Merida rode through the forest. She rode following the wisps that lit her way with their beckoning blue light. She didn't know where they were leading her and she didn't care. She rode with Angus's feet clomping on the ground. Her quiver hitting her back with the arrows moving inside it. She jumped over a log and skidded to a halt in a clearing. Angus stood there panting trying to catch his breath. She got down and stood tall and looked around. On the right side of the field the was nothing but when she turned her head to the left there lay a brown heap.
Merida walked closer. The brown heap began to take shape. She broke into a run and crouched down by the heap. Only it wasn't a heap. It was a guy. And he was hurt. He had an arrow in his arm and a deep cut on his stomach. She felt for a pulse and found one. Not very strong. She whistled for Angus. He came over. She picked up the boy and put it on Angus's back. She hopped on his back and snapped the reigns. "Heeyah!" She cried and angus took off.
There was no time to make it to the castle but the witch's cottage was close by. She would take him there and pray she would help her. Angus tore through the trail. She stopped Angus in the small clearing. She got up and raced to the door. She banged on it frantically. She heard a faint. "It's open."
She opened the door and found the "woodcarver" whittling. "Oh. Hello deary. Come back for more?" She asked.
"No. I need a favor. Please." Merida said frantically.
"What's wrong. You look like you've been hit by a hurricane." Said the witch.
"Come." Se said grabbing her arm and pulled her out to Angus and the boy.
"Who is this?" The witch asked.
"I don't know. The wisps led me to him. And he is barely alive." Merida told her.
"Oh. Well bring him in. Maybe there's still time." She said. Merida picked up the body and carried him to the cottage. The witch opened the door and inside was a table with the a cauldron beside it. "Put him there." The witch said gesturing towards the table. Merida walked over and set him down. For the first time she saw his face. He had brown hair and freckles. He was kinda cute but she didn't care. It was nothing for her to worry about. She had just won her freedom from her mother. She was not about to give it up now.
The witch went to work. She mixed ingredient after ingredient. "Pull the arrow out of his arm." She said. Merida walked over to the boy. She put her left hand on his arm. She grasped the shaft of the arrow in her right. She pushed down with her left hand and pulled up with her right. The arrow came out and the boy woke.
"W-what?" He said.
"Shhh. Your okay. I promise. Just rest. Your in good hands." Merida told him soothingly. And with that he blacked out again.
The witch went to work on a brew. It turned purple, then blue,then black. She seemed to be throwing everything under the kitchen sink in there. She even spit in it. Then it was ready. "Get me a bandage. Something to wrap around his stomach." The witch said. "I wonder why the wisps led you to him so soon after winning your freedom. I'd ought to think they'd wait longer."
Merida spun around looking. She saw nothing. She bent down and tore the bottom hem of her dress. She handed it to her. He mother would have a cow about it but she didn't care. She didn't like this dress anyways. The witch snatched it an rubbed some of the black paste on it. "Take his shirt off. Cut it if you have to. Just get it off him. Quick now." The witch told her. Merida took out a small knife and cut the shirt up the middle and tore it off him. The witch came over and wrapped the bandage with the paste on it around the cut on his stomach. "He should be fine now deary. You should get home. I will send the crow when he wakes." The witch told her.
Merida nodded. "Thank you." She told the witch. She walked out of the door and looked back at him. The witch seemed to have noticed. "Don't worry deary. He'll be fine." The witch told her comfortingly with a smile.
Merida smiled and left. She walked across the small clearing to where Angus was grazing. She jumped on the saddle and snapped the reigns. She looked at the sky. The sun was nearing the horizon. They sky was painted with brilliant blues, purples, pinks, oranges, and reds radiating from the bright orb in the sky. She should have been home by now and her mother would probably have a cow.
She snapped out of her trance as they passed the circle of tall standing stones. She snapped the reigns again and leaned forward. Her hair flopped and tangled behind her. The wind flew through it and made it curl, flow, snap, and blow in all directions. But she didn't care. Merida loved it. The feeling of freedom the wind gave her. It cleared her head and let her think. It released her of the stuffy feeling that her home and family caused.
