Macguffin was in a black rage.
Almost slipping on the blood that ran down his leg he pushed himself up at the large Norseman; before he could strike a mortal blow to Merida. Grant grabbed at the handle of his war hammer still lodged in the man and pulled him backwards.
It made the Noreman miss his mark. He swayed. The blood loss was affecting the berserker, Hamish ,held a pike, and with it he drove it into the man above his sister. Ian Macintosh looked back and Saw the giant on his last leg, he was over the Red Haired bow maiden. Ian wound his long sword up and in a few large steps he was just close enough behind the Norseman to connect with his claymore. Swinging his sword he nearly took the mans leg clean of. The man finally fell to the ground, and the three red haired warriors sprung on him.
MacGuffin stumbled forward and picked up the maiden her dress was black with blood. Her hair stuck to her skin and dress with the grime from battle. As he picked her up he noticed the blood streaming from her arm , her heart was still pumping in there but she needed a healer. He started forward to the castle the sounds of victory numbed him.
Merida seemed at peace but looking at her open arm. She would be dead soon
The Northman were slewn and their boats burned , and the flames were tall as they devowered the wood.
People cheered around him but he was cold.
"leave her' to me. " Ian Macintosh was covered in mud and blood. His long sword sheathed on his back again. His black hair covered one half of his face and he looked eye to eye with Grant MacGuffin. His arms outstretched to the man in the dark green kilt. A wave of protective feelings made Grant hold onto Merida a little closer. She had found him by the graves, pulled him from the lake, and dried him by a fire. Her little body did so much for him, who was Young Macintosh to demand the Princess from him?
"out' oh' me way y'ah wee scunner(annoyance)" MacGuffin growled, a wiser man would have backed away. He swayed a bit , the blood running down his leg from where the Norseman cut into his thigh.
" Lady MacGuffin and Bridgett is waiting for ya ,an looks like you need to go to the healer as well." Rabbie walked over nursing a wound in his side. Grant was struck cold. The past 12 hours or so he did not think once about that name. hearing it from a rival clansman stuck him cold in his tracks. He felt guilt wash over him, all the time he spent with Merida , it was like she never existed. In his daze Ian took Merida from his arms and briskly started for the Healer.
MacGuffin without warning fell as his legs gave out beneath him. Wee Dingwall walked forward following Ian leaving MacGuffin behind. Rabbie looked content, Ian was no match for him , Grant was the only threat now. Or 'Was'. Rabbie had a spear wound in his side, not deep but long he would need to be sewn up. He could be healed in due time but what he had planed for Grant; Wee Dingwall looked like that cat that caught the bird , MacGuffin would never be able to hold Merida again.
A fellow MacGuffin clansman quickly held his Young Lord up, putting Grant's arm over his shoulders. He was lifted to make walking easier, stumbling to the healer, all he remembered was the cheering and ascending the steps. In front of him he caught glimpses of Merida in Ian's arms. Then he fell as the adrenaline and the lack of blood made him weak. Then there was darkness.
MacGuffin was by the graves again. The wind blew in strong from the lake the gravestones over looked. Grant looked upon the graves.
Lord MacGuffin, the elder, was there.
"Da'…" Grant looked his dad in the eye.
"Be happy while you're living, For you're a long time dead … Ar' ye happy Laddie?" Lord MacGuffin looked down upon Grant.
There was silence grant looked forward in confusion.
"woot d' ya' meen by th'ah da?" He turned back to look at his dad, but he was gone. His eyes searched around in panic. He looked left , where his dad once was, he had disappeared. But there was a woman in a white dress. she was standing by a grave. Her hood was up and she beckoned to him. He ran over to her taking her hand , with her other hand she drew away the hood.
"Merida-"
"Who is Merida?" Bridget stood in front of him. She had long black hair and brown eyes.
He looked around ,where there had been nothing behind him now stood a maiden in blue in the company of wisps. He had only saw them once before, with the princess of Dunbroch. There she stood now , bow in hand being lit by the wisps blue flames in the night.
