Chapter Three

Well, this seems awfully familiar, Hiccup thought dryly.

"Dragon!"

Toothless snarled, and the girl fired. Her arrow whistled past, quicker than sight, but Toothless had already leapt over her head, crashing down into the shallow stream beside Hiccup. He no longer attacked humans-at least not unless they attacked him first.

The girl remained on her perch, another arrow at the ready, though she didn't shoot. She was staring at them both with wide eyes, her brows coming together as she watched Hiccup sidle to stand before his friend. She seemed to be piecing something together, but whether or not she was pleased by the conclusion, Hiccup had no way of knowing.

"I am Merida, of DunBroch," her voice rang out, commanding and clear. Even the forest seemed to fall silent at her words. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Merida's heart was racing, and her hands shook, but she wouldn't let it show. The sight of the dragon had terrified her more than anything-but it wasn't big enough to be Mor'du. It hadn't even tried to attack her; Mor'du was a creature of destruction, and if it had been him, she would have been dead.

In fact, this dragon did not appear to behave as it should. The boy stood before it protectively, though he was obviously no match for Merida, or even a strong breeze. They were allies, but what kind of person allied themselves with dragons, and where did they come from?

Hiccup swallowed, unnerved. The girl spoke with an accent, but her name and her hair and all he had learned from the more warlike Viking tribes made him realize that they were very, very far from home. They were stranded in Scotland, and if this girl realized where he'd come from, she wouldn't be the least bit happy.

The boy raised both of his hands in a placating gesture, stepping forward a bit before answering. "Hi, Merida," he said, trying to sound as friendly as possible. He'd long discovered that it was easier to talk to dragons than to people, but right now, their lives depended on him not saying something stupid. "I'm Hiccup. And this," he indicated the dragon, who crouched behind him, asymmetrical tail waving back and forth pensively. "Is Toothless."

Merida's shaking ceased, and she had to fight back a laugh. Those names were ridiculous-the boy and the dragon definitely weren't from around here.

"What are you doing here?" She repeated, as firm as before.

The boy hesitated, looking over his shoulder at his companion. Then, he answered, "We're... lost. We need your help."

Help? Facing a dragon with enough strength to snap her neck with a single blow, Merida should have been the one calling for help. But it hadn't, and the boy seemed harmless enough.

She lowered her bow slowly, remembering the wisps. Had this been the fate they'd been leading her to? But what could that mean, and what was she supposed to do now that she had found them?

Hiccup's shoulders sagged with relief as the girl shouldered her weapons and scrambled down the rock toward them. Toothless sat on his haunches beside the stream, and Hiccup waded over to stand beside him, the chill of the water seeping his boot. Merida was not much more graceful, splashing haphazardly and not seeming to mind the mud that leeched into the bottom of her dress. She slowed when she grew closer, circling around Toothless curiously.

At last, she asked wryly, "My help? What exactly do you think I can do for you?"

Hiccup shifted from foot to peg foot, knowing very well that he had little to offer in exchange for assistance. He would have to rely on this girl's kindness-and the kindness of her people-to get home safe and sound. It wasn't going to be easy.

"Well," he began, then cringed, feeling a sharp pain in the pit of his stomach. At the same time, a loud growl sounded from his gut, embarrassing evidence of his unsuccessful hunt for breakfast.

As Toothless sniffed, Hiccup grimaced. To his great alarm, Merida drew an arrow, and smiled.

Morning waxed into afternoon, and still Elinor could find no trace of her daughter. It didn't surprise her, of course-but it was still irritating. The Queen already had enough to do without keeping track of Merida every minute of the day, and worried at a hangnail as she paced through the kitchen. All around her, stews bubbled, crusts crisped, food dried and pans fried at the more than capable hands of the castle's staff. As they weaved and bobbed out of the Queen's way, it became increasingly clear to Elinor that she was not needed, so she escaped out into the Great Hall.

Here, burly village men were sawing and hammering away, building large tables to host their guests when they arrived-reminding Elinor just how direly she needed Merida to return. Quickly, the Queen left the unbearable noise behind and stepped out into the courtyard, watching a crow pass overhead and sighing.

Across the open space, she saw her husband emerge from the castle's chapel, accompanied by a few of his men. They appeared as jolly as ever, clapping each other on the back and joking, though they were quick to disperse as Elinor began to approach.

"Fergus," she began. "Have you seen Merida? Her dress needs some letting out but I don't know how much, and the boys all need new boots before tomorrow-"

The Bear King chortled, resting his hands on Elinor's shoulders. "Love, the boys got boots yesterday, d'you remember?"

Elinor hadn't-she'd become so busy that everything was blurring together. "Oh," she said, blinking. "Oh, yes. I quite remember."

Fergus leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead, his whiskers tickling. "Elinor, you need relax. Ye'll work yourself to death, and then the four clans will really be lost."

She couldn't help but smile, though it wasn't at all dignified or Queenly. "Only because you'd never stop to ask for directions."

"That's my girl," Fergus grinned. "What say you come with me, out in the fields we're pitching tents, but you know they'd put the food on next to the stables if ye aren't there to say otherwise."

Elinor put a hand to her chest and laughed lightly. "I think I might do that. Honestly, Fergus, what would you do without me?"

The sun filtered down between the trees on either side of the stream, setting the water glimmering. It was green and bright and peaceful-but Merida had to admit that it all seemed rather bizarre.