Angus slowed down as the crossed the stone bridge and came closer to the stables. Merida jumped down and led him to him pen. She gave him and apple and walked away. She entered through the kitchens and grabbed an apple and a small plate of pastries. She walked into the dinning room and flopped down in her chair. She put the pastries on the table and into her apple.
"Where have you been?" Her mother asked concerned.
"That's kind of a long story." Merida said and took another big bite.
"We've got time." Her mother said as she put her elbows on the table and looked straight at her daughter.
"Well. I kind of found a boy in the forest and helped him. It took longer than expected so I didn't mean to be late. I was just trying to help someone." Merida told her.
"Is he okay?" Her mother asked alarmed.
"He's fine mum." She said with a smile.
"Can I meet him?" The queen asked.
"Well he is kind of unconscious at the moment." She said rubbing the back of her neck.
"What?" Her mother said shocked.
"Okay. No. It's not what you think. I promise. What happened was I was riding through the woods and I followed the wisps. I found him in the clearing way up north. He had a deep cut on his stomach and an arrow in his arm. He was pale and barely alive. I took her to the witch's cottage in the woods. She has him there. She owes me a favor. She will let me know when he wakes up or if anything happens." Merida told her.
"Oh. You saved him. Well. Is he cute?" Her mother asked with a smile.
"MuuuUuUuUm" Merida said groaning. "Can't I just be nice or did you forget the part that the wisps led me to him?" She asked.
"Well. You just don't usually do stuff like that." Her mother said. "Why do you trust this witch anyways. She turned me into a bear!"
"I had no other choice and I do. She kept true to her word in changing my fate. Just with some unseen side affects. But someone's life was at stake. I don't think she would so anything like that there. She is a friend. I can't explain it." Merida told her mother. "Now I'm tired. It has been a long stressful day." Se said as she got up and grabbed the plate of pastries and walked to her room. She set the plate down on her bed and sat down beside it. She grabbed one and bit down. The blueberries inside squished and the flaky crust crunched.
She finished the plate and lay back on the the bed. Her head hit the soft pillow and she closed her eyes. She jolted up with she heard a pecking at the window. It was light outside. The black crow was at her window. She ran to the window and pulled it open. The crow perched and looked up at her.
"I had been pecking for ten minutes!" The crow cried.
"Sorry." She said kind of embarrassed.
"Anyways he is awake. He is asking for the fiery red he saw. She sent me immediately as soon as she heard that." The crow said. Merida smiled and ran downstairs. She grabbed an apple and ran to the stables. She jumped onto Angus back and he took off. She rode faster than she had last night. She passed the stones and followed the old trail she had rode on last night. She came to the small clearing and Angus stopped. She patted Angus's shoulder and ran to the door and walked in.
The door opened with the creek and she walked in. On the same table he lay yesterday sat the skinny shaggy haired boy. He sat shirtless with the dark teal bandage around his middle and a furry vest on over that. He looked at her confused.
"See this is the lass that saved you. Se brought you here to me." The witch told him.
"I was beginning to think it was a dream." He said laughing. "How did you find me?" He asked turning to her.
"I followed the wisps." She told him in her thick scot accent.
"What are wisps?" He asked fairly confused.
"Why don't you two go outside and tell each other the whole story." The witch said shooing them out. As soon as they were out the door the witch slammed it. "Well." The boy said. Then the door opened it back up and she threw a shirt back up at him.
"Anyways what are wisps?" He asked as he pulled his shirt on.
"Wisps are small blue flame like creatures that lead you to your fate." She said. "Now what is your name? I never asked."
"Hiccup. My name is Hiccup horrendous Haddock the third." He said.
Merida smiled. "Well. My name is Merida. Merida Dunbroch." Se said kind of laughing.
"Look I know my name is funny but there is no need to laugh." He said taken aback.
