(a/n: Phew! sorry for the wait. I hope you enjoy. Please, please review!)
Ch.10: The Witch Queen
Hansel shoved the wounded Changeling up against the wall and put a silver knife to the creature's throat.
Merida stared at the changeling in fascination and fear. The creature looked exactly like Duncan and even sounded like him but now he barely resembles the elf.
The changeling still looked like Duncan. It still had his long blond hair and pointed ears but the resemblance ended there. He had violet eyes with slit pupils like a snake. He had long sharp fangs and long, black claws.
Hansel held the changeling in place and he stared the creature in the eyes. The changeling snarled, "Release me!"
"Not going to" said Hansel coldly "Not until you tell me who sent you and why do you want to kill this girl?"
The changeling grinned, "For the reward on the young one's head. Rumpelstiltskin is willing to pay a kings ransom for her and I'm more than happy to oblige"
Hansel frowned "What would a changeling do with gold? Last I checked, your kind isn't the materialistic type"
"I want to win favor with the Queen of the Witches, Blind Meg" hissed the changeling.
Hansel raised an eyebrow "Really? Why would you want to win favor with her?"
"I was once her servant" said the changeling "but I was cast out. With the reward from the girl's head, I will earn her favor again".
Suddenly the door to Merida's room burst open. Jack and Hiccup rushed into the room. Hiccup rushed to Merida's side "Are you ok?" Merida nodded.
Jack and Hiccup followed Merida's gaze and saw the wounded changeling. The two boys froze and stared at the creature in shock.
Hiccup stammered "W-what is that?" "A changeling" answered Hansel "It was disguised as your elf friend".
Merida thought of Duncan and she asked the changeling "Where's the real Duncan?"
the changeling chuckled "Dead in a ditch"
Hansel tightened his grip around the creature's throat "Tell the truth" he growled. The changeling struggled against Hansel's powerful grip and eventually he managed to spit out "He's…alive…visiting…his sister"
Hansel loosened his grip a little and allowed the changeling to gulp in fresh air. Merida was relieved to know that the elf was still alive somewhere.
Jack scowled "Who sent you?" "Nobody sent him", answered Hansel "He's here to kill your friend here" he nodded to Merida.
Jack and Hiccup's eyes widened "Why?" asked the two.
Hansel explained about the massive reward on Merida's head. Jack shook his head "That's just sick"
"A guy's got to earn a living" retorted the Changeling. Hansel grunted at the creature "Shut up" he turned to Merida, Hiccup and Jack "Get your things, we're going"
"Why?" asked Hiccup
"If this thing is telling the truth" explained Hansel nodding to the changeling "Than there will be more bounty hunters close by"
"Like the Huntsman?" asked Merida
Hansel nodded "Him and others. Some way worse them him" "Where will we go?" asked Merida.
Hansel swallowed hard and said, "I hate to admit it, but we're going with your friend's idea" "Idea?" asked the princess.
Hansel nodded "We're going to the only place where you'll be safe from Rumpelstiltskin's bounty hunters, the cottage of the Witch Queen, Blind Meg".
The group gathered up their things and they quickly loaded things into a wagon. Hiccup told Toothless to follow at a safe distance and the dragon obeyed. Jack and Hiccup helped Merida into the back of the wagon.
Once they were all in, Gretel snapped the reigns and the wagon took off.
The wagon raced down the cobblestoned street. They weaved through a few busy streets and crossed a stone bridge that crossed a wide river. Hansel had a weapon lying across his lap. It was short, had a barrel like a cannon but smaller. It had a trigger like a crossbow. The weapon was constructed of wood and metal.
Merida had no idea what it was but she didn't want to find out what it does. For almost two hours, the wagon followed a well-traveled road till they veered off it and followed a less traveled path through an eerie forest.
A chilly wind whistled through the trees and in their ears. Jack's eyes scanned the forest around them for anything.
