Oh my God! Finally...I finished the chapter. T^T Sorry that it took me this long. I had been writing and rewriting this chapter for weeks because I was never satisfied with it. (To be honest, I'm still not satisfied with this.)

I even promised someone I would update this at the last week of June. Apparently, I was not able to. D; Sorry, whoever you are.

Thank you guys soooo much for to continuous support. Especially to my regular readers and reviewers. I really appreciate it. :D *hugs you all*

By the way, gals and guys, I wrote a new HiJack story titled, "His Chance to Change Fate." If you have the time, mind checking it out? (Yeah, shameful advertisement right here. Sorry D; )

Status: Unbeta'd

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Chapter 14

For the past sixteen years of brawnfest history, it had been customary for the hype to slowly die down after the first day. Typically in all those years, the only sound present would be the chit-chats gossiping women and the fist-fights of sobering men. So, imagine the surprise when the thunderous roar of chanting spectators broke the traditional peace of the second day.

"Heccup…yer skin is green!" Merida exclaimed uselessly.

Hiccup gulped, shaking his head, "Don't worry, I won't be puking anytime soon."

"…uhh, are ye sure?"

As if Merida's question was a hex, Hiccup ran briskly to the nearest tree to hack away the food stored inside his stomach. With a gasp, Hiccup grimaced at the acidity of his mouth, taking up the water bottle Merida provided to gurgle away the remnants of bile.

"A do nae understand why ye should let him faze ye like this!" Merida leaned against the tree, crossing her arms around her chest.

Clearing his throat, Hiccup closed his eyes to dawn out his friend's words. He knew she would just sprout another series of encouraging words that does little to calm his nerves, and falling for another persuasive speech was the last thing Hiccup wanted.

Hiccup groaned aloud, leaning his body at the tree and bumping his head against its bark. How did things go this way? Never did Hiccup imagine that he would ever be battling against someone, more or less, Pitch. Of all the vile and stinky men who tried out, why was it that the two of them were the only qualifiers for the race?

Looking up at the sky, he bestowed the heavens with a scowl, 'Say…are you punishing me because I think ill of him?'

The scenario was surprising for everyone though, maybe the Gods were surprised as well, since the Lord did not sign his name for the race. If he heard correctly, the organizer spilled that the Lord wrote his name at the last minute, the moment, he found out there was only one qualifier.

'…is he still pissed because I walked out on him? No doubt, it is.'

"Tha's nasty!" Gobber stated, walking towards them.

"Tell me about it," Merida shook her head. "He'd been throwin' up since he found out his opponent."

Gobber raised his brow, "Why? Ye were great out there, A'm sure ye can win the race without sweat! A mean, ye just defeated men thrice yer size! Includin' me!"

Hiccup and Merida sighed, chorusing the next statement, "That's not exactly comforting…"

"...we all know ye were never good with ridin' horses." Merida continued.

Gobber shrugged, "Can't say A didn't try! 'Sides, A join cause of yer father, Princess."

"And we both failed!" As always, the King stated those words cheerfully, sprouting out of nowhere.

Swiftly, the blacksmiths stood straight, bowing in their Majesty's presence. The King nodded, patting Gobber by the arm and looking down at the little blacksmith, "Lad! Ye were great! Where did ye learn the leaps?"

"It wasn't exactly me who was leaping, your Majesty." If Fergus were one of those prideful monarchs, they would be condemning Hiccup with whip lashes for his uncontrollable mouth. Thankfully, Fergus was not that type of a King.

"Haha! Yea, yea. Ye are righ', it was the horse! But it takes a good rider tah do what ye did!"

To that, Hiccup sheepishly accepted the compliment. 'Heeyyy, it's the King we're talking about here.' "Thank you, your Majesty."

"But, lad…uhh, do ye really wish tah compete against the gentleman (Pitch)? 'Cause if ye want, A can halt the contest."

The three raised their brows in question, making the King uncharacteristically sweat in nervousness.

