Winter's Echo
Chapter Twenty-Three - Preparations
"Do you have to go?" Elsa asked quietly, her eyes downcast as she idly toyed with the ends of her hair, her other arm wrapped around her waist. "There's no one else? You were barely conscious an hour ago..." Honeymaren smiled gently at the downtrodden queen, dropping her small bag to the ground next to a patiently waiting reindeer before slipping her arms around the blonde's trim waist. She pulled Elsa to her in a loose embrace, the winter spirit eagerly pressing closer to her with a deep sigh. Honeymaren chuckled quietly. "I am quite certain you are the only woman in the world who can maintain such an elegant air while pouting," she teased. Elsa closed her eyes and laid her head on Honeymaren's shoulder when the Northuldran wrapped her arms around her tighter, allowing her love's embrace to completely surround her. "I'm not pouting," she mumbled into her lover's neck. "I'm being serious. You're in no condition to be traveling an I'll be worried sick about you until you return..." Honeymaren pressed several slow kisses to Elsa's head and breathed in the crisp smell of winter that clung to the queen like perfume. "Everyone else has to help pack up the camp, my love. Besides, if I hurry I might be back before nightfall tomorrow," she murmured lovingly against white-gold locks, swaying slowly with her lover in her arms. "Trust me, Elsa, the last thing I want to do is leave you."
Elsa gave a small smile, breathing deeply of her love's natural scent before pulling back again to press her forehead against Honeymaren's, soaking in the closeness. "Good. Keep it that way," she muttered, a playful tone making its way into her voice. Honeymaren laughed quietly and lifted one hand to brush her fingers against the winter spirit's cheek before cupping it and closing the small distance between them to kiss her gently. After a long moment, she pulled away only enough to begin feathering slow, delicate kisses across pale features. She smiled against Elsa's cool forehead when she began to feel the queen relax in her arms under her gentle affections before pulling back slowly. "Elsa, look at me." Elsa opened her eyes to stare searchingly into the sincere, loving gaze of her noaide.
"I've made my choice, Elsa," she said earnestly, caressing the queen's cheek slowly with her thumb. "I chose you. You're my whole life now, Snowflake. Anything and everything from this day forward ends with me doing everything possible to be at your side. I need you to believe that, love." Elsa smiled a bit and nodded, looking down; even if she had the words to express how she felt, her throat was suddenly too tight to speak. Honeymaren shook her head, hooking a finger under the queen's chin and bringing her watery gaze back up to hers. "This is important. I want to hear you say it, Elsa," she whispered, searching crystal pools for the truth of the spirit queen's heart. "Tell me you know I love you...and that I'm coming back to you, not just now but always. If you believe me, I want you to say it, right now."
Elsa's eyes softened as she stared into the eyes of the woman she loved; eyes full of love, protectiveness, loyalty...and guilt. Guilt for Elsa's downward spiral of depression, for the uncertainty she felt. Elsa shook her head slightly, dropping her gaze once more. She reached out slowly to smooth imaginary wrinkles from the collar of Honeymaren's shirt, subconsciously leaning closer. She swallowed thickly, trying to rid herself of the emotional lump in her throat. "I believe you, Maren. You don't have to prove anything to me," she said gently. "Yes I do, Elsa," the Northuldran insisted. "I have everything in the world to prove to you." Elsa looked up at the adamancy in the noaide's tone. "I've shattered your confidence in me and my feelings for you." Elsa immediately opened her mouth to argue, but was silenced when Honeymaren pressed her fingers against her lips. "Elsa...I know you believe that I love you. But, I also know that you struggled to trust that it was enough. That you were enough. And just as you began to believe it, your whole world turned upside down. I'm going to do everything I can to turn it right side up again. Now," she said in a low voice before leaning in to capture the winter spirit's lips in a long, slow kiss that left the queen in a slight daze. "Say it, Elsa."
Elsa bit her lip lightly, a smile and a blush gracing pretty features. "You love me...and you're coming back to me." Honeymaren grinned and ran her fingers through silky, white-gold tresses. "Again," she whispered, making both Elsa's smile and blush that much brighter. The monarch leaned fully into her lover's warm embrace. "You love me more than anything...and you are coming home to me as fast as that reindeer will carry you. Queen's orders," she said with a shy grin. Honeymaren laughed and backed away to offer a deep, gallant bow. "Your wish is my command, Your Majesty," she said with a grin before sweeping the queen up in her arms and spinning her around, eliciting a surprised, delighted yelp from the blonde. Elsa wrapped her arms around her noaide's neck and laughed, her heart feeling a thousand times lighter than it had in the past two weeks.
