Inflamed - a Frozen story

9. The calm before the firestorm

After Anna, Kristoff, Ryder and the reindeers had went to get the earth giants, Honeymaren went to see Yelena. The old lady was still unconscious. Her breathing was calm and steady, but behind her lids it twitched again and again, as if she was having wild dreams. As if the demon was still raging inside her mind... She had never seen her leader like this before and the sight disturbed her deeply. Now Elsa would go right into this fiery hell - and who could tell what would happen to her there? Honeymaren couldn't do anything useful. She was helpless. She could not prevent some tears running down her cheeks. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she looked up, she looked into Eetu's dark eyes.

With two or three hand movements, Elsa froze an entire chestnut tree. Suspiciously she looked at her palms. The spell was working just as strong and well as it always had. Why had it not worked out in the cave? Anyway... When she returned to this cave, she would have to rely on the power of the spirits. She wasn't sure how it was supposed to work - but she knew it just had to. The forest depended on it - and maybe everyone she loved, too. 

She tried a few bigger and smaller spells, then she wanted to summon the spirits - Anna would soon be here with the earth giants. But before it all would start, Elsa wanted to say goodbye to Honeymaren...

The events of the day had turned out so quickly that Elsa hadn't found a moment to think about what had actually happened at the waterfall. Perhaps it was like that because nothing had really happened - Elsa had tried to make it look like that, as if that kiss was just a matter of an insignificant trial and error. She was still a little ashamed of what she had done. But in the end, the result has been worth it... She ran her fingertips across her lips. Maybe romantic love wasn't so threatening after all? 

Honeymaren stepped out of the tent where Yelena was lying. She looked dejected. This weird feeling fluttered in Elsa's chest again... She wanted to comfort her. Say something uplifting to her... or just hug her. Again it took her some overcoming - but in the end, the desire was too huge. With a feeling like little wings were fluttering in her heart, Elsa walked up to Honeymaren - and stopped again as Eetu also came out of the tent. Elsa neither understood what he was saying nor what she was answering. But she saw how he pulled her into his arms and how she laid her head on his broad chest. Then he ran his hand over her hair. The wings in Elsa's heart stopped, froze - and fell into nowhere. Forcing herself to look away, she turned on the spot and ran in the opposite direction.

A thousand thoughts wrestled in her for supremacy. What did she think? What did she expect?! She had already seen them at the party - and no matter what Honeymaren had said about his kiss, no one could deny how good they looked together. Everyone would be happy if they became a couple... And Love could develop. Just because their kiss had catapulted Elsa into other spheres - how could she assume that for Honeymaren it was the same? How stupid she was! Stupid and naive. 

When she was far enough from the camp, she grabbed a tree and put her forehead against its cool trunk. She had always known. Why did it still knock her off track again and again? She was different. The normal way wasn't her way. Love, relationship, togetherness - that was something for the others. For normal people. Not for the snow queen.

One or two cold tears ran down her cheeks. A soft wind blew through her hair and face. "Gale?" Elsa asked softly and she felt another warm breeze. A squeak behind her made her turn around. Bruni sat there in front of her and looked at her with large, curious eyes. A crackle made her look to the right - the Nøkk slowly came towards her through the tree trunks. As if the spirits of nature had sensed that a part of them was out of balance, they now sought their proximity. It made Elsa smile. "I'm glad to be a part of you", she said, genuinely touched. And then she collected herself and pushed all emotions aside: "You know what we have to do."