Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Don't worry, Elsa's brand of stupidity gets addressed soon, by a very... unsympathetic source.

Written: 2019 - Licia

The elders were alerted to Yelena's self-poisoning, and the complications of Elsa's labor. Vanja had never been more grateful that Yelena were the elders' first priority; it gave them a better chance to slip off to the alcove by the sea. Vanja had made it very clear that Elsa would be safer away from the tribe, especially now with Yelena to distract them. She had a point; no one knew who in the tribe was on the river's side and who wasn't.

Helping Elsa to her feet, Vanja instructed Honeymaren to grab blankets, a bowl and a knife; anything else would be too risky to go back for. Leaving Elsa in Ryder and Matthias's care, grabbed the bag with the tinderbox, simply meeting Vanja's gaze. He handed it to Ryder, who slung it over his shoulder and then grabbed Elsa's staff. Coming back to her, Hans slipped his arm around his wife, looking around for Kristoff. In the chaos, the ice harvester had dashed off and gotten Sven. They stepped out of the hut to find him dismounting, and reaching for Elsa. She shook her head.

"I don't think I can stay on him, Kristoff," Elsa choked out between contractions. "the few times I've been on a reindeer since, it's been near painful." He glanced at the others, who all shook their heads.

"Okay. Sven can carry those things." He took the supplies from Honeymaren, draping the blankets over Sven's back and then climbing atop and taking the rest, Ryder joining him. "Ryder and I'll got ahead, see if we can get everything set up." Vanja nodded. "How far is it?"

Ryder glanced around. "Not far. Just past Elsa's hut, and take a left, the bigger steps to the beach are there, just a little further away are the stairs that lead straight to the alcove." Kristoff nodded and they hurried off.

Once they were gone, Vanja pushed Honeymaren towards the others. "Take Elsa and get to the inlet, as fast as you can. I'll join you when I get a chance."

"But-"

Vanja shook her head at the laboring mother. "As the healer, I have to stay. I have to check her over. If I leave now, it'll only raise suspicion. Now go! I'll join you soon!" And without a glance back, Vanja turned and disappeared into the chaos.

Honeymaren hurried to her cousin, slipping Elsa's other arm around her shoulders and then taking her waist. "Come on, Cousin, let's get you to the beach. There's a small inlet cove area that will give you all the privacy you need to push this baby out into the world." Matthias followed, his training as a soldier kicking in.

Though it wasn't far, the trek to the steps was difficult, what with them having to stop every so often as a contraction grabbed Elsa about the waist. She tried hard to keep from reacting, not wanting to alert the elders who had grown exceedingly suspicious- about what though, no one knew- but it was difficult when she felt as though her body was being wrung like a wet dishcloth.

Eventually, they reached the bigger steps, and Honeymaren turned them to go to the smaller ones, but Elsa stood her ground. She shook her head. Honeymaren glanced at Hans, before nodding. As they started carefully down the steps, Matthias turned back. "Go! Get her to the beach!" They did as told, and Matthias stood his ground, moving closer to the sound of someone running-

Vanja burst out of the trees, out of breath, and he relaxed. "We have to hurry, where is she?" But Matthias only held out a hand, tugging her down the steps once she got close enough. By the time they reached the others, they weren't far from the alcove. Kristoff hurried to them.

"Here, let me take her." Honeymaren and Hans released her, and Kristoff gently scooped the laboring Snow Queen up into his arms. "Easy, Elsa, I got you." Then, he hurried towards the beach where Ryder was, setting her gently back on her feet once he reached them. Hans skidded to a stop not far away.

"No! Not the river! Take her back. Take her back to the camp-"

Vanja grabbed his arm once she and Matthias reached them. "Hans, we have no choice, she's safer away from the camp-"

"No, Vanja! That's my wife and child! You remember the prophecy! If she births in the river, she'll die!"

"What about the alcove-" Matthias brought up, but Ryder shook his head.

"It's flooded. It's why Kristoff and I were here and not there. We can't risk the tide coming in there while she's giving birth. We're as close to the alcove as humanly possible, and she's safe here-"

"She's not safe here!" Hans snapped. "Or have all of you forgotten the prophecy? Are you all really that stupid you've forgotten what's supposed to happen to my wife if she births in the river!" The other men turned; they didn't fault Hans for reacting such a way. The healer took his face in her hands.

"Hans, listen to me. you don't understand! She can't birth on land! The curse will not allow it! She has to birth in the water, otherwise neither she nor the baby will live! We don't have a choice."

"She's not going to live anyway, according to the curse so what does it matter, Vanja?"

She sighed. "If we keep her on land, she won't survive. Neither of them will. They'll both die if she births on land. We go back to the camp, you will lose both your wife and child."

