Here's Chapter Three! I hope you guys like the story so far!
Disclaimer: I don't own brave, how to train your dragon, daughter of the forest, and the six swans
Chapter Three: All Things Come with a Price
The trek to Firefalls took most of the night what with her family trying to adjust to their new bodies. Merida volunteered to walk on her own and carry the boys while her mother assisted her father through the forest and up the cliffs. Each Dunbroch was exhausted and hungry, but Merida promised she would hunt for some food as soon as they got to Firefalls. They couldn't risk stopping for too long and have people find them.
It seemed like an eternity had passed when they finally reached Firefalls, the sun peaking over the cliffside, dying the water a beautiful orange. Merida let her family rest while she took to fishing for food with her bow and arrows. Satisfied with catching a huge haul, she walked back to her family and had to stop herself from bursting out laughing.
Her mother seemed to have taken it in stride and set up a makeshift stone table with flat stones as plates and had her family sit like proper humans rather than bears as they waited for breakfast. Elinor eyed her, and Merida stopped giggling, shame filling her once again at the thought of her being the one to put them in this predicament. She readied herself into preparing a fire and cooking the fish, and she could hear her family eagerly pawing for some food.
"Breakfast is ready!" Merida said cheerfully, trying to ease the situation, and placed a fish on each of their plates. The boys and her father tried to immediately scarf down their fish, but Elinor slapped their paws away. She held up wood utensils she must've last minute made and gestured for them to use them. Everyone begrudgingly obliged, obviously having difficulty besides Merida. Many times, the fish slipped from their grasps and Merida felt pity on them.
Taking their fish, she cut them up with her carving knife and proceeded to feed each of her family members. Elinor looked put out but was grateful in the end as she got food in her stomach. When breakfast was finished, Merida cleared her throat. Her parents and brothers turned their attention to her and she began to speak.
"So, I've been thinking and it's clear we have to expose Gothel and find a way to change ye all back to humans." Merida began. They looked confused. Her father made a noise as he was asking who was Gothel. Merida swallowed. "She is the person impersonating Ma. I… I may have been given a potion from her and it turned ye into bears." Merida admitted apprehensively.
Surprisingly, it wasn't her father or brothers who had the outburst but her mother. The poor woman-turned-bear began pacing, making noises only her father and brothers could understand. Merida rushed to try and diffuse the situation from her mother having a breakdown.
"I didn't know it would turn ye into bears though! I just thought it would change my fate and give me my freedom!" Merida explained hurriedly.
That seemed to be the wrong thing to say though as her mother registered what she had confessed and began making noises of distress and pacing everywhere before finally getting in Merida's face and roaring at her to show her displeasure. Fergus and her brothers didn't stop her as she continued ranting and raving in bear language even though Merida couldn't understand her. Merida winced, having a feeling what she was saying, but had no desire to try and find out.
Finally, Elinor gave her a glare before stomping off towards the cave behind the falls. Her father looked helplessly between his wife and his daughter, trying not to blame his daughter like his wife was doing, but he couldn't feel much sympathy for Merida right now either. Soon, he joined his queen in the cave to try and console her. Merida sank to her knees, the guilt pulsing through her cruelly. She tried not to cry, telling herself her mother was right to yell at her, but she couldn't stop her lips from trembling. Sorrow consumed her, and she wondered if this nightmare would ever end.
Despite their predicament, Merida was surprised when she felt Harris, Hamish, and Hubert nuzzling her, trying to comfort her. She and her brothers stared at each other, and she knew what they were trying to say.
'It's all right.' Their eyes said. Merida hiccuped and embraced her brothers, who each embraced her back. She felt the love they shared engulf them, and Merida whispered promises that she would fix this and change them back as soon as she could.
Days passed, and Merida felt she was getting nowhere with figuring out how to expose Gothel as the real witch, but admitted the odds were stacked against her. Hubert, Hamish, and Harris tried their best to keep their sister preoccupied from sinking to despair as all her actions from before were stacked against her.
Elinor was still not speaking to Merida, and despite sleeping beside her so she wouldn't freeze to death in the cold nights, she refused to acknowledge and eat with her despite Merida catching fish for them. She gave her mother and father space, knowing unlike her brothers, they were not adjusting well to being bears. Fergus often struggled walking, and he was still a little wary of Merida to accept her help. Elinor refused to do anything like a bear, still clinging onto her humanity in every possible way. Seeing them struggle fueled Merida's determination harder to find a solution.