When Honeymaren set her down again, Elsa quickly looked around before grabbing her hand and pulling the dark-haired woman a few feet away. She tugged until they were out of sight of others in the camp behind the cover of a large, old tree. Elsa leaned back against the tree, reaching up to grab two fistfuls of the shirt collar she had just straightened and yanking her close, kissing her with all the passion she had to give. The winter spirit poured two weeks' worth of fear, longing, need, and love into that one searing, mind-numbing kiss. Honeymaren groaned and instinctively pressed against Elsa, pushing her up against the tree and returning the kiss earnestly, tangling her hands in the queen's silken locks. When they were finally forced to part for breath, Elsa cupped Honeymaren's face in her hands, staring into her eyes meaningfully. "You love me...and you're coming home to me," she panted before placing a slow, soft kiss against her love's lips. When she pulled back, she flashed the noaide a dazzling smile. "Remember that I love you, too...and I'll always be waiting for you."
Honeymaren smiled warmly at the queen, pressing her forehead against hers and closing her eyes. "I'll try not to keep you waiting, my love." Elsa smiled and kissed the upturned corner of the dark-haired woman's lips before pulling back and giving her a gentle, playful push. "See that you don't, noaide. Now get going so you can hurry back." Honeymaren grinned and walked back to the reindeer that was grazing contentedly, picking up her pack and tying it off to the beast's harness before swiftly mounting him with practiced ease. She gathered up the reigns and grinned down at the winter spirit. "Until tomorrow, my goddess," she said with a wink. Elsa blushed at the nickname, but smiled and made a shooing motion with her hand that turned into a small wave as the Northuldran clicked her tongue, urging her antlered steed forward and disappearing through the trees.
Elsa watched her go, the smile slowly falling from her face the further away the noaide got. She lowered her hand and sighed deeply before wrapping her arms around herself and turning to walk back to the camp to find her sister, forcing herself to get back to the task at hand. She needed to meet with the other Spirits to determine a course of action, though she already knew they would do whatever she asked of them. The spirit bit her lip, wondering for the thousandth time if this was the best idea. How could she be certain what Ulrik would do? What if all this panic was for nothing and they never heard from him again? What if he was turning around right now and was planning a quiet assassination?
She always came back to the same conclusion, however. Ulrik was not a creature - for she refused to call him a man - that was capable of taking 'no' for an answer on anything. He had proven that the night he tried to assault Elsa in her own castle. He murdered his own parents to become the ruler of a kingdom that Elsa had little doubt existed in misery under his cruel thumb. While she was hesitant to rule out the possibility that Ulrik was evil and crazy enough to try to sneak back into the forest to kill Elsa, she was decently confident he cared more about his triumph being public and grand-scale.
"Elsa!"
The queen was pulled out of her dark musings by Anna's voice calling to her from across the camp, jogging up to her with a smile on her face. The smile fell a bit, turning into one of sympathetic understanding as she neared her sister, taking in her defensive self-hug posture and anxious eyes. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug that Elsa gratefully returned with a small smile. "I'll be alright, don't worry," the blonde said gently as she pulled away. "I know," Anna replied with her own little smile. "But that doesn't mean a hug won't help get you there faster, now does it?" Elsa laughed a little and nodded. "Point taken, sis. Where are we at?"
Anna looped her arm through her sister's and the two of them walked back to the communal area of the camp. "Gale has already left with the message I wrote to Kristoff," she began. "I told him to bring his wagon and Sven, but not to tell Olaf. I figured it was best if he stayed in Arendelle, so I told him to ask Olaf to go around the kingdom and find out about everyone's favorite Yule traditions that we might be able to share with the Northuldra. I figured that would keep him busy for a while." Elsa blinked and smiled proudly at her sister. "That's...actually a very good idea, Anna." The redhead grinned and shrugged. "Olaf gets his mischievous personality from me. If either of us aren't given something to busy ourselves with, we will find something on our own that is likely much less convenient," she said with a smirk.
