While a few days passed and Elsa kept a close eye on their... unwanted guests, she searched the crowds for a certain green-eyed Wayfinder and that alone confused her.
She paced in the foyer, chiding herself. She wanted to go out to search for the woman, but what excuse did she have to run into her? She needed something, anything. The need was a force of it's own, beckoning her out into the streets of Ardendelle. She'd never felt such a draw, such a compulsion, to a person before. What was going on?
"Elsa, are you okay?" Anna stepped into her room.
She ran a hand through her hair. Was she okay? Why did she feel on edge, yet desperate to get one small look at Keahi? Her stomach coiled in knots and it all had to do with the situation she was grappling with. "I — yes, I mean, I think so." She groaned, frustrated. She sat down on the edge of her bed and held her head in her hands.
"Elsa, you know you can tell me if something is wrong?" The bed indented beside her where Anna took a seat.
Elsa gave a forced smile and took a deep breath. "I know, Anna. Thank you. I think I'll go for a walk to clear my head. I'm fine, really." She tried to ease her sisters' worry. Resting her head on Anna's shoulder, she closed her eyes to try and sort out the wayward thoughts jumbled in her head. "I'm sorry, Anna."
"Wait, for what?"
"Not being the best older sister. You are the one always going out of your way to be sure I'm alright." She murmured. While Anna was constantly following her around and watching her like younger sisters did, Elsa was supposed to be the protective one.
It seemed that responsibility still fell onto Anna. Sitting up, she smoothed Anna's hands in her own. "I just want to let you know, you are doing such a great job. Don't focus on me, make sure you are spending time with Kristoff and focusing on Arendelle. Promise?"
Anna was blinking in surprise, she didn't look like she understood where all that came from. "I promise." She edged, hesitantly.
Elsa wrapped Anna into a hug, squeezing her tenderly before standing up. Tucking a strand of hair behind her own ear, she put her hair up in a ponytail, garnering a little more courage. "I'm going to find General Mattias and see what's going on with our… guests."
She wrung her hands together before rushing out of the room and back into Arendelle.
Spotting General Mattias in marketplace, she let out a sigh of relief at the charming older soldier and rushed up to him. Once he spotted her, his easygoing smile instantly filled her with comfort.
"Your Highness," His voice smooth as velvet as he tipped his head towards her.
She tipped her head back. "What have our guests been up to?" She ground out, trying not to sound too harsh. She still didn't trust them, she likely never would.
He chuckled, arms slipping behind his back as he angled himself towards the docks. "They've been doing repairs like they said they would." He arched a brow back at Elsa, "I promise I'll monitor them. You do trust me, right?"
"Oh, yes. I didn't mean to imply I didn't." Ugh. She was not good at communicating, clearly.
He laughed, his shoulders shaking from the movement. "No worries, your Highness. I know you are just worried about your sister. I assure you, I won't let anything happen to her." He gave her a wink.
Elsa grinned back at the man. She somehow felt like a kid under the watchful gaze of her father with Mattias.
Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Keahi was loading up a small rowboat with a fishing net and other items she couldn't make out.
Chewing on her lip, she hesitated. Maybe she should just go back to the castle and watch over Anna? She wasn't sure she liked the sickening feeling that bubbled in her stomach when she was close to the other woman, anyway.
But she liked the warmth of her sporadic heartbeat and the light feeling she got when she was around her.
Working up the courage, she decisively headed down the docks and to the small rowboat that Keahi was loading, the other woman's back to her. With her arms loosely behind her back, Elsa leaned over and cleared her throat.
Keahi jumped, causing the unsteady boat to lurch and sway. Luckily, Keahi got her feet under her swiftly and twisted around to look up at Elsa.
Keahi paused before a cheeky grin broke out on her lips. "Hello, your Highness," she purred, going back to adjusting and rolling the fishing net. "You don't look like much of a fisherman."
Elsa's heart lurched. She came down with no excuse as to exactly why she was here. Rational her without a plan? What was wrong today? "Er... no, I'm not. I was talking to Mattias and spotted you down here." She fumbled, but it looked like her poorly strung together excuse was believed.
Keahi gave her a once over, it caused her to stiffen before the woman's easy smile spread onto her lips. "All right, well since you're here, want to come fishing? I could use the company."
She had no clue how to fish. But in that moment, she abruptly wanted to learn. "I... okay." She conceded.
Keahi grinned and held out her hand. Elsa looked at it, shyly taking it. Keahi's golden-tanned hands clasped over hers. Her own skin pearl white in stark contrast to the other woman. With a gentle tug, she landed wobbly in the boat. Her knees wanted to buckle as the boat veered back and forth under them.
She pressed up against Keahi for stability, grabbing the woman's shoulders and glancing down at the rocking floor beneath them. Once it steadied, she peered up into the heated green eyes that were looking back down at her. She felt like they would consume her, melt her.
Stumbling back awkwardly, Elsa cleared her throat to regain her usual regal air and posture. Keahi rubbed the back of her own neck awkwardly before sitting down and grabbing the oars.
Keahi snickered. "Ready?"
Realizing she was standing and staring, Elsa found her seat and sat down as fast as possible. Once she did, Keahi started to row.
This was probably a bad idea. This was definitely a horrible plan.
