Chapter 6

Merida awoke to the sound of whispering all around her. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around in confusion. Her eyes widened when she saw dozens of flickering blue wisps swirling all around the inside of the stone circle. She stood slowly and began to walk to the center of the circle. As she moved forward the wisps began to move away from her.

"Lead me where ye will spirits," she said boldly. But the wisps only seemed to converge at the opposite end of the circle and seemed to purposely swirl around a specific spot. As she stepped cautiously forward she realized the wisps were swirling around a dark horned humanoid like figure that stood in the shadows only feet away from her. She gasped and stumbled back.

"Mairead," a man's voice whispered. Merida gazed at the figure in confusion and intrigue. Slowly the figure stepped forth from the shadows. Now standing in the light of the moon, Merida could see that it was not a horned creature, but a man wearing full armor and a horned viking's helm that covered his face from the nose up.

"Mairead," he whispered again in a voice that was wrought with emotion. He stepped closer to Merida. He was so close that she could see his green eyes gazing at her from beneath the mask with such intensity that it made her weak in the knees. She could feel her stomach doing flip flops as she stood frozen in place. Slowly he pulled his sword from its sheath. Startled by this, she began to panic, unsure of the strange man's intentions. She fumbled as she reached for an arrow from her quiver only to realize it wasn't there. Holding the hilt in both hands the man twirled the blade until it faced the ground. Suddenly he dropped to one knee and plunged the tip of the sword into the soft earth before her. He then bowed his head. He removed his armored glove and pulled something from his pocket then held his hand out before her. In his palm she saw an exact replica of her great great grandmother's pendent. In shock, Merida instinctively reached for the pendent that hung around her own neck, only to find it was missing completely.

"Mairead," he said again, "my heart is your's 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.

With his other hand, he took her hand gently. She could feel the roughness of his skin as he tenderly grasped her hand in his. The moment their hands met, it felt as if her heart had been struck by lightning. She could feel her heart racing and her face flush. He gently placed the pendent in her hand and closed her fingers around it. He gazed up at her longingly with those intense green eyes that seemed to see right through to her very soul. But he did not smile. His expression, instead, seemed to be one of great pain and sadness. The very sight of him made Merida want to cry. As she looked upon him, she found herself longing to wrap her arms around him in an attempt to ease his suffering.

He slowly stood but kept her hand clasped gently in his. He continued to gaze at her with an intense longing emanating from his deep green eyes. Slowly he raised his other hand and gently touched the side of her face brushing the unruly curls behind her ear. She could feel goosebumps where his fingers had grazed her skin. He slowly leaned forward keeping his eyes locked with hers.

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

Merida awoke with a start. She could still feel her heart racing as she sat up quickly and glanced around in confusion. She found herself still sitting on the ground at the standing stones. Her great great nana's journal lay open on the ground beside her. It was well after dark and only the light of the moon illuminated her surroundings. She quickly checked for her quiver and her pendent. She sighed in relief when she found both where she had left them.

"A dream," she sighed as she leaned back against the stone again, "it was only a dream.

"That's what I get for dozing off while reading that bloody journal." She sighed softly, but suddenly reality dawned on her.

"I'm late," she cried out as she jumped to her feet, "mum's gonna have my head!"

She quickly collected the journal and pulled herself up on Angus.

"Let's go Angus," she yelled as the horse began to gallup.

When she finally got home, it was well past dark and she anticipated her mother's inevitable wrath. She snuck through the kitchen and was almost to the stairs when she heard Elinor clear her throat. She turned back slowly to see her mother standing in the doorway to the study with arms crossed and a stern look on her face.

"Hi mum," she said sheepishly, "uh, I can explain." Her mother pointed to the study. With a heavy sigh, Merida headed into the room in defeat. Elinor quickly closed the door behind them and turned to face her daughter.

"Merida," Elinor huffed, "do ye know how worried I've been. I allow ye to leave the castle all day to yer hearts content but staying out past dark is dangerous for any young woman let alone a princess."

Merida groaned outwardly, "mum, ye know I can take care of myself...I'm not helpless."

"Merida ye may be an excellent shot with that bow, but ye've never been in a fight for yer life, ye never faced the likes of bandits or kidnappers or...or worse Vikings."

"I faced Mor'du," Merida spat defensively.

"Aye," Elinor replied, " more like ran from him, and ye barely escaped with yer life!" Merida sighed heavily as she flopped down into one of the plush chairs.

"I'm sorry mum," she sighed, "it was an accident."

"What happened," Elinor questioned, "were ye hurt?"

"No mum," she rolled her eyes as she sat forward and crossed her arms over her chest, "I fell asleep."

