Witness

Chapter 7

"Mor'du!" Merida shrieked as soon as she saw him, she put her hand on Hiccup's chest and leather strap, which attached him to Toothless, and forced Hiccup to walk backwards away from the bear. Hiccup gulped. Mor'du was easily fifteen foot tall as he stood on his hind legs, and his teeth were as sharp as swords. The bear stared at them hungrily, blood dripping from his mouth onto the dead body below him.

Astrid looked around and ran up to Merida, placing her hand on her shoulder, "Merida try your arrows!" Merida looked at Astrid, quickly nodded and drew an arrow from her quiver. Taking little time to aim it at the bear - who drew closer to them - she fired several arrows in Mor'du's direction. Firing over and over, but Mor'du didn't even flinch, his scarred face got nearer to them as though he was contemplating how to kill them.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion then, Mor'du gripped his claws into the ground and charged towards them, one swipe and they'd all be in pieces. Breathing hard, Astrid threw a rock at the bear, which distracted it momentarily. Though it wasn't long before the bear charged towards them again, Hiccup drew the only thing he had, his dagger, and the bear raised his paw high and aimed towards them.

Merida wasted no time thinking, she forced Hiccup and Astrid to the ground and rolled out of the Monster's way just in time before it hit her. Merida looked across and saw Hiccup's arm was bleeding, Mor'du had just got his arm, a small dent in his skin, quickly filling with blood was there. In one of Mor'du's paws was a small dagger, Hiccup had only just managed to save his life. Astrid growled, picked up a large rock and threw it at the monster's head. It did the same as before, just knocked him out of focus momentarily.

It wasn't long before Mor'du went for them again, Merida went to shoot another arrow at him, but he merely snatched it from her hands. Merida screamed as the bear pounced on her, its teeth inches from her neck. That's when she heard a high-pitched growl from nearby. Mor'du looked around and saw a black winged figure, and on it was a girl. With a lot of hair. Behind her was the thief Flynn Rider. Toothless shot at the bear, causing Mor'du to turn around and stare at the dragon, with black scales as dark as the night sky.

Mor'du roared angrily and Toothless shot again, this time hitting the bear directly in the chest. Mor'du stumbled backwards and fell. Merida could hear her heartbeat, beating so fast she thought it might explode from her chest. But Mor'du didn't move or flinch again. Mor'du was dead and from him raised blue magic. Rapunzel and Flynn landed the Night Fury and stared at it too. A man was formed who nodded as a thank-you. Merida recognised him instantly. The man her Mother had told her about recently, the oldest prince who had defied his Kingdom. Merida gasped as his figure then turned into a wisp, which disappeared.

Merida shook herself back to attention, she stared at Rapunzel and Flynn, "You saved my life!" She gasped, her voice was slightly higher in pitch. Merida looked again across to where the bear - dead bear - Mor'du was. She smiled to herself. Her dad would be upset he'd missed the death of Mor'du, and missed his chance of revenge on the beast. He wouldn't believe her about the wisps. Her mother would be glad she was safe. That was that for her Mother really, she remembered it was tomorrow - during the celebrations for the 'lost dragon princess' that she'd have to make a final decision. She remembered the way Flynn had been smiling at Rapunzel in a way that said he liked her as more than a friend. Merida wanted that kind of love - not from Flynn - but from someone. That's the kind of love she'd marry for. Not a forced marriage.

"Actually, you should thank Toothless." Rapunzel clutched her frying pan between her fingers and smiled at the dragon who'd saved her life as well. "We all should, he's saved many lives today." She gazed at Hiccup momentarily and smiled at him, Hiccup smiled back, and went up to his best friend. The offspring of lightning and death placed his head under Hiccup's hand. Hiccup sighed and pressed the tips of his fingers into Toothless's head. "How did you find him?"

Flynn laughed, he still hadn't noticed the dead stabbington brother on the ground, and told Hiccup: "You mean how did he find us?"

"This is all my fault!" Rapunzel told herself, biting her lip and sobbing to herself. "She was right I never should have done this." Rapunzel and Flynn were trapped in a dark cave, filling with water quickly. They had been running from everyone who didn't like Flynn, well that's how Rapunzel knew them. She and Flynn had been using Rapunzel's hair to make their way through the canyon when the horse caused the dam to break. The water came flooding out of nowhere - so fast it carried rocks, boulders with it. The pair thought they were lucky when they got to the cave, but water still came flooding in. Frantically, the two had been searching for a weak point in the rocks which formed the cave - trying to find a way out.

The two had given up. Rapunzel thought of her few short hours outside of the tower. Merida had been telling her about the wisps - the blue things which must have been what Rapunzel saw when she was young - that lead her to Rapunzel. She'd talked about the wisps with such emphasis in her voice - she truly believed somehow she'd been lead to Rapunzel as Rapunzel could help her. Now Rapunzel was going to drown. "I'm so sorry Flynn." She sobbed again, he hadn't exactly agreed to this - she'd blackmailed him, he had no choice but to accept and now... Now he was going to die because of her.

Rapunzel was still sobbing when Flynn said something. "Eugene." Rapunzel looked at him, confused.

"What?" What was 'Eugene'? Rapunzel had never heard of it, maybe it was someway to get them out of there, maybe it was something people said when they were returning an apology.

"My real name is Eugene Fitzherbert." Eugene confessed to her. "Someone might as well know." Eugene hadn't exactly gotten around the whole idea he was going to die. He didn't blame Rapunzel though, she'd been locked in a tower for years and because of that she was childish when it came to everything. She was so full of life compared to any other person Eugene had ever known. It saddened him she was going to die too - the day which earlier she proclaimed as the happiest in her life. Eugene sighed, wrapping his arms around himself to keep warm, not that it mattered, the water level was quickly rising. They'd be underwater any second.

