Frozen
The Dragon Princess
Brave Dragon Part 2
Anna and Merida rode deep into the gloom of the forest, Anna looking every which way until Merida thumped her lightly on the head.
"Quit yer squirmin" She said amused.
"Sorry, but this is the first time I've seen a forest like this. It's amazing" Anna said.
"And dangerous. Remember that" Merida counseled.
"I know, there are wolves and bandits and evil spirits" Anna listed off.
"Well, I'm not sure about the spirits, and me clan keeps the woods free of bandits, but yer right about the wolves, and bears" Merida said leaning down to whisper in Anna's ear.
"Bears?" Anna asked looking around.
"Aye, gigantic things that can snap up a wee lamb like you in one bite" Merida growled and tickled the younger girl who giggled, making both girls laugh.
"Bears don't eat people. They eat honey and berries and fish" Anna said.
"Oh so you know a lot about bears?" Merida teased.
"Besides, If a bear attacks I'll just transform" Anna said.
"Ay, guess there's not much can face down a dragon" Merida said.
"Except someone with a bow" Anna said looking up at Merida, who giggled. Suddenly Angus stopped and the two girls looked to see a squat grass covered cottage that seemed to blend right into the forest.
"Someone lives out here?" Anna asked hopping down.
"Ay, a witch of the forest" Merida said grabbing her bow.
"Really, a real witch?" Anna whispered walking forward before stopping.
"She isn't a witch that eats kids like in Hansel and Gretel is she?" Anna asked.
"Hansel and who?" Merida asked.
"never mind" Anna sighed turning back to Angus, but Merida walked forward.
"What are you doing?" Anna asked.
"Every time I met the witch she had something important to show me. She changed my life, maybe she can help you" Merida said walking up to the door. Anna raced up behind her, hiding behind the older girl as she knocked. The door swung open revealing a shriveled old woman.
"Oh it's you. Well come in" She said and Merida stepped through the door, Anna clinging to her dress.
"I'm not here for me. I'm here for" Merida said looking down at the trembling girl clinging to her, and was hit by how young the girl actually was.
"Yes, yes….that young dragon born cowering behind you" The witch said.
"Come on out from behind there dearie, I'm not going to eat you" The witch said. Slowly Anna came out from behind Merida, but still clung to the older girls dress by one hand.
"I know why you're here. You're looking for the heart of earth" The witch said.
"Do you know where it is?" Anna asked.
"Ay, but it's dangerous" The witch said.
"I don't care" Anna said, her courage returning.
"Brave aren't you hmm. For the test to claim the heart you're going to need more than that" The old woman said walking to a shelf.
"Here, this compass will guide you to where the stone is hidden" The old woman explained holding the item out. Anna reached for it, only for the old woman to pull it back.
"It's not something for nothing dearie" The witch said.
"Alright, how many carvings do you want us to buy this time?" Merida asked.
"Eh, not for this. A spell is one thing, and artifact, is quite another" The old witch said taking a vial off the shelf.
"In exchange for the compass, I want you to give me a bit of your magic. Dragon born magic is quiet potent, and hard to come by" the woman said handing Anna the vial. The girl took it and holding it in one hand, held the other over the vial and focusing poured pure magic into the vial. Borealis had taught her the trick of distilling her power into vials to use in potions and enchantments. When she was finished the vial held a pure reddish orange glowing liquid.
"Wow" Merida said looking at the pretty liquid.
"You promise you won't use this for anything bad?" Anna asked. Hesitant of giving it to her. Borealis had told her that it was her distilled essence and any magic user who got hold of it could do terrible things with it.
"Before this one came along, I was all but retired. You have nothing to worry about" The old woman said. Anna handed the woman the vial and she handed them the compass.
"It's you I'm worried about. You're in dangerous territory looking for the hearts child. Some things are meant to stay buried" She said as she snapped her fingers. A cabinet opened and she stowed the glowing vial in it, and snapping her fingers shut it again.
"I have to find the hearts, it's the only way to help my family" Anna said.
"Well don't say this old woman didn't give you fair warning. You dragon born do what you want anyway" The witch said shooing them out of her cottage and shutting the door. The two girls mounted Angus and rode away. Anna looked at the compass, and found that it was mad of solid wood. Two circles enclosed the carved figure of a dragon and as the moved the figure wove not only side to side, but up and down.
