(a/n: Here you go another chapter! Hope you like it!)
Ch.1: A Bit of Troll Dust
It was a warm and tranquil summer evening when the Vikings returned.
Once Merida finished a rather long and boring session of lessons from her tutor, a sullen faced elderly man named Collin who rattled on about the history of the land, the political turmoil that existed in the land once the Roman Legions had withdrawn.
The princess listened at first but started to drift off to sleep but she caught herself a few times without him noticing. Thankfully, Collin finished his lecture and gave her a sharp look then told her that he will test her on what they had just discussed.
After the elderly scholar shuffled out of the room, she quickly searched through her trunk in the corner of her chamber, sifting aside old letters from Genevieve and some clothes until she found her new bow. Her old one lost its spring and ended up breaking a year ago.
The new one was like the old except it was made of a dark wood that grew in a far distant land. It was supple, flexible and was perfect for her.
Merida grabbed her new bow and the quiver of arrows then turned to fetch Angus and ride off to try out her new weapon but froze at the sight of her mother standing there in the doorway.
She didn't look angry, she just had a knowing look in her eye and a small smile "Going somewhere?" said the Queen, raising an eyebrow.
Merida straightened up and nodded "Yes, I'm going to do target practice. I have finished my lessons and I thought I would practice for a little bit"
"Did you forget?" asked Elinor.
Merida sighed, "No mum, I didn't". Today was the day that the Hiccup and his people return from a trading venture with a kingdom far to the south.
Elinor nodded "Yes and they should be here very soon and we need help finish preparing for their arrival".
Merida began "But mum-" "I know, I know" said Elinor holding up a hand "I promised that you would be able to take some time off and try out your new bow, but we've been planning on this feast for weeks, remember?" Merida nodded a little.
Elinor put her arm around her daughter's shoulder saying "How about after the feast? You can practice with Hiccup".
Merida's throat went dry. She wanted to say something but the only response she could give was a nod.
Merida returned her bow to its hiding place and the two went down to the great hall. As they passed busy servants and guards, Merida reflected on the past.
It had been three years since that winter night Hiccup and his people first arrived at DunBroch.
After their arrival, Elinor and Valka hit it off and became instant friends.
Fergus eventually warmed up to the Vikings once he and several of their warriors swapped stories and competed in a series of contests which ended with them all sitting together laughing and feasting on a recent kill that Fergus had help taking down.
Her brothers enjoyed causing mischief on one of the Vikings, a man named Gobber, but they became amazed at the tale of how he lost his leg and arm. They eventually helped him with the ship repairs.
As for Hiccup, he and Merida kept their distances at first but they eventually bumped into each other.
Literally. In the great hall, the last night of the Viking's five day stay.
Merida had finished her dinner and slipped away from the main table while her parents are engrossed in conversations with their guests. She navigated her way through the crowd and din. Glancing back to see if her parents were aware of her absence, she didn't see the young chief walking past also unaware.
They collided and she almost fell over but he caught her. He sputtered out apologies and she noticed that she knocked his drink and caused it to spill over him. She apologized as well and she quickly fetched a rag and wiped the mead off his face and armor.
They suddenly found themselves looking into each other's eyes again and Hiccup still had the same look he had when they first saw each other. He was probably trying to figure out why she looked familiar.
After some awkward stammering between the two, they eventually managed to have a normal conversation.
They spent a good part of the evening getting to know each other. Most of the things Hiccup had shared, Merida had already known during the ordeal with Rumpelstiltskin. However she did learn some new things.
For instance Hiccup's father had been killed merely a few years ago. Hiccup didn't go into depth but Merida understood and didn't pressure him.
They whiled away the hours and eventually called it a night.
The next day they spent some time together in the glen where she would practice her archery. There, she met Toothless again. Hiccup introduced her to his friend and asked her not to freak out. She promised and tried to act astonished at the presence of a dragon, even though she met Toothless before.
The dragon took a liking to her as he did before and they spent a better part of that afternoon flying.
They finished off the day with a leisurely stroll back to the castle. Merida enjoyed herself immensely because the day was just perfect. Reconnecting with an old friend had made her momentarily forget herself, made her feel like what happened in those few weeks trying to be free of Rumpelstiltskins deal.
However, she was brought back to earth when she saw Hiccup and Astrid embrace when they returned to the castle.
She remembered that someone said that they were engaged. Merida realized that Hiccup had moved on as well, like her.
He continued his life, unaware of her and has done wonderfully for himself. But she continued to spend some time with him. The two became good friends again.