It wasn't until one morning where they were trying to eat Elinor's way without Merida's assistance after her cooking the fish that Elinor finally started to crack and, while once again struggling with the utensils, chucked them angrily and scowled. Like Merida, her mother was proud, and she knew she would not accept Merida's help with cutting and feeding them all the time.
Merida was off to the side, eating, and noticed her mother having a hard time. She crept closer, Fergus and her brothers watching warily, and sat beside her mother. Throwing away the utensils her mother made her, she scooped up the fish with her hands and chomped down on the morsel. She chewed obnoxiously, making sounds like a bear would, and let the fish juices drip down her chin as she watched her mother.
Fergus, Hamish, Hubert, and Harris copied Merida with hesitation, showing Elinor it was okay to eat this way. Elinor watched Merida, seeing her trying to adapt to them instead of them adapting to her, and soon, picked up her own fish with her paws and chomped down on the fish, letting the juice drip down her chin as well. Merida gave her a happy smile.
"I know it's hard, Ma." Merida told her gently. She stroked her mother's fur in an affectionate manner. "I swear whatever it takes, I'll find a way to change ye back. I won't let Gothel get away with this. I know I failed ye already, but please trust me when I say I will stay with ye and our family while ye go through this." Merida vowed.
Elinor nuzzled her daughter's cheek with her massive head, making cooing noises. Fergus crept closer and nuzzled Merida as well, proud that his daughter would be fixing her mistakes. Merida held them close, and inside she knew she would do whatever it takes to turn her family back to humans.
Merida snored as she slept in the middle of her family. She was awoken with a start when she heard a delighted cry.
"Merida! Merida, lass!" her mother's voice called. Merida jumped, sure it was a dream, but sure enough, her family were all human before her. She sprang up, emitting a cry of joy, and embraced them. She jumped away though, realizing they had no clothes. "Yer all naked like a wee baby!" Merida giggled.
"Swimming time!" Hamish cheered. His brothers cheered and raced to Firefalls lake to swim. Elinor and Fergus shook their heads with a fond smile before turning back to their oldest.
"I wonder how this happened…" Elinor mused, looking at themselves. Fergus scratched his head.
"Maybe the spell wore off?" he suggested with hope.
"Whatever the reason, it's a miracle." Elinor said. She caressed her daughter's cheek. "Thank ye Merida for staying with us." Merida embraced her mother again, so happy to hear her voice instead of bear noises once more.
"I have to find ye clothes!" Merida said, running to retrieve her bow and her father's sword. Fergus looked sad at the departure of his sword.
"Ay, Lass, when am I getting my sword back?" he pouted. Merida giggled.
"When we storm the castle to take back DunBroch!" Merida declared, and her father pumped a fist in the air and gave a battle cry.
"Finally, that day is coming sooner than I thought!" he cheered. Merida climbed the cliffs to go into the woods to hopefully steal some clothes for her family. She kept a steady pace, elated that her family was back to normal at last. Her mother wouldn't have to eat like a bear, her father could have his prosthetic leg back, and her brothers could be normal again!
A quiet giggling reached her ears and she turned to see a Wil' o wisp floating in the air. She backed away warily, remembering the last time she encountered a wisp. But what surprised her is more wisp lit up, as if they were leading her on a trail.
The redhead looked back towards the direction where her family was, and then back to the wisps. She gripped her father's sword for confidence, inhaling deeply. If these wisps led her into a trap, at least it would be just her and her family would be safe. However, she knew the wisps only lead you to your fate, and that comforted her a bit, despite her reservations.
Merida slowly followed the wisps, their beckoning whispers bringing her closer to where they wanted her to go. She didn't let go of her father's sword, ready for anything to come at her.
What she was expecting wasn't what she received, however, as the wisps led her to a quint woodcarvers' shop. She snuck closer, fingering the doorknob cautiously. Opening the door, slowly, Merida was shocked to find no one present. She entered, surveying the shop carefully. Merida startled, realizing she almost walked straight into a stuffed crow. It looked so lifelike…
"Relax, he's only stuffed." A voice spoke. Merida spun around, catching sight of an old woman carving a bear statue. Before Merida could touch the stuffed crow, he spoke.