"Sorry. But I've never met some one named hiccup. By the way. Where are you from? How did you end up in the clearing?" She asked.
"I'm from Berk. It's up near Sweden and Norway. And I can't exactly remember how I ended up there. It's kinda vague. I remember thorns from a tail cut me and getting shot then falling. That's all. I know it's not much but it's all i remember." Hiccup told her.
"Well that's not what I expected. Why were you falling?" Se asked.
"I fell off my dragon." He said his eyes getting wide and panicked. "TOOTHLESS!!!!!" He screamed.
"What's wrong?" Merida asked.
"My dragon! He's gone." He said panicked.
"Calm down. We will find him. Don't worry!" She said putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Okay. Sorry. I shouldn't have freaked out. Where do you live? I don't think the witch will want me back." He said.
"Oh. Um... I think I have a place you can stay." Se said.
"What is it?" He asked.
"My mum wants to meet ya." Se said.
"And?" He asked.
Merida shut her eyes and just let it go. "She. Is... The queen." Merida confessed.
"Oh... What!? You're the princess! For Odin's sake! I was saved by e princess of Scotland-" he Rambles.
"Shut. Up." She said curtly and the word cut through his like a knife. He shut up faster than a shy kid in a crowd. "I don't like being known as the princess. It reminds me of all the duties and responsibilities I had. How I had to fight to even share my own opinion. I don't like it." She said.
"Look. I don't care if you're the princess. It doesn't matter to me." He said kindly.
"I'm sorry I snapped. I didn't mean to. It's a touchy subject to begin with and you just dove right in. I'm sorry." She said. "Come on. My mother will think I ran away."
She jumped onto Angus's back. Hiccup climbed on behind her. "Hold on!" Se said as she snapped the reigns and Angus took off. He scrambled and grabbed her waist. Merida felt a rush of warmth race through her veins. It started at her waist and spread from there. As usual Angus sped up as they went around the stone circle. He gripped tighter and she felt herself to hot again. She felt it go through her cheeks and spread from there. She had never felt that before. It worried her some but she brushed it off.
"You okay?" Se asked.
"You're going a little fast." He said.
"Says the boy who rides dragons!" Merida rebutted. She snapped the reigns and leaned forward. She slowed as she crossed the bridge and jumped down when they reached the stables. Hiccup jumped down after her. "You okay? You look pretty pale." She said laughing.
"I-I'll be good in a minute."he said. Merida walked over and tied Angus to the pole. She tossed him an apple and he caught it and crunched it. Merida ran by Hiccup and grabbed his arm. "Come on!" She said laughing.
"OW!" He shouted. "That's the arm that had the arrow."
"Sorry." Merida said shocked. But she didn't stop. She kept walking. She walked through the kitchen with Hiccup following close behind. She ran up the stairs and throughout the hallways. She ran to the throne room. She ran by Maudie on the way and snatched an apple from the tray. She skidded to a halt at the door. She heard the bag pipes in the room. She turned on the heel and ran. She pulled Hiccup with her.
"Where are we going?" He asked.
"Away from here. The other lords are here. And trust me. You don't want to be there when it erupts." She said. "We can go for a ride!"
"Um... Okay." He said uneasily.
They reached the stables and out of habit she jumped straight onto Angus's back. She looked over and saw Hiccup struggling to clammer onto the brown horses back. Merida laughed at him but he finally got up and he turned with an embarrassed scowl "shut up." He said.
"I said nothing." She told him smiling. "Hiyah!" She said snapping the reigns. Angus took off. Closely followed by Hiccup and his horse. Merida rode until she made it to her old shooting trail. She pulled her old brown leather shooting guard. It was almost molded to her arm. Se pulled her bow out from around her. She took an arrow and smiled. She was about to reach that log. The one she always jumped and shot through a fork in a tree. She decided to do something different.
Angus jumped. Merida turned around and shot. The arrow flew true to its mark. It hit an apple that dropped in Hiccup's lap. Merida smiled back at him. He looked up and shouted. "Show off!" He said with a smile. Se smiled back and fell off the horse and Angus came to a dead stop.