The Vikings of Berk departed a week later.
They returned again a year later to resupply, which gave both peoples time to reconnect, trade, and enjoy each other's company. It was during that visit that they revealed the fact that they tamed dragons. The revelation unnerved Fergus quite a bit but after showing that dragons, although at times dangerous, can be friendly and helpful.
Some time passed and they all eventually warmed up to the idea with Merida's help.
But nonetheless, the Vikings came and went as they did before.
Now they're going to be back soon, probably to resupply again before sailing back to Berk. Merida went with her mother and carried on with the day.
Her mother went and inspected the progress of the servants preparing the great hall while Merida went with Alan to check on the recent arrival of food and some entertainment her mother had ordered for the evening.
Alan the captain of the guard was a large, beefy man. He was not as large as her father but he was just as strong. He wasn't very tall but had a commanding presence. The middle aged warrior had wild brown hair, dark piercing eyes and a bushy beard.
Down at the outer courtyard, Merida, Alan and several guards checked wagons to see if the items required for the evening had arrived. The large captain stared down anybody who seemed in the least bit suspicious, which was almost everybody he didn't know, but for the most part everything was running smoothly.
Merida peaked at the large line of wagons and carts and saw that she had a lot more to do.
Sighing out of boredom, she told the one they had finished inspecting to move along.
Meanwhile, towards the far back Pierre Blanc sighed in exasperation.
The past few weeks or so had been a total nightmare: The long trek north through some rough weather, some unsavory encounters with bandits, one of the troupe leaving abruptly and the fact that they had faced some illnesses along the way.
But their hardships melted away when the troupe had spotted the castle on the horizon.
The Travelers had been summoned to perform at Castle DunBroch at the behest of the queen.
They had finally arrived, only to wait in a long line. Pierre was the eldest of the troupe. A fact made obvious by his shock of white hair and wrinkles.
Despite his age, he still does the work of someone half his age. Pierre shifted in his seat trying to get comfortable.
"Anything yet?" complained a voice from inside the covered wagon.
Pierre shook his "No, nothing". The red headed fire juggler muttered a string of curses then laid back down "I can't believe this"
"Relax" soothed the dark haired woman who was one of the acrobats "We've come this far and dealt with worse, waiting for a little bit won't kill us"
"Well I'm about to go mad if I stay in this bloody wagon for another bloody day Marie" grumbled the fire juggler. The acrobat rolled her eyes.
The fire juggler, a man named Lars with a habit to get into trouble, had gotten his leg broken a week ago when they passed through a small village. He gotten drunk and enraged a rather sensitive man and his wife. A brutal beating later, the juggler was incapacitated and unable to perform for several days.
But in recent days, Lars had been recovering quite fine and could perform this evening.
Pierre noticed the line moving up a little bit and a small smile appeared on his face "There, see? Not much longer now!" the wagon moved up a little bit, followed by the others in their troupe. They came to a stop a few seconds later, having moved a foot or two. Not much progress but progress nonetheless.
Pierre glanced back to the third and last wagon in the long line to his brother, Gerard and called out "How are you doing!"
"Fine!" his younger brother called back "Tired and hungry but all fine". He ran his fingers through his greying hair and smiled "I'll feel better once we get this job over with and maybe get some food in our bellies" Some of the members of the troupe nodded in agreement. Pierre chuckled a little. He turned his attention back to the line in front of him that slowly started to shrink.
Once Pierre, his brother and anyone else were no longer paying attention, a figure darted out from his hiding place from behind some trees and silently slid into the back of the last wagon unnoticed.
Merida was secretly happy that the last wagons reached the gates.
Alan looked at white haired elderly man and the last few wagons behind with distrust "State your business"
"I am Pierre Blanc" said the old man bowing his head a little "leader of the Travelers, greatest performers and entertainers in all the kingdoms!" he smiled warmly "We were invited by the queen" he handed the guard a folded up piece of parchment, who passed it on to Merida.
Alan's eyes narrowed a little, still suspicious but Merida inspected the note and saw that it was her mother's handwriting and allowed them in.
With the last wagons in the gates, Merida sighed with relief and thanked Alan. She walked off, leaving the rest of the job to the captain.
The troupe of performers halted their wagons in the outer courtyard in a circle and began to unload and make ready.
Merida went about for the next few hours finishing up the list of jobs her mother had given her.
Once the last item on her to do list was complete and as the sun slowly sank beyond the horizon, giving it a warm orange glow, she returned to her chambers to take a break for a little bit.
