Gentle Giant

things in *with italic letters* mean it's a memory.

Chapter four:

The next morning while their fathers ate with there clans, the three young lords were to eat with the king and his family. When the young lords arrived they didn't see Princess Merida or Lady Aria at the table. They took their seats across from the wee little devil princes, Harris, Hubert, and Hamish. The queen was nibbling her food going over different parchments, the three devils played with their food, and the king was eatting the mound of food on his plate. The three lads put food on their plates looking around still wondering where the princess and young lady Aria was.

"Mah lady queen, dae ye ken where Princess Merida 'n' lady Aria are at?" young Gregor Dingwall asked politely.

"Aye, where are thay? weren't we suppose tae eat breakfast wi' th' princess? So she shuid be 'ere." young Nandag Macintosh said slightly huffy at the princesses absence

Queen Elinor looked up as did the king, she looked to her husband then to the three young men. The three young lords looked at the queen for an answer.

"A'm sorry boys but mah daughter 'n' lady Aria huv left. Thay cam in 'n' left juist as quickly. Said something about going for a ride thro' th' woods ah think. Thay said thay would return in a while." Elinor told them then going back to her food and papers.

"Aye, ah think our wee darlin' wis taking lady Aria tae climb th' cliff 'n' drink from th' fire falls if she could." the king added as he continued his meal.

Baist dropped his fork as his body tensed up at the mention of the girls climbing a cliff. 'She wouldn't pure gang climbing a muckle cliff? ah huv tae git tae her 'n' stoap her afore she gets hurt again. A wullnae let her git hurt again nae again. (She wouldn't really go climbing a big cliff? I have to get to her and stop her before she gets hurt again. I won't let her get hurt again not again.)' Baist thought slightly panicked, he quickly excused himself and headed out of the castle. once outside he headed for the woods, not far behind him was Nandag and Gregor. They quickly caught up to the briskly moving bear of a man.

"Awright Baist! whit's yer hurry mah friend?" Gregor said walking beside the man.

"Aye th' queen said th' ladies would return in a while. So how come ye in such a hurry tae fin' them?" Nandag said keeping pace with the other two lads.

"Beacuse mah cousin isnae allowed tae climb cliffs, she fell whin she wis a wean climbing a cliff 'n' she wis tellt she is ne'er tae climb again. 'n' ah swore ah wouldn't let her. (Beacuse my cousin isn't allowed to climb cliffs, she fell when she was a child climbing a cliff and she was told she is never to climb again. And i swore i wouldn't let her)." Baist said gruffly in his thick accent as they moved briskly through the woods trying to find the fire falls.

Mean while earlier that day the girls both awoke supprisingly early, they dressed in their riding dresses. Aria left her wild blonde hair down that day as she and Merida grabbed their bows and strapped their arrow bags to their hips. They ran down to the great hall, Merida's family was sitting down as the maids brought in the food.

"Guid mornin' mum 'n' da. We are going oot fur a ride. Angus 'n' Nightmare haven't bin able tae stretch thair legs since the clans arrived." Merida said kissing her mums cheek.

"But Merida ye girls need tae eat something before ye go." Queen Elinor said to them as they headed for the door.

"Ah mum we'll grab something from th' kitchen oan oor way out. We'll be back in a while." Merida said as she and Aria took off through the door way leading to the kitchen.

The girls grabbed a small bag each of apples to take with them then they ran to their horses who seemed to be getting along happily. They gave their mighty steeds an apple as they brushed them down, talking and giggling with each other. Once Nightmare and Angus where saddled up they mounted their beloved horses and raced off for the woods. Merida showed Aria her archery trail that she practiced on all the time. The girls ran the trail several times having fun letting their arrows fly through the air as they pass and hit each mark. Their horses whinned with glee and excitement as they raced through the woods, both horses seemed to be happy at their masters happy laughter. After about an hour of running and shooting the targets they stopped in a clearing.

"Aria are ye a good climber?" Merida asked as she led them through the woods at a gentle trot.

"Aye, a'm a really good climber." She beamed at Merida.

