Gentle Giant

*italic memory*, () Young MacGuffin translation

Chapter six:

Gregor and Nandag were the first ones to arrive out of the five young heirs. They sat at their own table near their father's and royal family. In the hallway Merida was coming down the stairs to go into the great hall just as Aria and Baist reacted the end of the hall infront of the door leading to the great hall where dinner was to be held that night. Merida smiled and hugged Aria, Glaring at Baist over Aria's shoulder. Baist looked sheepishly away rubbing the back of his neck.

"Weel i'm going tae go in 'n' see whit th' two trouble makers are up tae. Save ye a seat Merida." Aria said cheerfully, winking at Baist as she went into the great hall.

Merida huffed and went to follow her when a large hand gently grabbed her wrist. Merida turned and glared at Baist who still held her tiny wrist in his hand.

"Merida can ah talk tae ye." Baist said as clearly and slowly as he could.

"Aye, what dae ye want?" she asked snippy with him.

He sighed trying to collect his thoughts to tell her how he feels. He took a deep breathe looking at the girl he likes giving him a grumpy look. Before he could get what he wanted out Merida poked him in his chest with her other hand, leaning up to get in his face as much as she could with the height difference.

"I cannae believe ye today, what th' hell got intae ye today? ye wur acting lik' a beast."Merida growled at him, Baist winced at being called a beast. His name means beast but he's never felt like he's ever acted like one. "Ye better nae huv hurt her wi' ye rough treatment o' her earlier."

"Ah wid ne'er hurt her, ah ainlie wantae protect her. (I would never hurt her, I only want to protect her.)" he protested.

"Richt that's how come ye roughly grabbed her arm 'n' dragged her tae her horse, och 'n' dinnae forget ye got in her face yelling at her. What kind o' protector are ye treating her lik' that huh?" Merida shot back at him after taking a minute to think over and dicifer what he just said to her.

He gave a sigh, looking down then back into Merida's blazing blue eyes. Merida looked back into his gentle blue eyes refusing to let him off the hook so easily.

'She's sae bonny, even whin angered. Her een ur alight lik' th' ragin` ocean whin th' sun shines aff it. (She's so beautiful, even when angered. Her eyes are alight like the raging ocean when the sun shines off it.)' he couldn't help thinking as he looked at Merida's face and into her eyes.

'I ken i'm suppose tae give him a chance but how kin I efter earlier? I guess ah should stop hounding him 'n' hear him out though, I owe Aria tae at least hear him out.' Merida though with a huff.

"Ye said ye wanted tae talk tae me, weel talk now. Whit did ye want? I'd lik' tae git tae dinner." Merida asked him, her voice not as cold toward him.

Baist nodded his head, he took a deep breath and quickly ranted out to her all he wanted to say in a flustered breath.

"Merida ah wanted tae apologize tae ye fur mah behavior earlier, ah didnae mean tae be sae gruff 'n' rude tae ye. Ah'ament forordinar sae raucle wi' Aria either, ah pure am sorry. Ah hawp ye kin forgive me. Ah juist git sae scared seeing her up sae heich, ah wis feart she'd git hurt. She hud an mishanter a tae years ago 'n' 'twas mah entire fault. Ah shuid huv bin paying attention bit ah wasn't 'n' she git hurt fur ah didnae pay attention tae if she wis follaein me 'n' she a'maist died. Ah ken tis na excuse bit ah pure am sorry fur mah behavior. Ah kin be overly protective o' her 'n' whiles dinnae realize mah ain braun bit ah wid ne'er hurt Aria or ye. (Merida I wanted to apologize to you for my behavior earlier, I didn't mean to be so gruff and rude to you. I'm not usually so rough with Aria either, I really am sorry. I hope you can forgive me. I just got so scared seeing her up so high, I was afraid she'd get hurt. She had an accident a couple years ago and it was my entire fault. I should have been paying attention but I wasn't and she got hurt because I didn't pay attention to if she was following me and she almost died. I know it's no excuse but I really am sorry for my behavior. I can be overly protective of her and sometimes don't realize my own strength but I would never hurt Aria or you.)."

Merida's face turned from her grumpy look to a confused one, her brows knitted together. He talked so fast in his fluster that she couldn't understand him at all, his face reddened a bit when she just stared at him. He took a deep breath looking down at the ground. After calming himself down he tried again more slowly this time.

"Merida I wanted tae apologize tae ye for mah behavior earlier, I did not mean tae be so gruff 'n' rude tae ye. I'm not usally so rough wi' Aria either, I really am sorry. I hope ye can forgive me. I just got so scared seeing her up so heich, I wis afriad she'd get hurt. She had an accident a couple years ago 'n' 'twas mah entire fault. I should huv bin paying attention but I wasn't 'n' she got hurt because I wasn't paying attention tae if she wis following me 'n' she almost died. I ken tis na excuse bit I really am sorry fur mah behavior. I can be overly protective o' her 'n' sometimes don't realize mah own strength but I would ne'er hurt Aria or ye."

Merida looked at him, taking in what he said. She had to go over it a couple times in her head but when he slowed his speech it really did help. He didn't have the same dangerous edge to him as earlier that day. Merida looked at the giant young man before her, the more she stared at his round sheepish face the more her anger of earlier began to leave her body.

