Chapter 11: Homeward (Epilogue)

A tinkling of mugs happily sounded in the Forest under the shining Sun.

"Hooray!" Yelled the Northuldra. "Long live Honeymaren! Long live Fifth Spirit Elsa! Long live Queen Anna! Long live the Bridge!"

The three women grinned at the praise and joy that exhaled from every person who toasted with them.

Elsa's heart filled with love, touched to be this appreciated and glad she was back home, in the camp that felt like family, with all those genuinely nice people. The leader of the tribe seemed to be just as emotional, for her eyes had started to glisten while the others passed their arms around her neck with cheers or shook her arms or thankfully pressed their hands on hers in congratulations. The blonde smiled tenderly when she saw Honeymaren's state, even more when they exchanged a look, and the brunette bashfully smirked.

On the other side, Anna was crying openly. She didn't think they would be this acclaimed when they arrived at the camp after days of travel, and her soul roamed with delight when she saw how personally welcome she was. It was something she still doubted of, even with half her blood being Northuldra and the 16 years of relationship with the tribe that had expanded more and more since that old day when the mist lifted.

"Your Majesty..."

"Uh?"

She blinked when a shy voice extracted her from her reverie. A group of Sami children was looking at her timidly with adorable eyes.

"Can we…" Hesitated a young girl.

"Can we pet your horse?" Asked a boy, helping her ask the question they all had been excited to.

Anna's wise face melted in an inviting smile. "Yes, of course."

They gasped in squeals, and hurried to go take care of the redhead's horse, who luckily for them, was happy to let people scratch and feed her. The Queen watched them, for she knew how delighted the Northuldra children were around horses. Their tribe mostly herded reindeers, so when they saw one, it was like Christmas. When merchants passed near their camp and stopped at a river or another strategic point, they always rushed to ask to play with their mounts.

"So, what's up in the camp?" Asked Honeymaren.

"Oh, nothing much." Shrugged a Northuldra. "Ryder has been crafting explosives."

The leader missed a heartbeat, Elsa almost strangled herself with her drink, and Anna snorted.

"You what?!" Yelled Honeymaren, staring at her sibling who was on the other side of the campfire.

He awkwardly waved at her.

"But it's nothing dangerous." Assured a Northuldra woman, even if she had been laughing with other Sami at Honeymaren's shock.

"I'll say if it's dangerous or not."

Ryder scratched the back of his head with embarrassment. "I just thought it would be a good idea to craft some pounches of the same matter I used against Victor... You know…"

Honeymaren gave him a stare.

"I'll show you tomorrow." Coughed the man.

Now she gave him a squint.

Elsa raised her hand, diplomatic. "I'm sure that there will be a good utility to this."

Honeymaren had an unsure 'yeah…' and resumed drinking.

The Fifth Spirit's acute ears and magic instinct indicated to her that something was scouring along the branches above their heads. She smirked, and looked at Anna.

"Watch out."

"Uh?" Evasively answered the Queen, when something dropped on her head, and she jumped in fright.

Elsa cackled with laughter, and saluted Bruni, who now was squealing in a purring way on her sister's head.

The blonde found it odd that Anna had been this surprised by Bruni's landing. He often did that when she visited the tribe, because since she gave birth to Isak, she had let her hair grow, and when she traveled, she tied it in a style that made it puffy and very comfy to the salamander.

He went down Anna's arm, exhaling joy to see the three of them back, and giving Elsa a confirmation that everything was alright concerning the Spirits. She smiled and scratched his tiny belly.

The Snow Queen watched her sister play with him for a while, the blue salamander zig-zagging between her fingers. Then she bent her head to Anna, especially when she saw how passive she was in the little game set up by the Fire Spirit.

"Hey, can we talk for a minute?"

The redhead lifted her eyes from Bruni and indeed, Elsa knew by her sight how distracted she had been.

"Yeah, sure."

