Like a stone dropped into a pool, the distant warning rippled underneath Elsa's subconscious.

Fire.

She let out a sleepy grumble, sought out Honeymaren's hand on her waist, and drew it securely over her stomach.

Fire.

The louder warning came with a buzzy headspace vibration, and Elsa grumbled again as she turned and pressed her face into her pillow. One bare foot stretched out over the bed's edge, toes grazing the floor and breeches pushed up to Elsa's knee.

The Nokk bellowed.

FIRE!

A spherical blob-mass of cold tea flew into the tent and splashed against Elsa's cheek. She jerked awake with a cry, threw herself off the bed, and clambered her way right out of the tent. Immediate disorientation struck her as her vision filled with a moonlit and starlit night sky, a small campfire several yards away, and Yelana seated nearby.

Elsa scowled, rubbed the sleep from her eyes and the tea from her face...and blanched at her now mud-caked hands, legs, and face. She staggered to her feet, no longer bothered by the squelching mud, and made her way over to the campfire with a frustrated mumble.

"Nokk."

Yelana turned at the sound of muddy footsteps, and her initial grumpy countenance slipped at the sight of a mud-caked and wet-chinned Elsa. "Good morning, Elsa." Huffing half-heartedly, Yelana mustered a feeble pout. "My tea flew away."

Elsa chuckled weakly and bowed her head. "I'm sorry about that. If cold tea is your thing, I've got plenty left over here." With a flick of her wrist, Elsa sent a snaking trail of ice magic several tents over. It curled around her brass teapot and brought it to rest with a soft clang, on Yelana's rock bench.

Yelana cracked a little smile, but quickly found her attention split between the state of Elsa's clothing, her still-evident panic, and where she'd come from. Grey eyes flicked towards Honeymaren's ajar tent-flap, and Yelana scratched her cheek. "Everything...alright? You, ah...you got out of there in a...hurry?"

Elsa began to rub at her mud-flecked cheeks, but quickly decided her blush was better off obscured. "The Nokk told me something was…" She gestured at the fire, then pinched the bridge of her nose with a sleepy sigh.

Taking care to pour her fresh tea, Yelana shrugged and nodded towards the campfire...still smiling a bit. "Spirits have their own idea of what humor is. Why, I remember..."

NOT HERE! LET'S GO!

Elsa stumbled backwards at the Nokk's booming call, but could only stare with mouth agape as her water spirit friend burst out of Yelana's teacup in a shower of both tea and water.

Fire!

Elsa grimaced, but hopped on, and mustered a queasy, apologetic smile as she waved at Yelana. "I'm, uh...sorry! I'm...we're…" Her apology faded into the wind as the Nokk thundered away at full-speed.

Swiping a hand down over her wet face, Yelana glared at her empty teacup, then set it down with a resigned sigh.

"That's it, I'm quitting tea."

Meanwhile, Honeymaren had managed to sleep through the whole ordeal. Another ten minutes passed, before she began to grope sleepily for her absent girlfriend. She found no Elsa, but managed to scoop up enough blankets and pillows to satisfy her desire to have her arms and legs wrapped around something.

After three hours riding west at a near-sprint, Elsa finally spotted billows of smoke beyond the next grassy rise. She anticipated Nokk's alerting, and reached forward to stroke the spirit's mane.

Important!

Elsa nodded quickly, already beginning to form several bulky, flurry-filled mists right behind. "We'll take care of it. Thank you for being...sort of...patient...while I'm still learning how all of this…"

Nokk halted at the top of the hill, just as the sun began to creep over the far horizon.

All Elsa could do was stare...and feel her jaw slowly drop. Miles and miles of wildflowers covered the immense landscape before her. Violets, roses, tulips, and daisies of every color blew in the wind. Great swaths of the flower-field burned brightly. Elsa sat back, yawned, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Nokk. They're flowers. Flowers."

Nokk responded by stamping the ground and snorting sharply. They relaxed considerably when Elsa waved her hand, sending a dozen of the flurry-mists streaking across the field in a rapid fire-suppression effort.