Merida sighed, and looked up at Baist. Her bright blue eyes looking into his gentle light blue eyes. "I ken ye blame yersel' fur what happened that day but ye huv tae realize she isn't a wee lassie anymair. She doesn't need tae be protected lik' she's made o' gless."

"Ah ken she's nae made o' gless bit ah ne'er waant her hurt again. Ah ken ah ower reacted, 'n' ah shouldn't huv dane whit ah did. Ah cannae chaynge that noo bit a'm sorry Merida 'n' ah juist hawp ye kin forgive me. (I know she's not made of glass but I never want her hurt again. I know I over reacted, and I shouldn't have done what I did. I can't change that now but I am sorry Merida and I just hope you can forgive me)." he said lowering his head slightly.

Merida looked at him, watching his expressions. Merida couldn't help the small smile that started to form on her lips. Baist really did make it hard to stay mad at him with how gentle he was being. She knew he loved his little cousin like a baby sister and after hearing what happen a couple years ago, she feels like she can't really blame him for how he acted. Knowing he blames himself for something that wasn't his fault. Thinking more about it she can't help but feel like she would become over protective of her little brothers if something like that happened to any of them. She looked up at him and smiled.

"A'richt ye big lug, I will forgive ye but next time try tae remain cool." she told him, he nodded his head that he would.

Merida reliazed that Baist's big hand still held her tiny wrist gently. Merida's face began to heat up and she wished she could hide her face, Baist looked down at what she was staring at and his face heated even more as he quickly let go of her wrist.

"A'm sae sorry, ah didnae mean tae haud yer wrist fur sae lang. A'm sae sorry. (I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hold your wrist for so long. I'm so sorry)." Baist said quickly rubbing his neck again.

"Tis a'richt, we should get in thare before they start wondering whaur we ur." Merida said trying to control her own blush.

Suddenly the door burst opened as a couple drunk clans men came walking out, the door knocking Merida over. Baist instinct kicked in and he reached out to catch her, to steady their balace Baist took a step back. Merida's face was as the color of her hair as she felt herself being held closely to Baist's strong chest. He held her around her waist gentle, his hands almost touching each other around her waist. They looked at each others face, their eyes making connection. They almost seemed lost in the moment till they heard giggling, snapping their attention to the door they saw Aria and Gregor staring at them. Aria continued to giggle, while Gregor leaned against the wall his eye brow raised at the scene before him. Merida and Baist quickly seprated from each other.

"I see ye two made up, huh? c'moan Gregor let's leave them alone." Giggled Aria grabbing Gregor's arm pulling him back into the great hall.

Bais growled slightly, "Aria ye come back here."

Merida shook her head and laughed a little before turning to looked at the embarrassed warrior next to her. She smiled at him, "C'moan Baist, lets go get thaim th' wee sneaks."

Baist smiled at Merida nodding his head he agreed, he opened the door letting Merida in first before following her. At the front of the room queen Elinor smiled a mothers knowing smile as her daughter and the young Macguffin entered together. She watched her daughter playfully tickle her new friend Aria as Baist held both Gregor and Aria in his big arms. They enlisted the help of Nandag to give Gregor a nuggie. The two young heirs tried to wiggle and escape but Baist held them to tightly.

"Merida! stop stop it please a'm very ticklish! Baist let me go let go please!" Aria gasped out in between her laughter.

Beside her Gregor just kept grunting as Nandag gave him a nuggie laughing it up. Finally Baist and Merida nodded in agreement to let their friends go, Gregor once released turned to Nandag and pounced on him. The two boys wrestled on the ground as Gregor got his revenge on Nandag for helping Merida and Baist. Aria just looked up at her cousin and gave him the saddest puppy dog eyes she could muster and pouted. Merida and Baist just laughed at them and sat down finally able to eat their dinner after all that has happened.

'They seem tae be getting along better efter Baist wee outburst earlier. A'm glad, I only waant mah cousin tae be happy 'n' fin' th' happiness he desrives.' thought Aria pretending to still be pouting over what they did.

Dinner was the say as always after a while things turned into a big wrestling match in which time the queen would pardon herself and take the triplets off to bed. Soon after the five heirs went to go to bed. once in the hallway gregor said goodnight to the girls and went to lean against the wall and wait for the other two males.

"Goodnight mah fair Merida." Nandag said grabbing her hand in his and kissing it.

Aria watched as Merida seemed uncomfortable by his display of affection.

'Hmm he could be a threat tae mah the plan tae help th' fates push mah cousin 'n' Merida together. Ah will juist have tae keep him tae busy tae woo her.' thought Aria as her cousin gave her a big bear hug and said goodnight.

Baist bowed to Merida and headed off with the other two lads to their respective tents. Merida and Aria grinned to each other and raced up to her room. They stayed up for a little while bouncing and talking on the bed. They talked about sword fighting and their horses. They soon tuckered themselves out, falling into peaceful dream filled sleep. Aria's last thoughts were of how to put her plans into action the next day.

That's all for chapter six, i'm sorry it took so long for me to post it. i would have had the chapter finished and posted earlier today but my dad decided we all needed to clean the basement so we were cleaning most the day lol. but here it is i hope you all enjoy. Thank you to everyone who has left me reviews, favorited this fanfic, or is following. your support really makes me happy and i will try to post again as soon as possible. thank you everyone and please review.