(a/n: Here you go, a sequel to Forever After. Enjoy!)

Prelude: Ghosts

The rain came that night. It came down in a torrential downpour. Rain didn't bother the monarch who stood standing in the wet, muddy, corpse-strewn courtyard with several of his men.

Though it was a bitterly cold evening, they stood at attention with their weapons at the ready. Even though several hours of fierce fighting has drained them, they remained as alert as they possibly could.

Fergus of DunBroch let out a deep sigh and shifted in the spot he stood, trying his best to stay awake. His eyes remained alert, constantly scanning around him trying to spot any nasty surprises his enemy might try to spring on him.

Hours earlier, he lost two men to a nasty trap triggered by a hidden wire as his troops scoured the castle. They were swallowed up by a cloud of noxious gas that burnt their skins and left a horrible smell and lots of screaming

"Bloody sorcery" one of the captains muttered as they watched the two horribly injured men were carried away.

Fergus had been in many battles and has seen men receive many gruesome injuries but he didn't expect such a thing to happen. But he regretted not being more cautious, considering the enemy that he and the other lords were fighting.

Most of their troops were busy with moping up any survivors, looting whatever can be of use like food, water and any spoils and lastly, searching for their enemy who mysteriously slinked off in the middle of the battle.

Some of the men that were with Fergus glanced about them nervously, anxious that a mad warrior might leap out of the shadows or the ghost of their foe might come crawling out of some random corner and snatch them up.

Noticing their uneasiness, the king spoke in a soothing tone "Easy lads, no need to worry. There's nothing here, nothing to worry about. By this time tomorrow we'll be enjoying some fresh mead and a hot meal back home". Fergus saw his men relax a little. The thought of home buoyed their spirits a little.

Any given day, he would've yelled a minor insult and tried to encourage them. But this castle, this cold bitter region has an odd foreboding spell. It seeped into the morale of the entire army ever since they got there and had casted an eerie spell on them all, which left them with a sickeningly miserable feeling that just won't go away. The sooner they left this forsaken place the better.

Its no wonder that the people in the surrounding regions, Fergus and the Lords included, called this land "The Silent Lands" and the castle "The Wraith's Keep".

The journey didn't help in the least. The long trek through the dark and creepy forests, where it was dark and silent like a tomb. He felt as if someone, or something, was watching their every step. Lifeless and empty villages, odd mounds of dirt in the middle of crop fields that, upon inspection, turned out to be mass graves. It was all a large nightmare from which they all wanted to wake up from.

"Your Majesty!" a familiar voice cried out.

Fergus' mind snapped back to reality. He saw Lord Macintosh emerge from an archway from the far end of the courtyard, far to the right of Fergus. He wore little armor, saying that he didn't need any. He always had unusually high confidence in his combat skills, even when Fergus and the other Lords insist that he was a lousy fighter.

His kilt was covered in blood splatters, which were hard to notice from afar, but up close they were slightly more noticeable. His face was covered in a thick layer of dirt and grime.

Lord Macintosh cried, "We've found 'em!" Fergus' heart fluttered and his hand went straight to the pommel of his sword. At last, they found the snake.

Lord Macintosh glanced over his shoulder and motioned for someone to follow. There were sounds of shuffling and some voices. Then all at once, a group of soldiers and some of the other Lords emerged. The group of soldiers all were struggling to hold a singular figure in their midst. The figure wore black and had a old black sack over his head.

Fergus saw the figure blindly thrash about and he heard animalistic snarls. Lord Dingwall trailed behind the group, also blood stained, wielding a loaded crossbow. He kept it aimed at the figure's head. Lord Macguffin kept his sword in a tight grip and the blade aimed at the prisoner in case of any more trickery. Lord Macintosh saw that they were having struggles keeping him in their grip, so he slipped in between a pair of soldiers and he struck the prisoner on the back of the head. The blow caused the prisoner to go limp for a few moments, which was enough for the group to drag him on towards Fergus.

The king gestured over to a large, grey boulder with a flat top that could easily used as a table. The group of soldiers and Lords dragged their prisoner over and Lord Dingwall hit the back of the man's knees, forcing him to fall to the cold wet mud and he wobbled a little, almost ready to tip.

Once the prisoner was on his knees, Lord Macintosh reported "We found him down in the cellar, trying to escape through a hidden passage"

"Took three of us to subdue him" added Lord Macguffin, as he sheathed his sword.

Lord Dingwall nodded "And another three to drag 'em up here".