"would ye lik' tae join me in a drink of th' fire falls?" Merida asked, "Thay say only th' anceint kings of the past wur brave enough tae drink from th' fire falls. I awready huv biu it'd be fun tae huv a friend join me in a drink o' bravery."

"I'd love tae Merida, leid th' way!" she said, they then took of racing toward the fire falls.

Merida leading the way. The race a bit away till they came to the tall cliff Merida climbed the first time she drank from the fire falls. A great achievement to Merida that morning, the morning before all her suitor problem and bear problem started. They dismounted their horses, giving them a couple apples. The rest of the apples they kept with them, tieing the bags to their hips. Merida started up the cliff and Aria smiled following closely behind her friend. Their horses watched their masters wearily as they climbed higher and higher. Nightmare gave a worried whinny and snort when Aria lost her footing a little and almost fell but she giggled a little and got her footing continuing climb up. Both girls soon reached the top, they walked over to the fire falls each cupping the water in their hands drinking it. Merida Grinned big and shouted spinning with her hands in the air, Aria giggled joining Merida with a shout of her own spinning about. Merida and Aria sat on the edge of the cliff taking out their apples and started to munch them.

"Merida kin I ask ye a question?" Aria asked turning to look at her new friend.

"Sure, what's oan yer mind?" Merida looked back at Aria as they ate.

'Weel 'ere goes nothing.' Aria thought. " What dae ye think o' Baist? He really does lik' ye 'n' I wanted tae ken where ye stand oan him." she asked looking into Merida's blue eyes.

Merida blushed a tiny bit almost chocking on the bite of apple she had in her mouth not really expecting that kind of question. "Well a dinnae ken really, I dinnae really ken yer cousin. But I have noticed howr sweet 'n' potective of ye he is. He seems lik' a good lad."

"Aye, he is a sweet young man. He has always bin thare tae protect me. He really is a gentle giant. Ah would lik' tae ask a request o' ye." Aria asked picking at her apple. "Could ye please give him a chance, I ken ye dinnae wantae be merried yet. I kin relate tae that but if given a chance a'm sure ye two could at least be guid friends, if nae maybe more. But i'd be happy if ye two would juist be friends. I only waant him tae be happy."

Merida looked at her friend whose cheeks were slightly rosey as she kept her crystal blue eyes down cast, picking at her apple. Merida smiled warmly seeing how much Aria cared about her older cousin, placing a hand on her friends shoulder which caused Aria to look up into her eyes. "A won't mak' any promises but I will try tae give yer cousin a chance. But thare is one problem though. I cannae understand yer cousin at all wi' his thick accent. I'm marvelled at how well ye understand him, it truly amazes me."

Aria smiled big hugging her friend tightly, "Ah promise ah will work wi' him on his accent if ye'll give him a chance."

The girls giggled and talked a bit about the three young lords. The veiw from were they sat looked so beautiful the way the sun light hit the highlands. The girls blue eyes scanned the beautiful landscape.

"Ye ken mah cousin would have a melt down if he saw me up 'ere wi' ye."

"Really? how come?" Merida asked her friend shocked.

Aria looked over the landscape with a slightly distant look to her crystal blue eyes. She gave out a small sigh turning to face Merida. "It happened a few years ago whin I was still juist a wee girl..." Aria began her tale.

*It happened a few years ago when i was still just a wee girl, I bonded with Baist from as far back as I can remeber and only him for some reason. He has two younger brothers, Alarice the middle son and Struan the youngest son. As a little girl i never spoke enless I was repearting Baist sentences. For some reason i wouldn't form my own sentences i'd only repeat him except in an accent everyone understood, i was his human translator. One cloudy day i watched Baist and his two brothers head off from the castle toward the cliffs from a window. I smiled happily at seeing Baist and decided i'd follow him like i always did. I snuck away from my mother and father, which wasn't hard since they were talking to my uncle, Lord MacGuffin.

