Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Written: 2019 - Licia

She returned to the Northulda the next day, trying to shake the sleeplessness away. She'd eventually fallen asleep in front of the fire, and awoken sore and shaking from her dreams, and not necessarily in the best of moods. So when she entered the camp that early morning before the dawn, she wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to anyone. Her mother's shawl was wrapped around her shoulders, and she had the small pouch around her waist that held the banner from her coronation.

"Good morning, Spirit!"

"Elsa, you're back!"

"About time!" She stopped, surprised to find Honeymaren and Ryder before her, but she simply nodded and moved past them. Without a word, she made her way back to her hut just as Yelena and the healer stepped out.

"So, have you finally decided to grace us with your presence, Spirit?" Elsa refused to meet Yelena's eyes, locking them on the flap of her hut. The older woman noticed that she ignored her, and let it pass. It was evident the girl- for though she was fully grown, she was still relatively young, not just as a woman, but as a spirit- hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few days, for the dark circles beneath her eyes and the haggard expression upon her face. Clearly, her dreams had been plagued with fears she could not shake."If you are here to see if he has left, he has not. He will not be fully healed for several months. The condition you found him in will not heal easily overnight."

Elsa winced, closing her eyes at Yelena's sharp tongue. She didn't particularly feel like being chided as though she were some child, especially when she was the most powerful spirit in the forest, but then again, she was so exhausted, she didn't have the energy to protest. So she took it. "The bruises are starting to fade, and the gash on his forehead is healing quite nicely with the help of the poultices we've been applying. The internal bleeding has stopped and we were able to set both his leg and his ribs."

"That's... nice to know."

The older woman raised an eyebrow, but continued, knowing that was all she was going to get out of the woman. "He asked about you." She saw Elsa's gaze dart quickly from the tent flap to her and back. "He wants to speak to you, Spirit." The girl didn't move, and after a moment, Yelena went to her, taking her hand reassuringly. "He told me that when you did return, he wanted to speak with you."

The girl's head snapped up at that. "What?"

"I told him that when you returned, I would send you to him, so that he could talk to you himself."

Elsa quickly shook her head. "No. No, I don't want to hear anything he has to say."

She moved go, but Yelena tightened her grip, refusing to release her. Elsa glanced down at the chief's hand, and tugged again, but Yelena tightened her grip, tugging the girl back until they were nose to nose. "You are not going to run, Elsa. I do not know the past you share with this man, but right now that's not important. Whatever he has done, he is trying to make amends. At least listen to him." As she spoke, Yelena had laid a hand against the girl's back, and lifted the flap, finally shoving her inside.

The girl stumbled, catching herself just before she lost her balance and landed sprawled on his chest. He looked up at her, as surprised to her as she was to see him. Finally, the snow-white blonde straightened, tucking her hair behind her ears. Neither spoke for several minutes, before Elsa turned to go- only to find Honeymaren standing guard. "Yelena told me not to let you leave until you two have spoken."

With a soft grunt, the girl turned back, knowing it was no good trying to reason or get the upper hand with Honeymaren. She slowly turned her gaze to the man lying before her; he was shirtless, his ribs bounds in cloth, the gash on his head coated in a poultice to help with healing, his leg in a splint. The bruises were starting to fade, and he was slowly getting some of his color back. His long hair was tied back, and he looked tired, probably about as tired as she felt. His voice was raspy from lack of use when he finally spoke,

"Elsa-"

"Look, I don't want to hear it, Hans. I have no use, need nor want for you pathetic excuses. What you did back at my coronation is unforgivable. You left my sister to die and then tried to assassinate me-"

"You think I'm trying to excuse what I did? Elsa, I wanted to apologize."

"And you never even thought- what?" Her blue eyes widened, and she met his gaze. He sighed.

"I wanted to apologize, for what I did at your coronation." She fell silent, suddenly unsure of how to act, but knowing that she couldn't possibly believe a word he was saying. This man had weaseled his way into his sister's heart, sicked his men on her, locked her in a dungeon, left her sister to die, and then, when she herself had finally gotten free, attempted to behead her. And now, here he was, nearly seven years later, claiming he wanted to apologize? She wasn't that stupid. Young, naive, and still finding her way in the world, sure, but stupid she was not.

"Apologize?" She scoffed, shaking her head. "There is nothing you could do or say that would make up for what you did and tried to do that day, Hans. Nothing." She turned to go, something tugging at her brain. Ask him about the box. He'll know what the eel means, it's his box. Ask him!

But she ignored it, grasping the hut flap and pulling open- "Oh, no you don't! You two haven't talked! Get back in there!"

"There's nothing to talk about! Hey! What are you doing? Let go!"

Honeymaren roughly shoved her back into the hut, yanking the flap down. "You're not to leave that hut until you've talked! Yelena's orders!"

