Narrated by Kaylee
The sun blazed down on us, and a light breeze stirred, picking up dust; and it blew in our direction. The dry, barren land stretched endlessly into the distance, and a few hawks circled the sky. "Where are we?" Regina asked, staring in the distance.
"Not in Camelot for sure," Hook replied, as he tapped his hook against a dry branch of a stunted, barren tree. "We appear to be stranded in the middle of nowhere."
"Great," Regina said with frustration. "Just when I thought we had the chance to finally stop Arthur. I see no chance now. I can't even 'poof' all of us out of here because of the stupid magic-restriction cuff on my wrist."
"All we can do is just hold onto hope," Snow said, turning to David.
"Yes, because hope is what gives us strength," David replied, lovingly taking Snow's hands into his. "I know you as a person who never allows any hardships to stop you from trying. I know we will find a way, for we always do just as we have always found each other through any obstacle. And what made it possible was hope."
"You two never stop talking about hope, do you?" Regina said in a bad mood.
"Nope," David replied. "That's what makes us optimistic people.
"Let's just hope Arthur won't banish us somewhere further if we ever did get out of this place," Regina said.
"How do we know where we are going?" Zelena whined. "We could head in the wrong direction."
"That's the question," said Regina.
"Easy, Love, we rely on the sun, moon and stars to guide us since we don't have a compass with us," replied Hook. "A pirate mainly uses those tools of navigation to sail from one place to another, but now it's time to use a sailor's map and this time on land."
"You have a fine suggestion," Lancelot remarked. "I too am familiar with the use of the sky for navigation. I may not be a sailor as you, Killian, but I have had good education on that subject."
"I even taught you, Neal, about navigation if you recall, back in Neverland when you were just a young boy," Hook said, turning to him.
"That, I do remember," Neal replied with a grin. "You also taught me how to sail."
"Aye," Hook responded.
"We should get on the move before darkness draws near," Lancelot advised. "We will have to make camp very soon. By the looks of it, daylight won't be for long."
"And where are we supposed to find a place to sleep away from any vicious animals or pestering bugs?" Zelena questioned, short-temporarily. "Not in the open I hope."
"I'm sure there's a forest up ahead," Lancelot said.
"There better be because I'm literally dying in this heat," Zelena complained. "I also hope we find water and food somewhere. I plan to stay alive."
"Do you ever stop complaining, Sis?" Regina said irritably.
"I should have stayed back in Storybrooke," Zelena replied. "At least I would have been better off. I made a terrible mistake coming here."
"Well, that's on you then," Regina shot back.
"We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you!" Zelena shouted angerly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Regina questioned sharply.
"The soul sucker wanted you, so we all jumped in to save you," Zelena retorted, scowling, "despite you cursing them all."
"And you're blaming me for this mess we are in?" Regina shouted. "Don't put this on me like it's all my fault!"
"Would you two quit squabbling?" Hook interfered. "Last thing I need right now is the two of you fighting."
Zelena and Regina glared at each other and said nothing more.
"Killian, you will lead the way if you don't mind," Lancelot said.
"Aye, it would be my pleasure," Hook returned. "It looks like the sun is setting in the West, and since Camelot is located in the West, we should head straight toward the sun."
After some walking, we reached a forest, and immediately, we all went to search for water; for all our throats were parched, and we were all very hot. Zelena sighted some bushes full of red, tempting berries. "Thank goodness there's something decent in this forest to eat," she said. And as she reached out to pick a few berries off a bush, Regina quickly slapped her hand. "What was that for?" Zelena snapped.
"Those berries could be poisonous," Regina replied. "Good thing I stopped you in time. I deserve a thank you."
"Thanks," mumbled Zelena.
We trudged through the dense, humid forest in search for water, and to our delight, we found a stream. We all drank and washed ourselves in it, then we all prepared camp. Snow shot at a few trout, and we had those, along with some black berries, for dinner. At night, we sat around the fire. We heard rustling in the bushes, hoots from owls, howls from wolves, and we saw coyotes in the distance. Mosquitos swarmed the place, driving Zelena crazy.