Elsa smiled knowingly at her younger sister. "It's also where he gets his amazing love of life that fills everyone that meets him with joy and makes him one of the most caring, warm souls that exists," she said sincerely, gently nudging the redhead. Anna blushed a bit and smiled back at her sister, saying nothing as the two selected a log in front of the fire and sat down. Two large wooden slabs piled high with delicious smelling roasted meats and vegetables were immediately handed to them by one of the nomads, which they both accepted gratefully. Elsa laughed a little as Anna practically drooled over some of the savory selections before quickly digging in, moaning appreciatively as she savored the rich flavor. "Slow down, Anna, you'll choke," she chided gently, though her own stomach rumbled loudly as she, too, began to succumb to the tantalizing aromas. She hadn't eaten terribly well in Arendelle, too wrapped up in her pain to even think about food, much less keep anything down. Elsa blushed when her stomach gave another angry growl and Anna just gave her a pointed smirk. "Mhmm," the redhead said around a mouthful of food before digging back in while Elsa rolled her eyes and began her own much-needed meal.
She and Anna took the rest of that night to come up with a strategy, keeping the idea to themselves until they formed a solid plan to avoid any panic. The queen sorely missed her noaide's presence at dinner and for the rest of the evening. She opted to cuddle up to her beloved sister in her smaller, untouched lavvo rather than spend the night alone in the one she and her love shared. It wasn't all unpleasant, however, despite her poor quality of sleep. She really did miss that kind of closeness with Anna and treasured every moment they spent together.
The next morning, Elsa had gathered with the other Spirits at Ahtohallan to discuss the winter spirit's plan. "I know I am asking much of you when we have only just recently decided to become more directly involved in the lives of the Northuldra, but I ask you to stand with me and defend our people against the tyranny and evil of this false king," she had declared. None of the other elementals questioned her choice, pledging their loyalty and service to their mistress without hesitation. Later that afternoon, the sisters met with Yelana for several hours to explain the circumstances and hash out the details of Elsa's plan to deal with Ulrik once and for all. It was decided that they would leave as soon as possible to be sure they were far beyond danger should the angry king throw caution and planning to the wind and simply turn around halfway to Calabria. Kristoff should be there soon enough with his sled to help cart supplies from the forest to Arendelle. Elsa could simply make another ice ship to ferry the tribe down the fjord as she had done when she and Honeymaren had visited during the solstice, but Elsa herself would have to accompany them. The magical queen couldn't shake her worry of leaving the forest completely defenseless should Ulrik decide to turn around and simply raze it to the ground with a few well-placed fires. Both Elsa and Anna assured Yelana that the Northuldra would be well provided for and taken care of once in the safety of Arendelle's walls. They were few enough in number that housing them within the palace would be a simple matter, which was the topic currently under discussion.
The elder Northuldran was hesitant, fearing her people would feel far too out of place amongst the more industrialized people of Arendelle, even more so in the luxurious environment of the castle. Anna grinned reassuringly and pointed out that Kristoff and Sven had adapted to palace life quite nicely, and even Honeymaren had made several comments on the comforts the palace had to offer. Yelana gave a rare half-smile and acquiesced to that particular point; Honeymaren had been quite fond of the beds, after all. Elsa reached out to rest her hand on Yelana's shoulder, calling the old woman's attention to her. "Don't worry, Yelana," she said reassuringly. "Arendelle is a place of love and tolerance. They were unsure of Honeymaren at first, but they obviously quickly grew to love her. We are not the regime of our grandfather. I accidentally froze the entire kingdom with absolutely no knowledge on how to thaw it and still, they accepted my rule readily and with open arms. I swear to you, you will be welcomed with the same love and understanding."
Yelana suddenly dipped her head in deference to Elsa. "I trust your judgement, Spirit. You and your sister are the bridge meant to bring our two peoples and lands together and the generous offerings they sent back with you carried your people's true, honest intentions with them. We will follow you on this path without question." Elsa blinked at the sudden acceptance, but nodded her thanks to the older woman, smiling after her as she walked away. "Well, that went smoother than I thought," Elsa commented before sighing deeply and turning to her sister, tilting her head curiously at the large grin lighting up her freckled face. "What?" she asked with a laugh.
Elsa yelped in surprise when arms encircled her from behind, jumping forward and spinning around. She gasped when she saw her noaide standing there with open arms, a bright grin on her bruised face. Smudges of dirt speckled her skin and her clothes; her hair had been braided at some point, but was such a wind-blown mess one could hardly tell. Her clothes were covered in green and brown stains from dirt and grass and only the Gods knew what else.
She was beautiful.
