Author's Notes:

I am feeling generous, two chapters this weekend! : D

I don't own any of the characters or Worlds, this is purely for fun and not profit.

Merida looked to the sky and prayed for patience; behind her she heard several branches break as the Chieftain's son came crashing through the brush. She turned and gestured for him to keep quiet; he at least had the decency to mutter an apology. She faced forward and continued walking, wishing she hadn't forced Terror to stay in the village. With Hiccup around; Olaf had told them to try and hunt since it seemed the traps weren't bringing in as much game, Terror would have made hunting harder if the other creatures caught sight of him, or his sent.

Merida clutched her haphazard bow. Many of the Vikings in the village didn't use one, preferring close range combat, but she had found some poorly maintained ones buried in Gobber's shop. She still hoped to find a chance to get the one she had been working on, but due to her new shadow, she knew it was too risky.

It had been a few days since the two of them had faced off in his workroom. She had tried to be careful around him, making sure they were never alone together, but the man was determined to make it happen. He had signed himself up for hunting duties, forcing them together for long periods of time. She had done a great job keeping herself distant while they worked together, but he was determined to get her to open up to him. The first day he had talked non-stop, fortunately not in Gaelic. With her continued education in Norse, and because the Viking talked slow enough, she listened to his tale of how he tamed his dragon; Toothless; and how he had come to know some Gaelic. He didn't bring up their first meeting at all, but Merida figured it was because he wanted her to relax enough so that he could catch her off guard: she wasn't going to let that happen. This Viking was not going to make her mess up, not when she was so close to leaving this horrible island and returning home.

The thought of home made her feel better. Peadar's news about her father had helped her stay focused on their goal and had evaporated her sadness in one fell swoop.

"Merida, do you think we could take a quick detour?" Hiccup asked, slightly out of breath.

Merida noticed he was rubbing his leg just above his man made foot. She felt a slight pang of guilt, she knew from her father that too much strain on the artificial limb would cause pain and she had been pushing them very hard today. She nodded and then cocked her head, waiting for him to take the lead.

He guided her to a small path on the left and made his way forward. Merida noticed his limp getting slightly worse. She frowned, she didn't feel that bad for him, he was still a Viking after all, but she didn't want to have to carry him back to the village. She tugged on his shirt and gestured for him to pause. He waited obediently, watching her has she walked off the path searching the ground for what she needed. She wondered how he would react when she offered a walking stick to him, many men she knew would act as though they were fine, defending their pride and Viking men seemed to have it in spades. While she didn't mind the act to a degree, she hoped that this one would have some common sense at least.

At last she found what she was looking for, a sturdy branch, about the right size for the tall Viking. She picked it up, dusted away the dirt that clung to it, and handed it to him. He looked down at it and then up at her. An emotion, she couldn't place passed through his features and she thought he was going to reject it, but just as she began to lower her hand he took the stick. His hands brushed against hers; and for a brief moment she felt something stir within her; but she quickly turned her head and motioned for him to continue. She could feel his eyes on her for a moment longer, but then she heard him start to walk.

She was grateful that she was behind him; shock and outrage were swimming through her body at the foreign feeling that had passed through her. She didn't want this man to read that from her, she knew he would just take advantage of it in his quest to get her to talk.

"We're here! This is one of my favourite places on the whole island. This is where I became friends with Toothless." He guided her through a small rock tunnel and they emerged in the valley where Merida had been taking refuge until only a few days ago. She schooled her features, masking her surprise with a look of wonder. Hiccup looked at her and smiled, he took her hand to guide her down, but she withdrew it immediately. He gave her a questioning look. Merida quickly made herself touch up her hair, rebinding it, as a way of covering her action. Afterwards she gestured for him to continue, making sure to stand far enough away from him so that he couldn't reach for her again.

When they got to the bottom she looked up at the opening they had just come through, to where her rope was concealed: the distance was minimal. She had just missed stumbling onto the rock passage. She hoped that the Viking would miss the rope dangling amongst the vines nearby.

Thankfully he didn't even look in that direction, instead he hobbled over to her usual resting place; the rock by the pond; and took a seat with a sigh.

"Come and sit," he said gesturing to a space next to him. Merida walked towards him and took a seat on the ground directly across from him; Hiccup shrugged in response and opened up his pack, taking out some of the hard bread.

"Guess we're stuck with some hard bread and cheese again, Olaf needs to get more creative with these meals" he muttered. Merida rolled her eyes. For all the intelligence that he seemed to display in his workroom, he was utterly useless when it came to normal activities. She would have thought he had been trained in things like hunting and fishing since he was the chieftain's son, even more so since he volunteered to help hunt with her!

She got up and motioned with her bow that she could catch some fish. The man stared at her dumbfounded.

"You can't catch fish with a bow, you need nets, or a dragon…" she was already ignoring his comments and making her way towards the water.

