Courageous Journey 2
Scotland...
The quiet of the Scottish moors was broken by the sound of hoof-beats. Racing across the ground, a large Clydesdale thundered past trees and bushes, enjoying the run just as much as it's rider was. Seated in the saddle, Merida, Princess of DunBroch, was out enjoying the day. It was one of those rare days where the weather was comfortable and the sun was shining with minimum mist and clouds. The perfect day to ride. Of course, it wasn't just the beautiful day that was on the Highland Princess's mind. Her mind was also on the friends she had made months ago. Hiccup and the Dragon Riders, as well as Elsa, the Queen of Arendelle. They had arrived in the Highlands several months ago, Elsa searching for her missing sister Anna, and the Dragon Riders to apprehend a man named Dagur, who had been laying siege to Castle DunBroch. This had led to a confrontation with an evil sorcerer named Morwen, along with his resurrected mistress, Lady Morianna. Merida and the others had managed to defeat the duo and had rid the land of a great evil.
Of course, not only had Merida become good friends with Elsa and the others, she and the Queen of Arendelle had grown much closer and had fallen in love. She had never imagined such a thing possible, but there was no denying her feelings. Even after Elsa had returned to Arendelle, the two royals had kept in touch via letters. One day Merida hoped to visit Elsa in Arendelle, and perhaps go to Berk to see Hiccup as well as the various dragons that lived there. Someday...
Merida was suddenly jolted from her thoughts as her horse, Angus, jumped over a fallen log and landed back on the ground.
"Whoa! Steady on there, Angus," Merida said. "Perhaps we should get out of the woods for a while."
She steered her horse towards the border of the woods and soon she found herself out in a wide open space with hills and fields.
"Now this is more like it," she said. Then she frowned. "Odd. I don't think I've ever been out this way before."
She continued riding on, wondering just how far from Castle DunBroch she was. Soon she noticed some of the hills led to cliffs and she could hear the sound of waves.
"We must be near the coast," Merida surmised.
She scanned the immediate area when something caught her eye. Something on one of the distant cliffs. She couldn't quite make out what it was from her current position and decided to go investigate it. She steered Angus towards the spot and before long, she reached the spot and the object came into view.
"What the," Merida gasped as she finally got a good look at the object.
She dismounted and made her way over towards it. It was a stone pedestal, about as tall as her. And sitting on top of the pedestal was a statue. A statue of a dragon. And not just any dragon either.
"Toothless," Merida whispered, her gaze wandering over the statue.
Indeed it did resemble the Night Fury. Oddly enough, however, rather than being carved from dark stone as one would expect, the statue itself was white. Merida studied the statue, wondering what sort of material it was made from. She reached out and placed her hand on the statue, only to immediately draw it back. The statue was cold to the touch! In fact, it was freezing. Merida peered closer at the statue and it suddenly dawned on her. The statue was made of ice!
"A statue made of ice," King Fergus said.
"Aye. And it looked like Toothless," Merida replied.
She was back at Castle DunBroch, seated at the dinner table with her parents and having related her unusual find.
"How odd," Queen Elinor remarked. "What would a statue of Toothless be doing way out on the cliffs? And made of ice no less. How would that even be possible? By all accounts it should have melted. It's currently not cold enough for something made of ice to remain intact. Winter time, perhaps, but not this time of year."
"That's what I thought, too, mum," Merida said. "All I can surmise is it must be magic."
"You think Elsa may have made that statue," Fergus asked.
"Who else could have," Merida said. "But I can't figure out when or even why. There was never a moment when she could have gone way out there. Nor would she even have a reason to. And if she had, why didn't she tell anyone?"
"Was there anything else about the statue that seemed unusual," Elinor asked,
"Well, I did notice some writing on the base of the pedestal," Merida said. "Although I couldn't read it. It was in some language I didn't recognize."