"A mean, A'm nae doubtin' ye Heccup, but –" Sadly, the King was not able to finish his speech because his daughter cut him off.

"Dad! If ye are nae doubtin' Heccup, then do nae suggest things tha' wouldn't help."

"Actually, Princess, I am interested with the King's offer." Hiccup cheered. The statement, however, earned him a threatening glare from Merida. "…or not…" Hiccup chuckled sheepishly. 'I'd rather suffer nervousness till this was over than taste the fury of an infuriated Merida.'

"Are ye sure, Heccup?" The King inquired one last time.

With a loud gulp, he nodded. For a moment though, his nervousness perished when a look of unuttered concern replaced the usual cheerful face of the King, and unbeknownst to him, Gobber had the same expression on his face.

We don't know what we've got until we lose it. Because right at this moment, Hiccup hoped Merida was standing beside him and Toothless, spilling all her words of bravery.

Not…this. Him, Toothless and the Lord, waiting by the contestant's row for the assembling signal.

Thankfully, Toothless soothed his anxiousness with nuzzles which he returned with an affectionate pat on the snout.

"You have one splendid horse, blacksmith." Pitch broke the silence, much to Hiccup's dismay.

And maybe, just maybe, Hiccup wanted to dig his self a grave, "It is apprentice blacksmith, your Lordship."

When a cold glare was sent his way, Hiccup quickly continued, "Thank you for noticing my steed, your Grace," which effectively cooed the irritated monarch.

Walking past the young blacksmith, Pitch reached out to touch Toothless' glorious snout. But the animal shook its head away in distrust, spinning on his back and intentionally hitting the Lord's face with his tail.

If only he could, Hiccup would roll over the dusty soil in laughter. He was confused whether it was a good or bad thing that an infuriated scowl was plastered on the Lord's face. And the answer to his confusion was known soon enough when Toothless began to gallop menacingly towards the Lord.

Alerted, Hiccup grabbed hold of the reins, attempting to calm down the panicking equine, "Toothless, stop! Your Lordship, I-I'm sorry for this."

Seeing Hiccup fail in halting his horse, he stated, "Whip the damned animal!" Not that Pitch would ever admit it but he was a tad bit afraid of the raging horse, and knowing he was the cause of its rage did not assure him the least bit.

Hiccup heard the order as clear as day, but there was no way in hell would he ever hit his friend. He continued his futile attempt to stop Toothless, pleading plastered on his face, "Bud…stop it now!"

But Pitch was never the patient man. Pulling out a long black whip from his bag, his hand positioned to land a hit on the uncontrolled horse, making Hiccup pale visibly.

"Nooo, your Lordship! Please don't hurt Toothless!" He pleaded. Not that he ever wanted to…but if he did not stoop this low, Toothless would get hurt.

Hesitantly, the Lord froze his hand, contemplating Hiccup's plea. For the third time of the day, Hiccup was confused once again. The unreadable smile on the Lord made him wonder whether he should be relieved or scared. But judging from the way his hairs stood on ends, he found the latter more suitable for the situation.

"M-my Lord, p-please…" Pride be damned, no one is getting hurt under his watch.

As much as the Lord wanted to whip the defiant horse, there was no more reason for him to continue since the horse grudgingly seized the gallops. Putting down the raised hand, Pitch commented out of the blue, "It's a waste of finery if such beast was given to the wrong hands."

"H-he's not usually like this, I assure you..," Hiccup defended weakly. "He's just in a sc-."

"Halt the reasoning." The Lord held out a palm, "I am deftly sure you never taught it discipline! Take this!" Pitch threw the whip down the ground. "And teach this animal like a master should."

'Me…? Hit Toothless?' If seeing others hurt his bestfriend made him choke on his pride, what more would it be if he hurt Toothless himself? Shakily, his voice precariously said, "No…I can't hurt him."

Nonchalantly pacing in circles, Pitch observed him like a hawk would to its prey, "Why is that?"