I ran as fast as my little legs could carry me trying to catch up to them. Baist has always been bigger than other children and was a bit bigger than his two brothers. The boys laughed and roughed housed a bit as they reached the cliff, they looked up to the top of the cliff and started to climb up it. They were already up a bit of the cliff when i reached the base. They didn't notice i was there but it was no supprise since i never made a sound and my vocabulary at the time was limited to a few words that would say and reapeating Baist. The clouds were begining to turn a bit darker and the wind had picked up but i was detereminded to follow him where ever he was going.

I started to climb up the cliff but stopped when i reached a small ridge on the cliff, i opened my mouth and yelled as loudly as i could over the roaring wind, "BAIST!".

The three brothers turned and looked down at me at the sound of the eldest brothers name. they looked shocked as i smiled up to them, the wind blowing my wild blonde hair about. Just then the worst thing possible happend, the rock beneath gave way.

My bright blue eyes widen as my body fell backwards falling toward the ground. Panic and fear written on the three young lords faces. Baist watched in horror as his little cousin fall toward the ground with nothing he could do about it. Her body seemed to fall in slow motion to him, her scream would hunt him forever. My body hit the ground with a sickening crack.

Baist opened his mouth letting out a mighty roar of pain and fear, "ARIA!".

He rushed dow the cliff as fast as he could, his brothers behind him. A small pool of blood began to form under Aria's little body, Baist landed on the ground near her. He rushed to my little body and picked me up, once safely craddled in his arms he took off as fast as he could toward the castle not bothering to wait for his younger brothers. The sky darkened and lightening brightened the sky as the rain poured from the skies. Once at the castle he bust through the doors soaking wet holding my limp body in his arms, rain water and tears streaming down his face.

"Please please some yin hulp! Aria fell 'n' she's bluidin badly. Please somebody hulp me! faither! (Please please some one help! Aria fell and she's bleeding badly. Please somebody help me! Father!)." he yelled.

Lord MacGuffin and my parents ran into the room where all the commotion was coming from. What they saw made my mother scream before fainting, my uuncle took me from his son as the rushed me to the medical area of the castle. My other two cousins, Alarice and Struan came running in then to see their eldest brother on his knees. His whole body shook as the tears fell down his face, my blood cover his hands, arms and chest.

'This is a' mah fault, ah shuid huv bin paying attention if she wis follaein me. This is a' mah fault, a' mah fault. (This is all my fault, i should have been paying attention if she was following me. this is all my fault, all my fault.)' Baist thought slamming his fists into the castles floor.

I was lucky he was there to race me back to the castle other wise I might be dead now. I was find thankfully, but things got worse before they got better. Because i got drenched and my little body weakend from my fall I really sick. My head was healing just find as were my minor cuts and bruises but the sickness was another matter. I had a high fever and slept at all hours. Baist stayed by my side the entire time, he refused to leave me.

Everyone was worried not only for me but for him, he blamed himself not matter how many times people told him he did nothing wrong. He was a hero for getting me back so quickly, but he would just shake is he in disagreement. I eventually woke up and smiled at him. I began to get better but something in him changed and I could tell even at my young age. His protectivness grew a great deal. Since then i've been forbbiden from climbing in fear i would be hurt or killed this time. But when no one was around i would climb, I would show them that I could do it but it has remaind my little secret...*

Aria finished her story looking over to her friend who had listened with great care. Merida couldn't believe the tale she just heard, Aria had almost died if it wasn't Baist. Merida hugged Aria tightly, then they both looked out at the beautiful senery. The girls were just about to climb back down when they notice their horses whinny and look at the trail entrance to the woods. The girls watched in case it was a wild animal but instead the three boys came bursting through the entrance.

Aria's face drained of color as the boys looked up at the girls. Baist's usually warm and soft light blue eyes were now a hard and infuriated slightly darker blue as they looked up into Aria's shimmering crystal blue eyes.

Well that's all for chapter four. I hope you all enjoyed it and i hope you enjoyed learning a little about Aria and Baist's relationship and a wee bit of their past. I'm hoping to write and add chapter five really soon. sorry this chapter was so long. Thank you all and please review. :)