Merida and her parents sat at the table eating their morning food. Today was the final day of preparation for the feast...tomorrow would be Easter. Tomorrow songs will be sung and dances danced. And tomorrow...the children would go out and about searching for the eggs. The eggs Aster would have left.
Merida let out a sigh as she poked at her food. What could she give to Aster today? She had already tried the instruments and eggs. "What else did the scrolls say about Aster..." She thought.
"Merida, dear, stop poking at your food." Elinor said. Merida woke up from her daydream and stared down at her meal. She wasn't hungry at the moment, not hungry for food at least. She craved to see the rabbit more than anything else.
"Mummy may I be excused?" She asked. Elinor looked at her daughter with a questionable look.
"Dear, we all know that breakfast, lunch, and supper time are necessary for all of us to get together. You can be excused when you finish your meal." Elinor exclaimed.
With that, Merida ate her food as fast as she could. Not even chewing, Merida stuffed her cheeks till they were full.
"Immmfff duuuunn." Merida's words were hardly understandable underneath all the food stuffed in her mouth. She hoped off her chair and ran out the dining hall. Fergus and Elinor stared at each other as their daughter left them at the table alone.
"Think, think, think...today is the last day...possibly my last chance I have in seeing Aster." Merida paced her room. What could she give the bunny in return for all he did? She looked around her room for clues and ideas. After a while of thinking, she plopped herself on her bed. She opened her drawer again to take out the little flag she admired so much. She opened and stared at the mighty Bunnymund...mighty...She glanced at the weapons he was holding. "That's it!" Merida ran to her closet to take out her little bow her father had given to her the year before.
"He will need all the help he can get. After all, there are wild animals out there that might interfere with his job…. Animals like Mor'du." Merida told herself.
She held it upwards and stared at it for a few seconds. "No, this be too small for him." Merida put it back. "I know, me dad's armory."
The armory was filled with many weapons. These weapons were used at festivals at times, but were mainly used for protection against invading enemies and hunting... especially against the defense of Mor'du.
Merida slowly opened the tall door. She waited to see if anyone were there to catch her. After a moment or two, Merida entered the armory. She looked for her father's set of bows. "The scrolls said something about him being a skilled archer..." She said. She turned to face her father's finest. It was the bow used to defend the people against Mor'du, the most feared bear in the land. She went to get a chair nearby and set it front where the bow stood. She climbed the chair and gently grasped the bow out of its display. Hoping down the chair, she looked around for some arrows. She went to the drawer that held the finest made arrows in the kingdom. She took about 5, which was as much as her little arms could carry.
"Alright. Now to take them to the forest..." Merida held the bow in one arm and gathered the arrows in the other. She opened the armory door and began down the hallway.
Down the left, passed the kitchen, Merida went along happily. "This will be the day," She told herself. She felt it in her heart that she will see him, and that nothing could stop it...until she heard footsteps and voices ahead of her. "Oh, no, mum and dad." Merida turned around and headed back. She went as fast as she could… the voices appeared to be getting closer.
She ran and ran until she came upon her room. She slammed the door open and shut.
"Merida...are you there?" She heard her mother's voice call. Merida bit her lower lip. Where could she hide the weapons? She shoved the weapons under the bend, making sure not to break a single arrow as she did. She hoped on her desk and pulled out a scroll and began to read just as the door opened.
"Merida...oh there you are child. I've been looking for you." Elinor said.
"Oh, hello mother, just reading here..." Merida said sheepishly.
"Well, then I hope ya don't mind me interrupting you. It's time for your fitting lass." said Elinor. Merida's mouth dropped. Her face seemed irritated.
"Fitting?" She asked.
"Yes dear. I asked the royal dress keepers to make you a very special dress for tomorrow." Elinor commented.
"Oh, well, how long will this fitting take?" Merida asked.
"Well, the dress makers haven't gotten around to actually starting the dress. They have needed all the help to set up for the feast you see." Elinor answered. Merida's face fell into depression. That meant it would take hours, precious hours she could be spending searching for Aster. She looked out the window; the sun was almost touching the highest point in the sky, which meant it was almost noon day.
"Muuummmm..." Merida began to complain.
Elinor's face grew stern and serious. "Now don't you start young lassy. For the past two days you have out and about doing your fiddle-wackin. It's about time you sit still." By hearing the tone in Elinor's voice, Merida knew her mother was serious, and she knew she wouldn't be able to get out of this mess.
Up and down, standing and sitting, was all Merida did for hours and hours. Every time she stood on the stool she would glance to see where the sun was. After a couple of hours, Merida began to see the sky turn orange...it was evening or nearly passed.
"Oh you are going to look beautiful my dear. Just imagine how the dress will flow and move as you search for the Easter eggs." Elinor cooed. Merida could only manage a smile, trying to hide how disturbed and annoyed she was.
