, ice, and eyes…blue eyes staring into her own were the last thing to flash in her mind before blackness took her.

When she woke again it was slowly, first she felt the cool wetness of a rag along her face and neck. Next a soft melody sung lowly by a heavenly voice, after that the pain came and she groaned from where it came from. It took some time but when her eyes finally fluttered opened she was met once again with blue.

"You're awake."

"Elsa?" was all she could rasp before a coughing fit took hold.

"Easy…here drink this slowly." A hand at the back of her head kept her steady while the Queen brought a mug to her lips. Liquid tasted aweful but she drank it dutifully…not like it was the first time she's had to drink something like this…its just been a while.

"Good.." Cooed the Queen and El nearly forgot about just who was tending to her. Taking her lips from the offered drinkshe felt her head laid back against soft fur. Clearing her throat she finally found her voice. "How long?" throat feeling raw and her chest feeling just as her throat El dare not speak more then needed. She could be prideful sure much like all her other warriors but she wasn't stupid enough to think she could do this herself.

"Rest."

"Please…How-"

A cool hand with a sensation she's only felt since coming into contact with the Queen of Arendelle, ceased her protest when seeing the look in those icy orbs. A grin began to form but tiredness was beginning to take her, still she fought it until the last bit of her wakefulness was the hand of Queen Elsa caressing her third time she woke it was not as slow as the second nor as quick as the first time, still just like both before she woke in pain…only this time she bit back the sound threatening to pass her lips.

Forcing herself up, El found herself in her tent not but her trousers and her chest wrapped in bandages when the blankets of furs fell. A low fire warmed the inside though it looked like it needed to be fed now, however her eyes drifted to the figure asleep wrapped in fur cloak beside her makeshift bed. From the dishevel look of her hair and the bags under her eyes El wondered if this has been the only time Elsa has allowed herself to rest.

With a struggle El moved to get out only just swinging her legs over the edge when her apparent caretaker woke, "You should be resting."

"I was only going to give you another blanket."

"That is a lie"

"No, besides the fire is low."

"I'll tend to it you stay right where you are." El watched as the platinum blonde stretched and chuckled followed by a wince when seeing that she had stiffened her neck from sleeping in the chair.

"How is your chest?" The other woman asked and El answered truthfully, "Hurts, feels like I took a beating only there but I'll live."

"So I've been told." Elsa hummed moving from her seat to feed the fire, and the mercenary found it rather ironic that the Snow Queen, the woman who's magic could summon the most vicious of snow storms was here in her tent tending a dying flame and yet…she brought it to life just as easily as the snow creations she's heard about.

"You saved my life." El pointed out giving pause when noticing the Queen hesitate for a slight moment. "When you did not have to."

"Just as you saved mine." The Queen reminds her but El was not having the weak argument, after all, "But you are a Queen, known and beloved by many even if you do not think so. I am no one-"

"That is where you are wrong. Many here were worried you would not wake."

With a smirk, "Were you one of them?"

"I think you might have hit your head after taking that arrow." With a pained huff El retorted, "If I didn't know any better I'd think the Queen of Arendelle is teasing me."

"Yes I do believe you hit your head." Elsa sighed though from where El sat she could tell the other woman was trying to keep from smiling. Reaching a hand to touch her wound El was surprised by the coolness of the material. Her chest hurt but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Looking back up she found Elsa watching her intently so El gave a closed lipped smile, "You look like you could use some rest yourself."

"I..I've rest long enough. I have to check on the others." Elsa stuttered cursing herself for it, she gasped when a warm calloused hand held her wrist. Looking back she found El and her intense gaze, "Rest, you need it just as much as I." El then let go watching as the Queen couldn't help but look back several times before leaving the tent. When alone she flopped down on her furs, "What I am doing?"

The rest of the day she was visited with familiar faces, Ajmal not one to leave her side as he put it he was now more indebted to her then before even if she said he wasn't and never was. When Lyra came to visit she shooed off Ajmal telling him to get something to eat and to make sure Bear and Walter didn't get the whole of their men drunk before the sun set.

"You and I are matching." El teased washing herself with a cloth and bowl of water brought to her earlier.

"I was hit in the shoulder you were poisoned." Lyra deadpanned but laughed at the end.

"From what I hear I was out for 7 days, can't imagine what was in the stuff to knock me on my ass like that."

Lyra huffed moving to take a seat, "You should be thankful Elsa knows as much as she does when it comings to healing. Many of ours would be dead if not for her help."

"I am.."

"But?" El wrung out the cloth she was using to clean herself, " Has she rested?"

"Not much since you've been injured…today was the first she actually slept. Her, Tomas and Eirik have been working to help the others. They forbid me to help, I may be one arm down but that doesn't mean a thing."

El laughed shaking her head and reaching for a towel to dry herself, wincing slightly she huffed when Lyra was faster to get the towel and hand it to her. "I had it."

"Despite you're healing, you are not as invincible as you think you are." The dirty blonde chastised, her face though held nothing but fondness and her lips tilted upward in a soft smile, "You saved Walter and Ajmal."

"If I didn't you'd bring him back just to do it yourself." The black haired woman teased.

"Thank you." Lyra replied softly and El paused in dressing to look at her friend. Her pale green eyes filled with unshed tears, knowing exactly the terror her friend felt when witnessing what they had and coming so close to losing the man she loves.

