Chapter 20.

FYI, this chapter contains a semi-edited portion of lyrics from Rewrite the Stars, from the musical The greatest Showman.

...

Merida found herself once again standing in the center of the standing stones. Before her stood the Viking from her previous dream. He stood silently gazing at her with his intense green eyes just as before. Merida's heart froze at the sight of him. He stepped forward slowly until he was only inches away from her. Without a word, he reached forward and gently took her hand. She could feel the roughness of his skin as he tenderly grasped her hand in his. Just as before, when he touched her it felt as if her heart had been struck by lightning. As she gazed back at him nervously, she could feel her heart racing and her face flush.

"My heart is yours," he said softly, "and always will be." His heartfelt words and the tenderness with which he spoke them to her made her heart skip and her breath catch in her throat. He continued to gaze at her with an intense longing emanating from his deep green eyes causing Merida to shiver slightly. He slowly raised his other hand and gently touched the side of her face brushing her unruly red curls behind her ear. She could feel goosebumps where his fingers had grazed her skin and her heart was beating so fast it felt as if it might burst from her chest. The way he looked at her and the tender way he touched her face reminded her of Hiccup and her mind inadvertently flashed back to a moment she had shared with him on her balcony:

…

Hiccup smiled warmly at her as he reached up slowly and brushed more of her curls away from her beautiful face. Merida shivered slightly as his fingertips grazed her cheek.

"I'm glad you speak from your heart," Hiccup replied softly, "I'm glad that you tell me like it is, and you don't hold back. It's what I like about you the most I think." Merida's heart skipped a beat with his words. Hiccup took a deep breath as he continued to gaze at her longingly. Merida could feel her heart racing in anticipation of what he seemed to be trying to say.

"In fact, maybe I should speak from my heart too," he said.

….

She held her breath as she continued to gaze up at the Viking. Until this very moment she had not realized just how much he reminded her of Hiccup. She supposed if the Viking truly was Hiccup's great, great grandfather as she believed him to be, that this could be the reason she saw such similarities between the two of them now. But of all his features his eyes were the most similar. His eyes were mesmerizing and as she gazed into them, she found it nearly impossible to look away. The Viking smiled slightly for the first time in all of her previous dreams. He slowly leaned forward keeping his eyes locked with hers and for a moment she thought he might kiss her, and strangely enough, she found herself almost wishing he would.

"I will wait forever if you'd be mine," he said.

….

Merida sat up instantly. She looked around for a moment in slight confusion, before realizing she was still in her bed.

"Just a dream," she murmured to herself as she leaned forward and rubbed her eyes. It had been a few days since she had a dream of the Viking and she wondered the significance. She furrowed her brow as she thought about it. It wasn't quite the recurring one that had haunted her for weeks. It was slightly different this time, it felt more personal, and slightly more intense. Inadvertently she raised her hand to her cheek where the Viking had touched her. She could almost feel his fingertips still. She sighed heavily as she tried to make sense of the strong feelings from the dream that nearly left her breathless. The way she felt in the presence of the Viking was almost as strong as her feelings for Hiccup.

She wondered how it was possible to feel such a way about a man she had never known and she wondered if somehow the feelings in her dream were not her own. She recalled Hiccup's hypothesis about his own dream, that the feelings he felt for Mairead were somehow influenced by his great, great grandfather. Perhaps the way she felt for the Viking had been influenced by her grandmother as well. Perhaps even her own feelings for Hiccup had somehow influenced this dream itself. She sighed heavily as she flopped back upon her mattress and gazed up at the canopy above her bed. She smiled slightly when she remembered that today she was finally free to leave the castle walls. She sat up quickly and nearly leapt from her bed as she hurried to get dressed. Today she was going to see Hiccup for the first time in days and nothing was going to stop her.

Elinor sat quietly at the breakfast table. She sighed heavily taking little notice of the normal chaos among her sons as they fought with each other and played with their food. Her mind was fixed on Merida. For the past two days, Merida had avoided her mother and had little to say to her after their argument. To Elinor this was a terrible setback for the relationship between her and her daughter. Elinor was sure that there was more going on with Merida than she would say, she just wished that Merida would confide in her. Her fear was that after their argument Merida would fall into her old routine of pulling away from her mother and internalizing the things that were weighing on her mind. On top of all of this, Elinor still had yet to tell Merida of the Lord's proposal. Though she had been dreading to break the news to Merida for the past week, she had decided to finally tell her daughter everything this morning. Elinor's fear was that telling her would only cause Merida to pull away even more.

Fergus gently lay a hand upon Elinor's arm distracting her from her troubled thoughts. She looked up at her husband and smiled weakly but her worry still shone through her dark brown eyes. Fergus smiled back at her in reassurance.

"I don't know about this Fergus," she said softly, "maybe I should wait...at least until she isn't so angry with me." Fergus shook his head.

"Dear we've talked about this," Fergus replied, "ye said yerself that the longer we wait the harder she'll take it. We've waited a week to tell her, if ye don't tell her soon, she'll be finding out from the Lord's themselves when they arrive. I mean, how do ye think she'll take it then?"

"Aye," Elinor sighed, "I know yer right...I just...I hate to do this to her, again. After we gave her our word that she would be free to choose for herself."

"She will understand," Fergus replied, "I mean it's not as if we're goin' back on our word dear...we just mean to put on a show for the benefit of the Lords and their sons." Elinor nodded as she sighed once more.

The two were distracted suddenly when Merida burst happily into the dining hall causing both her parents to look up in her direction in bewilderment. She sauntered to the table humming to herself with a smile on her face and a spark in her eye that neither of her parents had seen in days.

"Good mornin' lass," Fergus greeted.

"Mornin' Dad," she smiled as she leaned down beside him and kissed his cheek.

"What's all this then," Fergus smiled, "what's got ye in such a good mood today?"

"Nothin'," Merida smiled, "just lookin' forward to takin' Angus out today." Elinor gazed at her daughter curiously. Merida turned to her mother and smiled.

"Mornin' Mum," she greeted as she sat in her place.

"Mornin' dear," Elinor replied as she watched Merida. Merida reached forward and took a shiny red apple from the bowl in the middle of the table then took a quick bite. She looked up suddenly to see her parent's gazing at her curiously.

"What," she asked in confusion. Elinor and Fergus quickly averted their eyes for a moment.

"It's nothin' Merida," Elinor replied glancing up at her again, "it's just ye haven't seemed this happy in days and after our argument the other day...well I thought..."

"Mum," Merida sighed, "it was just an argument, it's not the end o' the world. I'm sorry I overreacted...and I'm sorry I worried ye, I...I've just had a lot on my mind is all." Elinor smiled slightly at her daughter.

"Well," Elinor sighed, "I'm sorry too. I overreacted as well. I sometimes forget that ye are a grown woman now, with yer own mind. I've taught ye all I can from my own experience, but tis nae my place to tell ye what to believe or what to feel. If ye feel that ye need to investigate the banishment of the Berkan Vikings further, then ye should do so." Merida smiled at her mother.

"Thanks mum," she replied. Elinor nodded at her daughter and smiled in return.

"Isn't that nice," Fergus chuckled, "my two girls getting' along once again."

"Fergus," Elinor sighed. Fergus leaned forward and kissed his wife on the cheek. He then turned his attention back to Merida.

"Tell me Merida," Fergus smiled brightly, "have ye found anything new about Berk."

"No," Merida sighed, "I've had about as much luck as ye dad." Fergus chuckled.

"Well, what is it exactly that ye hope tae find lass."

"I don't know exactly," Merida replied, "I just feel as though something is missing from the story. I mean if our clans were once such close allies, what could have turned it so sour that the king would banish them. I just can't stop thinking that it just doesn't quite add up."

"Aye, I've always felt that way myself lass," Fergus replied, "it seems a shame that there may be no way of ever finding the whole truth. And with the Berkans being wiped out there is no way tae hear the other side of it either." Merida furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Wiped out," Merida questioned, "what do ye mean wiped out?" Fergus shrugged.

"All I know is what my great nana told me; she said that a few years after the clan of Vikings returned to Berk a great weyr of dragons descended upon them and exacted their revenge for hunting and killin' their kind. As the story goes, the entire clan was wiped out in a single attack and not a single man woman or child was left alive."

"But that's impossible," Merida blurted out without thought. Both her parents looked at her in confusion. Merida realized her blunder and quickly tried to right her words.

"I...I mean, the Berkans, t-they were famed dragon hunters," she replied, "they were skilled enough to clear all of Dunbroch of the dragons here. How is it possible that the dragons could have wiped out the entire clan…and in a single attack, no less?" Fergus shrugged.

"All I know is that not long after their clan returned to Berk the dragons attacked and no one has ever seen or heard from them again."

"It's a known fact Merida," Elinor replied, "the story is in the archives, but I'd say the fact that no one has heard from nor seen any survivors of Berk in nearly three hundred years is proof enough." Merida gazed at her mother with a bewildered expression. Hiccup told her he was the great, great grandson of Hiccup the first. His great grandfather, grandfather and father had passed the title of chief down to him. Nearly four generations of Haddocks had been chief of Berk since Hiccup the first. They certainly weren't chief of an extinct tribe. Her mind flashed back to what Hiccup had told her of his tribe previously.

