Chapter 1

Elinor held her hands out to her sides to carefully steady herself as she wedged her bare toes in the rough bark. Her heel broke off a sheaf of wood and her arms pin wheeled, the shoes draped across her shoulders pounding against her while she battled for her balance. The pads of her feet made it much easier to regain her footing and with a shift of her ankle she relaxed, allowing herself to look around over the trees.

The highlands were unusually quiet around her, though it might have been because she was so used to the underlying drone of guards surrounding her at all time. She allowed herself a satisfied smirk as she remembered how easily they had fallen for her diversion and managed to slip from their grasp. Her father would not be happy and would probably assign her even more men but for now she was content in knowing she could escape. Or in this case, slip away into the trees without leaving so much as a trace.

In the distance the guards called out to one another, desperately seeking her out in the undergrowth as though she could become a shrubbery by will. One of them yelled out her name and Elinor shook her head. Did they really think she would end their little game so soon?

Her eyes fell back onto the branch beneath her. Another tree bisected the one she was on a few feet away. It was a bit of distance and she would have to jump it but it seemed to be able to manage her weight. Probably. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her mind and focused on the branch. Her steps were light; her disheveled hair bouncing from the loose braid it had escaped from. A few more feet. Her lips pursed and soon she was airborne. She landed nimbly and the branch groaned under her weight. She kept her knees bent, waiting for the tree to settle. The leaves became still once more and she grinned as a confused raven flew around her in alarm at its new neighbor.

A sharp snap from the ground caught her attention. She didn't remember any of the guards getting this close. She crouched down lower onto the tree, hoping the green symbols of her dress would make her indistinguishable among the branches. There was another rustle and grunt as something moved in the brush. It didn't sound like anyone she knew. And it certainly wasn't something small.

Elinor was beginning to panic, her fingers clutching the branch. There was a chance it wouldn't see her this high up but maybe if she screamed loud enough the guards could hear her in time to rush to her aid if it did. A silvery strand of her blonde hair fell over her eyes and she scowled at how unnaturally bright it seemed in relation to the forest around her.

A deep growl and something emerged from the scrub. She craned her head a bit to get a better view and bit back a gasp.

It was a man. Or at least, the top of a man. She could only make out his broad shoulders and muscular arms as he swept the vegetation around him aside, appearing to be looking for something. She couldn't remember ever seeing him before in the palace, ruling out the possibility that he was in search of her and she couldn't see his clan tartan, making the work of identifying him near impossible. He scowled and shook his head, his mouth pulled back in a menacing snarl. She noticed that he had bits of leaves and twigs tangled into the curly locks of his fiery red hair. He wore it unusually long- almost passed his shoulders.

Elinor remained stone still, wondering if it would be safe to be noticed by such a man. She was the Princess, after all, that should count for something. Although he might decide to kidnap her instead once he found out whom she was and that she was alone. No, she would certainly not let him know she was alone.

The shoes around her neck were beginning to slip. She tried rolling her shoulders to reposition them but it only made it worst. Elinor made a final grab for them but they fell from between her fingers, heading straight for the ground a few paces away from the strange man. She winced as they landed softly in the moss below.

The man's head swiveled instantly to the shoes, teeth bared as he crouched low and at the ready. She could see his eyes flicker from the shoes to the tree branches above. He spotted her almost immediately, as though he had always known she was there. She froze, her heart beating loudly in her ears as he locked eyes with her.

Elinor was surprised to find how clear his deep sky blue eyes seemed, even from a great distance. They were wild, just like the rest of him, yet somehow…familiar. A small part of her mind instantly recognized them but she shook the thought from her head. It was impossible. Her mother was-

The man stepped back and suddenly seemed very uncomfortable. He hunched his shoulders in an attempt to make himself appear smaller but if anything it made him look even bulkier. Elinor could tell he was trying to make a run for it- she could see it in the way he shuffled backwards.

"Wait" she called out, but he was already melting back into the undergrowth. "Wait!"

He stopped, his gaze averted. He remained silent.

"Who are you?" she asked. When he didn't answer she moved up further on the branch.

"Are you lost? My father's close by- he'll be here any second if you need help. He's a strong fellow." He cocked his head to the side at her words, reminding Elinor very much of a puppy she had once had as a child. The comparison of such a large man with a tiny little dog was so amusing she giggled at the thought.

