AN: I am so sorry this is late. In a month I have gotten a job, quit that job, got a new job, went to my brother's college graduation/going away party, and had writers block. I apologize. I went from fry cook at Wendy's to Overnight Janitor for Walmart. So I'm going to have more time to write.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to give you chapter eleven of this story. Chapter 12 is underway and will posted as soon as it is done. I warn you: Due to the literal mountain between my beta, this is unbeta'd. Please excuse the grammar issues as she is not here to lovingly correct the chapter.

Not much else to say. Please direct all questions to my inbox. Review and tell your internet friends.

And here we go.

I own nothing.

OF BOWS AND DRAGONS

Chapter 11: … Go Awry

. "Hiccup. I'm charging you with my daughter's safety. If anything happens to her it's on you. Do I make myself clear?"

"As a sunny day."

"Good."

_-_the next morning_-_

Merida woke up early the next morning. The early autumn sun filtered in from her windows and splashed across her face. She quickly half tamed her mane of fiery hair and finished dressing for the day. Once she felt she was presentable, she grabbed her bag she had packed the night before, as well as her bow and quiver, and headed down to the Grand Hall.

In the hall she found a fully saddled and packed Toothless sanding by the table. Hiccup was kneeling next to the dragon's rear leg and was working on the saddle. He yanked hard on the strap that was newly attached to the saddle and stood up to inspect his work. He was dressed as she had first met him. Weapons covered his body and he looked ready to travel. "What're you doin'?" asked Merida as she walked over to him.

Hiccup hadn't heard her approach and gave a startled yelp whilst turning to face her. Each hand was on a dagger, ready to draw. He relaxed quickly once he realized it was Merida. "Oh! Sorry. You startled me. These are stirrups so you don't fall off while we're flying," said Hiccup gesturing to the straps.

"Good! We wouldn't want that now would we?"

Hiccup smiled and took her bag from her hand and tied it securely to the rear of the saddle.

It was at this point that the rest of the Merida's family came down the stairs. "Morning you too! You all packed?" asked Fergus. He was the only one who looked able or willing to speak. The triplets were tripping over their own feet in a sleepy stupor and Elinor still looked mightily unhappy that her daughter was leaving on the mission.

Hiccup nodded. "Yep. Thank you for the food and other supplies."

"Of course."

The meal was passed in general silence. The two foreigners were eating heavily as they had traveled this route before and knew the stresses of hunger. Merida tried to follow their lead. She would have liked to talk to her family for a last time before she left but it seemed Hiccup was anxious to leave. Before too long the food had been consumed.

Hiccup stood and checked the knots on the saddle. He tightened the knots on the bulbous bags of food that the King had given them. "We need to go if we're gonna make head way." He climbed on to the leather saddle and held out a hand for Merida to use as a boost up onto toothless. She took his hand tightly and her crystal blue eyes met his forest green. Between them passed a silent understanding with this grasp. 'I'll watch your back.'

He pulled her up in a swift motion and she sat roughly in on the back of the saddle. Fergus smiled sadly. He didn't particularly want to send his daughter but he knew better than to try and stop her in a situation such as this. "We'll walk you to the door. I'll fill the rest of the kingdom in on our agreement. You might want to fill in Merida," he whispered into Hiccup's ear.

Hiccup nodded and set his helmet on his head. "It'll take a bit longer than I'd estimated last night. Given the weight of our supplies and the both of us… I don't know how long till we get back with the majority of the village. A month at most. Can't be sure."

Fergus nodded slowly and stepped out of the way for the dragon and his passengers to pass. Elinor intercepted them though before they made it two steps. "Promise me you'll keep her safe. Promise me I'll get to see my daughter again."

"I can't do that. This trip is a long one. Plenty of time for something to go wrong."

Elinor stepped closer. "I don't care."

Hiccup sighed. "I swear, I'll do my best."

She nodded despite the fear in her eyes and stepped out of the way. Merida smiled at her mother. While she would never publically admit it, she liked that her mother was protective of her. Before them, the castle doors opened. Butterflies bloomed into her midsection as they exited her home. She had never been one to leave the land of her people but, now she was leaving it on the back of a dragon.

In the courtyard, the all but one member of the court assembled along perimeter. Nathair was missing and nobody seemed to care. Durall was looking quite pleased with the arrangement his king had reached and offered the smile to the pair seated on the black beast. Merida returned it while Hiccup seemed anxious to get off the ground.

Hiccup leaned forward and scratched Toothless' ear. "You ready buddy?" Toothless nodded and set his legs for takeoff. "Last chance to back out, Princess," said Hiccup obviously smiling beneath his helmet.

"Not on your life."

Hiccup nodded and gripped the handles on the saddle. "Then hold on. Toothless: Let's ride!"

The crowd gasped as the trio lifted into the air. For them it was the first time they had seen a human fly and it was breath taking. However, what those on the ground felt was insignificant to what Merida felt as they spiraled up. She gripped tight around Hiccup's midsection as the comforting solid ground was left far below. The air blew through her hair and it was exhilarating yet frightening. Soon they flew off toward the northern borders of the kingdom and beyond. Neither of them aware of the storms brewing on all fronts.

