I don't own any of these worlds/characters save Peadar.
Hey, update! This is dipping into a different perspective!
Thank you so much for the comments, likes and follows! It makes me happy to know that people enjoy this story and I hope that I can do my best to make it a good one. :)
Now onto the story!
Peadar opened up his hip pouch and drew out a few thin birch twigs. They were the size of his thumb and fairly simple looking, but when you looked closer there were delicate runes carved into the sides. They marked the first messages he had received since he and Merida has ended up on Berk. He fingered one at a time, deciphering the markings and organizing his plans for the evening with each bit of news
Terror leapt up onto his pallet and curled next to the man, Peadar gave the tiny beast a smile and stroked its warm scales. He really hoped that it would be okay if they could take the small creature back home with them, he was growing just as attached to him as Merida was. A snort broke the silence in the hut as he thought of the Lady Dunbroch's reaction of them arriving with a dragon; Lord Fergus and the boys would love him though.
He glanced over the small scripts once more, but quickly replaced them into his pouch when he heard footsteps heading towards the door. He glanced at the entrance as Merida burst in, a resolute look upon her face, followed closely by a guilty looking Hiccup.
"Hello there Hiccup, have ye gotten yerself in trouble again?" He said smiling.
Hiccup grimaced and simply shrugged his shoulders while keeping his troubled eyes on Merida, who was pacing by the fire pit now, chewing her nail as she let her thoughts stay on whatever issue she was having. Peadar cleared his throat to try and get her attention, but she raised a hand to him without looking, gesturing that she needed a moment.
He sat up a bit straighter on his pallet, a frown forming when he realized that this wasn't a small issue if Merida hadn't even started speaking yet. He stole a glance at the Viking, he wanted answers as to why the lass was troubled, and if he couldn't get it from her he would get it from Hiccup.
"Tell me what happened" he commanded in a quiet voice, Hiccup looked down at him, he ran a hand through his hair.
"I may have based an entire idea of saving my village on the hopes that I could make a treaty with Alba."
Peadar's eyes widened and for the first time in a while he found himself lost for words. Hiccup gave him an apologetic look "I know, I know. Anyways, I didn't tell Merida about the idea ahead of time, I just sort of… ran with it."
"Okay, well… Why don't we go back to the point of yer village needing saving? Why is that?"
Hiccup took a seat on the edge of Merida's pallet and began describing the problem that he and his father were facing. Peadar listened and kept his face blank. Once he had gotten the gist of the issue he allowed Hiccup to continue to talk while he quickly placed this information in line with the recent news he had received. Little did the Viking lord know that his idea may be more possible than he thought.
Once Hiccup had finished talking Peadar glanced over to Merida, she was looking at Hiccup with a look that made Peadar's heart clench in sadness for the girl. Her mother had tasked him to keep an eye out for impending choices when it came to Merida's possible marriage, any sign of which lad the girl showed interest in, but she had always fled from them. He could see that she was falling for Hiccup though, it wasn't that serious yet, but her heart would still break when they had to leave.
"Merida, ye obviously have something on yer mind concerning this matter, would ye care to share?"
She looked at him, her expression transforming into one of sadness, determination and laced with fear that he had only seen on her when she was thinking of her inevitable marriage. Something clicked into place as he matched this expression with Hiccup's idea.
"I think we can help Hiccup. I can convince my father, but it is the other Lords that will be the problem. I think I may be able to try and convince them, or at least one of them… by going ahead with my arranged marriage."
Peadar glanced over at Hiccup; the lad was looking at her in disbelief.
"If I choose Macguffin's son we could make a strong case for it. Their land is the one that has been worse off since the raiding has begun again, if we can get him on our side the others will follow."
Hiccup leapt to his feet "you don't have to do this! I mean, I don't really know much about your position when it comes to… marriage, but I don't want you to make a choice to help my village!"
Merida gave him a small smile "I'm going to have to choose one of them eventually, I may as well make it a choice based on my own needs and not just theirs."
Peadar felt proud of her, but also sad. When he had returned to Dunbroch after being away for many, many years he had come face to face with a rebellious Merida who had replaced the small lass he had remembered.
She hadn't remembered him, but he wasn't surprised, she had only been three when he had left Alba to begin his work for Fergus. He hadn't been sure, as he got to know the grown Merida, whether she would ever take politics seriously: but here she was making her moves on the battle field.
"How will yer marriage get MacGuffin to agree to a treaty with Vikings?" He parried.
Merida smirked, recognizing the challenge, "simple, Berk will give us foreknowledge of impending attacks so that we are prepared for them."
