Chapter 4: The Open Road
The first rays of dawn reached Macintosh castle, only to find the grounds already abuzz with activity. Servants and workers ran this way and that, preparing the travelers for their imminent departure. Food was being packed and horses were being watered and brushed and at the center of it all stood Gobber with a bewildered look on his face.
"Gobber!" he heard a voice call, bringing his attention to the stables, "Over here!"
Following the sound of the voice, Gobber made his way over to the stables were the three young lords were waiting as grooms prepared their horses.
"Ye ready tae shove off on our next great adventure?" Will questioned as Gobber reached them, flashing a smile at the older man.
"As ready as Ah'll ever be," Gobber replied with a chuckle.
"It's a bit o' a trip, sae we'll be ridin'," Will explained, "Ah'll hae th' grooms grab ye a horse. Ane o' th' bigger anes."
"There might be a slight problem with 'at," Gobber commented with a hint of concern.
"Whit's sort o' problem is 'at?" Will questioned in confusion.
"Well, as ye know, Ah come from a rather small, forested an' rocky island," Gobber elaborated, "Are ye beginnin' tae see th' problem?"
"Ye daenae know how tae ride a horse," Will realized with a sigh, running his hand over his spoke, "Ye've ne'er had tae."
"Sae, now whit dae we dae?" Boyd questioned as a groom brought out a fourth horse, a large Clydesdale, and led it over to the group, "Ye're father gave us equipment an' supplies tae help th' village. Naene o' us hae th' room tae carry him."
"Well, 'at's a simple solution, m'lord," Maudie said as she walked up, a travel sack slung over her shoulder, "Ye find saemeane who can ride fer him."
"Maudie?" Gobber asked in confusion, "Whit are ye daein'?"
"Ah think 'at's rather obvious, isnae it?" Maudie replied as she began securing the travel sack to the horse's saddle.
"Maudie, there's nae way ye're comin' with us," Gobber stated.
"Oh?" Maudie challenged, quirking an eyebrow at Gobber, "An' why's 'at?"
"We're gaein' tae fight a dragon, Maudie," Gobber explained, "Ye're not trained fer this sort o' thin'."
"An' they are?" Maudie questioned, eyeing the three lordlings.
"Nae, but they are trained fighters with experience in battle," Gobber argued, "'At's saemethin' ye daenae hae."
"Well, 'at may be true, but Ah can dae saemethin' 'at ye cannae," Maudie replied defiantly.
"Oh?" Gobber questioned, "An' whit wud 'at be?"
"Ah can ride a bloody horse," Maudie answered as she pulled herself up onto the back of animal in question, "Now, wud ye like tae come along or are ye gaein' tae walk?"
"Maudie…." Gobber started to say.
"This is because Ah'm a woman, isnae it?" Maudie questioned pointedly.
"Whit?" Gobber questioned incredulously, "O' course it's nae because ye're a woman. Hae ye seen th' women on Berk? Ah know at least a half-dozen who cud rip me in half."
"Whit is it then?" Maudie demanded.
"Ah'm worried aboot ye, Maudie," Gobber explained with a sigh, "Despite everythin' 'at has happened an' everythin' we've come tae know, dragons, especially wild anes, are still extremely dangerous. If ye come with us, ye cud get hurt. Or worse."
"Gobber…." Maudie began to say, her anger leaving her as she looked at the worry on the blacksmith's face.
"It's nae 'at Ah daenae trust ye or daenae think ye can handle yerself or anythin' like 'at, Maudie," Gobber explained as he averted his eyes, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Ah jist daenae want tae see ye get hurt."
Maudie smiled sympathetically at Gobber.
"'at's very sweet o' ye, Gobber," Maudie said, "But th' fact o' th' matter is Ah daenae want tae see ye get hurt either. Sae, if there is anythin' Ah can dae tae help ye with all o' this, then Ah'm daein' it, whether ye like it or nae."
Gobber looked at Maudie for a moment in frustration before turning to the three young lords for assistance.
"Ah daenae know whit tae tell ye, Gob," Will said with a helpless shrug, "We need ye on a horse an' she's willin' tae carry ye. She's got us beat."
Sighing, Gobber turned back to Maudie, who looked down at him with a triumphant smile.
"Ah guess saeme o' th' princess rubbed off on ye, huh?" Gobber ventured, giving Maudie a reluctant smile.
"Ah'd like tae think sae," Maudie replied as she offered Gobber her hand, "Now, come on, Clydesdales can be tricky tae mount, especially yer first time."