"I'm sorry," Elinor looked to Merida as if she had misunderstood her, "what was that."

"I said...I fell asleep mum," Merida repeated louder. Elinor began to chuckle.

"What on earth were ye doing that ye fell asleep in the middle of the woods?"

"I was, uh...reading," Merida replied.

"Merida we have an entire library in the castle."

"Uh, well mum," she reached for her satchel and pulled out the journal she had found, "I kinda found great great nana's journal."

"Merida," Elinor took the book and inspected it, "this is amazing, where on earth did you find it?"

"In her stirring room," Merida replied vaguely.

"I have to show this to yer father at once, " Elinor replied, "he'll be absolutely..."

"NO," Merida called out suddenly. Elinor turned to her daughter in confusion.

"See, uh...the thing is mum," Merida said as she took the book back from her mother, "it seems great great nana was a little different then what uh, then what dad may remember."

Elinor gazed at her daughter in curiosity.

"Was she involved in some sort of scandal," Elinor questioned in intrigue.

"I think she was in love with a Viking!" Merida exclaimed.

"In love...with a Viking," Elinor exclaimed, "well that's preposterous Merida, she was betrothed to yer great great grandfather long before the Vikings came." Merida smirked at her mother and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh my," Elinor replied, " that is scandalous!"

"And I'm fairly certain," Merida went on as she held up the charm around her neck," that this pendent is from the Viking boy...not great great grand da."

"What makes you think so,"Elinor questioned.

"Okay...well this may sound a little strange mum," Merida replied, "but I had a dream that a Viking gave the necklace to her, well I mean, technically he gave it to me. But I think he thought I was nana or maybe I was just seeing some sort of a memory or something. I don't really know, but, he called me Mairead, so I know he meant nana. He knelt down and said that his heart was mine, or nana's rather. The way he spoke was so sincere and he had these green eyes that were just so intense that it felt like...like he saw right through me, to my very soul!"

Elinor gazed at her daughter in intrigue as she described her dream.

"It felt so real Mum, "she sighed dreamily, "but then I woke up and I realized I was late and..."

"Merida," Elinor interrupted with a chuckle, "I never knew ye to be such a romantic."

"Mum," Merida scoffed, "I'm telling the truth!"

Elinor chuckled again, "ye fell asleep reading yer great great nana's scandalous journal, I think perhaps that it may have influenced that dream of yer's just a tad."

Merida rolled her eyes and smirked at her mother, "maybe a little, she admitted, "but it was still so real."

"It is curious though Merida," Elinor replied.

"What's that," Merida questioned.

"Yer pendent," Elinor replied motioning to the charm that hung around her neck, "I wonder it that other symbol is Viking?"

Merida's face lit up as a thought surfaced to her mind.

"Mum do ye think the reason the Vikings were banished had something to do with her falling for the Viking boy?"

"I'd say it's a good possibility" Elinor replied, "considering she was already betrothed when they met."

"What do we tell dad?"

"At the moment," Elinor paused, "nothing; we will need to do a little research to find out what really happened first."

Merida smiled at her mother, "I thought great great nana was the perfect princess," she said as she gazed up at the portrait above the fire place, "I like her even better now."

"Merida." Elinor exclaimed.

"What," Merida replied.

"To bed with ye," Elinor replied, "we'll talk more about this tomorrow. Oh and Merida."

"Aye Mum," Merida replied.

"Lord Dingwall is to arrive tomorrow," Elinor replied, "he'll be staying with us a few days. So I expect ye to be on yer best behavior." Merida rolled her eyes as she audibly groaned.

"Wee Dingwall isn't coming is he," she whined.

"I assume so," Elinor replied, "but I don't know for certain."

"Just great," Merida groaned.

"Come now Merida," Elinor replied, "I'm sure he can't be that bad."

"Maybe not to ye," Merida replied, "yer not the one he's trying to impress all the time!" Elinor shook her head.

"It's only for a few days," Elinor replied, "I'm sure ye can handle it." Merida sighed heavily.

"Goodnight mum," Merida replied.

"Goodnight dear," Elinor replied.

As she headed to her room, Merida could not help but to think about the Viking in her dream. His deep green eyes were sure to haunt her sleep. The dream had felt so real, so tangible that she could barely contain the feelings that it had stirred in her heart. Was the spirit of the Viking reaching out to her thinking she was his lost love? Was the dream some sort of residual memory from the past? Did the will O' the wisps want her to uncover some truth lost to history? When she entered her room, she sighed heavily as she flopped back onto her bed and gazed up at the canopy above her. She didn't know how she would ever get to sleep with so many questions running through her head.