Leap 3: STRANGERS

"Good morning princess."
"Good morning" Merida smiled back.
Her shire horse (Angus was his name) trotted along as she walked beside it, not even bothering to hold the faithful animal's reins. More wishes of 'Good Morning' met her as she walked uphill towards the inner gate, towards her castle.

Less than an hour ago. (LTAHA)

"Who are you two? I have never seen you before, what are you doing in these parts?"
Merida advanced menacingly, her bow in one hand as she reached for an arrow with the other.
"Princess" said ,Robert in his nervousness backed away slowly ,"We are not enemies. We are just…we are…."
"Lost!", Ruby concluded.

Beside her walked two others. A teenage boy and a younger girl. Their similar features declared that they were siblings.
The locals whispered among themselves. Robert couldn't hear what they said but he did manage to make out a few words they were saying.
'Strangers' and 'Weird'.

LTAHA

"I could consider you my enemies", Merida paused. Something felt odd. Like she could trust these strangers. After all they were just kids. One of them even looked as old as she was and the other was probably a lot younger. "Okay, I won't do anything to you right now. But remember, I still don't trust you entirely."
"Thanks, I guess.," said Robert.
Merida made her mind. ,"I should take you to mum. She'll place you out."
She walked up to the tree behind Robert and pulled out the arrow that had struck the tree.
"Why did you try to shoot me? Back then?," Robert asked.
Merida turned around with an all-knowing smirk on her face.
'If I had actually 'tried' you would not be standing."

Robert looked around, his eyes drinking everything in. The castles, the walls, the market, the people. They were all exactly what he had expected from the movie.
But this is better, he thought, I can even smell the sea.
As they entered the inner gate, the mighty castles of Dun'broch loomed high, instantly the dwarfing them instantly.

LTAHA

Robert fell off the horse for the third time in five minutes.
Merida was beyond her wits.
'Jings Crivens! You are one hell of a weasel head,' she screamed.
Ruby, who rode in front of Merida go off and hurried over to her brother.
'He's alright,' she said after a quick examination.
Merida glared at Robert who was slowly getting up. 'Of course, he should be. Only a good for nothing little sissy would get hurt after falling around a bit. You're not THAT, are you?'
'I'm sorry' was all he could manage under the princess' stare. Finally she too, got off Angus.
'We'll have to walk. At this rate, we'll be lucky to get there before winter comes.'

Merida led Angus to the stables. Then, she hurried back to the steps of the castle where she had left Robert and Ruby.
'C'mon,' she said walking up a small flight of stairs that led up to a pair of large wooden doors. Two burly guards stood on it's either side. Each carrying a spear. Both eyed the newcomers suspiciously but asked no questions in the presence of Merida who seemed quite passive.
'Ah Merida! You're back early today,' a female's voice high and clear rang along the wide halls of the royal dining room.
'Yes, mum,' Merida replied, addressing her mother, who was known all across the Scottish lands as Queen Elinor Forsyth Dun'broch

After noticing Robert and Ruby who, by the way, were staring all around them as if they had both been blind up until this moment, the queen stiffened and put her fork down on the table abruptly.
No one noticed this. No one, except the burly man who sat across the table. Her husband, the king.

LTAHA

'That is the castle,' Merida pointed out to the ancient looking town before them. A wall ran along it's border. Many houses could be seen even from the distance. Towering high over them was a giant castle, made of strong stones with a few windows here and there. The castle had a few subordinates attached to it but immensely smaller in size. This impressive building stood on a small hill dis-attached from the mainland where they stood. A stone bridge led up to it, and before that, right in front of them was vast field as large as five football fields ( when I say football I mean the European, South America and Asian one, not it's North American rugby counterpart. No offense.) arranged side by side.

'Wow, look at this place,' said Robert, breathing heavily with excitement.

'This is where my father, King Fergus took up his last stand. This very battlefield,' said Merida.

'Like a war?,'asked Robert.

Merida nodded. 'I wasn't even born then. Before the four great clans were united. A large army from the sea invaded this land from the north. Before the other clans could act, they were upon us.'

Ruby gasped,' Just your clan?'

'Aye,' replied Merida. ' So, the invaders attacked this castle. The McGuffin, McIntosh, Forsyth and Dingwall had barely received the news, and even they did, they pondered upon the decision of coming to our aid.'

'But enough of that now. You need to meet my parents the king and queen.'

If you are reading this line, I can be certain that you went through my 'unique' method of writing in this chapter. I am immensely impressed by your patience and even more thankful.
Fear not, for I shall not venture upon this 'unique' method of writing in the many chapters to come.
I must also be an idiot for coming back to this underdog of a story after so many months, hoping that there is someone out there who will find this to be not-a-waste-of-time.
What's more important is that I shall be awaiting your reviews and criticisms with the utmost enthusiasm so both are welcome.

-Paul Bowrain