"…because he's my friend."

The Lord did not laugh but the way he spoke mocked Hiccup, "Absurd! This horse is nothing but a beast!" He pointed, "They deserve punishment when they did wrong. Make it cower in fear to do your bidding, not treat it as a friend!"

"The same way you do to your people?" Now he'd done it.

"..."

"Don't you hurt them to follow you in fear? Isn't that more absurd than me being friends with a beast?"

Why was it so hard for Hiccup to shut his mouth? Where does the lapse of courage go when he realized what he was doing?

Pitch stood there with an unreadable expression, seemingly browsing his head. "Let me tell you, young man. I had been in the position where no one respected me as a leader…and the only method that gave me the respect I deserved -."

"…was by instilling fear, am I right, my Lord?"

Pitch nodded, slightly unnerved by the interruption.

"I knew you were striving to be a leader, but have you ever thought what would happen the moment the power was stripped from you? Would there be anyone to respect and follow you the moment you were nothing but normal? And instead of being your comrade, won't they wish to end your life for the sufferings you gave them?" Hiccup mustered the courage to look Pitch straight in the eye. Begrudgingly, Hiccup continued when no expression was evident on the Lord's face. "If you could answer me yes with confidence, then I would gladly discipline my friend, your Lordship. But at this moment, we both knew, the answer is no."

When no words were heard from his Lordship's lips, Hiccup bowed and dismissed his self, heading towards his trusted steed. A depth-less chuckle was heard, halting Hiccup in his tracks. Nonchalantly, the apprentice blacksmith looked back and watched Pitch.

"For some reason, I am reminded of a man I knew a long time ago…"

"…"

"Do you wish to know what happened to him?" Pitch would say what he had to say without Hiccup's confirmation anyway, so he continued, "He died…and the man behind his death was not someone who feared him…rather, someone he thought would be there when the world is against him."

"…"

"I knew the consequences of my reign. It would not be impossible for me to die by their hands. But I take pride that I, who rules in fear, still have my feet on the ground, whereas, the man, who wished to rule in peace, was under it."

The horn blared and the crowd went ballistic with their cheers. Pitch rode his nameless mount in preparation for the race. "May Gods bless our race, Hiccup." He finished, maneuvering his horse to the starting line.

Hiccup stood there, blankly moving his feet towards Toothless. The big softy nuzzled his face for comfort, seemingly spilling apologies with his eyes. Touching the snout, Hiccup muttered softly, "It is fine, bud." But as he mounted atop his steed, Hiccup could not help but wonder who the man Pitch talked about.

(Flashback)

Prince Stoick boomed heartily the moment he saw the arrival of his sworn brother, Prince Manlius with his half-brother, Pitch.

"Stoick!" Manlius greeted, only to be placed in a headlock between Stoick's muscled arms. Laughing, the Overland's Crown Prince tapped his arms in surrender.

The Haddock Prince unclasped his arms, laughing heartily and halting when Manlius returned the favor with a headlock of his own. "That's not fair!"

Pitch rolled his eyes at the older boys before him. How could men at the age of fifteen acted like children was beyond him. Or maybe, it was just him who thought that…but Pitch always believed that men of their position shall act dignified…not…like idiots.

"…Gentlemen…you are gathering unnecessary attention right at this moment…" Pitch informed, causing the two wrestling men to stop and look around them.

The Haddock Castle was filled with royal guests, whom of which wishes to witness the coronation of the new king, Crown Prince Stoick Jorgenson Haddock.

Unlike the Overland's, the Haddock's had no age requirement for the coronation of the new king. As their rules state: The moment the King died, the crown prince, may he be an infant or an adult, would immediately take the Kingship's place.

The two princes stood on their strong feet, laughing at their ridiculousness.

"Always the observant one, aren't you, Pitch?" Stoick teased.