…

"See, up until about five years ago," Hiccup replied "Berk was at war with dragons, after having fought with them for almost 300 years. In all that time we lost most ties with other tribes...not to mention a good amount of our written history. I mean most of what we know has just been passed down by word of mouth."

….

Of course, it made sense. The dragons had descended upon Berk, but they hadn't wiped out the Vikings. Berk had spent the last three hundred years at war with them, causing them to lose contact with nearly all of their allies. How had the story been twisted in Dunbroch? Did that also mean that Mairead truly believed that her true love was killed in a dragon raid? In her mind's eye, Merida saw the image of Mairead standing on the cliffs overlooking the ocean clutching her pendant against her heart. She remembered her father's words.

...

"When I was just a wee lad," Fergus said, "sometimes great nana and I would ride to the bluffs to have a picnic. Once in a while, I would catch her looking out to sea, clutching this pendent with a sad, far off look in her eye. She never told me, but I imagined she may have been missing great grand-da."

...

But Merida knew that the man her great, great grandmother longed for and perhaps had mourned was not her husband, but her one true love Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I. Merida could feel an aching in her heart as she thought of it. Could Mairead have lived her whole life believing that Hiccup the first had been tragically killed? More importantly, who had brought her this false news. Who was responsible for falsely claiming that the entire tribe of Berk had been killed? Not only that, but Merida found it extremely odd that she could not find a single log of why Berk had been banished, yet the story of their alleged demise was a known fact and recorded in the archives. Something clearly did not add up. She wondered if this massive lie was her great, great grandfather's doing. Perhaps in his jealousy he had lied, maybe he was even responsible for Berk's banishment. Elinor noticed the troubled look on Merida's face.

"Merida," Elinor questioned, "is something wrong?" Merida looked up at her mother and shook her head, but she still displayed a heavy-hearted expression on her face.

"No," she replied quickly, "it's nothing, I…I guess I'm just surprised is all. I…I mean I didn't think that Berk's story had ended in such a way."

"Aye lass," Fergus replied, "tis a great tragedy, regardless of the fact that we were enemies at the end, Berk still did us a great service by ridding our land of dragons. It's a shame they ne'er had the chance tae clear their name."

"Great, great nana must have been heartbroken," Merida replied softly. Fergus looked up at her curiously. Merida looked up as she realized her father was gazing at her.

"Uh...because she was friends with the chief's son," Merida replied, "it must hae broken her heart tae know he'd been lost." No sooner had the words left her lips did Merida's mind flash back to the words from Hiccup's letter.

…

"The house of Adag is lost, "Exiled and forgotten, "it is said an Adag will lead them home, but only a link forged by both clans will renew their bond.

…

Could this be it, could this be the meaning behind Mairead's strange message? When she said the house of Adag had been lost, could this have been what she meant; that the clan of Berk had been killed off? Exiled and forgotten, because they had been banished and never heard from again. Maybe Merida and Hiccup were being led to expose this tragic lie. Hiccup was meant to lead his clan to Dunbroch to rebuild the alliance. There was also a good chance that since the story of Berk's demise was obviously a lie that the reason for their banishment was also a fabrication. This was a huge breakthrough; one she could barely wait to tell Hiccup about. She smiled suddenly in excitement.

"Mum," she said suddenly, "may I be excused?" Elinor gazed at her daughter curiously.

"Aye dear," Elinor replied, "but before ye go, I..."

"Thanks mum," she replied as she quickly stood from her place and began to collect her bow and quiver.

"Aye, but Merida," Elinor said firmly causing her daughter to pause in her actions and look back at her, "I have something to say to ye."

"What is it," Merida asked curiously. She gazed back at her mother with a smile on her face. Elinor gazed at Merida feeling extremely guilty about what she was about to say to her daughter. The last thing she wanted to do was to upset her in any way. But the news of the Lord's proposal was sure to do just that. Elinor shook her head as she debated her actions. The sight of Merida smiling was one she hadn't seen in days since her grounding and she couldn't bring herself to upset her today. Elinor sighed heavily. Merida took notice of Elinor's troubled expression and became slightly concerned.

"Mum," Merida questioned in slight concern, "what is it?" Elinor shook her head and forced a smile.

"It's nothing," Elinor replied, "Just...be sure ye keep yer curfew. Yer not to be a minute late, I mean it." Merida nodded.

"I promise," Merida replied. She gazed at her mother for a moment longer.

"Go on," Elinor replied, "Angus is waiting patiently I'm sure." Merida smiled once more and then turned and quickly headed out of the dining room.

...

Hiccup found himself once again in the presence of Mairead. She stood silently gazing at him with those sky-blue eyes that were so eerily similar to those of Merida. He could feel his heart racing as he gazed upon her.

As Mairead slowly glided forward, he froze in awe of her. Once again, he was struck by the intense longing that seemed to always pervade his heart whenever he was in her presence. Mairead slowly lifted one of her hands and placed it gently upon his cheek, causing his breath to catch in his throat. Once again, Hiccup found himself overwhelmed by the intense feelings that ran through him at the touch of her delicate hand. He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest as he gazed back at her curiously.

"It's you," she whispered with heartfelt emotion in her voice "it's always been you; it's been you all this time." Hiccup gazed at her in confusion. Her words that she had repeated to him in nearly all his dreams struck a chord in his heart. As before her words were spoken with such meaning and such genuine emotion. He'd been sure before that her words were meant for his grandfather but he couldn't help to feel as though they were somehow also meant for him.

He reached up, gently covering the hand she had laid upon his face with his own. The feel of her soft hand beneath his made him tremble. He inadvertently leaned slightly forward, wanting nothing more than to capture her perfect pink lips in a tender kiss. It seemed to take everything in him to stop himself from doing so. He wordlessly gazed back into her sparkling blue eyes. He still was amazed by her uncanny resemblance to her great, great granddaughter and yet it still perturbed him that he could have such intense feelings for them both. He was confused suddenly when some unseen force seemed to grab his shoulder and shake him violently.

…

Hiccup opened his eyes to see Toothless over him. He had his mouth on the arm of his tunic and he was anxiously shaking him to wake him from his slumber.

"I'm up, I'm up," Hiccup replied groggily. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned. It was still fairly early and he could see that Fish and the other dragons were still fast asleep, but Eret was up and working to start a fire. He yawned and stretched his arms over his head.

The dream was still fresh in his mind and he sat for a few moments contemplating it. It was strange that this new dream was nearly the same as his first dream with only slight differences here and there. But Máiréad's words were still exactly the same and still just as confusing. In all of his dreams he had been shown a different clue but for some reason Mairead had reiterated her original message and Hiccup couldn't help but wonder why. Toothless whined at his rider impatiently and then nudged him once again. Hiccup looked up at the dragon and grinned at him.

"Something tells me you are anxious to see Merida today," Hiccup replied. Toothless chirped excitedly in response. Hiccup chuckled slightly as he stood from his place as he gazed at Toothless in amusement.

"That's alright bud," Hiccup replied, "So am I." He quickly reached for his Tunic and pulled it over his head, then refastened his leather gauntlets, he then knelt down by the edge of the creek and washed his face in the cool water. A few moments later he headed over the fire where Eret was sitting.

"Good morning Hic," Eret greeted.

"Morning," Hiccup replied as he walked over to the food bag and threw a few apples in his satchel for the ride.

"Why on earth does she want to meet you this early for," Eret said flatly. Hiccup shrugged as he glanced over at Eret for a moment.

"I don't mind," Hiccup replied, "I'd rather not waste the day just sitting around waiting all day." Eret nodded his head at Hiccup's answer. Eret watched a moment as Hiccup finished securing the saddle to Toothless and then turned back to grab a few more things.

"So," Eret sighed, "are you nervous?" Hiccup looked up at him and shrugged.

"A little," he replied distractedly." Eret grinned slightly.

"So, I'm guessing if all goes well," Eret replied smugly, "we should probably not wait up for you then." Hiccup grinned slightly.

"Are you kidding," Hiccup replied, "I haven't seen her in three days because I kept her past her curfew. I'm not doing that again." Eret chuckled.

"Besides," Hiccup went on, "we've been talking about my meeting her parents. I'm certainly not going to jeopardize my chance to make a good impression by breaking any rules."

"Well, I hate to break it to you mate," Eret replied, "but you are breaking the rules just by being here."

"Yeah well," Hiccup sighed, "I'm hoping that by coming forward, they will see that my intentions are honorable."

"Honorable intentions," Eret replied, "Hic, you're starting to sound quite serious about this girl."

"I am," Hiccup replied, "and I...I just want her parents to see that I'm worthy of her."

"Well, first thing's first mate," Eret replied, "you need to tell the girl how you feel about her."

"That's the plan," Hiccup replied as he quickly mounted Toothless.

"Good luck mate," Eret replied. Hiccup smiled back at his old friend.

"Thanks," Hiccup replied as he urged the dragon forward. "Let's go Bud."