Fergus nodded, satisfied with their report. Their enemy was a slimy coward, but he when cornered he was as deadly as any ferocious animal that Fergus had hunted. But now all his tricks had run out and he had nowhere to run. He will finally pay for his crimes.

Fergus noted that their prisoner had regained some balance and was now sitting still, listening, waiting. He sat there. His breathing was slow and calm. He was waiting.

The king reached down and tore the bag off of the prisoner, revealing the face of their enemy. He was a man with sharp features. His skin was as pale as a ghoul which was now spotted with large bruises and flecks of blood splatters.

The man's eyes were as dark as a moonless night as was his hair. The man had sunken eyes and high cheekbones. He had a normal sized nose that came to a point that reminded Fergus of a raven's beak. He was younger than Fergus and the others by at least a decade. The man had gained prominence in his clan and his lands quickly through trickery and ruthlessness, as Fergus recalled.

The man kneeling in the mud sat there, staring up at his captors blankly. Fergus felt a chill run through him as he felt the man's eyes pass over him, as if some sort of apparition was gliding around them.

For a moment they all stood there stared at each other. The rain continued to pour and there was a brief flash of light and a rumble of distant thunder.

It was Lord Macintosh who spoke first. "Calum MacNair, Lord of Castle Felwood and the Northern Sea"

"That's my name" said Calum in a rather upbeat tone "Don't wear it out". He gazed at each of the Lords and then finally at Fergus and asked "What can I do for you lads? Something to drink or some roast mutton perhaps?"

"Save it you vile wretch" spat Lord Macguffin. The large blond lord stepped forward and struck him on the back of the head with the pommel of his sword.

Calum wobbled but didn't tip over. He spat out some blood and then mumbled, "That wasn't very polite". Fergus's eyebrow shot up "Polite? Polite?" he let out a cold, humorless laugh.

Calum looked up at the king and the king glared at him "Our manners are the least of your worries"

"Oh?" said Calum as his eyebrows rose.

The king nodded. He then knelt down and looked the defeated man in the eyes "Do you know why we are here?" Calum thought for a moment. He pondered and he thought for a few moments then finally shrugged and guessed lamely "Is it my birthday?"

Lord Macguffin shook his head and said in a dark tone "No. We're here to make you pay for all that you have done to those people" he began cracking his knuckles.

Lord Dingwall hefted his crossbow "Aye, for what you did to the people of both your domain and ours, you foul demon" "We're going to send you to where you belong" added Lord Macintosh as he pointed his blade at the man's throat.

Lord Calum MacNair just knelt there in the wet mud and thought for a moment and it dawned on him "Oh…those people, right. You see about that…they had to go".

"What?" said Fergus in disbelief "What do you mean?"

"Well you see, in order for me to become king they had to go" explained Calum in a tone that sounded like he was explaining to a four year old. He sighed and went on "I have grown sick of being a your pet dog" his voice grew cold "I am sick of living in your shadow. I'm tired of protecting these pathetic, mindless cattle you call people and i'm tired of being a lowly lord when i can be king. Not you."

Fergus and the other lords stared at him in disbelief and Lord Dingwall asked, "Then what does killing these people have to do with being king?"

"I needed the extra power," said Calum "I needed a little insurance to slay the great King Fergus of Clan DunBroch". His eyes narrowed to slits "I knew that I couldn't take you, any of you, in a fight with blades. So I decided to turn to the dark arts but that's when I realized…." he trailed off and he glanced over to a corner of the courtyard. The King, the lords and the soldiers all shared a confused look and followed his gaze but saw nothing.

Fergus's gaze drifted back to Calum and he asked, "Realized what?" Calum didn't say anything at first. He stared blankly at the same corner of the courtyard for a few silent moments then he started grinning. His grin gave all the men assembled the chills. It was eerie and yet it seemed like a happy grin, as if he remembered a private joke.

Fergus scowled and repeated, only a little louder and sounded a little more impatient "Realized what?"

"Realized that I could be king of everything," answered Calum, his grin only grew, as he continued "Not just Scotland, but the rest of these isles, the continent and even the whole bloody world". He beginning giggling like a mad man, which made them even more uneasy. Calum only continued to make them feel uncomfortable as he continued speaking "Why be king of this country only, why can't I be High King of everything?"

"Because you're bloody a looney" spat Lord Macguffin. He glanced at Fergus "I've had enough of this nonsense. You heard it from his own mouth, he's guilty of not only treachery but also slaughter of innocent women and children"

"Innocent? Hardly" sniffed Calum as he tried to move his wrists in his bindings. "The men I had used for in my experiments. The women and children I didn't really care for. They just ate up all my supplies and were only good for target practice".

