Astrid was still waiting for the official count of Macintosh's army. She needs to know how many of them need to be accounted for at all times. With a seige comes rebellion, and she could have none of it. Macintosh's son, Ryan, has proven to be less than helpful.

"Why can't anybody tell me where she might have gone?" Astrid practically screams.

"Hey! She's a free spirit alright? She goes where she wants," Ryan frowns.

"And nobody tells her what to do?" Astrid asks, "Gosh she sounds like a brat."

"It's not like that," Ryan crosses his arms, finally getting fed up with this chick, "She does what she's told, but after taking out a man slaughtering monster powered by magic and breaking a curse that almost turned her mother into a bear forever, she's earned some independence. Plus it's allowed me to date more girls and not have to settle down. That's a hero in my book."

"What a pig," Astrid groans, walking back to the open field where her army of dragons had been. Their riders were currently feeding them, some of them training as they do.

"So what's your status?" Ryan asks.

"What do you mean?" Astrid looks at him questioningly.

"Dating, married...?" Ryan probes.

"I'm a recent ex-fiance." Astrid scowls.

"Oh. Well that's just sad. What happened between you two?" Ryan asks.

Astrid smiles and looks over at him condescendingly, "I stuck the world's worst dragons on him and watched them blast him into oblivion."

Ryan's eyes widen and he takes three steps to his left away from her. He turns his attention to the dragon army, "Alright crazy demon lady, what do you expect me to do? I already told you I don't know where she is."

"Simple. The other clans trust you. They know you. So all you have to do is go take a trip to the other two clans and see if you can scope her out." Astrid says, "If they say no, we'll destroy the entire clan. If they say yes, we'll spare them."

"How will you know I'm telling the truth?" Ryan smiles and flips his hair, "I'm very convincing."

"The fact that you even have to ask me that question tells me you're going to make the right choice." Astrid cackles, "Unless, of course, you want me to shave off all that gorgeous hair of yours."

"Not my hair!" Ryan gasps, "Wait... you think it's gorgeous? See I knew you liked me."

Astrid's eye twitches and she refrains herself from striking the him down where he stood. Astrid turns to one of the dragon riders and whistles.

"Callum, you'll be accompanying Ryan on his journey. If he slips up, kill him. Or better yet, come find me and I'll kill him. Have your dragon trail you like we've been training them to do." Astrid instructs.

"Not a problem," Callum glares at Ryan. Ryan looks puny compared to Callum. Callum was huge with scars on his face, and grey eyes that could pierce the soul. He stood a foot taller to Ryan, and had muscles twice the size of Ryan.

"Oh great. You couldn't have sent a friendlier face with me? Now when I get to the other clans all the girls are going to be looking at him." Ryan rolls his eyes.

"Watch your mouth pretty boy, or I'll snap your neck." Callum sneers.

"Just wait until we have the princess," Astrid laughs, "Okay you guys get everything ready to go, you'll leave in the morning."

Hiccup's eyes were getting heavy the longer they flew. They have been flying for quite some time and there was no land in sight. Neither one of them dared to drink too much water. He could tell Merida was also fading fast. She relaxes her grip the longer they ride, and Hiccup could finally breathe. She was still getting used to riding, but ChiChi was playing nice. The ride was smooth and the weather was behaving accordingly. The sun was finally setting and the horizon was fading into a light pink, purple, and orange ombre. He closes his eyes and soaks in the last rays of the sun. Chichi sways slightly, relaxing them both as they ride. As Merida tries to stay awake, her grip relaxes and she leans forward letting her head rest on his shoulder. Her hair tickles his ear and he can't help but smile. They had been casually chatting the whole way, sharing their favorite things, favorite memories, what they liked to do. Hiccup was fascinated by Merida. The only problem is that she reminded him too much of Astrid. She was headstrong, independent... a real hero. But that's what he thought of Astrid too.

Merida yawns and Hiccup sneaks a glance at his shoulder.

"Are we there yet?" Merida groans settling her chin so she could look at him. Hiccup glances down at the map he had been trying to keep secured and tries to read his scribbles through the wind.

"If my calculations are correct, not even close," Hiccup responds, "We'll probably be flying well through the rest of the night."

"Uuughhh what a nuiscance! Why can't everythin' be easy?" Merida sighs .

"You're telling me," Hiccup snickles, "You can go ahead and sleep if you want."

"No way!" Merida scoffs, "Wha' if I dose off and you throw me into the water? Wha' will I do then?"

"After all this you really think I'd drop you into the ocean?" Hiccup starts to laugh.

"It's no' funny!" Merida growls at him, "I'm genuinely concerned."

Hiccup gives her a sly look. If she was that concerned and tired, maybe he ought to do something to wake her up and get rid of her fear. Hiccup kicks ChiChi's side and she lets out a screech. With Hiccup's guidance, ChiChi dives downward close to the water. Merida screams and wraps her arms completely around his waist and leans all of her body weight on him. He gently guides ChiChi into a corkscrew so close to the water that the ends of Merida's hair dip into the water. As they level out, Hiccup takes them high enough to avoid the mist of the ocean.

