Winter Moon (Jelsa)

Chapter 32: Elsa

So... I lied when I said I would update soon. I am very, very, very sorry. But here it is! I do not want to lie again, so I do not know when the next update will be. Sorry about that.

Despite hours of searching through ancient texts, Elsa did not find anything that remotely explained that weird anomaly with her power. Her best guess, gathered through extensive research and deductive reasoning, was that the odd moment where she was able to control the darkness suggested that her affinity lay to multiple elements, not just ice.

Whatever the reason, Elsa was starting to get tired of the lack of answers.

Jack snoozed next to her, drooling into an illustration of Annalise's statue, his eyes covered by unkempt white hair. He was in need of a haircut and quite possibly a bath. 

For whatever reason, Elsa found herself studying Jack, the way his long lashes brushed his skin, the firm set of his eyebrows, the cut of his jaw, the curve of his lips—

Elsa tore her eyes away, feeling herself blush. Though Jack seemed to act no differently, Elsa felt slightly odd every time they came into physical contact, even if they accidentally bumped elbows or something even more minor.

This is ridiculous, Elsa told herself. Get it together. There's a sword to find and a god to stop before I worry about something as trivial as feelings.

Allowing herself a moment to breathe, Elsa gathered her books into her arms and nudged Jack awake with her foot. "Come on, Frost. Let's go find our friends, shall we?"

"As you wish, Snowflake," Jack mumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Elsa found herself watching curiously, had he always been this cute?

She quickly clamped down on the thought before it could drift down the bond. 

"Did you learn anything new about the Sword, Annalise, or Imora?" Elsa queried aloud to him.

"Not really," Jack replied. "Though I did read something interesting about the Immortal Sword. Apparently, one of the properties of the weapon was that it could be hidden anywhere. It takes different forms to stay hidden, such as a trinket in an antiques shop. However, when someone claims it, it reverts to its original form."

"That certainly won't make it easier for us," Elsa groused, striding over to where Hiccup and Astrid were working. 

"You guys should take a break," Elsa told Hiccup and Astrid. "Go find something to eat and take a nap. Unless you've found something interesting."

Astrid sighed. "Okay. Good idea."

Elsa and Jack continued to wind through the library, repeating the message tot he rest of their friends. When they had finished, Elsa turned to Jack. "You should go too."

"What about you?" Jack countered. 

Elsa began nudging him to the door. "I'll be right behind you. I just need a few minutes."

Jack nodded trustingly. "Sure. I'm heading to the kitchens then."

Smiling, Elsa watched him trudge off, the weight of exhaustion and expectation heavy on Jack's shoulders. She could feel it on hers as well. 

Elsa turned to face the larger part of the library. "I don't know if you have it, but I need a book on Arendellian law."

In response, Elsa felt a rustle of wind, and a green-covered, gold-paged book whooshed down from a higher level into Elsa's arms. She plucked the heavy tome from the air and laid it on the table, whispering to herself, "Let's begin, shall we?"

~ ~ ~

Three days after their arrival, they left the North Pole. Elsa knew she would miss the comforts of civilization, but they had to press on. 

The skyship hummed to life, sails unfurling and ropes tying and untying themselves. North had refreshed the enchantment so that the skyship worked independently and didn't need a crew to man it all the time.

Elsa grabbed her braid as it whipped wildly in the wind. Deftly, she pinned it to her head, a bit like a crown. She had donned a light winter jacket as well as pants and boots made from tougher material, but she still didn't feel any cold even this far north.

They had been sailing for hours when Jack joined her at the helm. His frosty white hair had been tousled by the wind, not that Elsa thought it made him even more attractive or anything.

"What is it?" she asked, reading his face and uneasy feelings radiating from the bond.

"This wind," Jack murmured, "it doesn't feel right. It feels almost... dangerous."

Elsa reached out with a tendril of her power, testing the icy air. There was an edge to it, as if the wind was not entirely natural.

As if on cue, it picked up so suddenly that a gust slammed into the side of the skyship, making it rock precariously in the air. Elsa grabbed the rail for balance as another gale whipped through the air, ripping the sail off the mast.

"I can't control it!" Jack yelled, holding his staff up into the air. "It's not responding!"

"Maybe because someone else is controlling it!" Hiccup cried as he was thrown several feet across the deck.

"Hold on tight!" Elsa screamed, clinging to the rail. She reached out and grabbed Jack's hand before he was flung off the side of the ship.

The wind was roaring in her ears. Elsa heard a scream that might have been Rapunzel's. 

And then there was the loud crack of wood snapping. Elsa felt herself fall. She felt her hand being ripped from Jacks.

It ended in silence. Deafening, terrifying silence.

And then darkness, as Elsa's world numbed and vanished.