Leap 9: THINGS TO DO

Part I

Merida let out an exclamation of shock and disbelief. The thought itself was crazy. Her mum, saved by the witch.

'Your father probably believes in magic now,' chuckled Queen Elinor

King Fergus' face flushed slightly but he did not reply. Merida saw it immediately.

'What…. are you talking about?,' she said looking from her father to her mother.

As always, Queen Elinor did the explaining. 'Apparently, we had forgotten all about it. Yes, my child, as stupid as it may seem, we had indeed forgotten about it, but it was not due to our faulty memory. You see, the witch had placed a spell on us. She had removed our memory of that incident ever happening. Today, she walked into this room, and the only thing I could gather from her face was that she was the same person who I saw in that black cauldron in the cottage last year. You know, the cottage that you completely destroyed when I was a bear.'

Merida winced at the mention of the chaos that she had managed to cause in the so called "bear-incident". However, she did not want her mother to stop so she patiently waited. Thankfully, her mother went back to the story.

Queen Elinor continued, 'Well that was all I knew about the old lady standing before today, until she chanted some strange words and asked me and Fergus to drink a bottle of curious liquid.'

Merida gasped, 'Surely, you did not!'

'We did,' Queen Elinor admitted. 'I felt compelled and could not stop myself. Perhaps it was due to the magic she caused when she uttered those words. I don't know. Anyway, what happened after that was I suddenly remembered. "Remembered what" you might ask. I and Fergus too, remembered the incident when she saved my life in that forest so many years ago. "What did you do to us" said Fergus and the old witch replied "I just returned you your memory. Think hard and remember all those years ago when I met you." '

'What had happened?,' asked Merida, wide eyed.

'Mordu had attacked me.' replied the queen

'Mordu!,' scowled Merida.

'That foul beast,' spat King Fergus as if the name itself was a disease to his tongue, 'gave more trouble than it was worth. But he's dead now. The devil's claimed him back.'

Queen Elinor continued her tale, 'From what I recall, after the witch had saved my life she had said that I was not meant to die, at least not that day. She—'

Merida suddenly slammed both her hands on the table top in a fit of frustration and anger

'Well she did not seem much concerned when she gave me that horrid bear cursing cake,' she screamed. 'You almost turned into a bear forever while she was off in some festival, and now she has the gall to come to you and say that she did not want you to die?'

King Fergus looked completely mortified at the sudden outburst. Queen Elinor, however, remained her usual calm.

'She also said that I had something to do. That it was my fate, my destiny. Perhaps this "thing" that I had to do was already done so she did not really help the last time,' said Queen Elinor.

Merida calmed down somewhat. 'What was it that you had to do?,' she asked.

'That I don't know. She didn't tell me then and she didn't tell me now. We can only guess darling. It is the witch who knows.'

Merida suddenly stood up, 'All right, that's it. I need answers and if the witch is the only one who can provide them then I am going to ask her. All these secrets, about your past and about those two new kids sharing our castle.'

'Yes,' Queen Elinor looked straight and sure.

'What!,' a wide-eyed King Fergus exclaimed.

'What?,' said Merida a bit confused. 'You'll let me go then? Just like that?'

'Elinor…..lass,' muttered King Fergus, 'Think what yer saying. Just because that corny old bat said so doesn't mean she should take that risk.'

Queen Elinor heeded no attention to her husband, the king's advice. 'It's not just about asking questions Fergus, and you know it.'

King Fergus opened his mouth to protest but noticing the look on his wife's face he stopped.

'Al right,' he said, 'And I think you should also see this, lass.' With that, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a grimy sheet of paper with something scribbled on it. It looked old and yellow, like the writer had had it stacked away for years and had finally decided to use it.

'What's this?, ' asked the princess, taking it.

King Fergus explained, 'We received this letter early in the morning. Even before the break of dawn, I'd say. The darn thing was just lying on the table beside the bed. Read it.'

Merida unfolded the paper and read it, her eyes growing wider with every word she read.

To the King and Queen,

Await the arrival of two guests today.

They will have come from a faraway place and shall require your warm hospitality.

