(Starring characters from How to Train Your Dragon, Brave, and The Dragon Prince)

Callum pushed the pencil across the table. Hiccup caught it with his finger and pushed it back. Callum caught it, and pushed back to him. This little, mind-numbing game went on for a few minutes before Hiccup's father, Stoick, picked up the pencil.

"Dad!" blurted Hiccup as both boys finally brought their heads up from the table.

"They'll be here any second now," said Stoick.

Callum sat back in his chair and groaned. "Why do we have to be here?"

Callum's stepfather, King Harrow, stepped behind his chair and crossed his arms. "Because you are the eldest."

"And Hiccup is going to be the new chief when he's older," said Stoick. "He needs to get used to this." Both boys groaned.

"But they're taking forever to get here!" blurted Callum.

"Can we at least do something while we wait?" said Hiccup. "Promise we'll pay attention when they get here."

"Ah, your son already has the makings of a diplomat, Stoick. But that should be no surprise considering how he's taken care of your dragon problem," said Harrow, impressed with Hiccup's simple request.

Hiccup glanced at him and blinked. "Huh?"

Stoick shrugged. "I guess so." He glanced between the two boys before looking at Harrow. "Alright, I think we can let them do something else while they wait. What did you have in mind?"

"Drawing!" the boys said in unison.

Harrow laughed as he went to another table and grabbed a few sheets of paper and a pencil. "Go figure."

Stoick shrugged as he placed the pencil he picked up back on the table. "Hey, it is was got us actually into talking. Looks like your son has the makings of a diplomat as well."

Harrow nodded as he patted Callum's shoulder. "So it would seem. Guess they're already off to a good start."

"So then, we really didn't have to come?" asked Callum, a little too hopefully.

Both men glanced at him as his stepfather answered. "Oh, you still had to come."

The boys groaned, but in the next minute their attention was on drawing. Both of them had worked hard on fine-tuning their art skills, and it had helped to form their friendship, and eventually an alliance between Berk and Katolis. They were so focused on their art that they didn't hear the whispered conference between Harrow and Stoick nor saw them leave the room.

They kept at their drawing, Callum on a picture of his mother while Hiccup was drawing out Toothless. He had told Callum a lot about his new dragon friend, but hadn't been able to show him. Toothless wasn't allowed on this trip, Stoick thought it best not to bring a dragon along to a meeting with Scots. He warned that they could take any slight annoyance or aggression as an act of war. Harrow, having had more experience dealing with the elves on the border of his kingdom, decided to leave it to Stoick's expertise on the matter and let him lead this peace treaty, which was Harrow's idea to combine as many countries as possible to fight the elves if the time ever came. If the elves decided to join the alliance as well, Harrow was more than willing to let them. But for now, they were wanting to be prepared in case the elves decided to go to war instead. Harrow was glad that Berk had its own dragons, that would give them a much needed hand in a battle.

Hiccup finished his drawing first. "Hey Callum, this is what Toothless looks like." He picked it up and showed his friend.

Callum's eyes widened. "Whoa! He looks amazing!" He grinned at Hiccup. "I still can't believe you have your own dragon!" He leaned forward on the table. "What's it like flying him?"

Hiccup's face brightened as his eyes took on a faraway look. "Like freedom. No one can tell me how far I can or can't go, or how high, or, well . . . like you're free. That's the best way to describe it. I'm going to have to show you."

Callum grinned. "I would totally like that."

"So, you have a dragon, huh?"

The boys yelped and jumped out of their chairs. They looked at the end of the table and saw a girl their age with fiery orange curls running wild past her shoulders, sky blue eyes, and was wearing an aqua dress. She looked uncomfortable in the dress, but Hiccup couldn't help but think that she looked cute, even if she was glaring at them like Astrid would have.

Callum was trying to hide behind Hiccup, but plucked up enough courage to say, "Who, who are you?"

She went from having her hands on her hips to having them crossed. "I'm Merida DunBroch, my parents are King Fergus and Queen Eleanor. Who are you?" she said in a thick Scottish accent.

Hiccup quickly introduced the two of them. "So, you're a Scot."

"Well duh," said Merida with a roll of her eyes. "Whatever gave it away?"

Callum chuckled nervously. "That, that was a good one."

"Ugh." She threw up her arms. "Why did I have to come? Now I'm stuck with a couple of wee lambs!"

"Your parents forced you to come too?" blurted Callum.

Merida glanced between the two. "Your dad forced you too?"

