Frozen Beyond [gxg]

Whiskey Ballad

All the men, and the few women, that staggered around the tavern got extensively more rowdy at the announcement. It caused Elsa and Anna to be cast about like rag dolls in the crowd.

"Enough!" Elsa seethed, pushing against a large man that wrapped his arms around her. A sickening roll went through her stomach and as she pushed against him, she expelled enough ice to send the man skidding across the room. She grabbed Anna and stomped towards the sleuth of a redhead.

She would not be made a fool. Whatever was going on, Elsa wasn't about to share.

The redhead stiffened, tapping the large dark-skinned man next to her and he took out a lute and played an upbeat, fast song. She leapt onto the raised, ratty stage and cleared her throat. "Oh whiskey is the life of man. Always was since the world began!" She half shouted, half sang the jaunty song. It immediately got the crowd's attention as a wave of laughter rolled like a wave through everyone.

Tankards of ale sloshed upward as they all clanked them together.

Some sticky liquid splashed on Elsa's shirt and in her hair. She narrowed her eyes at the woman as the patrons of the tavern began dancing and swept Elsa and Anna into the antics.

"Whiskey-o, Johnny-o

Rise her up from down below

Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey-o

Up aloft this yard must go

John rise her up from down below!"

The entire tavern shouted in the chorus and stomped on the old creaky boards to the upbeat felt her stomach lurch at being strung around like a rag doll. Glancing over at Anna, her sister was laughing and she gave her a wild look.

"What? All things considered its kind of fun!" Anna yelled back over the shouts of jaunty musical men.

Elsa rolled her eyes and shook her head, grabbing Anna's arm as she pushed through the crowd. She let out an exasperated breath when they finally made it to the table. Only to see the man who had been playing the lute. But no Keahi or evil redhead.

Elsa groaned, head hanging in defeat before looking up at the man with the lute. He had a wide-eyed expression that made him look a lot more boyish than his imposing figure would make you believe. "Where's the woman that was just here?" Elsa demanded, half yelling over the singing and the mans lute.

He just watched her with eyes as big as saucers, his fingers slowing until he stopped playing the lute. "Its...you. You're her!" He echoed.

"Her who?" Elsa asked, arching a brow.

Anna heaved beside her, throwing up and making it into an empty pail beside the table.

"Anna! Are you okay?" Elsa rushed over, leaning down to rub Anna's back.

"I'm fine, it's all the different smells." Anna waved her off, pushing her away. "See if you can find Keahi."

She hesitated, but stood and turned back to the lute player. He continued to play as Elsa shot a stream of ice that froze his hands to his lute. "Where's Keahi?"

He absently tried to point, but laughed unsure when he pointed his head toward the second floor. He watched her like she was some kind of ghost.

She turned to look on the second floor to see the redhead and Keahi. Narrowing her eyes, she weaseled her way through the people and to the second floor. When she got there, she leapt in the path of the redhead and Keahi, finally catching them.

The redhead glowered.

But Elsa ignored her and looked to Keahi, a smile breaking onto her lips as she rushed over and took her warm hand into her own. "Finally, I found you." But when she looked into the sharp green eyes, no recognition echoed there. Just confusion.

Keahi tilted her head. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Everything in her world shattered into empty ice particles and crumbled like glass in her heart.