***Just a note, this story takes place in an imagined version of Scotland based on the fictitious story of Brave. Though I've done a bit of research, and places are loosely based on real places in Scotland, I do not affirm that they are in anyway accurate. I may use real names of places in some instances but they are in no way historically accurate and are written to fit this story. The same goes for any legends or myths, regarding Scotland that I may touch upon. And also dragon descriptions and abilities may differ from httyd lore. All that I've used has been modified to fit this specific story.***

Chapter Text Chapter 29

Castle Dunbroch

Hours after breakfast, Merida found herself standing outside her mother's sitting room door, reluctant to knock. Though she had joined her family for breakfast that morning, the subject of the suitors never once crossed her mother's lips, and Merida was still somewhat reluctant to bring it up herself. What resulted was a long and awkward meal, where mother and daughter refused to speak or even acknowledge the other. Merida remained silent and barely touched her food. Her mind was heavy with all of her worries, and she couldn't help but to wonder what was going through her mother's mind. Her brother's had insisted that Elinor was truly on Merida's side and had every intention of keeping her promise, but her mother's silence caused Merida to question her brother's claim. Most of all, she feared that her mother was still angry with her because of her outburst the day before. So, she refused to speak or even look at her mother, for fear of angering her even more then she already was.

Fergus and the boys tried to ignore the elephant in the room as best they could. They tried to converse at the table as normally as possible. Fergus even tried to include Merida and Elinor in their conversation, but neither mother nor daughter spoke a word. The problem was that Merida and her mother were nearly exactly alike whether they admitted it or not. They were equally stubborn and one was just as bull-headed as the other.

Merida sighed heavily as she continued to gaze anxiously at the closed wooden door, silently trying to will herself to knock. As she stood there debating her actions, Hiccup's words from their previous conversation ran through her mind.

...

"Maybe you should just try to give your mom the benefit of a doubt," Hiccup suggested, "attempt to see her point of view in the matter, and give her the chance to explain. If the two of you sit down and actually talk instead of just butting heads, you could figure all of this out."

...

At the memory of Hiccup's encouragement, Merida's determination took over. She took a deep breath as she pushed her fears aside. She raised her arm and knocked firmly upon the door. To her dismay, her mother did not answer. Merida knocked again with even more determination.

"Mum, it's me," Merida said, "I...I need to talk to ye." She paused and awaited her mother's response. After another few moments of complete silence, Merida huffed in frustration and knocked again, this time more fervently.

"Mum can ye hear me," Merida questioned in frustration, "I just want to talk is all...about the suitors." Still there was no response. Merida sighed heavily as she dropped her hand from the door in frustration. After a moment or two she reached for door knob, turned it and then cautiously pushed the door opened. She poked her head inside only to find that the room was empty. She furrowed her brow as she slowly entered.

"Mum," she said questioningly, "are ye in here?" There was still no response and it was evident that her mother was nowhere in the room. Merida sighed in disappointment.

"Of course yer not here," Merida huffed in frustration. As Merida gazed around the room, her eyes inadvertently fell upon the old tapestry on the far wall that depicted her mother and her aunt when they were young. Without thought she stepped forward and gazed at the tapestry for a long moment. Her heart felt heavy knowing all that her mother had lost at the hands of the Northern Invaders, but it ached even more knowing that because of that event, Hiccup was likely to be unfairly judged by her mother. She reached up unwittingly and gently traced the image of her aunt.

"What happened to ye," Merida muttered under her breath. Suddenly the door flung open, startling her and causing her to jump. She turned in an instant to see her mother gazing at her in surprise.

"Merida," Elinor said, "what are ye doin' here?" Merida gazed back at her mother nervously.

"I...uh...I need to speak with ye," Merida replied, "a-about the suitors...a-and our argument...and...and I wish to apologize for overreacting yesterday and running off." Elinor nodded wordlessly as she gazed back at Merida for a long moment. She turned slightly and closed the door behind her. She then silently walked into the room past her daughter and gazed up at the tapestry of her sister. Merida remained on edge with her mother's continued silence. She followed after her mother and looked up at the tapestry as well, all the while glancing nervously in her mother's direction. After a few more moments of silence Elinor took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She turned to her daughter with a tired smile.

"I'm sorry too," Elinor replied softly, "I'm sorry that I wasn't very understanding about how ye feel. I...I didn't mean for ye to think ye have no say in the matter." Merida smiled slightly with her mother's words.

"I didn't exactly allow ye to explain very much before I bit yer head off, did I now," Merida replied. Elinor chuckled slightly in response.

"No, I suppose not," Elinor replied, "but then I didn't exactly give ye the chance to explain why ye feel as ye do either." Merida dropped her eyes to the floor as she thought over her mother's words. She silently recalled her and Hiccup's previous conversation.

...

"Honestly," Hiccup replied, "is it really that far a stretch for your mom to assume that your pride is to blame for your reluctance?"

"Aye, and just what exactly is that supposed to mean," Merida questioned indignantly as she glared up at him.

"Well, you did defy her rules, attempt to break tradition by taking matters into your own hands, basically offended the Lords in the process, ran away to avoid your betrothal, and then had your mom turned into a bear," Hiccup replied, "you can't tell me that pride wasn't even just a small factor in all of that." Merida raised an eyebrow as she gazed up at him in annoyance.

"Aye, ye made yer point," Merida replied, "But I'm certainly not actin' outta pride now! In fact, far from it!" Hiccup nodded at her answer.

"I know that," Hiccup replied assuredly, "but how would your mom know that? I'm sure she's just assuming that based on what she does know."

"My mum and I have come a long way since then," Merida huffed, "if anything, the bear incident humbled me! Ye'd think my mother would know that!"

"True," Hiccup replied, "but you're not exactly talking to her about all of this. If she's worried and you don't talk to her about it, then of course she'd assume the worst."
...

Merida sighed slightly at the memory. Just as before, she felt the need to confide in her mother, to tell her everything about Hiccup and Toothless and the dragon riders of Berk. She wanted to tell her mother that she had made her choice and had fallen for Hiccup; but her fear still seemed to be holding her back.

Elinor continued to gaze at Merida knowingly. She could see that her daughter was still troubled by whatever was on her mind. Though she had somewhat of an idea what that might be, she did not want to push Merida to tell her until she was ready. That in mind, she still hoped that Merida would be willing to confide in her.

"I'm sorry that ye felt as though I was pushing ye into marriage again," Elinor replied, "I want ye to know that is not true. Yes, the lords are pushing their hand a bit, but yer father and I intend to stand by our word, no matter what." Merida nodded as she silently seemed to contemplate her mother's words. As Elinor continued to gaze at Merida, it was plainly evident that Merida still had much weighing on her mind. What Elinor couldn't decipher was why she continued to hold back.

"Ye know ye can tell me anything Merida," Elinor said. Merida nodded wordlessly but continued to avoid her mother's gaze.

"I know ye and I haven't often seen eye to eye on things," Elinor continued, "but I'm always here for ye, no matter what. And I...I Just want ye to be happy Merida. That's all I've ever wanted. I know that it seems as though I push ye to be what I want ye to be, but I only teach ye these things to prepare ye for this life ye were born into, I'm preparing ye to be queen one day."

"I know mum," Merida whispered. She continued to avoid her mother's gaze.

"I sometimes forget that ye are a lady now," Elinor continued, "with yer own mind and yer own heart...ye don't always need me to guide ye anymore. Ye are ready...I've done all I can do to set ye on the right path; now it's up to ye where the path will lead. But I will always be here to guide ye should ye need it." Merida turned to her mother with tear-filled eyes as she smiled at her appreciatively. Without a word she leaned forward, threw her arms around her mother and hugged her tightly. Elinor was taken aback for a moment but then she wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her tightly.

"I love ye Merida," Elinor whispered softly.

"I love ye too mum." Merida replied. Elinor pulled away from Merida, then took both her hands in hers. and gazed at her reassuringly.

"I know ye are worried about the suitors," Elinor replied, "but dinnae fret over it. As I said it is only to appease the lords, the choice is still yers and I will stand by ye whatever yer choice may be. But ye must agree to the suitors comin' to court. It's the best way to keep the peace until ye decide." Merida furrowed her brow at her mother's explanation.

"To keep the peace," Merida questioned, "what exactly are they threatening to do?"

"I dinnae know," Elinor replied, "as I said before, the Lords have grown impatient waiting for ye to make yer choice, they feel ye have rebuffed their sons. The lords demand that they're sons be given a fair shot to court ye. They believe that the very future of Dunbroch is at stake and it hinders on whomever yer choice will be. Their preference is that ye choose between their sons. Yer father and I agreed to the courtship, but we told Lord Dingwall we stand firm in our original decision." Merida nodded as she silently contemplated her mother's words.

"What worries me is that the Lords have been colluding about this for some time," Elinor went on, "and yer father and I remain on edge about whatever outcome may come of this. I do fear that if the Lords are unhappy with yer decision, they may try to force yer father's hand." Merida's heart dropped to her stomach with her mother's words. She took a deep breath as she pondered her dilemma.

Elinor could see that Merida was troubled by this new information. She felt terrible to put this burden on her daughter. Still she had hoped that Merida would confide in her the truth. She was reasonably sure That Merida had in fact met someone but she was still confused about why, even now after learning what the lords were plotting, she continued to hold back. If anything, if Merida had made her own choice already, then this whole debacle with the lords could be avoided. Still Elinor refrained to question Merida because she wanted Merida to come forward on her own. But to her dismay Merida still seemed to be avoiding the subject completely.

"Dinnae worry lass," Elinor replied, "we will sort this all out." Merida nodded silently.

Elinor sighed as she turned her eyes back to the old tapestry once again."Believe it or not Merida," Elinor went on, "I was a lot like ye when I was younger." Merida looked up at her mother curiously.

"Ye were like me," Merida questioned skeptically. Elinor nodded.

"I was hard-headed and stubborn," Elinor continued reminiscently, "and I never wanted to follow the rules." Merida furrowed her brow at her mother's comment.

"Ye... didn't want to follow rules," Merida repeated skeptically. Elinor glanced at her daughter briefly with a playful smirk on her face.

"Aye," she replied, "is that so hard to believe?"

"Aye," Merida replied, "it is." Elinor chuckled at her daughter's response.

"Well, it's true," Elinor replied, "my sister on the other hand...always followed the rules...she was a responsible, respectable lass and she always tried her best to keep me out o' trouble; though I didn't make it easy on her." Merida turned her eyes back to the image of her aunt as she contemplated her mother's words. It was certainly strange to think of her mother as a rule-breaker.