A little while later:

Merida urged Angus forward at full gallop as they made their way through the dense woods in the direction of the meeting place. When she started to recognize by her surroundings, she pulled back on the reigns slightly to slow Angus down to a steady trot. She scanned the area anxiously the closer she got to the meeting place in hopes to see Hiccup waiting for her. As she approached the old hollowed out tree, Merida suddenly noticed Toothless sitting by the trail up ahead. She smiled brightly at the sight of the dragon and urged her horse to quicken his pace. As she directed Angus toward Toothless, she furrowed her brow in slight concern as her eyes searched for Hiccup, but the Viking seemed to be nowhere in sight. She pulled back on the reigns to slow Angus down to a halt directly in front of the dragon. Toothless seemed to smile at her with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Merida chuckled in spite of herself. He happily approached her, padding about before the horse in excitement.

"Toothless," she greeted happily as she patted him on the head, "Aye, yer a sight for sore eyes." She looked around the area curiously.

"What are ye doing in the middle o' the path Toothless," she questioned, "and where's Hiccup?" The dragon just turned his head to the side and chirped as he gazed at her with his signature toothless grin.

"Sorry princess," Hiccup's voice echoed from the left of her. She turned to see him leaning his back up against a tree with his arms crossed and a playful smirk on his face. She felt her heart flutter at the sight of him and she smiled slightly.

"We can't let you pass without paying the toll," he smirked as he stepped forward. Merida raised an eyebrow at him. He came up beside the horse and looked up at her mischievously. Hiccup could feel his heart begin to race at the sight of her. From the moment he first saw her, Hiccup thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen; now after having not seen her in days, the sight of her struck his heart just as it had that first day.

"Is that so," she replied haughtily, "and what pray-tell is this toll ye speak of." Hiccup shrugged as he grinned up at her.

"Oh, I don't know," he sighed, "maybe a couple of sweet rolls for the dragon, and a couple of apples for me." Merida smirked at him.

"I'll have ye know that it's a crime to charge the princess a toll to pass on her own land." Hiccup raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"Is it now," he questioned, "well, my apologies your highness. I assure you my crime was committed in ignorance as I am foreign to this land and am unaware of its many laws. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

"Aye, well, what's one more added to yer list of crimes," she replied with a wave of her hand. Hiccup furrowed his brow in amusement as he looked up at her.

"List," he questioned, "what other crimes exactly am I being accused of?"

"Hmm, let me see," Merida replied haughtily, "trespassing, violating yer banishment, keepin' a princess past her curfew, oh and sneaking onto castle grounds uninvited." Hiccup smirked up at her.

"Well, you got me there, princess. I am certainly guilty of all of the above," Hiccup replied, "but I must confess, I remain unapologetic."

"Aye, are ye certain o' that," Merida questioned, "ye may just live to regret it, if my mum decides to lock ye away and toss the key."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Hiccup replied as he grinned up at her. Merida raised a brow at him and smiled slightly.

"Oh, ye do, do ye," Merida replied as she put her hands on her hips.

"Of course," Hiccup replied matter-of-factly, "see, every moment of my 'crimes', was a moment I got to spend with you. I don't see how I could possibly regret that." He smiled up at her warmly. Merida blushed slightly as she chuckled. She quickly dismounted Angus but in her excitement her foot became caught in the stir up. As she attempted to leap down from the horse, she clumsily fell forward with a yelp. Acting quickly, Hiccup tried to catch her but he lost his footing and the two of them clumsily tumbled to ground. He landed on his back with her still in his arms. Merida looked down at him for a moment and blushed slightly. Hiccup just lay there for a moment as he reached up and clutched his head. He groaned slightly.

"Hiccup are ye alright," she asked. Hiccup looked up at her and smiled slightly.

"I've certainly been worse," he replied. Merida chuckled as she quickly pulled away from him. She stood up and offered him her hand. Hiccup sat up slowly and gazed up at her still rubbing the back of his head where it had struck the ground.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened," she laughed, "I'm usually a bit more graceful than that." Hiccup raised an eyebrow at her.

"Graceful," he replied questioningly, "may I remind you that this isn't the first time you fell on me while dismounting a large animal." He took her hand and allowed her to pull him up.

"I didnae fall on ye," Merida replied haughtily, "Toothless knocked me into ye." Hiccup smirked.

"Either way, I was still forced to catch you," he replied. Merida raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, ye were forced were ye," she questioned in annoyance.

"Well, I certainly didn't have a choice in the matter," Hiccup replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. Merida raised her eyebrows in mock offense as she put her hands on her hips.

"Well, I'm sorry that being chivalrous is such a chore for ye," she replied flatly. Hiccup chuckled slightly.

"Well, when it comes to you, chivalry certainly feels like a chore," Hiccup replied, "I mean half the time I don't know whether you'll be grateful or offended by it."

"Is that so," Merida grumbled, "well, next time don't bother at all!" She stared up at him with a slightly annoyed look on her face but try as he might he could not stop himself from smiling at her.

"So, what exactly would you have me do princess," he replied as he stepped closer to her, "just stand back and watch you fall. I'm sure that would go over well." He smirked playfully as he gazed at her. He could see that she was trying very hard to fight a smile from breaking through her annoyed expression.

"Do you remember what you said to me that first day I rescued you," Hiccup asked. Merida rolled her eyes. Hiccup chuckled.

"You said that you could get used to a Viking in dragon armor coming to your rescue," Hiccup said.

"Aye, so," Merida replied.

"So, I suggest you get used to it princess," Hiccup sighed, "because I'll always be here to catch you whether you like it or not." Merida smiled up at him.

Without a word, she quickly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Hiccup was taken aback for a moment by her unexpected action and nearly tumbled backward again. He chuckled lightly as he regained his balance. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her back.

"I missed ye," she said happily. Hiccup smiled at her words and tightened his arms around her just a little more.

"I missed you too," he replied softly. She pulled away slowly as she smiled brightly up at him, causing his heart to flutter. He gazed back at her warmly.

"I have so much to tell ye," she exclaimed. As she gazed up at him, her sky-blue eyes nearly sparkled with excitement. Hiccup nearly melted at the sight. Having not seen her in days, he realized just exactly how much he had missed her. Hiccup smiled back at her warmly as he shook his head in amusement.

"Me too," Hiccup replied. For just a moment they stood there just gazing at each other, both seemingly at a loss for words. She suddenly looked around the area curiously.

"Hey, where are yer friends," she questioned as she turned back to him.

"Oh, uh, they are back at camp," Hiccup replied as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. Merida smiled up at him.

"Well let's go," Merida replied as she turned back to Angus, "I'm anxious to meet them...and their dragons!" Hiccup grabbed her hand to stop her. She turned to him with a curious expression on her face.

"Uh...yeah...a-about that," Hiccup replied as he gazed at her nervously, "see uh the thing is I was planning...well I mean I...I was hoping...that maybe you and I could spend some time together...uh as in, uh just the two of us." Merida furrowed her brow slightly as he spoke. Hiccup could feel his heart racing in nervousness. He blushed slightly under the weight of her curious gaze.

"Uh-uh I mean i-it's not that I-I don't want you to meet the others, b-because I-I do," Hiccup continued to stutter nervously, "it-it's just that, well I haven't seen you in days and I...I just thought w-we could catch up first. Uh i-if that's okay with you I mean." Merida smiled warmly up at him.

"Of course," she replied. He smiled warmly in her direction.

"Great," he grinned as he pulled her forward, "let's go." Merida laughed as she stumbled forward.

"Where are we going," she questioned as she headed in Angus' direction. Hiccup quickly mounted Toothless.

"I sort of found this great new spot that I want to show you," he replied, "me and Toothless stumbled upon it while we were exploring the other day."

"Ye know Hiccup," she smirked as she mounted Angus once again, "I spent a great deal of time in these woods, there aren't many hidden spots that I don't already know about."

"Okay, so maybe it's not a 'new' spot," Hiccup replied, "but it's still a great one, and now it will only be even better because you'll be there with me." To this Merida chuckled.

"Oh, is that so," she laughed. Hiccup's heart nearly leapt at the lovely sound. How he had missed her beautiful laugh.

When they arrived at the glen, Hiccup quickly dismounted Toothless and headed over to Angus. He smiled up at Merida and offered her his hand. She smiled down at him as she slipped her hand in his and jumped down from the great horse.

"Ready," he questioned. Merida nodded as she smiled up at him. With her hand in his, Hiccup carefully led her down to the stony shore, trying to avoid the slippery moss-covered rocks.

"Well, what do you think," Hiccup questioned. Merida smiled at the sight before them. Though it was a place she knew well, she had not been there in years and she had forgotten just how beautiful the place was. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly as she took in the scenery.

"It's beautiful," she replied.

"I don't know what it is about Dunbroch," Hiccup sighed as he glanced in her direction for a moment, "it just seems so...magical." Merida turned and smiled up at him causing his heart to flutter.

"Aye," she replied as she glanced up at him, "and this place especially." Hiccup turned to her in interest.

"This place is called the Gleann Sìth," she explained, "or Fae Glen. It's said that this glen is home to the fair folk." Hiccup furrowed his brow at her in curiosity.