Elsa mentally nudged Bruni, and the Fire Spirit understood her need of a private moment with their feeling bond, so he jumped off Anna's hands and ran to the spot where Honeymaren was telling her trip to the elders.

"Here. It's a calm spot, we'll be undisturbed." Pointed the Snow Queen after a moment of walking, for she knew the woods by heart and had been making sure that the Northuldra were away. They were too busy talking and laughing to notice anyway.

She invited her sister to sit down with her on a fallen tree trunk, and bent to her.

"You seem to be lost in your thoughts since we came back. What is it?"

Elsa's eternally soft voice was so smooth it could make a giant cry. Anna gulped and tried to hide what was on her mind, but it was useless. She sighed when she resigned to deny it.

"It's just… Piruluola's challenges, you know. The Hate chamber…"

Elsa nodded in comprehension. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it a lot since. We really haven't been nice to each other in it, uh?"

The redhead nodded, then hurried to apologize, her eyes wide.

"I'm so sorry for everything that I've said, I didn't mean it, I'm really sorry, in fact I am devastated…"

Elsa stopped her rambling by putting her hand on her forearm, then had a small giggle. "It's okay. I was the one about to apologize. But I feel like… We all know, Honeymaren included, that the magical source purposely made us say stuff we didn't mean to. Thoughts we bottled up for years, opinions we hid for so long but always swore to ourselves to keep... Because we never had planned to say them. Because that's who we are. We are nice. This is how we won the challenge, by the way: we realized that we wouldn't say that to each other."

Anna had a sad smile, and a silence followed. "Does that mean that it kind of was therapeutic? To spit it all?" She winced after a while.

Elsa did as well. "I guess so, yes. In a way. Now that we've been yelling at each other's face, we know what the others think of us, right?"

"Right."

Another silence passed. An awkward one, because they wanted to ask the same question but didn't dare to. Of course, Anna was the bravest one to ask first.

"And did you mean everything you told me?"

Elsa's eyes went down, and she fidgeted with the almost non-existing hem of her ice outfit. "I… I was an idiot."

"We all were." Sighed Anna.

"No, please, let me finish. I was an idiot because, I was mad at you for being a better Queen that I am, and… I know, you're going to tell me that you regret telling me the things you said about my reign, but, hey, you actually got a point." Added Elsa, gesturing to Anna to remain quiet when she saw she insisted on talking. "Hear me out. You are a better Queen than I am. I know that. I feel it every day. I see it every time I visit you in Arendelle and watch your work, or watch the results and consequences of your work, all wonderful and impactful. I particularly saw it last week when you had to make such a tremendous choice about the death sentence. And I think… I think that in a way, I'm jealous. And I figured that it's actually a good sign.

"H-how?" Blabbered Anna, confusion and emotion mixing.

"Well, doesn't it make the perfect proof that this is what our roles always had meant to be? Everything fits now."

The redhead blinked. That was an odd compliment, however it made her feel better in comparison to the previous days since they got out of Piruluola. Elsa kept going.

"What I told you still impacts me like it has branded my heart with a red iron, and I know it does the same to you too, but one thing is for sure, Anna, and I swear it on my life: without you, I'd be less than nothing. Whatever the spell made me say back there, it doesn't change the fact you're an amazing person and I owe you everything."

"But would an amazing person tell you all those mean things I told you? I don't think so." Mumbled the younger.

She looked down, shame still weighing on her like a physical load. Gentle fingers lifted her chin, and she let out a slight gasp when she recognized Elsa's caring touch. When her eyes met azure blue ones, she gulped, her mouth in a thin line.

"Hey. You followed me into this pit, this dark and ominous cave, despite your visceral fear of this kind of place and all the bad memories you associate to it. That is the most altruistic thing to do."

The redhead's eyes shone at her words.

"Don't try to be humble. Once again, you're the most selfless person I know, and you didn't deserve any of the things I threw at you when we were cursed. Now, let's go enjoy a good meal."

