Sobered

A village to the west had been plagued by the sudden and mysterious appearance of a monster in their local quarren. The quarren was important to the village, as the stones coming from it were used commonly in the construction of their town. Without delay they sent out a notice calling for assistance by the kingdom's student knights. And the first to respond had been some students from the academy.

Currently said monster was chasing one of them through the forest.

It was Hiccup. He ran for dear life as the large rock monster pursed, knocking trees over as it stomped after him. The plan had been to lure it out of the quarren and to an open field where he hoped his backup could get a clear shot at it. He'd originally been planning on coming alone, but unfortunately a certain blonde and her redheaded partner decided to join him, fearful that he would be out of his league as the mission called for an A-rank.

Hiccup finally cleared the tree line, shield on his arm as he frantically dashed to the field's center. He stopped and turned as the golem knocked over the last few trees and chased him to the center. So far so good.

"Ok guys!" he called out. He got no response as the golem kept coming. "Guys!" he shouted again as he looked around. He found Merida, leaning against a tree at the right of the field, smirking at him with Rapunzel's bow form in hand.

"What are you waiting for! Shoot it!" he shouted as it drew closer.

"Say please!" Merida called back with a grin.

"Are you-" he paused and yelped as he ducked a swing from a stony fist. "Crazy!?"

"That's not very nice, especially after Rapunzel and I came all this way to help you like any good friend would!" Merida called back as Hiccup weaved and rolled to avoid being hit.

Merida I really think we should help him, Rapunzel said in her mind, slightly worried.

"Nah. He's fine," Merida said casually as Hiccup dodged every attack. "Besides. He needs a little practice since he never fights."

Hiccup cried out in alarm as he ran away from the stomping golem. He jumped to the left as it attempted to smash him with an arm. Then he leapt over it as it dragged its arm across the ground. Parts of it's rocky body began flying at him. He raised his shield up and blocked.

"OK! Please help!" Hiccup called out frantically.

"Sorry! Didn't catch that!"

"For the love of Odin woman! Shoot the damn thing!" Hiccup cried.

Merida smirked in satisfaction. "Rapunzel. Long bow," she said to her partner. Rapunzel's form began to glow as the bow began to lengthen, extending from both ends until it was nearly the length of Merida's body. Merida wrapped three fingers around the bow string and pulled. Three arrows of light formed as she began to take aim. The golem raised its arms up to smash Hiccup when she fired.

The arrows of light flew at the golem, and in three golden flashes ripped through it's stone body. The golem's body crumbled on itself. Hiccup let out a breath in relief as the stones remained unmoving on the ground. Merida sauntered up to him proudly. Smiling in pride and satisfaction.

"You're welcome E-rank," she said smugly. With that she began to stroll along back to the village to let the people know their quarry was now safe for use. Hiccup sighed and followed after.

Hours later they were back at school. Hiccup reported to North as the girls took the rest of the day off.

"That was kind of mean Merida," Rapunzel said to her partner as they got ready for bed.

"What was?" Merida asked, feigning innocence.

"What you did to Hiccup. He could've been hurt," Rapunzel elaborated.

"He's a knight Punz. Comes with the job," Merida said unconcerned. Rapunzel gave her a stern stare. Merida ignored it as she turned her attention to her textbook. Rapunzel sighed and shook her head.

"Ha! Nice," Jack said the next day as the trio recounted their latest quest. Jack was completely unconcerned about Hiccup's well being(he knew his friend was more than capable of defending himself). He only laughed, saying how he'd done the same thing to Hiccup in the past, and that was why Hiccup didn't like doing quests with him anymore.

"Oh yeah. Pain. Mutilation. Death. Haha, soooo funny," Hiccup said sarcastically.

"Well I for one am glad you are unhurt Hiccup," Elsa stated truthfully. She immediately blushed at her blatant admission and looked away as Hiccup smiled at her in thanks.

"I am too! I told Merida it wasn't funny!" Rapunzel chimed in quickly.

"At least I know who my real friends are," Hiccup said with a frown and a few dirty looks.

"Awww. Wee lamb," Merida teased mockingly. They ate breakfast before going to classes. At her locker and on a whim she checked her Speculum and thought about herself and Rapunzel. She blinked in surprise as she saw her information. Specifically their ranking.

"Punz! We're B-ranks now!" Merida declared happily.

"Really?" Rapunzel said in surprise as she took a look at the mirror. She gasped before smiling in pride and happiness. She and Merida high fived and gave a cheer. They concluded it must have been due to going on quests with Hiccup. Either way they were happy and proud of themselves. Soon enough they were sure they'd be A-ranked.

Merida continued to smile to herself as she pulled out a textbook. And she was about to turn around someone bumped into her rather roughly. She dropped her book in surprise and staggered to the side.