"Hmm. The mystery deepens," Fergus mused. "Ice statues in the middle of nowhere, strange writing, and no idea what they pertain to. So the question now is: Where do we get our answers?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure that statue has to be made of enchanted ice," Merida said. "And Elsa is the only one I know who has ice magic. Even if she didn't make the statue, maybe she might be able to figure out who did and why."
"Merida, I doubt Elsa can just drop everything she's doing and come here," Elinor said. "Remember, she's a Queen and has a whole kingdom to run."
"Well, then, I think there's only one recourse," Fergus spoke up. "Perhaps the lass can go to Arendelle herself and show Elsa the statue."
"Me? Go to Arendelle," Merida gasped. "Really, da?"
"Why not? You've been wanting to go see Elsa and her homeland," Fergus said. "Seems like this might be the perfect opportunity to do so."
"Oh, could I, mum," Merida pleaded. "Please?"
"Well, it seems rather sudden," Elinor said.
"I'll send a letter to Elsa letting her know," Merida said. "I won't just drop in on her unexpectedly. Besides, it will probably take a few days to get that statue moved and prepared to ship to Arendelle, so it's not like I'll be setting sail first thing in the morning."
"Let her go, Elinor," Fergus said. "It would mean a lot to the lass."
"Oh, very well," Elinor relented, though she was smiling. "I know how much you miss Elsa. Best get that letter written and sent then."
Merida got up from the table, taking a moment to hug and kiss both her parents before hurrying off to her room to write to Elsa.
"Haven't seen her that excited for a while now," Fergus remarked.
"Do you think it's a good idea sending her off by herself," Elinor asked.
"Elinor, she's not a little girl anymore," Fergus said. "We have to let her grow and experience new things. Traveling to Arendelle will do her some good. A chance to experience a new culture. Besides, you know how much she cares about Elsa."
"Aye, I know," Elinor said. "I still don't know how they expect to make things work between them though. But, I won't stand between them. My daughter's happiness matters to me. And you're right. A little travel just might do her some good, too."
"Well, then, first thing to do in the morning is find that statue and get it moved, here," Fergus said. "Then get it prepared to ship out. I'm rather curious to see this ice statue myself."
"I still wonder how it even got there," Elinor said. "Who made it? And why?"
"Hopefully Elsa will be able to provide those answers," Fergus replied.
One week later...
"Alright, easy now," Fergus called out as the large crate was loaded onto the ship. "That cargo is a gift for the Queen of Arendelle and quite fragile."
Merida stood next to her father, watching as several men loaded the crate which held the mysterious statue. A week had passed since the statue had been found, and in that time it had been prepared and packed for shipment. In that time, Merida had received a reply from Elsa to let her know she had received her letter and was eagerly awaiting her arrival. Her father had then secured passage to Arendelle and now, here she was, ready to set sail for parts unknown, nervous to be leaving home for the first time, but also excited.
"I wonder if this is how Elsa felt when she left Arendelle to find Anna," she thought.
"Well, lass, that about does it," Fergus said as the crate was secured. "The ship's ready to set sail. Are you ready to head out?"
"Aye, da," Merida replied. "I'm a wee bit nervous, but I'm also excited."
"Take care of yourself, Merida," Elinor said, hugging her daughter. "Be sure to write and let us know how you're doing."
"And above all, have a good time," Fergus said. "And give our regards to Elsa and Anna."
"I will, da," Merida said, hugging her father. Then she hefted her travel pack onto her shoulder. "Well, I'd best be on my way. I'll see you both when I get back."
Turning, Merida boarded the boat just as the captain called for all passengers to board. As the boat cast off and began moving away from the dock, Merida stood at the railing, waving goodbye to her parents. After they were out of sight, Merida went below decks to her designated room and settled in for the voyage.
3 days later...