Merida flew forward. Her momentum carried her almost twenty feet from where Angus had stopped. Merida flew through the air and hit the ground hard. Her head slammed against a rock. She rolled a few feet before she came to a complete stop. Merida turned her head towards Angus and screamed. "Dammit Angus!" She screamed as she brought her hand to her head. It was throbbing. The whole place was spinning. Next thing she knew Hiccup was beside her.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Um. Yea. I think. Help me up." Se said bracing herself against him. He grabbed her arm and helped her up. She made it half way before she fell again. "I can't. Everything spinning." She told him.
"Your head's bleeding." He told her. She moved her hand to her forehead then looked at it. It was stained with a deep red sticky liquid. Her stomach turned. She looked away. She reached to the hem of her skirt. She ripped the bottom part off. With great distress doing that. She winced and picked it up and reached up to tie it to her head. Hiccup took it from her and tied it for her.
"Thank you." She said. The truth was her head was spinning. She felt her pulse slamming against her brain. With every heart beat came a throb of pain in her head. It felt as though her brain was beating against her skull.Merida closed her eyes and just sat there. She couldn't move.
"Merida? Are you okay?" He asked very concerned.
"Yea. I think. Just my head. It still hurts." She told him with her eyes still closed. "Damn horse. I wonder what spooked him." She said.
"I don't know. But both the horses are gone." He said smiling.
"Of course they are. Where else would they- AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" She screamed as she opened her eyes and crawled away. Then she was pinned to the ground by a big black dragon. The green piece of dress had fallen off her head and she was on her back staring straight into the eyes of the big black beast.
The dragon was growling showing teeth almost a foot away from her face. She was heaving. She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side and waited for it to attack. But it never came.
She opened her eyes and saw Hiccup standing over her backing the dragon away. She was watching him in awe. He calmed the dragon down and walked over to her. He helped her up and she kept a hand on his shoulder just in case. She was still feeling a bit light headed.
"Merida. This is Toothless." He told her. "He is not usually like that. I promise."
"Well. You know what they say about first impressions. They are almost never right." She said still a little shaken by the whole thing.
He took her hand and moved it closer to Toothless's head. Her hand met with the dragon's cool scaly skin. Toothless grumbled some but stopped when Hiccup glared at him. "I'll fix his tail then I can take you home." Hiccup told her.
He walked around to his tail and bent down. Merida noticed a rather large stream nearby. She pointed at Hiccup and then to the stream. Toothless must have gotten the message because next thingy Hiccup knew he was flying through the air and landed in a river. He saw Merida doubled over with laughter. Hiccup sat there in the water. Feeling betrayed but even more so shocked at the Scottish girl's behavior. This was not how he expected any princess to act.
She came over to him and walked into the stream to help him up. She held out her hand and he took it. But instead of helping himself up he pulled her down with him. The water was already about waist deep. Merida went fully under and came up with her hair in her face. It was long and straight because it was wet but she pulled it out of her face and smirked at Hiccup.
She stood up and began to walk away but turned and splashed the boy. This continued for a while. They played like kids that day and never regretted any of it. They threw mud at each other, used sticks as swords, and splashed in the river. They lay in the field with their feet opposite ways but their head next to each other just watching the sky.
"Are you going back home now?" Merida asked with a twinge of disappointment in her voice.
"Yes. I'm sorry. I have to though." He told her.
"I understand. I'm still trying to figure out why the wisps led me to you." She confessed.
"The whole wisps leading you to your fate sounds a bit fishy to me." He told her.
"It's true. They led me to a witches cottage. Which ultimately led to her being changed into a bear. Don't ask it is a long story. A really long story." Se told him.
"I won't believe it until I see it." He told her. "Do you trust me?"
"Huh?" She asked confused.
"Do you trust me?" He repeated.
"Yes." She said cautiously. He walked over to Toothless and jumped on his back. She followed but didn't get on the dragons back. He held out a hand for her. She hesitated but took it. She climbed onto the dragon's back.