"I suppose it had a lot to do with having lost our mother so young," Elinor continued, "though she was just a lass herself, she took on our mother's role. We had servants to help with the household, but Isla took it upon herself to look after me." Merida turned her eyes back to her mother and gazed at her curiously.

"Ye…ye lost yer mum when ye were just a lass," Merida questioned. Elinor turned to Merida and nodded.

"Aye," Elinor replied, "our mother had a difficult labor with our brother and we lost them both; I was but seven years old and Isla was ten." Merida covered her mouth with her hand as she turned to her mother with a look of sorrow on her face.

"Oh mum...I...I'm so sorry," Merida replied in remorse, "ye...ye ne'er said anything. Why did ye ne'er tell us? Why do ye ne'er talk about them?" Elinor sighed as she turned her eyes back to the tapestry.

"It's not exactly something I like to talk about. It's just... too painful a memory," Elinor replied simply, "especially after Isla went missing. I lost my mum and my brother...and after the invaders took Isla, I suppose it became too much to bear. So, I put it behind me as best I could. Isla was all I had left in the world. I mean, I did have my father but he wasn't always around, not like Isla was. He was a broken man after mother passed, but when Isla was taken...well, it was the straw that broke the horse's back I suppose."

"Mum...if ye don't mind my asking," Merida questioned, "what exactly happened to Isla?" Elinor remained quiet for a long moment as she contemplated how best to answer Merida's question. She sighed heavily as she turned to her daughter with a neutral expression on her face.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning," Elinor replied as she motioned to the chairs in front of the fireplace, "it's a long story though." Elinor sat first, followed by Merida.

"As ye know my father was a Lord," Elinor replied, "Lord of clan Macleod, which is now Macintosh. Having no son to carry on the name, he handed the clan down to his most trusted apprentice, Ian Macintosh."

"Lord Macintosh," Merida questioned. Elinor nodded.

"Aye Lord Macintosh," Elinor confirmed, "but at the time, having been the only Lord with a daughter of age, it was decided that Isla would be betrothed to the crowned prince of Dunbroch." Merida furrowed her brow as she contemplated her mother's words. She looked up at her questioningly.

"Betrothed...to the crowned prince," Merida repeated in slight confusion, "ye mean...dad?" Elinor nodded.

"Aye," Elinor confirmed, "she was his first betrothed, and she would have been his wife, if she hadn't been taken." Merida continued to gaze at her mother with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

"But...Dad," Merida repeated questioningly, "but I..I thought ye were betrothed to dad. I don't understand."

"I was," Elinor replied, "but years after Isla went missing."

"But...ye love dad," Merida questioned, "don't ye?"

"Of course I do," Elinor replied, "with all my heart...but as with most betrothals, it didn't start out that way." Merida nodded as she listened.

"But I suppose I'm jumping ahead just a bit," Elinor continued, "ye see, Isla was always responsible...she always did what she was told with little complaint. So, when our father announced her impending betrothal...she accepted her fate despite her reservations."

"Reservations," Merida questioned.

"Aye," Elinor went on, "she was not thrilled with my father's decision. Unbeknownst to anyone other than me, Isla was smitten with another lad." Merida gazed at her mother in surprise.

"Isla was in love," Merida questioned.

"Aye," Elinor replied, "at least she believed she was. But it was a forbidden romance."

"Who was he," Merida questioned.

"He was a lad from another land," Elinor replied, "she'd met him in the woods on her way home from the market. He took a liking to her and offered to walk her home to which she agreed. For the next month she'd go to the woods to meet him nearly every day and they'd spend time together."

"Where was he from," Merida questioned. Elinor continued to gaze past Merida with an emotionless expression on her face.

"At the time he only told my sister that he came with a ship from the North," Elinor replied, "he offered his services to the ship's crew in exchange for safe passage to Dunbroch." Merida furrowed her brow at her mother's answer.

"Why did he want to come to Dunbroch," Merida questioned. Elinor glanced at Merida.

"At the time I didn't know," Elinor replied, "I imagine he told my sister something of why he was here but she never told me the reason. In fact, she told me very little about him and wouldn't even let me tag along to meet him. I only ever saw him from a distance. I suppose it was just her way of keeping me out of trouble."

"So, she took a liking to this lad," Merida concluded, "but then Granddad Macleod announced her betrothal to dad." Elinor nodded.

"It was an unfortunate turn of events," Elinor replied, "but Isla knew what was expected of her as the daughter of a Lord. She was to be betrothed, if not to the prince, then to one of the other Lord's sons. That's just how it is when you are of noble blood." Merida dropped her eyes to the ground as she silently contemplated her mother's words. Her heart felt heavy as she thought about her aunt's predicament which was not all that far off from her own. Elinor turned back to Merida with a reminiscent smile on her face.

"I confess I thought the whole thing was terribly romantic," Elinor replied, "I was a bit obsessed with fairy tales when I was a lass. It was almost straight out of a story; the tall, dark and handsome stranger wins the heart of the lady of the manor. I think I even suggested that she run off with him and live happily ever after at one point." Merida turned to her mother with an amused grin on her face.

"Hauld yer horses," Merida replied skeptically, "yer tellin' me that ye actually suggested that she run away with the lad in the woods."

"I did," Elinor replied, but as she spoke the smile slowly faded from her face and she dropped her eyes to the floor, "I didn't know any better...I was terribly naïve. If I had only known then what I know now, I'd have told her to stay far away from that lad in the woods." Merida's heart froze with her mother's unexpected and ominous words. She continued to gaze at her mother questioningly.

"What happened," Merida questioned cautiously.

"Isla accepted her fate as the future queen," Elinor replied, "and she met with the lad that day to end thing's and say goodbye or at least that is what she told me. That very night our village was attacked and pillaged by the Northern Invaders." Merida stared at her mother in fear of what her next words would be.

"Wait," Merida questioned in confusion, "are ye sayin that the lad whom Isla fancied...h-had somethin' tae do with the invasion?" Elinor turned to Merida with a serious expression on her face.

"He was one of them Merida," Elinor replied gravely, "he was nae just a sailor from the North that offered his services for passage. He was a Viking, and his clan had come to our village to raid it. He fooled my sister; he used her to gain information about the village to aid in his clan's attack." Merida gazed at her mother in disbelief.

"Was he the one that took Isla," Merida questioned. Elinor nodded in affirmation. Merida covered her mouth and stared at her mother in shock as this new information sank into her brain. The lad Isla had met in the woods was a Viking, he had taken advantage of Isla and betrayed her in the worst way. It all made sense, her mother's deep-rooted fear of Vikings, and her ultimate distrust of them; it all had stemmed from what had happened to Isla. In that instant the argument she'd had with her mother in the archive came back to her.

Her mother believed Mairead was taken advantage of, that Hiccup the first had used her to somehow gain the throne. She believed that Mairead was naïve and had fallen for his lies and deception. Merida could see now her mother's view was jaded. She had witnessed her own sister's betrayal at the hands of a Viking and this was now the lens she saw all Vikings through, no matter what clan they came from. It couldn't have been a worse scenario. Merida's own story very nearly paralleled Isla's to a point, she had met and fallen for a Viking in the woods. Though Merida trusted Hiccup without doubt, she knew her mother would only ever see him as a deceitful Viking.

"It was the Viking captain that took Isla," Elinor replied, "he came after us and cornered us in a barn. Isla told me to hide in the loft while she tried to distract him. She tried to run away so that the Viking would follow after her and she would lead him far away from me. But she could not escape. I watched him hurt her and try to..." Elinor stopped talking mid-sentence with a look of anguish on her face. Merida gazed at her mother sorrowfully.

"But she fought back, and she actually managed to get away from him," Elinor went on, "and she almost escaped...but that same lad whom she trusted stopped her. I watched as that tall dark and handsome stranger, followed his heartless captain's orders. He tied up Isla and dragged her away to their long ship and I never saw her again." Elinor paused for a moment to gain her composure. She silently wiped a tear from her eye.

"Mum I...I'm so sorry," Merida replied as she leaned forward and rested a hand upon her mother's arm, "I'm sorry ye had to witness that." Elinor nodded with a sad yet appreciative smile.

"It was a long time ago," Elinor replied, "but it still haunts me to this day. The worst part was the look of pure heartbreak on Isla's face when she realized that the lad she trusted, had betrayed her. She fought tooth and nail to get away until the moment she saw him, but his betrayal seemed to break her and she just gave up. She did not even resist as he dragged her away." Merida remained silent as she listened to her mother's tale.

"I believe they came for her specifically," Elinor went on. Merida gazed at her mother curiously.

"Why her specifically," Merida questioned.

"Like I said," Elinor replied, "earlier that day she told the lad about her betrothal. He knew she was to be married to the prince and become the queen. I think they took her for ransom." Merida furrowed her brow as she thought over her mother's suggestion. It certainly seemed like something Vikings would do, but something about that scenario didn't quite add up. Though Merida had never known the details of the story, she had heard the basic tale many times before. She knew that the kingdom had searched for Isla and never found her, but never before had it been mentioned that there might have been a ransom for her. If that were the case then what happened? Why was she never returned? Surely the king at the time would have paid the ransom for his future daughter-in-law. Of course, the war between Dunbroch and the Northern invaders did go on for many years after. Perhaps the king had refused to negotiate with Vikings and opted to use force to get Isla back.

"Ransom," Merida questioned. Elinor nodded as she raised her eyes to Merida.

"Aye, I do believe that was their intention," Elinor replied, "initially we waited for their demands, but they never came. I can only imagine that something must've gone wrong. She must have tried to get away...perhaps they killed her because of it, or maybe she died in her effort to escape. Either way I know my sister is gone, she would have returned otherwise. Family was the most important thing to Isla, she'd have ne'er left us behind, she'd have ne'er abandoned us." Merida nodded as she contemplated her mother's words.

"Why did ye ne'er tell me everything before," Merida questioned.

"Because yer innocent Merida," Elinor replied, "my childhood was destroyed by tragedy. I didn't want that for ye. Ye didn't need tae know, ye needed tae grow up believin' that everything is right in this world. I only wanted for yer happiness, for ye to see the beauty and goodness o' the world around ye." Merida continued to gaze at her mother solemnly as she spoke.