"I am not stuffed!" The crow protested, offended. Merida sprung back, startled. The old woodcarver cackled, eyes sparkling in mirth.
"Aye, yer feathers are too messy to be a quality stuffed animal." She teased, face wrinkling with her smile. The crow 'hmphed' and presented his butt to the old woman but squawked when a broom came out of nowhere and whacked his bum. Merida quickly realized this woodcarver was not who she seemed and made to leave.
"Er, sorry, I think I have the wrong place." She said. The old woman continued carving, paying her no mind.
"Can't blame ye. Seems ye've already had some bad luck with my kind before. Let me guess—yer the fugitive princess the imposter queen is accusing of betrayal, right?" the old woman said simply. Merida stopped backing away, eyes widening.
"How did ye know who I am?!" Merida fretted, worried this woman would turn her in. The old woman waved her off.
"Yer hair gives ye away, Lass. Here, use this to cover it. Ye'll be caught within hours if ye leave yer hiding spot towards DunBroch." A piece of cloth smacked Merida in her face. Merida wasted no time in wrapping the cloth around her head, hiding her hair from view. "Usually I get customers who are unsatisfied with my work, but it seems ye've been tricked, aye?"
"How did ye know the queen is an imposter?" Merida asked, surprised the woman could see through Gothel's ruse.
"The queen loves her children. She would never banish ye right off the bat. Yer parents tried everything to save ye from imprisonment from freeing that Viking, right? If ye can't murder a Viking, I can't see ye murdering yer family." The old woman explained.
"I… thank ye." Merida said, shocked the woman had her figured out. "So, ye know about spells, right?"
"Oh, I don't do that anymore. Too many unsatisfied customers." The Witch denied. She yelped when Merida gripped her shoulders.
"Please! Tell me if Gothel's spell is broken! My family aren't bears anymore, so the spell is broken right?!" Merida hurriedly spoke. The Witch struggled in Merida's grip.
"Ack! Alright! Alright! I'll tell ye everything but ye need to give me something in return." The Witch freed herself and jabbed a finger at her. "Also, I ain't giving ye any potions! Don't want what Gothel did to be messed with."
"What about money?" Merida reasoned. The Witch waved it off.
"As of right now, ye have no money. Not chancing it on a deal I won't get paid for." Her eyes landed on Fergus's sword, eyeing the carving in awe. "Are those bears carved in the hilt?!" the Witch quickly knelt beside Merida, examining the sword in precision. The Witch caressed the blade like a praising craftsman.
Merida was indecisive. This was her father's ancestral sword. This sword has been in their family for centuries. It would be passed down to her son when she had children. It was an honor to wield one's ancestral blade and fight with it. A family weapon was a Scot's pride and joy. She thought back to when her parents weren't speaking to her—when they were disappointed and angry at her—and gripped the hilt tight.
But we need to know if this isn't a fluke… her thoughts argued, and she found herself seeing that they needed the information more than their pride.
Reluctantly, as if parting with a precious treasure, she handed over the blade. The Witch eagerly reached for it, but Merida pulled it away.
"Ye will tell me everything ye know, got it?" Merida stressed, and the Witch nodded, and Merida parted with the blade of her family. The Witch snapped her fingers and the blade disappeared into thin air. Merida gave a cry.
"Relax, it's just going to where all my precious treasures go. Don't want something like that getting away from me so easily." The Witch said.
"Okay, now tell me everything ye know!" Merida urged her along. The Witch signed at her impatience while her crow cackled.
"That's what you get for teasing the girl." He jested but was shooed away by her broom.
"Away with ye, ye damned bird." The Witch hissed. She gestured for Merida to follow her and the two took seats in the chairs. The Witch lit a fire and started carving away at one of her smaller figurines as she began speaking.
"I'm sure ye noticed yer family is human again, aye?" she questioned the princess. Merida nodded eagerly.
"Aye! It seemed like the spell wore off!"
"Nope!" the Witch held up a finger, and Merida blinked. The Witch wagged her finger. "An enchantment like that doesn't simply wear off. It must be broken!"
"Then… why are they human again?" Merida demanded, growing impatient at not knowing all the answers.