He took off. He flew to the silhouette of the castle in the distance. She was holding on tightly to his midriff. She put her forehead on his shoulder. She thought to herself about how this felt right. Not the riding dragons but her and this boy she had saved. Something about it just clicked. She couldn't explain it.
Hiccup felt the same way. He never let on though. He never wanted to hurt her. And if he fell for this girl or she fell for him one or both of them would end up hurt. That was the last thing Hiccup wanted.
They landed at the castle and it caused an uproar. No one there had ever seen a dragon before. He left it by the stables where Angus was grazing on the oats someone out out for him. The two walked up and walked to the throne room. By now the lords had left along with their sons. She walked in but found no one there. Maudie passed by and just told her they were having an early supper.
Merida walked in the room and called for her mother. "Mum. You said you wanted to meet the guy I saved." She called out.
"Oh. Yes dear. That's nice." Her mother said not even paying her any attention.
"Hey dad. I brought a boy home." She said knowing that it would get someone's attention. Fergus stopped eating and stood up. Ellinor turned around and faced her daughter. "Mum said she wanted to meet the boy I saved yesterday. So I brought him." She said nervously.
"Oh." He father said sitting down.
They sat down and talked for a while. Her parents were impressed by the entire idea of Dragons and riding them. He asked Merida where she learned to shoot so well and her father beamed with pride. Then the subject turned to the entire debacle that had happened two years ago. Her and her mother shied away from the subject. But her father spun the tale of a young girl not wanting to get married so she entered the competition and won her hand. Hiccup was amazed at this but Merida tried to change the subject many many times without prevail. But after a while it got rather dark and Merida showed Hiccup up to his new room.
After a few weeks the two got closer an closer as friends. But something was blossoming that scared the both of them. But Hiccup had to be moved rooms to accommodate his more "long term" stay.
"I still can't believe you devised that whole plan and it worked. " hiccup said in amazement.
"Yea. Can we not talk about it?" Merida asked.
"Why?" Hiccup asked
"I don't want to talk about it." She said.
"Just tell me." He egged on.
"No."
"Why?" He asked.
"Just drop it." She said getting annoyed at his persistence.
"No. Just tell me."
"No. For the last time.
"Tell me."
"Because I don't like being a show off." She said coming up with something last minute.
"You and I both know that's not it now tell me." He told her.
"No." She said firmly. She refused o look back at him.
"Merida. Please." He begged.
"No."
"Merida!"
"No."
"Why?!" He screamed getting angry.
"Because!"
"Because why!?" He screamed. At this point they were both screaming.
"I'm not as good as the story makes me to be!" She screamed at him turning to him. What he saw made him feel weird. He saw the strong confident girl he knew fade and he saw a scared child. She had tears in her eyes and her whole face was red with anger.
"Mer-"
"There's your room. If you need anything scream and someone will find you." She said. And with that she turned and walked three doors down and slammed the door. As soon as she made it to the other side of the door she lost it. No matter how hard she tried to hold it in it just came out. She had not cried in two years. The last time she did was when she almost lost her mother.
She slid down the door and lay her head on her knees and hugged her knees to her chest. She let it all out. After a few minutes she composed herself and grabbed her sword. She was mad at herself for letting it come to crying. She hit her sword repeatedly against the wooden pole in her room. Each swing let out the anger she had bottled up inside her that archery could not release. She hit left and right until she was too exhausted to even lift her arms. She plopped onto her bed and lay there.
She heard a knock at the door. She got up and opened it angrily. "What!?" She said through clenched teeth.
"Woah. Sorry. Um... What do you mean you're not as good as the story makes you out to be?" He asked.
"Why do you care?" She asked. But she didn't wait for an answer. She tried to close the door but he held it open. She pushed against the door but the scrawny boy was stronger than he looked.
