Dark (Big Six)

Chapter 18

"What are you going to do to him?" I numbly speak, freezing still as he paces around me in tight circles. The small gap of space between us is thick with intense tension as I wait for him to speak.

"Don't worry, it will be quick and painless." he stopped walking momentarily to speak under a chuckle. "Maybe," I glare at him and earn an opposite reaction then what I was going for. He grins and rests a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't touch me," I jerk back but he only pulls me in to him.

"It's not too late, Elsa," he whispers. "come with me and we can be together like we should be. Leave the traitors behind," I feel the heat radiating off of him, causing an uneasy feeling to rise. We can't be together, even if I wanted him. He's hot and I'm cold.

"No," I can't get out of his grip and I whimper. "Hans, I'm with Jack and that won't change. You can come with us back to camp! They still want you-"

"I don't care." he interrupts. "I've got business to tend to in the Southern Mountains- oh dear, I think I've said too much." he held a hand over his face and raised an eyebrow. "Forget that."

"What are you planning on doing?" I ask impatiently and he draws his sword and slices my arm swiftly, leaving a haunting sting. He smiles as if to say, 'just a little scar to remember me by'.

"Whatever it is, It'll be fun." he grins before disappearing in the blanketed dark trees.

Jack

I glance around at my friends casually, waiting for Elsa to return. Rapunzel is twirling her endlessly long hair while talking to Flynn about who knows what and Merida listens in intently. I glance at Hiccup who stares at the fire as if it were an egg beginning to hatch.

"Jack," he says.

"Yeah?" I turn my head to find him slightly apprehensive.

"I have a question," he starts and I nod for him to continue. "how did you take out all of Hans' men back in Pitch's place? You made it seem like it was easy to just knock all of them out at once."

"I don't really know." I answer honestly. "I was just worried about getting to Elsa and I was willing to do whatever it took to get to her even if she was.." I trail off, not wanting to say 'dead'. That was by far the most painful thing to watch. She just collapsed.
I feel an ache in my chest as the scene replayed in my head.

"It was amazing." he pats my back and half smiles.

Just as I'm about to reply, I catch the sound of someone approaching. I look to the mouth of the cave and see Elsa stumble in, holding her arm. My eyes widen when I see it to be stained crimson. "Elsa!" I gasp and rush past the puzzled Rapunzel and Flynn to grab hold of her. "What happened?" I watch her steadily as she looks up at me with hazy eyes. Had she been crying?

"Hans found me." she whimpers and I pick her up in my arms and being her over by the make-shift log chairs we'd made. Hans. I feel an anger build up in my chest as I imagine him getting to her again. Why didn't I go with her?

"He cut you?" I emphasize and she nods. "Hiccup, find me some water." I tell him and he nods before dashing out of the cave, Flynn close behind. The two girls inch over and talk to Elsa, asking hundreds of questions but only earning half nods. She looks petrified.

"Jack," she finally muttered. "he wants revenge on me."

"I know." I tell her quietly.

"But he wants to kill you." my mouth goes dry. What happened to the reserved and friendly Hans we all knew? He was one of the last people I expected to go crazy.

"He won't," I reassure her but she just watches the ground.

"How can you be so sure? You've died already." She says darkly as if it wasn't in an act to save her and the world. She isn't like herself..

Moments later, Flynn returns with a torn piece of cloth, likely from his shirt, and a basket I would bet Hiccup had woven. I'm pleased to find it full of water when they place both things next to us.

I get to work on cleaning her up. I focus so much on helping her that I don't notice her speak again.

"What?" I ask as everyone else returns to their own casual conversations.

"He said he's going to the Southern Mountains." she repeats as she gazes at me. I nod slowly.

"We can make it there in a couple days at most." I say, judging the distance in my mind.

"We're going?" she looks at me with slanted eyes and I nod.

"If he wants revenge on you I'm not taking any chances. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe," I tell her airily.

"I can keep myself safe, Jack. You can't leave me here and play hero." she snaps and I raise an eyebrow. I pause what I'm doing and sit back.

"Really?" I say flatly, obviously offended. I died for her and she's calling it 'playing hero'.

"I didn't mean it like that-"

"No, no," I say. "if that's what you call 'playing hero' then I guess I shouldn't try." I sarcastically remark before getting up and stalking out of the cave.

I return after a while of blowing of some steam (or ice, if you will.) and find everyone to be asleep. We'd start our journey tomorrow and would need a lot of rest but sleep doesn't come easy to me. I just lay on the hard ground next to an uneasy Elsa. She'd snapped twice today and I fear she will more. I understand she's stressed but her jabs at me aren't going to help at all. I watch her as she peacefully breathes in and out, under the spell of a hauntingly calm sleep.

I just want to wake her up and I don't realize why until the images play through my head. Lifeless Elsa. I feel my chest ache with distress. It burns in the back of my mind and the only way I think to stop it is to sleep, but that only brings worse nightmares.