"From the first moment I looked into yer eyes I vowed that ye'd have what I never did," Elinor went on, "that I'd protect ye at all costs, that's why I taught ye as I did; to follow tradition, to follow the rules. I may be overbearing at times but it's only because I love ye so, and I dinnae want any harm to befall ye. Do ye understand Merida? I...I was always so afraid that I'd lose ye, as I lost Isla. But the more I tried to protect ye, the more ye pulled away." Elinor gazed at Merida with a sincere look in her eye.

"Yer a free spirit, ye've always been, and that's what always worried me the most. Ye have no fear Merida...but there are some things in this world that we need to fear." With her mother's last words, Merida felt her heart sink in her chest.

"Like Vikings," Merida replied softly.

"Aye," Elinor confirmed. Merida remained quiet for a long moment as she contemplated all her mother had told her. Once again, she felt torn between telling her mother everything or holding back for fear of her reaction to Hiccup. One thing was certain, she simply had to make her mother understand that the Vikings of Berk were the exception, regardless of their unfortunate falling out with Dunbroch centuries ago.

"Mum, I know the Vikings that took Isla are bad," Merida replied, "I fear the Northern Invaders just as ye do. I've heard all of the tales. I know that those men were pure evil. But that doesn't mean that all Vikings are like the men that took Isla." Elinor gazed at Merida for a long moment with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Are ye still tryin' tae prove yer case for Berk," Elinor said in an unemotional tone. Merida nodded nervously.

"I know they are good people mum," Merida replied, "not unlike the people of Dunbroch. We wouldn't have been allies otherwise."

"Aye, allies that were banished Merida," Elinor replied, "dinnae forget that! There is a reason why they were banished."

"Aye, they were banished," Merida replied, "but no one truly knows why. From what I've learned, the Berkans didnae do anything wrong. The chief's son fell in love with Mairead, but Mairead was already betrothed. They were banished to prevent a scandal." Elinor nodded as she contemplated Merida's theory.

"Yer father said that his grandmother always believed that Berk was innocent," Elinor replied, "he believes they were too. I suppose it's possible. But like ye said, no one truly knows the reason why they were banished. I dinnae believe the king would banish a whole people because of some frivolous romance."

"But what if it wasn't frivolous mother," Merida replied, "what if Mairead tried to dissolve her betrothal because she was truly in love with the chief's son? Surely that would have angered her betrothed who was set to be king. What if the reason Berk was banished was because my great, great grandfather forced the king's hand, just as the Lords are trying to do now because I haven't made my choice!"

Elinor dropped her eyes from Merida as she silently considered her daughter's explanation. Though Merida's scenario was certainly possible, Elinor still remained skeptical that the Viking's of Berk were as innocent as she claimed. She sighed heavily once again as she raised her eyes to Merida and gazed at her for a long moment. It seemed that Merida would not be satisfied until she could prove her theory about Berk, and there was simply no point in telling her otherwise. She supposed there was no danger in simply investigating the long dead clan. At the very least Merida might actually find out what happened between Dunbroch and Berk to cause a rift. In doing so, Merida would see that the Berkans were not as innocent as she believed.

Still, Elinor wondered why Merida was so intent on pursuing her investigation. Finding the journal had certainly sparked Merida's interest in her great great grandmother, but Elinor couldn't help but to wonder why exactly her daughter had become so adamant about finding the truth about the long lost Viking clan. Considering her daughter's odd behavior as of late, and Elinor's growing suspicions, she was beginning to wonder if there might be another reason for Merida's interest in the subject.

"In all his years of searching," Elinor replied, "yer father has ne'er found a scrap o' proof. What makes ye think, ye will?"

"I've already found the journal," Merida replied matter-of-factly, "and I didn't just find it mother, I was led." Elinor furrowed her brow at Merida's comment.

"Led," Elinor repeated questioningly, "do ye mean by the will o' th' wisps?

"Aye, the very same," Merida replied, "they appeared to me and led me to a hiding place in the wall of great, great nana's sitting room. There I found the journal as well as another book that belonged to the Viking lad." Elinor remained quiet as she pondered this new information.

"Don't ye see mother," Merida continued, "there is a reason the wisps led me. Fate wants me to find the truth and one way or another, I will find it."


Hiccup and Toothless.

Toothless and Hiccup stood at the edge of the bluffs over-looking the open ocean as they prepared for their flight. Hiccup gazed up to the sky, taking note of the thick clouds that hung heavy in the atmosphere, and the strong bolstering wind that was blowing in from the North. A storm was brewing, and he guessed it could make landfall in a few hours, it was not the best conditions for a flight but the cloud cover was optimal to hide Toothless from sight. Besides they'd certainly flown in worse conditions before, this was nothing as far as Hiccup was concerned.

Hiccup took a few steps to the edge of the bluffs and looked down at the water below. The waves were violent today and they crashed up against the jagged rocks that stuck up from the ocean floor with force.

"That is a far way down," Hiccup muttered under his breath. He put on his helmet and strapped it under his chin as he turned back to Toothless. He then climbed up onto the waiting dragon's back.

"Alright bud," Hiccup sighed as he settled onto Toothless' saddle, "ya ready?" Toothless nodded enthusiastically as Hiccup gently patted him on the neck. The dragon then turned his eyes to the sky with an expression of determination on his face.

"Remember bud," Hiccup said, "we need to stay as inconspicuous as possible okay...so no crazy stunts or...or death -defying maneuvers, alright? Just a short easy flight." No sooner had Hiccup finished speaking did Toothless leap from the cliff and barrel-dive toward the jagged rocks below. He pulled up just a foot above the rocks and then took off into the sky doing a corkscrew maneuver as he shot up into the clouds above. Once above the clouds, Toothless evened out and glided with the bolstering wind.

"Uh...what part of 'No Crazy Stunts' didn't you understand you, useless dragon," Hiccup asked in sarcastic annoyance, "are ya trying to get us caught?" Toothless rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Do you know how mad Merida will be if I manage to get myself arrested before we come forward?" Toothless grunted in response.

"Hey bud, look, I know it's been a while since we went for a decent flight," Hiccup responded, "but we need to stay under the radar, okay; at least until I meet her parents...a-and tell them about you." Toothless groaned in response.

"Don't give me that," Hiccup replied, "it's for your own good too! Don't forget, Dunbroch still believes that dragons are monsters. If they found you, they would hurt you." Toothless groaned in annoyance. Hiccup sighed heavily.

"Okay look, can ya just try to help me out here a little bud," Hiccup replied flatly. "I just...I want everything to go as smoothly as possible with Merida's parents. I don't' want to screw this up bud. I can't screw this up. If all of this doesn't go exactly as planned, I could lose her." Hiccup could feel Toothless sigh heavily in resignation beneath him. He grinned slightly as he leaned forward and patted the dragon gently upon the side of the neck.

"Thanks bud," Hiccup replied, "and listen I promise as soon as Merida and I come forward, you and I will go for a long. much needed flight, out in the open, doing all sorts of crazy stunts. We can show off our skills to the future in-laws hopefully...maybe we could even take Merida and her brothers for a ride too." Toothless grinned at Hiccup's suggestion.

"You just have to be patient for a little bit longer okay bud." Toothless nodded in understanding. Hiccup then turned the reigns slightly, guiding Toothless back toward the uninhabited side of Dunbroch.

"Just keep above the clouds until we are over the forest bud," Hiccup reminded. Toothless nodded as he flew on. Hiccup sighed in contentment as he focused on flying. But his mind drifted back to his argument with Eret. He wondered how much of Eret's opinion was based on his own experience. Having lost two parents as a young child couldn't have been easy on him, then add on the fact that he never even really knew either of them. Hiccup could not fathom how Eret felt not knowing where he came from, not knowing his family history. He acted as if it was no big deal, but Hiccup knew better. His friend was a complicated person, often the more he acted aloof about something, the more he actually cared. He knew without doubt that Eret was haunted by his past, yet he was afraid to look into it. Maybe he was afraid of what he'd find. Hiccup wasn't quite sure, but that in mind, Hiccup supposed that this could be why Eret had advised him against looking into the queen's painful past.

Regardless, Eret had made a good point, there were far too many open-ended questions surrounding he and Merida. Between the mystery of their grandparents, figuring out whatever Mairead had been trying to tell them in his dream, the queen's tragic history with the Northern Invaders, which could very well affect her opinion of him now, and also this possible new mystery involving Eret's past, there was far too much distracting him from he and Merida's most important goal. He had to stop worrying about the rest of it and focus on what mattered most, getting Merida's parents to accept him. He sighed heavily as he laid back upon Toothless. He gazed up at the blue-sky above as tried his best to clear his mind. But as much as he tried to do so, Hiccup couldn't shake the feeling that all these separate things might somehow be connected. Though he wasn't sure how exactly, he couldn't rule it out without further investigation. Being the type of person he was, Hiccup could not simply let it go, he needed to get to the bottom of it all, he needed to figure out this mystery. Though he resigned to focus solely on the acceptance of Merida's parents for now, one way or another he was determined to find the truth about all of this.

Hiccup sat up once more and took the reigns. As they continued on, Toothless flew over a large and unavoidable break in the canopy of clouds. As they passed over, Hiccup gazed down at the earth below to see a large miles-long lake beneath them, that seemed to be partially covered by a heavy mist. For some reason he couldn't recall having seen the large body of water on his initial fly over. Curious as to where exactly they were, Hiccup pulled out his grandfather's map and looked over it. Using his index finger, he retraced his steps on the map starting at the bluffs where they had taken off. He followed the map in the direction they had flown to where he estimated their current location was. There he found nothing more indicated then a mountainous region called the Gray Hills, but to his dismay there was no such body of water indicated at all on the map in that specific area.

"That's strange," Hiccup muttered to himself. He folded the map once more and shoved it back into his pocket. He turned his eyes back to the lake far below. It was hard to believe that such a large body of water could have been missed by his grandfather. Of course, back then he wouldn't have been able to see it from the air. Hiccup turned his eyes back to the lake far below, taking note that it was nestled in the middle of a mountainous area. Unless his grandfather had actually set foot there, he supposed it was possible that he could have missed it. Hiccup reached for his spyglass and held it up to his eye to get a better look. The thick mist that hovered over the lake was heavy and covered the majority of the surrounding area. Because of this, he couldn't quite make out anything else surrounding the lake. Hiccup furrowed his brow at the sight. The mist seemed out of place. Though it was evident that a storm was most likely heading their way, the air wasn't quite cold enough for such a thick fog to have manifested over the water. He dropped the spy glass from his eye, folded it and replaced it in his belt as he silently deliberated weather or not to investigate further. After coming to his decision, he leaned forward and gently tapped the dragon on the side of the neck.

