Frozen Beyond [gxg]

The Next Right Thing?

The morning rays filtered through the canopy of the trees, but no birds or animals of any kind made a noise. The lack of sound had a gravity of its own.

She realized she was resting her head on someone's shoulder, her body instinctively curling into the warmth. But alarm bells rang, and she jumped away, only to find the arm coiled around her tightened.

"Hey, it's okay." Keahi's voice whispered, cutting the silence of the morning.

She stopped struggling, entirely too sore to put up much of a fight against Keahi. She had thought about it last night. While her anger wasn't depleted, it was tampered down. How could she judge someone else so brutally? She didn't make the best choices in the past. And people worked with the choices presented to them. But it didn't excuse Keahi's actions past or present.

Glowering, she looked up at Keahi. Whatever anger was left blew away with the wind and she sat up, using Keahi's thigh to brace herself. "Were you up all night?"

The dark circles under Keahi's eyes said yes, even before Keahi gave a tired nod.

"Why didn't you leave? Your brother, I mean?" Elsa finally asked, using whatever time she could to close her eyes and curl back into Keahi's side. She would need as much energy as possible if she wanted to have a chance against Crow.

A minute passed before Keahi responded. "He's my brother, my family. If Anna made the same sacrifice, would you leave her?"

"No." She replied hastily, pausing, and gritting her teeth.

This entire situation was complicated. What was the next right thing here? Could she even believe in that saying, something that Anna lived by, right now? There wasn't a right thing. Someone was going to die and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She took a moment of weakness and curled her face into the nook of Keahi's shoulder and neck. She took in a breath there, Keahi smelled like sea-salt and sunshine, with a spicy note of something sharp like cederwood.

Unsure of how long they sat like that, a rustling from the bushes and laughing of men had Keahi jumping up groggily.

Elsa straightened, watching Crow stomp onto the clearing.

He shoved Keahi's shoulder; she didn't stagger as much as Elsa thought she would have from the force of the shove.

"Stay away from her, Keahi. I can get you all the platinum blondes you want when we get back down to the Southern Isles. Hey, Snigg, get her ready and don't let Keahi help. She's getting soft." Crow sneered, shoving her again before shouting at a few of the men off in the distance.

Elsa eyed the scraggly Snigg that hunkered over. He still had that grimy smile on his lips when he hauled her up. The hand that gripped her elbow made goosebumps of disgust roll on her forearm.

"C'moan, your highness." Sniggs chortled with pleasure, spit dribbling with his words. When he shoved her, he leaned over to smell her hair.

Throwing her head back, she connected with his chin and he let out a howl of pain. As if just realizing her mistake, Elsa blinked in surprise. "Oh, are you alright..?" She feigned innocence.

He grumbled and shoved her, a hand touching his sore lip where blood pooled.

Keahi was grinning from ear to ear when she met her gaze.

Crow was shouting something up ahead as the men filed together. Once they did, Crow stalked the underbrush and came to stand just an inch or two from Elsa.

She glared, blue eyes blazing with heated anger. She refused to back down from him.

Crow tipped chin and smirked, "The ice queen isn't so frosty now, is she? I see that fire in your eyes." He chuckled, but a moment later his jaw set hard and he grabbed her chin roughly, "Now take us to Ahtohallen." He demanded.

"No." She tried to jerk her chin from his hand but failed. His grip tightened so hard she knew she'd have a bruise there.

"Unless you want Arendelle to burn and that sister of yours to be ash with the rest of the city, you will do as I say." He seethed so close to her that his breath fanned hot over her face.

Her shoulders dropped as she averted her gaze. He knew exactly where to threaten. Anna had warned her. And she didn't listen. Now she had to do whatever it took to keep Anna and Arendelle safe.

If she didn't come out of this alive, she looked over at Keahi through her peripheral. She hoped Keahi would find a way to keep Anna safe if Crow went back on his word.

Crow loosened his grip and tapped her cheek. "That a girl. Move out!" he shouted, the train of men moving as soon as he issued the order.

Elsa's thoughts became sporadic as panic started to set in. She could only buy so much time by taking them around the long way. Gale tried to sneakily sweep a few soldiers on their feet without drawing too much attention and Bruni lit a few feet on fire.

But they were still moving rapidly towards Ahtohallen.

Feeling Keahi's presence behind her, she craned her neck to look back at her. "Why do we need to go to Ahtohallen?" She whispered.

Keahi leaned in, "It's a part of the ritual. You need to be at the lands center hold of magic. That must be Ahtohallen."

Elsa panicked and squirmed in her chains.

Keahi's hand pressed to her elbow, "We'll get you out of here, together." She murmured.

Elsa stiffly nodded her head. She wasn't sure about the mixture of feelings that assaulted her in that moment.