'How ridiculous.' Pitch was never fond of the way Stoick tried to sound like a friend to him…not like he was ever warm of anyone who tried to befriend him. "One is ought to be…"

Manlius and Stoick met eyes, smirking to their selves, "We should follow your brother's example, yeah, Manlius?"

Manlius nonchalantly shrugged.

"How was the trip anyway? A two-day trek must have been tiring…" And the small talk resumed. Listlessly, Pitch downed down the hefty voices of the two princes, following them around the castle and watching them attend to their relations.

"Brother," Manlius uttered.

"Yes?"

"You may do things of your bidding; I only have some matters to discuss with Stoick."

This was it. No matter how they tried to get him inside their friendship…in the end, his presence would be insignificant at one point. "Very well, brother." He bowed, "Prince Stoick."

The two royals smiled, walking away and leaving him behind.

…

"You're afraid?"

Stoick clenched his fist at the stone railing of the balcony. It was hard for him to admit, feeling like it was a huge blow to his pride. For a man about to lead a land filled with warriors whose blood spilling ways were as normal as breathing, it sounded like a failure on his part to admit his cowardice in leading them.

The silence was enough for Manlius to know his friend's answer. "Why?"

Letting a huge sigh out of his lungs, Stoick looked down at a woman with an infant in her arms, "Do you see her, Manlius?"

Manlius averted his gaze to follow Stoick's line of sight. At the end of his trail, he saw the same woman Stoick was looking at.

"I…I've always enjoyed watching scenes like these…families laughing together, friends messing around…living happily in their own little worlds…"

"…" Manlius remained quiet.

"…You already knew what my lineage was like, Manlius. We instill fear, we war and make blood spill. Imagine my contempt whenever I thought of leading men kill men…Strip children of their parents, strip people of their friends…strip man of their lives…"

Manlius patted his friend's back.

"..If I lead my men to the path devoid of hostilities…would they share the same sentiments to my idea of peace? Or will they revolt against me..?" Stoick loosened his hold on the railings, feeling lost in thoughts, "..my brother*, what am I to do?"

Resting his arms by the railings, Manlius watched the setting sun, "…Stoick, do you remember when we first met?"

Stoick glanced at him, furrowing his brows. He remembered the day all too well. They were mere children of eight years old when they met at the vastness of the wild forest.

"Remember how your father gave you a choice?"

It was an initiation…a way for Stoick's father to brag of his strong son. He left him one day in the wilderness of the woods with the parting words of, 'I have no use of a weak-willed son. Bring me the head of a menacing beast or never show your face to me ever again.'

The story was known to the both of them but for some reason, Manlius felt the need to narrate the story to remind his friend of something important, "It was by chance that I saw you while I am on the hunt. Did you know I was in awe when I saw you head on with the tiger? I knew all too well…that you could have defeated the beast…but I was amazed when you threw the sword away from your hands…you…were rather stupid."

The two heftily laughed. "I was, wasn't I?" Stoick inquired.

"Yes, you got bitten badly, you dim-wit."

Stoick nodded, "Then you shot the tiger."

"I have to…"

Stoick smiled weakly.

"And you never thanked me."

Stoick kept silent, smiling his pale lips and remembering how he lashed insults to his savior rather than thanking him. At that time, he already accepted his fate. In exchange of his death, he had his principles intact. The belief he never had to make unnecessary kills for the pretense of power and acceptance.

"But I understand why. You made a choice (which I thwarted). You feared the animal and the refusal of your father to see you. But despite it all, you stood for something you felt was right. Even if you knew the consequences, you did not let it faze you. If you had done that at the age of eight, what stops you from the same now when you're older and had the power?"

Stoick felt like he was drenched in water, feeling the contempt wash away. "You're right…"

Manlius jabbed his arm, earning narrowed eyes from Stoick. Chuckling, Stoick massaged his arm, "I guess, I should be the start of change, huh?"

"What kind of reign do you have in mind?"