"Wee people," she reiterated. Hiccup continued to gaze at her in slight confusion. She sighed as she stood on her toes to reach his ear.

"Fairies," she whispered. He felt the warmth of her breath as she whispered to him and it caused him to blush slightly.

"Oh, Fair...," Hiccup attempted to repeat what she had whispered but she quickly covered his mouth with her hand to stop him. Hiccup gazed at her in befuddlement.

"Ye can't call them that in their home," she replied, "it's bad luck. They prefer to be called fair folk." She raised an eyebrow at him and smiled mischievously. Hiccup gazed back at her in slight amusement.

"Well, I will be sure to remember that," he replied, "as we really could use as much good luck as we can possibly get."

"Aye tis true," Merida chuckled lightly. He turned his eyes back to the beautiful water fall that cascaded over the large basalt rocks and emptied into the and pristine pool below it. The pool and adjoining creek were framed by moss covered rocks and lush greenery. It seemed the canopy above them was thinned out over the water allowing just the right amount of sunlight to trickle through and light up the glen. The sunlight highlighted the deep green of the forest and the crystal-clear water giving it an almost dream-like appearance. It certainly looked like a place where fairies might reside.

"Come on Hiccup," Merida said as she reached for his hand and pulled him forward, "if ye want to spend some time here, we have to ask permission."

"Permission," Hiccup questioned, "from the fairi...I mean fair folk?"

"Aye," she replied with a playful smile upon her face. Hiccup's heart melted at the sight. He simply allowed her to lead him. They stopped before a giant oak tree. At the base of the tree there was an array of items, from bits of food to hand made trinkets and wood carvings. And even a few pieces of jewelry. Merida knelt down before the tree as Hiccup watched curiously. Merida looked up at him and smirked.

"Ye too," she replied as she grabbed his hand and pulled him down to his knees beside her. Hiccup just chuckled under his breath.

"Okay, Okay," he replied. Merida reached into her bag and pulled out a sweet roll. She broke it in two and gave half to Hiccup.

"Noble fair folk and keepers of this glen," Merida said, "we bring ye a gift in exchange for spending some time on yer land. We promise to be respectful of yer home." With that she placed the bit of sweet roll and the base of the tree. Hiccup leaned forward and place his half beside hers. Merida looked up at him and smiled warmly. He found himself at a loss for words. All he could think about was how much he missed her and how amazing it felt just to be in her presence.

"I thought you didn't believe in this sort of thing princess," Hiccup said.

"What sort of thing is it yer talking about," Merida questioned.

"Ya know, trolls, sprites...," he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "fairies." Merida felt her heart flutter slightly.

"I ne'er said I didn't believe," Merida replied, "I'm just not convinced that having a terrible name has the power to ward of trolls." Hiccup snickered at her answer.

"Are you suggesting that I've been cursed with the name Hiccup for no reason," he replied in mock offense.

"I would ne'er say such a thing," Merida replied, "I like yer name."

"Oh, you do huh," Hiccup questioned skeptically.

"It's different," she replied as she smiled up at him, "besides, it doesn't really matter whether ye have a terrible name or not. Tis the man that makes the name. To me, Hiccup is noble, brave, and kind and anyone named for him has a lot to live up to." Hiccup smiled warmly at her. He didn't know how but she always managed to render him speechless with her heartfelt words. Without a word Merida stood from her place and offered him her hand. He looked up at her and grinned.

"Come on," she said, "we can go explore now." Hiccup stood quickly then took her hand and followed after her. They headed back over to the edge of the pond.

"So," Hiccup sighed," how have things been at home, any improvement with your mom?" Merida looked up at him and smiled.

"Aye, as a matter of fact," Merida replied, "This morn' before I left, we made amends. She even gave me her blessing to search the archives all I want for proof of Berk's innocence."

"That's great," Hiccup replied with a smile, "see it's only a matter of time before we win her over."

"Aye, although, she did seem just a bit off this morn," Merida replied distantly as she thought back to her mother's odd demeanor.

"What do you mean," Hiccup asked curiously.

"I don't know exactly," Merida replied, "she just seemed distracted, as if there was something weighing on her mind. She said there was something she needed to tell me...but then she...well she just didn't." Hiccup furrowed his brow as he thought over what she had said.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Hiccup replied, "I'm sure if it's important she will tell you when she's ready."

"I guess yer right," Merida replied with a sigh. She turned to him and smiled.

"And how have things been between ye and Eret," Merida questioned.

"Surprisingly good," Hiccup replied, "believe it or not." Merida smiled at his answer.

"I'm glad," Merida replied. Hiccup smiled at her.

"Ya know," he replied, "you are a lot of the reason that things are good between me and Eret. If you hadn't knocked sense into me that night, I probably wouldn't have ever forgiven him."

"Well, I'm glad what I said helped," Merida replied, "it was hard to see ye in such a state, ye know. Ye really had me worried." They both sat down upon a large rock beside the edge of the pond. "Mostly I was afraid that ye would ne'er let go o' yer past...that ye would never see..." She stopped herself mid-sentence in fear she would say too much. Hiccup furrowed his brow curiously.

"That I would never see what," he questioned. Merida looked up at him in uncertainty.

"Uh I meant ...that ye wouldn't forgive Eret and Astrid," Merida replied quickly. Hiccup nodded and averted his eyes as he pondered her answer. When Hiccup turned his eyes back to her, she could see his eyes were full of remorse and all she wanted to do was comfort him. Without a word Merida reached out and took his hand gently in hers.

"I'm really sorry that I worried you," Hiccup replied, "it wasn't my intention." Merida squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"Ye don't need to apologize Hiccup," Merida replied, "sometimes ye just need to talk things out to see them clearer. I mean, that's what friends are for and I was happy to oblige."

"And it was much appreciated," Hiccup replied sincerely, "I can't even begin to tell you just how much your words of advice have meant to me."

"I feel the same about ye," Merida replied as she smiled up at him warmly, "I meant what I said, ye are my truest friend. In your last letter ye said that our friendship is worth fighting for, and that ye would do everything ye could to protect it. I can honestly say that no one has ever been so devoted to me, not without wanting something anyway, I mean certainly not without thought of themselves." She dropped her eyes to the ground as she seemed to become lost in thought. Hiccup smiled warmly in her direction.

"I was just being honest," Hiccup replied, "I...I care about you Merida...To me you are worth fighting for." Merida lifted her eyes to him and smiled warmly as he squeezed her hand gently in his. "I will always fight for you," Hiccup said.

"And I for you," Merida replied softly. Hiccup could feel his heart racing as he gazed at her. He found himself speechless as he gazed at her and try as he might he couldn't form his racing thoughts into words. He hesitated as he tried to get his thoughts straight.

"There is something I want to ask ye," Merida said.

"Uh...sure," Hiccup replied nervously, "what is it?"

"The other night...uh...the night ye came to my balcony," Merida said nervously, "ye were going to tell me something just before mum interrupted...what were ye going to say." Hiccup was caught off guard by her question and he found himself scrambling to answer.

"Uh, ya know, uh, it was just, uh...well, I mean," he blushed slightly, "It was just uh, pretty much what I just told you...that y-you're my friend and I care about you." Merida nodded and dropped her eyes from his as she seemed to carefully consider his answer. Hiccup mentally kicked himself for once again putting his foot in his mouth as a result of his nervousness.

"So, you mentioned something about your brothers helping you out with our mystery," Hiccup said as he quickly changed the subject.

"Aye, I almost forgot," Merida replied, "well, first thing's first, I have been searching the archive and the library for something, anything regarding yer tribe and also the name ye told me, Adag nearly the entire time I've been grounded."

"And," Hiccup questioned in anticipation.

"And, I haven't had a scrap o' luck whatsoever," Merida said flatly. Hiccup's shoulders dropped in slight disappointment.

"Aye," that's how I felt too," Merida replied, "but I was certain that I heard that name before. I wasn't sure if it was from a story I heard or something else. It sounded so familiar but I couldn't quite place it." Hiccup nodded as he listened.

"I even double checked the library hoping I'd maybe find it in one of the stories my mum used to tell me, but I couldn't find a thing. I was just about ready to give up," Merida went on, "that is, until the other day, when I ran into my brothers in the library. They offered to help me find what I was looking for. So, I accepted and told them I thought I remembered Adag from a story maybe."

"Did they find something," Hiccup asked.

"No," Merida replied with a knowing smile, "they did nae have to look at all, they already knew what it was." Hiccup raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Apparently it's an old Celtic word," Merida replied.

"Celtic," Hiccup questioned.

"Ay, it's our ancient language," Merida replied, "much like Old Norse is to yer people. I must have vaguely remembered hearing it before in my lessons."

"Okay," Hiccup replied, "so what does it mean?"

"Here is where it gets interesting," Merida smiled, "Adag is actually the name of a type of a fish." Hiccup furrowed his brow in slight confusion. Merida chuckled slightly.

"It means Haddock," Merida exclaimed. Hiccup's eyes went wide in surprise.