They nodded, but Hiccup noticed that the men weren't in the room. "Yeah," he said, "but they're not here. I wonder where they went?"

Merida shrugged. "There were two guys outside who suggested I come in here and that they go talk somewhere else."

Hiccup and Callum blinked and glanced at each other in surprise. What was going on?

"Why would they do that? Dad said we had to come to learn about diplomacy!" blurted Callum.

Hiccup groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. "If we just wasted time on this . . . I could be flying with Toothless right now!"

Merida seemed to relax a bit at that and came closer towards the boys. "Speaking of, how did you get this dragon?"

Hiccup grinned and told her the whole story of how he captured Toothless and how they eventually became good friends. The three sat back down at the table during Hiccup's story and he showed Merida his picture of Toothless.

She glanced over it with wonder. "Wow, he's a beauty! And you're pretty good at art."

Hiccup blushed slightly. "Uh, um, thanks!"

She noticed Callum's piece and pulled it closer for a better look at it. "And who's this?"

Callum smiled sadly. "My mom." There was a moment's pause as he took a deep breath before launching into the story of how he lost his mother and why this alliance was being created. Merida sat and listened, letting him tell his tale without interruption.

She spoke when he was finished. "I'm sorry about your mother."

"Um, thanks."

"So, what about you?" said Hiccup. "What's your story?"

Merida laughed. "You wouldn't believe me."

"Try us," said Callum.

She let out a huff. "Alright then, here goes." She told about how she was trying to change some traditions, primarily involving her marriage to one of the other three Scottish tribes's sons. But their mouths dropped when she talked about how her mother got turned into a bear and how they reversed the spell.

"What?" blurted Callum at the end of it.

Merida huffed. "Told you you wouldn't believe me."

"Oh I believe you," said Hiccup quickly, "but I'm still trying to wrap my head around the notion that there's a witch who can turn people into bears, and only bears. Or that there's even a witch!"

"You're telling me!" said Merida.

"But, it helped you make the changes you needed to make," said Hiccup. A big smile grew on his face. "That's something the dragons helped us to do."

Merida nodded, smiling. "So I could tell from your story." She glanced at Callum. "If your father open to cooperation with the elves?"

Callum nodded. "If they decide to cooperate and agree to peace, but we want the alliance in place just in case we need aid in a war, which I really hope won't happen." He turned to Hiccup and grinned. "But, having the dragons of Berk as allies can really come in handy."

Hiccup grinned back. "Definitely."

Merida glanced between them. "Are you two really good friends?"

They nodded and told her how they became friends through their art. They offered Merida a piece of paper and a pencil to draw something.

She waved her hand. "Oh, I'm nowhere near as good as either of you."

"Don't you draw at all?" asked Callum.

"Only when I'm bored during school."

Hiccup and Callum laughed. "So do we!"

Hiccup pushed the paper towards her. "Come on, just something simple, please?"

She let out a huff. "Oh, alright." She took the pencil and the paper and began to draw. She drew a pretty simple picture of a bird with Celtic designs swirling within the outline of the bird.

"Hey, that's pretty good!" said Callum.

"Nice design," said Hiccup, nodding with approval.

"Thanks, it's a design I carved on my bow."

"Your bow?" the boys asked.

Merida grinned. "I like archery. I like sword-fighting too, but archery is my favorite."

Callum leaned in closer. "Could you teach me sword-fighting? I'm no good at it, and I don't think my sword teacher has the patience for it anymore."

Hiccup glanced at Callum in surprise. "Soren, not have any patience? I don't think there's much that could phase that guy!"

Callum grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, well, he does get tired of things after a while."

"Nah, it's more like he's not the greatest of teachers. That, or you're just so bad there's no hope for you."

Callum glared at Hiccup. "Hey!" Merida burst out guffawing.

"If there's no hope for you, then there's no way I could teach you either!"

A loud shout startled them.

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Has something gone wrong with the meeting?"

"There shouldn't have, unless my parents didn't like something in the treaty," said Merida, rising from the chair. "Come on, let's find out!" She led the boys out of the room and into another room on the right. The three paused at the scene, there was more than just the three leaders of the respective countries, but a woman and three other men as well, along with a few more Scots.

"Lord Dingwall, they actually allowed Eleanor and Merida to come, they practically requested it!" Fergus was saying, trying to calm down the red-faced Scotsman.

"But an alliance, with Vikings? Come on Fergus, you should know better than that! Eleanor, talk some sense into him!"