"I…I want men to live free of fear…stop our old ways. I'll probably lose most of my men when I lost the power I had…but I knew some of them would fight with me…"

"My brother, even if the world is against you. Remember that I always got your back."

The two smiled at each other, but after a good minute of silence, they started another playful fist-fight.

Unbeknownst to them, Pitch was lurking by a nearby pillar, hiding his self and eaves-dropping their conversation. "Fear…huh? Seems like the best way to rule…" He muttered, remembering something from the distant past. Then, he walked away to leave the two to themselves.

(End of Flashback)

'I may not know the man who said those words…but I'll prevail without the use of fear.' Then Toothless trudged to the starting line.

Sweats dropped, nerves wracked, fingers twiddled, eyes dilated.

The two cloaked princes with their brown-haired friend blended amongst the crowd, feeling the sensations above course through them.

The two contestants were now mounted atop their black horses, emitting dissimilar auras. One held his chin up high with posture of pure indifference, signalling his victory before the race even started, whereas, the other had his chin down, looking and patting down the mane of his mount's neck, if one were to simply glance they would think the smaller male already gave up on the prospect of winning, but if one were to observe closely, they would see the fires of determination mirrored in his forest green eyes.

Looking ahead at the circular track, the three could understand why it was difficult to enter the contest. Not only was it a race of two miles but several obstacles were scattered along the way. Colossal heap of earth, wooden railings and random ropes were waiting the two horses to leap atop them.

If an ineffective rider were to join this race, they surely had a death wish. One bad fall could cause serious injuries…worse, death.

"Yes, I'll be in his Lordship."

The twins raised their brows, staring into Jamie. "…"

"How about ye lads?" The man collecting bets did not seem to recognize the twin princes.

"No, thanks." Their deep voices chorused.

"Alrigh'!" The bet collector exclaimed as he walked away.

Jamie ignored the glaring daggers the twins sent their way.

"What was that about?" The twins spoke in unison.

Jamie shrugged, "Just betting on the right choice."

"…"

"…"

"Blasted! Look, unlike you two, I have to use my money well. It is obvious the Lord would win this race." Jamie reasoned while crossing his arms.

"Is this really about you winning the bet? Or was it because you are jealous of Hiccup?" Jackson narrowed his eyes.

Taken aback, Jack widened his eyes, "Wait…you mean, you heard the rumor about that as well..?"

Jackson nonchalantly nodded, "Yup, apparently, the heirs had loose mouths. And Jamie here, allowed the rumor inside his head."

"I did not!"

"Did to."

"Did not!"

"Did. To." The twins and their friend alternated.

"Okay, fine! It's something possible anyway! You can't say it's not entirely true." Jamie debated.

"It's not something you can definitely believe in too." Jack debated back.

"Whatever…"

Their attention was taken when the loud horn was blown, indicating the start of the run. Earlier, the crowd's cheer could share the similarities of the roaring thunders, now, it sounded like the infuriated howls of gods.

The adrenaline coursed through the veins of the spectators as if it was a contagious disease, spreading like wildfire amongst the crowd. The three howled a loud, cheering for their respective bets.

The horses trudged like the fast winds of a tornado, ripping off the air in half. The spectators' eyes could barely follow the horse's movements as they outdid the speed of the other.

"Holy! This is unbelievable…" Jamie muttered. Never did he expect Hiccup to have the guts to blatantly challenge the Lord.

Dusty smoke was left by the horse's feet, causing the unfortunate first row audience to sneeze. But despite the bombardment of dusts, men continued to cheer. Some were tip-toeing while stretching their necks to reach their full height in order to see the spectacle.

The crowd went wild when Pitch took the first leap on the wooden obstacle. Hiccup followed soon enough who leaped as if it was the most normal thing for him in the world.

"He's behind…" Jack muttered, "Why did Hiccup slow down?"

Covering the sunlight from blinding his eyes, Jackson furrowed his brows while he answered his brother, "I think…Hiccup knew that it would be too dangerous to leap at the same time…"

"But…the obstacles are wide," Jamie reasoned.