He froze. A moment passed, as he turned back to glance at Kristoff, who held Elsa close, rubbing her back. She was sobbing against his shoulder, the pain becoming worse as her labor progressed. "She's tied to the river, isn't she?" His voice was small as he spoke, uttering the words he'd tried to deny for so long. He turned back to Vanja. "She was always meant to-"

"The Fates deigned her death would be by water, a variant of her element. We have no choice." She glanced back, seeing a few other members of the tribe make their appearance known. She knew they would follow, upon learning that Yelena's poisoning was tied to Elsa's labor. She grabbed Honeymaren's arm, pushing her gently towards Kristoff, and nodding for Ryder to follow. "And I believe she's safer at the water's edge than she would be at the camp." She took Hans' arm. "Come on."

By the time they joined the others, Kristoff had managed to get Elsa moved to a smaller area of the inlet- it was private as one could get on an expanse of open beach, that wasn't at risk of the tides. Hans hurried to his wife, crumpling to his knees beside her. "Elisabeth!"

She reached for him, grimacing in pain. "Johannes! It's getting worse!"

"I know, love. I'm here. I'm right here. Come one, love, let's get you up." He stood, wrapping his arm around her waist to help her stand; she stood on shaky legs, trying to get her bearings as the contractions continued. He kept his hand resting against her hip, holding her close. "Let's get you walking, see if that will help ease your pains."

It was slow; the others watched as the pair paced back and forth along their small stretch of beach, stopping every so often as pain gripped her. "What do we do?" Honeymaren had tears in her eyes; she was worried, about both her mother and her cousin. Yelena had lived a long life, she had ingested the poison instead of giving it to Elsa, knowing she would die; and Elsa... caught in the throes of childbirth, it was unknown what would happen, how her magic would react-

Her cry broke the air, and Kristoff hurried to the couple. He took Elsa's arm, moving to slip his around her waist as he slipped her other arm around his burly shoulders, but Elsa's knees gave out and she crumpled to the shoreline with a scream. The others- except Ryder, who turned at the sound of footsteps behind them- hurried to the trio. "Elsa! What's wrong? What is it?"

She looked up, hands down between her legs. "It's not right, it's not right. It hurts too much... make it stop, please..." Honeymaren felt her heart stall as Elsa removed her hands from between her thighs; they came back speckled in fresh blood. "I can't... I can't do this... I don't want to do this... I'm not... I'm not strong enough... I'm not strong enough, Honey, I can't-"

The other woman dropped to her knees before her cousin; instantly, Elsa's arms went around her neck. She forced herself to ignore the realization that the blood on Elsa's fingers was her own, that it had come from her womb. "Vanja, bleeding during childbirth... it's normal, right?" The older woman nodded.

"It's normal, a woman will lose about half a quart, because of the higher levels of blood volume due to her pregnancy." She knelt down beside Elsa, studying her silently. "This is to be expected. It doesn't feel normal to you because this has never happened before. It's your first time, Elsa, and you're scared. This is normal. It's okay to be scared. You're going through something women go through every day." She reached out, taking the woman's face in her hands. "It's okay. You're safe. We're all here with you, all of us, we'll help you through this. Okay?" A nod. "Good, now let's get you up. See if we can get you back to walking. Movement helps to quicken labor and the pull of gravity helps bring the baby down into the birth canal."

Reluctantly, Elsa released her hold on Honeymaren and with great difficulty stood; Hans and Kristoff, with Vanja following close behind, took Elsa and returned to walking back and forth slowly. She watched them for several minutes, before turning to look for her brother. "Ryder!" She hurried to him, only to stop at the sight of Agathe, Gunda and Egil, three of the elders, being blocked by Ryder and Matthias. "What's going on?"

"Your mother is dying, Honeymaren." A cry reached them, and everyone turned to see Elsa double over. "The Fifth Spirit is in the process of delivering her child-"

"She's not the Fifth Spirit," Ryder ground out, holding his staff before them, preventing them from stepping further; he'd thought to grab it earlier in the day and he was glad he did, and Elsa's staff was slung over his back. "She's Elsa."

Agathe stepped forward, her long white hair pulled back in a bun, and Matthias swiftly grabbed Elsa's staff from Ryder's back, blocking the woman's movement. "Regardless of what she is called, her child is in the process of making its appearance. Once the baby is born, we will be required to take it, and leave its mother in the river, so that it may claim her, as the prophecy foretold."

Honeymaren's jaw dropped in horror. "No! We are not sacrificing my cousin or her child!"

"You do not understand the deal your mother made with the river, Honeymaren. Her labor is not progressing fast enough. The Pharaoh Root would have hastened her labor-" Gunda spoke up; Vanja's quick declaration that it was Pharaoh Root had made them suspicious, and so they'd followed her when she'd left. As of now, they were going off hunches.