Grant turned back to Bridget still holding his hand , his dad behind her. He felt like he wanted to cry, or hide. What was it that his dad said? 'you're a long time dead so be happy now.'
"Are ye nea happy with me ?" Bridget started to cry. His dad, Lord MacGuffin looked upset behind her.
"No, ! Tha' is t' say, Aye, Aye'm happy, I promise." Grant took her hand with both of his ,pleading. His father had blessed their union, his father was proud he found himself a girl who would love him to piece's. She was perfect for him his dad said. Stays at home , perfect house wife, cooks fantastic and a beauty no less.
MacGuffin Heard the call of the wisps. And he turned once again.
The several wisps that stood by Merida started to vanish with a lonely moan. Merida backed away from him.
Three wisps left. She was backing towards the cliffs edge her eyes still on MacGuffin.
"No" MacGuffin shook his head.' she couldn't-'
"Good bye MacGuffin." Merida stood on the edge of the cliff and it gave way under her. The last wisp disappeared ,She fell.
Grant took a leap forward, then stood dead in his tracks, he released Bridget from his grip to go to the cliff edge. He felt hesitation, then sprinted for the edge. Not caring what his betrothed thought. Merida was there caught in some tree roots and she looked up at him. She was more then 4 feet down the cliff another 40 feet under her was the water.
"Hold m' H'nd!" Stretching out he tried to grab her but she would not reach out to him.
"Let her go!" Bridget was behind him, she was crying but her voice was angry.
"Merida Grab m' H'nd!" Grant reached out again.
He could feel his father behind him .
"Delays are dangerous, an seldom lies the dell dead by the dyke side. Figure it oot boy"
(time is precious, you are not to expect that difficulties and dangers will vanish without any effort on your own)
He could feel more people gather. They were whispering behind him but he looked on to Merida. Who still refused him her hand.
The crowd was getting angry when they found what he was doing.
" OCK! Why would she want ya' when you ha'v the want of-
"-another!, the Boggin thah you arrre-"
"-isnnea deservin of her hand. Don't give it to em' Merida"
The triplets spoke behind him he was more disheartened by the minute.
Then she reached up and grabbed his hand , Grant smiled in relief. But then she spoke .
" let me go MacGuffin , I donnea need you MacGuffin…" and Merida let go.
She fell down to the waters below.
Merida woke up in one of the sick rooms. Where was she?
White linens were everywhere and in her daze she believed she was in Tir Na Nog.
She smiled, the cool fall wind was pleasantly washing over her sun warmed body.
She sleepily looked around her vision still a blur of golden rays and white linens around her.
Merida looked over her shoulder many beds lined both sides of the walls and slowly soft voices of content and happy conversations reached her ears. Her vision slowly focused. No , she was alive. She smelled cedar and sage burning and by her bed side table the smoke from incense danced upwards.
Blinking she slowly did a body check, she wiggled her toes. They were fine. Then her right arm, that was fine too.
When she got to her left arm she could hardly move her fingers without pain. 'Oh right, the arrow.' she tried to move her elbow, but it would not move. The whole thing was in a cast. ' The Norse man -' she remember the shield fracturing her arm, but that's not all it hit. She raised her good arm out of the covers, and touched her cheek , there was two stitches . "Mums' going to have a fit."
Merida pulled herself up out of bed. She was wearing a typical gown that was sewn just for the people in the healers care. It was very large on her as the people of castle MacGuffin were tall. She found a long piece of linen used for bandages but she could not walk around tripping on the hem of her dress , so she took it and wrapped it a few times around her waist. Not the dress had folds in the back and was less likely to trip her.
She had been wrong. The golden sunrays were just the glow from the candles, it was nighttime. How long had she been out.
People were asleep around her. She looked at her bed, there lay a long sword and an empty chair. The sword was that of Ian Macintosh. What had happened? Merida touched her curls , someone had washed her hair but it was still greasy , she needed a bath or at least a basin of water and a bar of soap. That brought her to think about the stitches on her face. "Oh, crivins." She whispered. 'I need a mirror too'.