Hiccup was shaking a little but he did his best to stay calm. Merida felt a little uneasy as well. She could've sworn that she saw shadows move in the distance, watching, waiting, till they were ready to pounce.
Suddenly the wagon came to a halt. Merida, Jack and Hiccup almost fell over.
Jack got up "What's going on? Why did we stop?"
"That" said Gretel, grimly.
Ahead of them was a small meadow. In the meadow, there was a stump and at the stump was a large, muscular man. The man was dressed in green; he had short blond hair, a thick beard and milky white eyes. In his hands was a shining, silver ax. The man was chopping firewood with his ax.
Merida frowned in confusion "It's only a man" "It's the blind woodsman" explained Hansel "He's one of Meg's guardians. In order to get to her, you have to go through him"
"He doesn't look tough" remarked Jack
"He is" said Gretel "We went up against him once and…lets just say it was rather embarrassing".
Hiccup studied the blind woodsman and asked "Can't we go around him?"
"Can't" said Hansel "You have to beat him to get to the witch, its part of some complicated enchantment she cooked up".
As the group conversed in hushed tones, Merida noticed that the woodsman had stopped chopping firewood and was watching them intently. The others soon noticed the absence of the ax swings as well. They turned and saw the woodsman standing only a few feet away from the wagon.
The woodsman grinned, "Well, well. What have we here? Visitors?" he leaned against his ax like a crutch "What can I do for you?"
"We seek an audience with the Queen" said Hansel. The woodsman's grin vanished and he eyed them suspiciously "What business do you have with her?"
"This girl" said Hansel jerking a thumb at Merida. The blind man's milky eyes landed on Merida and she shivered a little. She felt as if he was staring directly into her soul.
The blond scowled "Oh, her. Right, well her majesty will not be seeing her" "Why not?" asked Merida
"She doesn't want to see you, that's all" said the woodsman coldly.
Merida scowled at him and tried to get to her feet but pain forced her to remain seated. Jack glared at the blind man and said "Let us through"
"Or else what?" said the woodsman.
Jack raised his staff and he hurled a bolt of blue-white magic at the blind man. The bolt struck the woodsman and encased him in ice. Merida and Hiccup looked at Jack in shock, while Hansel nodded in approval and Gretel just pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You idiot" muttered Gretel
"What?" said Jack. Before Gretel could answer, Jack vanished in a puff of blue smoke. Hiccup vanished as well, followed by Gretel and Hansel. They reappeared in the meadow, bound tightly in chains. Each of them was on their knees, with their heads resting on stumps. The Woodsman broke free of his icy prison and he strolled over to them, twirling his ax in one hand.
Merida climbed out of the wagon and she limped into the meadow.
Gretel sighed in annoyance and growled at Jack "That's what".
The Woodsman smiled "For acts of aggression against me, by the authority of her majesty I hereby sentence you to death" he raised his ax and brought it down at Hiccup's neck.
Merida screamed "No!" the woodsman stopped himself. The ax halted about an inch from Hiccup's throat.
The blind woodsman looked up at Merida "What?"
"You can't kill them" said Merida "They haven't done anything wrong" "Your friend attacked me" said The Woodsman, calmly "I'm only carrying out justice. Your friends are accomplices and I must punish them too"
"That's unfair" argued Merida "You have to give them a chance".
The Woodsman frowned and he lifted the ax away from Hiccup's neck "What do you suggest then?"
"A game" said Merida.
The woodsman stroked his beard "A game? I like games" he nodded "Yes, a game shall do". He thought for a moment then he snapped his fingers "I know what game we shall play. But first, what are the stakes?"
"If I win, you let my friends go and you will let me see Blind Meg" said Merida "But if you win, we will leave and never return"
"I'll let you all leave, except for the albino" added the Woodsman "I have to make an example of someone".
Merida considered the stakes for a few moments. She could back out but the woodsman will kill everyone. If she won, then she'll be much closer to fixing everything. Eventually Merida nodded "Agreed"
"What!?" exclaimed Jack.
