Breakfast the next morning is eaten in silence. Hiccup stuffs his face with eggs and assorted breakfast meats. It's the first time Merida can recall him eating so much all week. She would do the same, but her stomach doesn't seem fit to handle so much food. She's hungry, no doubt, but she would rather not risk being sick on the morning of the Games.
Esmeralda is the first to speak up.
"Are you both prepared for today?" She asks, through spoonfuls of oatmeal. Hiccup and Merida shrug almost simultaneously.
"What else can we do that we haven't already done?" Merida sighs, pushing her eggs around on her plate. "We already know everything you told us." She clears her throat to recite her mentor's rules. "'Avoid the Cornucopia, don't trust the careers and find water.'" Es wrinkles her nose and sighs as well.
"I guess you're right."
And that conversation is quickly over.
"Ooh!" Toothiana exclaims in her all-too-cheery, little voice, "Maleficent wants to see you before you have to leave. She has something for the two of you."
Her smile makes Merida roll her eyes.
"Yippee..." She mumbles. Hiccup lets out a small chuckle at her mock enthusiasm. It's the most interaction they've had all morning. Toothiana sniffles and dabs her eye with a napkin.
"Oh, don't start to cry Tooth," Esmeralda groans, dropping her spoon onto the table. "You're a grown women. Pull yourself together." But fragile, little Toothiana honks her nose into a tissue.
"I'm so sorry," she sniffles, "I just hate to have to let you two go so suddenly! We have only just started to scratch the surface of our relationship!" She shakes her head. Merida feels sad for the woman. She often forgets that sometimes, the people in the Capitol have feelings for the tributes too.
"I mean it just breaks my heart, knowing that there is so much that I haven't taught you yet!"
And just like that, all of the pity that Merida has for Tooth is gone. She also often forgets how selfish the people of the Capitol can be. Hiccup rolls his eyes and takes a bite of his sausage.
"You know, Tooth," he sighs, his mouth full, "we still have a few hours before we have to go. Why don't you teach me that...uh song you wanted me to learn? You know, the one you wanted to teach me a few nights ago, when I couldn't sleep? That way I can sing it while I'm in the arena."
Toothiana's face lights up.
"Oh Hiccup! Would you really!?" She smiles brightly at him and claps her hands together. Hiccup shrugs and smiles gently at her.
"Yeah, why not? There's nothing better to do."
Tooth grins and pushes her plate away.
"Wonderful!" She gasps excitedly. "It's a lullaby and a rather short one at that. My mother used to sing it to me when I was just a little girl."
Esmeralda stands and groans.
"As enthralling as this little music lesson will probably be..." She moves toward the couch in the living room, "I'll be over here trying to pretend that it isn't happening. If you need me...reconsider."
Merida chuckles and shakes her head.
"You are the definition of 'delicate flower', Es," she mocks. Esmeralda scoffs and flops down on the couch.
"Damn strait," she grumbles, kicking her feet up on the coffee table.
"Alright, so it's a very simple song," Tooth is saying to Hiccup, who, actually listens pretty intently. Merida sighs and decides to at least pretend to be interested. "There are only two verses! I'll sing it one time through and then, we'll take it line by line and you can repeat after me." Tooth clears her throat and opens her mouth to sing.
Merida is surprised at how lovely it sounds. Her singing voice is not nearly as annoying as her speaking voice. It is clear and clean sounding. She listens to the words, no longer needing to pretend that she cares.
"Flow gently sweet river that carries my dreams
Through valleys and pastures you lie
Though troubles and darkness no doubt will there be
Bring safely sweet dreams here tonight.
"Sweet river be gentle and soft as a song
And swiftly bring comfort in rest.
But if you are late and you find my soul's gone
Dear river bring comfort in death."
When she finishes, both Merida and Hiccup applaud. It is a bone chilling melody, and the lyrics pierce Merida's head. The last line is especially heartbreaking. It just seems relevant with their coming trials. She shudders.
Tooth spends the next hour or so teaching the two of them her lullaby and when they finally get it down in its' entirety, she wipes a tear from her cheek.
"You are both lovely singers," she smiles. "Hiccup, you were a bit flat on that last line, but lovely nonetheless." The District 10 tributes exchange a smile and Es let's out a deep sigh.
"Is the music lesson finally over?" She gives a deep yawn. Merida chuckles and stands up, stretching her arms above her head.
"You can't be tired already Esmeralda! We still have an hour before we have to go!"
"Is that so?" Esmeralda jolts upright. "You two should get into your uniforms now and head over to see Mal. She doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Tooth gasps. "Oh my! I almost forgot about that! Yes, yes, we should be leaving right away!" Hiccup gives Merida an uneasy look and stands as well.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
"Those thing aren't very colorful," Toothiana frowns at the tribute uniforms as the four of them walk to the Capitol's main building, where they will be sent off into the arena. Mal had told them to meet her there to lessen their traveling. Merida shrugs.