Rapunzel smiled at him, and confessed herself: "I have magic hair that glows when I sing," She chuckled at this - how ridiculous it was. She hadn't really realised what she had said, she was so focused on how she'd soon be completely underwater.

"What?" When Eugene asked her, which was Rapunzel quickly realised. It was pitch black underwater - but her hair, it could glow. Brightly, too.

She drew another breath and repeated herself: "I have magic hair that glows when I sing!" The water level had reached her chin now, Rapunzel quickly bent her head back as close as she could to the ceiling and sang the words: "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine!" She and Eugene inhaled one last time and the water then filled the cave.

Rapunzel's hair shone like the sun under the water, the light flooded the cave quickly and both Rapunzel and Eugene looked around. At the bottom of the cave they saw an area with small rocks which looked easy to move. The two moved towards it, their eyes beginning to sting because of the water and the sudden brightness from Rapunzel's hair. As her hair began to fade though and their lungs began to scream for oxygen, Eugene carried on digging through the rocks, hoping outside would be the end.

Outside, Toothless lay, trying to catch the fish in the river. After seeing Gothel in the cave, Toothless knew Hiccup would want him somewhere where he wouldn't be found as soon as possible. The dragon had left the cave and ran through the forest - he wasn't able to fly without the help of Hiccup. Toothless rested his head on his claws, sighing. He realized now he had to find Hiccup. Who could be anywhere.

Toothless then saw a few rocks trapped in this boulder started to crumble down. Toothless stood up and growled, daring them to challenge him. Next thing he knew a hand came out of the boulder along with a lot of rushing water and all the rocks fell into the river. Along with the sediment, a blonde girl and the thief Toothless had met earlier emerged. They were muttering to themselves, not noticing Toothless they were so out of breath, they almost didn't hear the scream. Hiccup's scream. Toothless's ears went right up immediately. Hiccup was in danger somewhere. His Hiccup. "Quickly!" Rapunzel said, already climbing onto Toothless.

Eugene followed her, but as soon as Rapunzel got Toothless into the air - though she didn't know how to fly well, she extended out Toothless's wing, but that was it. Plus there was the extra weight of her hair, and the water weight they were now carrying. Soon after they were in the air Eugene paused and realized Hiccup - and possibly Merida and maybe even that girl he saw the two by, could be dead by now. "What if we reach them and they're already dead?" he blurted out without thinking. Rapunzel smiled and turned round to look at him.

She stroked her fingers through a few strands of hair, "It doesn't just glow."

She turned back round and saw her cove, her tower and the unmistakable bright orange hair of Merida's. She bent her foot forwards, though she hadn't realized it had done anything to Toothless's tail and the dragon shot at the dark, tall figure looming over Merida. The figure looked back and Eugene recognized him instantly, "Mor'du." the bear had killed his parents, that was the tale he'd heard from the women who worked at the orphanage anyway. Toothless shot again - this time directly hitting the scarred bear with arrows sticking out of him.

"We have to get out of here," Merida told everyone after Rapunzel explained how Toothless found them. Eugene by now had noticed the dead Stabbington brother, it was the one who was a mute. The stabbington brothers had helped him escape from a jewellery heist once, since they were partners. Now, though, Eugene just stared at him, his eye patch had a hole in, revealing his bad eye which had been scratched by a sword. His body was covered with scars from the bear's claws no doubt, and teeth marks completely covered the body. Eugene didn't want to think about the pain the man had been in when he was killed. Merida had ignored Eugene's looks of guilt and sorrow and continued anyway; "If your Mother finds you we're all dead," Merida pointed an arrow at Rapunzel. She bit her lip. "And Hiccup if your Dad finds us, your dragon's dead." Hiccup shared a look with Toothless and told his buddy it would be all right.

"We're too far from the kingdom." Pointed out Astrid. "I don't think Toothless can carry all five of us." Hiccup looked up, she trusted Toothless now? This was...great. Hiccup felt a tingly sense in his stomach, he'd always liked Astrid. Now maybe she even liked him. "And Hiccup, you don't look like you can walk far." Rapunzel jumped and smiled.

"I can fix that!" She said excitedly. Everyone gave her a look of confusion, Merida and Eugene were used to her childishness, but Astrid had only just met her. She knew she was crazy - singing with Ruffians and all. Astrid just shook her head slightly, mouthing a 'what?'

"I know a place near we can camp for the night, just near the kingdom." Eugene had often stayed there before - with the Stabbington brothers - it was a perfect little spot and there was plenty of firewood nearby. Eugene shrugged at everyone, "Follow me." With that, they did. With those words, their adventure continued. One enemy was dead, but they still had two to defeat. One of which had been watching the whole exchange, with the remaining Stabbington Brother.

Please review! PLEASE. There are more of you who follow this story now then actual reviews, even if it's quick. I'm sorry if I sound whiny.

A/N: Sorry for kind-of late update, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I told you it would be a lot more Brave-related. The film was finally released in the UK, so I was able to see it (legally) so it gave me a lot of ideas for this chapter! There are are also mixes of The Kill Ring scene in HTTYD with Toothless hearing Hiccup scream and defending him.

The campfire scene may go across two chapters, it will be much more HTTYD related where we'll hear a bit about how Hiccup and Toothless met. As all of them will share their stories.

I will do Mother Knows Best, but it will be slightly different to how it's done in Tangled. You'll see.