Merida walked around the halls of beds some had curtains or wooden frames around them for privacy. Mostly she heard people sleeping but behind one curtain she heard moaning. 'A Foul dream, poor laddie…' she was about to take another step when she heard her… it came from behind that curtain .
'take m' hand.' it whispered. Her curiosity would always lead her. It pulled her to find out who would call her name in the middle of the night.
'Hello?" she answered back.
"Take m'hand…"
That voice was familiar, she looked around , no healers walked freely they were all busy. She held her casted arm and stepped forward towards the slit in the curtain.
It was MacGuffin. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of him calling her name in the night.
"Da' wha' d' y' meen?' He looked distraught in his sleep, her heart broke, he was dreaming about his dad.
'He could not be dreamin of me.' She was mistaken, and she turned to go , but she saw a mirror by his bed.
'He wouldnea mind me takin a peek-' she thought. ' -he dose not need it while he is sleepin'
So Merida licked the sore part of her bruised lip and taking a last look around slipped into the curtain.
She tiptoed to the bed side trying to be as quiet as possible.
She reached out for the mirror slowly her eyes darting towards the sleeping Lord. And in a flash she grabbed it. Lifting it to her face she was upset at what she saw. Her lip was swollen, and she had a small cut on her cheek that had two stitches in it, the whole thing was covered in honey and she could tell that while she was asleep they had put some leaches on her flesh around the cut.
"Och…" Merida prayed to the gods it would heal in time before she retuned to Castle Dunbroch. She went to return the mirror -
A hand grabbed her Wrist and she stifled a scream.
In his sleep MacGuffin Reached out and grabbed her, the mirror dropped to the ground and shattered.
"MacGuffin let me go." she hissed trying to release his grip with her good hand. She was almost in tears, he held the wrist of the hand that was in a cast. No use he was too strong, 'I have to wake him up before he tares my arm off!'
"MacGuffin let go!" Merida shook his arm. His anger subsided and he started to weep.
"shhhhh shhh its alright wee lamb…." she raised her hand to the loose hair at the top of his forehead.
"I need t-" he mumbled.
"You're a strong man , you donnea even need me, -or anyone else " she whispered, he loosened his grip. And opened his eyes. Merida held her casted arm away from him, and looked down at the wakening lord. He looked at her with great sadness. 'Was he sad because he blamed me for his dads death? I would if I was him." It was time for Merida to go, and she turned to leave.
There she stumbled into a woman carrying a basin of water. The woman was taller then her and much more beautiful with long, long black hair and brown eyes.
"EXCUSE me!- oh-" The black haired woman stopped in her tracks when she realized who she was talking down to.
"The fault is mine. " Merida looked away. "ill be going now."
"Yes my Princess ." The young woman took a step out of the way and made a curtsy , but was obviously angry about something.
Merida strode back towards her bed. She felt sick.
MacGuffin woke up just to see Merida leave and Bridgett enter the curtain around his sick bed. His injuries did not hurt him as much as his dream had. The woman who entered was angry like she was in the dream and placed the basin of water roughly by his bed side.
"That was Princess Drunbrouch. " She stated as if he was oblivious to who she was.
"Oh?" Grant was still groggy and saddened by the dream. His heart felt like it was bleeding in his chest. Merida must have met Bridget, she must have known who Bridget was, his betrothed. Why did he feel pain? Sleepily he answered the black haired maiden with her hands on her hips. "Aye, I bel'iv so."
Bridget somehow did not like that answer.
"And?"
"Bridgit m' leg wa's almust in tue, ples." He begged her not to start anything. In the dream he lost Merida Anyways, what did she have to worry about? He was muddling on the loss. The bad dream it was hard on him.
"Fine." Bridget turned away leaving him be. The curtains flew open as she left in a hurry.
Grant let out a sigh and turned back to sleep, the stitching in his leg felt tight and swollen. He had lost Merida to a better man anyhow. Ian was being hailed a hero ; he had saved the princess singlehandedly!