Folding her hands in her lap, Elsa was looking out over the Fjord while Keahi steered them towards a little outlet that fed into the mountains.
Arendelle fell from view and the mountains engulfed them. The shade sprinkled over them from the trees, the bellow of the breeze rattling the skeletal canopies overhead. What little leaves clung to them were browning and dry.
Her eyes fell back to the woman rowing in front of her. Keahi wore a sleeveless black with red-trimmed shirt, the familiar red sash around her waist, cotton breeches and knee-high leather boots.
Keahi was gazing off into the forest, Gale let out chittering laughter as the wind spirit frolicked through the underbrush. Keahi didn't seem to notice, she looked enamored with the forest.
The way she gazed out into its depths reflected her own need to be back out into freedom.
She tried to look away, she couldn't believe she was stealing glances at this woman. What was it about her? It's not like she hadn't met other people and cultures outside Arendelle. They had a slew of other kingdoms they traded goods with.
She watched the lithe line of muscles clutching under the sun-bronzed skin of Keahi's shoulders as she rowed. The other woman's body was built so differently than her own. While Elsa was petite and curvy, Keahi had a sturdy build. Not overly muscular, but sturdy. Athletic.
Keahi looked back and their eyes met, Elsa looked away hastily. Fiddling with her hands and biting her lower lip.
"Under all that quiet control, you're pretty adorable. Like when I catch you staring. It's like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar." Keahi laughed, setting the oars to the side as the bottom of their boat scraped against the embankment.
Arendelle was long out of view but a crystalline lake shone in the distance.
She felt her cheeks burning and realized the bottom of their boat had swirled with ice.
"And you can't control your ice when your startled or embarrassed," Keahi said as she swung herself over the side of the boat, holding out her hand for Elsa to take.
She hesitantly took it, warmth flooded the touch so much she thought their hands sizzled when they came together. Wait, did they? "I wasn't…" She let out a frustrated sigh. She didn't have anything to say to that. "How can you be so blunt and not be embarrassed?"
Keahi shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly, grabbing the net from the boat. "Practice, I guess. I was brought up around a bunch of men, and they are usually too dumb to beat around the bush. At least, the ones I grew up with." She laughed, situating the net and wading out into the water knee high. "I'm sure it's a lot different from you. Growing up around all those...poised, polite people." Keahi batted her eyelashes and put a hand to her chest mockingly.
Elsa felt a bubble of laughter erupt from her and her earlier embarrassment melted away.
"Well, you'd be right. Everyone was always so cordial growing up. There's no helping it. But it was so…" She sat down on the embankment.
"Suffocating?" Keahi finished.
Elsa raised her head to meet Keahi's gaze in surprise. "Yeah." She whispered, tossing a pebble into the water.
Silence passed between them and Keahi focused her attention on fishing. Twisting and tossing the net to catch the fish that traveled the course of the stream and into the mouth of the lake.
Elsa finally stood up, taking off her boots and coming to the waters edge. "Can I try?"
Keahi arched a brow and scoffed, "Do you even know how to fish, princess?" She teased.
Elsa puffed her cheeks before blowing out the air. "I'll have you know, I've watched Honeymaren fish before."
Keahi paused, "Who's that?"
"A friend." She answered simply, walking over to stand next to Keahi. Except she towered over the other woman and grinned down at her.
The water under her was frozen and each step a magical blue light illuminated the area and the crunching of freezing water rippled through the air.
"That's cheating." Keahi pointed out.
"Is it?" Elsa asked with a shrug, offering her hand for Keahi to take.
Once she did, she helped pull her up onto the frozen platform of water she created. Keahi held her arms out, legs bent to keep her center of gravity so she didn't slide on the ice.
"Well, this is weird." The wayfinder announced, finally getting her balance. Once she did, she handed the net to Elsa who took it apprehensively.
"Here, you just twist your hips when you throw." Keahi showed the twisting motion. Elsa watched and nodded her head, holding the net before tossing it.
It fell in a tangled, sad heap. She pulled it in a grimaced. "It's a lot harder than it looks." She finally admitted.
"Here," Keahi came up behind her, placing her hands on Elsa's hips.
Heat surged through her entire body and she swallowed past the lump in her throat.
"I'll do the motion with you." Keahi murmured behind her. She could feel the woman's body inches from her own. The warmth of the hand on her hip and her wrist had the thoughts fumbling around, drunk in her head.
"Ready?" Keahi asked.
Elsa nodded dumbly.
She twisted her hips and body in a smooth motion to throw the net, Keahi followed her motion behind her.
Then Keahi wobbled, then her foot slipped out from under her and Elsa let out a quick gasp before they both tumbled over the edge of the platform and into the water.
Gasping for air, they both reemerged tangled in the netting, keeping both of them flatly pressed up to one another chest to chest.
Elsa let out a grunt and tried to push away against the warm body pressed up to her.
"Well, that's one way to throw a net. For being so good with your magic, you're awfully clumsy."
"I'm not!" Elsa retorted, pausing in her struggle and glancing into the warmth of Keahi's green eyes.
They stared at one another. One minute, two. Then both glanced over at the water around them which froze in Elsa's flustered state. The fish popped from the stream onto the ice.
"And that, your Highness, is Ice Fishing."
They both fell into a fit of laughter.