"Doesn't make it less dangerous," Jackson retorted. "If one of the horses makes the wrong leap, the obstacle could move and hinder the other horse…which bounds to create more accidents for the both of them."

"Oh look," Jack said, gathering their attention, "Hiccup is ahead of Pitch!"

Jackson smirked, "Now, we're talking!"

Colossal masses of earth were mounted up to five feet waited for the two contestants.

Gulping, the twins felt coldness on their fingertips, holding their breaths as Toothless leaped the first heap.

"Woooooooooooo!" The crowd had cheered, raising their hands up high in the air.

Pitch was not far behind, leaping as graceful as the first pair. The crowd were on their toes, thinking Hiccup would inevitably win when he managed to cross all the colossal heaps without sweat, but the menacing trudged of Pitch's nameless horse caught up with the other's steed.

Visibly, Hiccup glanced at the Lord, maneuvering Toothless to run faster which the horse greatly followed.

No emotion was shown in the Lord's face other than unhindered concentration. The wheels had turned and the situation was different from what he calculated as an easy win.

Too bad, Pitch underestimated him. So, in his attempt to salvage his precarious chance in going home a victor, he gave what Hiccup wanted - the acceptance of his unspoken challenge.

Harshly whipping his nameless steed, the horse ran past its limit which took Hiccup aback when the Lord passed through them quick.

'…' Hiccup could almost see the end of the track and he felt another kick of adrenaline vigor. With another harmless whip of the rein, Toothless ran faster.

Unfortunately, Pitch had a good distance from him.

Feeling victorious, the Lord grinned chillingly and Pitch almost tasted victory.

Almost.

Sadly, the victory went out of his reach when his horse did an abrupt halt, sending him flying down the ground. Hitting his back harshly on the wooden obstacle, Pitch widened his eyes as he watched his opponent's horse jump across the seven-foot tall wooden obstacle that his own horse refused to leap.

The crowd went quiet, the only sounds permitted in the air were the whining woes of the fallen horse and the galloping blows of the other horse's victory.

And the moment Hiccup passed through the finish line; the crowd went nuts with cheers and yells, making the ground artificially quake in chorus with the roars.

Horns blaring, Hiccup slowed Toothless down, yelping when plump hands grabbed him and threw him in the air.

"Ahhhhh! Gobber, put me down!" Hiccup laughed, despite the nervousness he felt by getting thrown in the air like a weightless pillow.

But the only reply he got were laughs and congratulatory remarks. Only for this moment, Hiccup would allow his grumpy personality fell and enjoy the victory of their hard work. "Bud! I can't believe we did it!" Hiccup may not have heard it because of the deafening cheers, but he knew his bestfriend snorted.

When Gobber finally placed his foot down the ground, Hiccup wished he hadn't for random meaty arms patted him on the back for his achievement. 'I'm sooo going to go home bruised.' And suddenly, he felt himself locked in a tight embrace, "Fwumph..! M-Mer…I can't b-breathe.." Hiccup said, tapping the arms that tightly embraced him.

"Ye two were great!" Merida said, releasing Hiccup and walking towards Toothless to pat the equine for a job well done.

And while they celebrate, the man who got the bitter end of the show stood on his feet in fury, clenching his fist tight as he watched his useless horse.

"Y-your Lordship," A nearby fearling tried to help his leader, only to be harshly denied when he was shoved down the ground.

Infuriated, Pitch dusted his clothes, glaring intensely at the fallen fearling who idiotically stayed down the ground, "I want that horse dead before this day ends! And find me a better horse!" The fearling nodded his head more than necessary, shaking in fear as the Lord stared him down. "If my orders were not done, you'll be the one replaced. Do you hear me!?" He did not even wait for a reply as he spun on his heel to put on his mask of indifference, breathing hard while proceeding to walk at the celebrating crowd.

