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

Part 11

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

Chapter 11

The brightness hitting even the inside of the hut had Elsa realizing that it was already almost afternoon, when she finally woke up. Damn. She knew she'd passed out, but she didn't think that she'd wake up at such an unreasonable time. The whole tribe would certainly be up. Elsa could already feel Honeymaren's glare, the inevitable teasing...

Great, even Hans was up, his bed made. Groaning, Elsa stretched out, working out all the kinks in her shoulders, her toes. She might go for a dip in the river, even, to cool down. Watch, he was probably hanging out with his best friend, Yelena.

Elsa stretched her arms over her head, yawning as she exited the hut. The Northuldra went about their day, starting to stock up more for the coming fall and winter months. Honeymaren always offered if she wanted to help them hunt, that she'd be a great asset, but Elsa still wasn't comfortable with the idea—even though she frequently ate meat when she lived in Arendelle.

"Well, well." Yelena smirked, approaching with her arms crossed over her chest. "You're quite the sleeper."

"We had a long day yesterday," said Elsa, and she thought that was a decent enough excuse. She'd had to part the entire Dark Sea, after all.

"I'll say. Is Hans still sleeping in there?"

Elsa's brow furrowed. "No..." she said slowly, confused. "He's not inside the hut."

Yelena's eyes widened. "What?" she asked. "But I saw him enter last night..."

Oh. Oh no. The realization dawned on her, especially after that confession, the hug. She was too tired to see what he was doing.

Yelena sighed. "He must have left once he noticed I retired. You didn't notice?"

Elsa shook her head. "No—I must have been passed out."

"And he didn't leave anything? No note, no explanation?"

Blinking, Elsa stormed back into the hut, scouring Hans's side to see if he'd left something for her to read: some note, some indication of where he was going or what was on his mind. She should have taken more heed to how lightly he'd taken his fate, like a concession.

Had he been planning on making sure she was exhausted so he could... escape? Run away, like he did from the Southern Isles?

But now... Elsa hadn't planned on sending him back. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do with him.

And now she might never know. She sank to the floor, defeated.

"Nothing." No indication of where he'd gone. Elsa looked up at Yelena. "What did he say to you last night?"

Yelena shook her head. "I promised him I'd never disclose our conversations to you. But he was clearly hurting, and told me what the trolls had said. Cursed... that must have been some dark magic his mother used."

"Enough for her to never love him, nor his brothers." Standing, Elsa tried to think back to anything. Maybe he was in Arendelle? Maybe back to the trolls?

There was no way he could make it back to Ahtohallan, not without her.

"He's pained. He wants to find the answers, but the way to get there... it's going to take years."

Before Elsa could answer, Honeymaren sprinted toward them. "Elsa!" she cried. "You have to help—the spirits, they..."

Honeymaren was interrupted by Gale whipping through the village, knocking her into Ryder, who was trying to guide a reindeer back to the herd. "Has anyone seen a missing cart?" he cried. "I think Gale blew it away!"