Fergus couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew Calum for several years. When he was a young lad just starting out, he helped fight the Northern invasions with his father Connor. After his father died in battle, Calum became leader of his clan sometime later instead of one of his brothers and young Calum was chosen to be a lord over part of the kingdoms along side Macintosh, Macguffin and Dingwall.

He was ruthless and cunning but he was a good friend, a good and honorable man. Now he was talking about conquest of the entire world and talking about slaughter as if it were a game. Something wasn't right. This had to be nightmare or something.

Calum kept ranting on about how far he had come to attain his power and how many 'obstacles' he had to overcome. The lord's had tried to glean if he was still the same man they knew but with each little question, came a horrible sickening answer. The lords each had enough of Calum and soon, so did Fergus.

The friend they once knew was gone and was replaced by a mad snarling beast that was consumed by his pursuit of magic. Fergus nodded to the captain of the soldiers and they dragged Calum towards the stone. Calum's head was forced down onto the smooth table like surface of the boulder.

Fergus sighed deeply and began "Lord Calum MacNair, you have left us with no choice"

"Is that so?" said Calum, he tried to lift his head off of the stone but it was forced back on it. Fergus nodded "You are hereby sentenced to be executed. For the crimes of not only treachery, but also for murder and treason against your fellow lords and your king!" Calum tried to raise his head again but some of the men forced it back down onto the cold rock.

The King drew his sword and stepped towards the bound man. Calum tried to move but he was pinned down. He struggled to move but couldn't.

Fergus stopped by Calum's side and said, "Any last words before I cut off your lying head you snake?" Calum nodded and he spat a huge glob of saliva and mucus at the king and the other lords.

After he received another blow to the head, he then declared loudly "You may kill me and you may have halted my work. But my sons will carry on my work! And their sons will carry on their work and gods willing, their sons as well! Killing me changes nothing! They will rise and they will make each of you pay dearly" he let out a loud, mad cackle as lightning flashed and thunder boomed over head.

Fergus drew back his sword and swung-

"…and his head came clean off in a single swing!" explained Fergus in a rather dramatic voice, waving a leg of mutton in the air like a sword.

All the guests in the great hall were silent as the king regaled them with one of his many tales of the past. They sat staring in anticipation as he told the tale and they were still on the edge of their seats. There were occasional interruptions but the entire hall was silent for Fergus.

Merida sat a few seats to her father's left, looking totally entranced by his tale. She spoke up for the first time in hours "And? What happened next?"

"Well nothing" said Fergus "We just gathered our supplies and left that accursed place for traveled home as quick as possible"

"After we had set the castle ablaze" added Lord Macintosh as he took a sip of his ale.

It was the annual feast commemorating the unification of their kingdom and the day Fergus was crowned king. In the past Merida had always loved them but they became long and boring tiresome affairs. It became routine. The lords would journey to the castle, some pleasantries would be exchanged, lots of food and mead and ale then her father would tell some of the same tales over and over until they became repetitive and boring.

However, this year Fergus told a tale Merida never heard before. It was a dark tale of how a former lord of a nearby region went mad and tried to usurp her father's power through dark magic but was executed for his treachery and wicked acts.

Fergus concluded the tale with a sigh as he sank back into his chair "And so ended the reign of Lord MacNair"

"Good riddance" muttered Lord Macguffin as he took a bite out of his leg of lamb.

Merida glanced around and saw most of the guest in attendance all nodded in agreement or shuddered at the mention of MacNair's name.

Queen Elinor piped up "Well that was quite a tale love, but i say we lighten the mood a bit with some song". She clapped twice and some musicians began to play some more cheerful music.

Almost at an instant, the eerie mood changed to a more upbeat one and everyone began to chat. Merida moved to eat but she couldn't. Not after the rather detailed story of her father's campaign against MacNair and Wraith's Keep. Her father left out the more gruesome details but still, the thought of such a man like Calum gave Merida the chills. A cold heartless man who was consumed by darkness and who committed atrocities. She shivered, feeling a chill run down her spine.

"You all right?" asked her mother in concern. Merida nodded "Yes, just feeling a little cold. Thats all."

"It has been colder than usual" noted the queen. Elinor called a servant over and he brought over a thick, bearskin cloak and placed it on Merida's shoulders. She drew the cloak around her and immediately felt warmer. The princess glanced around the great hall. She sighed and smiled a little, enjoying the warmth and company of all who were there.

About two years passed since her 'disappearance' and miraculous reappearance. They believe she ran away and got lost and then injured then traveled back to the castle with the help of a kindly traveler. But she was the only one who knows what really happened.

