Author's Notes:
I don't own any of the characters or Worlds, this is purely for fun and not profit.
Merida shifted on the hard pallet, the cool morning air of early spring driving her farther under the covers. A scratching at the door caused her to squeeze her eyes shut in hopes of ignoring it, but the sound persisted, and continued to get more frequent, finally motivating her to sit up and look around the room. Peadar was by the fire pit, stirring up a simple porridge for breakfast. The scratching sound happened again, making the front door tremble at the force.
"Yer Terror is here to wake ya" Peadar said with a small smile, his eyes on the task in front of him. Casting the covers aside Merida shivered slightly before running behind the curtain in order to proceed with her morning rituals.
They had been here for a little over two weeks now. Peadar had taken up work with the fishermen, both to keep busy and to try and find any news concerning her father. While there weren't any trade ships coming in soon, the fishing boats from the surrounding villages all shared news with each other. It was through that channel that they had learned the unfortunate news: Johan wouldn't be arriving until the start of summer.
She finished fastening her belt and walked out into the main space. The scratching at the door had reached a peak, sighing, Merida opened it up. A small bright green ball of scales pushed its way past her, she checked quickly out the door to make sure there was no one around before closing it. She turned to face the little dragon, which was now sitting patiently next to Peadar. The small dragon was called a 'Terrible Terror' and had taken up following Merida around.
It had begun when she had worked in the kitchens, she was in charge of disposing of the waste, and in the midden heap she had found several of the creatures. The cook, Olaf, had told her that they commonly picked at the left overs and to not mind them; but she realized after a few days there was one at the back that the others would push out of the way. After watching it struggle to get food, she decided to distract the others with some fish heads so that she could get closer to get a better look at him.
He looked rough around the edges compared to the rest, there was a scar across his snout, one of his horns had been snapped off, and his right wing didn't seem to fold neatly against his body. She had pointed him out to Olaf, gesturing her concern; however the cook had shrugged his shoulders and told her that he must have been one of the dragons they had kept for training before they had begun to befriend them. From that moment on she had taken to feeding him and guarding him from the others if they tried to steal his food. He wouldn't let her near him at first, growling and snapping if she tried to pet him, but after a while he began to follow her around the village, and even began to allow her to pick him up. It was a recent change that had him scratching at the door when he felt she was taking too long to appear in the morning.
She hadn't named him though, she was afraid of getting attached to anything or anyone here. These were her enemies, not her friends. In the summer seasons they would try and attack her people. She had to keep reminding herself of this when Astrid tried to get her to join her friends for dinner.
Merida admired Astrid, she had watched the woman working with her recruits and flying off on missions. She was a very strong and respected woman. In some ways Merida was reminded of her mother, Astrid was a bit more physical with people, but they listened when she spoke and trusted in her command. In this village the woman were able to take control with little push back from the men, these Vikings seemed to respect their woman greatly. While Merida's father had always valued the power of the women folk in his Clan, there were many others that didn't follow that thought process.
A sharp bite at her ankles snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Ack! Ye bit mah leg ye wee devil! See if I feed ye today!" she cursed quietly. While she felt a bit safer talking in the hut, she didn't want to draw too much attention. Rubbing her ankle she sat at the edge of her pallet and accepted a bowl from Peadar.
"Will ye be travel'n to the woods again today?" Peadar asked as he began eating. Merida nodded her head. "Make sure ye take care, I've been hear'n more about these dragons, and there are some ye wouldn't want to meet alone."
She took a gulp of her food and looked at him "Don't worry Peadar; their woods are not like the ones back home, isn't as easy to get lost in them. I've also started workin' on a new bow, and if that fails I have the Terror to strike fear in mah enemies" she finished with a smirk, looking down at the Terror who was chewing on a fish Peadar had offered him.
Peadar gave her a tight smile. She knew he was feeling a bit frustrated when it came to her well being. Back home he had never interfered with her upbringing, leaving that to Fergus and Elinor, instead he had helped train her and befriended her as an uncle would. Merida and her brother's loved Peadar and knew they could trust him. However, here there was no Fergus or Elinor; Merida was a princess of Alba in the middle of the enemy's village. While he could blend easily due to his many travels, Merida had a harder time.
As soon as they had settled he had jumped back into teaching her the language. He had focused on the basics, or the words she would commonly hear around here so that she could fit in easier. He was also balancing between trusting in her abilities to take care of herself and a desire to lock her away to keep her safe. She could've made a bow by now, each stroke of the blade for every time he said he now understood Elinor's attitude better.
Once she was finished with her breakfast she rinsed the bowl in a small wooden pail of water they used for putting out their fire. "I'm heading off now Peadar, I gotta check the traps before any dragons decide to check them for me!" She said with a bright smile. Peadar grabbed her wrist before she headed out.
"Take mah knife, just to be safe lass," he said handing it to her. She looked down at it; the horn hilt was delicately carved with symbols representing his travels. It was the same knife he had used to help her break free of the sinking ship, and it was his most prized possession.