The elder simply stood up and left, and it made her sister pout. "You keep interrupting me, and now you're walking away. I don't get to compliment you too?"

Elsa turned back to her with a grin, touched by her kindness. "No. This is a one-way praise only, sorry."

Anna had an adorable grumpy expression, and she eventually stuck out her tongue. The two sisters giggled.

When the redhead stood up to join her elder back to the camp, however, she limped a bit, and Elsa noticed. She frowned.

"That's what I thought."

"What?" Replied Anna, an eyebrow lifting at her mumble.

"Your ankle."

The redhead blushed, and gulped. "What, 'my ankle'? My ankle is fine."

She stood on one feet and placed the other behind her tibia, trying to hide what Elsa was staring at. The elder gave her a stare, meaning 'Seriously?' and waved her fingers so a gust of fresh wind tugged on her sister's right ankle and lifted it in the air.

As Elsa grabbed it to see closer, Anna lost a bit of her balance, but thankfully had good skills and waved her arms to retrieve it. She wanted to frown at her elder for the impromptu gesture, but when she saw her focus, she felt guilty first of all.

"You've been hurt pretty bad." Murmured Elsa, inspecting the injury Anna had tried to hide from her.

Her sister's eyes lifted from her leg to her, and she startled internally at the intense gaze that seemed to come from the depths of a glacier. "That's when you fell into that bush of nettles this morning, isn't it?"

Anna winced because Elsa was turning her ankle to see her degree of pain - she got her response quite quickly - and nodded firmly. "Yes. Are you… Are you going to scold me?"

Elsa snorted. "No. It happens to everybody. Besides, I believe you're the mother of two children and a responsible person, I don't think that it would be relevant."

She swirled her wrist above the injury and waved her fingers, then a glow appeared on Anna's skin all along the nettles cuts. The latter startled at first at the sudden fresh sensation, but she soon sighed at the relief it procured.

"There, it should be better."

"Waow, thanks."

"Anytime. Keep that layer of ice on your skin for the rest of the day, I'll melt it remotely tonight. It should soothe your pain. It's flexible enough for you to make the ride back without any problem."

Anna was glad to hear her gentle tone, but it however switched to an angry one.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?"

The Queen winced. "Well, you did find out in the end… Ouch!"

The Fifth Spirit had frowned and pulled on her leg to make her understand her mistake.

"Yeah, sorry, sorry…" Hissed Anna. She remembered Elsa's distress when she had seen the way they all got hurt from Victor's fight. "I shouldn't have hidden this to you. Or Honeymaren, now that I think of it."

"Oh, I'm certain that Honeymaren noticed way before me, she has the eye for this kind of natural injury. But she probably didn't tell me so that I wouldn't panic. I'm gonna have a word with her later."

The redhead laughed nervously.

Elsa helped her put her leg down without falling, and then held her shoulders. Anna thought it was to make sure she could stand, but then Elsa's arms slowly wrapped around her, and she understood. With a yelp and eyes full of tears, Anna closed the short distance between then and squeezed her tight in the warm embrace.

They hadn't hugged since the events of Piruluola, and it felt so good that they stayed still for a long time in between the trees, smiling in the other's presence.

"Gosh, magic is tiring." Sighed Anna once they parted.

She instantly widened her eyes and grabbed Elsa's hands at her lapsus, and the sister startled.

"Not that I get tired of it!" Cleared the redhead. "It's not boring, it never is, it never will be! Only…"

"You're exhausted after all the magic trials we've been through." Grinned Elsa. "I get it. Relax."

She chuckled, and Anna's shoulders slumped.

Honeymaren was whistling through a grass blade when Anna walked to her. She seemed to be playing a melody with it, and the redhead smiled.

"Calling the reindeers?"

The Northuldra turned to her. "How can you tell?"

"I recognized your kulning."

Honeymaren chuckled. "Yeah, I'm trying a new method. I've been teaching them to answer the same melody, but whistled, a few weeks ago before all this hell started."