Alone in her chambers, she threw herself onto her bed and finally got some peace and quite. She laid there for a moment then pushed her self up with her hands and saw that there was bit of folded parchment on her beside table.
The princess frowned and picked up the parchment and studied it closely.
How long had this parchment been sitting there? It wasn't there earlier that morning or during her lesson.
Upon closer inspection she saw that it was addressed to her. Carefully unfolded the note and she immediately smiled. It was a letter from Genevieve.
It was shorter than most letters but that didn't matter, the fact she received a response was enough.
Some time ago Merida sent a letter to the witch and asked about the nightmare of Jack. At first Genevieve gave her some comfort and assured her it was nothing but over time the nightmare returned more frequently and started changing.
First it was about Jack turning into a dark twisted parody of himself and attempting to kill her, then it became her mother and father, then her brothers and most recently Hiccup. Every time they came back, she always woke up in a cold sweat.
She turned to her parents but left out most of the details but they could only do so much.
In the end, she turned to the witch and asked for advice. After a few months, her response came.
Merida read the letter quietly "Merida, I am so glad to hear from you! Terribly sorry about the nightmares but I'm afraid I can't be of much help at the moment. I am on my way on to visit my godchildren and won't be home with my potion equipment for some time. However, try the enclosed remedy. I found it quite helpful getting to sleep. It should help you by putting you into a dreamless sleep. But if that fails, let me know right away. I'm sorry I am not much help at the moment but I am here for you. If you need anything at all, send a letter via the usual way and my bird shall find me at my destination. I am currently passing through Caldron Falls, a pleasant little village with so much natural beauty, but the meal at this shoddy inn has rendered my protector sick, thus delaying my journey a little bit. Just what I need... Your friend, Genevieve"
Merida saw the location of where Genevieve is journeying to at the bottom but no remedy, or anything else hinting at it. She turned the paper over to the back then saw a list of ingredients for a special tea.
She blinked and realized that the list of ingredients wasn't there before. Magic surely is a fascinating thing.
Sighing a little bit, Merida placed the note in her trunk where she hid the other notes. It wasn't exactly the help she was hoping for but she'll try the tea see if it helps her sleep better.
In the distance she heard a voice cry "Sails!" Her expression brightened a little bit and decided to go and meet her friend. She closed her trunk and left.
In the outer courtyard, the Travelers had already slipped into costume and were rehearsing for the night.
Pierre noticed that one of the jester's was missing. "Reynolds!" he barked, "Where are you! Get out here so we can rehearse!"
"Coming!" said the jester from inside one of the wagons.
The man was in one of the wagons searching for his hat. He was dressed and ready but he was missing the final piece of his costume. Sifting around through some trunks, he failed to see the figure creeping up from behind, dressed similarly in bright colors and wore an odd bird mask with a long beak.
The other jester tapped Reynolds on the shoulder. He sighed, "What do you want? Can't you see I'm…" but when he saw the other jester, he went silent instantly and a look of total confusion appeared on the man's face "Who are you?"
"Nobody" replied the masked jester "Just your replacement"
"What is this, a joke?" scoffed Reynolds "Is that you Alex?" Alex was another member of the troupe who would occasionally play a joke on either Reynolds or one of the other performers.
But the masked jester continued "Its no joke, I just need you to take a break tonight" he pulled out a small glass bottle filled with a pink powder and tossed the contents on the man's face. A foul odor invaded the man's nose and his mind became cloudy instantly. In a matter of seconds, the man named Reynolds was unconscious.
With the real jester fast asleep, the masked jester quickly bound him up and gagged him in case of he woke up early.
He covered him up with extra canvass and hopped out of the wagon.
The imposter walked out and met with Pierre who threw up his hands in frustration "Finally, now we can begin!" he nodded.
Marie noted the mask and asked, "Why are you wearing a mask?" he shrugged and answered quickly "Thought I try something new for tonight".
The answered satisfied her and everyone. Reynolds was always looking for ways to liven up his acts and try new and odd things. They then began their rehearsal, totally unaware of the imposter in their midst and his plans for the evening.
The ships moored at the docks and Merida's family and the other lords who had arrived at the castle a day prior greeted the Vikings. Gifts were exchanged and there was merriment all around. Among the crowd, Merida found Astrid but not Hiccup.
Merida asked her where he was. The Viking smiled saying "He should be dropping in soon enough".
The princess frowned a little in confusion but she heard someone exclaim, "What's that!" Everyone turned and looked towards the sky.