"So, you're saying that Adag is the Celtic word for...Haddock," he questioned in disbelief.

"Aye it is," Merida replied with a grin.

"What do ya know, Eret was right," Hiccup muttered, "well sort of anyway." He turned to see Merida's questioning gaze.

"See, Eret suggested that Adag was another word for Berk maybe," Hiccup replied, "because there were so many references to the banishment in what Mairead had said that it sort of made sense."

"Well, he certainly wasn't far off," Merida replied.

"No, he wasn't" Hiccup agreed.

"So, I went through what you said in your letter again," Merida replied, "But this time I used Haddock in place of Adag. So, the house of Haddock is lost. Exiled and forgotten. It is said a Haddock will lead them home but only a link forged by both clans will renew their bond." She looked to him anxiously awaiting his response. Hiccup, stood for a long moment silent going over everything Merida had said.

"Don't ye see," Merida explained, "Mairead was speaking of the house of Haddock, which can only mean yer family line! Everything Mairead said was in reference to yer family and maybe even ye specifically."

"Me specifically," Hiccup questioned.

"Aye, think about it Hiccup," Merida replied, "Ye are the first Haddock to set foot in Dunbroch in over three hundred years! Ye must be the Haddock she spoke of. Ye are the Haddock that will lead them home! And the link forged by both clans, must be the friendship between ye and I!" Hiccup silently thought over the words from his dream as Merida spoke, in particular the last line, which he had inadvertently omitted from the letter he wrote to her.

"The house of Haddock will rise," Hiccup mumbled to himself, "and the bond between the clans will be unbreakable...for the link that binds them was forged...in love."

He could feel his heart begin to race as he gazed back at her in semi-realization. If the words were specifically about him, if he was the one meant to renew the bond between the clans, perhaps the last part was literal as well. Maybe the link forged between their clans really was about he and Merida. Maybe his thoughts from yesterday were more accurate than he realized. The 'link forged in love' could be the love he was beginning to feel for Merida which seemed to be growing stronger every day. He turned to her and smiled.

"What did ye just say," Merida asked.

"Uh...well...I...uh," Hiccup stuttered, "t-there may have been a little more to what Mairead said than that. I...I mean I may have left some of it out when I wrote my letter." Merida gazed at him in sudden intrigue.

"Well, what else did she say Hiccup," Merida questioned. Hiccup gazed back at her nervously.

"Uh...she said, the house of Haddock will rise," Hiccup replied as he gazed at her, "and the bond between the clans will be unbreakable...for the link that binds them was forged...in love." Merida furrowed her brow as she thought over this new bit of information. Hiccup gazed at her anxiously hoping that she might come to the same conclusion that he had.

"She must be referring to the love between herself and yer grandfather," Merida replied, "but how would that renew the bond between the clans now?" Hiccup sighed in slight disappointment.

"Unless maybe," she paused a moment and gazed up at Hiccup, "there is more to it than that." Hiccup smiled at her in hopeful anticipation.

"Aye, there is something I have not told ye as well," Merida replied. Hiccup gazed at her curiously.

"As I said before," Merida continued, "I've spent near my whole grounding searchin' the archives and still there is nothin' to be found. It's gettin' a wee bit frustrating." Hiccup nodded his head.

"Well, on the bright side," Hiccup replied, "if I meet your parents and they approve of my being here...then at least I will be able to help you look."

"That's the thing," Merida replied, "I don't think there is anything to find. It seems almost as if the entire portion of history between the time that yer clan came to the time after they were banished is just...missing."

"Missing," Hiccup questioned.

"Aye, I'm beginning to wonder if it was not done purposely," Merida replied, "I mean the affair between our grandparents was surely a scandal."

"And you think the records were hidden or destroyed to cover it up," Hiccup questioned.

"Aye," Merida replied, "I'm definitely beginning to think so. But it occurred to me...there must be something more to the story. It just seems strange to erase a whole portion of history...just to cover up their brief romance." Hiccup pondered her hypothesis.

"Okay well," Hiccup replied, "like I told you in my letter, even if we can't find the proof of Berk's innocence, then I will just have to earn Dunbroch's trust on my own merits."

"That's all well and good Hiccup," she replied, "and I have no doubt ye will prove yer worth, but I fear we have a bigger mystery on our hands than we realize." Hiccup furrowed his brow as he gazed back at her.

"What do you mean," he questioned.

"Like me, my dad also believes that Berk was innocent, but he could never find any proof either," Merida went on, "just this morn' as I spoke to my Dad about my search, he proceeded to tell me that it was a shame that Berk could never clear their name as they had been completely wiped out by dragons not long after they left Dunbroch." Hiccup shook his head in confusion.

"Wait...what," Hiccup questioned.

"He told me that the entire clan of Berkan Vikings were killed in a single dragon raid shortly after they returned to Berk," Merida replied, "and the story of Berk's demise is well known and recorded in the archive."

"But that's not true," Hiccup replied, "I mean obviously that's not true. They really believe that Berk was wiped out?"

"Aye," Merida replied, "and then it occurred to me, why is the story of Berk's demise well recorded in the archive, but there is nothing to be found of their time in Dunbroch?"

"That is odd," Hiccup agreed.

"I can't help but wonder if Mairead lived her whole life believing that her true love was dead," Merida replied, "I mean, it's utterly heartbreaking. I tried to think...who would have told her such a terrible lie? I mean why go to such lengths, unless they had something to lose."

"Something like the crown of Dunbroch," Hiccup replied.

"Exactly," Merida replied, "If I were in Mairead's shoes, and I was being forced to wed someone I didn't love, while the one I love was wrongly banished, I would fight tooth and nail to prove it and I would do whatever I could to appeal to my parents and the Lords to change their minds. I can only imagine that Mairead would have done the same."

"But if she believed he was dead," Hiccup went on, "then there was no reason to fight."

"Aye," Merida replied, "she'd have simply given up because of her broken heart. Now, I keep thinking of who would want to hurt her in such a terrible way. There is only one person I can think of that would want to get rid of Hiccup, and stop Mairead from protesting the arranged marriage, the one person who had the most to lose."

"Your great, great grandfather," Hiccup replied.

"Aye," Merida replied, "my great, great grandfather, Lord Callum the third."

Hiccup silently contemplated all that Merida had said. He thought back to his own search back in Berk. He could find no evidence whatsoever, save what was hidden in the false bottom of his grandfather's chest. He remembered wondering why his grandfather would hide the items. Could someone in Berk have been doing the same thing to Hiccup I as Callum had allegedly done to Mairead? He shook his head as he thought about it. That couldn't have been the case as his grandfather himself had hidden the items in the chest. But that would mean that Hiccup the first knew about the cover up and intentionally went along with it. What he didn't understand was why his grandfather would even think of going along with such a lie? Why would he not fight for the woman he loved? Unless of course he stayed away to protect Mairead. Maybe Calum had threatened to hurt her if he didn't comply. One thing was for certain, the mystery had certainly taken an interesting turn and Hiccup thought they were quite close to discovering the truth.

"Unfortunately," Merida continued, "this means that the only evidence that exits as far as I know, is my nana's journal and yer grandfather's journal and sketchbook. If we can't find the answers there, I fear we never will."

"This is certainly getting more interesting by the minute," Hiccup replied. He paused a moment as he continued to ponder this new information. He turned her suddenly with a look of determination on his face.

"Merida," he replied, "do you happen to have the journal on you, right now?"

"Aye," she replied as she pulled the old book from her bag and handed it over to him.

"If you don't mind," Hiccup replied, "I'm going to read through it and see if there are any details we missed. Maybe something that didn't stand out to us before, will make more sense to us knowing what we know now." Merida nodded in agreement.

Dunbroch castle

Elinor quickly made her way to the study in hopes to find Fergus there. When she entered and found him sitting at his writing table going over some matters of business with his advisors she sighed in relief.

"Fergus," she called out, "I must speak with ye." Fergus looked up at his wife curiously. He could plainly see the look of concern on her face.

"Aye, alright dear," he turned to his advisors, "um that's enough business for the day gentlemen...as ye can see I have other matters to attend to. He waited until his advisors left the room, then turned to his wife in concern.

"Aye, dear," he replied, "what is this all about then?" Elinor held up a letter in her hand and handed it quickly over to Fergus. Fergus took the letter and started to read it.

"It's the Lords," Elinor replied, "since we've agreed for their sons to come to court Merida, they want to move forward right away. The say they will be here in a week's time." After Fergus finished reading, he folded the letter and looked up at his wife.

"I thought we'd have more time than this to prepare," Fergus replied.

"Aye," Elinor replied, "I hoped so to, but ye forget, the Lords have been patiently waiting for a choice to be made these past five years. I fear their patience has run out."

"Well," Fergus sighed, "I'm afraid we have no choice at this point, we need to prepare for their arrival. But more importantly, we need to tell Merida right away." Elinor shook her head as she thought over Fergus' words. Fergus stood quickly and pulled his wife into his arms. He held her close as he tried to reassure her.

"She will ne'er understand," Elinor replied, "and she will ne'er forgive us."