Nodding, Gobber took the offered hand with his good one while hooking his other arm around the horse's back. Both Maudie and Gobber grunted as they pulled him up, ending with Gobber laying across the horse's back on his stomach. After kicking his legs a few times, Gobber managed to pull himself up into a seated position on the horse's back. Glancing around, he noticed the three lordlings snickering at him after having mounted their own horses.
"Alright," he grumbled as he settled into his position, "Now whit?"
"Now, ye shud grab hold o' saemethin'," Maudie answered, looking over her shoulder at Gobber.
Glancing around, Gobber quickly realized he had nothing to truly hang on to except for Maudie herself.
"Um…" Gobber mumbled, flexing his fingers nervously.
"Come on, Gobber, jist grab ma waist," Maudie said, giving the Viking a suggestive look from over her shoulder, causing him to blush slightly. As the three lordlings snickered some more at his expense, a determined look crossed Gobber's face before he reached out and wrapped his arms around Maudie's waste, causing her to jump slightly.
"Alright," Gobber spoke up, ignoring the flushing of his face, "Ah'm ready."
Maudie merely nodded, her face red as well, before she clicked her heels into the horse's sides, prompting it to start trotting forward, the three lordlings following suit.
"Good luck, lads!" Lord Macintosh called as he stood by the gate, which was slowly opening to allow them to pass.
"Come back safe!" Aileene pleaded from her position next to her father.
"We will," Boyd said as he rode past, causing Aileene to blush and avert her eyes.
"Daenae worry," Will added as the group rode out of the gate, "We'll be back afore ye know it!"
With that, the group exited the castle and began making their way down the road back into the village. Once they had reached the village center, they vered down another road that led them away from the village once more and towards the open fields of the country. As the village began to fade away behind them, the four horses and their riders fell into a comfortable pace, making their way down the road that wound over the hills and past empty fields, the harvest already collected for the coming winter.
As they continued, Will fell back and started riding alongside Maudie and Gobber as Boyd and Andra trotted ahead.
"Sae, how's yer first horse ride gaein', Gobber?" Will questioned with an amused grin.
"Fine, sae far," Gobber replied, "Ah haenae fallen off yet at least."
"Well, 'at is a fine start," Will said with a laugh, "Though it seems like ye've found a good place tae hold on tae."
Both Maudie and Gobber flushed with embarrassment, causing Will to chortle some more. Gobber glared at the young man for a moment before a thought came to him.
"Sae, Ah was able tae talk tae yer sister a bit afore we left," Gobber said as they rode along.
"Whit o' it?" Will questioned, arching an eyebrow at Gobber.
"Naethin', we jist chatted aboot this an' 'at," Gobber replied with a shrug, "Ah learned saeme thin's aboot her. Includin' saeme 'at went unsaid."
Pausing, Gobber smirked as he looked over at Boyd as the lordling rode in front of them, prompting Will to follow his gaze. Upon realizing what Gobber was referring to, Will let out a sigh as he rolled his eyes and shook his head, causing Gobber to chuckle.
"Ah daenae want tae talk aboot 'at," Will sighed, "Boyd is ane o' ma best friends an' Ah can honestly say Ah hae nae idea whit ma sister sees in him."
"These thin's very rarely make sense," Maudie commented, "Th' heart wants whit th' heart wants, after all."
"Ah suppose sae," Will agreed with a shrug, "Even sae, it makes me a little sick saemetimes, watchin' her blush an' giggle at him like 'at. She's ma baby sister, after all, an' he daesnae even seem tae notice."
"Ah daenae think Boyd notices much o' anythin'," Gobber commented.
"Saemetimes," Maudie added, "Other times, he's incredibly perceptive."
"Ah suppose, but Ah still daenae see th' attraction," Will stated with a shake of his head.
"Aye," Gobber agreed, before his grin grew larger, "Speakin' o' attractions…."
"Whit o' them?" Will asked dubiously.
"Ye seemed tae be pretty chummy with Ruffnut back on Berk," Gobber commented.
"Sae?" Will questioned, his defiant attitude at odds with the rosy tint of his cheeks.
"Ye fancy her, daenae ye?" Gobber asked pointedly.
Will sputtered in response as his face turned redder, earning a chortle from Gobber and a suppressed giggle from Maudie.
"Ye enjoy havin' a laugh at ma expense, eh Gob?" Will questioned, half smirking, half frowning as he recollected himself.
"Ah cud say th' same thin' aboot ye, m'lord," Gobber replied, "An' Ah I cannae help but notice ye haenae answered ma question."
"Ah mean, Ah daenae know her all 'at well," Will replied, "We anly got tae talk a little afore an' after th' battle at th' Nest. She's certainly attractive though. Ah'm surprised none o' th' lads on Berk hae scooped her up yet."