Merida stood on the deck, watching as the ship sailed in closer to Arendelle. The sight of it took the Highland Princess's breath away. It was even more beautiful then she had imagined. Sparkling blue water, lush green hills, snow-capped mountains, and settled in the middle of it was the town itself, and the palace, right at the threshold of the docks. Before long, the ship was pulled in to the dock, and the gangplank was lowered. Merida grabbed her belongings and descended down the plank and onto the dock. She stood there a moment, taking a deep breath of the warm Spring time air. She then turned back to the ship as the crew began unloading the ship. Soon the crate containing the ice statue was unloaded and placed in a large cart. Merida thanked the crew and then turned her attention to the cart, realizing she would probably need some help pulling it.
"Merida! Hey, Merida!"
Merida turned to see who was calling her and saw a familiar face making her way through the crowd towards her.
"Anna," Merida called back, moving forward to meet her.
Anna embraced Merida then stood back. "It's good to see you again. Welcome to Arendelle."
"It's good to see you, too, lass," Merida replied.
She took a moment to study Anna. She seemed to be in high spirits, and Merida felt a sense of relief. The last time she had seen Anna, she had been dealing with the discovery of her newfound magic and the accidental burning of Morwen which had left Anna traumatized. Merida hoped that Anna had come to terms with her magic and hopefully had a handle on it.
"Everything okay," Anna asked, noticing Merida's scrutiny.
"Oh, it's nothing," Merida said. "I have to say, your kingdom is beautiful." She glanced around the crowd. "Where's Elsa? I thought she'd be here to greet me."
"Believe me, she wanted to be here," Anna explained. "But she had to meet with a visiting dignitary. And seeing as she's the Queen, she couldn't exactly blow him off. So she asked me to meet you here and bring you to the castle."
"I understand," Merida said, recalling her mother's words a week earlier. "Anyway, I'm glad you are here. I could use a wee bit of help with this cart."
Anna glanced over at the cart containing the crate. "So that's the item you were bringing? Elsa told me you'd mentioned in your letter about finding something that might interest her."
"Aye. You'll see soon enough," Merida said. "For now though, we'd best be on our way."
"Right," Anna said. "You take one side, I'll take the other."
Both girls took hold of the handles on the cart and began pulling it towards the castle gates. Before long, they had entered the courtyard and were steadily plodding along to the castle's doors.
"Where should we put this," Merida asked.
"We can park it over there," Anna said, motioning towards the stables. "It should be fine there. I take it you'll want to wait for Elsa before opening it, right?"
"Aye," Merida replied. "I think it's best if both of you see it."
Just as they were parking the cart near the stables, a young man with blonde hair emerged from within.
"Hey, Anna," he greeted them. "Who's this? And what's with the cart?"
"Hey, Kristoff," Anna replied. "I'd like you to meet Merida, Princess of Clan DunBroch."
"Merida," Kristoff said. "The Merida? The one you met months ago?"
"The very same," Merida replied, shaking his hand. "And you're Kristoff. Anna told me about you. It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Kristoff said. "Anna told me all about what happened in Scotland. You guys really took on some ancient sorceress?"
"Aye, that we did," Merida said. "Something I'll remember to my dying day."
"So what's in the crate," Kristoff asked, motioning to the large box.
"Actually, I don't know," Anna said. "Merida's the only one who knows, but she's not saying just yet. We'll find out later. I take it Elsa is still in her diplomatic meeting?"
"Actually, the dignitary just left," Kristoff said. "I saw him leaving just a few minutes ago. So that means Elsa should be free now."
"Well, then, lets go see her," Anna said.
Merida was more than happy to comply with that suggestion. The trio entered the castle and made their way into the main hallway. Merida took in her surroundings, marveling at the beauty of the palace. It was a stark contrast from the more rustic design of her own castle.
"Merida! You're here!"
Merida turned her attention to the staircase to see Elsa descending the stairs towards them. The Queen of Arendelle was just as beautiful as she remembered and Merida felt her heart flutter at the sight of the woman she loved. Elsa immediately embraced Merida, holding her close, both women savoring their reunion.
"It's so good to see you again," Elsa said, smiling warmly at Merida. "I'm so glad you're here. I trust your voyage here went alright?"
