Ok, I know that a lot of you are disappointed that Toothless won't make an appearance but there's more to it beside me wanting Hiccup to win Merida's heart without the dragon. Toothless' protective side would really mess up some important events in later chapters which will, in turn, mess up the overall outcome of the story. I'm trying to find a way to incorporate Toothless into the story without messing up the plot. I have only one idea so far but it's very brief and he's more a symbol/sign than an actual character. If I can't think of anything else, would you guys be fine with that? Some of you are probably wondering how Hiccup lost his leg if he's never fought the Red/Green Death. Don't worry, it'll be revealed within the next few chapters but I'm curious to know what you guys think happened let me know in a review or something. For those of you who don't know where Hiccup has seen MacInroy before, reread Chapter 2 (It's before the first line break) If you still don't know, feel free to ask. Answers are at the bottom again.

Guys and Dolls was a lot of fun and I'm sad it's over but being home at midnight and getting up again at 6:30 for a whole week does take its toll.

Nothing to report except a (somewhat) cliff-hanger.

Chapter #6: The Wisps

Merida's POV

It had been two days since the failed assassination attempt on William's life. Many said that he must have been protected by an angel for the arrow wasn't poisoned and, after its removal, it was discovered that the arrow only caused a flesh wound.

My mother had told me to stay by his side while he recovered, to "make a good impression." I had refused several times but she eventually convinced me by repeating his threat. I knew my mom didn't agree with this marriage; when the threat came she had given me the choice to refuse but warned me about the consequences of refusing. I love my people and I had already learned my lesson of wanting my freedom over anything else and that nearly ended in disaster. It took a while for the reality of the consequences to sink in and when they finally did, I accepted.

I had hardly left the chair and had spent my time doing the things I detested; reading, playing soft music, and worst of all, sewing. I dreaded doing all the lady-like things but I had to keep him happy. He liked his women to be silent and obedient; he couldn't stand the idea of a woman carrying weapons or wanting something like choosing their own husband. The only reason I did the things I detesting is because, if I couldn't keep him happy, he would go through with his threat. William had a reputation of going through with his threats without hesitation.

During his stay so far, he's been anything but a gentleman, trying to win me like I was some prize. He'd be bragging about all the battles he's won, all the dangerous foes he's faced but never bothered asking me a single question. He only knew me as "Princess Merida", the creation of my mom, but not the real Merida.

I can't say I hate him but I don't like him either. He was something that his clan referred to as "pure-blooded, pure-minded." For them, "pure-blooded" means Scottish without a trace of any other ancestry and "pure-minded" meant believing with all your heart that anybody that isn't a "pure-blood" had to be exterminated but pure-minded didn't only refer to anyone non-Scottish. The MacInroy's would make fun and abuse anyone that wasn't "normal." They particularly loved making fun of cripples; I was curious to know how he would react when he learned that dad had employed a cripple to work for him.

He knew I wasn't "pure-minded"; my best friend was Anglo-Saxon and her husband was just a Saxon, though Vikings were a different story; I had grown up being taught to hate them but after the war, my hatred diminished to pity when I watched Viking after Viking being slaughtered without mercy. For me, the slaughter had gone too far for too long and I was so close to convincing my dad to stop it when William came by and changed his mind.

I looked at the window to the outside world; the sun was shining brightly and there were hardly any clouds in the sky; usually on days like these I'd be in the forest with Angus. I looked at William and then back at the window; he had already woken up a few times and he knew that I was there. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I was gone for a little while. I got up and ran out the door to my room. I threw my cloak around me and I snatched up my bow and quiver, slinging them over my shoulder as I ran through the halls, out of the castle, towards the stables. Jack could see me coming from a mile and stepped out of the way of Angus' stall.

I got onto Angus and we galloped at full speed into the forest, the wind blowing in my hair. I would have lifted my arms into the air if Angus didn't stop on a dime. It took all my strength to prevent myself to fall off. I looked at what had stopped him and saw the familiar blue flame; a Wisp! When it knew I saw it, a whole trail of them appeared, leading me down a familiar path, towards the river where my mom and I had spent time together when she was a bear.

Without thinking for a second, I snapped the reins and urged Angus to follow the trail of Wisps. I was a fairly short journey and soon I was back at the familiar river; it seemed almost yesterday when mom and I were here. I looked at the salmon splashing in the river and my stomach grumbled loudly. I had no idea why the Wisps led me here but I might as well eat something.

Hiccup's POV

It was my second day as the blacksmith of the King and I already had a lot to do. There were jobs that still had to be done that my predecessor had failed to complete; I had armour to make and repair, Lord MacIntosh had requested a new sword, several spear heads, and the list just kept going.

I pushed the door to the smithy open and walked to the forge, poking the coals causing a few sparks and several flames to start. When a decent flame was burning, I walked towards the table and began to take my tunic off; for some unknown reason, I've always felt more comfortable working without a tunic.

"Hello Hendry." I let out a yell, quickly pulling down my tunic and turned my gaze to a dark corner. Aileen walked out of the shadows, her face still hidden by the hood. "I have to say I was quite surprised to hear from Seoc that you were a Viking; I was convinced that you weren't." I honestly had no idea how to reply to that so I stood there quietly, half staring at the floor and at her. There was a long and uncomfortable silence between for who knew how long

"May I ask what you are doing here?" I eventually said, running my hand through my hair. Aileen slowly started to walk towards me and under her cloak I could see the glint of metal that belonged to a two-sided axe.

"I've seen plenty of Vikings during my time but you're the only one that doesn't seem eager to leave."