She glanced to the winter spirit "Don't worry, I'm not going to lose"
"Be careful," warned Hansel "The Woodsman is very good at games".
Merida nodded. She took a deep breath and she said, "I'm ready"
The Woodsman nodded "Good, now lets begin" he cleared his throat and he explained the game "You will have to guess my name before I finish chopping the firewood." he nodded to the large woodpile that sat next to the tree stump. Merida felt her heart sink into her stomach.
She was in serious trouble.
The Huntsman and company followed doctor Victor Frankenstein across the stone bridge towards a dense forest.
For a better part of a day, the Huntsman and the others followed the doctor while he chattered away about the weather, current events and wild life they saw. The only one who wasn't annoyed by his chatter was Rapunzel.
Luckily they passed through a town where they met a few people who saw Merida.
Unfortunately, however, they weren't the only ones on the trail.
The information led them to the Blue Moon Inn, where the Huntsman found a wounded changeling tied up in the basement of the Blue Moon Inn. He was trapped halfway between his transformation. The Changeling was a nightmarish version of an elf, with long black talons, razor sharp teeth and violet eyes.
After a few minutes of conversations with the wounded Changeling, the Huntsman managed to glean that there were other hunters on the trail. So far there none he recognized as a threat, except for two.
Jack and Jill. A pair of outlaws turned bounty hunters. They weren't very good trackers but they were tenacious and tough as nails.
Jack was big and strong, Jill was smaller but she was clever and quick on her feet, a very deadly combination.
Once he was sure that he was of no further use, The Huntsman beheaded the Changeling and buried his body in the basement, in case someone else found him.
The Huntsman marched up the stairs, carrying his bloodied ax to rejoin the others outside of the Inn.
Outside the Vikings were waiting patiently for the Huntsman to exit the Inn.
As they waited, they took in the sights of the prosperous village of Mayfair. The streets were filled with villagers going about their day-to-day business. A rich mixture of sweet scents drifted around the street.
Rapunzel and Victor were at a nearby stall where a man sold freshly baked cakes.
Victor didn't have much money but he bought a cake for the young girl. She thanked him and shared some with the doctor, the Piper and the Vikings.
Once the Huntsman emerged from the Blue Moon Inn, Rapunzel offered him a slice of cake. At first the silver haired hunter refused but after she persisted, he accepted the slice.
The Huntsman grabbed Victor by the collar of his suit jacket and pulled him along growling "Come on, we got to beat the others to the girl"
"Others?" asked Astrid
"Yeah, others" muttered The Huntsman "Apparently Rumpelstiltskin decided to up the bounty a bit and has made it publicly clear that there's an extra reward to who ever captured the girl"
"Extra reward?" asked Snotlout.
The Huntsman nodded and he told the others the extra reward Rumpelstiltskin put out and they all gaped at him. Even Victor looked surprised.
With an extra incentive from Rumpelstiltskin, the group pressed on, trying to catch up to Merida.
As the group crossed the bridge that led out of Mayfair, a couple was watching them "What do you think?" asked the man
"Nothing we can't handle" said the woman. The woman glanced at her accomplice "Get the wagon ready Jack"
"Right Jill" said the man, nodding.
Jack and Jill climbed into their wagon, which looked like a wooden fortress on wheels, and they took off after The Huntsman and his group.
Unbeknownst to Jack and Jill, however, four small figures attached themselves to the underside of their wagon and they began waiting for the right moment to strike.
Back in the meadow, Merida pulled at her hair, straining to find an answer "Is it…Paul?"
"Nope" said the woodsman, chopping another log in half.
Merida had been rattling on every name she could think of and each one of them was wrong. The large woodpile shrunk considerably and the woodsman was getting closer to beheading her friends.
Merida threw up her hands in annoyance and asked, "Can I have a hint?"
