Elsa felt the cold empty spot beside her. She went from groggy and sleepy to wide awake.
She had become so accustomed to Keahi's warm body close to her she found it difficult to sleep without the feeling.
She guessed she had spent so much time alone all of her life, finally having someone to rest her head on at night had become somewhat of an addiction. She had never thought herself as someone who could get used to constantly touching someone, to sleep next to someone at night. Her younger self would have laughed sadly and just shook her head, thinking someone was telling her a cruel joke. Now, now it was very much a reality that she discovered she couldn't live without.
Patting the spot where Keahi slept, Elsa rubbed the sleep from her eyes and got up in her magenta nightgown and headed out of the teepee and into the brisk breeze of night.
The stars were crisp and clear overhead, the wind still cold from the remnants of winter but with it blew a warmth to foretell the coming of spring. On the wave of fresh spring air, the smell of lilac and tulips drifted with it. Bringing life to the sleepy forest to lull it out of winter.
She pulled her mother's shawl around her shoulders as she glanced around. The fire that burned in the center of the camp was cold, only a few coals still hot underneath.
Skimming around the camp, she spotted Keahi gazing off over the forest, her head tilted back to peer up at the stars.
Concerned, Elsa walked up calmly to Keahi. Tenderly taking her hand into her own. "Are you okay?"
Keahi jumped but relaxed and squeezed her hand. "Yeah. I just…"
Elsa watched the pained look play over Keahi's face and she reached up to place a soft hand on her cheek. Keahi leaned into the touch, closing her eyes with a quiet sigh before those seafoam green eyes looked back at her. "I'm just sad, I guess." Keahi shrugged, she looked to be playing it off and Elsa doubted she was fully okay.
The events that passed a few months ago weren't something someone could just get over. "You lost your brother. No one blames you for being sad. You can talk to me, you know that, right?" She whispered, smiling when Keahi leaned into her touch and kissed her palm.
"I know. But it's more than that. I wish I could have saved him. And now…" Keahi placed her free hand over her heart. "I almost feel an edge of darkness. I started feeling it a while ago, but it's getting stronger. I don't know if I'm causing it, or…" she gazed off across the regrowing forest.
Elsa wrapped her arms around Keahi and rested her head in the nook of Keahi's shoulder. Familiar warm arms came around her and squeezed her securely. "I know you, Ki and you aren't dark. Maybe we should go to Ahtohallen in the morning. To help ease your worry?" Elsa's brows furrowed in concern. She'd never seen Keahi so anxious.
"I feel like something is wrong, and it's terrifying," Keahi whispered into her hair, her hand smoothed over Elsa's braid before she rubbed Elsa's back tenderly. "I'm finally comfortable and I love this," she glanced out over the forest and the camp. "I want nothing to come between us."
Elsa hugged her more tightly, and she shyly rubbed her cheek against Keahi's neck where her breath mingled there. "Nothing will change that. We'll figure it out." She pulled back just enough to look at Keahi. "Let's get some sleep and we'll go off to Ahtohallen first thing in the morning?"
Keahi shifted uncomfortably as she absently stroked Elsa's hair.
Elsa didn't know how to comfort her. Keahi was always the one to comfort. So she wasn't sure how to ease her worries. Shouldn't she know how? They have been together for a few months now.
She slid her hands under Keahi's shirt, which granted a hiss of air from Keahi. Elsa's cold fingers warmed under the heat of Keahi's skin as she lightly raked her fingernails against her stomach.
Elsa cleared her throat, embarrassed as she mumbled. "I'll help you sleep."
"I'm sorry. What was that?" Keahi asked, amused.
She was suddenly very aware of how acutely Keahi was paying attention to her. Elsa felt her cheeks flaming red, but she was smiling coyly. "I'm sure you heard me."
Keahi chuckled and smirked. "Oh, look at my little kitten coming out of her shell!" Keahi cooed just as she picked Elsa up, heaving her over her shoulder.
Elsa gasped and braced her hands against the stiff muscles of Keahi's back. "Ki, put me down!" She stammered as quietly as she could, her seriousness fading as she fell into a fit of laughter as Keahi bounced around with her.
"Since when did you get so vocal and brave? Don't tell me you only love me for my body!"
"Shhh!" Elsa's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red as she wildly looked around the sleepy campsite. No one lingered, but she sure hoped no one came out of their teepees, especially Ryder, when they heard Keahi's voice.
Keahi started marching back to their teepee with Elsa still strung over her shoulder. "Nope! We're going back to bed and you're going to show me just how brave you are!" She cheered.
Well, she should be happy that she somehow cheered Keahi up by some miracle. But now she was nervous. "I regret saying anything." Elsa finally whined out, conceding defeat as Keahi marched them back to bed.
Keahi finally set her down and Elsa gave a huff of indignation as she smoothed her hair back. "You know, at one point you would have been thrown in the dungeon for something like that."
"I'm pretty sure I'd still be thrown in a dungeon if someone in Arendelle saw me do that without context." Keahi gave her a lopsided grin.
Elsa shook her head and let out a little pft before she went back inside, crawling onto the now cold blankets and stretching out on them. "Cold." Elsa pouted.
"Is… the collected and stoic ice princess… complaining about… the cold? What world am I living in?" Keahi asked as she laid out beside her, cat-stretching on her stomach before reaching out and grabbing ahold of Elsa to draw her in close as she could.
Elsa chuckled until she burst out into laughter when Keahi started to tickle her right above her hip. She squirmed and sucked in a breath. "No! Stop!" She wheezed, before a little speckle of ice shot from her fingers and iced Keahi's hand to the ground.
"Not fair," Keahi whined.
Elsa rolled onto her back, a hand on her stomach as she tried to catch her breath. She didn't know how Ki did that, it's like the woman sensed her nervousness and would do something that made every ounce of nerves within her melt away. Elsa waved her hand which had the ice around Keahi's wrist turn to mist and disappear.
Keahi leaned into her, Elsa could feel her warm breath on her neck.
"Elsa?"
"Yes?" she asked, tilting her head a bit to try to peer down at her.
"If anything were to happen, promise me, you'd do what's in the best interest for you and your family."
Elsa's throat constricted as she thought about their conversation outside. Did Keahi still think there was a darkness in her? She was silent for a long moment before she finally spoke. "You are a part of my family now, Ki."
Keahi shifted, so she was leaning up on one elbow watching Elsa. "Yeah, but at the end of the day I need you to promise that you won't do anything dangerous for my sake."
"I don't think I can promise that," Elsa admitted honestly.
Keahi groaned and rolled on her back, "At least you're honest." Keahi sighed out.
Elsa sat up and frowned, drawing her legs close to her chest. Ki sounded so worried, she had a bad habit of making the people she loved worry. She hoped it would never come to that again. She really hoped Ahtohallen had the answers like it always did.
Taking in a deep breath and willing herself forward, Elsa sat on top of Ki, straddling her hips as Elsa crossed her arms. Peering down at a surprised Keahi as she cocked a brow. "I can at least promise that I will try."
"I suppose that's all I can ask for," Keahi whispered, propping herself up on her elbows.
Elsa cupped Ki's face and leaned in, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips.
Ki was family, and her family meant everything to her. She would scour every inch of this earth if she had to.
And that was a promise.