Smoke continued to billow out over the field, but dissipated as the sun crept higher in the sky. Elsa yawned again, rubbed her eyes, and quickly realized how little she had actually slept that night. Suddenly weighed down by a sleepy head-buzz, Elsa flopped forward and nestled her chin against Nokk's mane.

She squinted left and right, then slurred sleepily. "Why...so tired...now?"

Nokk's thoughts, tranquil now, nudged at Elsa's thoughts warmly.

Samantha thanks you. Rest.

Elsa let out a perplexed hum as Nokk laid down on the grass and dipped their head. "But...why...flowers…" And with that, she dropped off into a light snore-filled slumber as the sun crept over her form.

Several minutes later, the ground trembled with faint tremors...and Nokk gave a low rumble.

Step lightly.

The tremors abated a teensy bit, and in short order, Samantha lumbered to the top of the hill. She stood there for another minute, taking in the mostly preserved flower field...then directed her attention to her spirit friends.

Thank you. Sleep?

Elsa let out a phlegmy, rattling snore, wrapped her arms around Nokk's neck, and shuffled lower.

Nokk chuckled, another low rumble, and opened one eye.

Sleep. Welcome. Gale and Bruni?

Great boulders shifted as Samantha shrugged.

Playing in Forest.

She stared back out at the flower field, and let out a relieved sigh.

Sleep. I guard.

Elsa snored on.

Push.

The ice palace's front door creaked, then wobbled slightly.

Push, push, push!

The tiny, flurrying cloud began to dissipate. From two hundred miles away, and still snoring soundly, Elsa reached across the distance and steeled her concentration.

Keep it together, now. I can do this.

A low, buzzing hum shook the door, and Elsa's flurry puffed up a bit. She mashed her form against the door, and let out a great cheer when the door slid open just enough for her to wedge herself inside.

Can anyone see me like this?

Can they tell how...happy...I feel?

She flitted around the opening hall, swirled around still-pristine ice columns, and marveled at her first close-up look at the ice cornices she herself had made years ago. Room, to room, to room...but Elsa halted by the grand staircase entryway.

More time to let everyone know I'm still thinking of them. More hours in a day...in a night.

Sprawled out in a great pile in front of the staircase, Marshmallow and an avalanche of snowgies also slept soundly. Elsa floated over, realized her flurry had turned into a light snowfall, and tried to quell it...but her joy just made the flakes fall faster.

I'm a part of nature. And these lives I made, every one...are all important.

Snowflakes showered over the snowgies as, one by one, they awoke...and stared up at Elsa's flurry. One by one, they shuffled over to Marshmallow, and gave the great big snowman playful little nudges.

I'd like to show this place to Honeymaren.

With a rumbling yawn, Marshmallow awoke, and stared up just as the first snowflakes dusted their head.

"Mama?"

Elsa's flurry swelled up even more, arched over the whole room, and swirled around playfully as even more snow fell.

You look wonderful in that crown, little one.

Marshmallow threw their arms up and roared with glee.

"MAMA!"

'I'm sorry I ran off without saying anything last night. This morning. There was a fire in a flower field, and I guess Samantha really loves flowers. Anyway...want to go for a walk tonight?

P.S. Samantha picked a few flowers for you. They're from the both of us.'

Seated around the low-burning campfire, Ryder and Honeymaren munched on fish jerky...and he kept giving her expectant side-eyed glances.

"Oh, tell me it's a poem. Gotta be."

At that, Honeymaren turned away and jutted out her chin. "Bite me, Ry." A moment later, she yelped as Gale darted by...and dropped a pile of red, blue, and yellow flower petals on her head. They tumbled down her shoulders and back, pooled on her lap, and found a nice home throughout her braid.

That time, Ryder didn't even glance over, but sniffed the air with a curious little hum.

"Flowers. Cute."

Honeymaren blushed hotly, inhaled the rest of her jerky, and ate the smattering of flower petals it came with. Then, she folded up Elsa's note and tucked it away. She wriggled as petals slipped under her collar, and knew she'd be digging them out for the rest of the day...but didn't mind one bit.

They can stay right there. They feel nice...and smell even better.