In the morning, we headed on our way through the forest. Suddenly, glowing, blue, wispy, ghostly forms caught all our attention, surprising us. They made an echoed whisper and created a trail. "What the bloody hell are those things?" Hook asked, gazing at the spirit-like forms with fascination.
"I do not have the knowledge of what those mysterious creatures are," Lancelot replied. "They are not known in Camelot as far as I'm concerned."
Aubrey and I turned to each other, grinning. We knew exactly what these creatures were. They were wisps like in the Disney movie, Brave. This must mean that we are in DunBroch! I thought excitedly.
"They are so beautiful," Snow commented. "I wonder if they are friendly."
"Or they could be dangerous," Regina pointed out. "Who knows what they could do."
As we walked toward the trail of them, they would vanish then more would appear up ahead. Hook reached out his hand to touch one, but it vanished. "They do appear to be a spirit of some sort," he remarked.
"I think they look like floating, blue flames," David remarked.
"I wish the bookworm, Belle, was here," said Regina. "She would probably know what they are."
"We do," I said.
All faces turned toward us. "Really?" Regina questioned, surprised. "Then what are they?"
"They are wisps," I replied, "the spirits of a Scottish land. They are said to represent past lives."
"How do you know what these things are?" Regina questioned curiously.
"We read about them," I replied, not knowing how else to respond.
"This is a remarkable new discovery," Lancelot said excitedly.
As we walked farther, suddenly, an arrow shot in our direction and hit a tree, startling all of us. "What the bloody hell!" Hook exclaimed.
Immediately, a young woman around twenty years, riding a tall, black shire made an appearance, and she held her bow in a defensive manner. Her hair was long, curly, and very red; and she wore a blue dress that almost matched the color of her eyes. "Step any closer and I'll shoot," she threatened in her thick, Scottish accent, eyeing us suspiciously. "Did someone send you to spy?"
Aubrey and I exchanged thrilled glances; for we knew who this young woman was. She was Merida from the movie, Brave.
"First of all, easy with the bow," Regina responded. "And secondly, no one sent us to spy. We are only harmlessly passing through."
"So, you're not spies?" the young woman repeated, slowly lowering her bow.
"Yes, Girl, now out of our way," Zelena said impatiently. "You're holding us up."
"My apologies," returned the Scottish-looking woman. "You can go."
"Wait, where are we?" Regina asked.
"You are in DunBroch where my Scottish kingdom lies," she responded. "Where do you all come from may I ask?"
"It's a long story," Regina replied. "We are normally from another realm called the Enchanted Forest, but we ended up here. It's a long story. Anyway, we are on our way to Camelot."
"I don't believe I've ever heard of the Enchanted Forest," the woman replied. "It sure does sound enchanting. Anyway, I'm Merida."
Of course, I thought to myself.
"Nice to meet you, Merida; I'm Regina." Then the rest of us introduced ourselves.
"I again apologize for attacking," Merida said. "My kingdom has a rivalry with some enemies. I just assumed you all were sent to spy on my kingdom."
"So, I guess there has been a lot of trouble recently in your kingdom," David said.
"Aye," Merida replied with a nod. "King Arthur of Camelot is not the only problem. My father, King Fergus, the king of DunBroch, and my three younger brothers were captured by my father's brother and are being held hostage somewhere unknown."
"So, you're a princess?" Snow asked.
"Aye," Merida responded, nodding. "I'm a princess who is willing to fight for her kingdom."
"You're so brave, Merida," Snow commented.
"I hope to be just as brave, strong, and noble as my father," Merida returned.
"I'm so sorry about your father and brothers," said David. "I know you will get him back."