"And killed her in the process!"

"She is destined to die anyway," Egil replied, gaze going to the young woman at the shoreline. "we are to give her to the river, and raise her child so that it can become the next guardian when it reaches age-"

That was the last straw.

Grabbing the staff from Ryder's hands, Honeymaren lashed out, striking the three elders before dropping the staff and grabbing her brother's hand. "Come on!" They rushed back to their family, as the elders stood and followed. Vanja and Hans looked up.

"Honeymaren? Ryder? Matthias? What's going on?"

"We need to get Elsa out of here, as soon as possible. Our mother's deal with the river, they're taking it seriously, they're going to leave Elsa to die after the baby's born and raise it to be Ahtohallan's next guardian when it comes of age. We have to move her, now-"

"I can't!" Elsa let out a scream, doubling over. Immediately, Honeymaren grabbed her arm to help her stand, but Elsa shook her head. "I can't, Honey. It's coming-"

"No, Elsa, listen to me, we'll take you to the alcove by the lake, you'll be safe there, you can birth in quiet-" Elsa shook her head, keeping her other hand pressed firmly against the bottom of her belly.

"No, I can't!" Her protest morphed into a squeal, and she dug her nails into Honeymaren's arm, drawing blood as her knees gave out. Hans and Kristoff caught her, easing her gently onto the beach. She looked back up at her cousin, tears swimming in her sapphire eyes. "Something's not right... it's not right... there's something bulging between my legs... like a pumpkin or... or something..." She choked on a sob.

"Something's between your legs?" Elsa nodded, and Honeymaren paled; she ran through everything Vanja had taught her about childbirth, but came up empty-handed- or maybe it was due to the situation. Everything was happening so fast, she couldn't think straight, and so couldn't remember what she'd learned. Honeymaren barely registered Kristoff and Ryder hurrying with Matthias to block the elders as they hurried towards them. Sven, also joined them, head lowered and antlers at the ready to protect Elsa.

"Honey," Her attention as brought back to her cousin. "My baby..." Elsa choked, swallowing thickly. "My baby is dying..." She grabbed her cousin's front, pulling her close. "You have to save my baby... please..." She nodded, glancing behind her and then back at Vanja and Hans, who had hurried to join the others, in attempt to reason with the elders.

"Come on, Elsa, I got you, Cousin. Easy, that's it." It was a struggle, but finally she was able to get Elsa to her feet, and together they made their way to the water. The waves of the Dark Sea crashed a couple inches above their ankles, and the wind ruffled their hair. "Further?" Elsa nodded, but was only able to take a couple more steps before the pain brought her to her knees. "Hans! Vanja! We need you!"

They rushed to the pair. "What are you doing, we need to get-"

"No, Hans! She needs to be here!" Honeymaren replied, as Elsa reached up and grabbed her husband's hand.

"Christian... it's coming... our baby... I can't stop it... I can't... it's coming and I can't stop it..." She let out a cry, and after a moment, they helped her down onto the shoreline; he settled behind her, until she was settled between his legs, her body literally straddling the line where the water and beach met. The waves crashed upon the beach, drenching Elsa's spread legs, but she couldn't move anymore. Her body had designated she would birth there, and there she would stay.

With a soft nod, Vanja hurried to help keep the elders back, for she knew not who or how many were affected by the river just as Yelena was, leaving only Honeymaren with Elsa and Hans. The blankets, bowl and knife weren't far away, a little further up the beach, well away from the water. Honeymaren moved closer, attempting to part her legs, but the laboring mother wouldn't let her. Elsa let out a sob as she leaned back in Hans' arms, his hands gently caressed her belly, giving her his strength as she clenched her teeth, straining against the pain.

Nokk, I need you! Gale, Bruni, where are you? I need you! I need all of you! I can't do this alone! A squeal escaped her and she kicked out, hitting her cousin in the hip, but Honeymaren didn't flinch. Please! Help me! Don't let the tribe take my baby! I need you to protect my baby!

The wind began to pick up, the ground to shake, and soon the waves became rougher. A flash of fire appeared, streaking past the elders. Hans looked around; he'd never seen the weather react in such a way as it was, and it worried him. He held Elsa tighter, and she choked on a sob as the contractions began to roll over one another. Unable to keep it down anymore, she let out a bellow that morphed into a scream. I can't do this alone! I need all of you with me! Please! Keep the tribe away from me, from my baby! Don't leave me to do this alone, please!