The meddling folks made way for him, their momentary cheer perished as they saw his Lordship's presence. And Pitch could not help but send his signature glare to the folks that gave him pity.

'I don't need your sympathy!'

And as he glared them down, the pity died from their eyes, only to be replaced with fear.

'That's more like it.' He grinned deviously. He continued onto the center of the crowd, stopping when he saw the smiling brat who defeated him.

Sensing his presence, Hiccup's expression turned crestfallen, watching his opponent approach him nonchalantly. And the moment the Lord held his hand out for him to take, Hiccup was dubiously surprised. Never the less, he took and shook it.

"Congratulations," Pitch said monotonously.

Hiccup removed his hand, feeling irked for holding the Lord's hand. 'How pretentious.' He was no fool to fall for this obvious fallacy. He knew full well that inside the calm demeanor, the tiger inside the Lord was waiting to prance down and kill him.

But Hiccup could pretend as well, bowing his head in grace, "It was an honor to have raced with you, my Lord."

Pitch nodded then walked away with fists clenched tightly.

"Blasted!"

The twins laughed hysterically as their friend cursed his loss. "Hahaha, who did you say would surely win?" Jack mocked, childishly blowing raspberry at Jamie.

"Shut up!"

The twins shrugged their shoulders, "Anyway, let's go. We have to hide, yeah?" Jackson uttered, walking away with a big smile on his face.

After the long speech of the Dunbroch King's appreciation for the clans participation in the Brawn Fest, he quickly head on to announce the winning clan without further ado, "…and this year's strongest and mightiest clan that would rightfully take home the exemplary honor of winning the brawn fest…"

The crowd was dead quiet.

"…Clan MacGuffin!"

Others howled in victory, whereas, other booed in contempt. It was the usual reaction whenever the winner was announced.

Rolling her eyes, Merida crossed her arms while she watched the old MacGuffin take the Medal of Honor. When the scene bored her, she glanced at the empty chairs beside her. 'Where did those three go?'

Jack felt a smile creep on his face when he saw the limping young man on the road. He had waited for Hiccup to return home, wanting to congratulate him for his achievement. Opening his bag, he swiftly took his costume out, slipping it on his face and head. Carefully, he stood on his shoe-less feet, about to leap from the bushes and surprise the unsuspecting youth.

But he never expected he would be the one surprised when he saw the mop of chestnut-hair beside the auburn-haired boy. "…"

"You were great!" The disguised monarch complimented, resting an arm around the smaller male's shoulder, "Man, where did you learn those moves!?" Animatedly leaping, he unceremoniously patted Toothless by the side, "And you were splendid!"

Hiccup sheepishly smiled, feeling overwhelmed with the praises. Well hey, he rarely got complimented for things he could do.

And as the two exchanged words, Jack briskly sat down in the confines of the bushes, concealing his self from the two's attention. "I can wait," he uttered, looking at the orange sky. "I wonder how cold the night would be," yawning, he covered his self with the cloak and closed his eyes, "A short nap wouldn't hurt."

Merida cracked the bones within her back in her attempt to soothe the soreness from standing up straight the whole time. 'Damn clans, couldn't they just leave without us seein' them off, sheesh.' She mentally complained. "Ugh, A'm so tired!"

Knocking on her parent's bedchamber, Merida opened it without waiting for an answer. She nonchalantly walked inside with a deep scowl on her face. As much as she enjoyed today's events, the weariness in her body won't allow her to be in a good mood.

"A believe A haven't allowed ye inside yet." The Queen reprimanded.

Rolling her eyes, Merida lifelessly walked out the room, earning a raised brow from her mother. Knocking on the door again, Merida asked, "May A come in?"

Elinor shook her head, "Ye may."

Then the door flung open, hitting the wall and creating a loud bang.

"Wha' is it tha' you need of me, mother?"

Elinor shook her head in defeat. She left the parchment down by the table, facing her daughter with full attention. "How was yer experience for this year's brawnfest?"