"I hope so, and I shall never stop trying to find them," Merida said. "I have been relying on the wisps or in other words, the spirits of my ancestors, to lead me to them. A witch once told me that the wisps lead one to treasure or to doom and will lead one to what they seek most. I have been following them ever since, but I still cannot find my father and brothers for some reason."
"I'm sure you will find them soon," Hook reassured.
Merida nodded. "Now that you are here, allow me to show you to my home where you can get some rest, food, and water. You all look fatigued."
"We would greatly appreciate that," David replied with a smile.
"It's the least I can do," Merida said. "You all seem like nice people."
"Your hospitality is greatly appreciated," Lancelot added, dipping his head.
As Merida led us, Regina asked, "So, what exactly happened between DunBroch and Camelot to cause a rivalry?"
"Three other clans, the , Macintosh, and Dingwall joined with the clan of DunBroch as one united clan under my father, King Fergus, in promise that he would protect the three other clans after they had been in constant wars with other kingdoms," Merida began. "As we were joined as one, we became strong, and as a result, we overpowered the other kingdoms. My father's younger brother, Eamon, greatly envied his power over all four clans, and out of spite, he spread lies about him in hope to gain the crown for himself. So, he told the clans that my father did not care about them, that he was a coward, and only wanted to hide as they did all the fighting. Eamon won two of the clans' favor, and both clans turned against my father, but the other clan, the MacGuffin, did not believe his word and remained loyal to my father. Eamon had the two clans raid my father's kingdom, take captive the innocent people, including my father and brothers, and had them kill many of my own people. Havoc was stirred. I confronted the two clans and told them the truth that they were lied to and that my father was not what Eamon had made him out to be, and I soon regained the favor of the two clans. Eamon disappeared shortly after before I could make him tell me where he was keeping my father and brothers hostage. Later on, Eamon returned and made known to all the clans that he was now allied with King Arthur of Camelot and threatened bloodshed, stirring fear in the people. Eamon constantly threatened the people if they refused to accept him as their new king. And he is using my father and brothers as bait so that we surrender the throne to him. I will not allow fear to stop me, for fear is weakness. I hope to be brave like my father, and I will stand up and fight for my kingdom even if it means I fight until death. Sacrifice is strength, and I would rather die knowing that I tried than live knowing that I let my kingdom be destroyed."
"You will make a fine queen one day," Regina remarked.
Merida grinned in rely. "I will make sure to do anything to protect my kingdom."
"The question is, what did Arthur get out of it for helping Eamon?" Hook asked.
"I overheard Eamon speaking to his close friend," Merida began. "He has promised King Arthur a powerful, sacred object, the Holy Grail, an object said to grant one great power and immortality. Eamon knows where it lies and has promised Arthur to lead him to it. Once Arthur receives his side of the deal, the attack on my kingdom will take place with his help."
"How would he know where such a powerful object lies?" David questioned. "And you would think that Eamon would have wanted it for himself as a power-hungry man he is."
"Arthur won't stop his insatiable need for power," said Lancelot. "Now he hopes to procure the Holy Grail in addition to taking Merlin's power for himself."
"We have a common enemy, Merida," said Hook, "King Arthur. He forced the great wizard, Merlin, to send us here so that we could not stop him in his plans.
"If that is the case, King Arthur could vanquish my kingdom in the matter of seconds," Merida returned grimly. "Even if a war happens, I'm ready to fight for my kingdom. My father always said that true heroes are selfless, strong, brave, and true; and they put their people first even if it means sacrifice."
"Your father would be so proud of you if he were here," Snow remarked. "And we would be proud to fight alongside you."
"Yes," David added in agreement. "We are with you."
"Count me out," said Zelena. We all stared at her, and she looked embarrassed.
"I'm glad to have met you all," Merida said with a smile. "Thank you for standing alongside me."