"Hey Toothless," Hiccup called to the dragon, "lets head down to that lake...I want to get a closer look." Toothless nodded as he headed downward through the clouds in the direction of the lake. The dragon descended through the dense fog and landed a few feet away from the lake with a thud.

The moment Toothless touched ground, the dragon immediately felt on edge. There was something eerie about this place that made the dragon nervous. As Hiccup slid down from Toothless back, Toothless glanced around the area anxiously. He did not feel safe in this part of Dunbroch and he remained vigilant as Hiccup began to explore.

After dismounting Toothless, Hiccup glanced around curiously. The mist was just as thick on the ground as it looked from above, giving the area an eerie almost dream-like atmosphere and making it somewhat difficult to see very far in front of him. Hiccup pulled out his dragon blade and ignited it, then held the flame out before him to try to see better through the mist. Like Toothless, Hiccup felt uneasy here, as if something wasn't quite right. Just being there seemed to made him feel nervous and he proceeded with trepidation.

"I don't know about this bud," Hiccup muttered, "something about this place feels off…it…it's almost like it's haunted or something." Toothless groaned in agreement as he followed after Hiccup.

Cautiously Hiccup made his way to the edge of the lake. As he got closer to the water's edge, he noticed that the mist was especially thick over the water and that atmosphere was warmer the closer he got to it, as if heat were radiating from the lake itself. Hiccup was intrigued. He carefully crouched down beside the lakes edge; he then removed his glove and dipped his fingers into the water. To his surprise the water was warm, almost like bath water.

"The water is warmer than the air," Hiccup thought aloud, "that certainly explains the mist." He furrowed his brow as he tried to make sense of it.

"Must be some sort of a hot spring," Hiccup muttered to himself. He stood up as he shook the water from his hand and replaced his glove. Suddenly he heard what sounded like small rocks falling behind him. He turned his head instantly. He furrowed his brow as he tried to see through the mist.

"Hello," he called out, "is somebody there?" But he was met only with silence. He slowly turned in the direction from which the sound had come. As he cautiously walked toward it, raising his dragon blade out in front of him as he attempted to peer through the heavy mist. Unbeknownst to Hiccup, as he walked further away from the lake the mist seemed to cling to him, wrapping around his limbs in smoke-like ghostly tendrils as he passed it by. As he continued exploring, he couldn't shake the growing sense of anxiousness and dread that seemed to be plaguing him since the moment he set foot on the lake's stony shore. Still he trudged on. Up ahead of him he could barely make out the shadowy silhouettes of two tall stones through the fog. As he approached them cautiously, his first thought was that he may have found a second ring of stones, but the closer he got he realized the two stones were connected to what looked like stone walls. He held his blade up to get a better look. He could see heavy iron hinges on both the stones, as if they had once held up a set of doors. He could not help but to be reminded of the gate from his dream. It was nearly identical to the weathered gate to Adag and for a moment Hiccup thought that perhaps he had found the village from his dream.

He held his breath as he immediately raised his dragon blade to the top of the stones. The stones stretched up high above him and seemed to be what was left of the archway of a gate, but, to Hiccup's disappointment the arch itself was destroyed and the place on the arch where the symbol of the dragon would have been in his dream was missing from this archway. Hiccup sighed heavily in discouragement. He dropped his eyes from the arch and continued to inspect the surrounding area for any clues that might indicate the name of this long-abandoned village or even the missing part of the arch. Perhaps if he found the missing pieces of the stone then he could piece together the emblem, if it existed. Amidst his search he suddenly saw the flicker of what looked like a wisp from the corner of his eye. He turned instantly but the blue orb vanished before he could be sure. Intrigued Hiccup walked over to the area where the orb had been. He held out his sword before him, but only found the multiple stones strewn across the ground before him. It looked to him as if some sort of a battle had taken place there centuries before.

As he scanned the area, he noticed one particular stone jutting up from the ground seemed to have something carved into it. He quickly approached it. He knelt down to see that the majority of the stone was buried beneath the earth and it looked very much as if it had been there for centuries. Hiccup extinguished his dragon blade and set it down beside him. He then pulled the dagger from his ankle holster and tried to pry the stone from the ground, but the stone was far too big and so deeply embedded in the ground that it would not budge. He sighed in frustration as he gazed at the stone and tried to think of another way to way to see it.

"Hey Toothless," Hiccup called out, "can you help me dig up this stone bud?" Toothless grunted in response and made his way over to his rider. Hiccup then began to dig around the stone with his dagger while Toothless dug around the other side with his claws. The more dirt they cleared away from the stone, the more of the etching was slowly revealed causing Hiccup to become increasingly intent on seeing what was carved there. But as Hiccup continued to dig, Toothless began to sense that they were not alone. The dragon paused in his digging and raised his head. He stared intently past Hiccup in the direction of the lake. It seemed as if the mist had gotten denser, making it near impossible to see even a foot in front of him. But although he could not see it, Toothless could sense that they were not alone. He knew that someone or something was watching he and his rider. The dragon's ears went back and he assumed a defensive position as he glared ahead into the mist.

Hiccup remained distracted as he continued to dig up the stone. He was completely determined to see whatever emblem or words were carved into the stone and was completely oblivious to Toothless' change in demeanor. After he had cleared enough of the dirt away to get a better look, Hiccup pushed back against the exposed side of the heavy stone to lift the other side from the ground. He then ignited his dragon blade and held it up to the stone to get a good look. He felt his heart rate increase as he looked upon the exact emblem he had seen in his dream. It was the symbol of a Tide glider. Hiccup laughed out loud as he gazed upon it.

"I think we found something bud," Hiccup called out in excitement as he continued to clear the dirt away from the carving. Above the symbol there was a word carved but it was a written language that Hiccup had never seen before. He furrowed his brow as he traced the carving with his finger. His discovery didn't exactly conclusively prove that the place he had stumbled upon was in fact the Adag from his dream, but he was nearly certain that it was. Perhaps like Old Norse, the Gaelic written language was also different. That in mind, it was possible that this was indeed the written Gaelic word for Adag. The only way to be certain was to ask Merida. He quickly pulled his notebook from his pocket and tore out a leaf of paper. He placed the paper over the image and rubbed a piece of slate over it to get a rubbing of the image. He then carefully folded the paper, slipped it into his notebook and then put the notebook back into his pocket. He then tucked his dagger back into its sheath on his ankle. But as he stood from his crouched position, Hiccup suddenly felt a little lightheaded. He furrowed his brow in confusion as he tried to shake it off. He stood still for a few moments and clutched his head as he waited for the dizzy feeling to dissipate, but his head seemed to be spinning.

"We have to get back bud," Hiccup said, "I need to show this to Merida. And I'm not feeling so well." But Toothless remained still as he continued to gaze past Hiccup in the direction of the lake.

"Toothless, let's go," Hiccup urged as he stumbled toward the dragon. It was at that moment that Toothless began to growl. Hiccup looked up at the dragon in concern.

"Toothless," he questioned. Suddenly he heard the water move behind him. Hiccup froze in place at the sound, he turned around slowly but could see nothing in front of him but the thick mist. Slowly he reached for his dragon blade and held it up before him as he ignited the blade, but he still saw nothing. Toothless continued to growl as he stared straight ahead of him.

"What is it bud," Hiccup questioned as he turned to the dragon, "is there something there?" The sound of water moving once again caused Hiccup to stare intently upon the lake, but his dizziness made it hard to focus.

"Who's there," Hiccup called out. But once again there was no answer. Hiccup inched forward as he scanned the area. Then a few feet ahead of him the mist seemed to move in an unnatural way. Hiccup furrowed his brow as he tried to make sense of it. He could barely make out the silhouette of something in the mist, but it was very nearly invisible and he couldn't be sure if it was just a trick of his eye. He inched cautiously forward, but Toothless' growl deepened. Hiccup looked back at Toothless curiously. Toothless continued to stand in a defensive position with teeth bared staring out into the mist.

As Hiccup turned back to the lake, he heard the sound of a deep low growl from only feet in front of him. His heart froze in sudden fear and he gulped nervously. Suddenly without warning Toothless charged ahead of Hiccup causing him to loose his already shaken footing and he inadvertently fell to the ground. Toothless stood in front of Hiccup and shot a warning blast in the direction of the lake. Hiccup got back to his feet as quickly as possible and stood in a defensive position with his dragon blade held out before him ready to strike. As he peered in the direction of the lake, he could barely make out the form of the strange creature that seemed to be stalking them but the creature blended right into the mist and was near impossible to see. From what Hiccup could make out, it had a long slender neck and its snout almost resembled that of a horse far larger than Angus. The creature howled as it moved quickly and it turned and dove back into the lake with a large splash. Hiccup gazed ahead of him in disbelief as he walked up beside Toothless. The moment the strange creature was gone, Hiccup's dizziness suddenly dissipated as quickly as it had overtaken him. He stood there in confusion as he gazed ahead at the lake.

"What the hell was that," Hiccup questioned. Toothless grunted in response.


Hiccup's camp.

After he had finished tending to Meatlug, Fishlegs made his way back over to the campfire with the carrier dragon perched upon his shoulder, only to find Eret pacing. Fishlegs furrowed his brow curiously as he approached his friend, taking note of the slightly troubled expression on Eret's face.

"Hey, I see Hermóðr's paid us a visit," Fishlegs said, "did we get word from Berk?" But Eret didn't answer Fish and he continued to pace as if he hadn't heard Fish speak at all. Fishlegs furrowed his brow as he gazed at his friends in concern.

"What's up with you," Fish questioned. Eret paused as he looked over at Fish.

"Nothing," Eret replied, "it's nothing...I just...well, I got a letter from Astrid."

"Yeah I gathered," Fish replied. Eret turned to him in slight confusion. Fishlegs raised an eyebrow at Eret questioningly.

"Hermóðr," Fish replied flatly as he pointed to the small dragon on his shoulder.

"Right," Eret replied distractedly. Fish shook his head at his friends uncharacteristic behavior.

"Is everything okay," Fish questioned, "she-she's not mad is she; because we didn't get Hic and bring him home?" Fish questioned nervously.

"What…no," Eret replied, "she is completely on board with us helping Hic out. In fact, she is looking into it herself as well. Fish gazed at Eret questioningly.

"She is," Fish questioned skeptically.