Forgive my bluntness but I present them as your responsibility until a proper time comes when I will take them off your hands.

Yours Sincerely,

And without any disrespect,

A friend.

Merida read the letter twice and then she read it again. 'Don't tell me it was sent by….,' she said.

Queen Elinor nodded. 'The witch. She confirmed it just a few moments ago that she was indeed the sender.'

'Is that why you were so acting so weird this morning? Because you knew?,' asked Merida.

'I am sorry, Merida, but it was all too confusing for us too. I didn't want to trouble you with these mundane activities, And now she wants you to go to her with those two Bonham kids. She said something about a prophecy and I believe her.'

'I can nae believe you two considering that woman,' said King Fergus shaking his head, but his lack of a further argument meant that he was not completely against it either.

'It has to be done,' said Merida standing up, 'I have decided – I will go.'

When she said this, she held herself tall and strong like one would expect of a daughter of the king and queen.

Queen Elinor stood up too. Merida saw that her mother looked a bit worried in spite of her forced expressionless face. 'Let us check upon the boy then, 'she said.

When the royal family walked into the room where Robert was, the first thing they noticed was that he was up. He seemed to be constantly touching his head as if bothered by some acne. He looked hung over even though he was trying his best to smile sheepishly. Other than that, he seemed perfectly fine. No one could have guessed that he had almost his life just that day.

Shep the healer stood at his bedside, clearly confused by Robert's recovery and the absence of the wound marks on his chest and head.

Ruby was still holding her brother's hand but the moment she saw everyone enter the room, she stood up and moved quickly to the princess.

'Merida,' said she, 'We have a problem.'

'What?,' asked Merida, fearing the worst.

'Hello Robert,' said Queen Elinor stepping to the side to see past her daughter's mass of red curls, 'Are you fine now? You have had a terrible fall.'

'I am alright,' came the reply.

Merida looked at him with concern. 'Do you have any pain while talking?'

'None at all….,' said Robert, 'And who are you?'

THINGS TO DO

Part II

Merida was taken aback, 'What do you mean? You know very well who I am.'

'Sorry, no,' said Robert, shrugging his shoulders.

'He's lost his memories,' said Ruby solemnly.

Robert turned to his sister, 'Wait, so you mean I knew her before?'

'More or less,' replied Ruby thinking about Robert's unhealthy obsession over the red headed princess, how he thought he was the perfect girl. Now, he remembered nothing of her.

'Does he remember you?,' Queen Elinor asked Ruby.

'Of course,' replied Robert before Ruby could say a word. 'She's my sister, Ruby'

Ruby looked to the audience before her, 'He seems to have lost any memories he had of this place and only this place. He remembers everything that's happened in his life –everything, but nothing of what's happened here.'

Robert had, of course, watched the movie 'Brave' which would have provided ample information as to where he was. However, he had forgotten even that and Ruby had chosen not to share this complicated information with the Dun'broch family.

'I don't even know how I got here,' said Robert.

'The boy has a soft skull, I tell ya,' said King Fergus, pointing to his own head.

'Fergus!,' Queen Elinor scolded, 'Do be serious.'

'It was just a joke darling.'

'What in heaven's name is going on here!,' Merida demanded to no one in particular. 'This is one too many of the frustrating things we have had put before us.'

'Merida, calm down,' said Queen Elinor. 'We have guests'

'Ugh,' cried Merida while moving around the place where she stood, her hands flailing, 'One completel confusing nonsense after another. Oh, I am sure the witch is behind all this. She has a lot of answering to do.'

'Witch? What witch?,' called out Robert, his voice ringing with curiosity, 'I've always had a little interest in fantasy creatures.'

'Oh,' said Merida turning on him with an amused grin on her face, 'How would like to meet one? We are going to see her and you are definitely coming along.'

'So,' said Ruby to Merida, 'We are actually going?'

They were walking down one of the many stairways of the castle. Robert was a few steps behind the pair. Birds chirped outside signaling that dawn was breaking, that the first sunlight of the day would soon brighten the old land of the North, but it was yet to happen and it was still dark, so the corridors of the castle were lined with wooden torches fixed onto the walls at strategic intervals.

