Inflamed - a Frozen story

7. At the waterfall

They reached the Northuldra camp when the sun was already leaning towards the horizon.  Yelena was not there. The few remaining Northuldra reported that their leader and two other riders had gone to the Mountain of Fire to see if everything was alright. She was expected to come back today. "I cannot believe she did that! Sends us to Arendelle and goes off to the mountain", Honeymaren cursed. "You know how she is ...", Ryder muttered, scratching his hat. "What shall we do now?" Both looked at Elsa, who was struggling why she hadn't ridden to the mountain in Yelena's place. But the wise woman had told them to go to Arendelle... And they had to trust her. "We should wait for her return", she said. "Maybe she'll come back with new information - and then we'll tell her about the flints." Ryder and Honeymaren nodded sourly. They could only hope that nothing happened to Yelena at this mountain...

Exhausted from the trip, worried about Yelena and the whole forest - and also completely emotionally troubled - Elsa spent the waiting time aimlessly strolling through the forest. She had the feeling that everything was just about to slip away from her. The protection of the forest... her feelings ... Honeymaren... And if Olaf was right, and he was always good with weird facts, even the glaciers were melting all over the world! No matter how big or small the problems were, Elsa seemed unable to solve any of them. 

She sat down at the edge of the waterfall and watched the sunset. Sometimes, she enjoyed the melancholy. But right now, she was afraid of just watching the metaphor of her own fate. "Everything alright?" Elsa winced when she heard Honeymaren's voice. "Everything... is fine", she replied weakly and unconvincingly. "Yelena knows what she's doing", Honeymaren said as she sat down next to Elsa. 

"Definitely."

"She just wanted us to have a good time... Since the fog cleared, she thinks we all have so much to catch up with."

"Parties in Arendelle?" Elsa smiled.

"Yea, that too. It was really great though."

"Yes, it looked like you and Eetu had a lot of fun together."

Elsa bit her tongue. How could she say something like that and sound so bitterly?!

"Well, you didn't want to dance...", Honeymaren said and then Elsa burst out: "They say you kissed." 

She didn't dare to look her directly in the face, but from the corner of her eye Elsa thought she could see that Honeymaren was surprised. "Well...", Honeymaren began hesitantly. "First of all, we did not kiss - he kissed me. And secondly... I don't know..." She sighed. 

The two women sat in silence for a few minutes. Several thoughts and sentences raged in Elsa - but she neither wanted to continue to sound so beastly, nor did she want to end the subject again. She had to find out how Honeymaren felt about Eetu...

"And how did it feel?" Elsa clasped her legs tightly, ready to endure the answer like an iron mountain that nothing could shake.

"You want to know how...?"

"How it felt to kiss him."

Elsa's tension seemed to be transferred on Honeymaren, as she stared motionlessly at the horizon. "It was ...", she then said, obviously trying to formulate a serious answer. "It was strange. A little wet. And I wanted to run."

"You wanted to run?"

"I was just happy when he let go of me again!"

Elsa's muscles relaxed. A little.

"Why do you ask", Honeymaren wondered and Elsa's heart began to beat faster. It was a good question and an invitation to speak honestly to her friend. But Elsa's throat felt like it was constricted. She had to say something. "I ...", she began hesitantly. "I was just wondering... what it's like."

"What it's like to kiss?"

"Hmmm."

Oh, that was so stupid! Now Elsa sounded like a naive little schoolgirl who only thought about boys, kissing and getting married all day. A little bit like Anna. If the ground had opened, Elsa would not have resisted to sink right into it.

"Well, at the end of the day, it's just lips... on each other", Honeymaren said. "Not much more."

"If it's so inconsequential, why do people do it?"

"It can definitely be... beautiful..."

Honeymaren's cheeks were slightly flushed, her fawn eyes were looking for support on the horizon.

"When would it be nice?"

"When you... love each other, I guess."

"And if you don't love each other, nothing happens?"

"I ... don't know", Honeymaren shrugged, nervously fiddling with her braid. 

As much as she was ashamed of pretending to be more naive than she really was, something about Honeymaren's embarrassment began to excite Elsa. What did Anna say to her? You have to take risks from time to time - and you know how to do it: You just start walking without knowing where it is going! You give up control - and just dare.

"I would like to know what it's like", she heard herself say - and as the hell itself started raging inside of her, she commanded her inner voices to shut up.

At first, Honeymaren said nothing. Her gaze flicked back and forth between Elsa, the horizon and the ground. Obviously, Elsa had to be clearer. She released her arms from her legs and turned to Honeymaren. The purest tension met her. For a split second, Elsa heard all her doubts cry out again, but it was too late to turn back. She looked in Honeymaren's eyes. And then, Elsa said, "Would you kiss me?"

Honeymaren sat there as if she was frozen in motion and just when Elsa was afraid that she had gone too far, she did move: "...me?" 

Elsa almost wanted to smile at Honeymaren's frightened expression and her trembling voice. She felt more of an urge to protect her - but instead she put her in this strange situation! However, there was no turning back. "If... there's not much to it" Elsa said. "...and at least, I finally would know how it feels."

Honeymaren still looked rigid with shock.

"But if you don't want to, I can absolutely understand that. I am sorry! I... I just thought..." 

"It's okay", Honeymaren said in a choked voice. And now Elsa was getting nervous. 

Honeymaren loosened her stiff posture and moved closer to her. Suddenly Elsa thought her heart had to jump right out of her chest, it was pounding so hard through her whole body. She got hot. What if her powers went crazy again?

"Look at me", she heard Honeymaren say. "A little higher", she almost whispered as she gently lifted Elsa's chin. Her face was very close now. Elsa felt her breath. "Ready?"

Elsa was only able to nod, barely noticeable to the eye. "Then... let it go", she heard Honeymaren say and then she felt her lips on hers.

 A warmth flowed through her that she didn't know. It was as if her pounding heart was expanding and melting at the same time. Could time stand still? Elsa did not believe in it and yet in these seconds she lost all sense of space and time. It tingled her skin, down her neck, and down her back - a shiver of excitement. Almost like her strength - demanding and simply unrestrained. The thought made her wince. 

She looked into Honeymaren's gentle eyes. "Are you okay?" "Yes", Elsa mumbled just like she was awakening from a daze. Honeymaren looked up and Elsa already knew what she was seeing there. A thousand little snowflakes were dancing gently in the wind. A shy smile formed on Honeymaren's lips. And as Elsa felt this warm feeling inside of her chest, she smiled too.

Just when she felt the courage to lean forward and repeat the kiss, a call rang out from the forest: "Maren! Elsa!" Instantly alarmed, the two women rose just as Ryder came running towards them. "The Mountain of Fire", he gasped. "Yelena - she disappeared! Her troop just came back - without her! You - you have to come!"