Hello again. Ahhhhhh, it's good to come back to see Merida and Hiccup interact in the forest, trying to find Toothless. I mean i am sure that dragon is made at me for disclosing him from the story. This chapter will be our lovely couple Hiccup and Merida, trying to find the dragon. Maybe Hiccup will learn more about Merida's world. I wonder why that sounds so dreadful. Anyways, let's hope our heroes don't kill one another. So, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I also need to get a hold of HTTYD 2. I have heard a lot of things. So, i hope you guys enjoy chapter 7.
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to How to Train your Dragon or Brave. Brave is owned by Pixar. How to Train your Dragon is owned by Dreamworks.
Chapter 7: The Woods
The rain was pouring hard as Merida and Hiccup were traveling in the woods in search of Toothless. Merida saw how delicated Hiccup was to finding his pet. She probably would have done the same thing if it was Angus. The two had been in the forest for hours now and they needed to take a break sooner or later. Merida wanted to help out though.
"I think we should take a break," Hiccup said before leaping off the horse. Merida pulled on the strings as she looked down at Hiccup. She knew he wanted to do all that he could to find them, but Hiccup didn't want to tire out Merida or Angus.
"Alright then," Merida said before tying up Angus near a tree and looks at Hiccup running out to gather food. Merida ran off to find where he was going. She wasn't going to let him get killed out in the forest. She would have to explain to her parents and she really didn't want to go through all that. She was roaming around the woods trying to find him.
"Hiccup, where are you?" Merida collected her hands to ampify her voice making sure Hiccup heard her.
"Over here, Merida." Hiccup waved his hand holding a bunch of berries, that Merida knew what they were.
"Did you happen to find those by the creek?" Merida smirked as she crossed her arms.
"Actually, i did. Although, a badger was guarding them, i was just glad the creature was asleep." Hiccup smirked feeling proud that he discovered the strange berries as he took one from the pile and was about to put them in his mouth.
"They're Nightshade Berries." Merida grinned as she couldn't wait to see Hiccup's face. Hiccup smiled putting one in his mouth. Merida wanted him to eat one, but she didn't want him to suffer too badly. It was finally time to tell him the truth.
"They're poisonous." Merida said with a deadpan expression, but held a smirk to get one over on Hiccup. Before the viking could chomp down on the berry, he heeded Merida's warning and immediately spit out the poisonous berry. He dropped the other ones and started to wipe his mouth with his sleeves.
"Come on, i know where we could get some food." Merida laughed as she passed him by. Hiccup harbored a low growl before getting up to join Merida.
Hiccup saw a large river in thousands of fishes started to swim. He stared at Merida, who had her bow at the ready, as she aimed it a a group of fish. Once she let go, she hit about two fishes before the arrow embedded itself in the seafloor. Hiccup saw Merida going into the shallow water and picked up the arrow. She lifted her hand showing Hiccup the two fishes, that she caught with her arrow.
Merida swam back and offered her bow to him.
"No thanks, i got this net." Hiccup offered to use his net to capture several fish. Merida, however, wasn't going to let her idea about him using her bow side. If the two were to be married, they should at least come to an understanding. Merida swung her bow in front of his path.
"Will you at least try?" Merida asked him.
"Merida, back where i come from, we don't really uses bow and arrows all that much. We're more of the axe welding type." Hiccup looked at her.
"Doesn't hurt to try something new." Merida smiled as she was still offering her bow to him. "I will help you learn. Besides, you already have momentarily won against me in that archery contest."
Hiccup smirked as he heard Merida not wanting to accept defeat by his hands. Merida gave him the bow and she went behind him in order to instruct him on using the bow. "Okay, now you want to try to using a stance that you are most comfortable with."
The viking assumed the position before he used the bow on his right arm. Merida gave him an arrow in which he pulled on the string. The arrow was loose and was hard to control. Merida luckily showed how to keep the arrow still.