Before anyone else could speak, the Nokk sprinted out of the sea, tossing his head. He rushed past the trio, past Kristoff, Ryder, Matthias, Sven and Vanja to stand before the elders. The water spirit stood his ground, making it very clear to the elders that they were not to go anywhere near the laboring young woman. He could feel the pain the young woman was experiencing, how it tore deep at her very core, and knew that he needed to make sure whatever was causing such deep pain arrived in peace and safety, and so he stood guard with the others, nipping out when the elders tried to get close.

The gentle trembling of the ground began to pick up, knocking everyone off their feet, making it much more difficult to try to reach the birthing mother, and within minutes, the wind- that had before been but a warm, gentle breeze- picked up. It began to swirl, forming into a cyclone; though it didn't move towards the elders. Instead, it began to swirl- gently at first and then faster and faster- around the trio on the shoreline, hiding them from the tribe's view, giving Elsa the safety and privacy to birth her child, with only her husband and cousin by her side, as she had wanted.

Elsa looked up, horrified by the raging wind around them, despite the pain she was currently in. "What's... ah... what's happening... why is the... why is Gale..." Her words were taken over by a scream, and she reached down, digging her nails into her husband's thighs. He held her close, looking around, that brilliant, calculating mind of his quickly figuring out what was happening.

Through the wind, he could feel the moisture of the Nokk at his back as it stood guard; he could hear the crash of the waves on the embankment, though the water they were in was now gentle as opposed to earlier, lapping softly against them all, as though it knew what was happening, as though it could sense the new life making its way into the world. The temperature within the cyclone began to drop with Elsa's pain as her magic began to react, as snowflakes began to violently swirl within the cyclone, and Bruni, that little salamander Elsa was so fond of, and who considered himself Elsa's pet, scurried gently onto Elsa's shoulder.

Hans could feel his wife's body temperature, normally so cool- but which had been quickly dropping since she'd informed him of her labor- begin to rise to a more normal, human temperature, and he smiled softly. Bruni, small though he was, never wavered from Elsa's shoulder, no matter how she shifted or writhed in pain; he clung to her, doing all he could to help. He's trying to help her keep her temperature stable; he knows that she's struggling through childbirth and he's protecting her. The other spirits, they're protecting her, because she's the physical embodiment of the Fifth Spirit, she's the one who commands them, but because of her labor, He swallowed. They're taking control and protecting her just as she protects them. She must have called them, but I didn't hear her. Unless-

A small smile tugged at his lips, and he glanced at Honeymaren, who had come to the same conclusion. "Why... are they... turning on us... like this?"

"They're not turning on us, Charlotte. They're protecting us from the tribe. They're giving you a chance to give birth without the elders and the tribe," He assumed it was the whole tribe, he wasn't sure, and he didn't care. His focus was her and only her and this miracle they were experiencing together. "interfering to force the curse." He met Honeymaren's eye. "They're protecting you and the baby. They're on our side."

It was warmth that spread through his chest as he glanced at the other woman, who nodded in agreement; that the other spirits had answered her cry and come to protect Elsa like this... her scream rang through the forest, reverberating off the earth giants and echoing into the depths of Ahtohallan. He held her closer, giving her as much of his strength.

"It's okay, Charlotte, I've got you." He whispered, kissing her head and taking her hands. She dug her nails in as another contraction grabbed her around the waist. When finally, it released her, she relaxed back against her husband, greedily sucking in air. "I'm right here, Charlotte, I've got you. I promise you, I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here. We're in this together."

She turned to him, choking on a sob. "You promise?"

Hans nodded, resting his forehead to hers. "I promise."

The Northuldra woman meanwhile, finally gently parted her cousin's legs, moving between them to get a better idea of what was going on. She glanced up at her cousin, relieved to see her in a moment of peace, before turning back to the matter at hand. Gently, she lifted the material of Elsa's ice nightgown. Her eyes widened in shock. Elsa was right. Not a pumpkin... but awful close.

"Honeymaren? Honey, what is it?" The other woman simply shook her head, glancing at him. How did she explain to her cousin's husband that what his wife was feeling between her legs was the sac their child had grown in? That her cervix had thinned enough over the last few weeks, that she had dilated enough over the last week or so, that the bag of waters that contained their child was quite literally bulging out of her cervix? That it hadn't broken yet? That once it broke, her labor would progress much faster, and that Elsa's pain would only increase? But that it also meant that their baby would be making her way out of her mother and into the world?

She never got the chance, as with the next contraction that wrapped around Elsa's belly and twisted, the sac burst with a very loud, very audible pop. She automatically jumped back, before looking up at Hans as Elsa let out a cry. "Honey, w... was that..."

Neither said it, but they knew what it was. The Northuldra woman nodded. "Her labor should progress quicker now."

Hans would soon realize, that quicker was right.