"Aye, it did," Merida said. "And my parents send their regards, by the way."
"I'm glad they're doing alright," Elsa said. "And I see you met Kristoff."
"That I did," Merida replied. "But if I'm not mistaken, there's someone else that lives here that I need to meet."
"Ah, yes," Elsa said. "That would be Olaf. He's around here somewhere. I'm sure you'll meet him soon enough. But in the meantime, I imagine you're tired from your journey. Lets go get you settled in."
"Oh, what about the item I brought with me," Merida said. "Do you want to have a look at it?"
"That can wait until later," Elsa said. "You just got here and I'd like the chance to catch up with you first."
"Well, alright," Merida agreed. "I guess it can wait a bit longer."
"Well, if you'll just follow me, I'll show you to your room," Elsa said, gesturing towards the stairs.
The two women made their way up the stairs, leaving Anna and Kristoff alone.
"She seems pretty nice," Kristoff remarked.
"Yeah, she is," Anna said, her gaze lingering on the stairs. "I'm glad she decided to visit us. I know Elsa's been missing her all these months."
Kristoff frowned. "Anna, is there something about Elsa and Merida I need to know about? It almost seems like Elsa was especially happy to see her. And what you said just now..."
"Lets just say Merida means a lot to Elsa," Anna replied. "Besides me, she's the only other person Elsa has opened her heart to."
Upstairs, Elsa showed Merida to a guest room, which, as she pointed out, was just down the hall from her own room. Merida entered the room and gazed around at it.
"I trust this will be alright," Elsa asked.
"It's perfect, Elsa, thank you," Merida said.
She turned around, only to find Elsa embracing her and kissing her. She was momentarily surprised by this but then relaxed and kissed her back, feeling her heart beat furiously with emotion.
"I really missed you, Merida," Elsa said, pulling back from the kiss, her face flushed slightly from the rush of passion.
"I've missed you, too, Elsa," Merida replied, caressing her face. "You have no idea how excited I was to come here."
"I can imagine," Elsa said. "Truth be told, when I got your letter, I began counting down the days when you would arrive. Sorry I wasn't there to meet you, by the way."
"It's alright, lass," Merida said. "Your sister explained everything. Believe me, I understand about royal duties all to well."
Elsa sat down on the bed, motioning for Merida to join her. The Highland Princess sat next to her, resting her head on Elsa's shoulder, savoring the moment with her.
"So, here we are," Elsa said. "Last time we had a moment like this, it was in your room."
"I remember that night well," Merida sighed blissfully. "It's a night I'll never forget."
"Same here," Elsa said. "I really am glad you came to visit, Merida. How long are you planning on staying?"
"I'm not sure," Merida replied. "I was thinking perhaps a week or two."
"You're welcome to stay as long as you want," Elsa said.
"Would that I could stay for so long," Merida said. "But I do have to return home eventually."
"I know," Elsa said. "So lets make the most of the time you're here."
"Aye. That sounds good," Merida said. "By the way, have you heard from Hiccup lately?"
"I received a letter from him a three weeks ago," Elsa said. "From what I read, apparently he and his friends are dealing with some dragon hunters."
"Dagur," Merida asked.
"No. Someone named Viggo, I believe," Elsa replied. "Actually, Hiccup hasn't said anything in regards to Dagur. Maybe these dragon hunters are even worse than him."
"It's hard to imagine someone worse than him," Merida said. "I just hope Hiccup and the others are doing okay."
"Me, too," Elsa said. "From what Hiccup wrote in his letter, it sounds like he and the other Dragon Riders have really had their hands full with these dragon hunters."
"Speaking of which, that item I brought with me," Merida said. "It may very well pertain to Hiccup and the others."
"Really," Elsa said. She fell silent for a moment in thought and then stood up. "I know I said it can wait, but maybe you should show me what you brought."
"Aye. I think that might be a good idea," Merida said. "And believe me, you're going to be surprised when you see it."
End of Chapter One...