Merida walked beside Ruby, 'Aye. Mum, Da' a I decided that too many things were happening beyond our understanding. We need some answers.'

Ruby nodded. She had agreed to the decision of the council of the Dun'broch family though she still felt a fear deep within her.

Behind them, following at a steady pace was Robert. Though he was probably the eldest of the trio (Older than Merida by several months) he behaved like a kid in a candy store.

'This. Castle. Is. Amazing,' he declared with a broad grin on his face, 'I have never seen anything like this. I wish I could remember how I got here.'

'I already told you,' said Ruby turning around.

'Yes, yes. A magic door,' answered Robert, 'Forgive me sis, but do you realize how completely wacko you sound right now?'

'I know, I do,' said Ruby, 'But you also know me if I will lie, right?'

' Oh, he'll believe you, all right,' said Merida, 'Just wait till he meets the witch.'

'Ha,' exclaimed Robert suddenly, 'This is just a dream, I bet you, just a dream. I'll just slap myself and wake up in my bed. This is like a lucid dream, I think.' With that thought in mind, he raised his right hand and brought it across the air and on his cheek with vigorous force. The force caused his head to jerk and staggered a bit with the pain.

Merida looked over him with a satisfied grin, 'Hurt much?'

Robert felt his face burning red all over. 'Well, that didn't work.'

Merida laughed but not rudely,' Well let's go now.'

King Fergus, Queen Elinor and a few other castle workers were already out in the courtyard when the three teens reached it. Three horses were being prepared for the journey.

The moment they were out, King Fergus placed a hand on his daughter's cheek ,'Merida, dear, are you sure you'll be alright?'

'I'll be fine dad. I've been in the forest almost all my life.'

Her father nodded slowly.

Queen Elinor came forward and put a hand on Merida's head lovingly, 'Stay safe darling. May no harm come to you all.'

'Thank you your highness,' said Robert. The last few hours had been spent bringing Robert up to date about everything that had happened, whether he believed them or not. He knew that the burly bear-like man was King Fergus, the bear king. The beautiful woman with dark hair and a tiara on her head was Queen Elinor and the girl with the mass of red hair was their daughter, Princess Merida, the noble maiden fair. The family was the high rulers of Dun'broch and of the entire kingdom of the allied clans.

King Fergus turned on him. 'Do you know how to swing a sword lad?,'

'No' was the reply.

The king sighed, 'I guessed as much. Here, these are long daggers, a bit shorter than normal swords so that you three may not have too much of trouble handling them. '

Saying so, he handed one each to Robert and Ruby. The daggers were housed in leather sheaths and the sheaths were fixed to leather belts. Robert had no trouble wearing it around his waist and neither did Ruby.

Merida already carried a sword along with her trusted bow and quiver of arrows.

In addition to their weapons, all three of them wore a similar black cloak with a hood to cover their head. Merida was used to this garment which often served as a repellent from rain, gave warmth from the cold and helped her hide in the shadows during her many little adventures in the forest.

Ruby wore the cloak over her checked-shirt and her jeans pants. Robert, too, wore his jeans pants but he was no longer wearing his t-shirt which had been torn by Shep the healer in order to nurse him. Instead, he now wore a green tunic which had been provided by the palace staff. Over it, he wore the black cloak.

'You had better start soon,' said Queen Elinor, 'the mist should cover you.'

The three teenagers nodded and without much further ado, they climbed onto their horses. A dark brown stallion with an even darker mane had been assigned for Robert. Ruby got a white a mare with a black star on its head. Merida rose her beloved horse black shire horse, Angus.

'Stay safe, you all,' Queen Elinor called as they slowly made their way down the castle grounds, 'May your fate be good and strong.'

Merida turned around atop her horse and waved her hand. Robert and Ruby did the same. As they neared the stone bridge right outside the castle walls, a fluttering on wings disturbed the morning peace as a black crow perched itself on a near them.

'I thought the farewell party would never end, 'it said, 'Come now, the witch awaits.'