"Isn't that a good thing?" She asks. "We don't want to be seen."
The uniforms are pretty average: heavy, tan cargo pants that have a zipper off feature at the knee and a navy blue tank top. Each tribute is given a dark brown jacket with a large hood and large, brown hiking boots as well. Merida doesn't hate it, but the uniform makes her sweat in the afternoon heat.
"Your arena will probably be a cold place," Esmeralda had said earlier. Merida hopes she's wrong. She hates the cold.
When they reach the main building, Merida gasps. They enter a large, empty room with ceilings that seem to stretch upward forever. The room has twenty four metal doors lining the far wall. They see Mal standing in front of two of the large doors. She greets them with a smile.
"My darlings," she grins, "are you ready?" Both Hiccup and Merida look determined and nod. She smiles again. "Wonderful! I assume Toothiana has told you that I have something special for you both?"
Without waiting for a response, Maleficent reaches into her cloak and pulls out two silver horse pins. They are beautiful and Merida gasps in amazement as they seem to absorb the light.
"Mal..." She extends a finger and strokes the cold metal, "they're so..."
"Amazing," Hiccup finishes her sentence. Maleficent shrugs, pinning the trinkets to their tank tops and covering them with their large jackets.
"Esmeralda mentioned that you both have horses and it's the first thing the two of you bonded over on the train." Merida looks at her mentor curiously.
"You were listening in on us?" She asks with a small chuckle. Es only shrugs.
"I was afraid you were going to try to kill him when I left."
"That makes two of us," Hiccup scoffs and smirks at Merida. There is silence between them for a moment before Toothiana speaks up.
"You have 5 minutes until you have to be on your platform," she gasps. She throws her arms around both of them at the same time and sighs heavily. "Be careful in there, dears." Merida nods. She hasn't expected to feel for this woman as much as she has grown to and it breaks her heart to be losing her, even after just one, short, week.
Esmeralda isn't nearly as touchy-feely. She claps Hiccup and Merida on the shoulder and nods.
"Remember your training and I promise I'll send you help when I can." And that's all she says. Mal just shrugs and frowns at Merida's hair before stepping back.
"You know, dear, you really should have let me cut that."
"Tributes, to your capsules," a soothing voice chimes through the room. Es, Tooth and Mal step back and give the two tributes a reassuring nod, before turning to walk away.
This is it. I'm on my own now.
Her heartbeat quickens as she reaches for the door knob.
"Merida..."
She turns and suddenly, the weight of a crushing hug startles her as Hiccup squeezes her tightly. She gasps in shock before hugging him back.
"I forgive you," Hiccup mumbles into her hair.
Damn it, Merida, don't you dare cry.
She chews her lip, as they break apart. She nods once and the two of them go their separate ways, into their respective rooms without another word. Why waste breath where words aren't needed?
Inside the small room is a large pod. Merida assumes that this must be her "capsule" and steps inside. A glass barrier whooshes shut around her and she is trapped inside of a glass tube. Panic starts to set inside of her stomach as she struggles to take slow, even breaths.
Without warning, the platform below her starts to rise and she sees a bright light shining above her. When she reaches the surface, the sight of the arena is startling.
Everything is rocky. There are mountains that tower all around her. The Cornucopia is placed in the center of all twenty four Tributes, surrounded by a plethora of weapons and equipment. Merida looks around in fear. A cold wind tugs at we hair as we capsule sinks below the earth.
Hiccup is on the platform a few tributes away. She spots Rapunzel, as well, just to her left and Pan across the way. That's when she hears the countdown beginning.
As the robotic voice chimes down from Ten, Merida frantically looks around. She sees a sword and a bow and arrow on the outside of the Cornucopia, only a few yards away. She can her Esmeralda's advice ringing in her ears but she shakes it away.
I'll only grab those, for Hiccup and I, and then I'll be out of there.
The clock rounds down and Merida takes a deep breath.
3.
2.
1...
Author's Notes:
This chapter was updated quickly too! I guess I'm just really excited for the games! They will probably take longer to write so bear with me as I do so.
Ummm this chapter was also kind of rushed because there wasn't much I could add really.
BUT I DID ADD THAT LITTLE SONG BIT! I'm proud of my poetry skills! I have a melody for it too and I was debating on singing it for y'all so you can sort of get a feel for how Toothiana's Lullaby sounds. ((or The River Song as my friend has been calling it.)) Let me know if I should, or if you enjoy the bit of freedom there in not knowing! :)
CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT TIME!
Hopefully I'll have it up by Sunday!