AN: A new chapter for you guys. It is hot out of the oven and ready to be read. I'm glad to see you all are enjoying the story so far. Please review as it gives me further motivation. I am very sorry for the delay. I was trying hard to balance school starting up, moving over a mountain to a house, and working nine hour overnight shifts. I'm better now. I have a new job. And you have a new chapter.

This chapter is also not beta'd.

In the meantime, enjoy the show.

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 14: Homecoming

Astrid started to turn to tell the young man that there was no sign yet. However, before she could turn fully, she spied a glow to her right. It was almost invisible with the storm raging around her.

"ASTRID! Do you see anything?!"

Astrid pointed at the glow. "Starboard! Over there!"

Snotlout nodded and steered the rudder into the direction of his friend's finger. "Fishlegs! Tighten up the sails! We don't need to smash on the rocks!"

_-_Inside the Cave- _-

At first, Merida thought it was the lightning and thunder that had woken it up that night. After all, she had been sleeping peacefully with no ill dreams finding her. It was only a few moments until she realized what had woken her. Hiccup's iron foot nudged her leg again. He was twitching quietly next to his dragon. The dragon in question was looking at his human with eyes of concern.

Merida moved to wake him only for Toothless to grunt and shake his head. The princess moved to awaken her friend despite the black beast's insistence otherwise. The moment her hand reached his arm, Hiccup moved. His left hand grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her while, his right hand drew a dagger and set it against her neck.

Coming to his senses, Hiccup released her arm and removed the knife from her neck. "Sorry. Reflex."

Merida exhaled slowly. "It- its fine." Hiccup smiled and rubbed both his left side and thigh. The recent injuries to his person were aching in this storm. "Storm's makin' your body act up-"

"Quiet!" interrupted Hiccup. He snatched up the bow and quiver and tossed it to Merida. The Viking tapped his ear and pointed to the storm outside. Merida strained to listen. Then she heard it. Movement on the gravel outside. She heard a few thumps into the shore then shuffling towards the entrance.

Hiccup got her attention. He held up three fingers and pointed out towards the sound. Both of them took positions ready to defend their shelter. Toothless moved back sluggishly to the back of the cave as to get out of the way, while Hiccup took up the position just next the opening. Meanwhile, Merida prepared her bow behind a boulder and aimed it at the entrance.

The crunching of gravel slowly became easily audible over the raging storm. Merida and Hiccup waited in tense silence for the inevitable conflict looming in the shadows of the storm outside. The sound of movement halted and was replaced by a yelling voice that was difficult to hear over the storm. The feminine voice was firm and spoke only a few words.

"Hiccup! Are you there?" It was unexpected to hear that in the middle of a rainstorm. Hiccup at least seemed to recognize the voice and the tension in his stance seemed to bleed from his shoulders. His defensive stance didn't change but he slowly sheathed his drawn weapons. Merida followed his lead and relaxed the tension in her bow and made to sheath her arrow. Upon seeing this, the young chief shook his head at her and mouthed, 'Not yet.' The princess raised both her brow and her bow. The iron tip of the arrow glinted dangerously in the firelight.

Hiccup forced himself out of his stance and straightened himself to a standing position. He used a deep breath to bury his searing pain behind a well-practiced mask. "That depends. Are you friendly? 'Cause if you're not friendly, I'm not gonna let you in," he called back to the voice in the darkness.

There was a series of snots from the direction of the voice. "Dammit Hiccup, it's Astrid, Fishlegs, and Snotlout. We're wet and we're coming in."

The gravel shuffled quickly and loudly and ended only after three bodies entered into the light of the fire. The young woman in front was about Merida's height with parted and braided blond hair and a thin face. She wore a fur hood attached to slightly oversized metal pauldrons, a crimson shirt, fur gauntlets and boots, and a leather skirt over blue leg wraps. In her belt she wore a large double sided axe. The boy behind her was shorter than the girl and possessed a stock build with broad shoulders and a massive chin with light stubble. He wore a leather tunic tucked into his pants, a horned helmet, and spiked bracers. Around his shoulders was a fur shawl that connected to a fur vest. He carried a large spiked club. The last boy was tall, wide, and built like a brick house. His mid-length blond hair kept under a winged steel cap. He was covered head to toe in fur and had a belt of pockets wrapped around his wide middle. In the belt he carried several wide bladed daggers.

At the sight of the rough looking trio, Hiccup waved Merida's bow down. "Merida, I'd like to introduce you to Astrid, Snotlout, and Fishlegs. Guys, this is Merida. She's my friend." As he spoke his façade cracked open and he staggered into the cave wall. "What the hell are you three doing here?"

"First, you need to sit down before you fall down." Hiccup moved to protest but Astrid stepped quickly and caught her friend and moved to set him onto the ground by the fire and stood back to scan the room.

