Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Disney/Dreamworks/Game of Thrones characters, locations, and/or terms. I am just a humble weaver unraveling cloths of stories to thread together and create a new pattern. If you would like to read the info and details of this fic, or if you are confused about some characters' names, you may go to the Preface section. Thank you!

MERIDA

"Slowly pull it back." Merida closed one eye to check the position of the bow. "Yes, move your hold up a bit. Careful the arrow doesn't move away from the bow; you could possibly shoot someone in the face, and that someone could be you."

"The string is quite taught," Hiccup said, flinching as he drew back the arrow, testing the flexibility of the bow with a few tugs. "Are you sure this was the same bow I used yesterday?"

Merida placed her hands on her hips and glared, the bow across her back swinging slightly. "You doubt me? Of course it is! Now stop whining and pull it further. That arrow will only reach the target halfway by the distance of your pull on the string."

Giving a soft grunt, Hiccup pulled the arrow back further and released. The shaft flew, wobbling, and hit the target at the edge, the crude wooden circle spinning from its tether on the branch. Merida chortled, hiding her reddening face behind a hand. Hiccup stared at her exasperatedly. He threw the bow to the ground.

"I'm sorry," Merida said in between fits of laughter. "I don't mean to. I can't help it!"

Hiccup shook his head and stomped off to the rest of the arrows, all of which have been failed attempts and were now on the ground. As he was picking them up, Merida walked over and helped him, drying tears from the corner of her eyes.

"I am as ineffective a student as you are a teacher," he said, pausing to study an arrowhead. He ran his finger along the flat side. "I don't think I'll ever be good at this."

"It's only been a week," taking the arrows from Hiccup, Merida put them together with the ones she had retrieved and shoved them back in the quiver. "I'm sure if we both work at it we'll improve; I a master instructor and you a below average, nearly there marksman."

"Thank you so much for the encouragement," Hiccup rolled his eyes at her, but smiled after. "What a pair we'd be, then. The incompetent heir to the throne and the wildling princess."

Merida tried her best to reciprocate the smile. But the idea that she was betrothed turned the taste in her mouth sour. She did not mind Prince Hiccup. In fact, they were getting along so well, spending a copious amount of time each day to archery in the woods, where no one would mock either of them for being inferior, or a girl. Yet she was to be his wife, the future queen. She didn't want to be bound to the throne, expected to be the very image of her mother: poised, elegant, charming. She was none of those, far from even.

"Did you perhaps eat a bad piece of meat?" Hiccup asked, peering at her face. "You look like you swallowed pig's brain, threw it up and ate it again."

With a grimace Merida punched him lightly on the arm, but Hiccup still staggered back, laughing. "Could you give me a lift, His Highness of Incompetency? I have to reach that arrow up there that you so greatly lodged."

"I don't suppose we could get someone else to-"

"No!" Merida exclaimed, grabbing Hiccup by the shoulders and shaking him. "No one must know of this place, remember? You promised!"

"My lady!" Hiccup replied with equal verve. He grasped Merida's shoulders as well to calm her. "I was merely jesting. I would never break my promise."

Arms dropping to her sides, she frowned at him. "For true?"

Hiccup smiled at her. "For as long as the sun rises, for true."

A rustling from behind them made them jump. Instinctively, Merida pulled the quiver close and deftly swung her bow from its place on her back, nocking an arrow as quick as lightning. "Who goes there?"

Lady Astrid Hofferson stumbled out from the shadow of the trees, axe in hand, face flushed. "Forgive me, Your Highness, Lady Dunbroch," she stammered, keeping her gaze on the ground. "I was just…" she looked back into the depths of the forest and blushed deeper. "I did not mean to interrupt."

"Astrid!" Hiccup squeaked, stepping around Merida and approaching the newcomer. "Astrid… What brings you here?"

Swinging her axe to hide it behind her, Astrid shuffled on her feet. "The Lord Hand sent me to look for you. He told me to inform Your Highness that there is an emergency at the bay and the shipmaster begs an audience with the prince."

"Oh, of course! Thank you!" Scratching the back of his neck, Hiccup awkwardly bowed to Astrid before turning to Merida. "My lady, I beg your pardon. I hope we may resume on the morrow."

He reached for Merida's hand, and she almost pulled away, but didn't. He was quivering as he lifted her hand to his lips for a brief kiss. "On the morrow, then." Merida managed to say.

"And," Astrid began, and cleared her throat first before continuing. "And the Lord Hand has also told me to notify the Lady Merida that Lady Elinor has arrived."

Oh no. "Thank you, Lady Astrid," trying for a curtsy and failing, Merida ran for her chambers, leaving a bemused Hiccup and a still flushed Astrid behind. She had to stow away her weapons before her mother found them in her possession. Taking two steps at a time, Merida dashed up the stairs. Clutching her quiver and bow close she was only a corner away when the door to her right opened and she came face to face with her mother. As quickly as she could, she moved both bow and quiver behind her, plastering on a wide smile.

"Merida!" Elinor exclaimed, a hand over her heart. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"To… my room, mum," stammered Merida, "I wanted to look presentable before I met with you. The walk in the garden was very tiring. Prince Hiccup was telling me stories of, um, his hunt for the boar that was served last night. It was a very delicious boar, it was."

Her mother clapped her hands together. "You were with Prince Hiccup? Come, join me for afternoon snacks. I have brought sweet cakes brought from home; you might have missed my cooking. You can tell me all about your talk with the prince and what I have missed the time I have been away."

