Red.
She would always remember the deep shade of red the rising sun left splattered against the ancient ruins. Swirling patterns chiseled deep into the rock appeared to be aflame, the old stone awakened from its unfeeling slumber by the encroaching red that spilled down its ageless face. The clearing surrounding them seemed almost colorless in comparison. It was an angry red. A vengeful red. And it warned her of how quickly her time was running out.
With a grunt she heaved the tapestry off Angus and hauled it through the grass. Her fingers clawed at the heavy fabric, straining to get a good grip. Every step seemed to take longer than it should have. Her shoulder throbbed as the cloth dragged and snared on the uneven ground. Her body ached and she could feel the toll of the day's desperate scramble beginning to stiffen her muscles.
Finally she reached her mother. The queen watched silently as Merida gritted her teeth and threw the tapestry over her mother's furry shoulders. Elinor snuggled into the folds, her massive form barely able to fit beneath the cloth. Elinor looked down at her paws after a moment or two. There was no visible transformation. The red continued to burn across the stones.
Elinor's features were difficult to read but her eyes spoke the volumes her body could not. She was scared it wouldn't work. She tried to smile weakly, to put on a brave face for her daughter until the very end, but Merida could see the fear beneath it.
She watched as her mother's breathing stretching the messy stitches running down the queen's spine. There had been a time when her lessons in embroidery had seemed so trivial. Merida chewed on her lip anxiously. How many lessons that she had once discredited would she now have given anything to have again if it meant her mother would teach her?
The scarlet had bled onto the grass and still there was no sign of any sort of change in her mother. Doubt was beginning to settle in the pit of her stomach and she tried to swallow but her mouth had grown dry. Merida searched her mother's eyes for any hint of a change as they remained glued on her, warm and loving as they had always been.
Suddenly the fear was replaced by a meaningful stare. Her chocolate brown eyes grew wide, as though seeing her for the first time. Merida held her breath- this was it. In the morning light her eyes seemed almost golden. They were bright, intelligent, and even as a bear they revealed the reigning monarch for who she was. But something wasn't right. The browns began swirling; growing dark and murky. A black pigment seeped through and soon overcame all other color until her mother's eyes were an unyielding obsidian. The polished lenses reflected Merida's own face as she watched in despair.
"I-I don't understand" she whispered. Her mother's face suddenly grew slack, her lower lip protruding and her shoulders, normal high and proud, slumped forward as if in defeat.
Merida didn't remember exactly what she said then. Things she had meant to say to her mother, the times when she had wanted to explain to her and make her understand meant nothing now. It hadn't worked and the crushing weight of it twisted her insides. The words seemed to come anyways, apologies and pleas jumbling together and catching in her throat painfully before spilling out of its own accord. She remembered wishing she could have said them to her mother when it had truly counted- when she could have heard them and held her. Instead her mother looked away, her nose twitching as the light began to cast onto her face. She remembered hugging her mother, refusing to believe her to be gone. She remembered whispering the she loved her. Her mother did nothing.
The bear did nothing.
It waited as Merida sobbed onto its fur. When she could finally pull herself away it brushed up against her before ambling towards the other clans, claws digging into the ground as they bore the bear's weight. It seemed to watch the men, who nervously held their weapons at the ready at its approach. They remained still and the bear passed, until finally stopping before Fergus.
The king was still visibly reeling from everything that he had just witness and appeared rooted to the spot. His fingers tightened against the cub wrapped around his leg and the bear snorted. The triplets huddled closer to their father.
The bear grunted a bit more forcefully and stepped closer to the three princes. Hubert let out a cry and Merida knew they were confused and frightened by this bear that had once been their mother. She suddenly realized what the bear was doing and stumbled blindly towards them. The bear scooped up Harris who tried to wiggle out of its grasp, though the gentle pull was more than he could fight. Hamish was next but by then Fergus had gotten wind of what was going on and stepped forward to stop it. Merida threw her arms out for her brothers who jumped into them as she stepped behind her father.
"E-Elinor?" the king croaked. The bear did nothing in reply, pushing him aside to get to its cubs without so much as a second glance at him. Fergus tried again, this time attempting to grab the bear's attention by pulling at its arm. The bear's head rounded on him and Merida could see the red reflecting dangerously in its dark eyes.
It pulled out of his grasp and moved towards its cubs. Her brothers pushed up against her, shivering in fear as their already captured brother cried out. She held them close, whispering softly into their fur in the hope that they would take comfort in her voice, if not her words. The bear reached out and Merida shuffled backwards, her feet catching on her dress as she tried to move away. The bear let out a low growl, the rumble of it echoing deep in its chest. It was a warning- give them to me.
"Elinor. Elinor, please- ye can't…ye can't do this! Not them too-" the anguish in his voice seemed worst then if Fergus had been crying. But it was too late, the bear was already carefully taking them out of Merida's arms and shepherding them away.
"Elinor!" Fergus roared. The bear paid no attention and the cubs could not escape from under its persistent shoving. No one dared to raise so much as a spear in protest and even Fergus flexed his fingers in frustration. He continued screaming for her but remain in place. His strength counted for nothing.
Merida watched as they disappeared into the tangled trees of the forest, the cries of her brothers fading until they were no more.