Narrated by Aubrey (continued)
"Anyway, if we found out where the Holy Grail is located and then got to it first, then perhaps we could give it to Arthur ourselves in exchange for the Excalibur," David pointed out. Then he turned to Merida and added, "Not to mention, the upcoming war you speak of could be prevented since Eamon would now have nothing to offer Arthur."
"Bloody brilliant idea, Mate," Hook remarked.
"Aye, but not a simple nor a very realistic one," returned Merida. "This idea would only be possible if we knew where to find it, and since we don't have a map to the Holy Grail's location, we are out of luck. But I do believe Eamon has the Grail tablet, the only marker ever said to exist describing the Holy Grail's location. Legend has it that this tablet was left by three brothers, knights of the First Crusade, many centuries ago."
"So, if Eamon does have this Grail tablet, then all we would have to do is try to steal it from him," Neal chimed in.
"Aye, but for that to happen, we would need to find out where Eamon is camping," Merida replied.
"Then that is what we must do," David added.
It grew dusk out, and Merida led us to a camp with large tents everywhere. We all sat around a bond fire and ate venison stew which was delicious. As we chatted, suddenly, a cloaked figure on a horse approached us. Merida quickly stood up and demanded boldly, "What do you want? Why have you come here?"
I could tell she was paranoid that this stranger could be one of Eamon's spies.
The stranger dismounted, then I heard the voice of a woman reply, "Relax, it's only me, Mulan."
"Mulan?" exclaimed Merida, sounding surprised. "Is it really you?" Then the woman came closer to the fire, and the glow of it revealed her face. Merida exclaimed through tears of joy, "It is you!" Then the two embraced joyously. "It's been too long!"
"It has!" replied Mulan. "I have missed you!" Mulan was a beautiful Asian who appeared to be around Merida's age. She wore heavy tang lamellar armor which made it obvious that she was a warrior.
"She could be the same Mulan from the Disney movie!" I whispered to Kaylee excitedly, and she returned a big grin.
"So, what brings you here, Mulan?" Merida asked.
"Well, I wanted to visit you, and I also heard what has occurred," Mulan replied. "I wanted to make sure you were safe, and I have come to help you defend your kingdom."
"I am grateful for that," Merida replied with a grin. "My clan shall honor you like I do."
Merida introduced us to Mulan, and we shared our story with her. Then Merida brought up about the Holy Grail.
"I have always thought the Holy Grail to be a myth," Mulan remarked. "But if it truly does exist and we are able to get hold of that Grail tablet, then that's a mission I'd be up for. Let's just hope Eamon and Arthur are not out searching for it now."
"Oh, I'm sure they are," Zelena put in.
"Aren't you an optimist," Regina said in a sarcastic tone, turning to her sister who looked irritable. "By the looks of it, you don't seem to be enjoying yourself."
"Because I'm not!" Zelena retorted with complaint. "I feel like I keep being bit all over, and it's quite dreadful! These irksome pests won't leave me alone!" she wined, slapping herself repeatedly.
I saw many mosquitoes preying on her, which I found comical. Kaylee and I exchanged amused smiles and silent giggles. But for some reason, the rest of us were not being bothered by them; only Zelena seemed to be attracting all of them.
"That's it!" Zelena exclaimed irritably. "I cannot take this any longer! I despise nature; there's always something creeping up on you! I'm going to bed now!"
And as she was stomping away, Regina hollered out to her, "Don't come complaining to me once the bed bugs creep out!" I saw Zelena cast her a glare, then she disappeared into her tent which was the farthest away from all of ours.
Soon, the rest of us retired for the night to our tents. That night I had a dream, and in this dream, we all were members of the Round Table. We were sitting around the table in Arthur's meeting room, but strangely, the table was golden in color instead of just stone-gray; in fact, it looked exactly like a gigantic wraith medallion. Dr. Facilier was even with us, and he was sitting next to Arthur who proclaimed, "Fellow members of the Golden Circle, I am pleased to welcome you to our new king." Arthur and Dr. Facilier then stood up and bowed when a cloaked figure with a hood concealing its face appeared in the room. Arthur gave up his most important seat for the stranger who then took a seat on it. And a moment later, everyone around the table, bowed, but I refused to. It appeared to me that everyone was in some sort of trance by their blank and dazed-looking expressions.
