Disclaimer: I don't own Hiccup or Merida, obviously. I'm not making any money off this. Both characters and the movies they come from belong to Dreamworks and Disney, respectively. If you really want to see something to blow you away, go watch the movies. Then think about these two interacting. Then you'll see what I mean.

Portrait

Synnove liked to listen to him talk of Berk. The way he spoke made his home seem whimsical and charming like memories of a childhood before Dagur was poisoned by his madness or their mother her ambition. She liked listening to him talk of inhabitants who were stubborn and contrary; who resorted to trickery and bullying, but never outright murder to settle disputes; and who seemed to have an unholy fascination with fire (why did everyone on Berk carry firestarters?). She liked hearing about his father, a stern but just, fair and warm presence, looking out for him and everybody in the village. She remembered the last time she felt that from Osvald and the memory made her sad. Mostly, Synnove liked listening to him talk about his friends—crazy, almost always in need of rescuing from themselves or other people, but the best and truest friends any Viking could want.

"But worse than the twins are these triplet brothers my friend has," Hiccup's grin belied his amusement rather than any irritation. "They're really young and impossible to look out for. I don't know how she managed without me. One time we were at a lake—"

"What's she like?"

"What?"

"The girl with the triplet brothers. You mentioned her before but you never really told me about her. I think you've mentioned her mother, father and brothers but never her."

Hiccup blushed. Curiosity and a twist of jealousy made Synnove stop and turn towards him. The Hooligan heir bit his lip. He'd been careful not to mention names, but she had heard—everyone had heard—of the beautiful, fierce warrior from Berk who was his childhood friend and closest companion.

"You don't have to talk about her if you like. You've painted such a vivid portrait of your friends—your cousin, the twins, the bookwyrm, and your best friend. You've even talked about your pet sheep! I was just curious. You seemed close."

"Close!" Hiccup bit out and it sounded half exasperated and half afraid. "We're not close. Not really."

Synnove shrugged and they resumed walking. The jagged uneven path her warriors had cut through the overgrown field criss-crossed and looped back. If she hadn't seen the path from her father's longhouse, she would have thought they were going in circles. The tall wheat stalks grew even over Hiccup's head. She broke a stalk in her fingers. Though plants in Pandemonium were tough and made to endure the elements, this felt dry and brittle, starved for sun and water.

"To the people she cares about, she's warm and fiercely protective."

Hiccup's hesitance cautioned Synnove to treat the subject with utmost caution. "She sounds nice."

"But to everyone else, she's a brat—impatient, impulsive, and impossible to please," Hiccup scoffed.

The description so jarred with the growing reputation of a fiercesome Valkyrie that Synnove nearly laughed.

"Don't get me wrong. She can be compelling if she puts her mind to it. When she wants something, she's...electrifying. Larger than life. She's the biggest short person I know."

"She sounds terrifying."

"She is. But mostly, she's willful and wild and as unpredictable as the sea."

"You say that like it's a good thing."

Author's Notes: This is from the point of view of Synnove, a rather important Berserker who will play a major role later on. No Hiccup and Merida interaction, but … If you like these snippets, please check out CROSSING THE HORIZON. It's the larger, complete story from which these snippets take place.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited the series! Your feedback really keeps me going. Please feel free to send prompts. I always enjoy getting inspirations and ideas for the next mericcup fluff. I also have an account in tumblr (nessalk) that you can follow. I usually post head canons and rough ideas/drafts before I put it up on ffnet or ao3.