"Remember, keep your mind focused and concentrate. Everything might be a distraction, but don't let your guard down. Let the wind course throw your body. Think of the wind as helping guide the arrow to the target. Keep breathing deep breathes."
Hiccup focused on his deep breathing and tried to focus on the fish. However, he let go too soon and the arrow hit a rock and landed on the other side of the river. Hiccup groaned, but Merida knew he just needed another try. She handed him a bow. "Relax, no one gets it on their first try. Keep calm and let your body become the arrow."
Hiccup nods and tries again. However, try after try made his arrows either crash into the pond without a fish, lands on the other side of the river, or the two leap out of the way of the arrows that come towards them. Hiccup was becoming impatience. "Arrggghhhhh, i will never get this right. Why can't we just use my net idea?"
"Hiccup, you can do this. I believe in you." Merida told him in compete confidence.
Hiccup was relieved when Merida told him that she believed in him. That seemed to give him enough confidence as he carefully aimed the arrow. He breathed slowly and slowly released the arrow hoping that it would at least hit one fish. Merida looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Hiccup, you've done it. You actually hit a fish."
In their celebration, Hiccup and Merida didn't realize that they were slowly slipping into the pond. When the two final regained their focus, it was too late.
SPLASH!
When they both recovered from their fall, Merida looks upon the face of Hiccup. Hiccup did the same. The two were in eachother's faces. Normally, this happened at the castle with the both of them trying to back away from one another. Yet, for some reason, they didn't feel like backing away from one another. In fact, they didn't want to get up or looking away from each other. Hiccup and Merida were both curious. The two leaned in closer and closer with their eyes closed and their lips puckered. Slowly, the two were moving in to kiss one another. However, before they could make contact, a fish hit Hiccup right on the cheek.
"Ow!" Hiccup opened his eyes seeing the fish swam away.
Merida, who saw the whole thing, merely laughed at the situation. Hiccup, on the other hand, merely groaned in annoyance. "Would you like to help me up?"
"Sure, ya lazy bump." Merida giggled before she gripped on Hiccup's hand and pulled it up. Hiccup managed to get his footing, despite the fact that both of their feet were in the shallow water. He saw their clothes were completely drenched. He avoided to look at the young princess as he knew what happens to clothing on a woman when they were completely drenched in water. It would leave nothing to Hiccup's imagination. "Why don't we get out clothes dry?"
Hiccup slowly realized he forgot something. "Oh shoot, i forgot to bring our clothes."
Merida patted him on his shoulder, "Well, luckily i remembered."
Merida and Hiccup were separated by a layer of leaves. Hiccup wanted to give the princess some privacy. Despite the fact that they were going to be wedded soon, doesn't mean that he was going to welcome himself to seeing the young red head's naked form.
"Here you go," Merida threw Hiccup his pajamas that Merida managed to bring. It would seem that Merida was also willing to let the Viking have his privacy. Unlike him, a part of herself really wanted to be on that other side, but she kept fighting that urge to jump over there. Luckily, her side was where the fire was.
Merida hung up their clothes as she knew that they would eventually dry out. She spend some time in the woods, she knew her way around and could live in them for weeks.
"Okay, i am ready." Hiccup came out. As soon as Merida turned around, her entire body stopped when she saw him. Instead of the Fish-boned appearance, he was looking a bit built. She shivered as the past two months completely changed. She kept imagining him sleeping with her for many years to come. Even though, he would probably leave way before the year would be done, Merida wanted to cherish the times she would sleep next to him.
"I am sorry, we couldn't find your pet." Merida sighed.
"Well, its okay. He must be around here somewhere." Hiccup smiled as he poked the fire making sure it was still lit. He corrected her, "By the way, he is not my pet, he is my friend."
Hiccup and Merida both sat down on the ground hoping fall asleep. However, Merida turned over seeing how far away he was from her. She remembered all the times she would push him away because he was so close to her. Yet, this is what bothered her. She did want him to sleep close to her, yet she was probably bothered due to the fact that he was arranged to marry her.