The man wrung his hands, his gaze falling on her discarded shoes. He moved forward cautiously, glancing at her every other step or so, almost as if he were afraid she would pounce on him. He bent slightly at the waist and picked them up. Her slippers seemed almost comical small in his huge hands. She watched as he fingered the ribbons, his eyes wide with curiosity. The man looked back to her and held them up, offering them to her. She hesitated, unsure whether to leave the safety of her tree to retrieve her shoes. Although this man could have probably scaled it effortlessly if that's what he really wanted. In the end it was the gentle look in his eyes that convinced her.

Twisting her body over the edge of the branch, she slid off and landed on the ground. He winced and retreated back another step. The thought stuck Elinor that maybe the man was just as scared of her as she was of him.

It seemed ridiculous that such a large man could be frightened of a small brown-eyed girl. It was one thing that she was weary of him; he was a stranger hiding in the shadows of bushes. Something her mother once told her faintly rang out in her mind and she thought about his point of view. She imagined it had been herself looking through the bushes, minding her own business when suddenly seeing a pair of shoes fly out of a tree. A feral girl in the branches could be a mortal threat to this man. He certainly didn't seem too keen to being close to her. She thought about how she must appear just as wild to him as he did to her. She hadn't really been too careful of keeping her royal appearance in order and her dress was wrinkled beyond repair. He father would have called her a spectacle. She decided to approach the man carefully. Relaxing her features into what she hoped would be a nonthreatening expression, she tried again.

"Could I have my shoes back?" she asked gently. The man suddenly perked up, whirling around behind him. Two more men, exactly like the one before her, wadded into the bush surrounding the first one. They too were hidden from view but she could tell by their hair and eyes they had to be brothers and therefore, of the same clan. They saw her and stiffened, brows furrowed as they glared at her dangerously.

The first man quickly stepped in closer to them and held his hands up to stop them. He whimpered softly and looked to the one on the right. Elinor could see the man stare past the first's shoulders with his piercing gaze fixed on her. He didn't say anything but looked her over once and growled. Elinor cleared her throat, ready to scream should he decide not to heed to his brother's strange grumbling. The other man listened carefully to the first, eyes wide and curious as he noticed her shoes. He crowed, pointing at them with a small smile. The first man nodded vigorously and looked back at her.

Elinor watched the whole "conversation" completely perplexed. She could always just make a run for it, shoes or not. She wanted to- a part of her mind screamed that she knew nothing of these blue-eyed men and she was hopelessly outnumbered. But a larger and by far much more curious part of her urged her to stay. They paid no mind to her internal conflict, continuing to communicate to one another in their strange guttural babbling. Perhaps they were planning something? The second one she wasn't sure about but the other two seemed fairly harmless. Maybe they really were lost.

The man with her shoes relaxed his shoulders and offered her the slippers again. Moving forward, he kept them in front of him at all times as though he were a child proudly showing her his new toy. The second watched his every move closely. When he approached the end of the bush and was about to step out into the clearing the second man snarled. It was a frightening noise and the first man froze. Lowering his head, he reached out as far as his arm would let him and held the shoes out. Elinor took a cautious step forward and grabbed them out of his hands.

"Thank you" she whispered. Her words brought a smile to the man's lips. It was a surprising kind smile on such a rugged face and it caused her to smile back. The other brother let out a light laugh that the second wrinkled his nose to. She must have done something to please them because they seemed to relaxed. The second was still eying her but at least he didn't look like he was going to attack. The princess pushed a strand of hair out of her face and noticed the way the third man seemed fascinated by her eyes.

"What's your name?" Elinor asked the first man. He whistled lightly, sniffing the air. He grinned and followed the smell closer. Elinor giggled as the strange man stuck his tongue out to taste whatever he smelled around her. At her approval, he took another step out of the bush, finally coming fully into view.

Elinor looked down and let out a high and loud scream that echoed through the Highlands. The shrill of it echoed and was quickly accompanied by shouts as guards crashed through the forest towards her. The three men were suddenly defensive, he first man confused and whining as he ran back into the bush to hide. His gentle eyes were wide with confusion.

They were naked.

Completely stark naked.

Author's Note:

I don't own any of the characters in this story except for the Highland Princess. I take credit for the personality of the brothers but their original concept and the story they came from belongs to Pixar. Please don't sue me- you'd only get your merchandise in the lawsuit.

Also, I haven't written this story with the accents. I think they're a bit distracting as a writer so you'll have to imagine them when you read. Brownie points if you do :]

Any questions or comments, please feel free to review or message me.

Cheers!
-Wisperer