She waded slowly into the water, not wanting to upset the fish too much and readied her weapon. She was grateful once more for the ability to wear breeches on this island; it was far easier to keep quiet when she didn't have to worry about skirts dragging about her. She waited patiently for several minutes, keeping herself still but ready as fish began to relax once more. She saw a large one amble over to her, heading close enough to the shallows that she knew she wouldn't lose the arrow. Aiming carefully, she watched it and loosed her arrow. After the splash the rest of the fish fled, but she had gotten the one she wanted. She picked up the arrow and held up her prize for the Viking to see. He clapped, not in a mocking way, but as though he was genuinely impressed.

"Let's get a fire going then!" he said getting up. He began gathering wood as she collected stones, placing them in a circle. After the past couple of days working together, they had acquired a bit of a routine when it came to meals. He pulled out flint and tinder from his pouch and struck them together until the fire bloomed. At least he could make a fire. She deboned the fish and readied it for cooking as he built a spit.

Once they had the fish on a rack over the fire they sat together in silence. Eventually the meal was ready; she served half of the fish to him on top of a cut of the bread, taking her own serving back to the other side of the fire.

"I'm surprised you figured out there were fish here" he commented. Merida quickly covered her knowledge by claiming to have seen them as they were coming down into the valley. He gave her a searching look as he watched her gestures, but let it go. They continued to eat in silence.

"So tell me about your family" he blurted out, as though he had been searching for something else to talk about. Merida looked down at her food for a moment, unsure if she wanted to tell him anything about her parents or her brothers.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry, and losing your dad must be hard on you" he said quietly, his eyes downcast.

Merida bit her lip, guilt plucking slightly at her heart, but she forced herself to look to look forlorn. She couldn't tell him that they had found her father alive. After a moment she looked up and made a gesture to ask about his mother. She had seen his father, but she had never seen his mother about or at least wasn't sure who it might be.

He gave her a sad smile "she passed away when I was young; I never really got the chance to get to know her very well. It has been just my father and I for most of my life." Merida felt bad for asking, thinking of what she had been feeling when she had thought she had lost her father. She couldn't imagine the thought of growing up without one of her parents.

"It is okay, things were a bit…stressful for a while with my dad, but we are very close now" he said smiling. Merida wanted to laugh; she could have said the same thing about her relationship with her mother.

Without realizing it, the air between them had diffused slightly. The past two days had been filled with tension; Hiccup trying to talk to her and Merida out right ignoring him for the most part. This small interaction had suddenly opened them up to each other; they began talking of other things. It was a bit difficult at times, Merida's gesturing and Hiccup's tendency to talk quickly when he got really excited, but they managed.

After a while Merida gestured towards the setting sun, motioning that they should make their way back. Hiccup nodded and stood up, stretching his legs and then helping her with disassembling the fire pit.

She pulled her pack up and looked towards the Viking in order to get them moving. He was standing by the lake staring at something on the ground. Merida moved up slowly, trying to crane her neck to see what he was looking at, but froze when she saw the wood shavings from her last time here. She waited, stock still, for him to comment on it, but instead he turned and smiled at her.

"Let's get going then," he said, walking back towards the opening. Merida watched him, relieved that he hadn't investigated it, but suspicious as well. She walked slowly behind him, waiting for a surprise confrontation, but it never came. Once they were back in the woods she felt herself let out a breath she had been holding in.

On the way back to the village they had managed to find a rabbit in one of the traps and Merida downed a deer. The creature was too large for them to carry back though, so the Viking went ahead to get Toothless.

She watched him leave as she took a seat on a fallen tree nearby. She thought she would feel more relaxed as soon as he was gone, but instead she found a touch of loneliness gnawing at her. She had avoided making friends since she had arrived on Berk and since Peadar was gone most of the time, it meant she had been alone. It wasn't until she had spent a few days with the Viking that she had really recognized it.

Shaking her head she smiled to herself; there was no point in changing her ways now; she was going home soon. The Vikings would raid the shores of Alba this summer and she was sure that some of them would be from Berk. These people seemed friendly now, but she knew if they discovered who she really was that would all change.

She picked at the log she was sitting on, trying to pass the time, but boredom soon took hold in her. She frowned, surely it had been long enough for the man to get back to the village; they were only about ten minutes away! Images of him limping earlier played in her head; a new concern began to bloom: what if he was hurt?

Merida stood up and began pacing. She glanced at the deer and then back in the direction Hiccup had gone. She first tried to tell herself that she was worrying over nothing, it hadn't been so long and that he was fine. Looking up at the sky she saw that the sun was close to setting, the deep purples and dark blues were beginning to overtake the light from the sun: in another half an hour she would be in the dark. Hiccup had assured her that he wouldn't take long, had he tried running? She decided her action with a nod to herself, doing her best to keep her worries at bay. She hoisted her pack onto her shoulders and began walking in the direction the Viking had taken.

A groan and the sound of branches breaking stopped her in her tracks. A shadow covered what little remaining light there was as Toothless landed in a small clearing next to where she had been waiting.

Merida ran up to meet him; her worries must have shown in her face, for Hiccup jumped off of Toothless and was quickly at her side: looking around at the surroundings. Merida cursed herself silently, but the relief that he was okay didn't seem to care what her rational side thought.

"Are you okay? Did something happen?" He asked, worry in his voice.