About the deal with the dwarf named Rumpelstiltskin and her subsequent adventures and loss.

A year after she returned, she saw that the lords and the people have grown prosperous and closer together, even if there were still some friendly rivalries between them. Not only that but her relationship with her parents were stronger than before, even if her brothers were up to their same old mischief. Everything was perfectly fine.

Merida and her family sat towards the head of the long table with her mother, her father, her brothers, the other lords, some merchants who traveled from far distant lands to trade with the kingdom and other invited guests. Scattered around were smaller tables with some other members of the other clans.

Although they ate in the warmth and light of the big fire that crackled in the hearth besides the tables, Merida still felt cold.

Probably from the chilling tale her father told, or maybe because of the fact that it's winter and that it reminds her of what happened two years ago. During Merida's misadventure of trying to break her magic contract and fix everything, she befriended a winter spirit named Jack and she even felt love for him. He risked everything for her. Answers to his past, a way to find if his family is still alive, his memories. He even risked his life for her.

They succeeded in defeating Rumpelstiltskin but the price was a little steeper than she could anticipate. In order for her life to be restored, as well as everyone else's, she had to give up Jack and all the new friends she had gained on her adventures.

All except for one, the witch queen Genevieve who had helped her in her quest to restore everything. The witch had retained her memories after the change and had visited DunBroch once. The two stay connected through the occasional letter delivered by a messenger bird.

It was nice having a friend who knew the same things she knew but it just wasn't the same.

The feast continued on as it normally does every year, despite Fergus's dark tale. Eating, drinking, talking, even an occasional drunken brawl. Voices and laughter filled the great hall as time went by.

As the night went on, Merida's mother sent her boys to their room and eventually it was her turn to leave the party. The candles had melted down to stumps, the great fire started to wane in the hearth and most of the guests either returned to their quarters or passed out at their table.

Merida and her mother helped Fergus from his seat and carried him to bed.

As they journeyed towards the King and Queen's quarters, Merida asked "Mum?"

"Yes?" said Elinor as she shifted under the weight of her husband's massive arm on her shoulder "Was Da's story real?" she asked.

The queen glanced at her daughter and was quite for a moment then nodded "Aye, it is".

She looked at her semi conscious husband and said "He hardly ever speaks of what happened in the Felwood region. Not even to me. But it is all truth. Lord MacNair, the siege, his twisted obsession with magic…all of it."

"Is that the reason why he doesn't like magic?" asked Merida. Most people don't believe in magic, her father being one. But after all that Merida had seen two years ago, she is a firm believer. Her mother isn't but she believes in a lot of the folk tales and different superstitions that relate to it.

Elinor shrugged "I don't know. It may have started his hatred for it or something else might have" she shook her head "Either way, magic is a terrible thing. It turns good men into beasts and is nothing but evil".

Merida wanted to argue and say she was wrong, seeing that Jack and a few others have used magic to save her and do good but it wouldn't go anywhere.

They reached the King and Queen's room and dropped Fergus on the bed and he was sleeping like a bear in the middle of winter. After helping her mother, Merida retired to her own room. It was cooler than the great hall still but the fire was beginning to flicker and falter. The princess was tired and wanted to sleep. She spent most of the day helping her mother prepare for the feast and everything. She crawled in beneath the covers and pulled her blankets around her closely, trying to stay warm.

Lying there staring up at the ceiling, Merida thought of her father's story of Calum and about the small details he mentioned of some of his twisted deeds in his quest. But as she pondered on them, her mind became foggier, her eyes became heavy and she drifted off to sleep.

Then, a soft voice came "…Merida…Merida…" she was pulled from her sleep and as she regained consciousness, she heard it again only clearer and a little louder "Merida".

Drowsily, Merida pushed herself up and she blinked a few times. She saw that the fire in the hearth had died out and was reduced to nothing but embers. The voice came again, whispering her name. It sounded as if it came from far away but at the same time it sounded close. Glancing around, Merida saw nobody. It was completely dark, except for the fain light of the embers and the partial moonlight that filtered in.

She rubbed the drowsiness out of her eyes and her eyes adjusted a little more. Then she saw someone. Standing by the fireplace was a human shape that had their back toward her. She frowned and she reached for the dagger beneath her pillow "Who are you?" There was no answer.

Her fingers wrapped around the knife's handle and she carefully withdrew it but kept it hidden from sight. She demanded, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Merida" said the figure, turning to face her a little more. The princess squinted and saw a little more of the figure. She could tell from the voice and some of the features she could make out, that it was a male. The figure stepped a little closer towards her. She froze when she saw the intruder step into the moonlight. Standing at the foot of her bed was Jack Frost.