"Don't underestimate her dear," Fergus replied, "I'm sure once we explain she will understand. As I said before, we are not taking her freedom from her, we are merely entertaining the Lords."

"You're right," Elinor sighed, "I just need to explain it clearly to her, I need to make her understand." Fergus smiled at his wife.

"Aye, she is a strong young lady now," Fergus replied, "practically ready to take the throne...ye need to trust that she will understand."

Hiccup sat leaned back against the trunk of a tree with legs crossed, reading the journal of Merida's grandmother. He had spent the past two hours trying to find any evidence or detail that could help them figure out the truth, or at least any other clues. He even tried to find any more evidence of whatever spell their great, great grandparents had attempted to cast. So far, he'd only found stories of their ill-fated love affair. As he flipped through the journal a folded piece of paper fell from between the pages and landed in his lap. He unfolded it to discover a letter written by his great, great grandfather.

...

My dearest Mairead,

I told you how I feel, and I know that you are afraid, but I beg you to reconsider. You say that it's too late, that you are promised to another and you're fate has already been written. But fate is not the arrangements made for us. Fate does not care about station, or caste or political gain. Fate does not consider the plans made by men. True fate is found where the heart leads and my heart only leads me to you. True fate is written in the stars above. I know in my heart the you are my fate. But if by some chance I am wrong, if my fate is not to love you then I would rewrite the stars themselves to be with you. You claim our love is not in the cards, and fate is pulling you miles away and out of reach from me. But you're here in my heart so who can stop me if I decide that you are my destiny. What if we re-write the stars, and say you were made to be mine? Then nothing could keep us apart, because you are the one, I was meant to find. It should be up to you and up to me, and no one else should be allowed to say what we get to be. If I choose you and you choose me then we can rewrite the stars. We could build a life that is only ours. If you'll have me, I would be yours eternally. I await your answer at the standing stones.

Love always, H.

...

Hiccup felt his great, great grandfather's words deeply as he read them, almost as if he had written them himself. He could nearly feel his great, great grandfather's love and longing for Mairead in the heartfelt words he had written to his one true love. It seemed that he and Mairead were being torn between the paths set before them and the one that led to each other. It was evident to Hiccup that his great, great grandfather had been fighting against fate itself to keep Mairead with him. As he folded the letter carefully and stuffed it back in its place, a wave of emotions ran through his heart and soul. His mind drifted to his own growing feelings for Merida. The irony was not lost on him that Merida just so happened to be the great, great granddaughter of the woman for whom the letter was written.

He took a deep breath as he thought of Merida. It seemed the discovery she had made in regards to their grandparent's mystery had distracted him from his motive for bringing her to this glen in the first place. He had jumped right into trying to find the answers to their mystery and had lost focus on what he had planned to tell her. He sighed heavily as he closed the journal and tried to think of a good way to bring it up.

He was distracted suddenly by a large splash, and the distinct sound of Toothless grunting and Merida laughing. The sound of her laughter made his breath catch in his throat and his heart flutter. He looked up and glanced over in the direction of the pool of water but the two could not be seen from where he sat. He gently set the book down beside him. He stood from his place stretched his arms over his head for a moment, and then headed in the direction of the noise. He stopped at the edge of the pond to see Toothless rolling playfully around in the water. Hiccup's eyes came to rest on Merida. With her bow in hand, she stood close by atop a stone that protruded through the water's surface. He smiled slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his back against a nearby tree to watch.

The very sight of her was breathtaking. She stood in the sunlight concentrating on the water keeping her sight in line with her arrow, her deep red hair was nearly aglow with sunlight, and her blue eyes sparkled. He could feel his heart beating wildly as he watched her. The vision of her was almost ethereal and he was inadvertently reminded of the stories of the Valkyrie that his father told him as a young boy.

The Valkyrie were the angels of the dead tasked to carry the fallen home to Valhalla. They were said to be formidable shield maidens whose beauty was matched by none on earth. There were stories of Viking warriors so enamored by the Valkyries beauty that they vowed to fight till their deaths in hopes to join them.

As he gazed longingly upon Merida, the words from one of his father's stories echoed through his mind.

...

'Behold the Valkyrie came upon the battlefield. Hair aflame like the fire of a dragon's breath, eyes as blue as the heavens themselves and shining as the stars above and wings of gold. They come to collect the souls of the warriors. Their beauty unmatched bringth such peace upon the hearts of the fallen, that they willingly follow through the gates of Valhalla.'

...

As a boy he couldn't imagine that such beauty could exist, that a man would be willing to die for his enamored love. He wondered if how he felt now watching her could compare.

"Toothless ye oaf," Merida chuckled as the dragon continued to bat at the water, "stop scaring the fish away." Toothless whined as he turned his head to the side.

"Toothless sit," Merida said firmly, "stay."

Hiccup smiled as he watched. Merida notched an arrow and aimed her bow toward the water. For a few minutes she stood still, watching carefully, with a look of complete concentration on her face. Then at the right moment she released the arrow. She stepped forward and reached for the arrow where it stuck out from the water. She lifted it to reveal a large salmon.

"There ye see," Merida smiled proudly, "ye just need to be a wee bit more patient." She pulled the arrow from the fish and tossed the fish to Toothless. Toothless happily caught it in his mouth and scampered off as Merida laughed out loud.

"You know you just earned yourself a friend for life," Hiccup called out. Merida turned to him with a bright smile. 'A smile that could melt a man's heart,' he thought to himself.

"Nice shot by the way," he said. Merida nodded.

"I hope ye mean I made two friends for life," Merida replied with a raised eyebrow. Hiccup grinned at her as he stepped closer to the edge of the pool.

"That goes without saying princess," Hiccup replied with a smirk, "you've already won me over with apples." Merida slung her bow over her shoulder. She then began to hop across the stones that stuck up from the river bed as she headed in the direction of the shore.

"So," she sighed, as she brushed the hair from her face, "did you find anything interesting?"

"Well, unfortunately, there was nothing about the banishment, or the spell," Hiccup shrugged, "and nothing suggesting your hypothesis either. But as it turns out the standing stones were pretty significant to them."

"Really," Merida questioned curiously, "how so?"

"Well, there are quite a few reasons actually," Hiccup replied as he glanced up at her, "first, it's the place where they would often secretly meet."

Merida nodded as she listened. Hiccup smiled slightly as he continued.

"It's also where they first confessed their feelings for each other." Hiccup paused a moment as he averted his eyes. "It's...uh...it's where they shared their first kiss," he gulped as he looked up at her briefly, "ya know, uh it was a pretty special place for them both."

"So," she smiled up at him, "that, in addition to the stones being sacred ground..."

"Probably made it ideal for whatever spell they did," Hiccup replied, "I just wish we could find more though."

"Aye," Merida replied with a slight frown, "it is a bit of setback, but we are getting closer to the truth every day, I can feel it in my bones." He glanced up at her once more and smiled slightly. He averted his eyes and cleared his throat.

"Uh...ya know, I uh...I found something else too," Hiccup replied.

"What," Merida questioned.

"Well, uh I found this letter," Hiccup replied, "more like a...a love letter, I guess, uh from Hiccup to Mairead. It was stuffed inside the back cover."

"A love letter," Merida questioned in intrigue, "I never saw that before...w-what does it say?" Merida quickly headed in his direction, hopping upon the stones in the pool. As she got closer to him, she suddenly slipped on a moss-covered rock. She yelped as she fell back into the water with a large splash.

"Whoa, are you okay," Hiccup laughed. Merida sat up and smirked up at him.

"Aye," she said flatly, "what's so funny!" Hiccup continued to laugh as he headed in her direction.

"I'm sorry," he chuckled, "I couldn't help it, your face was priceless!" He reached a hand out to her to help her out.

"You know," he smirked, "if you keep this up, I may start to think you're falling for me." She smirked back at him at his cheesy pun. She reached up and grabbed a hold of his hand, but as he tried to pull her up, she pulled him toward her and he tumbled forward into the water. He sat up quickly in surprise as he pushed his dripping wet hair back from his face and spit water from his mouth. Merida covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"What the hell, Merida," he groaned. She began to laugh hysterically unable to contain it any longer.

"Looks like ye are the one falling for me," she said amidst her laughter. He smirked back at her. Thinking quickly, he then pushed the water with his palm sending a torrent of it back in her face. In her surprise, she stopped laughing for a moment. She coughed a few times as she wiped the water from her face and glared at him.

"Who's laughing now," Hiccup teased. She kept a serious look on her face as she stood in the waist deep water and trudged past him.

"Oh, what you can dish it out but ya can't take it princess," he teased.

She silently lifted the bow from her shoulder, then took the quiver from her hip and tossed them upon the shore to dry. She then turned toward him with arms crossed and glared down at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh I can take it," she smirked, "can ye?"

She bent down and splashed the water in his direction, sending it back in his face once again as she laughed.

"Oh, it's on," Hiccup growled with a smirk on his face. Merida screamed out and ran past him as he splashed her back. He quickly jumped to his feet and trudged after her. Just as they reached the shallower end of the pool Merida paused and turned to kick water back at him once again, but he was closer than she had anticipated and she accidentally kicked him in the leg.

