It seemed as though providing enough twigs and underbrush for Elsa to learn how to properly light a campfire would be a great challenge. Even for the Enchanted Forest.

Hunched over in a clearing beyond the Northuldra bathing area, Elsa arranged her small pile of twigs and dried underbrush with care. First, in a tripod design...and a second bunch in a log cabin shape. She refused to even glance at the dampened piles of singed twigs and brush all around her; evidence of many fire attempts, but no successes. Yet.

Elsa had also managed to break more than a few pieces of flint into pieces too small to strike with. "Come on, now…"

She squinted at her two triangle-shaped flint stones, then clapped them together over her twig tripod...and promptly grumped when the stickpile collapsed in on itself. Elsa wrinkled her nose and briefly entertained the notion that her flint could be defective. "Alright, fine...the cabin then."

A cool breeze rustled Elsa's hair, and she whimpered lowly in frustration while attempting to block her tinder from the wind. "Gale...please."

Elsa held her breath and prepared for another flint-strike. A moment later, she yelped and smacked the flint-stones together before toppling backwards. A sealed box of matches fell from the sky and smashed her little twig-cabin.

An exasperated groan melted into a weary laugh. Having lost count of her attempts and in no hurry to try again, Elsa kicked out her legs and squeezed the bitty pieces of two more flint stones. She giggled again and couldn't help but shiver as dry leaves crinkled underneath her.

Another nearby pile of dry leaves rustled, and out popped Bruni with a yawn and a sleepy chirp. She padded over and crawled onto Elsa's stomach, the hiss of steam rising from her warm paws.

Elsa laughed again, dropped her ruined flint, and rubbed the top of Bruni's head. "Good morning to you. Come to cheer me on?"

Bruni cocked her head to one side, flopped onto her belly, and flicked her tail up. Several bitty flame bursts swirled up, fizzled out, and swirled up again. A perplexed stare even as she let out more pleased chirps.

Elsa shook her head, smiled again, and dropped a little snow mound on Bruni's tail. "I do appreciate the offer, but I really want to get this right. Just so I...know I have the skill."

Seconds later, Elsa coughed abruptly as Gale plopped the black and orange box of matches on her chest. Already snoring away, Bruni didn't notice. Elsa, however, narrowed her eyes at the red, wax heart smeared onto the front of the box. She glanced up at the swirl of maple leafs dancing overhead. "Gale...did Anna set you up to this?"

And with a sharp whistle, Gale rushed off towards Northuldra, rustling tree limbs and laughing in the way only wind could.

"Aha."

Elsa would have marveled yet again at the Northuldra's uncanny ability to cross over dried leaves without so much as a crunch...but she settled for a surprised squeak and a sheepish blush. "Ah! Um...aha?"

Smirking knowingly, Honeymaren took in the surrounding land, and tapped her chin. "Yelana told me to go get the determined little tree sprite who took all of our flint and was trying to start a forest fire."

Acutely aware again of the flint-bits scattered all around her, Elsa curled her hands around the box of matches and mumbled self consciously. "Um...sorry. Ryder pointed me towards the worn-out flint and said...go wild. Did I...take the wrong…"

Giggling softly, Honeymaren waved her hands shook her head. "Kidding, kidding, you're fine." She knelt down, combed a hand through the dry leaves, and scooped up several sharp, triangular flint-bits. "Yelana said I'd find a bunch of fresh arrow-heads over here."

The self conscious blush returned to Elsa's face, but she still managed a sheepish smile. "Wait. How'd she know I was going to...break it all?"

In the distance, Gale howled gleefully.

A light shrug, and Honeymaren nearly managed to hide her amused smile. "Because you didn't ask for steel...that's what you strike the flint with."

Wishing she could sink right into a bottomless pool of dry leaves, Elsa shrugged and pursed her lips. "Right. So then...smacking flint against flint is good for…"

"Making arrow-heads." Honeymaren easily shuffled four neat arrow-heads between her fingers, then narrowed her eyes playfully. "And cutting yourself, if you're not careful."

Elsa stared dumbly. Seconds ticked by, and brown eyes felt like a blanket of leaves sweeping over her in warmth. Eventually the rosy blush on her face demanded she look anywhere else, and she nudged the box of matches away.

Bruni let out a raspy chirp-snore and rolled onto her back.

Distant tremors of hop-scotching rock giants shook the ground.

Gale whooshed through the trees, a blizzard of maple leaves in her wake.

Far faster than she expected, Elsa looked back and chuckled weakly. "I...don't know things."

Pocketing the arrow-heads, Honeymaren selected a bright red leaf and waved it side to side in front of her face. Her smile grew. "But you want to. That's far more than most."

Moments later, a blizzard of leaves tumbled down over the pair. Elsa blushed hotly, quite aware of the solitary leaf Honeymaren had placed on her forehead...and the smattering of snowflakes Elsa had summoned in response.

I've never felt this way before.