"Absolutely," Eret replied, "she and Valka are looking through Hic's grandfather's things as we speak. They...uh...they might have even found some letters from Merida's grandmother to Hiccup the first." Fishlegs' eyes widened with Eret's words.

"They did," Fish questioned excitedly. Eret nodded. "That's amazing," Fish exclaimed, "we have to tell Hic...he'll be ecstatic...this could be just the break he and Merida need to solve their mystery!"

"Whoa...whoa...whoa, calm down mate," Eret replied, "we don't even know what's written in them yet." Fish gazed up at Eret with a disappointed expression on his face.

"You mean she didn't tell you," Fish questioned. Eret shook his head.

"No, not specifically," Eret replied, "but she mentioned that these letters could offer a whole other side to the mystery. She asked me if we had found anything similar here. She thinks that we need to find the letters from Hic's grandfather to Merida's grandmother to get the whole picture."

"Holy cow," Fish exclaimed, "this is big...this is huge...I can't wait to tell Hic." Eret sighed heavily.

"I don't know that we should tell him right away," Eret replied, "I mean let's just think about this for a minute." Fish furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What do you mean," Fish questioned, "this is exactly what Hic and Merida have been searching for... this could change everything." Eret sighed once more as he pondered Fishlegs' words. Fish was right of course; this could change everything. That is exactly what Eret was afraid of.

"I know mate," Eret replied, "I know...but what if it changes things for the worse...or it's not the answers that Hic wants to hear? What if instead of proving Berk's innocence, these letters prove the opposite and it turns out Hic's grandfather was not the man Hic thinks he was?"

"Well, at least they'd know the truth," Fish replied, "which is really all that they want."

"No, Hic wants to prove Berk's innocence so he can clear our name and he can be with Merida," Eret replied, "but if this proves otherwise it could ruin Hic's chances." Fish furrowed his brow at Eret's suggestion.

"That's not true," Fish replied, "you know Hiccup won't give up no matter what the evidence suggests. He needs to know the whole truth, good or bad so he can set things right with Dunbroch." Eret remained quiet as he pondered Fishlegs' words. He knew Fishlegs was right, there was no way he could keep this information from Hiccup. But Eret also knew that once Hiccup read the letter, he would know what he had been hiding. Eret knew if that happened, there would be no talking Hic out of investigating his family's possible connection to Dunbroch. The truth was, Eret was afraid to look into his past, he was afraid of what they would find. He was afraid to find out the truth about his father.

Fishlegs observed Eret's worried expression. He wondered what exactly Eret was trying to keep from Hiccup and why exactly he'd want to do so in the first place.

"Why exactly do you want to keep this from Hiccup," Fish questioned, "what else did Astrid say?"

"Nothing," Eret replied dismissively, "it's nothing."

"Well…can I read it," Fish questioned as he held his hand out.

"No, you can't read it," Eret replied in annoyance.

"Why not," Fish asked.

"Because," Eret huffed, "it's…it's personal."

"But you just said it has to do with Hic's investigation and what Astrid found," Fish replied, "how is that personal?"

"Not all of it has to do with Hiccup," Eret replied, "and the rest of it is personal!"

"What's the big deal," Fish huffed.

"The big deal is…it's none of your business Fish," Eret huffed, "would you let me read a personal letter from Ruffnut?" Fish sighed at Eret's comment as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Okay fine," Fish replied in resignation, "you made your point."

Suddenly the pair was distracted by the sound of hooves striking the ground and headed in their direction. Both Fish and Eret turned simultaneously to see Merida and Angus riding up to them. Fish and Eret looked back at one another for a moment, then turned back to Merida.

"Hiccup's not back yet," Fish replied, "do you think she'll be mad that he went flying?" Eret shrugged.

"Not if she doesn't know mate," Eret replied.

"You think we should lie," Fish questioned anxiously.

"No, we don't have to lie," Eret replied, "we just need to stall until Hiccup gets back, he shouldn't be long."

"Stall," Fish whined, "the last time I tried to stall for Hiccup, Astrid nearly had my head…what do you think Merida will do to me?"

"Relax Fish," Eret replied, "it's no big deal…just….act natural, okay." Eret patted Fish on the shoulder encouragingly. Fish gulped nervously once again.

As Merida arrived in camp, she scanned the area for Hiccup and Toothless. She was anxious to tell him everything she'd learned from her mother about the suitors and Isla, but to her dismay they both were missing. She brought Angus to a halt before Fishlegs and Eret and gazed down at them curiously. She quickly dismounted Angus and headed over to the duo.

"Where is Hiccup," she questioned anxiously, "I need to talk to him." Eret shrugged.

"I'm not exactly sure," he replied, "Hic took Toothless out a few hours ago; said he needed to clear his head." Merida furrowed her brow as she pondered Eret's response. She shifted her eyes to Fishlegs who was being unusually quiet. He gazed back at her nervously then quickly averted his eyes. Merida turned her eyes back to Eret suspiciously.

"What do ye mean, to clear his head," Merida questioned. Eret could see she was flustered with his answer and he wondered if everything was okay.

"You know Hic," Eret replied, "his wheels are constantly turning, sometimes he gets a little overwhelmed and just needs to take a break so he can regain his focus." Merida continued to gaze up at Eret questioningly.

"Yeah," Fish chimed in, "he does it all the time, "he says the high altitude helps him focus, I just think flying distracts him." Eret immediately gripped the bridge of his nose in frustration. He turned to Fish in annoyance.

"Seriously Fish," Eret huffed. Fishlegs looked up at Eret in confusion.

"What," he asked in oblivion.

"Flying," Merida questioned. Fish turned back to Merida and gazed at her sheepishly.

"Uh…did I say flying," Fish stuttered, "uh…I…uh, what I meant was running. You know, that Toothless, he runs so fast that sometimes it feels like flying." Merida turned back to Eret and glared up at him.

"Yer serious," Merida exclaimed, "he went flyin' in pure wide daylight! Howfur cuid he do such a glaikit thing!"

"Hold on Merida...just calm down...it...It's not that big a deal," Eret tried his best to calm her, "Hic knows what he's doing, he knows to stay out of sight. He's not stupid. He wouldn't do anything to risk getting caught!" Merida huffed as she turned away from him then stormed back toward Angus.

"I cannae believe this," Merida continued to rant as she threw her hands up in exasperation, "it's one thing to go flyin' at night when he cannae be seen, but daylight! Pure wide daylight!"

"Merida," Eret called after her, "would you just...wait a second." Eret reached out and attempted to grab her by the arm to stop her but she quickly pulled her arm away. She turned back to Eret suddenly and glared up at him.

"And where were ye when he flew off," Merida yelled out, "yer his friend aren't ye? Why didnae ye try to talk him oot o' it?"

"I did try," Eret huffed, "but he went anyway!"

"So what then," Merida questioned in frustration, "did he tell ye to just lie about where he's gone?"

"No," Eret replied insistently, "that's not true at all! Hiccup would never lie to you…and he'd certainly never ask any of us to do so either. I was just trying to stall until he got back. I didn't want you to be upset with him."

"Well, it's not yer place to do so," Merida yelled, "I have every right to be upset with him! Especially when he insists on bein' completely reckless!" She turned once again and stormed away.

"Merida," Eret called out. At that very moment Toothless bounded through the trees and barreled toward the camp as Eret, Fish, and Merida turned in his direction. Toothless stopped just in front of them and Hiccup excitedly jumped down from the dragon's back.

"Merida you're never going to believe it," Hiccup cried out in excitement as he sprinted in her direction. Merida glared up at him, but Hiccup was completely oblivious.

"I found this lake in the middle of the forest," he exclaimed, "but it was strange...I…I never saw it before when I was scouting and it's not on my grandfather's map either." Merida crossed her arms over her chest and continued to glare at him as he tried to explain.

"The lake itself was covered in this weird mist …which pretty much hung over the entire valley so I couldn't really see anything around it. I thought it was strange, so, me and Toothless decided to investigate. But…"

"Well, I hope ye enjoyed yer flight," Merida interrupted, "it might very well have been yer last if ye were seen." With that Merida turned and stormed back in the direction of Angus. With her words, Hiccup stopped talking and gazed back at her in sudden confusion. Hiccup glanced over at Eret and Fishlegs questioningly. Eret shrugged as both he and Fish looked back at him, trying their best to remain as neutral as possible. Hiccup sighed heavily as he turned back to Merida and quickly ran after her.

"Merida wait," Hiccup called out. He caught up to her quickly and darted in front of her. Merida huffed and changed direction as she tried to avoid him, but Hiccup continued to try to stop her.

"Just stop Merida, you need to listen to me," Hiccup insisted, "this is important!"

"Why should I," Merida asked, "I said ye should stay out of sight and that ye shouldn't risk flyin' Toothless...but ye didn't listen to me. So, why should I listen to ye?"

"I did listen to you," Hiccup argued, "I took every precaution to not be seen!"

"Aye, accept that ye went flyin' in the middle o' th' day," Merida huffed, "when anyone with a set o' eyes could see ye and Toothless! It's bad enough that ye insist on flyin' him right up to the castle at night. But yer jaiket's on a shoogly peg if ye think ye can get away with it during the day!"

"Are you kidding me," Hiccup groaned, "have you even looked at the sky today, Merida? There is a storm heading in if you haven't noticed! The sky is completely covered in clouds! Toothless and I stayed well above the cloud line the entire time! Not to mention we only flew on the deserted side of Dunbroch! The chances of us having been seen are...are slim to none!"

"It only takes one person," Merida lamented, "just one to see ye and all could be lost." Though she was angry with him, Hiccup could clearly see the genuine worry on her face. "It isnae worth the risk Hiccup!" Hiccup took a deep breath as he thought over what she had said. He frowned slightly at the sight of her. He hated to see her worry and the fact that he'd been the cause of it only made him feel that much worse. Without a word he stepped forward, pulled her gently into his arms and held her tightly against him. Merida did not fight against him; she merely lay her head upon his chest and allowed him to comfort her.

"It's okay," Hiccup sighed as he gently ran his fingers over her soft red curls. "I'm sorry I worried you," Hiccup continued, "but I'm not sorry I went flying." Merida pulled back and looked up at him in mild annoyance. Despite her obvious frustration, Hiccup smiled back at her. He reached for her hands and gripped them both tightly in his as he gazed into her pale blue eyes.

"I think I found it Merida," Hiccup replied with a wide grin, "I...I think I found Adag! And if I hadn't gone flying today, I never would have found it!" Merida furrowed her brow at his words.

