Frozen Beyond [gxg]

Jarrah

Elsa didn't know what to say. Her heart beat, broken and in misery, in her chest. She opened her mouth to say something, then shut it and grit her teeth.

What was she supposed to say to that? How could she answer it so easily? What happened to Keahi?

Then anger ran rampant through her chest. This had to be Crows doing. "Yes." She finally answered, lowly.

Keahi strained to lean in to hear. She tilted her head, confused.

But Elsa noticed Keahi didn't uncurl her fingers from around her own. They were still held in Keahi's warm hand and seemed hesitant, but a casual smile spread onto her lips. "Your fingers are cold," she echoed.

Elsa frowned, going to pull her hands back but Keahi held them tighter. "It feels good." Keahi finished just as the redhead jerked Keahi's arm and released her grip on Elsa. The loss of contact swept a wind of cold air through her chest as a hollow cold replaced it.

Elsa and Keahi looked at one another. Keahi didn't look like she wanted to leave, but eventually the redhead won and she slinked into the throng of people and out of sight.

Elsa watched, wide eyed, as they left. She didn't go after them and instead clenched her hands at her waist, hugging herself.

What was she supposed to do now?

Anna.

She hurried down the stairs, Anna was sitting down and Elsa helped her up as they hurried out so Anna could get some air. Once they were outside, the warm wind caressed them and they both sucked in fresh air.

"Where's Keahi?" Anna asked.

Elsa ran a panicked hand over her knotted updo. Strands falling out the more she raked her hands there. Her chest constricted, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. It took a second for her to regain her composure and look over at Anna as tears glassed her eyes. "Anna she —"

"Hey wait!" A deep, smooth voice came from the tavern.

Elsa pivoted, hands glowing blue as she narrowed her eyes at the man. She recognized him as the lute player that sat with Keahi.

Even as he held his arms up in mock surrender, Elsa didn't ease as her ice cackled around her, the ground frosting. She was very close to losing control over herself. "What do you want?" Her voice came out as hard as her ice.

"Wait, your Elsa! I know you! I'm Jarrah!" He spoke fast, hands still up in the air in surrender. "I'm here to help, I swear!"

Elsa reeled in her ice and took a step back. "How?" She edged. The ground still crusted with frost.

Jarrah let out a breath and dropped his arms to his side. "I'm Keahi's friend! She told me all about you! And let me tell you," he gave her a once over, "you are way out of her league." He chuckled.

Elsa crossed her arms over her chest protectively and eyed him cautiously. "What happened to Keahi?"

"It's Crow. He's always been a hardass, but he's become worse. Meaner, crueler. Insane. He did something terrible to her and I let it happen. And I don't even know how I can call myself a friend anymore." He frowned, large shoulders slumped forward. "I—" his voice trembled, "I helped hold her down as Crow took her memories of you. My fear of Crow outweighed my friendship with Keahi. She didn't deserve it. I told myself if I saw you, I would help."

"No! Poor Keahi!" Anna whispered, clutching her cloak in her fist.

Elsa stared at him for a very long minute. She didn't move; she didn't speak. She was so eerily calm he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. She dropped her hands to her side, clutching her fists there as her heart beat sporadically in her chest. She couldn't imagine the fear that must have swept through Keahi. It made a swell of emotion lodge in her throat and anger to rip through her stomach.

She knew it wasn't right, but right now, she wanted to kill Crow. "How do you plan to help her?" She asked icily.

"Crow won't notice if I'm gone. Let me sail with you? I can help navigate, I know where Crow is going. He calls it the land of fire, it's just past the Southern Isles. We will have to resupply in the Southern Isles and maybe we can snag Keahi without him noticing. He pretty much just holes himself up in the captains corridors while we sail. If we can get Keahi just before they leave Port, he will be none the wiser."

Elsa shifted, she wasn't sure about him. She wasn't sure about this idea. But what did she have outside of this offer? The last time she faced Crow, she couldn't beat him. His magic was different, and she wasn't confident enough to just waltz over to him and fight. No matter how angry she was right now.

She looked back at Anna, trying to remember what they read in the book. Nifelheim, somehow in some way, they were related. She tried to sort through her brain to remember those old stories. "The land of fire..." she whispered, finally remembering. "He's trying to go to Muspelheim? That's the land of fire, the exact opposite of Nifelheim. What does he need there?"

Jarrah shrugged his large shoulders. "Honestly, I'm not sure. But he's adamant about it."

Elsa paced, mumbling to herself and trying to figure all of this out. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach and it wasn't until Anna touched her arm that she stopped and looked over into Anna's hopeful gaze.

"We'll get Keahi's memories back, and we'll figure all of this out. I promise." Anna pulled Elsa into her, hugging her there and providing the comfort she needed in that moment.

When Elsa pulled back, she felt a little more hopeful and clasped Anna's hands in her own before turning and nodding to Jarrah. "Fine. We could use the help with sailing, anyway."

"Yes!" He exclaimed, running towards the docks but sliding when he stopped and spun to run back towards the tavern. "I forgot my lute!"

"He seems fun." Anna giggled.

Elsa just hoped she wasn't making a mistake letting him come along.