Frozen Beyond [gxg]

Melted

By time Elsa had made her way back, Yelana had started the ceremony to cleanse the darkness that settled across the forest. The clouds were clear from the sky, leaving a dusting of snow across the ground and faint moonlight to trickle into the forest.

Elsa held her chin up at the back of the group, watching as Yelana once again thanked the North, South, East, and West.

After her trip into the forest, she came out feeling a little more grounded. No more wallowing in self pity, she needed to be strong. She spoke her feelings into the world and now she needed to recover.

As Anna always said, she had to do the next right thing by taking that next step. Even telling herself that, creating a mantra for herself, the pain still ebbed like a festering, open wound.

It would be a painful road but one that she would recover from. She hoped. Though she didn't think she would ever love anyone ever again. Keahi was her one and only. When she was a child listening to children's stories her mother read to her, she often thought it was ridiculous to think that way. Now, she truly understood the women in those stories. The feeling that connected you so strongly to someone, they became a part of you.

"We have gathered today to give thanks to the five spirits and nature itself. To cleanse the wrongs that have been unfolded on the forest, and to bring light back to the dark and illuminate our way." Yelana started, her voice strong as the matriarch started shaking the rattle made of sacred wood in a familiar melody. From a stool, she took a bundle of white sage and lit it, allowing the aroma to mingle into the crowd.

"We thank our past selves for the knowledge we harness today. And forgive ourselves for the mistakes our pasts have made. Through it, we are stronger, we are cleansed, we are healing. We thank Crow." Yelana glanced over at Elsa when she audibly gasped. Elsa's brows knit forward and she hugged her arms over herself. She wasn't quite ready to forgive Crow.

Yelana cleared her throat gruffly. "We thank Crow for showing us what darkness, power, and greed can do to your soul. We thank our enemies for validating our own righteousness. We thank Keahi,"

Elsa stiffened, head shooting up.

"For showing us change is possible with love, understanding, and acceptance." Yelana stared at Elsa before looking away and tossing the bundle of sage into the fire.

The Northuldra all started clapping to the same beat of Yelana's rattle.

Elsa glanced away and strayed further back from the group, sitting on a log in the cold shadows of the fire.

Bruni crawled up her leg and into her hand where she smiled quietly.

"Na na na heyana," Yelana led, the crowd joining in. The sound was somber and sad, everyone knew the loss that had been suffered in the past few days. Not only Elsa's, but those who knew Keahi and Crow, no matter the origin, and the forest that suffered at the hands of corruption.

"Naheya heya na yanuwa. Nuwa nu," They all chanted, so in sync it nearly felt ominous as the chant floated through the undergrowth of the forest as an owl joined in with its solitary hoot.

She wasn't sure she wanted to stay for the rest. A ride across the dark sea with Nokk would be something to clear her head. Or perhaps she should head back to Arendelle. Anna deserved to know what transpired these past few days.

Bruni let out a sad chirp as Elsa stood to head away.

The shadows from the flames grew higher along the trees as the campfire grew. Northern lights shot across the night sky in whimsical folly so abruptly that the chanting stopped for a split second.