She'd found Angus and brought him to join Hiccup and Toothless beside the stream as she caught their lunch: firing arrows into the river to snag fish had impressed both dragon and boy. Apples had provided a crisp, sweet desert, and the water was cool and clear. It was a typical lunch for Merida, on the days she spent out on her own. But now, she discovered that she quite liked sharing it with somebody else, though Hiccup wasn't much for conversation. So far she had managed to learn that he and his dragon were stranded and unable to get back to wherever they'd come from.

"So, how'd you get here?" Merida had probed, using an arrow to pierce an apple and hold it over their small fire.

"Uh, flew. We flew," Hiccup answered. Toothless, laying behind him, flapped his wings, setting the trees rustling.

"And you can't just fly back?" Merida had watched the dragon's wingspan stretch without bothering to hide her awe.

"Well, no," Hiccup smiled nervously. "It's not that easy. See, Toothless's tail, it's not... It's like..." Unable to find the words, he only pointed to where the tail in question curled out before them. Its single fin waved idly. "We can't fly with him like that. I built one, but it was lost when we crashed. I just need the supplies, and a little time, and I can make another, and then we'd be good to go."

Merida nodded, biting thoughtfully into her apple. "How'd he get like that in the first place?"

Hiccup winced. What could he tell her? That his village-his Viking village-had been at war with dragons for as long as he could remember, up until very recently, and he'd been the one to bring it all to an end? Somehow he didn't think she'd be very impressed.

"It's a long story," he finally said, hoping she wouldn't push it.

She frowned at him, but didn't ask any more. "But all ye need from me is the stuff to put your beastie back together?"

He nodded, and Merida sighed. This wasn't nearly as interesting or exciting as she'd hoped, and wondered if the wisps had simply lead her to the wrong place. That could happen, right? She'd have to find them again and give it another try.

"Alright," she said, flicking her arrow to dislodge the remains of her lunch.

Hiccup's heart soared with gratitude. "Oh, thank you, Merida!" He ran a hand through his hair, already beginning to make calculations in his head. "You're a life saver, really, you don't know what this means-"

Suddenly, he found the pointy end of the arrow a hand's breadth from his face, and Merida's fierce scowl cut his celebration short. "But before I do that, you've got to go back to the circle and fix that hole you made."

Circle? Hiccup wracked his brain to try and think of just what he'd accidentally destroyed recently.

"You mean those big rocks, on the hill?" He asked at last.

"They're not just rocks," Merida said sharply. "They're sacred."

Hiccup was pretty sure a rock was just a rock, but before he could say so, Merida continued, "They're older than anything, and they're very important. They mind the balance of things. If we don't take care of it, something terrible might happen."

It was the absolute conviction in her voice that stopped Hiccup's objection. What was he to ride on her idea? Especially if she was his only hope to get home?

"Alright, alright," he said, arms raised once again as she continued to shake her arrow at him. "We'll fix the hole. We're sorry."

He looked at Toothless, who did not look at all apologetic. In fact, the dragon was fast asleep.

After waking Toothless and hiking back to the hill, they filled in the hole and patted it down until the sacred site at last met Merida's satisfaction. As the boy and dragon worked, she wandered between the other stones, gazing into the forest, hoping that the wisps would reappear. However, when they didn't, she had no choice but to act on her promise and lead her companions toward Castle DunBroch.

They marched in silence, with Merida and Angus in the front, Hiccup and Toothless following closely behind. The boy and his dragon looked around them in wonder; with their bellies full and their situation secured, they had time to admire the wild woods. Hiccup began to notice that there were more standing stones scattered among the trees, and beneath layers of moss and lichen, they appeared to be decorated with carvings.

Soon, they found the trail leading back toward civilization, climbing up a slope until they reached the edge of the forest. Hiccup sucked in his breath as he took in the sight of a great stone construction, quite unlike the Viking halls and wooden houses he was used to. It sat on a cliff, overlooking a wide, hill-hugged bay. On the slopes leading up to it was a village that looked abuzz with activity, and in one open field, people were clearing the ground and pitching tents.

Merida groaned. The lords, she thought. She'd completely forgotten! Or, at least, had tried to forget. But here it was-everyone was getting ready for their arrival, and she was no closer to getting out of an arranged marriage than she had been yesterday.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked, looking at her sideways.

"Nothing," she lied. Then, nodding to Toothless, she added, "It's just that, he can't come with us. My Da will try to kill him faster than you can say sheideadh e na h-adharcan de ghobhar."

Hiccup wasn't sure he'd ever be able to say it, but he wasn't too surprised by the instructions. Dragons didn't seem to common around here, and he wouldn't dare risk Toothless's safety.

"I'm sorry, bud," he said, scratching Toothless under the chin as the dragon pressed his head into Hiccup's chest. "I'll be back tomorrow, I promise."

The dragon wasn't pleased, laying down on his stomach to watch as they crested the hill and continued on toward the castle. Merida walked like a man headed to the gallows, Angus wickering occasionally to try and lend some cheer. Hiccup didn't have any idea what had suddenly come over his new friend, and so followed quietly. He was now preoccupied with his own thoughts, anyway. It wouldn't take him long to make a new fin to get Toothless flight-ready again, but once he did, would they be able to find their way home again? They'd have to deal with that when they came to it, of course, but for now, Hiccup was just glad he wouldn't have to sleep in a cave again tonight. He hoped.