Hiccup groaned and bent forward in pain.

"Oh Hiccup," Merida exclaimed in concern, "I...I didn't mean to...it was an accident!" She quickly turned back and headed over toward him in concern. She bent down to see if she could help. As soon as she was close to him, he splashed water in her face and then stood up laughing.

"Hiccup," she yelled in aggravation. He just continued laughing.

"It's not funny," she cried out as she stood up straight, "I thought I really hurt ye!"

"The benefits of having a metal leg," Hiccup laughed. Merida stormed over to him.

"What's wrong with ye," she yelled in aggravation. She pushed him angrily causing him to tumble back into the water. She then stormed toward the shore.

"Oh no you don't," Hiccup cried out. He lunged forward and grabbed her by the waist but he quickly lost his balance and the two of them tumbled back into the water once again. Merida sat up quickly gasping for air.

"Hiccup," she fumed as she glared at him from beneath her wet hair, "Ye glaikit Viking, ah ought tae beat ye wi' yer metal shank!" Hiccup chuckled as he looked at her in both surprise and confusion.

"What did you just say," he asked in confusion.

"Ah said ah ought tae beat ye wi' yer metal shank ye eejit!" Hiccup laughed out loud. Merida huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest in frustration.

He leaned over to her and gently brushed the wet hair from her face, revealing her flushed cheeks and beautiful sky-blue eyes. Once again, struck by her beauty, he gazed at her longingly. Merida scowled back at him, causing him to chuckle. She stood up quickly once more and stormed away from him. She sat down upon the stony shore and huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest once more.

"What," he asked with a grin, "you started it!" Hiccup stood and trudged after her. He plopped down beside her on the stony shore and purposely pushed his shoulder into her playfully. She smirked and nudged him back. They glanced at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"I'm sorry," he said, "it was just a stupid joke, I didn't think it would upset you." Merida sighed heavily as she rolled her eyes.

"Yer forgiven," Merida replied, "I'm just glad I didn't actually hurt ye." She looked up at him and giggled. He furrowed his brow in both curiosity and amusement.

"What," he smiled.

"Ye have something..." she said, still giggling. He looked at her in confusion. She leaned toward him, then reached up and gently pulled a piece of green moss from his wet hair. The feel of her delicate fingers running through his hair sent shivers down his spine and he unwittingly leaned a little closer to her. He smiled warmly as he gazed into her amazing blue eyes. Merida gazed back at him nervously. She could feel her stomach doing flip flops as he gazed back at her with such an intense look of longing in his eyes.

"I...I can see it, ya know," he said softly.

"What's that," she asked nervously.

"What he saw in her," Hiccup replied. Merida furrowed her brow in slight confusion.

"What do ye mean," she questioned.

"Uh...M-Mairead," Hiccup explained, "uh, I just mean i-if she was anything like y-you; I can definitely see why my great, great grandfather fell for her."

Merida smiled shyly, as a small blush formed on her cheeks, causing Hiccup's heart to flutter. Hiccup smiled slightly as he leaned a little closer to her. With little thought, he reached up and gently brushed a few more loose strands of her wet hair away from her beautiful face. Merida gazed back at him as she nervously bit her bottom lip unsure of what Hiccup was trying to say. Without thought, the two leaned closer still; her blue eyes transfixed on his green ones. Her mind inadvertently flashed back to the Viking in her dream, who had looked at her in much the same way that Hiccup was looking at her now. She could feel her heart beginning to race.

"Y-yer eyes," Merida stuttered, "they remind me of his..." Hiccup furrowed his brow at her comment.

"Who," he asked curiously.

"The Viking in my dream," she replied, "yer's are not as sad but they are just as green and just as intense and...and looking into them, makes me just as nervous." She quickly averted her eyes and turned away from him. Hiccup placed his hand on her cheek and gently turned her head to face him once again. She shivered slightly at his touch but kept her eyes averted from his gaze.

"Merida," he said softly, "look at me." Reluctantly she turned her gaze back to his. He dropped his hand from her face and gently took her hands in his.

"Why does it make you nervous," he asked softly. Merida shrugged.

"It's...it's the way that ye look at me," she replied, "it's the same way he looked at me in my dream when he thought I was Mairead." Hiccup grinned slightly.

'So, she had noticed', he thought to himself.

"I-It's the same way yer looking at me now," Merida whispered, "it...it makes my h-heart race and my mind gets all jumbled." He kept his eyes focused on hers as he leaned close enough that they were only a few inches apart.

"I-I know how you feel," he whispered. She looked up at him curiously.

"Ye do," she questioned in uncertainty. Hiccup nodded. He lifted his hand and once again gently brushed the red curls from her face.

"It's the same way that I feel," he replied nervously as his hand came to rest upon her soft pale cheek, "when I look into yours." He slowly leaned forward pressing his lips gently to hers in a chaste kiss. Her lips were soft and warm and in some strange way familiar. The way he felt the moment their lips met, could only be likened to how he felt when the woman in his dream touched his hand. It was like lighting striking his heart, familiar and new all at once. Hiccup's heart felt as if it might burst from his chest and his thoughts became suddenly clear. In that moment he knew with certainty, that somehow, some way they would be together and he was willing to do anything to make that happen.

Merida pulled back suddenly and gazed at him in surprise as she covered her lips with her hand. She stood quickly and turned away from him as she tried to make sense of what had just happened between them.

"I...I'm sorry," he jumped up immediately and followed after her. He reached for her arm and gently pulled her back to face him. As he looked into her eyes once more, he could see her confusion and trepidation and he felt suddenly self-conscious.

"I...I shouldn't have done that I...I didn't mean to." She felt her heart flinch at his words. She dropped her eyes from his and began to turn away from him again.

"N-no... uh, w-wait...uh, th-that's not what I meant," he stuttered as he scrambled to right his words. She started to walk away but he practically leapt in front of her to stop her.

"No, no, no...wait,...I...I d-did...I did mean it," he said quickly, "I mean, I...I wanted to kiss you, but I...I shouldn't have..." He dropped his eyes to the ground for a moment as he took a deep breath in an attempt to clear his jumbled thoughts. He turned his gaze back to her.

"It's just, y-you're amazing," Hiccup went on, "a-and beautiful, and smart, and fun a-and I...I have these feelings for you" Merida just gazed up at him in uncertainty. He gently took her hands in his once more. He took a deep breath as he tried to muster up his courage.

"Merida, I...I care about you," Hiccup replied with a slight smile, "I know it may sound crazy, but I...I feel like I've been drawn to you since the moment we met, and I feel like maybe you and I, m-maybe we could have something, ya know, something good, something real." He gazed at her longingly

"A-and kissing you," he paused and gazed into her sky-blue eyes, "it...it felt right, but maybe I shouldn't have done it without your consent. I...I'm sorry that I acted without thinking, but it wasn't a mistake, okay. I wanted to kiss you and I..." He paused a moment as he gazed deep into her pale blue eyes, "I want to be with you Merida." She looked up into his eyes once more, unsure of what to do or say. Her heart was beating furiously. Everything he had said to her was all she could have hoped for, but his confession had caught her off guard. It was unexpected and caused her heart to be flooded with uncertainty and panic. As he gazed at her he could see the torrent of emotions in her eyes. He sighed slightly as he tried to decipher what she was feeling. It caused him to feel slightly nervous as he awaited her response but she remained speechless.

"Please, say something," he pleaded, "do you feel at all how I do?" Merida felt frozen in place, she gazed at him in uncertainty as she tried desperately to sort out her feelings.

"I...I don't know what to say Hiccup," Merida replied nervously, "It's just that, no one's ever said those things to me before and I've never felt like this before. It's...it's all just so...u-unexpected and...and amazing, a-and terrifying all at once and I...I just don't know what to say." Hiccup's smile slowly faded as he averted his eyes. He sighed softly feeling slightly dejected. He let go of her hands and backed away slightly.

"I...I'm sorry," Hiccup replied, "it's too soon...I...I shouldn't have said anything...I just...I thought that maybe...I mean...what you said...I just thought that you might feel as I do." Merida could see the disappointment on his face and it caused her heart to lurch. She wanted desperately to say how she felt, but her fear seemed to paralyze her. Hiccup took her lack of words as confirmation that he had clearly misread the situation. He started to turn away from her but she reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him. He looked up at her curiously.

"I...I do care," Merida replied, "I care about you, but this is all happening so fast...a-and I'm afraid...I mean I...I don't know...uh...I mean, I..." Hiccup immediately pulled her into his arms and held her close for a long moment. After a moment or two he pulled away from her slightly but continued to gaze into her eyes in reassurance.

"Listen the absolute last thing that I wanna do is mess this up by...by rushing into it, okay," Hiccup replied. Merida nodded as she gazed back at him solemnly. He reached for her hands once more and held them tightly in his.

"I'm sorry Hiccup," Merida replied as tears started to well up in her eyes. Hiccup reached up and gently caressed her soft cheek, and smiled slightly.

"It's okay, Merida," Hiccup replied, "you don't have to apologize. Look, I...I told you how I feel, but nothing has to change right now, ok."