The woodsman smiled "Indeed you can" he paused and wiped away some sweat. The blond man told her "Your hint is this: My name, is in my hat"
he nodded towards the woodpile and she saw a green cap sitting at the top. Merida frowned "That's not a hint"
"Yes it is" said the woodsman.
Merida bit her lip and she tried to move to get a better look at the hat but the woodsman barked, "No looking!"
"No fair!" moaned Merida.
The woodsman only laughed. He set another log on the stump and he chopped it. Merida groaned and wondered what she will do. Suddenly, she saw a small yellow bird land by the cap then flutter to her shoulder. The whispered into her ear the name that was in the hat.
Merida blinked in shock and tried to ask the bird why it was helping her but the bird took off without another word.
Jack groaned, "This is hopeless"
"Has anyone guessed your name correctly?" asked Hiccup.
The Woodsman shook his head "No, never".
The blind man set another log and he inquired "Well?"
"I know your name," said Merida "Is it…Juliette?" the woodsman blanched. He sputtered "H-how?"
Merida shrugged "Just a guess".
The woodsman grumbled, "You win" he snapped his fingers. Jack, Hiccup, Hansel and Gretel were freed.
Jack got to his feet chuckling "I never would've guessed your name. I mean, it such a manly name…Juliette" Hiccup elbowed him in the ribs.
The woodsman's face was red and he looked ready to explode but Merida intervened "Now its your turn, take us to the witch"
"Fine" mumbled the woodsman.
He snapped his fingers and on the far side of the meadow, a pair of trees slid out of the way, revealing a pair of black iron gates. The woodsman led Merida, Jack, Hiccup, Hansel and Gretel to the gates. At the gates, the woodsman told Hansel and Gretel to wait there.
The woodsman opened the gates and led Merida, Hiccup and Jack through.
The four trudged through a lush garden that was filled with flowers of assorted colors and scents. Some scents were so powerful, they made Merida's eyes water.
Ahead of them was a moderate sized cottage with white walls, blue shutters and a thatched roof. For the home of a great and powerful witch, it wasn't exactly what Merida expected. She expected a cave or a castle but she lived in a rather modest home.
The woodsman knocked on the door and they heard footsteps approaching the door.
The door opened, letting out an overpowering scent of lavender.
Standing before them was a beautiful young woman. She had long blond hair that flowed down past her shoulders like a waterfall of gold. Her skin was white as cream, her lips were thin and ruby colored; Finally, she had milky white eyes. The woman was dressed in a plain blue dress with an apron. Her hands and face were caked in flower and dough.
Hiccup, Jack and Merida stared up in awe at the woman's beauty.
She looked about Victor's age but her eyes indicated that she was much older. The woodsman grunted "visitors"
"Thank you" said the woman in a warm voice "You may go".
The woodsman turned and he walked away, leaving the three teens with the woman.
Jack, Hiccup and Merida watched as the woodsman leave than they turned to the blond woman.
She grinned, revealing pearly white teeth "Come on in, I just made a fresh batch of gingerbread cookies" the woman stepped aside and ushered the three teens inside.
Once inside, the woman closed the door behind them and she went to a large, ornate oven.
She opened the heavy iron door and pulled out a tray of cookies that were in the shape of people.
Carefully, the woman placed the tray on the large oven top and turned to the teens "Now than, how may I help you?"
the three fumbled for words till Merida spoke "W-we're here to see Blind Meg" "I am she" said the woman.
The three stared at her in surprise. In truth, the three thought that she was just a maid or a servant and the witch was some hideous old woman.
Blind Meg placed her hands on her hips "Well?" "I-I need your help" stammered Merida.
The Witch frowned and she sat down in a chair by the oven "I see but what with?" Merida took a deep breath and explained everything, from beginning to end.
End of Chapter.
(a/n: What do you think? Jack and Jill in this are a mixture of the ones from "Puss in Boots" and my own version. Anyway, please review!)