_-_Meanwhile elsewhere in the Castle_-_

Nathair was not missed at the princess' send off. He wasn't well liked by many in the kingdom and was loved by fewer still. He had been made an advisor was because he was a shrewd diplomat and was needed when Fergus first took the throne. The only reason he had not been removed was there was no suitable replacement for him. Those who had attended should have sent for him.

He was busy at his desk trying desperately to save the plans he had made over the last two years. It had taken all of his skills as a diplomat to convince the right people to fall into place. If he had succeeded he would have ascended to the seat of the king. Now it was a ruined by a crippled Viking, no older than a boy.

He smiled in wondrous realization that he could still salvage his plan. Moving up his plans would be the only answer. He drafted a letter quickly explaining what had happened and giving his best instructions. Sealing the letter, he tied it to the raven he kept in a hidden cage in his chambers. Soon the obsidian bird was out the window headed south.

_-_With the traveling heroes_-_

Merida, Hiccup, and Toothless had a week of travel behind them. In that time they had avoided all of the dangers that faced them. Making camp had been a tenuous affair. The temperature had dropped quickly after the second night and it required the two humans to use the same wing of Toothless to remain warm. It had resulted in many blushes from both of them as they woke up with no personal space to speak of. By the fifth night, however, the temperature was cold enough to make them shove any embarrassment out of mind.

Hiccup woke up early the seventh morning. He removed himself from beneath Toothless' left wing, careful not to wake the sleeping princess or the dragon. He stepped into the freezing cold and instantly missed the warmth of his traveling companions. Admittedly he was doing to keep her warm. He was bred to face this type of climate.

He removed the food bag from the nearby tree and began to remove the portion for that day. The food that Fergus had given them had lasted quite a while. Half of it still remained. On top of that with the present time they would reach Berk in maybe four or five days. That was nearly as fast as the estimate Hiccup had given for only him. In order to maintain pace he quickly packed the camp.

This last stretch of the trip would be the most dangerous. They had passed into the south most territory of the Viking tribes that laid siege to Berk a couple of years earlier. The memory of the Black Rider was fresh and it was all the more necessary to stay farther from the tribes. He hadn't even allowed a fire the night before. Merida was angered by that and started shouting when Toothless had tackled them. The noise had brought the suspicion of the local tribe and they had begun searching the woods nearby.

Hiccup walked to the sleeping pair and kneelt down next to the black wing. "Toothless. Merida. Time to get moving," he whispered. He didn't dare use a voice louder than that. After a few moments of silence and deep breathing he tried again. "If you don't get up now, there is no breakfast for either of you."

Sluggish bodies began moving. Toothless sat up and moved to the creek a few yards away to catch his breakfast. Merida on the other hand slowly shifted into a sitting position and shivered from the missing warmth. "H-how ar-are you s-s-s-so warm?"

Hiccup chuckled quietly and handed her a piece of dried meat and a blanket. "It was the coldest winter in ten generations when I was born."

Merida gladly accepted both the warmth and the food. "Fair enough, lad." Merida ripped a chunk of meat from her breakfast and savored the salty taste. "So, you never did tell me what you and my father agreed to."

Hiccup grimaced and put his half eaten food away. "I don't think it's a good idea. They aren't exactly… quiet topics."

"I'll be quite quiet," replied Merida.

The young chief rubbed his face and sighed. "Fine. My village gets a tract of land about a day's walk from the castle. In return we have to hold up some general agreements."

"Such as…?" prodded the princess.

"Well, assistance in battle, expansion of trade, and allowing the kingdom of DunBroch to train with dragons, mainly."

Merida raised a brow. "Trading?"

"There is a tribe of Vikings dedicated to trading. They remain neutral and as far south as the great deserts far to the south. Not to mention Berk's own crafts," explained Hiccup quietly.

"You said mainly, what else?"

Hiccup winced. "That is the part that you won't like." The princess narrowed her eyes at her friend. "The clans are pressuring your dad into holding games for your hand… and he wants Berk to compete. He wants me to compete."

Unsurprisingly, Merida did not take this news well. "DAMN THEM! DAMN HIM! DAMN YOU! I AM NOT SOME PRIZE TO BE WO-" Merida's aggravated rant was cut off by a gloved hand covering her mouth.

"By the hammer! You need to be quiet! Don't you remember last night?" whispered Hiccup urgently.

She shoved the and away. "Don't tell me to calm down!"

All sense of voice control was lost and it was going to end badly. In the distance there was been shouting and it sounded like it was quickly getting closer.

Hiccup snatched up his bags and his helmet. He reached out to Merida to take her hand. "It's the scouting party from last night. We need to move now!"

AN: That is a wrap. Fecal matter has gotten real and hit the fan. Up next is Chapter 12: Merida Pays a Debt in Full. Merida is going to be paying debt next chapter. To whom? How? You'll have to find out.

Review and let me know what you think of the story so far.

War and Peace,

-RedHoodandtheOutlaws