They saw two shapes approaching at an astonishing speed in their direction. Everyone saw immediately that it was Toothless and the other they guessed that it was Hiccup. Hiccup wore his usual armor only this time he had wings.
He glided over the surface of the loch at an astonishing speed directly towards the docks. Everybody panicked and quickly moved to get out of the way so they wouldn't collide with Hiccup. Some of members of the other clans, among them Lord Dingwall, and some of the servants dived into the loch but the Viking's stood still.
Astrid smiled "Watch".
Quickly, Hiccup quickly pulled up and he climbed higher into the air and quickly climbed past the crowded dock, the castle and shot into the sky. The Viking looped in the sky and Toothless and his friend reconnected in mid flight. Hiccup took control and the two circled around and made one more pass by the docks.
As they passed, he took off his helmet and waved with one hand, grinning. Some of the Vikings cheered, others clapped, as did Merida and her family.
Toothless hovered over the docks and Hiccup hopped off the dragon. The crowd greeted him warmly with pats on the back, cheers and claps.
Hiccup walked up to Merida and her family. He bowed saying "Your majesties, its an honor to be back once again"
"It truly is a pleasure having you and your people back" said Elinor.
Fergus nodded and said teasingly "Aye, fancy flying there. Couldn't help showing off could you?" "Nope" said Hiccup.
Fergus chuckled a little bit. Lord Dingwall and some of the others who dove into the waters crawled back onto the docks. He coughed up some water then grumbled "Ha, ha, ha, very funny…" One of his men came and helped him up to his feet. Lord Macintosh laughed at him but the shorter lord kicked him in the shin in retaliation.
The sun had finally vanished beyond the horizon and as the sky slowly turned pink, the first stars started flickering into view.
The crowd began to move up from the docks to the castle.
As they made their way up to the castle, Hiccup stepped up beside Merida and matched her pace "Hello" "Hello" she responded evenly.
He smiled a little "What do you think?" "Of what?" she asked.
He rolled his eyes "You know..." he jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
She then realized "Oh, that? I thought it was rather reckless and dangerous…" then she smiled "and it was amazing".
Hiccup's smile widened "I knew you'd like it". She nodded "Yes indeed" she looked over to her friend "So…how have you been".
Hiccup's smile faltered a little and he nodded slowly "Good. Life's been good to us. Business has grown and we have opened trade with some new customers…" he trailed off a little. There was a moment of silence between the two.
Hiccup looked like he wanted to say something but he just couldn't get the words out.
The crowd passed through the gates of the castle and made their way to the great hall.
In the great hall there were tables set up in the form of a half box, where two long tables faced each other and at the end of both tables forming a connection was a long table reserved for the king and queen and a few guests. Everyone took his or her seats.
At the king's table, Fergus pulled Elinor's chair out for her. Gobber did the same for Valka. Then, oddly, Hiccup did the same for Merida.
The ladies sat down and then the men. Everyone else followed suit. Laid out on the tables were fine silverware, plates and goblets with a fine green tablecloth resting on the tables. Torches and the roaring fire crackling in the hearth illuminated the great hall.
The lords, Valka, Gobber, Hiccup and Astrid sat with Merida's family at the main table, while the Viking's sat at the table to their left and the other clans sat to their right. Nothing but chattering could be heard until King Fergus stood. Everything went hushed.
He cleared his throat then spoke "I'm not one for speeches, but I want to say a few words before we stuff our faces". He smiled a little "It is an honor having our comrades from Berk return once again. A few years ago if you'd told me that we would be sitting together sharing a feast, I'd call you mad" there were a few chuckles at that.
He continued "But these last few years have been mutually beneficial for our peoples. Now, we're here to celebrate the peace and prosperity of both our peoples". He raised his goblet and said "To peace ever more"
The guests around the hall all raised their goblets as well and repeated "To peace ever more".
Everyone drank from his or her goblets for a moment then the feast began.
Servants came in bringing food and placed them at the tables and began refilling goblets. The hall became filled with noise of scattered conversations, laughter, and clatter of utensils. With a gesture from Elinor, the musicians began playing a lively song.
Merida's parents were chattering with Valka and she was busy chatting with Astrid and Hiccup.
Valka concluded her story with a laugh "…and he was standing there looking as if Hel herself was standing there ready to claim his soul".
Elinor and Fergus laughed as well. After she caught her breath, Elinor asked, "I take it that you have had an excellent year?"
"Aye, we have" said Valka as she got her goblet refilled "Just…" "Just what?" asked Elinor.