"Quiet, lass! I'm getting to that." The Witch ordered. She carved skillfully at the figure as she spoke. "Every month yer family will change back into humans every day there is a full moon. So, for a few days each month, yer family will be back to their normal selves, but every other day in the year they will still be bears." The Witch explained, working through a particularly detailed carving.
"Wha…? You mean the spell is still in effect?" Merida deflated, feeling that to be worse than just remaining bears the whole time. It was like her family would be getting a taste of what they couldn't have while cursed. The Witch nodded solemnly.
"I've heard of Gothel. She is known to not be kind in her spells." The Witch felt sympathy for Merida and her family. "I don't know how long she's lived exactly, but some say she gained eternal youth by obtaining a drop of the sun that fell down to Earth." The Witch added. Merida was shocked that Gothel had lived so long. The woman looked younger than her mother!
"How can I break the spell?" Merida was quick to ask. It was clear they were dealing with someone whose had centuries to learn trickery and deceit. Gothel was able to imprison Mor'du like he was simply a dog. It was obvious she was quite powerful.
The Witch winced, wishing Merida would forget about that part. She surveyed the young woman with empathy, seeing she had a wild spirit, and wondered if she could withstand the price to break Gothel's enchantment.
"There is a way…" the Witch spoke, uncertainly. Merida leaned forward.
"What is it? I'll do whatever it takes!" Merida swore to the Witch. The Witch gazed at her sadly.
"It won't be easy. You might break." The Witch warned. Merida didn't let that deter her.
"I am a Scotswoman. I am strong, and I will show no fear." Merida repeated the mantra of her people. "I am the one who got my family into this mess. I will be the one to get them out." Merida told the Witch with conviction. The Witch sighed in dismay.
"Very well." She got up to retrieve a book from her shelves. She opened it and showed Merida the plant displayed on the page. "This is the nettle plant. It is also known as the stinging nettle."
"Okay…?" Merida urged her to elaborate.
"Ye must harvest this plant and sew a cloth for yer family. It must cover them, and only then can they change back." The Witch explained.
"What kind of cloth?" Merida inquired.
"It usually depends. Some do shirts. Some do blankets. It would need to represent something from yer family. The bonds that were ripped must be fixed."
Merida remembered her mother's words about Merida one day making her own family tapestry. If she were in a humorous mood, she would've laughed at the irony.
"A family tapestry!" Merida exclaimed. The Witch took on a thoughtful look.
"That could very well work. It must be big enough to cover their shoulders though and must have all yer family on it since they are not individual shirts." Merida nodded.
"Is that it?" Merida asked, raising an eyebrow. She thought it would be more difficult. The Witch shook her head.
"There is a final requirement for this spell to work for yer family." The Witch claimed.
"Then what is it?" Merida urged her. "I'll do it! Anything to change them back."
"Ye must undertake a vow of silence." The Witch finally confessed. Merida's eyes widened. "Ye must make no sound. No crying. No laughing. Nothing. Ye must be silent from when ye start harvesting the plant for the tapestry until ye finish and cover them with it." The Witch told her sternly.
"I can't talk?" she repeated. The Witch nodded.
"All magic comes with a price, I'm afraid." The Witch eyed her in pity. "This enchantment is powerful, and ye need all the help ye can get to break it."
Merida reached a hand up to her throat, touching where her voice vibrated against her skin. Could she really take a vow of silence?
But then she remembered how happy her family was to finally be human again, and resolve rose within her like a righteous fury.
"I'll do it." Merida vowed. The Witch gave her a somber look and sighed.
"Very well then. Let me pack ye a bag of things ye'll need." The Witch set off to prepare Merida a pouch of things to aid her. When she was finished Merida examined the contents.
"I've given ye some seeds for the plant in case ye find yerself not able to find any. There's also notebooks and charcoal for ye to write to communicate, a dress to change into so ye don't give yerself away as the princess, clothes for ye family and cloaks to keep warm, a harvesting bag and sewing supplies for the plant, and finally books to teach ye Old Norse."
"The Viking language? Why would I need to know that?" Merida asked, wrinkling her nose at the prospect of studying. The Witch chuckled and patted her shoulder.