"What do ye mean, ye found Adag," she questioned. Hiccup pulled his hands from hers and quickly pulled his notebook from his pocket.

"It's by the lake that I saw while Toothless and I were flying," Hiccup said as he proceeded to pull the rubbing of the stone from his notebook. "Like I said before, I thought it was strange because I didn't remember seeing that particular lake before, and it wasn't on my grandfather's map, so we stopped to check it out." He continued to explain as he carefully unfolded the paper.

"What struck me as odd was that the thick mist that covered the water seemed out of place," Hiccup went on, "I didn't think it was cold enough for a mist to form but it turns out the lake is naturally warmer than the air. I think it might be some sort of a hot spring, which defiantly explains the mist."

"A hot spring," Merida replied questioningly, "I dinnae know anything of a hot spring in Dunbroch." Hiccup furrowed his brow as he thought over her comment.

"Well, there really isn't any other explanation…it was definitely some sort of a hot spring," Hiccup replied, "the water was nearly as warm as bath water."

"So, yer sayin' this village ye found by this strange loch, could actually be Adag," Merida questioned. Hiccup nodded.
"And what exactly makes ye think it's Adag," Merida asked.

"I'm getting there," Hiccup replied, "just let me explain." Merida nodded as she gazed up at him curiously.

"Like I said," Hiccup went on, "the weird mist covers most of the valley where the lake is located, so the village was impossible to see from the air. If Toothless and I hadn't gone down to investigate the lake, we never would have even known that the village was there at all." Merida gazed up at him in intrigue as she listened to him.

"But, as soon as I saw the archway to the village...I…I just knew it was Adag," Hiccup went on, "the archway resembled the gate from my dream almost exactly. The only thing was that the stone where the tide glider symbol was carved in my dream had been broken off from this archway. So, I looked around a bit to find other clues. That's when I stumbled upon the missing piece of the gate. It was partially buried, so me and Toothless dug it up." Hiccup then held up the paper for her to see the rubbing he had done of the carving in the stone.

"This is what was on it," Hiccup said as he held up the paper for her to see. Merida gazed at the image of the dragon in intrigue as she gently took the paper from his hands.

"It's near identical to my dream Merida," Hiccup explained, "except for this word." He pointed to the strange lettering at the top of the dragon emblem. "I don't know this language so I don't know what it actually says," he paused as he gazed at her hopefully. "I was sort of hoping you might."

Merida furrowed her brow as she stared at the image on the paper for a long moment, trying to comprehend exactly what she was looking at. Up until now, Merida had believed that the Adag of which Mairead spoke was only symbolic of Hiccup's family line, but now as she gazed upon the image in her hands, she was completely at a loss. She turned her eyes to the word carved above the dragon. It was Gaelic writing, there was no question. Though it had been a long time since she had been taught the ancient language, she was fairly certain what this word spelled out. With wide eyes, Merida looked up at Hiccup in disbelief.

"This is Gaelic," Merida replied, "It…it's the Gaelic spelling of Adag." Hiccup gazed back at her with a wide grin.

"It is," He questioned in disbelief. Merida nodded as she grinned up at him.

"So, it's really Adag," he questioned, "it really exists...a-and I actually found it?"

"Aye," Merida replied in both excitement and disbelief, "I think ye did!"

Hiccup laughed out loud in excitement as he picked Merida up suddenly and spun her around, causing her to laugh as well. As he placed her back on her feet, he leaned forward and kissed her quickly upon the cheek. At this point Eret and Fish had congregated by Hiccup in interest of his discovery.

"This is unbelievable," Hiccup cried out in excitement.

"This is incredible Hiccup," Merida smiled up at him."

"Wait, "Fish interrupted, "you're saying that Adag is actually a real place, and not just your family name?" Hiccup shifted his eyes to Fishlegs and Eret.

"Now, I'm fairly certain it's both a village and my family name," Hiccup replied as he glanced up at Fish and Eret, "just like you guys suggested. Maybe my family has deeper ties to Dunbroch, after all!"

"What do ye mean, deeper ties to Dunbroch," Merida questioned. Hiccup shrugged as he turned back to Merida.

"Yeah, uh, when I told Eret and Fish about my recent dream, the guys suggested that my family might have had a bit more of a vested interest in Dunbroch then we thought," Hiccup replied, "they think Berk might have been an ally of Dunbroch a lot longer than we previously believed. It…it could be that we were associated with that particular village or...or maybe we even owned it before the banishment? Eret even suggested that Adag could be both a…a family name and a village name. Now it looks like that might actually be the case!"

Merida furrowed her brow as she thought about it. She supposed it was possible. Perhaps the alliance with Berk had started years before they were hired to rid the land of dragons. After all, Mairead had described her father and the Berkan Chief as old friends. But could it also be that the Berkan's were given land in Dunbroch? It was highly unlikely. Unless of course, maybe the king had offered the Berkans land as payment for hunting the dragons. Even so, the deal would have had to have been agreed upon by the lords. That in itself was unlikely, it wasn't quite as simple as repaying the chief of Berk with a parcel of land. In granting him land, the king had in essence made the Berkan Chief a lord of Dunbroch himself. It seemed unlikely that the lords would have ever willingly agreed to giving a clan of Vikings as much stock in Dunbroch as they had. Still, that did not rule this possibility out. Although the lords would have had a say in such an agreement, the king would ultimately have the final say. It was fairly possible that the king had decided against the lords' advice. Perhaps he was desperate enough to rid Dunbroch of dragons that he had simply agreed to the Berkan's terms without the approval of the lords. Or perhaps the King was so grateful to the Berkans, that he had gifted his old friend with the honor of lordship.

"What are you thinking," Hiccup asked as he gazed at her curiously. Merida turned her eyes to him and shrugged.

"I'm not sure," Merida replied, "I...I've never heard of such an agreement with any ally, but I suppose King Hamish might have made an exception for yer clan. It might even have been that the land was payment for hunting the dragons. But if that is so, the agreement would've caused a tremendous political upheaval." Hiccup furrowed his brow at her comment.

"How so," Hiccup questioned.

"If it's true, then King Hamish did nae just give the chief of Berk land Hiccup….he gave him Lordship," Merida replied, "he'd have had rights equal to the other lords of Dunbroch. Knowing what we know now o' the lords, I doubt it'd have gone over so well with them." Hiccup gripped his chin as he thought heavily over Merida's suggestion. The more he thought over this possible scenario, the more it seemed to make sense in regards to their grandparents' mystery. He turned his eyes back to Merida in sudden clarity.

"Maybe that's it," Hiccup replied, "maybe that's why all of this happened...the banishment, the...the lies about Berk...everything!"

"I thought the reason was because Mairead tried to call off her betrothal against my grandfather's wishes," Merida replied.

"Yeah, but maybe that's only part of it," Hiccup replied excitedly, "don't you see Merida; if the king actually gave Chief Halvar the Terrible Lordship in Dunbroch, then that means Hiccup the first would have had equal opportunity to marry Mairead. You said before that a princess has always been expected to marry nobility." Merida continued to gaze at hiccup in intrigue as he spoke.

"Think about it Merida," Hiccup went on, "it is very unlikely that the king would have considered dissolving Mairead's betrothal to your grandfather just so she could marry a common Viking. But if this theory turns out to be true, then Hiccup the first wasn't just a common Viking! My grandfather was also the son of an appointed lord! Maybe the king was actually considering Mairead's request! Maybe that's why your grandfather lied to get Berk banished." Merida gazed back at Hiccup in disbelief.

"Aye, and the banishment would have stripped the Berkan chief of his title," Merida replied, "it might've been the only way to stop Hiccup the first and Mairead from being together."

"Wait," Eret replied skeptically, "so you're saying, Chief Halvar the Terrible, could have actually been a Lord of Dunbroch as well." Hiccup nodded enthusiastically.

"It could definitely be a possibility," Hiccup replied, "obviously we need to investigate it further."

"Hic," Fish interrupted, "if this is all true...do you know what this means?" Hiccup turned to Fish curiously.

"This would make you the direct heir to Adag," Fish explained, "it means that you aren't just a common Viking either, you're a Lord too! You would be the Lord of clan Haddock!" Hiccup furrowed his brow at Fish's suggestion.

"Me," Hiccup questioned disbelievingly, "you're saying that I could be an actual Lord of Dunbroch."

"You are Halvar the Terrible's last living heir," Fish replied with a grin, "If he was a lord than that means you would inherit his seat in Dunbroch!" Hiccup shook his head in disbelief. Though his own conclusion was definitely significant, Hiccup hadn't fully realized the implications of his theory. Could this be true? Could he actually be a lord of Dunbroch? Hiccup turned back to Merida with wide eyes. As he gazed at her, a grin slowly formed on his face. He took her hands in his and held them tightly.

"Merida, do you realize what this means," Hiccup questioned, "if...if I'm technically a lord...then..."

"Then ye'd be in the same standing as Macintosh, Dingwall, and MacGuffin," Merida continued.

"A-and I'd have just as much right to court you as the lords' sons do," Hiccup replied, "the Lords would literally have no argument against me!"

"Aye, that may be so," Merida replied, "but as I said, the banishment o' yer people would have stripped your grandfather of his title. As long as the banishment stands, none of it will matter." Hiccup sighed heavily as he pondered her words. Though their situation was still fairly tentative, Hiccup felt that their discovery could indeed change everything. He was more hopeful than he had been thus far.

He turned his eyes back to her and smiled warmly. He gazed at her lovingly for a long moment looking deep into her pale sky-blue eyes. Slowly, he lifted his hand to her cheek. His rough fingers grazed her skin as he brushed a loose curl from her beautiful face and gently tucked it behind her ear. His hand came to rest upon her cheek as he continued to gaze at her with a hopeful smile.

"We will find the truth Merida," Hiccup replied firmly, "and we will prove to your family that Berk deserves a second chance." Merida nodded at his words. She took comfort in Hiccup's confidence. She had no doubt that he would do everything in his power to do exactly what he said he would, but her worry remained. There were still the Lords to deal with. Even if they did manage to find real evidence of Hiccup's claim, the truth might not matter to the Lords at all. It was likely the Lords would stand against them no matter what the truth was. Merida leaned against his hand as she took comfort in his touch.

"I trust ye Hiccup," Merida replied, "I know ye'll do as ye say...but there is still the matter o' the Lords. I fear that they will ne'er accept this no matter what proof we find. The lords plotted against Berk before, there is no telling what they'd do to ye." Hiccup nodded in understanding.