Valka sighed, "Hiccup. He hasn't been himself lately. Usually he's out with Toothless mapping out some unexplored islands or hunting for trolls or doing his duties as chief but lately he's been…distracted".
The king and queen, or rather the queen, listened intently. Fergus was busy tearing apart a tough piece of meat that sat on his plate.
Valka shook her head slowly "His head is in the clouds and he won't tell me what's on his mind. He won't even tell Astrid, which really hasn't been helpful to their relationship". She moved some pieces of food around her plate with her fork mumbling "Its not healthy".
Elinor nodded "I know what you mean. Merida was the same a few years ago. She was behaving like that as well but then one day, she just seemed her normal self". Valka chewed over what she heard, as well as a slice of deliciously roasted lamb, and her eyes drifted over to the other end of the table.
She watched as her son, Merida and Astrid talk. They started laughing about something and she noticed that her son was paying Merida close attention.
A thought crossed Valka's mind and she thought it preposterous then continued eating. For the rest of the night, Valka would have that thought on her mind.
Astrid, Merida and Hiccup had finally got caught up on the last year or two, discussing some rather fun moments in their lives and things they deemed worthy of mention. Hiccup however looked like he was holding something back, Merida observed.
It looked like he had a question on his mind that he desperately wanted to ask but couldn't find the words.
After a moment of sitting silently among the din of music and chatter, Hiccup spoke "Merida?" "Hmm?" she said as she sipped some wine.
Hiccup continued nervously "T-this is probably going to sound crazy, well now that I think about it this is kinda crazy"
"What?" she asked, frowning in confusion. He inhaled deeply and blurted, "Have we met before?" she looked at him curiously "What?"
"I-I mean, before this" said Hiccup gesturing to everyone in the great hall.
Noticing the confused look that was still on Merida's face, Hiccup explained, "The night we first came here a few years ago, that winter…when I first saw you…you looked very familiar. It was like I had met you before and knew you but no matter how hard I tried, I don't remember ever meeting you before that night".
It took a moment for Merida to realize what he was getting at. When it hit her, it hit her like a rock. The contract, the massive wipe out of memories of everyone who knew her during that time. Genevieve said that nobody should remember her at all. But, from what Hiccup is saying it sounds like he is remembering.
That made Merida grin. If Hiccup was starting to remember, then maybe Jack was and everyone else were too.
Merida opened her mouth to say something to help make the conversation progress and maybe trigger something but she was interrupted when a voice cried "Ladies and Gentlemen!" she turned and saw the man from earlier that day, Pierre something, dressed in fine dark emerald silk clothing.
He stood tall and declared in a booming voice "We are pleased to be here tonight. I am Pierre Blanc, master of the Travelers Company. Prepare to be amazed, prepare to laugh and cry at tonight's performances. Enjoy!" he bowed a little and scurried aside.
Merida saw a fire juggler step into view from the shadows and she heard her father said excitedly "This aught to be good".
The night rolled on and so did the entertainment. Pierre wasn't lying.
The assembled Vikings and Scottish folk did exactly what he said. They were amazed and astounded by acrobats, fire jugglers, they laughed at the fools and jester's antics and tales. Some even cried because of the tragic tale shared by a long faced clown, others laughed so hard that they cried.
The candles slowly melted to stumps, the fire in the hearth was slowly dying which casted long shadows in the hall but no one seemed to care or bother with throwing another log in the fire.
As the performances started to wind down to their finale, the imposter jester carefully navigated his way past his the other performers, trying to slip away unnoticed but Pierre grabbed him by the back of the collar and hissed "You! You're up!" he dragged him towards the large half square of tables and gave him a shove.
He stumbled into place, as the fire juggler limped out, earning himself a few laughs.
Beneath the mask, James gulped. This wasn't exactly his plan but he didn't need to worry. Noticing that the crowd was draining their goblets of wine and ale constantly, it was only a matter of time. He just needed to hold off for a few more minutes.
Merida had her fill of food, wine and entertainment. However something about this last jester piqued her interest.
The jester was clad in typical jester fashion, dressed in bright colors that seemed to shine even in the shadows of the dim hall.
However, he wore an odd bone white bird mask with a long beak. He looked like a bird with bright feathers in dim light of the dying fire.
He straightened himself up and he said sweetly "Thank you one and all for being such a wonderful crowd. But I'm afraid we have only time for one last tale" the crowd grumbled and moaned a little in frustration like small children but the jester held up his hand saying "However, I will treat you with a tale you probably haven't even heard about".