Jack looked exactly as he did when she met him. Hair and skin white as freshly fallen snow, deep blue eyes and he wore his blue robes with snowflake patterns on them. Merida didn't know what to say. He wasn't supposed to remember her or anything but yet he was standing there and said her name.

"Jack?" breathed Merida. The winter spirit nodded. She looked him up and down asking "H-how-?" Jack didn't answer. He merely stood there and stared at her for a moment.

She dropped the knife back into its hiding spot, jumped out of bed and she darted over and embraced him. For a moment nothing happened. She was happy that Jack was there with her.

But for a few long moments, he didn't respond. He didn't even blink. Merida looked up at him "Jack?" The winter spirit stood there, looking down at her, their eyes met. His eyes seemed as blank a slate.

Then what seemed like a few minutes of awkward silence, a small smile appeared on Jack's face. It looked like a happy one, probably that he was happy to see her too. Then it grew wider and wider. It made Merida feel rather uncomfortable. His smile didn't seem like one of somebody who had found a loved one, but rather one of a mad man.

Suddenly, with out warning, Jack's features started to turn grey. His eyes slowly changed as well. The blue was replaced by a brilliant gold that glowed and his entire body turned grey and his blue robes changed to black. Merida quickly pulled away from him and she saw his transformation. His skin was all grey and his hair was jet black. His face cracked like a thin fragile mask. Her heart dropped into her stomach.

Standing there was Jack Frost but rather a different version of him. He had dark grey skin, wild black hair, golden eyes that glowed. What really made Merida's heart drop was the fact that he looked a lot like someone from Merida's past someone from two years ago. Someone who tried to kill her by feeding her to the demon bear Mor'du.

Merida instantly went for the knife but discovered that it was gone, along with her bed.

She immediately found herself flung to the wall by an invisible force. To her horror, she saw Jack's staff turn into a scythe made of black sand. He giggled and began to advance towards her swinging his weapon in a leisurely way.

Merida screamed, "Help! Somebody hel-!" but her screams was cut short by some black sand sealing her mouth shut. Jack was only a few inches from her. The winter spirit leveled the scythe and aimed the blade at Merida's throat. He drew the blade back and he said in a rather nasally voice "Goodbye girlie!"

He swung the blade with both hands laughing maniacally. Merida squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the pain.

She opened them again. She suddenly found herself lying in bed looking up at the ceiling, covered in a cold sweat. She bolted upright and saw that the fire had died out and that everything in her room was exactly the same. Except no wicked Jack wielding a dark sand scythe.

Her heart thumped away rapidly in her chest, almost ready to explode. Merida took a few deep breaths and managed to calm down a little.

However, she wasn't able to go back to sleep. No matter what she tried, she couldn't fall back to sleep. Not after that nightmare. What disturbed her the most was the fact Jack turned into a twisted version of himself, who looked a lot like Pitch Black, and tried to kill her.

Still feeling creeped out and wanting to get out of her chambers for a few moments to clear her head, Merida slipped out of bed and threw on some heavy clothing over her nightgown and left her room. She left the slight warmth of the inside of the castle and walked out into the cold night.

Whenever she felt stifled or confined, Merida would slip outside to get some air and clear her head.

That night was freezing cold, even with all the extra layers on. The castle wall had been blanketed by snow that had a dozen different footprints or so. All was silent and still. Merida shivered as she trudged along the wall, her footfalls muffled by the crunch of snow and frost. The night was dark but a dim white glow illuminated the winter landscape around her. She glanced around and saw a few guards at their posts, drinking and talking in hushed voices by the warm glow of torches and small fires.

Merida paused for a moment and glanced out over the wall. The land was completely blanketed by pure white snow as far as her eyes could see. The water in the harbor was partially frozen over. The long boats moored there were at rest, covered by a thin blanket of fresh snow that had not been disturbed yet.

Merida stood there alone on the castle wall for a while. She pondered the nightmare and tried to come up with a reason as to why she had it. She hadn't thought of Jack in a while. Not after what happened last winter. The pain of sorrow and loss that she experienced, seeing Jack with his friends and that other woman, being happy in each other's company.

But that wouldn't explain why would she dream of Jack turning into a wicked version of himself and trying to kill her.

Merida's line of thought was interrupted by a familiar voice "Merida?"