"Maren!" Elsa cried, leaping forward into her lover's arms and clinging to her as Honeymaren laughed and returned the embrace, burying her face into a curtain of white-gold and inhaling deeply. "Hello, beautiful," she murmured into her silky locks, opening her eyes to flash a smile and a wink at Anna who subtly wiped a happy tear from the corner of her eye. She was sure she would eventually get used to Elsa being so happy and in love; until then, each happy moment between the two she was privileged enough to witness was a small, utterly deserved 'happily ever after' for her beloved sister that made Anna's heart soar. As Honeymaren pulled back just enough to kiss the excited blonde, Anna politely turned away to give them some privacy. She caught Yelana smiling warmly at the pair from a short distance away and grinned knowingly at the elder Northuldran. She knew Honeymaren's approach is exactly why she had so abruptly ended their conversation.
Anna walked the short distance to stand with her, leaving the two reunited lovers in their own little world for the time being. She leaned against the tree Yelana was standing next to, watching with a smile as the pair talked as though they had a million secrets that belonged just to them. "They are a fine match," Yelana commented quietly as she watched them. "I hope, for all of our sakes, they find balance." Anna blinked and looked at the older woman curiously. "What do you mean?" Yelana turned to regard Anna with a grim expression. "Your sister and my granddaughter have great destinies ahead of them. They are two people capable of too much; companions who push each other to extremes. Such situations don't often end well." Anna frowned, fully turning to face Yelana. She didn't like what the older woman was insinuating. "They are both fantastic people," Anna said sternly. "And they bring out the best in each other."
"They are also a dangerous combination of a passionate and powerful elemental spirit and a spiritually blessed young warrior so very similar to her," Yelana said seriously, locking eyes with the young monarch. "Your sister could have caused irreversible damage to the forces of nature itself when she saved Honeymaren. Look how far they go for fear of losing each other. Now, they are about to be tested in ways neither of them has ever been. What do you foresee happening next, Your Majesty?" Anna chewed her lip, glancing back to the blissfully unaware lovers and smiling slightly when she saw her beloved sister pick a leaf out of the tangled mess of the noaide's hair. The pair laughed before Honeymaren tenderly cupped the blonde's cheek, pulling her close and kissing her softly. She turned back to Yelana then, a confident smile on her face.
"I have faith in them, Yelana. They will always strive to do what is right because both Honeymaren and my sister are strong, kind, dutiful women who put the greater good over their own happiness, often to the point of being a fault," she said with conviction, folding her hands in front of her serenely. Yelana regarded the young queen thoughtfully for a long moment before speaking. "You are quite the optimist," she commented, though there was no malice or disapproval in her voice. Anna shrugged a bit, looking back at the pair with a smile as they began to approach them, their hands entwined. "I am...and I always will be. I am the hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams. And do you know why, Yelana?" The older woman raised a curious eyebrow in askance, and Anna looked at her with a soft smile. "Because if my sister has taught me anything, it is that hate and fear are always foolish...and love is always wise."
Yelana stared at the redhead in wonder as Elsa and Honeymaren approached, bright smiles on their faces. "What are you two up to over here?" Honeymaren asked curiously, wrapping an arm around Elsa's waist as she sensed the odd tension between the two. "Is everything alright?" Yelana smiled and gave Anna a small, respectful nod. "It is, child. The Queen and I were just trading some insights," she said before looking back at her granddaughter and raising an eyebrow. "And you are in desperate need of a bath." Honeymaren grinned sheepishly as Elsa pulled a small twig from her hair with an amused grin, a matching one growing on her younger sister's face. "As much as I love you, she's right," Elsa commented, flicking the stick away. Honeymaren rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in fake exasperation. "Fine, I'll take a bath," she said melodramatically before smiling at Elsa. "I'll see you tonight, love," she said warmly before kissing her cheek and walking away, waving to Anna and Yelana. Elsa watched her go with a smile before turning to her sister and the elder Northuldran. "Shall we continue our planning?" she asked, gesturing to the logs near the fire.