"Oh will they now? What happens when someone on their council starts to question how Alba is always a few steps ahead? It won't take them long to start pointing fingers."
Merida faltered with this, but Hiccup took this chance to jump into the fray.
"We may not be able to give you the exact locations, but the general area. All we need is this treaty to hold until we can take Yngivld down a peg on our end. Convince the Lords of Alba that it is a temporary truce at least." Peadar crossed his arms and shook his head with a small smile.
"Not enough lad, empty promises. I don't know if that is enough to sway them." He said.
Merida shook her head. "It will be. MacGuffin has been hoping that I would choose his son, I can make it part of the bargain for my hand." Peadar noted Hiccup's expression become closed off as the lad turned and looked away from her. He obviously wasn't happy with this choice, but he was trapped with the weight of his village on his shoulders. Peadar felt himself warming to the man more and more; he would make a great Chieftain one day.
Peadar knew that Merida would have to make up her mind one day, he only wished it could've been for love and not completely due to politics.
He realized that he couldn't keep his knowledge secret any longer though, or they'd risk more trouble upon this island. "I have some news that may change things. I have heard word that your father is sailing to Berk as we speak. "
Both Merida and Hiccups face looked equally shocked.
"How can that be? I haven't heard anything about this!" Hiccup exclaimed. The young man gave Peadar a calculated look, "how could you find out about this news before I have?"
"He had been talking with the other fishermen from the nearby villages" explained Merida. Hiccup shook his head, his frown deepening.
"The closest village is about half a day by Dragon and a whole day by boat, we don't meet up with the other villages that often, and even then we are the closest to your land so we would be bringing news like that to them."
Merida looked at him with shock, but he could see the wheels turning as she put the pieces together. "But that doesn't make sense… Peadar…I know you've mentioned having a lot of contacts, but who were you talking to if-!" A look of understanding flashed in her eyes. Peadar knew he was in trouble now. "My father's right hand man, but ye leave for years shortly after he became king… All of those contacts, yer journeys to surrounding lands…"
"Before you say anything malady, ye have to understand that I didn't tell ye because it was yer parents wish that ye not know."
Merida huffed "that is typical of them, but for ye not to trust me with the knowledge after we ended up here? What would have happened if we had never gotten back home? "
"I knew we would get home, it was always just a matter of time, but if we were really trapped then I would have told ye"
Hiccup coughed to draw their attention, "would someone care to fill me in?"
Merida chewed her lip for a moment and looked to Peadar for permission. He sighed, knowing that Fergus wouldn't be happy, but he couldn't think of a way around it now. Nodding, he took a seat and looked to the young Viking as Merida gave him the news.
"It would appear that Peadar is working for my father as more than a second in command: he is a spy."
"What?" Hiccup gasped, Peadar winced, the knowledge of what he was never went well when revealed, and while he trusted Hiccup for the most part, he wasn't too sure how the young Viking would take having a spy in their midst.
"Before ye say anything Hiccup, I wasn't sent here, Merida and I did end up here quite by accident." Hiccup stared at him for a moment longer, processing the information. After a moment he nodded and began pacing the small space between the door and the pallets.
After a moment he stopped and looked at the two of them. "If Merida's father is sailing here we can get the treaty moving earlier."
"Aye, we can make way to the ships as soon as we wish." Peader responded.
"The sooner the better, we don't want to risk war between my father and yours" Hiccup said looking to Merida.
Merida looked towards Terror, her hair falling to cover her expression. "Yes, as soon as possible would make the most sense." Peadar's heart went out to the lass, he knew that she was getting far more attached than she would allow herself to realize.
"How soon do you think we could make way then? I'm assuming ye'll want to join us?" Peadar asked Hiccup who was still looking at Merida with a closed expression.
After a moment Hiccup blinked and looked towards Peadar. "We can leave at first light tomorrow, if you think that is wise: you know how much time we have before Merida's father reaches our shores."
Peadar nodded, "first light is plenty of time. We'll take a boat out and make out way over while you follow on Toothless."
Merida looked up then, Peadar couldn't see her expression, but Hiccup did and gave her a small smile and a nod.
"If it is okay with you Merida, and you as well Peadar, I wouldn't mind taking Merida on Toothless."
Peadar knew in his gut that allowing these two to get any closer was a risk, but he also knew that Merida would never settle for a boat when she could fly.
"I will fly with ye Hiccup!" Merida smiled, turning to give Peadar a fierce look to know that he wouldn't be able to fight her on that.
He simply smiled and bowed his head. "It is settled then, tomorrow we go see yer father about a treaty."