She spun and she came face to face with her father. He stood there holding a torch in one hand and a bundle in the other. The king still wore the clothes he had on when he was taken back to his room. His eyes were still a little drowsy and his hair was messier than usual. Merida guessed that he just awoke and decided to take a walk too.

Fergus let out a yawn "What are ye doin' out this late lass?" "Bad dreams" answered Merida "Couldn't go back to sleep".

Which was only a part of the truth. She couldn't exactly give the full details of her nightmare. It would only raise a lot of questions she didn't have answers to.

"What about you?" asked Merida

Her father blinked a few times and responded "Slept for a little bit but woke up with a horrible headache. Thought I could get some air if I stepped outside". He tossed her the bundle and she caught it. It was a heavy layer of fur and Fergus told her to put it on so she wouldn't catch an illness. Even though she wore enough layers to the point she was comfortable out in the cold, Merida didn't argue.

As she slipped the fur on, her father nudged her arm "Come, walk with me". The two walked together along the wall and talked on various subjects. The subject Merida's nightmare came up and her father asked on what it was about but she avoided telling the true details of it. Her father smiled "I didn't scare you with my story did I?"

"What? No!" chuckled Merida. She chuckled for few moments then eventually admitted "Well…a little".

Fergus smiled "That's alright, it scares everyone. Myself included" They descended the stairs and strolled out side the gates.

As they walked through the dark and the snow, Merida asked her father "Da?" "Hmm?" he glanced over to her. "Was your story…true?"

Fergus was silent for a few moments then finally he nodded "Yes. Every bit of it" Merida shivered. She couldn't imagine a man like Calum existing. A man that wicked just had to be made up. Then again, ogres and witches were stories and made up but Merida had met a few.

Fergus sighed, "I don't mean to scare you but you have to know these things". Their pace slowed and his eyes locked with hers as he continued "Do you know why I told that tale at the feast?" Merida shook her head.

Her father began to explain "One day you will find that special someone-" "Oh da" groaned Merida rolling her eyes

"Now listen here" said Fergus holding up a hand to cut off her groaning, Merida went quite and her father continued "One day you will find that someone and you will become a leader like your mother and I. You will face some difficult times. You will have enemies. Some of whom will be like Calum MacNair, some may be even worse."

Merida frowned. Her parents, in recent weeks, have been giving her long speeches of how she would one day take over for them and how she had responsibilities to the kingdom. She knew that she would some day rule but that was still far off. The constant talk of responsibilities and one day leading the kingdom made ruling very unappealing.

Seeing her frown, Fergus continued "I'm serious" "I know" said Merida, sounding a little annoyed.

He sighed, "Listen, I hate these talks as much as you but you have to learn while you can". He stopped and she stopped as well.

The king sighed deeply and said in concern "I want you to be prepared to do anything for the sake of this kingdom." he paused for a moment and his voice faltered a little "Like what I had to do with Lord MacNair"

"What did you have to do?" asked Merida.

He rolled his eyes "What I had explained in my story. He left me with no choice. What he did…his treacherous acts, the atrocities and the violations against the laws of our land. He was my friend at one point. I wanted nothing more than to try and talk some sense into him but…" he trailed off, his eyes began to water a little.

Merida asked "But?" "But…" said Fergus his voice was soft, softer than Merida had ever heard it be in her whole life "When I looked into that man's eyes…before his execution, do you know what I saw?"

"What?" asked Merida

her father shook his head slowly "Nothing. I saw nothing but darkness, anger and hatred. I have seen wild beasts who had more humanity in their eyes than that man."

Both of them fell silent. There was nothing but silence between them for what seemed like a long time. In the warm glow of the torch, Merida saw that her father's eyes seemed a little unfocused, probably replaying Calum's death for a moment in his mind.

After a moment, Fergus spoke "There was nothing of the man I knew left in him. It was as if his soul was gone".

The two continued to walk at a slow pace for what almost seemed like an hour. The moon and the torch illuminated the winter night. They passed through a tree line and came to the shore of the loch, a short distance away from the harbor and docks. The two stood on a frozen shore between the loch and woods. They stood there and looked out at the beauty of the semi frozen loch, the pale moon hanging over the smooth clear surface.

Merida turned to her father and mumbled "Thanks da…for the talk I mean" "No problem" said Fergus, grinning "Glad to be of help. Now let us…" but he trailed off.

He squinted out towards the loch murmuring "What in the…" Merida followed his gaze and she squinted too. On the horizon, they both saw two dark shapes moving slowly in their direction. At first it seemed like nothing but they saw that they were drawing closer. In the distance they heard ice cracking and splitting. Merida noticed there were dots of orange light scattered on the two shapes and then it struck her. They were boats.