"Trust me. Being mute, but knowing other languages helps." She winked. Merida wondered if the Witch knew something she didn't but didn't press her. The Witch led her to the door. "Now I have some nettle plant behind the shop for ye. Remember, one ye start picking ye got to be silent. Good luck, Lass!" With that the Witch waved and shut the door behind Merida. Merida glanced back at the door before trekking towards where the Witch said there was nettle plant. She bit her lip, averting her eyes. Once she did this, there would be no more talking. No more laughing without a care. No crying with everything she had…
Her eyes locked onto the plant, and she saw the faces of her mother and father and brothers laughing in joy at being human again, and that made her decision. She reached a hand out, picking the plant, and a sharp pain shot through her.
Merida bit her cheek really hard to prevent from crying out. She retracted her hand, caressing it to sooth the sting. She glared at the hut—of course the plant she needed would be painful to harvest and sew, didn't it?
Digging into her bag, she found the harvesting bag for the nettle plant. Steeling her shoulders, she bit her lip to keep from crying out as she harvested more. Tears of pain escaped her eyes, but Merida stayed silent, determined to keep her vow of silence. Once she filled the bag, she journeyed back to her family, shoulders slumped at the news she would deliver them that their curse wasn't over.
It didn't take long to see the Firefalls. Relieved she was home, or her temporary home, she raced down the hills towards her family who were struggling to catch fish with their bare hands. A laugh erupted in her throat, but she squashed it, remembering her vow. She sighed, rubbing her neck, and wondered how she was going to be able to keep her vow of silence if she almost kept messing up.
Her brothers were the first ones to spot her and she waved as they raced over to her. She presented them with clothes to which they frowned, annoyed they would have to wear clothes again, but proceeded to dress themselves. Elinor aided Fergus over to Merida, and Merida smiled, hugging them in greeting. Elinor stroked her daughter's clothed head lovingly.
"I see ye found us some clothes, lass." Fergus said, and Merida opened her mouth to reply, but quickly shut it, nodding. Fergus and Elinor exchanged looks and then looked at her.
"Merida, why aren't ye talking?" Hamish asked. Her family was starting to become alarmed by Merida's lack of speech and the girl ushered them towards their makeshift stone table. She gave Fergus and Elinor their clothes and took out a journal and began writing something down. Her family fretted Merida herself was cursed, but before they could start panicking, she handed them the piece of paper.
'I know how to break yer curse, but I must be silent until the spell is broken.' She wrote. Elinor raised an eyebrow.
"Merida, what are ye talking about, lass?" Elinor demanded, afraid Gothel found her daughter and casted a spell on her. Merida took the paper back and wrote some more.
'Ye only turn human a few days every month when there's a full moon. A Witch told me how to break yer spell, but I must remain silent while working.' Merida explained. Elinor, Fergus, and the boys deflated when they read their human forms were only temporary.
"Work on what, Merida?" Hubert asked. Merida showed them the bag of nettle plant she harvested, and her family saw her swollen hands as she wrote more.
'I have to make a tapestry out of this plant. Once I do that, I cover yer shoulders with it and ye'll be human again!'
"No, Merida! This is too much!" Elinor exclaimed. She grabbed her daughter's swollen hands and held them close. "Don't do this to yerself! We'll find another way!"
"That's right, lass! There's got to be another way!" Fergus sided with his wife, not wanting to put their daughter through this for their sake.
"Merida, we don't want ye to be silent!" Harris hugged her, unable to take his sister hurting herself for them. Hamish and Hubert joined him in urging her to speak, but Merida shook her head firmly. She presented them with the paper.
'My choice. I'm doing it.' She left no room for argument and proceeded to show her family the items in her pack. Her family were confused when she told them she was learning Old Norse, but Merida pressed for her to learn it while crafting their family tapestry. Elinor took out one of the books and read it over. She then sat beside Merida and opened a book.
"Well then, might as well make most of the time we have as humans." Elinor sighed, opening to the first page. "We'll learn together." She smiled at her daughter.
"Bah! Leave me out of this! I refuse to learn Viking language! Come on boys! Let's catch dinner and give yer sister a break!"
"Aye!" they chorused and raced towards the lake. As her mother and her learned, Merida began work on the plant turning it into a tapestry, and despite wincing at the pain it gave her, she knew she would treasure this memory with her family fondly.
She would save them. Nothing could stop her now.
There you go! Chapter Three! Guess who shows up next chapter? Please let me know what you think!