"I know that," Hiccup replied, "I know...but if we prove this then the Lord's won't have a leg to stand on Merida; they will have no choice but to accept it. Merida nodded in understanding. Hiccup took her face in his hands and gazed lovingly into her pale blue eyes. "This means that you and I have a real, legitimate chance to be together Merida," Hiccup went on, "a chance that the lords can't dispute." He leaned his forehead against hers and smiled at her reassuringly. Merida could feel her heart flutter as she gazed back into his green eyes.

"They might not be able to argue against ye if this proves to be true" Merida replied, "but that doesn't mean the Lords willnae still try to cast ye aside, just as the previous lords did to Hiccup the first. Hiccup nodded as he pondered her ominous words.

"Well, one thing is certain," Hiccup replied with a confident smile, "they'll have one hell of a fight on their hands." With that, Hiccup leaned forward pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss, causing a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. He smiled warmly as he pulled away. "We got this okay," Hiccup smiled. Merida nodded as she smiled back at him but the worry still showed in her eyes.

"I have no doubt we'll find the truth," Merida replied, "I just hope it's enough to keep the lords at bay."

"Uh…Hiccup," Fish interrupted, "the more I think about it….there is just one thing that doesn't quite add up." Hiccup dropped his hands from Merida's face and turned to Fish curiously.

"What's that," Hiccup questioned.

"If all of this is actually true," Fish replied, "if the king at that time actually gave Adag to your family then…why didn't your grandfather include it on his map?"

Hiccup furrowed his brow as he thought over Fishlegs' quandary But the more he thought about it himself, the more questions arose in his brain. Something was just not quite adding up. Why hadn't the village been included in the map? It was easy to assume that his grandfather had missed it, but if the theory of Adag was correct then it did not make sense that his grandfather would have left it out.

"I…I don't really know," Hiccup thought aloud."

"Maybe he specifically left it out," Merida suggested.

Hiccup nodded at her suggestion. It certainly wasn't the only thing his grandfather had tried to hide about Dunbroch. It was very possible that he had purposely left out the village and the lake, but what Hiccup couldn't figure out was why. What else had his grandfather been trying to hide? And likewise, if the king trusted the chief of Berk enough to give him Lordship in Dunbroch, then what could have happened to cause him to not only banish Berk but also erase them completely from Dunbroch history.

As Hiccup thought over these questions it became more and more likely that the one actually responsible for the banishment, the lies and the cover up was in fact, Merida's great great grandfather, Lord Callum III. But Hiccup's own grandfather seemed to have been complacent in the scheme. It didn't make any sense. If Lord Callum had indeed plotted against Berk, why did Hiccup the first comply and also hide the truth? With all of this in mind Hiccup thought back to Mairead's prophetic words.

...

"The House of Adag is lost, exiled and forgotten, it is said an Adag will lead them home, but only a link forged by both clans will renew their bond. It's so much bigger than us Hiccup, we were only the start of it. The house of Adag will rise and the bond between the clans will be unbreakable. For the link that binds them was forged in love."

...

He repeated the words over and over again in his mind in regards to their newest theory. He believed whole heartedly that he and Merida were being led to set things right between their clans. He believed that they were meant to mend the bond between their people. There was no question that their grandparents' spirits haunted them because they were meant to do what their grandparents had not done in life. But perhaps there was more to it than that. He was the last living Haddock after all; he was destined to be the Haddock to restore his family's name in Dunbroch, to reclaim the title that was rightfully theirs. In doing so, he and Merida could be together and their union would renew the bond between Berk and Dunbroch. The more Hiccup thought about it, the more determined he became.

"Did you find anything else in the village itself," Fish questioned, "did you find any other clues there besides the archway?"

"Uh...not exactly," Hiccup replied as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "but then I didn't exactly get the chance to thoroughly investigate it either."

"Why's that," Eret questioned curiously. Hiccup shifted his gaze back to Merida in slight apprehension.

"Uh…well…the thing is…uh…something sort of happened while we were there," Hiccup replied with a shrug. Merida's smile faded as she gazed up at him and was replaced with an expression of concern.

"What do ye mean somethin' happened," Merida questioned.

"Well...we…uh…we sorta were not exactly alone there," Hiccup replied.

"Ye were seen," Merida questioned anxiously, "weren't ye!" Hiccup shrugged slightly.

"Technically, we were seen," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "but it's not what you think."

"I knew it," Merida cried out as she threw her hands up in exasperation. She tossed the paper back at Hiccup and stormed away once again.

"Oh, come on Merida," Hiccup groaned in frustration as he followed after her, "could ya just stop a-and listen to me for a second, please! I can explain if you just let me!" Merida turned and glared up at him with arms crossed.

"Go on then," Merida huffed.

"It…it wasn't a person," Hiccup stuttered, "it was a…well, uh…I…I don't exactly know what it was. It was some sort of a...a creature…I think."

"A creature," Merida questioned flatly.

"It was in the lake and it was completely camouflaged by the mist," Hiccup explained, "it was like it could blend right in...almost like a...a changewing."

"A changewing," Merida questioned.

"A changewing is a mystery class dragon," Fishlegs explained, "it has the ability to completely change its appearance to blend into its surroundings." Merida gazed at Fishlegs in intrigue as she pondered his words.

"Aren't you forgetting something mate," Eret interrupted. Hiccup, Fish and Merida turned to Eret curiously. "There are no tidal class changewings."

"Well, none that we know of anyway," Fishlegs replied, "but that doesn't mean that none exist."

"True," Hiccup replied, "but this didn't really look like a changewing; at least none that I've ever seen before. Of course, I didn't exactly get the best look at it before it ran off. From what I could make out, it had a long neck and its head sort of reminded me of Angus." Fishlegs furrowed his brow as he thought over all Eret and Hiccup had said.

"So, if this thing was a dragon," Fish replied, "then it's definitely a tidal class, but if it could camouflage like a changewing then it's also a mystery class." Hiccup griped his chin as he pondered Fishlegs' words.
"Can a dragon be in two classes," Hiccup questioned. Fishlegs shrugged.

"I suppose if it has attributes of two different classes, then it can," Fish replied, "or…or maybe it's some sort of a hybrid breed….like a cross between two different breeds….this could be a groundbreaking discovery!"

"Unless maybe it didn't change to camouflage," Hiccup thought aloud, "maybe its skin was just naturally the color of the mist. Maybe that's why it lives in that particular lake." As Hiccup spoke an interesting thought occurred to Fishlegs and he turned to Hiccup excitedly.

"What if it can create its own mist to hide itself," Fishlegs suggested, "like a flightmare, or a mist twister." Hiccup nodded as he thought about it.

"I guess it's possible," Hiccup replied. As Hiccup and Fish discussed the creature, Merida had begun to suspect that the strange creature that Hiccup had stumbled upon might not be a dragon at all. She had a strong feeling, that the creature might be something far more sinister. She gazed up at Hiccup questioningly.

"Hiccup, are ye absolutely certain that the creature ye came across was a dragon," Merida asked. Hiccup turned to her curiously.

"Well...I... I'm not a hundred percent certain," Hiccup replied, "like I said I didn't exactly get a good look at it before Toothless scared it off. I tried to, but I wasn't exactly feeling well when it showed up, I was feeling lightheaded at the time. If it wasn't for Toothless, I'd never have even known it was there to begin with." Merida gazed at him in concern as he spoke.

"Ye weren't feelin' well," Merida questioned, "are ye okay now?"

"Yeah…I'm fine," Hiccup replied dismissively, "it was probably just because I flew on an empty stomach no big deal."

"Where exactly did ye find this loch," Merida questioned.

"I'll show you," Hiccup replied as he pulled his grandfather's map from his pocket. He carefully unfolded the paper then crouched down and lay the map upon the ground. The others knelt down beside him.

"It's here," Hiccup said as he pointed to the area on the map where the mountainous region was indicated. Merida's heart nearly froze as she looked at the place where Hiccup had pointed.

"The gray hills," Merida muttered. She looked up at Hiccup with a fearful expression on her face. Hiccup gazed at her questioningly.

"That place is said to be haunted," Merida said. Hiccup furrowed his brow at her comment. He thought back to the strange and eerie feeling of being watched while he investigated the lake.

"Are…are you suggesting that I saw a ghost," Hiccup questioned.

"Worse," Merida replied, "I think ye may have seen a kelpie...and the worst among them...the Each-uisge'."

"Each-uisge'," Hiccup repeated.

"Aye, it's said to be a vengeful spirit," Merida replied, "legend has it that it haunts the lochs o' the gray hills. It's a shapeshifter that can change its form to lure those, unlucky enough to stumble upon it." Hiccup nodded as he pondered her words.

"A shapeshifter," Hiccup repeated in intrigue. Eret gazed curiously at Merida. The way she described the Each-uisge was very reminiscent of a story his mother used to tell him when he was a little boy.

"My mother used to tell me a similar story," Eret said, "about an evil spirit that appeared in the form of a horse to lure children into the woods. But that was just a myth to teach kids not to roam too far into the forest alone." Both Merida and Hiccup glanced in his direction in intrigue.

"Aye, but tis no myth," Merida replied firmly, "many a Scotsman have been lost in the gray hills."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean there is some evil spirit lurking in the woods stealing people," Eret replied skeptically, "maybe the reason people go missing is simply because the gray hills are hard to navigate." Merida turned to Eret with a serious expression on her face.

"Believe what ye will," Merida replied, "but it's a known fact that the Each-uisge lurks in the lochs of the gray hills." She turned to Hiccup as she spoke. "Tis said the beast is most often seen in the form of a gentle horse or a beautiful maiden at the water's edge. It purposely chooses a vulnerable form to lure men to their watery grave." Hiccup gulped slightly as he continued to gaze at Merida in curiosity. He remained silent for a long moment as he pondered all that she had said.

"But in my case," Hiccup replied, "it took the form of a dragon...because it knew that I wouldn't be afraid of it." Merida nodded.

"It must've been watchin' ye for some time, it may have tried to mimic Toothless," Merida replied, "yer lucky that Toothless knew better; if ye'd gotten any closer, ye'd have been lost for sure." Hiccup furrowed his brow as he continued to ponder Merida's suggestion.

Though her description of the creature was intriguing, parts of it didn't quite add up. If the Each-uisge' could shape-shift to lure people to it, then why bother blending in with the mist at all? And for what reason did it seek to lure people to it to begin with? Were humans it's food source? Was it defending its territory from curious strangers? Maybe it was protecting itself from hunter's looking to kill it. Or perhaps it was protecting something of value. Hiccup was certain that there had to be more to it. Suddenly an intriguing thought popped into Hiccup's head.

