Merida woke up early, it was Saturday, her day away from princess duties and lessons. She quickly changed, grabbed her bow and arrows, and rushed to the stables, grabbing a couple of apples and some bread on her way out. She saddled Angus before the two burst past the doors and out into the wilderness beyond. She closed her eyes and breathed in the taste of freedom before concentrating her attention to several targets swinging in her path. With a quick precision, an arrow was imbedded in each one before she left the clearing for a day of exploration. She reined in her horse for a bit so she could eat an apple real quick before continuing on. Going deeper into the forest, she could tell that it had rained rather heavily in the last week. Leaves were still dripping with water, mud sloshed around under Angus' hooves, and the forest smelled strongly of pine, juniper, and oak, deep scents reminiscent of the deep roots still drinking their fill. She breathed it all in as she let Angus amble around for bit before reining him into a direction. The path started to look familiar before she noticed something was off about it. There was trampled grass, broken twigs, and two pairs of prints left ominously by an all-too familiar species.
"Who did she change into bears this time?" She slipped off of Angus but paused, laughter could be heard ahead. She quickly pulled Angus into a clump of bushes and ducked low, curious as to who made that laughter. It wasn't long before the laugher walked into her sights with a group of men, a muzzled bear, and two angry, muzzled dragons.
"Man, that Eret was really loyal to you, wasn't he, Hiccup?" laughed the first guy. Merida instantly thought of Mor'du, he looked as deranged. A woman sauntered to the front.
"And our deal, Dagur?"
"I know, Frieda, you get the bear and I get the dragons. Don't worry, I just need some time to relieve Berk of the rest of its dragons. But how do we do that? Hiccup here can still talk," he told her as he hit the bear.
Frieda chuckled, "It's simple, really, leave him here. By the time it freezes over enough for him to get to Berk, you'll be gone with the dragons, and my daughter will be ready to marry him. Plain and simple, nothing to it, really."
"Good idea. You know, Frieda, you're one of the few people I truly enjoy working with, if not the only one I enjoy working with," he muttered casting a glance over his men. He glanced around the forest, "Here, tie him to this tree, but not too tight, we do want him to get out, eventually." Dagur laughed again as they tied the bear to the tree, the sound of it was really starting to get on Merida's nerves. "Have a nice stay in Scotland, Hiccup, I hear the Scots are hospitable this time of year." This time, Frieda joined in the laughter as the group left, the dragons doing everything in their power to break away, especially the black one, but it wasn't long before the men managed to drag them along and they disappeared into the forest. Merida waited a few minutes before revealing herself to the bear and set about getting him free. She didn't know what she was expecting he would do, if anything at least to go after the dragons, but she seemed rather disappointed when he just slumped to the ground, his face the saddest she had ever seen, or could ever see, on a bear.
"I've ruined everything, everyone, Berk, the dragons, it's all gone. What did I do?" he sighed, sinking his head back into the mud.
"Y-you can talk?"
The bear glanced up at her sharply, "What?"
"Um, you weren't the first person who was changed into a bear."
The bear heaved a sigh, "Go figure, and there's nothing I can do about it now."
"What are you talking about? Why didn't you go after them when I freed you?"
"But what good could I do? I'm a bear now and . . . and I need hands to free Toothless and Skullcrusher."
"Well, I have hands . . ."
"There's still too many for even the four of us to handle. It's just not worth it, not now." He paused before continuing with a sigh, "The only thing I can do now is wait until the winter when I can cross on ice." He sighed again and moved to turn away.
"Wait, give me a minute." She rushed back down the path the group had come from, quickly entering a little cottage nestled beneath some trees. A cauldron sat at the far end of the room, activated by a series of contraptions. Smoke seeped out and a head rose above the cauldron.
"Welcome to the Crafty Carver, home for all your carving and statue needs. I am currently out of stock, but if there is anything you need, leave a message. If you're looking for wedding items, phial one, if you're that crazy Viking, though I'd rather the really nice Viking, phial two." Merida quickly poured the second phial into the cauldron. "Hello Mr. Viking, thank you for your business, I hope you enjoy your product. However, you left before I could fully explain the effects of the spell. Yes, whoever drinks of the potion will turn into a bear and the spell can only be reversed by an act of true love, as requested . . ."
"Requested? She takes requests?"
"Human at night and bear during the day. But, whoever turns into a bear has until the first new moon after the first day of spring to find his true love, or he will be a bear forever. Also, I added something a little extra since I really didn't like the looks of ya, or that woman, if you can call her that. Bleh. If you harm anyone changed into a bear before the first day of spring, you will be changed into a bear for three years. Once the three years are up, you will be returned to human form on the condition that you do not attack that person, or bear, ever again, got it? Have fun! And thanks for shopping at the Crafty Carver!"
"Whoa, what, that . . . that's going to happen? And I have until the first new moon after the first day of spring?" Merida spun around, the bear had squeezed into the doorway.
"Uh, it sounds like it."
"Well, at least I know that if Dagur tried to hurt me he'll turn into a bear for three years."
"Dagur was that crazy guy with the annoying laugh?"
"Uh, yeah . . ."
"And you are?"
"Oh, uh, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, but you can call me Hiccup."
Merida blinked, "What kind of a name is that?"
"It's a tough Viking . . . OK, no it isn't tough-sounding at all. I still have no idea why my parents named me that, unless it was to make hiccups seem more threatening, or if they were already threatened by hiccups."
Merida snorted, "Were you small and annoying but cute?"
"What? Hey! You haven't seen me yet in my human form!"
"Then I'll just have to wait and see when you change back so I can find out if I'm right about you being small."
"Ugh. Who are you, anyway?"
"I am Merida of the Dunbroch clan."
"Oh, right . . . a Scot."
"And someone you can trust. Come on, like I said, this isn't the first time she's changed someone into a bear."
"Oh, that's reassuring. Where are we going?"
"I'll bring you to my home. They'll understand." Merida climbed onto Angus, and led Hiccup to Dunbroch castle.