"Watch it," came a sharp voice. Merida looked over to see Astrid walking away. Her Dragon was on her shoulder, glancing back at them with spines on its tail raised.

Merida frowned after her before picking up her book and heading to class. Similar occurrences kept happening throughout the day. With Astrid seemingly bumping into Merida at any given moment, catching her by surprise and nearly making her topple over. The only thing holding her back from outright attacking her was Rapunzel calming her down.

Astrid's sudden strange behavior didn't go unnoticed however. As the day came to an end and she was putting away her books she was approached from behind.

"What are you doing?"

Astrid paused momentarily before putting her books away and shutting her locker. Hiccup stood behind her, Toothless on his shoulder, cocking his head inquisitively at her. Stormfly gave Hiccup a squawk in greeting, one her master didn't copy.

"No idea what you mean," Astrid replied casually as she shrugged an arm.

"You're trying to pick a fight with Merida and Rapunzel," Hiccup stated.

"Am I? That doesn't sound like me. I don't try pick fights," Astrid said in her defense. She narrowed her eyes at him. "If I want to fight someone, I do."

"Well cut it out," Hiccup told her.

"Why? We're all knights here. I have a right to challenge anyone I want."

"You know I wouldn't let you do that." Astrid glared at him. Hiccup let out a breath and took a step back, all while looking her in the eye. "Cut it out Astrid. Don't make me order you," he told her before walking away.

Astrid stared after him. Well he hadn't technically ordered her to stop. More like heavily suggested she do so. She smirked to herself as she reached up and stroked stormfly.

The next day Rapunzel smiled to herself as she and Merida made their way to the mess hall. In her hands were a plate of cupcakes she baked for Hiccup. She made sure to add a few more this time. She noticed Merida reaching a hand out. She quickly swatted her hand away.

"Hey!" Merida complained.

"These are not for you. You can have some if Hiccup says you can," she told her sternly.

"But I'm your best friend," Merida whined. "Shouldn't I have special rights to cupcakes?"

"You ate like five last night. If I don't stop you, you'd probably get fat," Rapunzel teased. Merida frowned and huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and continued walking beside her. Rapunzel giggled at her childish behavior. As they went they passed Astrid and her friends. Merida took note of Astrid casting her eyes on them for a brief moment before her lips twitched upward into the faintest smirk. Snotlout said some kind of flirty remark at her side, causing her arm to shoot ot and hit him square in the face.

The timing couldn't have been worse as he staggered back and into Rapunzel, knocking over the tray of cupcakes and sending them all crashing to the floor.

"Not the cupcakes!" Rapunzel cried as she sank to her knees and mourned the loss of her hard work.

"Oh...uh, sorry," Snotlout said awkwardly. Rapunzel glanced up and shot him the death glares to end all death glares.

Meanwhile Merida stomped up to Astrid, getting right in her face with a snarl. "What is your problem Astrid?"

"I have no idea what you mean," Astrid said casually, but her smirk betrayed her act.

"You did that on purpose!" Merida cried insistently.

"It was an accident. Besides, no one is hurt. It's just a few cupcakes," Astrid said with a shrug. Merida's face started turning red in anger. But before she could continued a pair of hands pushed them apart.

"Ok. Easy now. No need to-"

"Revenge!" Rapunzel cried from the ground. She looked up at Astrid in anger and leapt to her feet. "We challenge you to a duel!" she cried aloud. Spectators passed and paused to gasp in shock.

"Start a fight," Hiccup said weakly.

"I accept," Astrid said in pride.

"And it just gets worse," Hiccup muttered with a sigh. Thus the arrangements were made. And surprisingly Astrid wanted o have the duel during physical education and combat class. Puzzling seeing as that was when Rapunzel's form was at it's strongest. But they accepted.

The school was buzzing with energy as the day passed before finally the duelists met in a large combat ring. Astrid stared down the girls with a smile, Stormfly furled and unfurled her wings anxiously.

Hiccup and the others stood back with the other students worried. Jack asked if Hiccup could stop the duel. Hiccup said he couldn't. Merida and Rapunzel had issued the challenge and it would bring dishonor to Astrid's clan if she backed down now. And as much as he didn't want his friends to get hurt he couldn't ask her to do that. So he stood back in resignation as Aster gave them the signal to begin.

Rapunzel took on her bow form in a golden flash of light. Merida had been surprised that the blonde had been the one to issue the challenge and not herself. But she was more than eager to fight the rude blonde.

Across from them Stormfly opened her wings, and then they began to expand. They grew so big they completely hid her form from view. The girls were reminded of the way Toothless assumed his shield form. They watched as the wings suddenly disappeared, or more accurately spread out to form the blades of of a double sided axe. Astrid carried her partner over her shoulder and smiled.