"What if it's not just a vengeful spirit, Merida," Hiccup suggested, "what if it's...what if it's guarding the village itself?"

"Guarding Adag," Merida questioned, "but...why would it do that?" Hiccup shrugged as he thought over Merida's question.

"I don't know," Hiccup replied, "but it's worth looking into." Merida huffed slightly at Hiccup's answer as she stood from her place beside him. She gazed back at him with a fearful expression on her face.

"Hiccup, have ye lost yer mind," Merida replied as she paced before him, "yer lucky ye weren't drowned or worse. Why on earth would ye want to go back there?" Hiccup gazed up at her with a determined look on his face.

"How could I not," Hiccup replied as he stood from his crouched position.

"Hiccup," Merida groaned.

"This is Adag, Merida," Hiccup went on, "not just some random village! A-and after what we just discovered; how could you not want to go back too? This is exactly what we've been looking for! This is the closest to the truth we've come so far! Mairead showed me that place for a reason! We need to go back!"

"If that place is guarded by a kelpie like ye say," Merida replied, "then it's not safe to go back! We can find the truth another way, Hiccup!"

"How," Hiccup questioned, "by...by searching aimlessly for some old witch in the woods in the hopes that maybe she'll have some answers...or...or waiting for the wisps to reappear or going through the archives even though we already know that our history was destroyed? This is our best lead Merida, we have to follow it!"

"It's nae worth the risk," Merida cried out, "I'll nae loose ye to that evil creature lurking in the gray hills!"

"I know you're afraid, Merida, maybe for good reason," Hiccup replied, "but we need to look into this, kelpie or no kelpie! Just yesterday you were practically up in arms about us not finding the truth in time, a-and now we stumble upon our biggest clue yet a-and you don't want to even investigate?" Fish and Eret silently backed away as the couple continued to argue.

"It's dangerous Hiccup," Merida exclaimed, "I dinnae wish to see ye hurt or worse!" Hiccup sighed heavily as he gazed back at her for a long moment. She gazed back at him with watery eyes and a fearful expression on her face. His gaze softened as he approached her. He reached out and took her hand gently in his and held it tightly in reassurance.

"I know going back might be dangerous," Hiccup replied, "but we have to find out what's so important about Adag! We need to find out how that place is connected to all of this! You know as well as I do, that this is exactly what our grandparents would have wanted us to do! If we can actually prove our theory about Adag...it could change everything!" Merida sighed heavily in resignation. She knew that he was right. Mairead had shown him the village for a reason. Though it was going to possibly be dangerous, they couldn't just ignore what he had discovered.

"Alright," Merida replied reluctantly, "but let's just keep to the village, and stay as far away from the loch as possible. And we are not flying!" Hiccup grinned at her. He leaned forward and kissed her softly upon the cheek causing her to blush slightly. She gazed back at him with a half-smile, but her face still displayed an expression of uncertainty.

"Don't worry," Hiccup replied, "this is not the first time that I've ever dealt with a dangerous creature, and now that I sort of know what to expect I won't be caught off guard."

"That may be so," Merida replied, "but this isn't anything like a dragon. It's a creature not of the natural world, there is no tellin' what it's capable of."

"We believed the same about dragons not so long ago," Hiccup replied assuredly, "and it turns out they were just misunderstood. Maybe the same is true about the kelpie."

"Please dinnae underestimate the presence o' a kelpie Hiccup," Merida said as she gazed up at him seriously, "ye may have gotten through to the dragons, but kelpies are pure evil." Hiccup nodded as he gazed at Merida. He could see she was truly fearful of the creature he had possibly come across. Considering she had shown no fear for dragons, Vikings, ghostly lights in the woods, or witches that turn people into bears, he took her worry seriously.

"Promise me ye will nae go lookin' for the kelpie in hopes to understand it, Hiccup," Merida pleaded. Hiccup gazed at her reassuringly for a long moment with a serious expression on his face. He leaned forward once more and placed his hand lovingly upon her soft cheek as he gazed deep into her sky-blue eyes.

"I promise I will not go looking for the Kelpie," Hiccup replied assuredly, "but if it shows itself again…or if it tries to hurt you or the others. I am going to deal with it." Merida nodded in understanding. Hiccup smiled slightly as he took her hand in his and held it tightly.

"We should probably go now, while the weather's still good," Hiccup said, "if we are going by foot, it will take a bit longer to get there and I don't want to get caught in another storm after what happened last time." Merida smirked up at him.

"I don't know," Merida shrugged, "getting caught in a storm with ye the first time wasn't so bad. I mean, aside from breaking my curfew and getting grounded of course." Hiccup chuckled lightly at her comment.

"No, it definitely wasn't all bad," Hiccup agreed as he recalled their time together in the cave, "but, not seeing you for three days after was practically unbearable." Merida smirked at his words.

"Unbearable," Merida chuckled, "we weren't even together then."

"True," Hiccup replied, "but that didn't matter...I already knew that I was falling for you. I spent all three days, just thinking about you, wondering if you even felt the same about me, a-and questioning if I even stood a chance. Not to mention trying to think of ways to tell you how I felt. Trust me, it was absolute torture."

"I can attest to that," Eret interrupted, "and might I add, it was no picnic for us either." Merida raised an eyebrow as she gazed up at Hiccup with a smirk on her face. Hiccup rolled his eyes as he turned to Eret in annoyance.

"Did I ask for your input," Hiccup groaned. Eret chuckled at Hiccup's reaction. Hiccup smirked at Eret, then turned back to Merida with a grin. "All I'm saying is I really don't want to risk getting you into trouble again. Given that we need your parents' approval, I really don't want to do anything to get on their bad side." Merida smiled as she leaned forward and kissed him softly upon the cheek, causing Hiccup's heart to flutter. He smiled back at her lovingly.

"Ya know," Hiccup said as he grinned at her, "in all the excitement a-and arguing, I forgot to say hello to you properly." Merida put her hands on her hips and smirked back at him playfully.

"Oh, did ye now," she said flatly, "I hadn't noticed."

"Hey, it is partially your fault," Hiccup replied sarcastically, "you are the one that started the argument after all."

"Me," Merida cried out indignantly, "Ah'ament th' yin wha flew off on my dragon in th' middle o' th' day! If it weren't for ye, there would nae have been an argument tae begin wi'!"

Hiccup chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss, causing Merida's annoyance to instantly melt away. He pulled away slowly and gazed at her lovingly as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Hi," he said with a grin. Merida blushed as she gazed back at him with a tender smile.

"Hi," she replied. Eret cleared his throat suddenly distracting them from their tender moment. Hiccup and Merida turned to face Eret and Fish.

"Hate to break up the moment," Eret said, "but time is of the essence if we're going to make it to Adag and back in time, yeah." Hiccup nodded as he turned back to Merida with a smile.

"What do you say," Hiccup questioned as he took her hand in his, "you up for a little day trip?"

"Aye," Merida replied with a nervous smile, "I suppose." Eret gazed back and forth between the two of them with a playful smirk on his face.

"Great," Eret replied, "let's go." He turned his eyes to Merida and smiled reassuringly, "and don't worry your highness, we've dealt with many a dangerous creature in the past...one kelpie shouldn't be an issue."

"Some might even have been worse," Fish chimed in, "the green death was pretty terrifying!"

"The green death," Merida questioned.

"Yeah, we'll fill ya in along the way," Hiccup replied as he took her by the hand.

"Speakin' o' which," Merida replied, "I have quite a bit to fill ye in about as well." Hiccup furrowed his brow as he turned to her curiously.

"Did you talk to your mom," Hiccup questioned.

"Aye," Merida replied somewhat somberly, "and my brothers as well...I'm afraid we have a lot to talk about Hiccup." Hiccup could feel his heart freeze with her tentative words. He had a feeling that things were about to get even more complicated than they already were.

"Okay," Hiccup sighed, "I promise we will talk, but let's just focus on investigating Adag for now and then we'll talk about everything okay." Merida nodded in agreement. Hiccup smiled at her reassuringly as he pulled her hand up to his lips and gently kissed the back of it. He proceeded to lead her in the direction of Toothless.

"Aye," Merida agreed, "we'll talk later about what I learned from my mum...but the situation with my brothers is a tad more urgent." Hiccup quickly mounted Toothless and held his hand out to Merida.

"How so," Hiccup asked in concern. Merida slipped her hand in his and allowed him to help her up onto the dragon's back.

"I told them everything," Merida replied matter-of-factly as she settled onto Toothless' saddle behind Hiccup. Hiccup furrowed his brow at her comment as he turned and gazed at her questioningly over his shoulder.

"Everything," Hiccup questioned in slight concern, "like everything, everything?" Merida nodded as she gazed up at him with a regretful expression on her face.

"Aye, just about everything," Merida replied, "they know that yer a viking, and they know I have feelings for ye."

"Why exactly did you decide to tell them now," Hiccup questioned.

"I didn't have much of a choice," Merida replied, "They caught me reading the note ye left me...they confronted me about it and I told them the truth." Hiccup turned forward as he reached for Toothless' reigns.

"So did they take it well," Hiccup asked hopefully.

"They called ye a boggin, clatty scoundrel," Merida replied flatly, "and they threatened to go straight to mum." Hiccup gulped at her words.

"Well, that's just great," Hiccup replied sarcastically.

"Don't worry, I set them straight," Merida replied, "they've agreed to help me get through to mum on the condition that ye and I come forward sooner rather than later of course."

"Well, that's not so bad," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "we already planned to do that anyway." He leaned forward and pat Toothless upon the side of the neck, signaling him to go.

"Aye," Merida replied, "it seems the boys are just as thrilled as I at the prospect my having to choose one of the Lords' sons to wed. But even so, after all I learned from mum today, I fear gettin' through to her will be just as difficult as I said, if not more so." Hiccup sighed heavily as he pondered all Merida had said. Though he didn't know all the details about what she had learned from her mother yet, he supposed it could be worse. They were in the same predicament they had been from the start which was what he had expected. At least now they had her brothers on their side. He glanced at her over his shoulder once again and smiled reassuringly.

"Well, try not to worry," Hiccup replied, "I promise, one way or another, we'll figure all this out okay." Merida leaned forward as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I hope so," she replied. With that, Hiccup turned forward and directed Toothless into the woods in the direction of Adag.