Grant groaned. He knew Macintosh was 'up and down the mountain' in love with the red headed lass, but Ian did not know anything about her. How strong she was , caring , fearless.
The dream came back to him. 'She would'nea be hauppy whit me.' competing with Ian would make any man give up. Grant reflected. But still, why had she come to his bed side?
Back in her own bed Merida hid under the covers. Her cast made it hard to lay on her side and her hand stuck out of the covers. Her fingers all that was visible of the drifting off princess. She was almost asleep when she felt someone hold her hand.
She threw back her covers. It was late and she was having none of this , especially when it was getting in-between her sleep. There at the other end of her arm was the large hand that belonged to Ian Macintosh.
He could have been burned from the flames in her eyes and yet he smiled happily.
" I'm Glad your awake Princess." the man said lovingly down to her.
"Oh Aye I am awake …now." Unable to pull away from his hand due to the pain in her arm she watched him like horse watches a deer. That is to say with mistrust and anger. " Wait , how long have you been here?"
"Well I went away for a moment but-"
"How long Macintosh." 'It was to late for this.' Merida glared at the black haired Pict. He had ,Sometime this night went to have a bath, and was clean and brushed.
"Since I carried you up here." Any other woman in the castle would have swooned. Merida on the other hand would have put a dirk through the smug mans hand. 'if I only hand one handy' He was still a young lord so threats could not be made out in the open , just yet any way.
"Glad for the help now im off to-" 'bed' she was going to say but Ian interrupted. Nothing did Merida hate more then being interrupted, it belittled her.
"I Just wanted to tell you-" He gripped her hand tighter. she almost punched him with the other hand, stopping a scream of pain by biting her lip. Ian went on . " I was overcome with concern for you." Merida was having a hard time believing Young Macintosh, as he was oblivious to the pain she was under. Unseen to Merida and Ian , a woman with long black hair approached.
Bridget's heart stopped. There in front of her was THE young lord Macintosh. She sighed and blushed , not wanting to be caught staring she hid herself behind a pillar of stone. Bridget peeked past the stone at the handsome young man , he sat next to a bed. The man had shining black hair like her own and stunning blue eyes. The Young Lord had many blue tattoos over his bare chest. The sight of his bare chest made her a bit weak. 'He is talking to someone.' She held her breath listening in on his words.
"It was amazing. The way you shot two days ago-" Ian looked dreamily at Merida.
"I have been asleep for almost two days?" Merida was shocked 'I had not slept the night before the battle' She calmed down a bit and she felt less worried now.' It made sense , but how where were her brothers ? How was her dad?'
"Oh Aye, I have been here watchin over-" Ian held fast on her injured arm with both of his hands.
"UM. MACINTOSH " Merida hissed . Ian looked down at her hand and saw the cast slip out from under the covers and he let go in a hurry.
"OH I'm sorry! Ian Stood up and almost knocked a wash dish over.
'He's going to wake all the sick folk' Merida sat up in bed and grabbed his wrist with her good hand.
"Macintosh please." She meant to quiet him down trying not to disturb the sleeping and the ailing . But by the red blush that filled his face made her grit her teeth.
Bridget was in shock and sick with sudden heart break. There, grabbing Macintosh's arm, was the only red haired woman she knew. It was the Princess. Tears welled up and she discreetly rushed from the long room of beds.
"My Princess, " He took a knee, and with a shake of his head flicked his bangs out of the way of his icy eyes. Yes, he was a handsome man, but his self-absorbed behaviour made him unbearable to Merida. " Call me Ian, please." he said in a whisper, Ian wanted more then anything to hold her cheek or her hair. Like he had brushed her hair away from her sleeping face just hours ago. 'Gods she was beautiful, and brave, talented, and-' The list went on and on , all things that Ian believed he also possessed. She mirrored him and that's why she was perfect. He was deserving of her as she was deserving of the most handsome of the clansmen any woman had seen.