"And ended." Winked Anna, who then gestured to the party the Northuldra were still having, celebrating their victory and the end of the danger, even after the meal they just had.

"Let's see if they remember the lesson." Said Honeymaren, who then kneeled to touch the ground and sense the reindeer's hooves, her eyes inspecting the horizon.

Anna scanned the area with her eyes as well, and soon all the herd came back home as asked. The two leaders smiled.

"Awesome!"

"Yep. They're the best." Grinned Honeymaren.

The redhead melted at the adorable scene then when the Northuldra hugged and petted every single reindeer, with 'Who are the best cuties?' noises.

After her greetings, she turned to her sister-in-law.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah, I'm about to depart. If I leave now, I'll be at Arendelle's castle by tomorrow night."

Honeymaren grinned. "Still not willing to let Elsa take you there on Nokk, aren't you?"

Anna's eyes widened. "Goodness gracious no. Do you have any idea how many times I almost died the last time we did that? She's crazy! I swear those two idiots lose any ounce of wisdom they have when they want to dash somewhere."

The brunette burst of laughter. "Yeah, Elsa's mostly quiet and all, but if you put her and Nokk alone on their shenanigans, she becomes lunatic."

They laughed for a moment, then hugged goodbye.

"Are you certain you're not forgetting anything before leaving? Do you need anything for the ride back? We could make you a snack…"

"I'm fine, Maren." Assured Anna with a soft giggle. "And my bags are filled with many Northuldra gifts already. I feel like they want to thank me for a thousand years."

"You deserve that. But please tell me that Ryder didn't give you any explosives…"

Anna laughed again. "No, it's fine. Keep an eye on him though, you never know."

"I will." Winked Honeymaren.

They embraced as a goodbye, and when Anna detached from the hug, she saw something blue and blurry run to them.

"Anna!" Called the Fifth Spirit, and she was holding something thick and folded in her hand.

The younger was intrigued by her presence. "What is it? We just said goodbye to each other."

"I know. But I forgot…"

She handed the object, which was purple, and Anna recognized their old Mother's scarf.

"Wh-what? What are you…"

"Please take it." Smiled Elsa.

Anna was speechless, and her jaw dropped as her gaze switched to Honeymaren, who nodded. Apparently, this had been planned between them.

"But, Elsa…"

The elder held her sister's hand despite her refusal, and placed the scarf on it. "It's yours now."

"But… The Northuldra tribe is where it belongs! It should stay here, and be carried along wherever you settle your camp!"

Elsa shook her head no. She squeezed her hand more, pressing the scarf into her hand. "I insist. We insist. It belongs in Arendelle just as well. You deserve to have mother's presence near you every day. Every time you doubt, every moment you feel down, you can grab it and use it like you used to do on me, remember?"

Anna looked down at it, her fingers stroking the fabric, so Elsa continued.

"I get to see her face every time I visit Ahtohallan. It's not your case. Please, take it with you."

The Queen gulped. "Are you sure?"

The couple nodded. "Yes." Assured Elsa. "Besides… We have our own family scarf now."

She placed her hand into Honeymaren's, and they smiled. Anna's heart felt like exploding at the whole moment. She unfolded the scarf and placed it on her shoulders.

"It will never leave me for the whole trip back."

Hours after Anna left, the night fell on the camp. It was faster than the Northuldra would have wanted, for they could celebrate without stopping to praise their leader and Spirit. But to them, the night was welcome, because their muscles were sore and a nice and comfy rest in their hut seemed a great idea.

Elsa nearly collapsed on the bed and curled on the pelts with a satisfied sigh. She just had to flick her wrist to change, and her wife eyed her from the spot she was standing at, struggling to take off her boots.

"That's just unfair." She grumbled. "You know, there aren't many things I could complain about in this marriage, but the fact you can change ten times faster than me is one of them."