"Ah think Ruff might be a little….intense fer saeme people's tastes," Gobber said delicately.
"Aye, 'at's puttin' it lightly," Will agreed with a snort, "'At's ane o' th' thin's Ah like aboot her though. It sets her apart from all th' other girls Ah've known."
"How sae?" Gobber inquired.
"Most girls 'at Ah know around here are th' sort ma sister is," Will explained, "Demure an' quiet. Girls who'll blush if ye sae much as wink at them an' who daenae know which part o' a sword is th' business end. Ruff isnae anythin' like 'at. She's loud, brash, assertive an' there's a chance she cud kick ma arse if it ever came down tae it."
"Sounds like ye admire a lot o' traits she shares with Merida," Gobber pointed out.
"Aye, but Ruff has th' advantage o' nae basically bein' ma sister," Will argued with a scoff, before electing to explain after seeing Gobber's confused reaction, "Ah've known Merida fer literally ma entire life, ma mind wudnae let me see her like 'at even if Ah wanted tae. Daenae get me wrong, she's a great lass an' Ah can understand she's attractive on a conceptual level, but th' idea o' being with her feels….unnatural tae me."
"Ah take it all ye lads feel 'at way aboot her," Gobber said with a chuckle as he glanced at the other two lordlings riding ahead of them.
"Well….nae quite," Will replied awkwardly.
"Whit dae ye mean?" Gobber inquired.
"Well, Boyd certainly feels th' same way aboot Merida as Ah dae," Will elaborated, "In fact, Ah daenae think Ah've ever seen him show any interest in any girl. Andra, on the other hand…."
"Andra fancies th' princess?" Gobber questioned in surprise.
"Aye, or at least, he did," Will replied, doing his best to keep his voice low as he shot a glance at the young lord in question, "Andra used tae hae it bad fer Merida, though Ah'm nae sure she ever noticed. Boyd an' Ah did, o' course, but we didnae see th' harm in it. Ah mean it seemed tae us like they were probably gaein' tae end up taegether anyway."
"Why's 'at?" Gobber asked.
"Well, as Ah said, unlike Boyd an' Ah, Andra actually fancied Merida," Will explained, "In addition, also unlike us, Andra has a younger brother, sae 'at if he did marry Merida, there wud be saemeane tae take over as th' head o' th' MacGuffin clan. It seemed like a sure thin'."
"Until her parents decided tae hae her marry Hiccup instead," Gobber stated.
"Exactly," Will agreed with a nod, "Let's just say 'at Merida wasnae th' anly ane who took th' news hard."
"Daes he…." Gobber began to say uneasily.
"Resent Hiccup?" Will finished, "He did at th' beginnin', though we all did. He's definitely warmed up tae Hiccup though. He's a good lad an' at th' end o' th' day, Andra just wants Merida tae be happy."
"He deserves tae be happy as well," Maudie pointed out.
"O' course," Will agreed, "Daenae worry though, we'll find Andra a lady, just ye wait."
Gobber chuckled at that but said nothing as they continued to ride along. As Gobber watched the Highlander countryside roll by, a smile pulled at his face.
"Beautiful, isnae it?" Maudie commented as she glanced back at Gobber.
"Aye, it is," Gobber agreed with a nod, "Ma mother used tae tell me stories aboot th' Highlands an' whit they looked like. Even then, Ah daenae think Ah ever imagined 'at it'd look like this."
Maudie smiled at Gobber before following his gaze as she observed the countryside that surrounded them. As she did, she noticed something moving across the countryside.
"Hey!" Maudie called, catching the others' attentions while pointing at what she saw, "Whit's 'at!?"
Following her indication, the others looked at the thing moving across the countryside.
"Looks like saeme riders," Will stated, squinting his eyes to try and get a better look.
"Looks like they're comin' this way," Gobber added as the riders clearly began moving in their direction.
"Oh hey," Boyd spoke up as the riders drew closer, "'At's ma clan's flag."
Sure enough, as the riders drew closer, Gobber could see one of them was holding a flag that depicted what the blacksmith had come to recognize as the symbol of Clan Dingwall.
A few moments later, the riders reached them and brought their horses to a stop, the cloud of dust that was traveling in their wake washing over Gobber and the others, blinding them for a few moments. As the cloud began to clear, Gobber was first able to make out the shape of a hulking figure astride an equally large horse. As the cloud fully dissipated, Gobber was able to fully see the sort of man that had joined them.