Merida groaned aloud, 'Is this what she needed me for?' "It's fine." She answered grumpily.

"Princesses do nae…," Elinor trailed, mimicking her daughter's groan.

"But ye just did it!"

"A'm a Queen now." The Queen snapped back.

"…"

"…"

"Mom…tha's so lame." Merida whined.

"If ye want tah sleep sooner, it's better if ye just answer."

"A do nae see the point." Merida rolled her eyes, "More fun than the others." 'Well, cause of Hiccup, tha' is.'

Elinor nodded, "How…about the matters with the princes?"

Just to get the interview over and done with, Merida chose to answer things straight up, "Things aren't goin' well with the princes at all and A hope it stays tha' way."

The Queen sighed.

Merida narrowed her eyes. She knew her mother sighed in disappointment…but why did the action seemed like an act of relief? Though, Merida doubted that was the case, perhaps, she was just seeing things.

"Well, tha's all….ye may rest for the nigh'" The Queen dismissed.

Now, that made Merida confused. "Tha's it? Ye'r nae goin' tah scold me?"

The Queen gave a challenging glance at her, silently saying, 'If ye do nae leave righ' at this moment, ye'll be in chastised till dusk, young lady!'

Straightening her back, Merida sheepishly chuckled, "A was just kiddin', mother!" She ungracefully hugged the queen, kissing her cheek before she briskly walked towards the door.

"Merida."

Merida stiffly spun on her heel, cautiously looking at her mother, "Yes, mother?"

Elinor glanced at the parchment on her table before she spoke, "…How is yer friend these days?"

"…?"

"Heccup."

"Ohhh! Well, he is doin' great!" Merida informed enthusiastically. The weariness in her body was suddenly forgotten.

The Queen hummed in thought, "He won the –"

Cutting the Queen off, Merida smiled, "Yup! He whooped tha' egotistical Lor-"

"Merida." The Queen reprimanded sharply.

"A know, A know. A'm just sayin', mother."

The Queen sighed once again, averting her gaze from the parchment to meet eyes with her enthusiastic daughter, "Was he…actin' weird these days?"

Merida tilted her head to the side, perching hands on her hips, "…weird?" Well…she did notice incidents like the aimed-arrow that had been nagging the princess' mind for days. "…Nae tha' A know off, mother." She feigned ignorance. She knew she was lying, but somewhere deep inside, she thought, 'It is not a matter that mother should be concerned with.' What a blatant lie. Of course, it was. But she knew, if she spilled the beans, Hiccup would be in trouble.

"Why are ye askin' tho', mother..?" She asked in curiosity.

The Queen visibly stiffened, "A was…just wonderin'. A haven't seen the boy for a while now…and hearin' about him winnin' against Lord Pitch surprised me…ain't tha' weird for him tah take the challenge?"

Merida guiltily chuckled, "Uh…it was mah fault tha' he got muddled up into the race."

The Queen quickly adapted the face of a chastising mother, scowling at the her daughter, "Merida!"

Yawning distastefully, Merida ran for the door, shouting, "Good nigh', mother!"

And the speech died within the Queen's throat.

Notes:

When Stoick and Manlius referred to each other as, "My brother." It was not because they were blood-related. They just treat each other like brother so much they liked the idea of calling each other brother. (Though, I already knew that you knew that haha)

Clarification: Guys, the eventing competition here was not the way eventing really goes. You can read it at wikipedia and it would explain you how the sport works. I altered it into a race instead because writing the three phases of the eventing would hog up a lot words...and probably bore you out with its length.

To Aangelik, LonelyRedTears, kitty.0, Jenskuchuu, you guys are awesome! Thanks for always reviewing. :D And Aangelik, I expect the predictions to come. ;3

XxDaughter Of EvilxX - I am really happy to know that you enjoy this story. Thank you so much.

Guests - I'm sooo sorry that it took me this long to upload. But here is the update. ^^

Anyways, ugh, sorry, I did not execute the race well. Sorry.