"I. Want to know." He said grunting as he pushed the door open finally as she gave up. "I saw you shoot an apple through a fork in the tree. That is amazing. I have seen the targets you put up in that trail. None of them were missed. That is amazing. You know you're good at archery. I know you do. Why do you put yourself down like that?"
"Why do you care!?" She screamed.
"Because. Because..." He stammered.
"Because why?!"
"Because you are amazing! You go around and I have seen you shoot a target from far away and hit the mark again and again. You can more than handle your own in a sword fight. And you are just perfect! I mean look at you! You waltz around not knowing you are. You- you -you just put yourself down because of it! I'm tired of it! I have put up with it because I thought you were just being modest but know you actually believe it. You changed the Scottish tradition! You can ride like the wind! You climbed the god damn fire falls! You are an amazing fighter! You just need to trust yourself and face reality! You are amazing at pretty much everything you do!" Hiccup shouted at her. Merida stood there taken aback. She was speechless. She had no words to say.
Merida thought to herself shifting her gaze from him to the ground. "Is he right? D I put myself down without realizing it? Come to think of it I do." She thought.
"No ones ever spoken to me like that before." She said softly.
"What?" Hiccup said confused.
"No one has ever talked to me like they cared so much before. I mean I know my parents care but this is different. I can't explain it." She said not meeting his gaze. This time it was his turn to be speechless. He placed a hand on her back and pulled her into a hug. He expected her to refuse but she complied and hugged him back. She leaned into his shoulder and just stay there for a while. He just felt safe to be around. And that was what she needed right now. Not even realizing it a tear had fallen from her eye. She noticed her eyes was watering up so she sniffed and wiped them clean.
"I'm sorry. I-I don't know what got into me." She said pulling away embarrassed.
"It's fine. It's my fault anyways. I should go. I mean its your room." He said as he started to walk backwards. For the first time Merida saw something the never did before. This boy had lost a foot. Just like her father.
"W-wait. What happened to your foot?" She asked.
"It's kinda a long story." He said rubbing the back of his neck. "But I got it when I fought the queen bee dragon." He told and he spun the tale of how he met toothless and how he and Astrid had come upon the nest.
"Wow. I never noticed you lost it before." She told him.
"Well I usually wear a shoe over it. And how often do you look at someone's feet?" He asked with a joking smile.
"I'm sorry it happened." She told him. And she surprised herself by how much she meant it.
"I mean its fine. I've learned to adjust without it." He said brushing it off. He sensed something when she apologized for it. He sensed sincerity but that wasn't exactly it. He thought he saw something in her eyes. "I think I should go. Um.. I mean its getting late." He said as he walked out the door and shut It behind him.
Merida was confused. She had had a crush before but this was completely different. It felt stronger than a crush. She remember what the witch had said though. About the wisps leading her to him s soon. Why was she so confused about this? Not only confused but scared, terrified even. She didn't know what to believe anymore. How she didn't want the hug t end. How he always made her happy. No. Se was not in love. she was only 17. She had won her freedom. That's what she wanted right. To remain a chaste maiden for her whole life? But why did this feel so right? She felt safe around him and never wanted to leave his side.
She sighed and tried to go to sleep but her dreams were plagued with Mord'u, wisps, and Hiccup. She woke in a cold sweat panting. She looked out her window. The sun was only just rising. She sighed and went back to sleep only to have her wake up again from the same dream. She knew there was no hope of any more sleep today. She got up and changed. She wore her favorite dark green dress. She walked down stairs into the kitchen. She grabbed an apple and walked to the archery range. She sat down on the ground and pulled out a knife. She started to carve her family crest into the bow. With the three bear heads and intertwining necks she knew the symbol by heart. She finished that one then started a new one. She started with the sword. Then the vines swirling around it.
She sat there staring at her bow. She hated days like these. Se never felt like doing anything. She thought she wanted to shoot but the with each step towards the archery range the desire fell. She walked toward the stables. Saddled up Angus and took off at a trot. She looked behind her and saw her mother getting on a horse of her own. At this she smiled and made Angus go faster. Her mother came close on her tail and they slowed down together.
