"Good news, we're going on a road trip."
Fergus burst into the room, where his family was eating breakfast.
"Excuse me?" exclaimed Elinor, looking up from her porridge.
"A road trip? Ooh, where?" asked Merida excitedly, carefully pulling one of her little brothers from her leg.
"I'm not sure, where exactly, somewhere far up north," said Fergus, rubbing the back of his neck.
"And why have you decided to make such an unexpected trip?" asked Elinor.
"Well, I sent out a ship a few weeks ago, and they came back and told me they had found a small group of islands. They hadn't landed though; they said they saw something strange. I don't know what could have been that bad, it's not like they've got ladies turning into bears all over the place." His last remark had been sort of a running joke throughout the family ever since Elinor had been turned into a black bear a few weeks previously.
"Yes! I love trips! This is going to be so fun. I wonder what the people will be like," said Merida happily.
"And when are we going?" asked Elinor, stirring her porridge importantly.
"Whenever. A few days at the least," replied Fergus.
"What are we going to do there, Dad?" asked Merida, bouncing up and own in her chair.
"Oh a little of this and a little of that," her father replied conversationally.
"This is going to be so fun! Maybe they'll have lots of cliffs to climb! I'll be sure to bring my bow; of course, oh I wish Angus could come too..." Merida went on excitedly, staring off into some unseen distance.
Fergus sidled over to his wife and placed a hand on hers.
"Aren't you excited? This'll be good to get away for a few days, get some fresh air, explore new grounds, and meet new folk."
"Of course I'm excited dear; I'm just concerned what will happen to everyone when we're gone. Who's going to run this place?"
"Oh come on, we've been gone before, and the village has fared just fine. I've already planned for a few of my choicest men to help carry out the duties of running a village. Honey," said Fergus, his eyes twinkling with amusement, "loosen your corset and let's have fun, alright?"
"Oh, okay," said Elinor grudgingly, and daintily picked up her spoon again to finish her food.
"I can't be that bad you know, without us there. I mean there can't be any wild bear women running loose in the village, now can there?" mused Fergus teasingly to Elinor again, who set down her spoon and glared at him.
"Honestly, that joke is getting fairly old."
"What? It's a classic! And it's true."
Behind them, the triplets made off with a platter of bacon.
xXx
"I do wish you would tell us where we're going," Elinor said mildly, brushing a few strands of loose hair behind her ear. Fergus moaned dramatically.
"We're already on the ship; it's too late to tell you!"
"Oh really? I think now is the most opportune moment, actually."
"Elinor, it's a surprise. I already said."
Merida rolled her eyes at her brothers. "Parents, am I right?"
Hamish, Harris, and Hubert nodded with deadpan expressions before brightening and scampering over to the side of the ship to look out at the rolling waves.
"No! Hubert! Hamish, Harris, don't lean so far over the edge! Actually, you know what, just get back over here. Come on..." Fergus snapped suddenly, startling them all with his extremely rare stern voice.
Merida stared at her father in disbelief as the three boys sidled over to Fergus with unknown obedience. Dead silence on the SS Awkward Family.
"So, uh, who's ready for, lunch?" said Fergus, breaking the silence.
"Yes, I must say I am rather hungry," said Elinor, completely unconcerned.
"Yes! Gosh, I'm starving!" said Merida enthusiastically, jumping around energetically, throwing in a few pirouetting leaps.
"I could just about eat a bear myself. Not that I would though," added Fergus hastily, pretending to cringe under Elinor's amused death glare.
The family took out their food from a little cabinet by a set of stairs, leading to the lower decks and took it over to a spot in the middle of the deck. There they sat, eating, just like they always did, with the usual: Elinor extracting the brothers from mysterious places, Fergus telling old stories for the umpteenth time, Merida sitting cross-legged and taking huge bites from her food, ignoring her mother's scowls.
Though the rest of the family did not know it, Fergus was keeping a careful eye on the clouds.
They finished up the day in a few hours. They were further up north at this point, and it got darker earlier. Merida took her younger brothers below-decks to put them to bed, as they were tired out from the day's activities. Elinor and Fergus remained on the deck, gazing up at the stars.
"Well?" Elinor said finally, glancing over at her husband. He was unusually solemn and quiet.
"Well what?"
"What was that little outburst about earlier?" Elinor pressed gently, sensing the man's unease. "You've never yelled at the boys before. Normally that's my job."
Fergus chuckled a little at the small joke. "Yes, that's true." He sighed heavily. "Being out on the sea makes me uneasy, and seeing the boys so close to falling in..."
"They would have been fine, I'm sure," Elinor replied. "They know how to swim, as does Merida and I doubt you would have let them float around for long."
"I don't want to lose anyone else like that," he said quietly. "You know why."
Elinor did know why. A few years into their marriage, she had noticed how mournful he was on a particular day of the year. She asked, and was hesitantly told that the day was his younger brother's birthday, who had been lost at sea a few decades prior. She knew that was why Fergus hated the ocean, and looking up at the dark grey sky now, she realized why he had snapped at the triplets earlier.
"Do you think it would storm?" she asked. Fergus shrugged.
"I don't know. But I don't want to be on the water, just in case. I'll ask the captain if there's anywhere we could land until the sky clears."
He turned his back and headed off, wooden leg plunking against the hard wood of the deck.
A/N:
Hatsu: We're sorry. IT'S LUNA'S FAULT.
Luna: Yeah. No. No need to tell us how long it's been, just skip to the part about how we're wonderful writers and nothing would make you happier than the next update.
Hatsu: Luna is a child and feels the need to blow her own horn at every opportunity... she's literally sitting next to me giving me this look... Anyway, how was the chapter? Do you guys like it?
Luna: I shake my fist at you in anger.
Hatsu: CHILD. Whatever. Everyone give us feedback, okay? We have so many favorites and follows already, all we need are reviews now!
Luna: DISLIKE
Hatsu: She's not saying that to you guys, she's saying it to me because I'm the older sister and infinitely more mature than her.
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