Everyone was silent, listening intently. He slowly stalked past each of the tables like a predator.
He continued softly " This is an old forgotten tale. This is a tale of love, of loss, of darkness and tragedy. This is a tale of an ill-fated man and his love. This is the tale of 'the Poet of Black Lake and his Muse'".
Merida honestly has never heard of a tale by that name, and judging from the expressions of everyone in attendance neither have they. The jester glided past their table and for some reason a sweet smell filled her senses for a moment that almost made her dizzy.
He returned to the center of all the tables, having retrieved a lute from one of the performers who stood in the shadows.
The jester strummed the strings and began to play a tune. He sang, his voice soft as silk and sweet as honey "There's an old town wrought with mystery Thom, the poet and his muse and the magic lake which gave a life to the words the poet used".
Everyone listened as the music and the jester's voice filled the hall. The voice was so soft and sweet to their ears.
Merida's eyes began to feel heavy but she fought to stay awake. "Now the muse she was his happiness, he rhymed about her grace and told her stories of treasures deep beneath the blackened waves" there was a thud and Merida noticed that somebody had fallen asleep.
A table away was one of the Vikings, his head had landed on the table but it didn't do so much as to wake him.
The jester continued on "'Till in the stillness of one dawn still in its mystic crown, the muse she went down to the lake and in the waves she drowned".
Merida noticed that several others have fallen asleep, among them were Vikings, Scottish and some of the performers. The music continued on, soft as a lullaby that seemed to have a powerful effect on everybody.
She forced her eyes to stay open but they refused to listen and slowly everything blurred and began to fade. Then finally, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
After what seemed like hours, Merida's eyes fluttered open and she was greeted by darkness, as well as a throbbing headache.
She realized that her head was resting on the table and sat up.
Glancing around, the main fire had died and most of the candles had all melted or faded out except for one or two, which provided meager light compared to the darkness of the hall. After blinking a few times to help her eyes adjust to the dark, she saw that everyone in the hall were slumped over and fast asleep in their seats.
The servants and performers were all strewn around the hall, snoring away peacefully. How in did this happen? Why are they all asleep?
She thought for a few moments and she came up with a single answer. Someone had put them all to sleep.
Suddenly, she heard some footsteps and humming. Quickly, she put her head back down and pretended to still be asleep.
Carefully, she stole a glance and saw the jester who sang the last tale. He strolled into the hall carrying a torch and a brown sack. He placed the torch into a holder on the wall and he went to work. His hands slid around the tangled mess of sleeping people and started procuring valuables like silver pendants, coins, jewels, rings and other valuable items.
Humming as he went along, the thief carefully dropped the items into his sack and moved along to the next.
He hovered around each table like a hummingbird, quickly and silently stole precious, personal belongings.
The thief glided over to her table and he carefully swiped a ring from Astrid, a pendant from Hiccup and a few coins from Valka. Merida stayed still. She heard his footsteps and felt him draw near. She heard him pass her humming. The humming stopped and for a moment he was silent.
Panic began to creep up from the pit of her stomach. Did he hear her? Did he notice that she was awake?
For a moment there was nothing, then finally there was a muffled sneeze and some sniffling then the thief resumed.
She waited for a few moments then the sound of the thief slowly drifted away with the torchlight.
Once the light and sounds of the thief were gone, Merida carefully rose from her chair and immediately sprung into action.
She went to her father and shook him "Da, da" she tried to shake him but his head lolled over and he snored loudly. She tried Hiccup and several others, trying to wake them while not alerting the thief but nothing worked. Frustrated and not wanting to let the thief make off with their valuables, Merida concluded that she had to deal with him herself.
She quickly and silently went after the thief in the direction she felt he went.
Along the way, she carefully stepped over a slumbering guard and took up his sword. The princess moved carefully down a dark and silent corridor, following the distant sounds of humming and footsteps.
After following the sounds through a few more corridors that lead twisted and turned into others, she found a soft orange glow ahead of her. She grinned. This thief isn't going anywhere. She hurried to the end of the corridor and crept around the corner.
The thief had led her to the kitchens, where he was busy raiding the food supplies. The cook and a few other servants were lying on the ground, asleep like the others in the great hall. It was there that Merida got a good look at the thief.
She didn't recognize him, so she didn't meet him like Hiccup or Jack.
He stood at least an inch or two taller than her, had long crow black hair that was slicked back and tied into a ponytail.