"Hiccup," Merida said twindling her thumbs together softly and slowly. "You could...umm...sleep with me."
"What?" Hiccup tilted his head to the side wondering what Merida meant by that.
"I mean sleep next to me." She blushed as she really didn't mean it to hold a double meaning. "You could sleep next to me to get warm."
"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked. Merida nodded as quickly as he answered. There were times he did sleep next to her, but she mostly bit him or kicked him away from her. He just hoped that she wouldn't do it again. Merida got frustrated as she grabbed him by his PJs and quickly took him to her side. She ignored the pain that the metal foot gave her.
Hiccup and Merida saw the stars and the moon in the sky. The two didn't care that their faces were touching. They just started at the stars for most of the night.
Merida was bothered by something she found in Hiccup's possessions a few nights ago, but she didn't want to tell him. She thought that she might ask him when they were alone. Now was that chance to refrence this moment of frustration.
"Hiccup, can i ask you a question, and i want you to be honest with me?" Merida gazed at him.
"Sure," Hiccup faced her. He was ready to face any question she had for him.
"Who is Astrid?" Merida looked at him as if she caught him putting salt on his food.
Hiccup wasn't ready for that question. He looked at Merida, who was waiting for an answer to her question. "Well?"
"Ummm...Well?"
"Let me guess, you two are together? But, your father forced you to marry me, so you had to part with her. I see you mentioning in your letters about her?" Merida crossed her arms and looked away from Hiccup. The Viking knew what that look was. Merida gave it to him all the time whenever he was talking to the female servants or chambermaids. Whenever Merida would pass by Hiccup during his discussions or chatters, Merida always stopped near him and stomped his foot on purpose. Merida's mother explained to him that she was jealous.
Hiccup sighed as he looked at her. "Keyword is Was together...we broke up way before we got that letter from your kingdom."
Merida turned around looking at Hiccup to hear his explanation
"We were together before i met you. She reminded me of you sometimes. She was stubborn, very ill-tempered, but has a soft side. She could hurl an axe from a yard away. But, unfortunately things fell apart when our lives were changing. Things were happening so fast that Astrid and i couldn't be committed to one another any longer. So, we broke up."
Merida looked at him. She felt bad for looking through his things. "I am really sorry that happened to you."
"The past is in the past. But, we must look onto tomorrow. Maybe then we can find Toothless."
Merida saw him turning to go to sleep. Merida still had something to get off her chest.
"Hiccup?"
"Yeah?"
"If there was a reason for you to stay here. Would you stay here?" Merida asked kindly.
"I would, depending on what exactly would keep me here?"
"Okay, goodnight." That answer gave Merida something to think about.
Once the Scottish Princess went to sleep, she cuddled with him. Hiccup didn't feel her cuddles, but something told him that she was starting to enjoy his company. He was just thankful she wasn't scratching or fighting him.
Unknown to the two of them, a pair of big bright green eyes stared at the couple.
Well, that was interesting.
What did you think?
I kind of enjoyed the development between Hiccup and Merida. I have a feeling things will grow between the two of them. She doesn't like him yet, but she is starting to warm up to him. I am sure that their love will reveal itself in the future chapters. Ohhh, what's this? Merida getting jealous of Astrid. I am not sure who would win in a fight, Astrid or Merida?
Why do i have a feeling i just started a fan war? But, i am sure that war started when people first shipped Merida/Hiccup. I can see it now.
Merida: I am going to tear you apart.
Astrid: In your dreams, Little Princess.
*The two growl at one another. However, when Hiccup passes by, the two are friends. Once he disappears.*
Merida: You better stay away from him, he's mine.
Astrid: In yours and the Merricup's dreams.
Wow, that just inspired one heck of a oneshot. Anyways, i hope you guys had fun reading this chapter. Tell me what you think and hopefully chapter 8 will be just as fun.
Until then, see you later.