"Peadar, I canna take this. It is your good luck charm! Yer never long without it!" He took her hand and placed the hilt of the knife on her palm. She looked at it for a moment and thought about him heading out to sea without it. "No, you have to keep this with you; it is what keeps you safe. I can grab a knife from the kitchen, a proper one, not just my carving one" she finished quickly when she saw him about to raise a complaint. She placed the weapon back into his hands.
He looked a bit disappointed and Merida felt bad, she knew that he was trying to do what he could for her. She touched his arm for a moment and then gave him a hug. He returned the gesture and Merida felt like she was back at home for a moment. She pulled back and gazed up at the aging man. His dark skin couldn't hide the laugh lines he had acquired over the years, and now there were new worry marks creeping across his forehead.
Peadar had always been so confident, but she knew he was worried about what would happen if they couldn't get off this island, if her father wasn't alive anymore. She felt a stab of sadness twist her heart at the thought of her father, but she put on a brave face and smiled at Peadar.
"We're a great team Peadar, we will make it through this" she said stepping back and picking up her pack.
"I'm sure we will Merida, yer a strong lass and clever enough to keep yer head about ye. Although from the stories I've heard from before, that wasn't always the case" he said, flashing a bright smile.
They said their goodbyes; Merida knew he would be leaving the hut soon after her. He was heading closer to a sister village with the other fishermen. A couple of ships belonging to that village had come in from near the Orkney Isles, and Peadar was hoping to hear some news concerning her father's fate, or possible passage back home.
She walked quickly to the kitchens, grabbing the game bag and waving a greeting to Olaf. She paused by the nearly full scraps bucket and gestured a question to the cook. He blanched slightly and shook his head, declining her help. Merida bit back a chuckle as she packed her carving knife and, when no one was looking, a larger knife from the table. Olaf was always in a rush to get her out of the kitchen after her brief period of employment here didn't work out, which was mostly due to her purposely dropping things like fish guts on the floor. The dead fish smell had taken nearly a week to get rid of. She had done it because she wanted to get away from the watchful cook and have a chance to freely walk around the village. Bundling her supplies she shoved them in her bag and made her way towards the edge of the forest.
Before she walked into the woods she heard a growl and a thud come from the house near the forest edge. She looked around the front and saw the man from the other night getting up from under his dragon; Hiccup was his name, the chieftain's son. He was narrow for a Viking, but there was a confidence in his stance that made up for his smaller frame. He suddenly turned his attention to her, causing Merida to jump, she felt her cheeks grow red at being caught staring. She was saved from having to acknowledge him when his black dragon began nudging him for attention.
She quickly rushed into the forest while he was distracted. After walking for a bit she turned back briefly to make sure he wasn't following her before sighing with relief. She was looking forward to her time alone.
She heard a rustling in the bushes, glancing down she sawTerror appear. She smirked at her companion, always showing up when it came to a chance of food.
"C'mon then ye Terror, I want to finish up mah bow today" she whispered before trekking farther into the forest.
She spent the first part of the day checking the traps. There hadn't been anything caught yet. After making sure they were still set properly she made her way to her secret spot.
She had stumbled upon this location when she had first explored the woods, there was a sharp drop leading into a round vale with a large pond in it. She had managed to find an easy climb down the rocky wall that surrounded the enclosure and had taken to relaxing there when she had time. She would swim in the pond, cook fish she would catch and started working on her new bow here. Because it was so far from the village and the path that led to the traps she felt safe enough to even allow a tune or two while she was working.
Once she reached the location she grabbed hold of the rope she had tied to a tree at the top, to make climbing down and up the rock face easier, and propelled Terror and herself down. She whistled as she pulled her nearly completed bow from a hollow in the large tree and settled herself on a rock near the water.
As she worked on her weapon she thought of home, it was here that she allowed herself to think of her family and to be sad. She brushed some of the wood shavings from her tunic and began singing the song her mother had sung to her when she was little. She was so caught up in her work that she didn't hear the flap of wings overhead, but she saw the sudden shadow appear near her. She stopped singing immediately and looked up; it was the black dragon, which belonged to the son of the lord of Berk, descending. She knew that she didn't have that much time; she dashed towards the rock face and quickly hid herself in a small gap between two large stones. She had pushed Terror ahead of her and the small dragon was grumbling at her, but thankfully kept quiet when he sensed her worry.
She watched Hiccup from her hiding place; he had gotten off of his dragon and was standing over the area where she had been working on her bow. She cursed her stupidity silently as she saw him kick around some of the shavings. He glanced around, searching, while Merida mentally tried to mold herself into the rock.
After a few more minutes of looking around he hopped back onto his dragon and took off again.
Merida waited a few minutes, looking to the sky to make sure he wasn't hovering nearby, before stumbling out of her hiding place. She dashed towards the rope and, pausing only to assist Terror onto her shoulders, began climbing. She realized that he would probably be going to go back to the village. After she was over the rock face she took off running for the path back, wishing that Angus were with her; they could have given the dragon a good race.