The man was massive, taller than Gobber, making him of a height with King Fergus and Stoick the Vast. He was shirtless despite the cool weather, displaying his rippling muscles, broad shoulders, barrel chest and tanned skin. The only clothes he wore was the green and brown kilt around his waist and the heavy leather boots on his feet. A pair of swords were strapped to his back and his flesh was crisscrossed with multiple scars. He had long, black hair that he wore loose, a handsome, shaved face and brown eyes that he used to look down at the others.
The man was accompanied by a half-dozen other, albeit smaller, men. Each man was dressed in similarly colored tartan robes and one carried the flag depicting the symbol of Clan Dingwall.
As his horse pulled to a stop, the massive man quickly slipped over his horse and took a knee on the ground before them, the other men following suite.
"Ma lord," the massive man said, his voice deep and rumbling, "Yer lord father received word o' yer quest from Lord Macintosh an' sent us tae aide ye."
There was silence as the man's words faded. After a moment the man glanced up while keeping his head bowed, his eyes falling on Boyd.
"Oh," Boyd said suddenly as he blinked in surprise, "Ye're talkin' tae me."
Will slapped a hand to his face while the Dingwall men grumbled amongst themselves. Gobber even noted the big man letting out a small sigh of exasperation.
"Regardless o'….well, Boyd, it's good tae hae ye lads," Will spoke up, smirking as he eyed the big man, "Especially ye. Whit's yer name, Tiny?"
"Duncan, ma lord," the big man said, smirking slightly as he rose back to his feet.
"Well met, Duncan," Will greeted with a nod, "Ah'm Will, an' th' large ane over there is Andra."
"Ah am familiar with ye both by sight an' by reputation," Duncan replied, nodding to the two lordlings in turn.
"Ane o' th' many advantages tae nobility," Will said as he flashed Gobber and Maudie a grin, "Even total strangers know who ye are."
"Ah dae admit though 'at Ah am…." Duncan trailed off as he glanced between Maudie and Gobber, "Unfamiliar with yer compatriots."
"Right, that's rude of me," Will replied before motioning towards the two adults sharing a horse, "This is Maudie O'Dunbroch an' Gobber O'Macintosh."
"He is….ane o' yer clansmen, ma lord?" Duncan questioned as he eyed Gobber warily, putting the Viking on edge.
"He is," Will replied, noting the look as well, "A long lost cousin, in fact."
"Yer cousin is a Vikin', my lord," Duncan stated plainly.
"Aye, that's very observant of you," Gobber said, his voice cheerful and dripping with sarcasm.
"It is….a long story," Will explained, "We brought him along because o' his expertise in dragon fighting."
"Well then, Ah'm sure his….expertise will be most welcome," Duncan stated, pausing as he gave Gobber a contemptuous look before his gaze turned towards Maudie, "But tell me, fair lady, whit brings ye here and why dae ye lead this man's horse fer him?"
"Oh," Maudie replied, her face flushing as she glanced away from Duncan, "Well, ye see….th' thin' is…."
"Oh, 'at's because Gobber canae ride a horse," Boyd explained with a small chuckle, causing Will to let out a long suffering sigh.
"Is 'at sae?" Duncan questioned, quirking an eyebrow at Gobber as he spoke, "A tough Vikin' like ye needs a sweet woman like this tae ride yer horse fer ye?"
"We daenae hae much call fer horses back on Berk," Gobber explained as he narrowed his eyes at Duncan.
"An' Ah daenae care tae hae ye speak tae me in such a manner, sir," Maudie added, her expression turning cross even as her cheeks continued to flush, "Ah am nae saeme porcelain doll 'at will break at th' slightest touch."
"Ma apologies, ma fair lady," Duncan apologized while flashing a charming grin at Maudie, "Ah shud hae known 'at a woman o' th' Highlands like yerself wud be made from stronger stuff."
Maudie blush deepened at the comment while Gobber glanced between her and Duncan.
"Anyway," Will spoke up, bringing everyone's attention back to him, "Ah think 'at's enough small talk. We need tae get movin' if we want tae reach th' village by nightfall."
"O' course, ma lord," Duncan replied as he turned back to his horse and remounted it, prompting the other men to do the same, "Ah will lead th' way fer us. It's nae far from here."
Will nodded and Duncan and his men quickly wheeled their horses around and began riding back down the road, prompting the others to follow.
"Well, he's quite th' character, isnae he?" Gobber questioned with a nervous chuckle.
"He's….He's certainly charmin'," Maudie replied, not looking at Gobber as she spoke in order to hide her flushing cheeks.
"Aye," Gobber agreed, leaning backwards so that Maudie could not see his hurt expression, "'At he is."
A/N: And another long over do update. Hope you guys liked this one as well! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!