"Might I freshen up first?" Merida tightened the hold on her bow, the leather binding of the grip squeaking softly. "I must look horrible-"

"Nonsense, my dear!" Elinor stood at the doorway, waving her hand and coaxing Merida in. "You have all the time to do so before we sup. I am much more excited to hear about you and the prince."

Merida sidled into the room, keeping her back away from her mother. "Where is father?"

"Your father will be joining us perhaps in a week or two." Elinor closed the door behind her daughter and walked over to one of two hardwood chairs engraved with the Dunbroch rearing bear, a pedestal table in between that held a tray of small cakes covered in shiny syrup, a flagon and two goblets. She poured some of the liquid in the flagon into both goblets and looked back at Merida. "Is something the matter? Why won't you have a seat?"

"I do believe I must return to my room first, mother. The silk is sticking to my back and I feel very uncomfortable…"

The flagon hit the table with an audible clink. Elinor walked up slowly to her, head tilting. Merida backed up, but hit the door. "What is this?" Reaching behind her daughter, Elinor pulled away the bow and quiver, and Merida had to let go. "What is this?" Elinor repeated, louder. "Did I not tell you to hand this over to the armory?"

"It was a gift from father!" Merida argued, tears stinging her eyes.

"Then at the very least you could have kept it in your room! Were you in the woods again? How often were you out there? Was our absence the cause for your disobedience?"

"Mother!" Merida interrupted the stream of questions that was sure to last them through the night. "I was not in the woods. Not really. I was not alone. I was teaching Prince Hiccup archery! He requested me to. He's not a very good student, not yet."

Elinor stared at her for a long time in silence. "Why must you tell such lies?" she said quietly. Merida could sense the anger boiling beneath.

She touched her mother's hand. "Go and ask him. He'll tell you! Mother, please," she implored. "All I say are no lies. Not this."

"I am disappointed in you."

It was like a stake was driven right through her heart. "Mother, it is the truth! Listen to me!"

"No more!" Elinor strode to the hearth where a great fire crackled in earnest and threw bow and all into the flames. "You are forbidden to enter the forest ever again without any escort. You are forbidden to touch any weapon, let alone wield it. You are to stay within the castle for a whole week until I say otherwise. Do you understand?"

This time the tears did not even fall, as if all that Merida ever felt pulled them back. Without a word she ran out, even when she could hear her mother calling out to her, and found her way to her room. She swiped the cloak hanging from her bedpost and looked around, mind reeling as she tried to form a single thought. She would need a wineskin for water and perhaps some bread. But where would she go? Her head snapped to the map on her table. The Sweetlands were close, and, best of all, abandoned. She nodded to herself, and made her way down to the kitchens. Supper was close to being served, so no one noticed even the red head who sneaked past the cooks and maids, nor the occasional disappearance of a sweet bun or two.

Merida wrapped the cloak around her and fastened it at the base of her neck, a dinner roll clamped in her mouth, as she walked to the stables in the light of the setting sun. She secured her provisions, and led Angus from his stall to the edge of the castle gates. She climbed onto the saddle, and, with one last look at the castle, took off north.

The sun was way behind the top of the trees by the time she slowed Angus to a trot. With a jolt of panic Merida realized that she did not recognize the trees in this part of the woods. "Ho," she said, pulling on the reins. Angus stopped and tossed his head, whinnying nervously.

"Is something the matter?" Merida rubbed him down, but the horse would not keep still. His front legs took suddenly to the air, throwing her off. She screamed, but it was cut short when she hit solid ground. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. This was no time to be scared. All fear was supposed to be cast out the moment she made the decision to leave.

A soft whisper caught her attention. From beneath Angus's hooves a small light appeared and rose from the ground like smoke. It disappeared with a sigh, and reappeared right by her feet. To Merida's shock a giggle seemed to emanate from it.

"Lost, m'dear?"

Merida whipped her head around. An old lady blinked at her, gnarled hands enclosed on a walking stick in the fashion of the crow perched on her shoulder. The crow squawked, its eyes bulging. Merida flinched and crawled away from them. "No, I'm not."

The smoky light sighed again and materialized close to her hand. The old lady's eyes widened. She shrieked and raised her walking stick to point at where the creature vanished yet again. "The wisps!" she hissed. "Why are you truly here, girl? The truth now."

"Truth?" Merida could have laughed if she wasn't feeling so overwhelmed. "Whatever I say next, will you believe me?"

"Only if it is what you say it is," hobbling over to stand before her, the old lady, already hunched over, did so even more to peer closer at Merida.

"I want to leave my life behind."

"Yet you don't really want to run away. You wish something else." The old lady prodded at her with a bony finger.

"I…" she paused to think. What did she wish? "I wish to change my mother's mind. I want to be free of what they want me to be. Not a doll to be decorated and paraded around court." Merida held her gaze. There was something about this woman, something unexplainable. "Can you help me?"

"What ever gave you the notion that I could possibly help you?" the lady cackled, and the crow joined her. "I am just a stranger passing by, searching for wisps." She hobbled away, whistling a tune. "Best be finding a shelter around these parts, m'dear. There is magic afoot."

"Magic?" Merida stumbled to her feet and chased after her. "Are you magic?"

The lady didn't answer. She just waved her hand away and continued on. Merida ran back to Angus and pulled him with her. The horse resisted, but she tugged harder, already out of breath. By the time she had returned to where she had left the old lady, no one was there.

A/N: Just a little heads up: This fic will be on hiatus for three weeks. I will be on an out of town trip with limited access to my files so I can't be able to update. This is also why my posting has been on an erratic schedule lately due to preparations.

As usual, reviews would be lovely :) Thanks!