She realized quickly that she wouldn't be able to beat him, so she settled to covering her tracks by collecting game, as she was supposed to be. Making sure to check herself for any wood shavings that might have clung to her, she made her way immediately to the kitchens. As she stepped in she found Hiccup talking with Olaf. He was questioning him about Merida's whereabouts. She couldn't catch the whole conversation, they were talking too fast, but she could figure out that Olaf was defending her.
Hiccup glanced at her; she turned her head quickly towards the back table where game was prepared. Rolling up her sleeves and began skinning the hare in her hands. She forced herself not to look up again until she heard him say farewell.
After he left; she finished skinning the animals caught; and hung them up for Olaf. Rinsing her hands she got ready to leave when the cook stopped her.
"Merida, you take meal to Gobber, at smithy" he said slowly, gesturing to the food on the table. Merida nodded and picked up the platter.
She had overheard that Gobber was working overtime on new weapons; it appeared the Vikings of Berk were preparing for the raiding season. She tried not to think of her people as she smiled and nodded to the other villagers as she passed them. She had grown to respect the Vikings of Berk, but she reminded herself once again that in the end they were her enemies, they were preparing themselves to raid the shores of her homeland.
She entered the blacksmith building, Gobber was mumbling to himself when she walked in. He hailed her and pointed his missing hand, now a hammer, at a rough table next to him. She placed the food down and turned to walk away when a rustling of paper caught her attention. She looked to the left and saw a door slightly ajar; she had never noticed it there before.
Glancing at Gobber to make sure he was busy, she allowed curiosity to get the better of her. There was a single candle lit that gave the small room some light. Pieces of parchment covered the walls, drawings of dragons, detailing their anatomy, eating habits and blue prints of Hiccup's dragon's tail extension.
She jumped when she heard the door close behind her. Turning she saw Hiccup standing by the doorway, studying her. Merida felt her nerves catch fire. She glanced around for something to use as a weapon, but there were only writing materials.
Hiccup blinked and then wide-eyed he raised his hands up. He spoke quickly, but Merida still could only make out that he was claiming no harm: that he had come here to work. She gave him a blank stare. Hiccup stopped talking and frowned slightly, crossing his arms. He said something quickly again, but Merida couldn't catch what he was saying that time.
"This is my work station," he said quietly in Gaelic. Merida's eyes widened in surprise; she realized, too late, that she shouldn't have reacted.
"You understand me now, don't you?" He asked, he seeming unsurprised. Merida stood still, unsure of how to react. So she fell back to playing dumb. She picked up one of his pencils and began doodling on the edge of a page.
Hiccup sighed and walked up to her. "You don't do a very good job at playing a fool" he commented as he placed a hand over hers, halting her from ruining his documents further.
It was the first time she had been this close to him. He towered nearly a head above her, his long dark hair reached just to his shoulders where it turned upwards slightly, there was a wisp of a dark beard beginning grow along his jaw and a healthy dusting of freckles that framed his green eyes. His gaze was steady and unwavering: as though challenging her.
Merida kept her eyes on him as well: tension filling the space between them.
The door slammed open causing both of them to jump in surprise. A dark haired Viking ambled in, oblivious to the tense scene that had been playing out. Merida took the chance to quickly bob her head to both men before slipping out of the room.
She waited until the door to the smithy had closed behind her before taking off in a run, her face aflame with shock, embarrassment and something more. She didn't stop until she got to the hut where she was staying with Peadar. Pulling the door open she looked around to see if there was anyone visiting, but it was just Peadar stoking the fire in the center of the hut. He stood up when he saw her expression, going to her and glancing outside before closing the door.
"What's wrong lass? Ye look as though ye've seen a ghost."
Merida took a deep breath to settle her nerves and then went about making sure all the shutters to the windows were closed as tightly as they could be. She motioned him towards a corner farther from any openings to the outside world.
"It's that man, the Viking Lord's son; he has figured out that I'm not a Viking!" She whispered anxiously. They were so close to going home; the last thing she wanted was to lose it because of her stupidity in the woods. She told Peadar what had happened today, his face impassive as he took it all in.
"Ye didn't respond to him when he spoke Gaelic, he doesn't have any sure fire proof of your deception" he reassured her. Merida accepted his hand as he guided her to a stool by the fire. He handed her a cup of mulled wine, which she sipped, calming herself down. He was right; she had done enough to at least keep him from confirming his suspicions.
"He didn't force you to respond?" he asked a few moments later. Merida shook her head, Peadar frowned "Interesting" he finished.
After a few moments Merida felt herself relax. Peadar was watching her, a smile playing on his lips. She felt confused by his reaction; she didn't think he would be so amused by the chance of them getting caught.
"What do ye think is so funny old man?" She whispered. Peadar broke into a laugh and clapped a hand on her shoulder.
"I have some great news lass! I was gonna tell you as soon as you came in, but I thought it best to let you settle your nerves." This got Merida's attention; she cocked her head to the side in question. "It's yer father, he is alive and lookin' for ye!"
I hope you are enjoying it so far! : )