Trapped by Fear

Chapter 16

(Jack's POV)

Tooth fussed too much. I was clean ages ago but she wasn't satisfied until I had cleaned myself more than I had in 300 years. When I finally got away I went to find Elsa. She hadn't moved from the spot I saw her last. Silently observing the antics of the baby tooths, lost in her own thoughts. I approached in greeting and the moment was broken. With a small start she turned towards me then greeted me with the smallest of smiles. Right, now all I had to do take her back and- wait. I had not thought this through!

In my hurry to get away from Bunny I hadn't considered the matter of transport. North must've brought her here in his sleigh, but I didn't have that with me now (not that the reindeer listened to me anyway). There was no way I was going back for the sleigh. Not only did I not want to do the long trip between the Workshop and the Tooth Palace more times than I had to, but if I went back I would be admitting that I had messed up. Bunny would mock me relentlessly for that. I could fly of course but I didn't think she could. There seemed to be one option- I would have to carry her. I had done it before when I caught her from falling so I knew I could carry her weight. It all came down to how. Thinking it over I approached her, and explained what needed to be done. Her face turned more pale than it already was.

"Y-you want me t-to fly?"

"Not exactly. I'm the one who will be doing the flying. You just have to hold on. Unless you can teleport or something. Wait, can you?"

She shook her head. Well flying it was then. She looked very uneasy. There was no way my pride would let me go back and ask north to bring his sleigh, especially since bunny was there. This was my only option.

"Hey, its okay. I won't let you fall, promise." I held out my hand for her to take. She didn't.

She was full of apprehension and eyed my outstretched hand wearily. The wind began to gust around us as if trying to encourage her.

She looked me right in the eyes, something she had never done before.

"Promise?"

"Promise"

Taking a deep breath she squeezed her eyes shut and nodded slightly. I took that as my cue and, eager to get back, I scooped her up in my arms and took off. 

-----after flying for a while-----

She was scared. That much was clear. She hadn't opened her eyes in the whole time we were flying. However, about halfway through the journey, she carefully dropped one hand to her side. Turning her palm to face out and slightly spreading her finger, she was... feeling the wind? As if to confirm my thoughts, the wind then seemingly tussled my hair. The journey took longer since there was more weight to carry and I had to slow down somewhat so as not to freak her out any more than she already was.

--arriving at workshop—

I touched down on the balcony outside the workshop. It felt weird, landing so gently and carefully. Usually I just fly around everywhere and skid to a stop or bounce off of a wall or something, its more fun that way. I placed Elsa on the ground and she wobbled for a moment as her legs became adjusted to solid land again after all that time in the air. I half-reached to steady her but she pulled away slightly, not wanting my help. She regained her balance just as North came out to greet us, one of the yetis must have seen us arriving. But before he could utter a single word I jumped in and, half-yelling, began the rant I had prepared in my head on the flight back.

"What under the moon was that North! Unicorns, swamps and Jania, JANIA?!?! Seriously, what could you possibly need those for and why did I have to get them? You could've sent Bunny for being rude but nooooo I had to do it, jeez!"

"Ah Jack, sorry about that." North replied, in a way that did not seem sorry in the slightest, "but those were important ingredients for important spell."

"What spell?" I questioned, suddenly wary.

"A sort of protection spell, I managed to dig up the recipe in the excess storage room, you know the one the elves uh 'look after'. Hohoho."

"And there weren't any alternative ingredients you could have used!"

"Am afraid not, you lucky you only had those items. Others are much much harder but luckily I had some of the last ones. So better you not meddle with this one or you might spend the next millennia trying to get them all again. But we need to have a plan for miss Elsa here. That is why we move her so much past days. Till get spell we need Pitch not to know location. Clever, yes?"

While North was talking I glanced over at Elsa. It blew my mind how one person can express so much emotion with just their eyes. She seemed...grateful for the effort but also...embarrassed? It was strange, I never saw these emotions in her faced or body language or even her voice, when she did talk. It was always in her eyes.

"Oh and Jack." North jolted me out of my thoughts," I have something for you..."

He reached behind his but before he could present me with what may have been another blasted list. I was outta there, fast as the wind, yelling, "NO, not again NEVER again!"

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A/N: Just to clarify, in this universe the wind is a sort of entity. Like in ROTG how Jack talks to it and it can mess with him and stuff. Not like a spirit or person but having some sort of sentience. It's not really an important plot point, it's just if anyone is curious. :)

Thanks for reading!

~Till next time ~