His white mask rested on the top of his head. The thief was scooping out apples out of a barrel and stuffing them into a satchel. He moved to another barrel and started scooping up other food. Merida's heart pounded in her chest, she took a deep breath then entered the kitchen with her sword in hand.
The thief didn't notice her at first but after she leveled the blade to his spine and gently tapped him with the blade.
Immediately he stopped and he glanced over his shoulder. Merida scowled at him and growled, "What do you think your doing?"
"Just thought I might help myself to a late night snack" he replied coolly. He turned and faced her. She aimed the blade at his heart, ready to strike before he could do anything.
The thief looked about Merida's age, was fair and had sky blue eyes. He was thin like a dagger and probably just as dangerous.
His blue eyes studied Merida for a minute then the corners of his lips twitched then slowly spread into a smile.
The thief relaxed a little bit then said, "So…you caught me. What's your name?" "Why do you ask?" she said tersely.
He shrugged "Well since I've been caught and will probably hang in the morning, I would like to know the name of the beautiful woman who captured me"
Merida's face started feeling warm and she gave him a look as if he were mad. She finally sputtered "M-Merida".
The thief nodded appreciatively "Merida…nice name".
Her scowl deepened and she raised the blade to his throat "Now, you are going to tell me what you did to everyone in the great hall".
The thief sighed, sounding really annoyed "I didn't kill them if that's what your thinking. I'm a thief, not a murderer. It's only troll dust, very powerful sleep powder. They'll wake up in a matter of hours, if not sooner".
Merida was relieved but nonetheless kept the sword aimed at his throat. Then she blinked and asked, "Wait, what did you say?"
"They'll be up in a matter of hours?" said thief. She shook her head "No, after that. What kind of dust was it?"
"Sleep dust" said the thief.
Merida sighed in frustration "No, you said troll dust" "Did I?" said the thief sounding a little confused.
She nodded "Yes you did"
"No I didn't" insisted the thief. A smirk formed on the thief's face "I think you might be hearing things, trolls don't exist. They're myth".
The princess gave him a look of disbelief. What is this thief doing, playing odd word games just to confuse her? She growled, "Never mind that" she jabbed the sword at him threateningly "Enough of this nonsense. Now listen to me very carefully, you are going to-" before Merida could react, the thief lobbed a fist full of flour at her which made everything go white. Her eyes stung but she quickly wiped away the flour as best as she could and turned her attention back to the thief.
The thief was still there, only this time he had his own sword leveled at her. She looked at him in surprise. The thief grinned, "A good thief is always prepared". He gestured with his sword "Drop your weapon and I won't have to put a scar on your pretty face".
Merida's nostrils flared and she lifted her sword. The thief shook his head "Wrong choice". He swung his blade and she easily blocked his blade.
She smiled "Funny, I was going to say the same about you". She made a few strokes at the thief; he blocked them and tried to find an opening.
The two exchanged blows and blocked each other's attacks. Merida found that the thief was a good swordsman and judging from his rather puzzled look, he realized that she was too. After ducking a swipe at his head, the thief asked in bewilderment "Where in the world did you learn how to fight?"
"My father" she answered proudly "the greatest swordsman in our land". The thief ducked another swipe and he parried. The two's swords crossed and he stared at her for a moment then asked "Your father, who is he?" "Fergus of the Clan DunBroch" she answered.
The thief was quiet for a moment. His face was pensive as if he was trying to process her father's identity. Finally, he said, "You look like him" her brows furrowed and thought how odd his comment was.
He jumped back a little bit and he held up his hands a little as a sign that he gave up. After returning his blade back to its sheathe that rested on one of the tables, he said, "Its been fun playing with you Merida but I must get going. I have a schedule to keep".
He turned and grabbed his satchel full of stolen food and moved to leave. But Merida jumped into his path with her blade at the ready for more.
The thief just stood there looking rather annoyed "Please move"
"No" hissed Merida "You think you can steal from us and be on your merry way? Think again, thief".
He frowned, looking as if he was wounded "I have a name you know". He realized that he didn't introduce himself. The thief made a slight bow saying, "My lady, I am James, a humble thief". He rose to full height and growled "And I will ask you nicely one more time, get out of my way".
Merida didn't move. She stood firm, keeping her weapon ready. The thief didn't scare her but she was a little worried that he might have a trick up his sleeve.
James raised his hand, ready to do something when suddenly they both heard a voice yell "Merida!" the voice emanated from the corridor that led from the great hall. Merida grinned. Everyone is up and will be there soon.