"We stick together Ly, besides Walter still owes me for that job in India." She finished with a wink. Lyra laughed shaking her head knowing it was just El's of comforting without letting her crumble with emotion. "Now hurry up and get back into bed, Tomas or Eirik will be in soon to check on you."

"I'll be fine." El protested, "I've rested long enough."

-x-x-

The days seemed to pass by slowly but many had passed since waking. El healed quickly enough because of the blood running through her vains. She was grateful that they only lost few thanks to Elsa's help, those that lost their lives in the road side attack were oiled and wrapped and would be given a proper burial once they reached their destination.

A cold chill blue in the air and El knew that winter was close, grabbing her bow and a few other things she walked off away from the group. "If you go off to hunt now Lyra will never let you hear the end of it."

"Winter is coming, we'll need more meat…and it doesn't hurt to add new furs."

"My friend you are not as invincible as you make yourself seem."

"I'm going Ajmal."

"This wouldn't happen to because you're avoiding a certain royal." She nearly stumbled with her next step because Lyra had said much the same a day after she's waken. She heard her friend laugh behind her and huffed giving quite a vulgar hand gesture when she continued to walk off.

Shaking her head El forced herself to focus on the wood she entered, there was no way in knowing if those things that attacked them were tracking them but seeing as there hadn't been another it seemed unlikely. Still it was better to be cautious, after all she isn't invincible.

The forest itself seemed lively enough and at first El took some time to wander about just taking in the noise of forest life, the scent of the trees and the fresh chilled air. Enjoying the moment for what it was peaceful, being as they had come far and few especially recently she was indulging herself before readying for her hunt. When she finally caught a target she stalked and tracked it a little further in only to come to a small clearing where the sun broke through the tree tops shining down on the forest floor. Ready to fire her arrow the mercenary paused then sighed lowering her weapon when seeing that the doe she had been tracking had found a friend in the Queen who petted the animal softly.

Taking a moment to watch El realized the Queen was singing softly to the animals that had gathered around her. Leaning against a tree she listened as well taking in the melodic voice of the woman before her, when the song ended moved to clap only to trip herself forgetting that she still held her bow. The sudden noise of her fall had some of the forest creatures rush off some watching curiously and for the Queen to giggle. With a huff she sat up brushing leaves from herself.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, lost my footing."

"Tripping yourself is losing your footing?"

Standing up El grinned, "In a sense…What are you doing out this far in the woods your Majesty? Enchanting the forest animals with your voice?"

The platinum blonde blushed at her words, and El's grin softened. "I only tease."

"I know.." Elsa replied softly turning her gaze, looking as if she had more to say but held back. El of course knew it because of the way she has been with the Queen since waking, but if the monarch wished to speak of it then she would answer truthfully.

"Is everything alright? Where is your faithful guard?"

"I.." Elsa paused before answering the second question. "Holden is with a small group and Walter gathering wood for the fires tonight."

El nodded before crossing her arms, "So-"

"Why do you act so differently now?" the Mercenary's question cut off by the Queen's.

"How do you mean?"

"How can you act like you haven't been-Why are you so…confusing?" Seeing the the frost of pink on Elsa's cheeks El decided to see how flustered she could make the young monarch.

"Do I frustrate you?" El smirked.

"Don't patronize me." Elsa deadpanned eyeing the other woman. This was not what she was expecting El to react since waking. In fact she had half expected the mercenary to chastise and scold her once the battle had ended but when it did…

~When using her magic to defend herself, it was with an ease as simple as smiling. An though her biggest battle to date was defending herself against Han's and the Wesleton guards sent to find her Elsa knew that she could help turn the tide of this battle. So when she strode out into the midst of the fighting she froze the feet of her enemies allowing for the first wave to panick and be cut down by the fighting mercenaries. She waited only moments for the second wave to attack and let loose large shards and sheets of ice piercing and cutting through it with ease none were left alive and when she turned to look upon the fighting band she found herself pinned in place with a gazing boring into her very soul.

The giant wolfen creature stalking toward her in tall strides began shrinking, black fur falling to the ground. Only when they were but feet away did El stop, naked save for the blood that stained and dripped from her skin. Their gazes still locked Elsa could see something in those eyes she had not before…~

When she had made to speak that was when El had rushed over pushing her aside and taking an arrow that looked more likely to fall apart then able to be used. But that moment when their eyes locked she had seen the understanding in that piercing gaze…something no one had ever come close to feeling when it came to her magic. Yet it made sense all the same especially when remembering El's words of her belief of such talents.

With a sigh she straightened her stance a little, "You can be kind…yet mostly you are-become distant…cold."

"And you're wondering why be as I am now?" Elsa nodded in answer, face cautious, eyes hopeful.

"I haven't the best temperament at times…I know that. I am sorry for being so harsh but can you blame me for being so when almost everyone who looks at me and my own for the first time sees nothing but killers for hire?"

"Aren't you?"

El shook her head, "I won't lie and say I have not killed, but you must understand that in our line of work we do what we must when necessary. I don't enjoy it."

"So why do it?" Elsa asked taking a tentative step toward the other woman. Waiting for an answer she saw several emotions run through those eyes before they shadowed and became sad.

"This was to be our last job." El finally answered quietly, "But I had not expected you."

Love It? Hate It? Let me know what you think.