Hello everyone! This is my first Brave fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy it. I have been working hard on this story, so I hope you read it and review!

Before I start though, I'd like to dedicate this story to two very special individuals, T.E.M. and Ebony.

T.E.M: You are a special girl, you are, and you mean so much to me. You are my real-life Merida, and you are my sister. 'Sister mine, you shall always be.' Thank you for being my friend and for the fun times we've shared!

Ebony: Though I only spent two months with you, you shall always have a special place in my heart, you beautiful horse. You inspired me for the Shire horse I named Mystery, and I hope you're happy at your new home, and you enjoy your new rider. I'm so glad that I got to spend a little time with such an amazing horse! I pray that someday God will let me own a horse just like you.

To all: I hope you enjoy this story and have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. I will try to post often!

-Shire from CollieandShire

Chapter One

A Stranger

Scotland was beautiful at this time of year. The leaves were turning all kinds of colors, the temperature was dropping, and frost was just beginning to blanket the morning grass. The lake that lay below the Castle of DunBroch looked cold and refreshing, and the shores were teemed with wildlife that were out to get a drink of water. Deer cautiously lowered their heads to quench their thirst, ever wary of danger. A herd of yaks, herded by a young peasant boy, splashed into the lake, obviously enjoying themselves. A few coons dipped their paws into little puddles that had yet to drain from the rainfall of the previous night, and several birds sang their songs of the upcoming winter that would be upon them before they knew it, even if it was a month and a half away.

It was in these conditions that Peter Willingham rode on at a slow trot, his Frisian stallion bobbing its head up and down, tossing its mane every once in a while.

Peter liked this land. He liked it a lot. In fact, he wouldn't mind living here someday. But that was not why he was here.

He was here to visit the King and Queen of the four clans of Scotland, clan MacGuffin, clan Macintosh, clan Dingwall and clan DunBroch. King Fergus, was the King's name, and Queen Elinor, they called the Queen. The ground he was even now treading on with his horse was ruled by the King and Queen, along with their two daughters and three sons. It was because of one of those daughters that he was even in the land right now, instead of back at the mansion in Winchester. Because of one of the princesses he had been deprived of many nights of sleep as he lay shivering in the cold. But the handsome reward he was to receive upon his return back to England was worth it for delivering this message. He didn't even know why the man who called himself Nicholas even cared, for he was foreigner. But whoever held the gold made the rules, and so Peter never questioned the man's motives.

Catching sight of a hill he was sure overlooked the DunBroch kingdom, Peter urged his horse into a canter, who readily leapt forward, excited to be moving at a faster pace. Upon reaching the top of the hill Peter reined in the Frisian, and surveyed the land below him. He could see the lake, and the castle. He could see the surrounding lands, forests and open fields. But most importantly, he could see two young girls, one a redhead and the other a blond, racing their large black draft horses out of the castle grounds and out into the forest. They were too fine dressed to be of peasant blood, and Peter guessed they were the princesses Merida and Ilene. He watched until he could see them no more, hidden by the dark woods. Spurring his horse, he yanked the reins around and cantered away, heading back in the direction he came from. He would have his chance. His employer had given him specific instructions to wait for his opportune moment. He could hear Nicholas's voice clearly in his head, word for word.

"Do not race into there like a mad man, take your time. They will deny your claims; they will deny what you have to say. Don't go to the King and Queen, but use the back way. Go to the princesses. But make sure when you make your approach that no one else is around. They are young ladies, and cannot handle your burden. Through them will you accomplish your mission, and then you may return to your land and I will pay you in full. It will only be a matter of time before dissention begins among the family, and the child will come here. It is then that I will fulfill my father's promise, and she will help me do it."

That last bit had made no sense to Peter, as Nicholas rambled on, mostly to himself. It had made him question what this foreigner had wanted, but the reward was too much, and he'd be a fool to pass up such an amount. So, he had greedily accepted. Now he wondered just what he'd meant by 'It is then that I will fulfill my father's promise, and she will help me do it.' Who would help him? What was the promise? Normally Peter didn't really care what his employer's messages were, for he was just the messenger, and he only delivered the message for the senders. But this one was strange, and he couldn't help but think that there was more to this one than met the eye. Clearly, there is something far deeper than what is on the surface. Peter thought. And to think, it was all in the message that he carried. It was in the message that he, Peter Wellington, carried that would tear apart the royal Scottish family of DunBroch.

Please read and review! I will be posting more soon, as I write several chapters ahead of time and will post them when I recieve reviews! -Shire