"I see no need to leave," I replied coldly, "I've been hiding for 11 years and-"

"And Dagur the Deranged had been hiding for just as long when he was discovered."

"But I'm not deranged." I let out a chuckle at my joke but Aileen didn't seem amused,

"Is this some kind of a joke to you because it isn't a joke, Hendry!? In this world, it's not leave or hide. It's leave or die. My advice: leave, while you still can. I can arrange safe passage to England or mainland Europe for you and you're already at a safe house so I don't need to take care of that."

"Safe house?" Aileen's hood nodded,

"Places where Vikings in hiding live." She explained. I was already at a safe house? I have high doubts that the castle was a safe house but that would mean-

"Jack and Rapunzel are hiding Vikings?" Aileen nodded again,

"You're in safe hands, Hendry. All you need to do is say yes." There was another silence between us as I thought about it. I let out a long and deep sigh when I made my decision,

"Give me a few days. I need to think about it and I need to ask the Allfather for guidance but I doubt I'll get any."

"Why?" I looked at Aileen in surprise. Wasn't it obvious?

"There's no shrine where I can pray or make offerings."

"There actually is." She walked to the open window and pointed. I looked at where she was pointing: the forest, "Deep in the forest, there's an abandoned shrine under a sacred tree. The Scots have long forgotten about it so you can pray there in peace."

Still Hiccup's POV

I stood up with a sigh and started the long walk back to the castle; the shrine was about a mile from the castle.

After searching in the forest for nearly an hour, I had found the shrine under an old and large tree; the wooden fence marking its boundaries rotting away. Before entering the shrine, I dropped my small knife on the ground; no weapons are allowed on sacred grounds. The shrine was definitely abandoned a long time ago since the wooden statues of Odin, Thor, Freya, and Forseti had started to rot and crack and the grass was undisturbed by footsteps.

All over the shrine one could see offerings to the gods. There were offerings of stones with runes lying neatly in rows, a horse's skull impaled on a large stick, a tablet of stone with runic inscriptions, and there was a large stone where animal sacrifices were done; the stone didn't have a single spot of blood. I didn't know how long I had been praying but it was a while because the sun was starting to set when I was finished. Before I left, I placed my offering on the ground: a stone with a rune on it. It wasn't a lot but it was better than nothing; now I had a chance that Odin would answer my prayers.

I continued to walk through the forest, not caring where I was heading. Some part of me didn't want to go to England but another part wanted to go. Staying here would be dangerous but I had hid in public for a good 11 years-I couldn't see why I couldn't hold it out for another 11 years if not the rest of my life and I've build my life here and going to England would mean starting from scratch and I would leave my family behind. Since coming to the mainland, they have treated me with more respect and love than all the people on Berk, my original home. I couldn't just leave them but by staying I was also endangering them.

But if I went to England, I wouldn't have to hide anymore. I am so tired of hiding; hiding my past and who I really am. Sure, Vikings weren't treated much better there than here in DunBroch and the rest of Scotland but at least they weren't thrown into the dungeon on sight and killed the next morning. And if I left, I wouldn't be endangering my family anymore. But if I did go, I would have to deal with insults and stereotype all over again and-

A large stone suddenly appeared in front of me; if I had been stuck in my thoughts only a second longer, I would have collided with the rock. I walked around it and found myself in a circle of large upright stones. I made a full turn and the one stone that caught my eyes was the one that was split in half. Below it was the remnants of a carcass; a bear's. The sight of it made me a little uneasy and I turned the other way. What I didn't expect to see was a small, floating blue flame. It was looking at me, whispering something soft and melodious and inaudible, its little hand urging me to come closer. Hesitantly, I reached out my hand and slowly approached it; closer and closer. I expected to feel something hot or something like fire but when my fingers almost brushed the little flame, it disappeared into nothingness. I looked around me, expecting the flame to be somewhere but there was nothing. I started to walk when I heard the whispering again. I spun around and saw the blue flame in almost the same spot from where it had disappeared. Behind it another appeared and then another and another and another until a whole trail of little blue flame was visible, leading up a hill and deeper into the forest, all of them urging me to follow the trail.

Against my better judgement, I followed the trail of blue. Whenever I approached a flame, it disappeared but re-appeared at the end of the line. I followed the trial up a hill covered by many trees. I looked up and saw one last flame at the very top. The hill was so steep that I had to use low-lying branches to help me up. The last flame disappeared and I was alone. I could hear water nearby and, grabbing another branches, I peered over the edge of the hill. I saw a river and a figure with a dark blue cloak with the hood up by the edge, a bow and arrow in their hand. It shot the arrow and a salmon was hit. The figure took out its catch and brought it to the blazing fire nearby. An unexpected blast of wind came and blew the hood off, revealing the mass of red curls underneath it; the princess!

I leaned further over the hill to get a better look, not noticing the amount of pressure I was putting on the branch. I leaned further and the branch snapped loudly. I hid behind the hill, my fingers clinging tightly to the grass and hearing an arrow being notched into the bow. I couldn't see where it was aiming but I knew that it was aimed in my direction.

And before any of you complain about Merida's portrayal in this chapter, she is forced to do lady-like things (if I haven't made it obvious enough)

EDIT: Realized that the years Hiccup had spent in hiding were wrong so I corrected it. It's 11 years NOT 8

Answers

Guest: I think this chapter answered most of your questions but I might as well say that MacInroy is anything but a Viking. And I'm not going to reveal anything about any of the character living under an assumed name but I'll be putting in hints to who they really are.

T-Biggz: As you can see I am using the wisps. I've already removed so much from HTTYD and Brave in this story that I had to keep something from the original movies.

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