Friend or Foe (Elsa X Fem!Reader) Frozen/FrozenII

Chapter 12 - Bolder

It's quiet. I carefully dare to glance around through my eyelashes, the shadow of my lowered head covering my anxious eyes. I watched the feet jog, walk and stumble by, but not one pair stayed to jeopardise me doing my tasks of the day. It was peaceful almost, yet it made the air thicken around me.

This didn't make me feel peaceful, it left me afraid instead. Because what can I expect now, it has never been this quiet around here before. There has to be at least someone that just has to blow off some steam and decides to take it out on me. It was strange, but in this moment of peace at the place of terror, I started feeling some sort of homesick.

As this is nothing I know of this place. This is not normal. How come no one has even glared at me, not even a glance. I shivered and quickly looked down at the axe in my hand. My knuckles whitening as my mind forced my body to think it was under attack. Letting it think I had taken a punch to the gut, making it think I took a kick to my shin and a knee to the face. Just to ease the tangled wiring in my head.

“Good afternoon.” I did almost let a sigh of relief escape my lungs, but I forced it back, making my breathing stakker slightly. That sweet greeting was quickly followed by that familiar chuckle, suggesting there to be something dark behind her gentle approach.

Why couldn't I accept the quiet? I silently turned my back to Eden to continue chopping wood, even though I knew she would keep standing behind me. I started reaching for another block, but another pair of hands were faster than mine and as quick as I could blink the wooden block was offered to me. I narrowed my eyes, looking past the block to catch those grey orbs staring back at me with a disturbingly calm gaze.

I snatched the block from her hands with an irritated grunt, but nothing could have prepared me for what she did next. Eden smiled, and not one of those sinister ones, a decent one. A smile that made me halt in place, if her gaze had been disturbing before, it was nothing compared to this decor. She has nice teeth… I quickly shook my head and slammed the piece of wood on the chopping block before hastily grabbing the axe again. 

I picked it up, letting it hit the surface of the chopping block softly, taking in a deep breath to find the strength to raise the axe above my head. I can feel her eyes. I took in a deep breath through my gritted teeth, biting my tongue to hold it and keep it from taking her bait. They burn into the side of my head. I inhaled one last calming breath and… “I came to help you with your chores.” I tightened my grip on the hilt before swinging the axe down with intent to leave nothing but as little as splinters left of the wood.

The block split in two, the parts tumbling to the ground violently while I found the axe now stuck on the chopping block. "No." I heard a soft humming as acknowledgement from Eden, hoping she did leave it by just that, but knowing she wouldn't.

"Are you sure?" Came that mischievous voice again and just as I was about to face her head on, a quick jab to my side left my knees to buckle and my lungs to malfunction. I bit my tongue yet again to hold back the scream wanting to break my lips apart. The assault to my still bruised skin and ribs turned the before manageable throbbing to burning waves of pain through my whole body. "With the state that you're in, I suggest you accept my help."

Slender fingers softly stroked through my hair, making it even harder to hold back the urge to just throw up. But luckily the soft stroking turned into a rough push to the side, having me quickly reach out to break my fall. I gritted my teeth at the tension in my abdomen, moving my arm to wrap across it in hopes of shielding it from any upcoming kicks.

But nothing came, making me carefully look up to find Eden rip the axe out of the chopping block. "I will handle the axe, cause I've been watching you struggle for a while." She lifted the axe to rest against her shoulder, her free hand finding its place to rest on her hip. Some of her dark brown hair falling around her face, but leaving an opening for her gray eye to find me. "You will give me the blocks to chop."