"Yer such a showoff!" Merida complains, letting her breathing go back to normal.

"But you're still here right?" Hiccup says, "I didn't throw you off."

"well no but-"

Hiccup says without turning back to her, "By now I'm used to being alone. I can't promise you I won't screw up. But I can promise I'll get back up to save you."

Hiccup feels Merida's grip relax again her hair once again beginning to tickle his neck. She takes a deep breathe and nods.

"Being alone isn't always the worst thing in the world," Merida shrugs, "But I can't promise you I wont feed ye to the herds if ye screw up, got it?"

"That's comforting," Hiccup chuckles, "We're in this together now. I can't trust anybody else."

"How do you know you can trust me?" Merida yawns again, settling in.

Hiccup takes a deep breathe and exhales, "If you don't let go, you won't fall."

"Ye didn't answer ma question," Merida rolls her eyes.

"I did. I never let go until someone lets go of me. If you don't let go, I won't let go." Hiccup says gently. He hangs his head, remembering everyone that have given up on him. Remembering everyone that told him they'd be there for him. Where were they now? They were either dead or betrayed him. Some life he was living.

"Then I won't let go," Merida says softly, slowly fading into sleep. Hiccup felt the pain in his chest. Those words pierced him. Nobody has ever been who he thought they were. Everything anyone has ever told him as been lies. It was heavy on his heart, and he finds himself flying through the air with tears welling up in his eyes. He takes another breathe and lets a single tear stream down his face. ChiChi sways gently, as if trying to rock away his sadness. Hiccup smiles gently.

After flying for about a half hour, he starts to hear something hum. It was subtle, but enough to catch his attention through his drowsiness. He tries to look around without moving Merida who was still fast asleep. Below them, the ocean waves are steady and above them the sky is quiet. Hiccup squints, trying to see anything out of the ordinary.

La la la... la la... la... ooooh... Hiccup hears, a melody beginning to form.

"Merida?" Hiccup says quietly, wondering if she had been singing. He is met with a prompt snore. He is starting to get concerned. There is an added breeze and with it comes the melody louder.

La la la... la la.. la.. ooh ooooooh... Hiccup's heart rate picks up.

"ChiChi, do you see anything?" Hiccup asks. ChiChi narrows her eyes and looks around, but Hiccup can tell she sees nothing. The only light was coming from the stars and the moonlight. There was nothing else in sight but water.

La la la... la la.. la... oooh weeeeeee... Hiccup hears and he whispers "What are you trying to tell me?"

He feels something tingling on his arm and he looks down to see the tips of Merida's fingers exuding some kind of gold flare. He raises his eyebrow and looks up to see something in the distance heading towards them.

"ChiChi?" Hiccup says, but the light he sees fades. The light yellow glow returns, but it was getting closer. The light dims once more as if fading in a rhythm. ChiChi seems unphased by it all, as if she doesn't notice the light. Hiccup blinks a couple times, the light not coming back. The wind is silent and the melody gone.

In the blink of an eye the golden light reappears for a split second and Hiccup jumps, the body and face of the Golden Dragon appearing before him. Just as quickly as he sees it, the Golden dragon disappears. He looks down and the glow from Merida is gone. His heart is beating at the speed of light and he finds himself clutching the saddle to ease his dizziness. ChiChi lets out a grunt, Hiccup's jump startling her. Hiccup holds his chest, and stabilizes ChiChi. He looks around, but everything is back to normal as if nothing happened. Merida rustles behind him, but once again lets out a snore. Hiccup is trying to tame his breathing but he had been scared out of his wits.

He couldn't have seen the Golden Dragon, could he? She was dead. The egg was still in the hands of Ardus and Astrid. It was impossible for the Golden Dragon to still be alive. And why was Merida's hand glowing? Hiccup carefully places his hand on top of hers, gently running his fingers over her palm. They were still soft and neatly kept, despite the amount of time she spends carving arrows, hunting, and cooking. He is starting to think that he was suffering from fatigue. Yes, that is all. He just needs adequate sleep and fresh water. Unfortunately, he would just have to suffer through his hallucinations for a little while longer. Just to make sure, he leaves his hand entangled in hers, feeling just a tad safer than he did before.

Ardus flies higher and faster on Astrid's Nadder. He had to leave in the dead of night if he wanted a chance to avoid being seen. It was a step down from his boneknapper, but this was his best option. Ardus needed to get someplace fast. The cave where he had hidden the golden egg was not horrendously far from Dunbroch, but far enough that he needed to optimize his time. There was something he wanted to try. Knowing full well the extent of the egg's power, he was curious to see if he could find Merida without the use of the useless son of Macintosh. For a war hero, the kid was afraid. Stumbling over his words, running into things, tripping over air... it wasn't the same kid the villagers of Dunbroch had told him about.