"Ian how are my brothers?" She changed the subject. He smiled and came closer to her making her want to squirm away.
"My princess , they were here the other day , a few cuts and one of them the smallest one-"
"Harris" she looked pale with concern.
"Aye he has a broken or bruised rib, nothing to worry about." He tiled his head in affection. She was so caring, and he had her all to himself. "Don't worry your bonnie head, my Princess."
"Merida" It felt like curdled milk in her stomach every time Ian called her 'princess'. And now 'bonnie?!' He was asking for a blackened eye.
"What is that?"
"Ian ,you can call me Merida. Its my name." Her anger subsided and she just wanted to cry and go to sleep. This was frustrating and she wished to be left alone.
Ian on the other hand was trying to still his beating heart. The butterflies in his stomach would not be quieted and he sighed.
"M-Merida," Her name was like honey, it sounded almost as nice as when she said his name.
" I'm goin' to sleep now." She released him and went for the candle at the bed side to blow it out.
"Prin-, my bonnie Merida." She had it in her right mind to throw the candle at him but she stopped herself.
' I AM NOBODYS BONNIE ANYTHING' She was trying to take some long breaths to calm her nerves.
"Yes, Ian Macintosh?" Merida managed to say that without cursing.
"Can I stay?" She looked back at the young lord , like a farm wife looks at a barn cat mewing to be let inside from a storm.' He had stayed with her all this time, ugh, don't do it Merida'. She pleaded with herself.
"Fine." she managed to squeak. It felt like he had twisted her arm. " but don't touch me again, I might clout you on the heid and it willnea be my fault."
She was serious.
"Oh Aye, no touching your soft hair-" She glared at him , 'What did he say? Soft?!' He swallowed hard and continued. "I understand, I shall not put m' hands on you." Merida eyed him suspiciously then blew out the candle leaving Young Lord Macintosh in the chair by her bed. She closed her eyes. For a long while she was quiet, she had been rude, and she was not really a mean person. She felt guilty for her course nature.
"Ian," she whispered half hoping he was asleep already.
"Aye , Merida?" Answered a sleepy Pict.
"Good night Lord Macintosh." then she closed her eyes.
"Och, an good night to you as well." Merida managed to get herself a somewhat peaceful sleep.
Bridget was weeping in a hallway.
Then she was joined by someone walking down the hall. A shorter man then herself with white hair and a unamused look. She wiped at her tears and started off in the opposite direction of the man from clan Dingwall.
She was heartbroken, they had said to her that Ian was loveless. Therefore up for grabs, single, and readily able to whisk her away. At least not until she saw him holding the hand of The princess.
'She was using her title against her' Bridget though twisting her handkerchief into a tight rope. ' it was not fare that she was bribing the Young innocent lord with a crown.' Yes castle MacGuffin was nice enough , but everyone knew the Macintosh clan was much wealthier. Why cant she have love and money too? 'Don't I deserved happiness?'
She broke out into a sob again.
Rabbie Dingwall was about to pass her. But stopped a few stepps behind her.
"What is wrong quinne?" Rabbie smiled unseen to Bridget. He knew all about her. The last couple of days he had visited the kitchens and was able to learn all he needed from the gossipy kitchen maids. ' she must be coming from the sick beds, where Ian had been standing watch over Merida like Cu' Chulainn. It disgusted him a little.
But this, well , it pleased him greatly.
"Macintosh is not really in love with her.." Rabbie said softly.
"With who?" Bridget swung around on her heals.
"With the princess."
"oh. w-Well-that-is non of my concern."
He stopped a chuckle , she did not look 'unconcerned'.
"Oh He is inlove with another." Dingwall continued nonchalantly.
"oh?" Bridget was wringing her handkerchief hard again. 'If it was a maid from this castle she would strangle her.'
"care to walk with me?" He smiled at her, lifting his elbow for her to take it. "I will walk you back to your chamber my lady."
Bridget nodded , gently she took his arm. Rabbie was a spider and the lady Bridget his fly. Little did she know she was already stuck in the webs he spun.