Fergus went ridged, his hand went to his sword and his voice became firm "Merida, get back to the castle" "But da-" began Merida but her father cut her off "Go! Now! Do not argue with me!" She nodded and she turned then took off as fast as she could toward the castle without another word.

She sped through the snow and got to the castle in almost no time.

When Merida got to the castle, the castle was fully awake. The guards and members of all four clans were awake and alert. The stupor of sleep and the feast had worn off and everyone was arming themselves and were readying for battle. Between the clamor and chaos of battle preparations, Queen Elinor was making sure everyone was accounted for. When she saw Merida, she was relieved. The queen embraced her and made sure that there wasn't a scratch on her. She explained that she knew that her father was with her for an evening stroll but when the guards reported that some foreign ships were heading towards the castle, she was worried sick.

After, Elinor asked, "Where on earth were you?". Merida explained and Elinor quickly passed the information to the captain of the guard and the other lords. They organized themselves and mounted up on horses. Merida asked her mother if she could join them.

Elinor refused but Merida pleaded and said that she would stay away and out of sight of the battle, should there be any. The queen hesitated but Merida begged, "Please, trust me. I'll stay out of trouble"

A long moment of silent pondering later and the queen relented. On the condition that she stayed out of sight, had a guard and at the first sign of trouble, she would retreat back to the castle without delay. The warriors rode out as one, led by Alan the captain of the guard and Lord Macintosh.

Merida rode a short distance behind on Angus with a pair of guards. The group reached the shore where her father was.

He stood alone with his sword in hand and his torch in the other. All the warriors dismounted and drew their weapons. Merida stayed a few yards behind among the trees with her guards. Tension was in the air as the warriors readied themselves. Merida had a view of the water and she saw the shadows of the ships draw near. As they drew closer, she noticed that there were four, not two as originally thought.

"Probably hidden behind the first two", guessed one of the guards that was with her.

To Merida, they didn't look fearsome. But they rather looked worn and beaten by weather and time. The sails looked patched up and ragged. Along the boat there were boards that didn't match the material of the boat placed over breaches and cracks. Her eyes went to the prow and her heart skipped a few beats. At the prow was a wooden carving of a terrible sea serpent.

It was at that moment that she realized to whom the boats belonged. "Vikings" breathed Merida anxiously.

"Steady!" yelled Fergus to the warriors around him. The group of warriors on the shore formed a shield wall with a row of archers nocking their arrows.

Fergus and the other lords prepared themselves what was about to spill out of the long boats. The ships hit shore and instead of a large wave of bloodthirsty Vikings spilling out ready for battle, a single white flag tied to a stick came up followed by a hand and a voice crying out "Hold on! Don't shoot!" A helmeted head popped up.

The helmet covered the Viking's head and entire face. There was a ridge of spikes running from the forehead up to the crown and down to the back of the neck. Soon the rest of the Viking appeared. He stood slowly raising his hands. He wore a thick, heavy cloak of fur. Underneath he wore armor that was made of leather and some metal, looked light yet looked strong. On his armor was an insignia of a dragon. The Viking looked rather thin and lanky and not so threatening but looks can be deceiving. He waved the flag a little "We come in peace"

"Oh aye" said Fergus sarcastically "And I suppose you came for tea as well?"

"Tea sounds great actually" said the Viking rather politely. Fergus scowled at him and growled, "What do you want?"

"We would like a place to rest" said the Viking "We've been journeying for a few long months heading home but it we were caught in a bad storm en route and it damaged our ships and wiped out our supplies. All that we ask is for some food and a place to rest for a few days".

The warriors in the shield wall and the other lords were uneasy. They met Vikings before and each encounter had been less than cordial.

Lord Dingwall whispered to Fergus "I say we let them go on their merry way" the other nodded in agreement. Fergus held up a hand saying, "Give us a moment won't you?" The Viking nodded.

The lords and Fergus huddled up and began talking in hushed voices. Wanting to get a better view, Merida gently nudged Angus and the horse trotted closer. The guards followed a little bit. She was a little closer than her mother would've allowed her. She could almost hear the conversation that her father and the other lords were having. Her eyes drifted to the viking standing in the longboat. He looked to be about her age and looked an inch taller than her. Something about him seemed…familiar.

One of the guards noticed the tension between the warriors on the shore and the vikings in the other three boats. The vikings in the boats had their weapons at the ready and looked ready for war. The guard whispered "Your majesty, we must get you to a safe distance" "Just a moment" hissed Merida.