The hooded figure began to speak, and his voice gave me the chills. "Welcome, my fellow members. It is good to be back. How I have waited for this moment for a very long time."
I felt nervous and confused because I didn't know what was going on. My heart raced rapidly, and sweat perspired from my skin. Suddenly, the figure spoke directly toward me, "Those who do not fit in are not welcome." And a moment later, he stood up, holding something round and golden in his hand. This object looked exactly like the wraith medallion. Then he began to babble out some strange words in another tongue, and suddenly, I started to feel a burning sensation on my hand that turned into agonizing pain. To my great alarm, I saw the very same branding appear on my hand that Regina got on hers, the wraith medallion branding. And a few seconds later, a wraith appeared in the room. Immediately, it started sucking the life out of me, and I felt a strange, cold feeling inside. I couldn't breathe or move. Then I woke up, sweating and breathing very hard. It took me a few minutes to recover from the nightmare, then Kaylee woke up.
"What's wrong, Aubrey?" she asked, yawning.
"Just a nightmare," I replied, my voice trembling.
"Can you tell me it?"
"Okay." After I told everything, Kaylee looked creeped out.
"Well, it was just a dream," she reassured.
"It felt so real," I said, gulping nervously. "I think that the hooded figure in my dream was Zophar. Kaylee, you know how we used to have prophetic dreams?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, what if what Merlin meant for us by fulfilling Camelot's prophecies and restoring peace was that Zophar will return and that we will have to face him," I said apprehensively. "Like what if this dream I had was prophetic of his return? What if it means something?"
"I don't know," Kaylee replied nervously. "You could have just dreamed this since we learned about the history of the Knights of the Golden Circle."
"I guess so," I responded with a sigh, hoping she was right. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm going on a walk. Do you want to come?"
"This early?" Kaylee said with surprise. "The sun is not even up yet."
"So what?" I replied, standing up. "I can't sleep anyway."
"Alright then," Kaylee said, nodding, then we put our cloaks on and headed out.
It was very cold out and felt refreshing, but because I was still feeling distracted from my dream that kept gnawing on me, the cold didn't bother me. By the time we headed back to camp, the sun had risen. We smelled breakfast cooking over the fire, and some of our friends were up and sitting around the fire.
"Where were you two?" Regina questioned us as we approached the fire. "I was worried when I didn't see you in your tent."
"Oh, sorry, we just went for an early morning walk," I replied as we took a seat by the blazing fire and warmed our cold hands.
After we all ate breakfast, Mulan told us that we could start battle training today to be prepared if we were suddenly ambushed.
"Mulan is a very skilled warrior, and she trained me," Merida said. "She is a very good teacher."
I saw Mulan blush, then she said, "And you have become a great warrior, Merida, the best I have ever seen. Just look at what you can do with a bow and arrow. I've never seen anyone with that much skill."
"Well, you should see my wife with the bow and arrow," said David proudly. "She never misses her target." Then Snow cast her husband a loving smile.
"I'd like to see your skills," said Merida, turning to Snow.
"Now let's all get to training," said Mulan.
"Count me out," said Zelena. "I'm not wasting my time."
"If you are forgetting, Sis, we cannot use magic right now, so get use to it," Regina coldly said, turning to her sister. "And that means we must train like the rest. You would only be wasting your time sulking around if you refused to partake."
Zelena cast her sister a glare but said nothing.
Kaylee and I were thrilled at the idea of battle training, especially because we were going to be trained by Mulan. We wanted to be warriors just like her.
That day was devoted to battle training, and we were taught many fighting tactics and even a bit of kung fu. It was fun.