"Better get ready. I'm not going to go easy on you guys just because you're friends with Hiccup," Astrid called out.

Merida narrowed her eyes at her. "Wouldn't have it any other way." Without warning she raised her bow up and fired. It flew across the field in a flash of light, only to be deflected as Astrid knocked it away with the blade of her axe. Merida blinked in surprise. Astrid had better reflexes than she'd originally thought.

"This might get tough Punz. But if we can keep her back and away we'll have the advantage," Merida said softly.

Longbow? Rapunzel asked.

"Aye," Merida said with a nod. With a golden glow Rapunzel lengthened into her long bow form. Merida curled three fingers around the string and pulled back to form three arrows. Astrid arched a brow, slightly surprised at the new development. Then Merida fired. Astrid jerked her body out of the way as the three arrows flew by in three golden flashes. She dodged them all entirely, or she thought she had. She saw a few strands of hair fall away to the ground. She frowned in annoyance before she began to rush them.

Merida stayed on the spot as she fired at her. But Astrid proved herself to be an evasive target. Twirling ducking and jerking out of the way of her arrows with amazing reflexes. What's more it was like she could read where the arrows were coming from before hand.

With a change of tactics Merida fired an arrow in front of her path, the arrow hit the ground and exploded, kicking up dirt and dust and temporarily blinding Astrid from her opponent. At the last second she managed to jerk her body out of the way as an arrow of light pierced the veil, managing to graze her arm and leave a line of singed skin. Merida kept up the assault, walking to the side as she fired arrow after arrow at her. Astrid leapt back, rolled, and dodged with amazing nimbleness.

But she knew if this kept up she'd lose. She'd get tired from all the running she was doing. She needed a change of tactics.

Astrid stood and jerked her head back to dodge an arrow. Merida paused in her assault to glare at her and smile.

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "Think you're winning red?"

"Seeing as how you've been running around like a deer...yeah. I'd say so," Merida called back tauntingly.

"Well let's see how you like being shot at!" Merida arched a brow as she held her axe out. "Wanna see what makes an A-rank?"

"Stormfly, change," Astrid said lowly. The wings acting as the blade of the axe expanded again, covering the entire axe. Merida watched, mostly out of curiosity, wondering what was going on.

Hiccup sighed. Merida and Rapunzel definitely had the advantage if they could keep it a long range vs short range battle. But unfortunately for them, while Stormfly's normal form was only suited to close range, her second form was good at either.

The wings finally unfurled and this time shorten, revealing Stormfly's second form. Merida stared curiously as Astrid held what now looked like a spiked lance, somewhat resembling Stormfly's tail. The spikes on the lance flexed, rising and falling before standing on end. Astrid smiled as she swung it in their direction.

Merida quickly raised her bow and fired four arrows in quick succession, knocking the four yellow spikes that had launched from the lance and at them. She looked to see more grow on the lance to replace them.

"Shall we see who's the better shot?" Astrid challenged. Merida narrowed her eyes as Astrid tensed and she pull on her bow string. Spikes and arrows flew across the space between them in quick succession, sometimes colliding in midair. Merida narrowed her eyes, concentration on dodging, and firing back. All the while Astrid was keeping the pressure on, getting steadily and steadily closer.

With a growl Merida instead pointed upward and fired an arrow. Astrid looked up and stared after it, watching the arrow disappear into the sun. But as she'd seen before numerous arrows began raining down from the sky. Astrid grabbed stormfly firmly by the long handle and began spinning her above her head. She managed to defend herself against most of the barrage, but some of the arrows made it through, grazing parts of her body. But she ignored the pain, knowing that as long as she didn't take a serious wound she could still win.

She heard Stormfly growl in warning, and as the rain of arrows ended she twisted her body to take an arrow to the arm. She dropped to a knew, placing a hand over the blistering and burnt mark on her upper arm to glare at Merida. As Merida pulled back on the string rose up and swung her lance, sending a small flurry of spikes at her. Merida rolled out of the way and looked back to Astrid to find her gone.

Above us! Rapunzel warned. Merida looked up as Astrid came down, lance poised above her head to strike. Merid leapt out of the way as Astrid brought her weapon down, smashing into the ground where she'd been standing a moment before before taking a horizontal swing at her.

Merida held up Rapunzel vertically to block. Thus a close range battle began between them. Merida tried to retreat and gain distance, but Astrid made sure to stay with her, unwilling to let her get far enough away to fire off a shot.

Rapunzel hissed in pain repeatedly as she was used to block the spiked lance, feeling as if she were being pricked every time the weapon collided with her. She prepared for the next attack as Astrid raised her weapon above her head, prompting Merida to prepare for the next attack as she held Rapunzel up to block it. But this time, while Rapunzel's form did block most of the lance the upper half suddenly bent and curled around her.