"Alright your majesty, I think we all done here." Said the dress maker.
"Oh thank goodness. Thank you so much for your time." Elinor looked at her distraught daughter and smiled sweetly. "Alright dear, you are free to go."
Merida looked at her mother, her eyes coming alive again. "Oh thank you! Bye mum!" She ran out the door before her mother was able to stop her.
"Wait, Merida…." Again Elinor stood face to face with a closed door.
Within no time Merida was making her way out to the courtyard with the bow and arrows in hand. It was a bit passed evening; everyone was inside resting and waiting for morning to come. Merida's face was filled with excitement. "Maybe now that everyone is inside, he'll need not to worry and come out!" Happy thoughts flushed her mind. She began to imagine standing face-to-face with the six foot legend. Merida was about half way in the courtyard when she heard a frantic voice calling.
"Merida! Merida! Get back here!" She turned to see her mother chasing after her. She had no intention to stop when she ran into a hard massive figure. She fell back and looked up to see her father standing above her.
"Have ya lost your mind lassy!" Fergus snatched the weapons out of her hands.
"No daddy, no! Please give those back!" Merida was jumping up and hitting against her father, desperately trying to get the weapons back.
"Merida, Merida! Stop it please!" Her mother pleaded. She grabbed Merida and held her in an embrace. "What do you think you were doing? Running off with them weapons like that! You could have gotten hurt!" She saw the worried look in her mother's eyes.
"Mummy! No please! They were for Aster! Please mummy! I only have a little bit of time left." She reached for the weapons her father was holding away from her.
"What! This...this is all for that cursed bunny of yours! Elinor, what have we talked about! You see why we don't tell her about magic or legends! Look what it does to the child! So blinded by myth you forget the real monster that's out there...Mor'du! Why if he saw you with these…." Fergus gave Merida such an angered look. "There is no Easter Bunny! You hear that! Now go! You are punished from here till morning!" Fergus was furious. Never in her life did Merida hear her father yell at her like that. But when it was concerning her safety, it was no joke.
Tears filled little Merida's eyes...she couldn't believe what her father had said. She pushed her mother away and ran to her room.
Evening turned to night. The stars were bright and the moon was big...the moon. Merida made her way to the tallest tower of her castle. She could oversee the courtyard from there. At least maybe she could see Aster from a far, hiding the Easter eggs for the morning.
The door creaked open behind her. Her mother didn't need to look to figure out where her daughter was hiding. "Darling, what are you doing all the way up here...?" Elinor asked, though she knew the reason.
"If no one will let me see Aster up close...I'll see him from all the way up here..." Merida sniffled. She had been crying. Elinor hated seeing her little girl like this.
"Oh darling, what your father said...he just gets worried about you darling..." Elinor explained.
"But he didn't have to say that! What if Aster heard! What if no eggs show up because of it...what if he disappears!" Merida hid her face in her hands as she began to cry.
"Sh, sh, sh...Now there dear. Nothing is going to happen to him. Remember what I said. It is children like you who keep him alive. Just keep believing and have that hope my dear. You have been doing so well for these last two days haven't you?" Elinor smiled and caressed Merida.
The wild haired girl just rested in her mother's comfort. She looked up her and smiled. "How did you know about the past two days?" She asked her mum.
Elinor smiled. "I am the queen after all….that and your little friends told me what you have been doing. I say it is the sweetest thing anyone has done for Aster."
Merida's eyes widened in surprise. "What? No one has ever thought of doing such a thing for him?" She asked her mum.
"Not that I have heard of. They may not think that being the Bunny of Easter is hard work….and lonely too. What you did child was the most caring thing anyone could ever have done. You showed love. And I bet your little heart that he is dancing for joy, because he feels someone loves him." Elinor said. Merida smiled and hugged her mother again. Love. She never thought of it that way. Does that mean he loved her back?
"I'm so happy for him mummy. Now he knows he's not alone. That he has friends like me." Merida smiled.
"I'm happy you made a new friend as well, especially one that's a legend. Now, you can't be here while Aster is hiding the eggs. He'll think you be cheating." Elinor said.
Merida's eyes widened. "Oh no! I would never!"
"Then come now. It best be time to go to bed. We be having a busy morning tomorrow." Elinor stood up and reached for her daughter's hand.
"Wait mummy," She ran to the edge of the wall and leaned across. She looked up at the moon. "Tell Aster that I love him very much. That I be thankful for him. That he's not alone anymore. He's got me." She said. "Good night!" With her final words, she took her mother's hand and headed inside.
As the door closed behind them...down in the courtyard...a shadow moved about. As fast as the wind, the shadow hoped from place to place. As it went about, colored eggs began to appear...Easter was finally upon Merida and her clan.