A couple of hours later, the details of the Northuldra's trip to Arendelle were solidly laid out to Yelana's satisfaction, the only sticking point being that the elder demanded both Honeymaren and Anna accompany them on their journey. "I don't think it wise for us to simply arrive in droves to a kingdom not expecting us without proper representation from both peoples providing a unified front," Yelana said decisively. Elsa nodded in agreement, which aggravated Anna to no end. "We are not going to leave Elsa out here alone, that's unacceptable. We can send word ahead with Gale to our council and inform them of what is happening," she insisted. "Anna," Elsa said gently, touching her younger sister's forearm. "Yelana is right. This is much too delicate of a situation to simply hand off to the council with no warning and no way of authenticating anything." As Anna opened her mouth to argue, Elsa held up her hand. "But, I understand your hesitation." Elsa stood and paced in deep concentration for a moment, one hand wrapped around her waist while the other held her chin in thought. "I think both you and Maren should ride Nokk to Arendelle to prepare for the arrival of the Northuldra," she suggested slowly. "That way, both of you can see to the preparations necessary for everyone to be comfortable and provided for. Nokk will be the fastest way for both of you to return, as well." Both Anna and Yelana blinked for a moment at the solid idea, neither seeming to find any fault in it. "Then it's settled," Elsa said with a small smile. "When Kristoff gets here, we will tell him of our plan and have him escort the Northuldra to Arendelle. Anna, you and Honeymaren will leave shortly after on Nokk to make preparations and receive them. Help them get settled in with whatever they need, then both of you will ride Nokk back here while we wait for Ulrik. Agreed?" Both Anna and Yelana nodded in understanding and acceptance, much to Elsa's relief. Yelana nodded her head respectfully to both women before turning and walking away to collect and prepare her people for their upcoming journey.
Once she was out of sight, the blonde let out a deep sigh and dropped unceremoniously on the log near the fire, finally allowing her queenly persona to fade away with the light of the day. She felt drained, mentally and emotionally as she rubbed her temples, trying to soothe the massive headache that had been steadily building over the past day and a half. Anna came to sit next to her, gently bumping her shoulder against the blonde's. "I'm proud of you, Elsa," she said encouragingly. "You really are amazing. Arendelle and the Northuldra are lucky to have you to guide them." Elsa smiled tiredly and brushed her bangs back against her face, running her fingers down the length of her hair that rested over her left shoulder. "You've been amazing, too, Anna. We really do make a wonderful team." Anna nodded her agreement, resting her head on her sister's shoulder.
They sat in companionable silence for a few moments before a tell-tale whistling noise caused both women to look up and search their surroundings. Heralded by her usual accompaniment of leaves, Gale twirled playfully around the siblings. She blew through Anna's hair, tossing it to and fro before whirling around Elsa's shoulders, leaving a giggling Anna to attempt to fix her tousled locks. *The deed is done, mistress,* came the wind spirit's airy voice. "She delivered the invitation," Elsa informed Anna, who stilled her motions to meet Elsa's serious gaze. "No going back now." Anna nodded in understanding. "Then nothing more need be done now," the redhead said as she stood and stretched. "Let's get some sleep. Besides," she intoned slyly. "If I heard correctly, it sounds like you have a romantic rendezvous to get to," she tacked on, wagging her eyebrows suggestively at her sister. "I'm pretty sure I heard someone passing by say that Honeymaren was back in the camp and had asked not to be disturbed." Elsa's face turned beet red at her sister's teasing. With a flick of her wrist, a pile of snow dropped onto Anna's head, causing the redhead to squeal and bounce around, desperately brushing the freezing fluff from her hair. She simply laughed and hugged Elsa from behind, reaching around to place an affectionate kiss on her cheek. "Seriously, enjoy your night, Elsa," she said lovingly. "You've more than earned a romantic night away from all this craziness." The winter spirit smiled, placing her arms over her sister's and returning the squeeze. "I love you too, Anna. Get some sleep."
Elsa watched her sister walk happily across the clearing and disappear into her lavvo. Elsa chuckled quietly to herself, shaking her head good-naturedly before turning her gaze to the larger tent she and Honeymaren had shared since she had come to stay in the forest. Her heart fluttered in excitement at the thought that said woman was likely inside waiting for her. She smiled to herself as she recalled the last two day's events concerning the beautiful Northuldran, still not believing how lucky she was that such a passionate, beautiful, devoted woman was in her life. Elsa traced her lips lightly with her thumb, remembering the intoxicating feel of warm, full lips pressed passionately against them and her smile widened, a light pink dusting her cheeks. Without a second thought, the blonde rose from her seat and walked briskly to their shared abode only to pause outside the entrance, biting her lip in hesitation. She wasn't sure why, but she felt a knot of anticipation in her stomach. Somehow she knew that she was about to walk into something that would change her life forever. She didn't know how, but she did know that as long as Honeymaren was the catalyst for that change, then she would be changed for good. She took a deep, steadying breath before pulling back the opening of the lavvo and walking inside.
AN:
As always, read and review! Let me know what you think! 3
-Volchise