Panic flashed through James' eyes "So much for hours" he muttered. He then pleaded, "Move! Please!"
"Please?" repeated Merida. She's never heard a thief using manners before.
His free hand slid into his pocket and sifted around searching for something, until he withdrew a tiny glass bottle that held a tiny amount of ink black dust. He looked at the bottle, his eyes widened and then to Merida saying "Don't make me use this" he held it up so she could see it "This is not meant for you, but I will use it if I must. I need to leave!"
"What's so harmful about that?" asked Merida looking at the bottle "its just dust"
"Its more than that" said James grimly "It's very dangerous, very potent stuff. You don't know what it'll do". His blue eyes held a deep look of terror. As if the contents of the bottle were his worst nightmares come to life. He glanced at her and said in almost a whisper "Essence of a dark fairy".
A cold feeling rose from the pit of her stomach, like a horrible fountain of ice water. A dark fairy, what did that mean? Was it magic or was he just making things up to get her to step aside?
Suddenly, before either of them could react, Fergus, Alan, Valka and at least a half dozen Scottish warriors and Vikings burst into the kitchen, weapons drawn.
James didn't waste any time. He quickly slipped the bottle back into his pocket, flicked out a knife hidden in the long sleeves of his jester costume. His arm wrapped around Merida's waist and his knife to her throat. Everyone froze in the doorway. Fergus looked ready to rip James to pieces with his bare hands.
James commanded, "Don't move! Or else the dear princess will lose her head!" "Don't you dare!" snarled Fergus "Or I'll make you wish you were never born"
James let out a small amused chuckle. The king scowled "What's so funny?" "Oh nothing" said James "You just reminded me of someone that's all".
The thief stood there with Merida at knifepoint while the king and the angry mob stood at the opposite end of the kitchen, trying to kill James and rescue Merida.
James spied the door in the corner of his eye. He inched his way to the door, dragging Merida with him. Fergus and the warriors watched James intently, trying to desperately to find an opening.
After recovering from the shock of how quickly everything happened, Merida struggled to get out of the thief's hold but he held on.
He hissed, "You're not going anywhere!"
Merida hissed "Yes I am" she delivered a quick, sharp jab to James' ribs. It was enough to knock the wind out of him and he loosened his grip. She threw his arms off of her, spun around and punched him in the face with all her strength.
The thief stumbled backward and he fell to the ground. He lifted his head a little but fell back to the ground.
Everything went silent for a moment, as if everyone waited to see what would happen next. Merida let out a sigh of relief that the thief was knocked out, that she was alive and that her reaction worked.
Her father instantly rushed up to her and gave her a bear hug, laughing boisterously "That was quite the punch" he complimented.
The Vikings went and scooped up James. The thief's head lolled to one side and he moaned in pain "My head".
Fergus fixed him with a glare that could chill most of his opponents "Yes, about your head. Since you not only tried to rob us, but you also tried to kidnap my daughter. That's worthy of the gallows"
James frowned for a moment, trying to process the kings words then it finally registered. He sighed "Well…that's a first".
Fergus nodded to Alan "Show this filth-" "James" interrupted James
"To the dungeon" continued Fergus unfazed "our slippery little friend will experience first hand just how well we treat our guests, especially those who try to steal from the king and threaten his daughter"
James put on a smile and said happily "I can't wait! I hope it includes a free meal!" James was dragged out of the kitchen towards the dungeons by a pair of Vikings led by Alan.
Merida returned to the great hall with her father and was hailed as a hero for catching the thief and fought him alone.
Elinor said it was rash, dangerous and un-lady like but congratulated her nonetheless.
Hiccup returned from searching the castle in case of more thieves and complimented her as well.
Gobber discovered that the wine and ale had been tampered with. The empty goblets had flecks of dust particles that gave off a terrible smell. Having her fill of the night and her head still throbbed painfully; a servant escorted the princess to her chambers.
Tired from all the excitement and still overcoming the effects of the dust James slipped into the wine and ale, Merida wanted to get some sleep.
She didn't bother to change. The moment she got back to her chambers, Merida plopped down in her bed and immediately drifted off to sleep, thinking that her troubles were over.
Little did she know, they were only just beginning.
It all started, with a nightmare.
End of chapter.
(a/n: Well, there you have it! Hope you enjoyed it. More will come, have patience. In the meantime, enjoy and review! Also the lyrics to James' song is from an actual song from the video game "Alan Wake" so i don't own the lyrics so no copyright infringement intended and all.)