Look out! she shouted into her partners mind. Merida saw it and quickly jerked back, but not before recieving a shallow cut across her face. She retreated, and to her surprise Astrid didn't follow. Merida rubbed at her bleeding wound and hissed.

I'll get it, Rapunzel said to her. Sure enough she felt the wound close up.

"Looks like it's noon now," Astrid said as she pointed upward. Merida glanced up as well, finding the sun at it's highest position. "Might as well use that trump card of yours."

Merida narrowed her eyes and pulled back on her bowstring. Rapunzel's from started to glow brighter and brighter as she began to take in energy. The arrow of light forming began to get bigger and bigger as they prepared to unleash their strongest attack.

Astrid remained on the spot, waiting as the duo charged their attack. She wasn't worried. Not in the least. They'd already lost. She just didn't know it yet.

As the arrow was ready to fire Merida took aim and prepared to let it loose. Only for her vision to begin to blur. She shook her head and blinked, but it did nothing as it only seemed to get worse. She suddenly wobbled on her feet, limbs beginning to get heavy.

Merida? Rapunzel asked in concern.

"I'm fine," Merida muttered as she shook her head, telling herself to focus. With a breath she looked back at Astrid, only to find her vision completely fuzzy, the other girl a blob of color. She tired to aim at her and fired.

Everyone watched as the arrow of sunlight flew across the field and at their opponent.

Only for everyone to be stunned as it veered off course, missing her completely. The arrow collided with the barriers, this time able to contain and disperse the magic, making it dissapear into golden fleck of light that drifted down to the ground.

Astrid smirked and began walking toward Merida as the red head fell to a knee, suddenly unable to stand on her own feet.

Merida, what's wrong? Rapunzel asked in worry. Merida didn't respond. She didn't know. She felt weak, her body was heavy, her vision swimming, and she couldn't get on her feet. Merida looked up, only to find a blobby mass of color standing before her.

Astrid stood victoriously over her opponent. Unbeknownst to her, she'd been poisoned. Stormfly's blade and spikes were covered in venom. Even a scratch could be enough to cripple an opponent.

"Give up?" she asked.

Merida looked up, eyes defiant despite her inablity to see her opponent. "Never."

Astrid smiled, impressed by her attitude. She could respect her tenacity. She'd beat her like a warrior. She cocked back her arm, grabbing Stormfly with both hands. Stormfly made her spikes stand on end in preparation. Then she swung. Merida heard the weapon whistle through the air and tensed herself for pain.

But before Astrid could connect there was a golden flash of flight. She was temporarily blinded by it, but felt her weapon connect, having had too much momentum to stop. Whatever she'd hit was sent flying, sailing across the field before rolling out of bounds and winning her the duel. She rubbed her eyes and blinked, looking in the direction she'd hit it to see what had happened.

Merida groaned, world still blurry and head spinning from being sent flying and then colliding with the ground. She was going to be sore and bruised later. But any thoughts on herself her cut short as she realized a warm body on top of hers. She heard a pained whimper and recognized it as Rapunzel's.

"Rapunzel?" Merida asked as she began feeling around with her hands, fingers finding Rapunzel's mass of hair and confirming it was her.

"I'm ok," Rapunzel said shakily. Merida wasn't fully convinced as she ran her hands down her body, eventually coming to her friends back. Her fingers stopped as they became covered in something wet and warm.

Across Rapunzel backs were many scratches caused by Stormfly's spikes. Blood was flowing freely out of them and Merida's stomach dropped as she realized her friend had used herself as a shield. Aster rushed over to them, observing the damage to Rapunzel's back and quickly shrugging off his jacket to press it againt her wounds. Then he picked her up as gently as he could before taking her to the infirmary, but not before calling for someone to help Merida, who still couldn't see.

Merida sat where she was, world still imperceptible until she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Come on Merida," she heard Hiccup say before he picked her up. She leaned on him, clutching on his arm tightly as he led her to the infirmiry, but all the while she kept asking about Rapunzel, if what she'd felt was as bad as she was picturing in her mind. Hiccup remained silent before telling her she'd be ok.

He cast a glare back at Astrid who stood there as Stormfly resumed her normal form. She was unrepentant, smiling in victory as the rest of the Berk teens cheered her on, joined in by some of the other student.

All through the walk to the infirmiry Merida was surprisingly silent. Hiccup felt awkward being near her with her not frowning and making jab at his rank by constantly calling him by it.

Merida only stared straight ahead, still unable to see and limbs unresponsive and heavy. She swallowed, worry for her friend washing through her, making her stomach churn.

"We lost," she said quietly.

Hiccup let out a breath and looked into her face, unable to read her emotions. In the end there wasn't anything to say.

"Yeah."

new chap. Sorry for the delay