"Where's hiccup? I thought you two were inseparable." Her mother said.
"I just woke up early and decided I needed some time to think." Merida told her.
"What do you need to think about?" Her mother asked concerned.
"Nothing. I just." She sighed. "I don't know what to think anymore."
"Sweetheart. What do you mean?" Her mother asked.
"HIM!" She screamed exasperated. "I can't think properly! He just UGH!"
"Ooh! I've been waiting for this day!" Her mother said excited.
"What!?" Merida asked confused.
"I'm sorry but you'll have to figure it out for your own. But I'm not sure you'll like it at first." He mother said with a smile then she turned her horse around and left but called back to her, "I'll let Hiccup know where you are."
Merida sighed and turned angus towards the trail then rode away. She reached the fire falls and climbed the large rock by the falls. She reached the top and sat down. It was still early. The still rising sun beat down and she sat there and soaked it in. The warmth bathed her face and for the first time she didn't want to do anything else. She just wanted to sit there. Alone.
After a while a shadow passed the sun and Merida opened her eyes. A bird-like shadow was in the sky. But Merida knew better. She knew it was no bird. The black dragon stopped beside the top of the tooth.
"Need a lift?" He asked.
"Yea. Sure." She said. She cli,bed onto the dragons back. She sat down behind Hiccup and Toothless took off. She rested her chin on Hiccup's shoulder. She held onto his waist as the black dragon snaked through the white fluffy clouds.
"Hey Mer?" He said.
"Hmm?" She answered.
"I-I think I like you." He told her. Before she could say anything he turned around and kissed her. It would have lasted longer but it was cut short. Toothless saw what was happening and dove straight down.
"Toothless! What are you doing!? Stop!" Hiccup shouted trying to control the dragon gone rogue.
While hiccup wrestled with the dragon Merida sat there thinking about what had just happened. How his lips sent a warm rush throughout her body. How when he stuttered those 5 words and it sent a small shock through her body. She wondered if toothless had not freaked out would she have kissed back. Then it hit her. This is what her mother was talking about. How she wouldn't like it when she figured it out. But she did like it. She liked him!
Hiccup had just landed the dragon. He helped her down. She was smiling and she hugged him. "I like you too." She told him.
"Wow. Well um..." He said hugging her back.
"Oh. Um.. I'm sorry." She said letting go of him. "I just um... Sorry."
"No. I just."
"Look. We both know this is awkward." Merida said with a smile.
"Why don't we try that kiss over again?" He said.
"Yea." She said. But it never happened. Hamish, Hubert, and Harris appeared out of the woods and ambushed the two. They used pies and their little wooden swords. They played around for a while. I mean they were still only 8 but she was 17. She felt like a little kid again. Se looked over at Hiccup and saw him having the time of his life.
She was fighting Hamish who was on Harris's back who was on Hubert's back. The boys had teamed up with hiccup who were trying to take her down in the sword fight. She was winning despite the numbers. But Hiccup swung at her feet and she fell. The boys held her down at sword point.
"Give!" Hiccup told her.
She smiled and shouted. "Never!" She kicked the swords and got up and ran for it. The boys chased her through the trails. They tried to keep up with her but she knew them better than anyone. She took a small detour and hid just off the trail. She sat there in wait. When her brothers and Hiccup ran by she saw them split up. She followed Hiccup quietly on his trail. After a few minutes she came out and scared him.
"Boo!" She said. He jumped and screamed. Merida laughed at him.
"What was that for?" He asked angrily.
"Nothing." She said. Bumping him on the hip. She smiled at him. They walked together until they reached a cliff by the ocean.
They knew the triplets would find them soon enough if they were looking. But they didn't care. He grabbed her hand. She blushed. He turned her to face him. She smiled and told him. "You take too long." She said as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she put her arms around his neck. She kissed him. He pulls her closer to him as she does so.
After a while they head back to the castle. Hand in hand only to see the queen smirking at them as they came through the front gate.