(In Camelot)
Eamon met up with Arthur, and they discussed about the expedition for the Holy Grail in the meeting room of the Round Table. Eamon showed Arthur a stone tablet that was written in a code. "This Grail tablet is the key to finding the Holy Grail's location," Eamon explained. "I was lucky enough to have stolen it from the castle of Corbenic that has been ruled by Fisher King's bloodline known to be responsible for keeping the Holy Grail's hidden location safe. I know exactly who can translate it for us... Merlin."
Arthur grinned triumphantly and replied, "Then we shall see if this is truly the map to the Holy Grail's location." Immediately, he summoned Merlin to translate the Grail tablet, and once Merin did, Arthur exclaimed with exhilaration, "So it is true! We must leave for this expedition at once! There's no time to waste!"
Sir Galahad, now Arthur's most loyal knight, stood up from his seat and said, "I will be honored to assist you on this expedition, Sire."
Sir Kay, Arthur's older brother who also sat around the table, agreed to come as well.
"We shall set out first thing tomorrow morning," Arthur announced. Then he turned back to Eamon and added, "After I find the Holy Grail with your help, I ensure you that with my army fighting alongside you, you shall be invincible and gain what is rightfully yours." Then Eamon and Arthur shook on it. "To our victory and success!" Arthur proclaimed.
(In DunBroch)
After a long day of training, we were all exhausted and very hungry. As we ate dinner around the fire, Merida suddenly mentioned, "I just thought of something. I can't believe I didn't recall it until now. A while ago when I was riding through the woods, I came across a cottage lived in by a witch carver. I did some business with her, buying a few wood carvings and a magic potion. I remember when I was there, I saw a lot of wooden chalices she had made, and when she asked me if I liked any of them, I recall her saying, 'It's not the Holy Grail, but it's still an exquisite cup.' The point is, she might know something about the Holy Grail's location that could help us. Our only hope is going to her if we cannot ever get hold of that Grail tablet."
"Then we have no time to waste," said Hook. "We can go now."
"Aye," Merida said with a nod. "Hopefully she is still there."
"Of course there's the witch carver too," I whispered to Kaylee.
It was settled. Mulan, Hook, Regina, Kaylee, and I decided to come along. Regina hoped that the witch carver could remove her cuff, and if she got her magic back, she could remove Cora's and Zelena's cuff which they hoped could happen, especially Zelena who was now in a happier mood at the prospect.
We all borrowed horses then left for the woods, following Merida who rode her black shire. Nearly an hour later, we finally arrived at the witch carver's cottage, the same one as Merida described, and to all our relief, we saw a light from the window, which meant the witch was still living there. We dismounted and approached the door that was unlocked. Merida gave a soft knock then pushed the door open. "Hello?" she called.
"Come in, please," came a shrill voice of an old woman.
Once we stepped inside, the place surprised us; for there were wood carvings everywhere, like hundreds. I guessed this witch carver had nothing else to do, and by the look of it, she hardly got any business simply because her carvings were very high in stock. I especially admired all the exquisite animal figurines and was amazed how detailed they were.
The old woman approached us, and she certainly did look like the witch carver from the Disney movie, Brave. "Oh, it's you again," she said, glancing at Merida. "And I see you brought some friends along," she added, turning to the rest of us. "Come to buy some of my carvings?" she asked, sounding hopeful. "I'll even throw in a bargain, two for one price."
"Well, we actually came here for another reason," Merida began.
"If you're not going to buy anything, you can just leave," the old woman returned, sounding upset.
"Wait," Merida said. "Fine, we will buy one but only if first we can ask you a few questions."
"Alright, what is it, Dear?" the witch carver asked.
"I wanted to know if you knew anything about the Holy Grail's location," Merida began.
