I'm Afraid of What I'm Risking if I Follow You

Part 5

She hated the feeling it brought to her stomach, of unease and discomfort, knowing they shared something so personal and intimate. She wished it wouldn't stick with her like it did, either.

Hans seemed to sigh in relief when Bruni leapt onto the memory, taking a step back from Elsa.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say. What did one say to something like that, especially when there was nothing she could do to comfort this Hans, this one who could be swayed from going so far as attempted assassination?

"It was a long time ago," he dismissed, but he wouldn't meet her gaze. Of course, if they were going to continue down this path, of learning about his past, there needed to be some level of comfort.

Much as she couldn't stand it.

"Some of the memories I bring up are going to be painful," she pointed out. "Especially if we're unlocking your past to figure out why the spirits can't react to you."

"I get it, I do," he said. "I just... try to forget this all happened, sometimes. But I'm not entirely sure a memory of a stuffed dog will exactly unlock why I can't feel any of the elements from the spirits."

The spirits... Hans had gotten quite a bit better at standing, and didn't wince nearly as much as when he sat down. Bruni scurried off after melting down the memory, off to do his own thing for a few moments before inevitably returning to Hans's shoulder like it was his new home. Maybe, just maybe...

Elsa bit her lip. "Hans, when was the last time you rode a horse?" she asked.

His brow furrowed. "Not long ago, but it was just for transportation purposes, not recreational. Why?"

She grinned, and without thinking, took his hand. "Come with me," she said, leading him toward the river.

Once at the edge, Hans took a step back. "You're not going to push me in again, are you?" he asked, his tone wary.

When she shook her head, she realized she and Hans were still holding hands, and promptly withdrew, trying not to think about how easily their fingers slotted together, how warm his palm was. She emphasized her own disgust by wiping her hand against her skirts. "No," she assured. "But I want to try something, now that you're healed up a bit more."

With that, she let out a whistle, and there was the Nokk. Elsa hadn't seen him around much since she pushed Hans into the river while trying to see how all the spirits reacted to him—he spent most his time helping the Northuldra, by letting them skirt on water for quicker transportation. Even Gale had been rather scarce, at least around the two of them with the knowledge that they couldn't do much with Hans.

She had a feeling this would work, but she was waiting until the right moment, when he wouldn't fall and injure himself further, keeping him bedridden longer. Yes, her powers affected Hans, but could they if it was in conjunction with the spirits? She was about to find out.

Elsa watched the Nokk acknowledge Hans for a moment, but Elsa brought a hand to its mane, letting her frost spread about so he could traverse on land again.

Hans gaped, astounded. "You could do this the whole time and never once thought to try it out?"

"Oh, I thought about it," she said, stepping back so the Nokk could approach Hans, albeit carefully on both ends. "But I'm not making your injuries any worse if you fall off." Elsa would never hear the end of that from Yelena.

They stared at each other for a few moments, and Hans slowly held a hand out. Both he and Elsa let out a sigh of relief as the Nokk leaned forward, his snout resting against his palm. She... did it. Hans could touch the Nokk if her frost covered him first. "How does it feel?" she asked.