From Me To You: A Mericcup Story

Chapter 10

Hiccup left his house at dawn, walking to Toothless. Arian Glas was off somewhere. The dragon gently nudged the man, eyes wide and worried.

He sat down by the water, staring at his reflection. He hadn't gotten any sleep, hadn't eaten, and was just done with everything.

Hiccup threw a rock into the water, watching the ripples glide on the surface. Suddenly, he was seeing the man again, struggling to breathe. He pressed his hands to his head, as if to push the thoughts away.

The letter. He was supposed to deliver the letter.

With quick, sharp movements, he put on his flying gear and hopped on Toothless.

They flew to the Scottish country side faster than they normally did. Hiccup checked his map and the address often, sometimes adjusting Toothless by the tiniest bit.

Finally, the pair landed in a field. A little ways away was a small house. A little girl was running around, a doll in her hand. A young woman was doing laundry, singing a song.

Making sure Toothless was hidden in the tall grass, Hiccup slowly moved towards them. He had been practicing his Scottish accent around Merida, who, after lots of laughter, had deemed it good.

"Miss?"

The woman looked up, a small smile on her lips.

"Yes?"

"I have a letter from your husband."

Her smile disappeared. She dried her hands, walking over. She took the letter from his outstretched hand. She didn't open it, but instead stared at it.

"He was supposed to return in a week," she said softly. "We were going to have his favorite dinner, chicken and potatoes. We were going to celebrate our daughter's birthday, since he missed it. I was going to tell him-" She stopped short, voice cracking. She placed a hand on her stomach.

Hiccup reached into his pocket. He had a bag of Scottish coins that he always kept on him, just in case. The total was somewhere in the hundreds.

He grabbed her hand, placing the heavy bag in it.

"I'm so sorry," he said fighting tears. She looked up at him, inhaling sharply. She knew. Even through his accent, she knew who he was and what he had done. But, all she did was hug him.

"Thank you," she whispered. Hiccup just nodded, turning and walking back into the field. He hopped back on Toothless and off they flew.

They flew back to the clearing, beating Merida again. When she did arrive, she whistled for Arian Glas, challenging him to a race. She said nothing of his red eyes.

Hiccup beat her, laughing when she mumbled under her breath the whole time she prepared the fish.

They relaxed in the chilled air, staying close to the fire. They talked about anything other than the war.

When the sun began to set, Hiccup stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants.

"I will see you tomorrow," Merida said, throwing the remaining bones into the fire.

"Will do, Your Majesty," he replied, smirking. She threw a small rock at him.

"Oh! Tonight there's going to be a meteor show. Do you wanna see it?"

Merida was silent for a moment, standing up.

"Well, I'll have to sneak out. What time do you want me to meet you here?"

"Sometime around ten would be good. Make sure you bring blankets and bundle up."

"Okay. I'll see you tonight. Bye!"

"Bye!"

Hiccup hopped on Toothless. Once they were in the air, the dragon seemed to smirk, humming a little.

"What?" he asked. Toothless just looked away, still smiling.