Toothless was lying lazily in the corner with a dress wrapped around his middle like a bandage. This 'Merida' character moved closer to Hiccup almost as soon as Astrid set him down. Her Flame colored hair was matted and her dress had clearly seen better days. There was under the all the dirt and grime an air of refinement that spoke of privilege, not the harsh life of a Viking. Not suspicious at all. Snotlout and Fishlegs sat on either side of the pair while Astrid herself sat across from them.

The largest Viking opened one of his belt pocket and pulled out some fish jerky which he handed to all of the assembly. "Valka sent us. The trade ships were passing when they saw a black dragon with a rider get shot down," explained Fishlegs.

"So, as usual, we had to come save you," remarked Snotlout as he reclined. "Just an average week, really."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Fair enough. Thanks all the same. Ass." He grabbed the water skin and took a drink then passed it on. "How's the village?"

Astrid took the skin from Fishlegs and drank deeply. "Surviving currently. We're tired, dirty, and hungry. I hope your adventure was worth it."

Hiccup nodded his head and said, "I've struck a deal for the movement of the entire tribe." His eyes flicked over to his traveling companion. "The King of DunBroch has offered us asylum." The looks of shock spread across his friends' faces.

Fishlegs rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Look Hiccup, I know you're chief and all but the Scots aren't friendly to us Vikings."

"I spoke to almost every tribe in the archipelago. They are all either afraid of us or they want our heads on pikes. DunBroch is offering us independent rule on our own land." He tapped the saddle bag behind him. "He and I worked out a fair treaty. I just need the Elder's approval."

Astrid shook her head. "We trust you. We're just concerned. Now how the hell did you get such a deal?"

Hiccup tilted his head towards Merida. "Why would their king grant sanctuary for saving the life of one girl?" asked Snotlout incredulously.

"Because I am Princess Merida of DunBroch," replied Merida in a matter-a-fact tone of voice.

"Oh."

Astrid rolled her eyes. 'Of course she is. But a pampered brat has no business associating with a Viking. Let alone the chief of the tribe.'

Hiccup explained how he and Toothless came to be in DunBroch and found Merida in the river. They described everything that transpired over the few days that he and his dragon were in country as well as the contents of the treaty. "On the way back to Berk, we were shot down and Merida managed to save both me and Toothless. She treated our wounds and sweated the poison out of me, then she…. took care of the Viking scouting party that attacked us."

The other Vikings sharing their fires warmth, understood the meaning behind Hiccup's statement and looked at the fire headed princess in a new light, reshuffling their low opinions of her. Merida sat sheepish under the gazes of the alien three. She felt conflicted. The deaths of the eight men weighed heavily on her mind but these new Vikings seemed to actually be happy.

Fishlegs stretched his back and yawned loudly. "We came ship due to the storm. Flying would have played hell on the dragon wings." The large man gestured to the sleeping dragon in the corner of the cave. "Looks like it will get us back to Berk easier with Tootless down for the count."

Hiccup nodded, "Maybe our luck is starting to change."

They left for Berk early the next morning. They were packed and boarded on the ship before the sun had risen too far above the horizon, much to Merida's chagrin. After quick thanks to Thor for clearing the storm from their path, they got underway.

The trip was rather exciting for all of the humans on board. For the Vikings hope permeated their beings as they returned to Berk for what could be the last time. Within each of them however, was fear of what was to come as well. Hiccup would never admit it but he was also excited to show his friend where he had grown up. The lone Scot was brimming with excitement over seeing new lands, with friendly people, and meeting more dragons.

The dragon passengers were quite curious about the strange smelling human. She was new and different. All three of the unfamiliar dragons and mostly recovered Toothless greatly enjoyed her company. She smelled similar to a fresh and distant forests mixed gently with the scent of Hiccup. When Stormfly, Meatlug, and Hookfang confronted Toothless over this he merely communicated that there might be some mutual consideration of what the humans called 'courting but refused to speak further.

The ship traveled quickly over the open sea overnight and brought Berk into sight by late morning the next day. Merida was shocked at what broke from the chilled sea and haunting mist. Massive carved stone sentinels in the form a Vikings which held flames in their mouths. Most of them were damaged and several were decimated completely. Soon the island itself came out the mist making it clear that Hiccup had not exaggerated. The earth was scorched and blacked. To say vegetation was sparse would be an understatement. There were foundations that were evidence of buildings burned to cinders or taken repurposed into ships if the floating shames at the port were anything to go by.

The sound of mismatched steps came behind Merida and broke her shock. "Princess Merida, Welcome to the illustrious Isle of Berk."

AN: The odyssey of the Viking people is some to be soothed.

Next Chapter 15: A Parting of Ways.

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

War and Peace,

-RedHoodandtheOutlaws