Coming over the skies of Scotland, Merida told them to land in the forest a few meters off of the castle, and jumped off Toothless.
"Ok first think my people are 'really' superstitious especially after the whole 'Betrothal Thing'," Merida said laughing a bit "So the dragons will need to stay here, and Jack..." she said looking to the white haired boy "Can you stay here too and watch over them? It won't be for long I promise."
"Yeah no fine I'm ok with that," Jokul said mockingly "Just hide me away so no one gets freaked out over my powers. Yeah I'm perfectly fine with that."
"Jack if you're not ok with it all you need to do is say," Hiccup said after getting up from saying 'Be good' to Toothless.
"Who say's I'm not ok with it?" Jokul asked shrugging "I didn't say it. Did you say it? No. So why do you think I'm not ok with it."
"Fine you can come..." Merida said groaning a bit "Just don't play any pranks that involve ice or frost coming out of no where or anything like that ok?"
"Fine by me," Jokul said smiling a bit too much staff on shoulder.
"And DON'T mess with the men's kilts!" Merida said as an after thought cutting Jokul's smile in half.
"Fine..." he said shaking hands with her to say he won't to that.
With that the kids set off to the castle and were let in right away because they were with the Princess.
o0o
"Er... Red?" Tuffnut asked getting Merida's attention "Why are all the guys wearing skirts?"
"They're not skirts they're kilts," Merida said confused as to why this question hadn't come back up back at the Pole with her dad. "And they wear them to show how manly they are," she said leading them to her mum's tapestry room.
"Oh yeah..." Hiccup said in a sarcastic tone "Because nothing's more manly or scary than seeing a guy in a skirt..."
"If you want manly you should go back in time to when they were stuck on the roof of the castle, and what they had to do to get down..." Jokul said smirking smiling at the memory "Oh Maudie was screaming so loud it made everyone's ears bleed."
"I don't think I'd like to know about that thank you Jack," Astrid said stopping the story and the others from asking the question.
Finally they got to Queen Elinor's tapestry room an saw the one of the family and next to it one of Merida holding hands/paws with a large black bear.
"No one is to touch that one got it?" Merida asked looking to the others pointing to the one on the right, fire in her eyes, getting nervous nods from everyone.
"Ok so lets get this down and get back to the Pole," Astrid said getting a chair to stand on so she could reach the top, Merida doing the same for the other corner.
"Your mum must of put a lot of work into this Merida," Fishlegs said reaching out a hand and gently feeling the tapestry.
"Yeah... it took her ten years to finish it..." Merida said sighing slightly "And then when it was done what do I do? I slice through it with one of dad's swords..."
That got everyone to notice the not so well stitched up section between Merida and Elinor.
"It's... not that noticeable..." Hiccup said trying to cheer her up getting eyerolls from everyone. "Until you pointed it out I didn't..."
"Oh don't lie to me Hiccup," Merida said jumping down with Astrid "I know my sewing's terrible but I was the only one who still had thumbs at the time. Plus I was doing it in the dark while riding Angus to stop my dad from killing my mum. So I'm sorry for how bad it looks," she finished folding up the tapestry and putting it under her arm.
As they were about to leave Maudie came to the door.
"Oh Princess Merida," she said smiling and curtsying slightly. "If I may have a moment, the Sons of the Three Clans are..."
"Maudie I'd love to join them in what ever it is that's got them troubled and all that," Merida said cutting her off "But me and my friends have a bit of a situation going on at the moment so I'll get back to them after that..."
"But My Lady," Maudie said trying to stop Merida from leaving but not assault her princess. "You don't understand. They say they're here because their homes have been attacked by the same things that attacked ours the other day, and have come to see if you know what they are since Dunbroch was attacked first and what we should do about it?"
That got Merida to stop and listen and turn to her friends.
"You lot go back to the Pole," she said giving the tapestry to Astrid. "Tell my mum and dad about this and ask them to come home. Meanwhile I'll go and see if I can sort this out."
With that Merida raced off to the throne room, while everyone else began to return to the woods.
o0o
"Why do you think the Villains would attack the Three Clans guys?" Fishlegs asked as the left the castle and began to return to the forest.
"Well the story about this place," Jokul began who was in the lead. "Was that... Once there was an ancient kingdom..."
