Find Love (A Mericcup Story)

Chapter 4

Hiccup's P.O.V.

I had been at Merida's castle for about a month now. Merida had been nice enough to carve designs into my wooden leg. It was a series of lines looping and crossing.

I decided to make myself useful by learning to be a craftsman. I could choose many different trades, but I felt myself drawn towards the smiths.

I was sharpening a sword when Merida came running in. Face red. Tears streaming down her cheeks.

Merida's P.O.V.

I had been in my room, embroidering a pillow that Mum was having me do when she came bustling in.

I saw an expression that I had never seen on her before. I had seen it before, though.

When I was young, a plague had swept the land. Many adults died. It wasn't fatal to kids, but it left an emotion that scared me.

Pain, longing, and worry all rolled into one.

Mum had this expression.

"Your father road into the forest earlier today for a hunt. Just now, his horse came back, without him.

"I've just sent out a search party, but the chance they'll find him..."

"You can't really think that! of course they'll find him. They have to!" I shouted, tears bluring my vision.

"Merida, I just don't want you to get your hopes up."

I pushed past her, fleeing the room of suffering.

I didn't know where I was going. I just let my feet carry me.

The smiths came into view, and I saw Hiccup, sharpening a sword. I flew to him, collapsing into his arms, sobbing uncontrollablely.

He just held me, stroking my hair, letting me cry.

Hiccup's P.O.V.

I didn't know what was wrong, but I just let her cry. I had a feeling asking right now wouldn't help.

Whe she finally stopped. She sat up with a small, sad smile on her face.

"That probably wasn't the best way to handle this," Merida said softly.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I asked, praying I didn't sound rude.

She explained about her father and her fight with her mother.

I stood up and hung my smith gear on its hook.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"We are going to go find your dad. Come on," I gestured for her to come.

I led her to the stables. We saddled up our horses and started out.

Merida's P.O.V.

We had been riding for about an hour before Hiccup called for me to stop.

He was on the ground, examining something. When I looked closer, I gasped.

It was tracks. One human foot, and one peg.

"Come on! We have to follow!" I called over my shoulder as I dashed in the direction of the foot prints.

They led to a cave in a clearing. It was huge. Before a I could step into it, a big, dark shadow came bounding out.

Dragon.

Hiccup's P.O.V.

I caught up to Merida in time to see a black creature charging at her.

I ran foreword and pushed her out of the way as my mind registered it.

Dragon.

Suddenly, I was remembering. It was sunset, and I was holding my arm out to this same creature.

So I slowly extended my arm. The dragon stopped for a moment. Then he leaned his head into my hand.

"H-Hiccup? What's going on?" I heard Merida say from the ground.

More remembering. A single word.

"Toothless."

"Pardon?"

"His name is Toothless. I-I remember him. He was my pet. Well, more like my friend. I trained him. He let me ride him. In fact," I peeked over his head, "he's still wearing his saddle!"

Merida was speechless. Then we heard it.

A moan.

A moan of pain.

"Dad!" Merida called, scrambling up and dashing towards the cave.

Toothless growled a lept towards her, knocking her down.

"Toothless! Calm down! She's trying to get to her dad. Let her go," I said, calming him down.

Merida got up and ran into the cave. I followed.

I wish I hadn't.

There, laying on the ground, was Merida's dad, a huge cut on his left arm and bruises corvering his neck, like someone tried to strangle him.

There was a dagger laying next to him. Someone had stabbed his arm. He had to pull the knife out himself.

"Dad. Daddy. Say something!" Merida was practically screaming, tears rushing down her face.

"Merida..." escaped from her dad's lips.

"Come on, we can put him on Toothless and bring him back," I said.

After a lot of team work, we were able to secure her dad to Toothless. I climbed on then helped Merida up.

"Let's go bud," I said to Toothless, and he launched himself into the air.