"You can't do this, Honeymaren! I'm the Fifth Spirit! You have no right-"

"Fifth what?" She stopped at Hans's voice, suddenly realizing that she'd slipped up. She closed her eyes, biting back a grunt of annoyance, and slowly turned to face him. He studied her, green eyes filled with confusion. She could feel his gaze slowly move over her, drinking in her dress, her slippers, her hair. "Elsa... why aren't you in Arendelle?"

She looked up, meeting his gaze. It was the same question he'd asked her when she'd stalked off that day. Suddenly, she narrowed her gaze. "What does it matter to you? Your plan failed. And why are you not still in the Southern Isles? How the hell did you get out?"

He sighed, clearly she wasn't going to answer his question until he answered hers. After a moment, he shifted, watching as she slowly lowered herself to the floor of the hut, crossing her legs and leaning back against the wall, watching him. They lapsed into silence for several minutes, each studying the other, refusing to give in. Finally, unable to take the silence any longer, he spoke,

"Elsa, I... I know I hurt you-"

"That's an understatement." She muttered, and he sighed.

"- and I know that not matter what I say will never make up for what I did. But," He stopped her; she snapped her mouth shut, lips thinning. "I do want to apologize." She stayed silent, letting him continue. "As for why I'm no longer in the Southern Isle, well..." He sighed. "After you sent me back to the Isles, I was sentenced to hard labor, which was fine, I didn't mind it. If anything, I was relieved; I was away from the palace and away from my brothers, which was more blessing than curse." He watched her, saw how she remained quiet, and took that to mean he could continue on. "Up until about six months ago, I was still in the Isles, serving out my sentence. I was perfectly content to serve out my sentence for the rest of my days."

She studied him, watching his eyes. You can tell a lie from the person's eyes, remember that Lisbet. The eyes aren't just the windows to the soul, they can tell the truth or spin a lie, depending on whether the person is looking up or down, left or right. Everything on the left is the truth, everything on the right is a lie. Up and left means they're remembering, up and right means it's a lie. Remember that, my little Lisbet, and you'll always be able to know if you can trust people. She watched his green gaze dart to the left and up, and she sighed.

So he was telling the truth. She had hoped he would be lying, that way she could just storm out, regardless of Yelena's warning. He stopped, and she gestured for him to continue. "And then about six months ago, my brother decided to exile me."

She raised an eyebrow. "Exile?" He nodded. Exile was rare in Arendelle, but in other countries... she knew that kingdoms like Corona and Dutch colonies often used exile of political prisoners instead of allowing them to fall into the wrong hands, but the Southern Isles? She had never heard of the exile as a form of punishment used in the Southern Isles; she knew that usually, prisoners- especially political ones like Hans- were usually put to death.

"My brother gave me two days to get out of the Isles, forbidden to return, so I left, came up to the north, into Rustiksan, and then worked my way through Fendarcia." Elsa nodded; she knew the two provinces well; they had been major allies with Arendelle for years.

"How did you end up with the sigøynere?"

He sighed. "I... I collapsed one night, unknowingly not far from their camp. A few of them found me, nursed me back to health. Their leader knew my language, and explained that when they left, I could come with them. I agreed; it would get me further away from the Isles, since I was no longer allowed to return, and they had been kind. I had no real plans for anywhere specific, and I was content, these last six months with them. They did not ask about my past or why I was wandering, and I did not give an explanation."

She nodded, wanting so badly to believe he was lying... but something told her deep down that he wasn't. "You were found in the Dødsdalen," She finally said, meeting his gaze briefly. "That is not a part of our land; that is further east. It belongs to the Konalmir tribe."

"Okay?"

"You were passing through their land. When I found you, it looked like you had made camp. Per tribal law, people are allowed to pass through Konalmir land, but not camp. They are not allowed to stay. I think that is why the camp was attacked, because they had decided to settle, not realizing it wasn't allowed. We, my tribe, the Northuldra... we have an agreement with the Konalmir; the Enchanted Forest and her surrounding areas belongs to us and everything to the east belongs to them. We don't cross them and they don't cross us-"

"Wait..." He stopped her, something catching his attention. "You said 'my tribe', Elsa. But... but you don't belong here. You belong in Arendelle."

She opened her mouth, only to snap it shut and thin her lips as any form of response. You slipped up, great! Just great! Why couldn't you keep your mouth shut?

"And... who is the Fifth Spirit?"

"You know what, I don't need to tell you anything." She climbed to her feet, took annoyed with herself to even consider asking him about the box. "You told me all I'm willing to listen to today, Hans, and just because you apologized, doesn't mean I will accept it, am I clear?" He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it, nodding.

She turned, lifting up the flap, but his words stopped her halfway out of the hut. "Elsa?" She waited, glancing back at him. "You said earlier that, 'I am the Fifth Spirit'- what did you mean by that?"

She merely blinked at him, before stalking out of the hut and storming away, leaving him with questions just as he'd done.