After what seemed like an eternity of whispered discussion, Fergus turned to the young Viking standing in the lead ship "We will consider your request, considering that the last group of Vikings to pass these lands were less than diplomatic"

"Please" said the Viking, almost pleadingly "We don't want war as much as you. I know what our kinsmen have done in these lands and it is despicable"

"Quite the understatement" muttered Lord Macguffin under his breath. The Viking continued "But please heed our request. All that we ask is to resupply and to repair our ships then we'll be well on our way".

Fergus stood there for a moment listening to the Viking's proposal. He considered his proposal in silence than finally said "Fine, but you and only a few of your crew will come ashore at a time"

"Thank you-" began the Viking but Fergus held up a hand "But if I see anyone of you do something I don't like, I'll run you through and burn your ships to ashes". The Viking sighed, "fair enough".

Fergus ordered a few men to help the Viking. Some of the Viking crew scrambled out of one of the boats and tied down their boats and helped a few others come ashore. All still armed as a precaution. The archers kept their arrows trained on the new comers.

The young Viking who spoke murmured "Such a warm welcome".

Merida emerged from her position and went right to her father, who stammered "M-Merida what in the name of-? What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure that you were alright" she responded in an even tone "You could've gotten hurt, there could've been a battle" said Lord Macguffin

"But there wasn't" said Merida with a smile. Fergus grumbled under his breath in Gaelic and just shook his head "Why do I bother some times"

"I know how you feel," said one of the Vikings who came ashore. She had dark brown hair, a fair complexion and kind brown eyes. She wore heavy winter attire as well but looked it looked like she could move with out any problem "My son is the same and so was my husband". She glanced around at the men with weapons and distrustful looks, the woman smiled "Well, since we are doing business lets start off on a better foot" she bowed her head a little saying "I'm Valka of Berk".

Merida frowned a little. Berk? The name was very familiar but the reason why was on the tip of her tongue and was just out of reach.

Fergus introduced himself as did the other Lords and Merida did as well. Lord Dingwall glanced nervously at the Viking boats saying, "I still don't like this"

"I said that we would help" said Fergus, brushing away the lord's anxiety. The short lord nodded "Aye ye did but what will we get in exchange" everyone looked at him.

Lord Dingwall stammered on "I-I mean, we can't just part with our own supply of food so willingly. In most businesses there is a trade"

"Aye, the little troll is right," said Lord Macguffin. The woman smiled a little "I'm sure we can work something out. We don't have money…" "But we do have plenty of mead and fish" finished the young Viking.

At the mention of mead everyone perked up a little. Fergus's eyebrow rose "You don't say?"

"We were in Frost Rim a week ago trading fish and jewels for their finest mead available, Honey Briar Mead." said the woman. The young Viking nodded and said "And I suppose we could spare a few barrels as payment for our supplies". Lord Dingwall saw a large Viking bring up a large barrel with a honeybee insignia stamped into the wood and placed it on the edge of the boat for all to see.

He was still for a moment and said, "Consider it a trade". He sheathed his sword and he ordered some men to help unload.

Once supplies were gathered up and the designated few from the Viking crew were chosen, Fergus and the warriors escorted the small party back up to the castle.

As they approached the castle, Valka spoke "You have quite the castle here"

"Thank you" said Fergus, beaming with pride. They entered through the gates and met with Queen Elinor. They explained the situation and she welcomed Valka and the other Vikings.

Elinor asked, "So, are you the leader of this group"

Valka laughed a little "Me? No, I don't have the patience for it." she gestured to the young Viking who had spoken for them at the shore "That would be my son".

He removed his helmet and smoothed his hair out a little and bowed to Queen Elinor "Its an honor to meet you"

"And to whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?" asked Elinor. The young Viking smiled and answered, "My name is Hiccup, son of Stoick the Vast".

Merida almost about had a heart attack.

Elinor smiled and said "Welcome to Castle DunBroch, I hope it is to your liking" "It is" said Hiccup glancing around the great hall. His eyes locked with Merida's, causing the hair on the back of her neck stand at attention. For a moment there was a look in his eyes. It seemed almost like it was a look of recognition. He quickly looked away and turned back to Elinor.

Fergus and Merida went and stood by Elinor. Elinor smiled and said, "I think this is might be the start of an interesting new relationship between our people"

"You could say that again" said Valka a grin appeared on her face. Merida nodded slowly. Indeed it was.

End of Chapter.

(a/n: So, what do you think? Sorry for the delay, lots of technical issues and other things. The next one will be up soon enough but have patience. Review!)