"That's a strange compass" Merida said.
"It's pointing in all four directions" Anna said as the dragon pointed east and slightly upward. Merida pointed Angus in the direction the compass was pointing. They followed the compass for what seemed like hours, until Angus stopped dead.
"What's the matter?" Merida asked, but the mist cleared and they saw that they were standing in front of a ring of stones. They dismounted and Anna slowly walked into the ring, holding the compass. When she reached the center of the ring, the dragon's nose was pointing straight down.
"I think the hearts buried under here" Anna said kneeling down.
"Ay, these stone are old. Older than me clan. Makes sense something magical would be buried here" Merida said.
"So, what say we ride back? I can get some men to come out and help us dig?" Merida asked.
"We don't need help" Anna said. Fire was her primary, and winds her secondary, with earth being her neutral element. That meant that she wasn't strong or weak with it, and with her master teaching her how to better channel her magic, she could very easily form a large whole out of solid earth, which she did now. Focusing hard she bid the earth separate, receding across and down, but more down that across. By the time she was breathing hard and couldn't do any more she had a hole three feet wide and six feet down, but hadn't quite reached the cavern she had sensed as she had made her whole. Behind her she heard Merida mutter something in her language that sounded impressed.
"You a talented little lamb aren't ya?" She asked as Anna sat down hard.
"There's something down there, a cave or something, but I ran out of magic before I could reach it" Anna said.
"You can run out of magic?" Merida asked.
"My master says that it's like any other kind of energy, like running or climbing. Eventually you have to stop and rest" Anna explained.
"Makes sense. So I guess we're camping here?" Merida asked.
"I've got food if you want some?" Anna asked digging out what she had left in her pack.
"Don't worry. I've got me own supplies and I ken hunt more if I need" Merida said. They walked back to Angus and Merida unpacked a saddle bag.
"Let's get a fire goin. It'll be dark soon" Merida said. Together they gathered wood and Anna summoned a small spark of magic to get a fire going. They sat together in front of the fire leaning against Angus broad side, sharing their meat and bread, and Anna divided the last of the chocolate between them.
"Hmmmm…this is heavenly" Merida said, lost in bliss over the confection.
"Chocolate is the best food in the world" Anna said with complete seriousness, causing Merida to snort in laughter.
"So, what happened with yer family that brought you all the way here? I mean ye don't have to tell me if ye don't want to, I was jest curious" Merida asked.
"I did something, something horrible, and because of it, my family shut me out, my sister especially" Anna said reaching straight into the fire to adjust the logs.
"I wish ya didn't do that. Gives me the collywobbles" Merida said.
"The coly what?" Anna asked.
"The collywobbles. Ye know the hibby jeebys. It makes me skin crawl when you reach into a fire as easily as I would reach inta water" Merida said.
"Sorry" Anne said fingering her braid.
"So about yer sister. Ye said she shut ye out?" Merida asked changing the subject.
"Yeah. One day we were best friends, and the next….we weren't, and I don't know why" Anna said staring into the fire.
"Well I'll tell ya, anyone who'd shut out someone as sweet and brave as you is daft" Merida said, wrapping her arm around the girl, causing her to blush, and left her trying to decide whether to thank the older girl for the complement or be angry that she called Elsa daft.
"Sorry, I guess I insulted yer sister there?" Merida said realizing her mistake.
"It's alright" Anna said leaning into the older girl.
"You know, you feel like an older sister" Anna said closing her eyes.
"Ay, I've got three brothers not much younger than you. Wee devil's they are, but I love em to death and wouldn't have em any other way" Merida said softly.
"That's nice" Anna said softly, and the older girls warmth and comforting presence were too much, sleep dragging her down into blackness. Merida heard a small snore and looking down saw the girl had fallen asleep. She laughed silently and slowly slid down a bit to get comfortable and taking the horse's saddle blanket put it over the two of them. She held the girl a little closer and in response Anna nestled into her a little more closely, making her heart warm and hurt at the same time.
"If I ever meet the daft wench who was stupid enough to ignore a sweet lamb like this, I'll put an arrow through her"
Merida thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Okay, I thought of going further, but thought that ending Anna and Merida's heart to heart here would be good. Also, I need to know if Merida's in character. This is her post movie version where she's kind of softened up a bit, but am I making her a little too motherly?