Stormfly grazes the water, keeping low. Ardus knows they are getting close. Stormfly's gaze starts to wander and is being drawn to the egg. Ardus releases his grip on the reigns and lets Stormfly naturally lead him to the egg. The cave blended in with a small island of rock. But, of course, all of it was a cover. The egg has natural defense systems and masks whatever area is around it. Ardus knows exactly where to go. Stormfly spots a flat surface of volcanic rock. Ardus slips off Stormfly's back and begins the hike. He avoids sharp edges and is sure to dodge any humps in the ground.

He eventually comes to a large mountain, but the picture was hazy. It looks as if heat is radiating from the ground and causing the wall to shift and swirl. Ardus smiles and walks through the rock to the other side. The cave is brightly lit and the egg sits in a nest of twigs that Ardus had built himself. Stormfly waits outside, but Ardus presses forward. He first checks the egg for damage or anything that might entail someone has found it. Without a trace of manipulation, Ardus sits cross-legged and picks the egg up, marveling at it's glory.

"All right little buddy," Ardus soothes the egg, "Show me where she is. Help me find Merida, Princess of DunBroch."

The egg starts to radiate heat and Ardus closes his eyes. As soon as he does, he is transported into a dark place. It was a place full of darkness. He looks down and the egg is gone. He gasps and looks around but can see nothing. It was if he has been transported into a black hole. He centers his focus on an image that appears out of nowhere. Merida stands before him. The scene around him shifts and they are in a meadow. There is a tree unlike anything he has ever seen. It was grandiose and the leaves are tinted with gold. On top of everything else, the leaves were on fire. There is a trail of blue balls of fire in the middle of the river leading up to the base of the tree. Merida is watching them, looking as if she's about to step onto the water to follow them.

Ardus lets out a breathe and Merida whips around. She narrows her eyes and pulls out a sword from mid-air.

"You! You dirty little rat!" Merida shouts inching towards him. Ardus gets it now. This was a dream. This was her dream. Ardus is silently fuming. How could the egg do this to him? He was supposed to be finding her, not tormenting her dreams. However, if this was a dream, Merida won't know the difference. He could trick her into telling him where she is.

"What, surprised to see me?" Ardus laughs, "I'm coming for you."

"So come and get me," Merida narrows her eyes, "Ye don't think I can handle you? Well I can! and yer gonna be sorry!"

"Don't worry, we'll see each other soon enough," Ardus says inching closer. He was starting to wonder if she'd actually be able to injure him. He still wasn't fully versed in the egg's full power.

"Stay back or I'll slit your throat and feed ye to tha' kraken!" Merida states, aiming her sword at his chest.

"What's with all of you and the kraken?" Ardus laughs, "Ever heard of a myth? It doesn't matter. I've already beat you to where you're trying to go."

"Wha'?" Merida stops, "That's impossible! We just left!"

"We? So I'll be expecting a whole crew then," Ardus makes a fist, "We'll be ready to take you down."

"The clan won't let you! They'll rip you to shreds before ya can get to me!" Merida says, her sword starting to glow a golden hue. Ardus raises his eyebrow and squints to see the sword. He couldn't make out what was happening. Then again, this was Merida's dream. But this one seems more realistic, more prophetic.

"Which clan? Say their name!" Ardus scowls, "Say their name so they can hear your alliance!"

Merida opens her mouth to say the words but the sword ignites. A burst of wind whips through them, and Ardus falls to the ground. He gasps, watching as a golden haze flows around her, encasing her in a circle. The blue balls of fire behind her combine and he watches in horror as they form the figure of a gold dragon with scales lining it's long body. It's wings are like angels, but sharp as needles. It has one long whisker on each side and it has small arms and legs. It slithers up behind Merida, and she doesn't even flinch.

"No," Ardus whispers, "It can't be!"

Smoke escapes the dragon's nose and it lets out a mighty roar.

"No!" Ardus shouts as the dragon's wings begin to flap and the dragon launches itself over Merida straight towards him.

"No!" Ardus screams once more as the dragon closes in, inches from his face with it's mouth wide open and getting ready to let loose a stream of fire.

As soon as the fire escapes the dragon's mouth, Ardus is zapped back to reality. In his fear, he almost drops the golden egg. He quickly places the egg down and backs up as far as possible.

"It can't be! The golden dragon is dead!" Ardus says punching the side of the cave. Ardus angrily paces back and forth running his hands through his hair.

"How is this possible? The dragon protected her? In a dream? It's impossible. Absolutely impossible!" Ardus shakes his head, "Forget taking the Princess alive. As soon as I get my hands on her, she's dead."

NOTE: I am... so sorry... I literally have not touched this story in a year. That was never my intention. Yes this story is still being updated. A HUGE thank you to my readers for all of the follows on this story! I rarely check the stats and was completely taken aback by the response to this story. I am so glad you enjoy and I hope you continue to enjoy it.

~JayJayBird 3