"But Hiccup," she replied, "I...I just..."

"No, listen Merida," Hiccup smiled, "I'm not trying to pressure you, alright. I can wait, as long as it takes. Even if it takes years for us to figure this all out. I promise, I'm not going anywhere." She nodded as she gazed up at him. He gently lifted her chin and looked deep into her eyes. He could feel his heart pounding as he gazed at her and all he wanted to do was to kiss her again but he respectfully restrained himself. He leaned forward slightly resting his forehead against hers as he gazed at her lovingly.

"I'm in this," he said softly, "until you tell me otherwise, okay." Merida nodded as she gazed into his deep green eyes, the very eyes that caused her heart to skip. Hiccup gazed back at her with such intensity that it made her shiver and it caused a flood of emotions through her already furiously beating heart.

Hiccup pulled her to him once more and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Even though her reaction was not what he had hoped it would be, she had still admitted that she cared for him. She had not rejected him really. There was still a chance. Perhaps he had confessed to her too soon, and she wasn't quite ready for such a change in their relationship just yet. Regardless, he had made it crystal clear to her that would never give up on her. He sighed as he held her close. It felt amazing to hold her and he didn't want the moment to end.

Merida lay her head upon his chest and found herself soothed by the beating of his heart. For the first time in her life, Merida felt as if she were right where she was always meant to be. But her feelings also scared her and as much as she cared about Hiccup, she simply wasn't ready to admit them completely. Hiccup pulled back slightly and grinned down at her.

"Now can you please explain to me what an eejit is exactly," he asked.

Merida just laughed out loud.

A little later

Hiccup set to work on building a fire, so they both could get warm and dry after their water fight. He crouched beside it stoking the flames, all the while thinking about all that had just happened. He had told Merida his true feelings, there was no turning back now. If they were truly meant to be together, he would do whatever it took to make that happen. The only question that remained was if she would consider being with him or not. He felt certain that she felt as he did, but she was just afraid to take that chance so soon. He smiled softly to himself. It didn't matter how long it took; he would wait for her forever if that's what she needed.

He turned his gaze to Merida who sat across from him with arms wrapped around herself tightly and shivering uncontrollably. He quickly stood and headed over to Toothless' saddle and pulled a blanket from his bag. He came up behind her and gently draped the blanket over her shoulders. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Thanks," she said softly. He nodded with a smile. Without a word he crouched down in front of her and reached for her shaking hands. He was immediately concerned at how cold they were.

"Your hands are frozen," he said in concern. Without a second thought he brought her fingers to his lips and gently blew on them with his warm breath. The simple yet affectionate gesture caused her heart to flutter. She smiled shyly at him. After blowing on her hands a few times he gently placed them back on her lap. He realized that her dress was still soaked through. The thick material was taking far longer to dry then his simple tunic.

"Merida," he said in concern, "you're still sopping wet, no wonder you're freezing."

"I-I-I'm f-f-fine," she said. He smirked at her.

"Uh, no you're not," he said firmly, "you need to take that dress off and let it dry!" Merida raised an eyebrow at him. He grinned as his face turned slightly red.

"Where is your mind princess," he asked suggestively. She glared at him.

"Okay, look I'm serious," Hiccup replied, "if you don't get warm, you're gonna get sick, and if you don't take off that soaking wet dress you are never going to get warm!"

"It's not proper," she said defensively.

"Really," he said with an eyebrow raised, "well, you wanna know what else isn't proper; me allowing you to get pneumonia for the sake of being proper." She crossed her arms over her chest and gazed at him incredulously.

"Look it's not that big a deal," he replied, "it's not like you're bare, you got what, like twenty layers of undergarments right. And you have this blanket I just gave you."

"You won't look," Merida questioned.

"I swear, you have my word," Hiccup chuckled, "okay, I'm gonna go all the way over there and get something for us to eat and you just tell me when your done so I can hang up your dress to dry, okay." She gazed at him uncertainly.

"What you don't trust my word," Hiccup huffed sarcastically, "after everything we've been through?" She shrugged.

"Okay," how about this," Hiccup replied, "we'll just have Toothless stand guard okay, does that make you feel better?" She smiled and nodded. Hiccup smiled in amusement. He headed over to Toothless.

"Hey bud," Hiccup said, "do me a favor and just sit in front of Merida while she changes okay." Toothless nodded and did as he was told.

"You're all set princess," Hiccup called out as he walked away, "Toothless, you have permission to stop me from peeking...by force if necessary."

"Ha, ha, very funny," she called out. He chuckled as he turned back around and plucked a few things from the food bag. Merida took off the wet dress quickly revealing the white, linen long-sleeved kirtle underneath. She quickly wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.

"I'm done," she called out. She gently patted Toothless on the side of his neck.

"Thanks, Toothless," she said softly. The dragon nodded. She blushed slightly when Hiccup approached.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Hiccup replied as he took the dress from her.

"Speak for yourself," Merida replied, "yer not the one standing here in yer underwear."

Hiccup smirked, "oh...and by underwear, do you mean that full dress that you wear under your dress." Merida rolled her eyes. "Tell me," he said sarcastically as he crossed his arms over his chest and took a step closer to her, "what exactly were you afraid I would see anyway, your ankles?"

"Maybe," she huffed.

"And then what," Hiccup smirked sarcastically, "I'd be overcome by lust at the sight of your ankles!"

"Alright...alright," Merida replied, "ye've made yer point!" He smirked at her.

"Come on," Hiccup smiled as he took her by the hand, "sit over here by the fire." He led her to a fallen log by the fire. After she sat down, he handed her an apple. Then he took the wet gown and hung it up on a tree branch nearby.

He made his way back over to her and sat upon the ground beside her with an apple in his hand. He leaned his back against the log that she sat upon and took a bite of the sweet fruit.

Merida gazed over at him silently, as she pondered her feelings and the fact that he had admitted to feeling nearly the same as she did. She had tried to distract herself from her growing feelings because she wasn't sure what she felt was real, or just infatuation or maybe even just wishful thinking on her part; but Hiccup's admission had brought all her confusing feelings back to the front of her mind. Her feelings for him were no longer just an idea in her head, they were real and true and he reciprocated them. He felt for her as she did for him. She knew the moment he'd kissed her that she had been falling for him from the start and no other would ever take his place. But his admission also caused her heart to become flooded by all of her previous fears in regards to love. Although she wanted to be with him more than anything, she feared taking a chance with Hiccup only because she feared losing him. There was already so much stacked against them for just being friends, let alone something more. She could not help but to think of their grandparent's plight. Mairead and Hiccup the first were true soulmates, but in the end even that wasn't enough to keep them together. She sighed heavily as she pondered over her many worries. She shivered slightly and pulled the blanket tighter around her. Feeling her shiver beside him, Hiccup turned to her in concern.

"Are you still cold," he asked. Merida nodded.

"Come here," he said. He reached for her hand and gently pulled her down to him so they were sitting side by side in front of the fire. He lifted his arm to put around her but he paused.

"Is this okay," he asked. She smiled shyly as she nodded. He let his arm drape around her shoulders. To his surprise, she did not hesitate to find comfort in his warmth. She leaned into him, resting her head upon his chest and just allowed herself to be wrapped in his warm comforting arms. He smiled softly as he rested his chin upon her soft red curls. He found himself overcome by his feelings for her, and overwhelmed by how right it felt to hold her in his arms.

He had spent most of his life trying to prove himself, trying to be accepted and even loved. Despite his efforts, he never truly felt that he belonged anywhere, until now. It seemed crazy but with Merida, he felt all those things he'd always longed for. She had so easily accepted him and seen him truly with little effort. Maybe it was because she knew what it felt like to not be seen for who they truly were and to be ridiculed for taking a path different from the ones they were taught. It seemed that apart they each never fit in, but together they fit perfectly.

Since they met, Hiccup fought his feelings as best he could, he had tried to rationalize them and explain them away to himself, but now he couldn't remember why he had even tried. It was crazy to think that only days ago, he had scoffed at the mere idea of finding love again. Now it was all he could think about. It seemed as if the moment he gave in to his growing feelings and kissed her everything had become startlingly clear. Though he could not rationally explain it, he somehow knew that this was where he belonged, he knew what he wanted, and he knew that he and Merida were somehow meant to be. It was as if his mind had finally realized what his heart already knew from the moment they met. Hiccup was determined now more than ever to follow where his heart seemed to be leading and to do whatever he could to make this work. He wanted to be with her more then anything. Whatever obstacles this path would undoubtedly lead them to, he was ready and willing to face them all if it meant being with her. He tightened his arms around her as he allowed himself to bask in their closeness. He found himself suddenly unable to keep his feelings to himself.

"I...I probably shouldn't say this so soon," Hiccup said softly, "but I think I might be falling in love with you Merida." His admission was met with silence.

"Merida," he repeated. She remained quiet and still. He leaned forward slightly to look down on her. She was fast asleep nestled comfortably up against his chest. He smiled lovingly at the peaceful sight of her. He bent down slowly and softly kissed the top of her head. He then leaned back against the log and rested his head upon hers once more.