The witch carver pondered for a moment and replied, "As a matter of fact, I do." Then we all grew hopeful, and she continued, "Why do you want to know about its location?" Merida explained the reason, then the witch carver said, "I have something that will help." And she disappeared into another room, then a few minutes later, she returned with a folded piece of paper. "There you are," she said, handing it over to Merida.
Merida unfolded it, and to all our great joy, it was a map and not just any map but a map to the Holy Grail's location. "I can't believe it!" she exclaimed. "How did you get this? I thought the only map that existed to the Holy Grail's location was the Grail tablet."
"Well, it's not," the witch carver replied with a smile. "I was able to get this map a very long time ago from a very dear friend of mine named Fisher King who once ruled the Kingdom of Corbenic. He had been the next in line charged with keeping the Grail tablet safe; only he and his family bloodline knew the Holy Grail's location. Right before he passed away, he entrusted me this map, a copy of the Grail tablet's map, just in case the Grail tablet ever went missing and so that I would have a map to get to the Holy Grail before anyone else did. It's unfortunate the Grail tablet went missing."
"It was probably Eamon who stole it," said Merida.
"That's what I concluded too when you mentioned him promising Arthur the Holy Grail," the witch replied. "Anyway, I never knew the Grail tablet went missing until you told me. But even if I had found out earlier, I would have not wanted to go seek the Holy Grail before anyone else even if I promised Fisher King I would. For I am afraid that I would be too weak to resist the temptation of drinking from it to gain immortality. But at the same time, I know that being immortal would really be a curse. As you can see, I am a very old woman, and I don't plan to live much longer. I have lived a long enough life, and I can be satisfied with that. But now I can rest assure that this map will be protected in the hands of good, selfless people and that the Holy Grail may be hopefully sought before Arthur gets hold of it. That Holy Grail in the hands of a vile person would be a danger because if someone with a dark heart gains immortality, then that would be bad since that person would never be able to be defeated, and Camelot could live under a threat or a dark rein forever such as if a king like Arthur got hold of it. That's why Fisher King's bloodline was in charge of making sure the Holy Grail was safe; for that was their duty for life. Now there is still hope that Arthur may not get it if you all leave for this expedition immediately. I just hope you all don't make the wrong choice by trading the Holy Grail to Arthur. You may think it's the only way to solve all your problems, but it's not. This will lead to consequences, consequences you will not want to experience. Camelot would never be at peace if you made the wrong choice."
"Unless if once we get that Holy Grail, we trick Arthur by giving him a forged replica of it," Regina suggested, and we all nodded with agreement, even the witch carver. "I would be able to make the replica with my magic," Regina continued; "but the only thing keeping me from using my magic is this cuff." She pointed to it, holding out her wrist.
"Oh, I can help you will that," the witch carver said. Then with her magic, she disappeared Regina's cuff.
"Thank you," Regina said with appreciation.
"We really appreciate your help," Merida added gratefully.
"Of course, Dear," responded the old woman. "Now have you decided what you are going to buy?"
Merida picked up a wooden bear figurine and said, "I'll get this because the bear is a representation of my clan, a clan that fights bravely and remains strong through courage, strength, and most importantly, love." Then she took out a coin pouch and paid the old woman. "Keep the change."
"Pleasure doing business with you," the witch said, very pleased. "I wish you all good luck. Farewell!"
We said our goodbyes then left. When we got back to camp, Zelena was overjoyed once Regina removed her cuff and so was Cora. "How marvelous it feels to have my powers back!" Zelena exclaimed with great pleasure. "Nothing feels better!"
Once we all were together around the fire, Merida opened the map and started to read it. "The Holy Grail is on the island of Antillia and located inside a mountain-side temple called the Temple of the Sun which is in the Canyon of the Crescent Moon."
"I'm certainly glad it's a voyage," said Hook. "Nothing is better than being out at sea, and I miss the good days of sailing. That's the life for a pirate such as me. I'll do the sailing and navigation." Then glancing at the map, he added, "We have quite a long voyage ahead of us."