Chapter 11
"Wha-What are you doing?"
Hiccup had gone to the room that had been given him. His thoughts were still rattling in his head, and he didn't notice the small boy had snuck past him and was sitting on his bed. It wasn't until the boy had sneezed that Hiccup realized he wasn't alone.
"I came to talk to ya." The boy said with a smile.
"Okay… why?"
"Because earlier today, Merida was upset. I wanted to know why, but she wouldn't talk to me." Hamish looked directly into Hiccup's green orbs. His eyes were the same shade as Merida's, and Hiccup screamed internally.
It was her eyes; the eyes of the DunBroch line. Those eyes were the reason no one argued with their lineage, why no sane person tried to wage war on the clans. Those eyes demanded power, respect and honor. This small boy possessed this commanding stare, and he required Hiccup's respect-even though he was so young.
"I was hoping you could tell me."
That was the reason. The boy was looking for answers, and he had decided to go to the source. Hiccup sighed.
"Just what do you expect to find out? And… which one are you?"
"I'm Hamish."
"Well Hamish I'm-"
"Hiccup Haddock the Third."
Hiccup's jaw dropped open.
"How did you-"
"My brothers and I know every secret passage in the castle. We know ones that father and Merida don't know." A sly grin crept across Hamish's face and he stuffed a cake in his mouth. Then he offered one out to Hiccup. "You didn't go in to the hall to eat. You should have at least one." He said between chews.
Hiccup took the cake and inspected it carefully. It looked delicious, but he didn't know the boy well. What if he was trying to poison him? What if Merida had sent him? What if it was just a cake and he should be grateful the boy had been so thoughtful?
Hiccup smiled and took a tentative bite from the cake. It was sweet on the inside, filled with a type of jam. The pastry on the outside was soft and flaky. Hiccup let out a delighted moan. He hadn't had anything so delicious.
Hamish sat in silence as Hiccup downed the rest of the cake. As the Viking licked the remaining traces of the sweet from his fingers, the Scot spoke again.
"I know about the kiss."
"Oh. So then you should know the rest then."
"No. Hubert and Harris pulled me away to watch the dragons."
"Oh."
Hiccup walked over to the bed and sat on the edge beside the redhead. An awkward silence hung in the air. Hamish looked up at Hiccup expectantly.
"Well… um…"
"You know she likes you. Right?"
"How do you-"
"I make it my job to know."
"Are you like, a psychic or something? You always answer the question I'm asking before I'm even done asking it." Hiccup frowned, a little annoyed now.
Hamish giggled. "No. You are just easy to read."
"The thing is, I guess… I'm supposed to be with Astrid. But we aren't official or anything. I've liked Astrid for years. But then I met Merida."
"So you like her? That's why you kissed her." Hamish flopped down on the bed and looked up to the ceiling.
Hiccup only nodded in response. "But I can't figure out why. And I need to know."
"How come?"
"So that I can tell her why. I kissed her without even really thinking about it. But I enjoyed it and want to again. And when I told her that I didn't know why I did it, I upset her. I need to be sure it's not just because she's not a Viking."
"Why does that make a difference?"
Hiccup smirked for a moment. This kid knew how to ask questions.
"I'm a Viking, as you probably already know. I've been surrounded by Vikings my whole life. Merida is not a Viking. She is governed by a different set of codes that make her unique and strange to my world. People who aren't Vikings, who don't run along the same moral codes as Vikings, they are all interesting to me. It's almost intoxicating."
"But Merida interests you more?"
"I guess so."
"Isn't that a good enough reason?"
"You're too young to understand it yet. But no. I want to be true to her. It's what she deserves. So I need to know for sure if it's genuine interest in her as a person, or just interest in her as an exotic creature I don't understand."
Hamish nodded thoughtfully. He sat up slowly and shoved another cake into Hiccup's hands.
"Here."
"Another one?"
"I've got a whole stash in my room. I don't need this one." Hamish jumped off the bed and walked to the door. He opened it a crack and turned around to look at Hiccup.
"And I know you like her for her. I can see it in the way you look when you talk about her. You know… I like ya. Merida has done right in my mind by liking you."
And with that he left Hiccup alone, his jaw dropped and eyes wide in shock.