Eleanor strode up to Lord Dingwall and looked him in the eye. "It was I who suggested that we agree to the meeting, Lord Dingwall. Besides, it's not like we're forming an alliance with all Vikings, just this tribe."

Stoick nodded. "That's right, there are some Vikings tribes that even we are enemies with. We have made alliances with a couple, but I have no authority to speak on their behalf at this meeting."

"Though we do hope they will join this alliance," said Harrow. Stoick nodded.

Lord Dingwall glared at them. "And how do we know you won't betray us!"

"If we do, though that was never our intent, you have the authority to side with our enemies and fight us," said Harrow.

"What?" blurted Callum. The adults turned and saw the three teens.

"Ah, how kind of you to join us." Stoick glanced at Dingwall. "Though, it's a bit of a bad time."

"They will have to learn how to navigate through these bad times, Stoick."

"Quite true. Come, have a seat."

Dingwall scoffed. "And two new contenders for the princess's hand, I suppose?"

The boys blinked and glanced at each other before looking at Dingwall incredulously. "What?"

But that statement seemed to make Merida mad. "Lord Dingwall, they have not presented themselves as possible suitors, only as friends. Please don't jump to conclusions."

"Hmmph," said Dingwall as he crossed his arms.

"And if they do decide to present themselves as possible suitors for Merida," said Eleanor, "we will not turn them away. Merida still has time to make her choice."

Dingwall grumbled something, but said nothing else.

Harrow turned to Eleanor and Fergus. "Then, do we have an alliance?"

"But how can we be sure we can trust them?" said another man.

"Lord MacIntosh," said Merida, "did you trust my father at first before he came to help you?"

MacIntosh, Dingwall, and the third man, Lord MacGuffin, stared at Merida in shock. "No," they managed to say slowly.

"But you gave him a chance to prove himself, and he has. Will you not now allow these two to prove themselves?"

The three huddled and had a quick conference before looking directly at Harrow and Stoick. "Fine," said Dingwall, "we'll give you a chance too."

Harrow held out his hand and shook hands with each of them, including Eleanor. "Thank you, I will not let you down."

"You'd better not, "said MacIntosh with a sniff.

"Neither will I," said Stoick as he too shook hands.

"You especially," said MacGuffin, "we're going to keep a close eye on you."

"I wouldn't expect any less," said Stoick with a little more cheer in his voice.

"Well, is that it? Can we go now? I want to get some practice in before we leave."

"Merida!" blurted Eleanor. "You're supposed to be learning about diplomacy!"

Fergus chuckled. "Let them have some fun, Eleanor, we are almost done with this meeting."

Harrow grinned at them. "Besides, I think the three have already done all the diplomacy they can do at this time. It's why we suggested Merida join Hiccup and Callum, so the two of them would get to know each other and practice diplomacy, if you will, on each other. I think it seems to be working out rather well, don't you think?"

The teens's mouths dropped open. "What?"

"Your lesson is done for the day, you may go play now," said Stoick with a grin and a wink.

Merida recovered first. "Fine, bye!" She turned and walked out the door, heading towards the yard.

"Talk to you later!" said Hiccup before following her.

"Hey, wait for me!' said Callum as he rushed out. He came running back. "Bye!" He rushed after the other two.

Harrow chuckled. "Yes, let's go ahead and wrap this up, shall we?"

Fergus grinned. "With pleasure." The adults finished up the details of the treaty while Merida got to show off her skills, thoroughly impressing the boys.

While Merida went around on her horse, Callum nudged Hiccup.

"So, is she a competitor to Astrid now?"

Hiccup blushed slightly and stammered. "Wh-what? N-no!"

Callum grinned. "Uh-huh, yeah, sure."

"No she isn't!" said Hiccup as he pushed Callum. He crossed his arms and glanced back at Merida, her fiery curls flying in the wind and a smile that reached into her lips. "No, but I would like to get to know her."

"She seems to have more in common with you than Astrid anyway," said Callum. "And I think she's pretty cool."

"Oh, so you have a crush on her!"

Callum glared at him. "Do not! I like Claudia! You know that!" He crossed his arms and humphed.

Hiccup chuckled as he turned back to watching Merida. Callum was right though, Merida seemed to have more in common with Hiccup. She wanted to be a free spirit, like him. She would no doubt enjoy flying as much as she does riding a horse, and exploring, and, well, everything Hiccup wanted to do. Except maybe the inventing, but a lot of other things he wanted to do before becoming chief. He leaned on his knees, not realizing how softly he was smiling at her, yeah, getting to know Merida better was now on that list.