A/N: Hi! So I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, even if it was pretty short. I'm sorry, after this one, they'll be much longer! I really like writing from inside Merida's head, she's a great character, but let me know what you all think. I'll update again soon :) -Leslie


Merida's POV

Angus lowers his leg as I look down at the stranger, sure that there must now be a large horseshoe-shaped mark on the back of his head.

"Nice one, Angus!" I exclaim, looking fondly at the horse. "That should do it. We'd better get him back to the stables, I want to talk with him before we take him to ma and dad," I say, patting the horse's neck. I bend over and slip my hands under the stranger's back. As I get nearer, I notice something that I didn't catch before. This man, intimidating enough with his black leather clothes and his eyeliner, also has a hook for his left hand. Now a little more scared, I move one arm under his shoulders and the other under his knees, then pick him up. He is surprisingly light, so I lay him over Angus's saddle and then mount the horse myself.

"Angus, go!" I urge, and before I know it we're galloping through the forest. I grin as I feel the wind whipping through my hair, loving the exhilaration of this new adventure. I hold the reins in one hand and support the man in front of me with the other, my bow and quiver still slung over my shoulder from my unfinished practice. After what seems like only a few minutes, we arrive at the stables. I dismount smoothly, then heft the stranger off my horse's back and prop him up against the wall. I get Angus all settled, and I pat his flank as he tosses his head and knickers.

I walk back across the well-worn dirt floor to where the stranger is. I worry that it will be a few hours until he wakes up, but just as that thought crosses my mind, he blinks his eyes sleepily and glances around the stable in confusion. His clear blue eyes alight on me and focus, and I can see a slight tinge of weariness and hurt in the hard edges of his face. This man seems to have been through a lot.

"Hello, lass," the man says, and before I realize what's going on, he's got the tip of that sharp hook at my throat, his other hand clutched on my arm. "Who are you, where am I, and what do you want?" He growls at me. I start shaking, and I want to hit myself for not anticipating this. I can be so stupid sometimes!

I struggle, trying to force the hook away from my neck, but to no avail. I decide I'd better answer him, so, voice quavering, I respond, "I'm Merida. I'm princess of the Clan Dunbroch, my parents are Queen Elinor and King Fergus. We're in the stables, right by the castle, in the Enchanted Forest. All I want is to know what you're doing here." As I finish, his grip on my arm falters and his hook lifts a little bit away from my neck. I stare at him in astonishment.

"Dunbroch?" He repeats incredulously, his voice dripping with anger. "It can't be...and you, the princess? Your whole family, those filthy traitors. How can you stand it?" He snarls.

"Hey, woah," I say, holding up my hands in a feeble attempt to placate him as I move backwards, just out of his reach. I'm about to speak, to calm him when a red-hot wave of anger washes over me. This man, this stranger, had just insulted my family, and I don't even know who he is! He has no right to be doing that.

"And just who are you to be saying such things? These people are my family, you know," I fire back, my cheeks reddening. "I spared your life. I could've killed you back there, and this is how you repay me?" I'm breathing heavily now, glaring back at the man who's staring into my eyes with an absurd amount of disdain and hate. That look, it's truly infuriating.

The man, rather than exploding as I thought he would, turns deadly calm. "Who am I?" He whispers, and somehow, it's ten times more terrifying than it would've been if he'd shouted. "Who am I?" Louder this time. "I am Killian Jones, but people these days prefer to call me by my more colorful moniker...Captain Hook." He raises an eyebrow, as if he expects me to know who he is.

At first, I'm at a loss. But then I gasp, because suddenly I remember an old story, a story my father used to tell me when I was a child, the kind that parents use to warn their kids what not to do when they get older. This particular story had been about a young prince of the Clan Dunbroch, who was the younger of two brothers, and who grew to join the royal army. But when his brother, named Liam, died, a death I was told was of noble origin, the prince became a villain, and became the most feared pirate in all the realms.

He seems to sense the recognition, and nods smugly. "Aye," he says, "I bet they told you a wonderful tale, how your family were the victims, about how I was the evil, cruel, bad guy in the story?"

I dip my head in acknowledgement. "Yes," I reply, not knowing where the pirate is going with this tale, for now, it is obvious that this is the pirate of that story, even if it took place about 300 years ago.

"What they didn't want to mention," Killian explains with venom in his voice, "is that it was all their fault. That your family, your ancestors, weren't even the original royals of this clan. Let me tell you what really happened," Hook says, and he begins to tell the story...