"Again with the 'Ancient' something..." Snotlout said and would of continued to whine if a few shards of ice hadn't been shot at him.
"That was ruled by a king that was most beloved. And the king had four sons. The youngest was wise, the third was compassionate, the second son was just and the king's eldest son was strong. But he mistook great strength for character." he said looking back to Snotlout quickly, smirking.
"On the king's death bed he said that the crown will not be handed down to the eldest, but that the kingdom will be divided up between them. The prince felt scammed and said that he alone should have the kingdom and he alone should rule.
Saying this to his brothers, the prince proclaimed war on his on them. His act of selfishness shattering the bond of their brotherhood, letting the kingdom fall in to chaos with the many wars that took place afterwards. But even after so many, there was no victor.
'One day the prince came across a witch's cottage and asked for a spell that would give him the strength of ten men, giving the witch his signature ring in exchange.
Saying to his brothers that he wanted to talk things over, the prince invited them to his castle and took the spell to his brothers protests, turning him into a great black bear..."
"Mordu?" Fishlegs asked getting more and more scared with each word to the story getting a nod.
"Anyway... 'The witch on making the spell said to him that there was a spell breaker which will turn him back to normal. All he had to do was mend the bond torn by pride.
But instead he chose to take the shape of his new form and killed his brothers.
'Making it back to his men, they only saw the beast he had become and took arms against him.
He slaw a great many and the rest fled the kingdom in terror.
With the armies of the Prince's fractured the kingdom collapsed into ruin and the prince was now forever locked in the form of the Great Black Bear, who until Merida freed his spirit, was stalking the forests of these lands, always choosing power and strength over the bonds of brotherhood."
Jokul finished as they returned to the dragons.
"And how do you know this story exactly Jack?" Hiccup asked carefully.
"I'm older than I look remember?" Jokul said leaving it at that.
"So... the villains are after the Clans because they're the descendants, shall we say, of Mordu's brothers?" Fishlegs asked trying to get his head around this as he climbed adored Meatlug.
"Seems like it," Jokul said looking to the sky staff on his shoulder.
"So we going to get the King and Queen and tell them about this or not?" Astrid asked on top of Stormfly the tapestry in the dragon's saddlebag the snowglobe in her hand.
Taking off everyone flew through the portal and returned to the Pole.
o0o
All the while as her friends were doing this Merida was telling the story of the last few days to Eddie (Wee Dingwall), Johnathan (Wee Macintoch), and William (Wee Ma'Guffin).
"Princess, no offense," Johnathan said after hearing all of it "But do you honestly believe that we're to believe that these things were sent by tha Boggieman?"
"Believe... No," Merida said answering "Helping us defeat him and bring safety back to everyone... Yes."
Just then Fergus and Elinor came rushing into the throne room and asked what was already said.
"Told them everything except the thing about Jack." Merida said in return. "Wait where are the boys?"
"Back at tha Pole being watched over by Rapunzel," Fergus said taking his throne. "So them bad guys have been trying to get to you as well then?" he asked getting nods.
"So who will help us then?" Merida said getting back to their conversation.
"I will help Princess," William said stepping forward. On being asked why he said it was to protect his younger brothers and sister.
"I... I'll help too," Eddie said stammering not wanting to have to do this on his own.
All eyes turned to Johnathan who sighed in defeat at the other sons would believe such foolishness but then agreed as well.
"Ok so I was thinking..." Merida said standing tall "That you boys go back home, tell no one about the Boogieman or that Mordu is back and find a way to keep the belief up in the kids. Meeting adjourned." she said curtsying.
"Merida..." Elinor said getting her daughter to sit back down again. "Boys, what Merida says is true, you can help the most by getting your people to believe in the Guardians. Stamp out their fear with wonder, hope, dreams, memories, and fun. I know this is just basically what you said Merida," Elinor said spotting her daughter's look "But I do not agree with them not telling their people about Mordu. They need to know. So tell your fathers at least, is what I'm saying. Just so your men will be ready to fight if they attack again."
The three sons bowed to their Queen, then to Merida, and then to Fergus who didn't need to do anything but be there for this to be set as an order, before leaving for home to set this plan in motion.
Everyone hoping that something good will come from this in the end.
AN In other words... It's unlikely that we'll see the Sons of the Lords again.