A/N: Hello all! Sorry for the loooong break. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy and please review! EDIT: Made some minor story changes in this chapter that didn't sit right with me originally. :)
Merida ran up to her mother but quickly slowed to a respectable brisk walk, seeing her expression.
"Sorry." She said slightly out of breath.
"I see you're making friends." Elinor said, ignoring her daughters very unladylike behaviour
"I didn't do anything, Mum, I swear, we were only talking and-" Merida rushed on but her mother held up a hand to stop her.
"I know dear. I trust you. It is a good thing you're being sociable. Even if it is with the dragons. It shows the Vikings our willingness to be allies." Elinor said as they walked through to the kitchens.
The Queen was inspecting the food that was to be brought out later, deeming it adequate or not for their guests.
"I thought you said for me to throw that thought in a puddle or something." Merida said suspiciously.
"I asked you not to go riding a dragon. I have no problem with them becoming familiar with you, to an extent, so long as one of the Viking riders is present. It may very well save your life one day. Though, maybe next time you can choose one of the stronger looking riders than that boy. I know he's the chief's son, but.." Elinor trailed off, investigating a bubbling pot filled with a strange orange stew Merida had never seen or tasted before.
"Hiccup is fine." Merida protested. Though she would agree silently with her mother that he may not look the most muscular of the Vikings, she could see he was stronger in other ways. Merida sensed compassion, empathy, intelligence from him, something that made him seem different to the other Vikings. And while he had a slightly awkward demeanour about him, Merida found it rather endearing. He was kind of cute, too.
"Are you blushing?" Elinor asked slightly taken aback.
"What?! No!" Merida said, hiding her face under her hands.
Elinor gave Merida one of her all-knowing smiles but let the matter slide. The Queen spoke with the servants for some time and then with Merida, they made their way to grounds and joined the clans. Merida had noticed the festival was already well on its way, crowds forming around many of the games and entertainment. Across the way Merida could see her father and Stoick engaged in an arm wrestling contest, surrounded by men and women cheering them on.
"That won't end well" Merida gestured at the men, to her mother.
As if on cue, there was a loud yell and crashing sound that came from that direction. Skirmishes broke out among the crowd and chairs were thrown in every direction. Elinor sighed and walked down to the raucous. Merida watched from a distance as her mother parted the fighting men and women like so many times before without so much as saying a word. Elinor turned and addressed the rowdy bunch, every part the image of grace and authority. She couldn't hear what she was saying, but Merida knew it was something eloquent and regal as usual. The crowd calmed down and dispersed, some went off to collect the tossed furniture, others joined different crowds. Meridas attention turned to another area, where most of the young Highlanders and Vikings were sparring and generally loitering. She made her way down to the training area, spotting Hiccup not too far from the weapons table.
"Enjoying the festivities?" Merida asked as she tapped him on the shoulder.
"H-hi, Merida" Hiccup said slightly startled. "Oh.. yeah. Hurling axes and swords at each other, completely unprotected. What's not to love?".
Merida smiled at his sarcastic comment. "Where are your dragons?" She asked curiously.
"Hunting or resting. It was a long flight. They get restless quickly." Hiccup answered.
Merida nodded, intent on questioning Hiccup more about the dragons when they were joined by the other Vikings, trying to get to the weapons. Most of them ignored Merida and Hiccup, except one, who did a sort of double take and then gave Merida a strange expression.
"Well, hello there princess. I don't believe we've met." He said, rudely shoving Hiccup out of the way. The boy grabbed Meridas hand and made to kiss it, when she abruptly pulled it back.
"And you are?" She asked him.
"This is my cousin, Snotlout." Hiccup answered, rubbing his arm.
"Don't bother wasting your time with this small fry, babe." Snotlout gestured to Hiccup, who rolled his eyes. "How about a one on one match, me and you, huh?"
He still had that ridiculous expression on his face and it took all of Meridas strength to not simply laugh in it. She would have liked nothing more than to wipe that smug smile off his face. However, Merida remembered her promise to her mother and attempted to ignore her annoyance.
"I will pass on that offer, thank you" Merida replied in a monotone voice.
Snotlout huffed slightly, turning away from Merida.
"She's probably never even touched a blade. She's just a weak little princess." He said to the others behind them, some of whom sniggered.
Meridas jaw tightened. Weak, was she?
She turned on the spot and pushed the Vikings aside from the weapons table. Normally, she would have gone straight for a bow, but there was none present so she picked the next best thing and scooped up 5 daggers. Merida strode by the group calmly and stood a distance from one of the training dummies set up. The Vikings watched, Hiccup included, as Merida aimed and hit the dummy with 4 daggers, embedded with great force.
Merida turned to the group and raised one eye brow at Snotlout, a self-pleased expression on her face.
"Beginners luck. Besides, anyone can throw knives." Snotlout chaffed to others.
Snotlout failed to notice Merida still had one dagger in her hand. In one quick motion, she threw the dagger at the rope suspending the bench he was leaning on. The bench buckled under the unexpected weight and Snotlout lost his balance. He staggered for a few seconds then promptly fell backwards in to a water trough. Everyone burst out in to fits of laughter as Snotlout sat in shock, soaking wet. He angrily pulled himself out of the trough, water sopping everywhere.
"You did that on purpose!" Snotlout wagged a finger at Merida.
"Maybe next time you'll think twice about calling someone weak. Especially a princess." She replied coolly.
He huffed angrily and walked off, his shoes squelching along with him. The rest of the crowd dispersed and Hiccup turned to Merida.
"Sorry about Snotlout. He always gets like that around beautiful women." Hiccup said rolling his eyes.
"Do you think I'm beautiful?" Merida asked cheekily.
Hiccup froze, realising the implication of what he had said. "No! I mean yes! Er, what I meant was, uh, that you are very, um, you have a certain ahhh -" He stammered but Merida cut him off.
"It's ok, I know what you meant." She laughed and Hiccup looked relieved.
They stood in an awkward silence, both wanting to continue the conversation but not knowing what to say to each other. Merida broke it soon, her curiosity overpowering her.
"Are there many dragons on Berk?" She questioned.
"Oh, yeah. Well, now there is, now that they're not our enemies anymore." Hiccup replied, fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve. "Being the stubborn headed folk we are, we fought the dragons and blamed them for every bad thing that happened on Berk for a long time."
"So what changed?" Merida asked as they began to walk away from the training area and along the edge of the grounds.
"Ah.. it's a long boring story. I'll only put you to sleep." Hiccup replied.
Merida flopped down beneath the shade of a tree and gave Hiccup an expectant smile. He sighed and sat down next to her. Merida listened intently, as Hiccup recalled the events of becoming allies with the dragons. The night he captured Toothless with his catapult device, his one-man search party the next morning and freeing the helpless dragon. His fruitless attempts to get close to Toothless, the strained relationship between his father and himself. She laughed with him at his pitiful attempts at dragon training, then gave a small cheer when he started to 'cheat' his way through them.
With every part of the story unfolding, her expression grew more curious with enthusiasm. Hiccup noticed she chewed her bottom lip ever so slightly, her eyes, wide and attentive. No one had looked at him like this while he was talking, not even Astrid. It made him painfully obvious about every little awkward movement or gesture he made. When he had finished telling the tale, Merida sat in silence for a minute or so, thinking.
"That's a pretty amazing story." Merida admitted.
Hiccup gave a small nod of acknowledgement.
"Mines better." Merida added with a wicked grin.