She felt a blush rise to her cheeks; she stepped away from the man so that she could think. Shaking her head she brushed some imaginary dirt from her tunic and walked back to the deer. The Viking was scrutinizing her when she looked back at him, but after a moment he shrugged and helped her carry the deer to Toothless. After it was strapped onto the dragon, Hiccup got on, twisted to the side and offered her a hand. Merida stared at it in confusion.

"Let me help you up, I promise I don't bite" he said with a smirk. Merida gestured, questioning Toothless' wellbeing over carrying so much weight. "Oh, he is far stronger then you give him credit for, aren't ya buddy?" He finished placing a caring hand on the dragon's neck. Toothless growled in confirmation, eyeing Merida and lowering himself a bit more to convince her to get on.

She hesitated for a moment longer, but the curiosity of what it would be like to fly made her accept his hand. She positioned herself behind him and in front of the deer, and frowned when she realized she would have to hold onto him. Gingerly, she clasped onto his shirt, he snorted and muttered something under his breath, but gave Toothless the go ahead.

The air rushed around her as they elevated, causing her ears to pop, she smiled brightly and looked down to watch the trees become smaller and smaller beneath them. Merida had to stop herself from cheering as the exhilaration of flying hit her: she loved it! She shook Hiccup's shoulders and tried to ask him why he ever bothered walking anywhere, he smiled at her excitement, but didn't seem to understand her question. Merida had to bite her lip to stop herself from just asking the question out loud. She watched the ground below them, the village of Berk coming closer into view. Her shoulders slumped as they started descending; Hiccup glanced back at her and laughed.

"I can take you up again another time if you want, but it is getting dark and we really should deliver your catch." Merida nodded in understanding, trying to school her features again as they landed near the kitchens. Olaf hailed them and walked up with another Viking whom Merida didn't recognize. The two men lifted the deer off of Toothless while Hiccup motioned for Merida. She followed him into a cool room.

"Here, take one of these fish." She looked at him in confusion, "for Toothless. I like to give him a gift when he helps out." Merida smiled, thinking of Angus and the apples she would sneak for him. They walked back out and she hesitated for a moment before offering the fish to the dragon. The creature's eyes twinkled and Merida jumped in surprise when his teeth appeared and he snapped up the fish suddenly. Hiccup smiled and gently punched Toothless on the shoulder, reprimanding him. Merida felt herself let out a breath she had been holding in.

"Merida!" She perked up when she head Peadar, glancing around she finally spotted him coming up the hill with the others in his fishing group. He dropped off his cargo at the kitchen door before coming up to meet her, taking in the scene around them. "Is everything okay? Your hair is looking quite wild right now" he smiled as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Merida gave him a small smile and nodded.

"We managed to bag a deer, so I took her up on Toothless. I figured it would be the quickest way back to the village," Hiccup stated, his body seeming rigid. Merida gave him a confused look, not sure why he was behaving that way. Peadar, on the other hand, laughed aloud and patted the Viking on the back.

"It's okay boy, I wasn't concerned that she was hurt. It has just been a while since I've seen her so excited" he finished looking back at Merida. The girl frowned slightly and looked at the ground. She had let herself relax, she had forgotten for a moment that she wasn't supposed to trust this Viking, he was just trying to get her to slip up again.

"Oh, that is good. Actually, uh, I wanted to invite her to dinner with my friends. I know that you both usually eat on your own though, but I thought maybe…Merida? Would you be interested?" he asked, looking at her.

Merida was about to shake her head, but Peadar's hand squeezed her shoulder. She glanced at him and saw his slight nod for her to say yes. She wasn't sure why he wanted her to eat with them, but she nodded yes to the Viking. Hiccup gave her a genuine smile and said he would see her at the dining hall in an hour, then he hopped back onto Toothless and they flew off in the direction of his house. She watched them go, feeling a slight pang of jealousy.

"C'mon then lass, let's get ourselves ready for dinner."

Once they were back in their hut Merida turned on Peadar.

"Why did ye make me say yes?" Merida whispered fiercely to Peadar. The older man chuckled at her anger.

"Ye need to learn to accept people for who they are, not judge them because of where they came from girl. I've traveled to many places, met many different sorts o'people, but no single clan, family or race is truly evil."

"But they raid our shores! Mah people have suffered at their hands the past summer! We have to pretend to be one o'them just to be safe!" She tugged at her hair in frustration, baffled that the usually sensible Peadar was spouting this nonsense.

"Aye, there are Vikings that do just that, but ye have to ask yerself: do these ones?"

Merida stared at the ground, struggling with the doubts that had been forming within her prior to this. The Viking that had been hounding her hadn't really been causing her that much trouble. He could have persisted in getting her to fess up, or; being the Chieftain's son; taken her captive and forced her to talk. Instead the man, Hiccup, had been patient and kind to her.

"But how do I really know that? The one Viking has been okay-" she forced out. "But I don't know the rest o'them." She ended looking at him with a frown. While there was some doubt, there was no proof that they weren't raiding either.

"And that, m'lady, is why we will be taking some time to get to know them better" he smiled, patting her on the head.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! : D More interaction finally.