Elsa chuckled from her lounged position. "That's also a bad thing for me, you know. It's a real pain to have to wait forever for you to join me in the bed."

The brunette smirked as she watched her lover stare at her with a propped head on her hand as she laid on her elbow, and once Honeymaren was finished changing - faster than usual, strangely - she also dropped herself on the bed.

The Snow Queen laughed, and her laughter turned into a gasp when Honeymaren kissed her neck. She soon found her sensible spots, and the blonde let out more panting gasps.

She placed a hand on Honeymaren's cheek, and smiled. "Why are you so expressive all of a sudden?"

"You've been quite busy celebrating with everyone today, and it felt like you were taken away from me. I'm taking back what's mine, that's all." Teased Honeymaren, who had stopped kissing her to face her as she talked, and then resumed her trails on her neck.

Elsa rolled her eyes to the ceiling of their hut, though she smiled at her flirty ways.

"And now we're home", added Honeymaren, her voice masked by her skin as she moved along her body with other kisses, "We're safe, I'm proud of you, I love you, and I want to celebrate our victory in our own way."

Elsa giggled and certainly didn't stop her. She even shivered at some of Honeymaren's paths. "Uhm… Now that there's no more danger, and I'm fully myself, I guess that we can indeed enjoy a little… Reward."

Honeymaren grinned fully, and she entirely lowered down on her before she hungrily kissed her again.

Elsa sent a gust of magic towards the candles lit in the room to blow them out, and only her floating jars provided light, setting them in a smooth mix of purples and blues.

The brunette lifted her eyes to look at the beautiful ceiling, stopping her touch for a moment to admire them once more. It brought a memory back to her, and she smirked. Elsa's husked breathing now was the only sound in the room since she made a break, and she lowered her eyes back on her wife with a smirk. She wanted to tease her a bit.

"Hey, remember that rough Winter we've been through two years ago?"

Elsa simply hummed as an answer, her eyes closed, not realizing yet that Honeymaren had stopped kissing her and was laying her cheek against her chest.

"When you refused to cuddle at night, because you saw that I shivered due to the cold and you were afraid to make me colder?"

The leader could feel through her cheek against her bare skin that the blonde started to pout, and she smirked.

"Why bring that now?" Frowned Elsa, and she seemed reluctant to have opened her eyes and lifted her head when their gazes met.

Honeymaren smirked even more. "Well, it's a bit chilly outside… Maybe it's better not to touch each other..."

On those words, she detached from Elsa, completely sitting up and even exaggeratedly taking her side on the bed. The Fifth Spirit gasped.

"You… Stinker!"

The Northuldra giggled, turning her back to her.

"Are you serious?!" Scoffed Elsa, astounded by her nerve.

Honeymaren turned around to give her a side look, and the Snow Queen had sat up with a dropped jaw. The brunette pretended not to have heard for a moment, but couldn't hold the joke much longer.

She rolled back towards Elsa and grabbed her waist, bringing her close and capturing her lips wildly.

The blonde's frown vanished at the touch and she moaned in the long contact, then Honeymaren retracted to stare at her formerly worried wife with a tender smile.

"Aw, baby, it's everything but true. You don't see how warm you are, and how you make people feel better."

Elsa had a shy smile.

"Maybe you can show me?"

She laughed loudly when Honeymaren grabbed the pelts with one hand and her with the other, hiding them under to start what was shaping up to be a long night.

THE END

Author's Note:

Wooooooo-hoooooo!

What an adventure. The length of this fic was mostly due to a new experience I wanted to try as a writer: make chapters like they are episodes of a TV show. That's useful because I'm a cliffhanger lover (lol) and I wanted to shape the stories as mini-arcs, just like a series.

What did you think of it? Did you like it? What was your favorite part of the fanfic?

Please comment and share, you've been lovelies and cuties until now.

I'll see you around in other fanfics, that's for sure! In the meantime, check out my profile for more.

/peace sign/ BUH-BYE!