Chapter 28
Castle Dunbroch
"Viking?" A questioning voice echoed unexpectedly from behind Merida causing her smile to falter. Her heart froze instantly and her eyes went wide with panic as she slowly turned around to see Harris standing in the doorway of her room. He gazed up at her with a concerned expression on his face. Hamish and Hubert stood close behind him looking equally distressed. Merida stood paralyzed for a moment as she gazed back at her brothers in shocked surprise.
"W-what are ye goin' on about," she stuttered in a sub-par attempt to feign ignorance.
"Ye said somethin' aboot a Viking," Harris pressed.
"Dinnae be glaikit," Merida scoffed, "how come wid ah say anything aboot a viking?"
"We heard ye," Harris replied insistently. Merida huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the boys in annoyance.
"Well...w-who said ye could come in my room wi'oot knockin'," Merida grumbled impatiently.
"We saw Maudie come 'n' go, so we knew ye were awake," Harris replied.
"So that gives ye th' right tae just barge into my room uninvited," Merida huffed once more as she tried desperately to deflect her brother's attention from his initial question. Harris, however, was not distracted.
"That's beside the point," Harris replied firmly, "what's this aboot a Viking?" Merida could feel her face flush with Harris' words. She knew that it was far too late. Of all the moments for her brothers to walk in on her, it had to be the very moment she'd inadvertently uttered the word Viking. It was beyond unfortunate timing and she knew without doubt that her brothers would not let this go without some sort of an explanation.
"Well," Harris pressed her, "are ye gonna tell us o' not?" He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow as he gazed up at her expectantly.
"Aye and what's with the flowers," Hubert asked pointing at her hand. Merida's face turned nearly as red as her hair as she glared at the three boys.
"Wheesht yer glaikit geggy," Merida nearly growled. In an instant she pulled her three brothers into the room and quickly shut the door behind them. In all the commotion the note Hiccup had written to her fell from the bouquet that she was still holding and fluttered to the floor unnoticed by all except Hamish. Without a word, Hamish quietly knelt down and picked up the paper quickly, unbeknownst to the others.
Merida walked past the three boys and began to pace as she debated her response to the boys' inquiry. Harris' heart froze in worry as he continued to eye the bouquet in her hand. All at once he came to the startling realization of why exactly Merida had continued to hide the existence of her new "friend".
"It's that boy isn't it," Harris questioned as he looked up at her once more, "yer new friend? Is…is that why he's not supposed tae be in Dunbroch? Is…is he a Viking?" Merida paused and gazed back at Harris with a serious expression on her face but she remained quiet. Her lack of words seemed to confirm Harris' frightful allegation. His eyes went wide as he gazed up at his sister in disbelief.
"Merida, have ye lost yer mind," Harris cried out in exacerbation. "Ye cannae be friends wi' a Viking! They're dangerous, they cannae be trusted! When mum finds out she'll…"
"Well, mum's nae goin' tae find out, is she," Merida replied firmly as she glared at Harris, "is she?" Harris gazed back at Merida in shock. Merida had all but confirmed his suspicion.
"Ye cannae keep this from mum," Harris replied, "she's goin tae find out whether ye want her to o' not!" Merida's heart dropped to her feet with Harris words. All at once she felt as if her world was suddenly spinning out of her control. How could she have been so careless as to even speak the word Viking aloud. Her brother's reaction was just as she feared her mother's reaction would be. The immediate distrust at the mere mention of Hiccup being a Viking, was heart wrenching...but expected. After all they had been taught all their lives to fear Vikings.
Now that her brothers had stumbled upon the truth, she couldn't be sure if they would continue to keep her secret, at least until she and Hiccup came forward. It was true that Merida and her brothers had often kept each other's secrets to a point, it was sort of an unspoken pact between them. However, if said secret might possibly jeopardize the safety of their sibling, that pact was null and void. By the expressions of concern on her brothers' faces, she could see that they seemed to now be questioning their decision to keep her secret for fear of everything they had come to "know" about Vikings. The absolute last thing she wanted to happen was for her brothers to run straight to their mother and tell her everything.
"If any one of ye so much as breathes a word o' this tae mum," Merida growled, "so help me…."
"If she finds out it will nae be from us," Hubert blurted out quickly.
"Aye," Harris affirmed, "that's what we came tae tell ye." Merida gazed at her brothers in concern.
"Mum already suspects that yer hiding something," Harris continued, "she's been lookin' into it since yesterday."
"Aye, Hubert confirmed, "we overheard her discussin' it wi' dad after ye ran off yesterday." Merida furrowed her brow as she pondered what her brothers had told her. Though she had anticipated her mother's suspicion in the matter, it still worried her. Now that her brothers were in the know about Hiccup, she was even more worried than before.
"We know ye like this lad Merida," Harris continued more calmly, "we wanted tae convince ye tae tell mum aboot him yer self before she finds out on her own. We thought maybe if ye were honest wi' mum, she might consider yer friend o'er the suitors." Merida glanced back and forth between her brothers in surprise.
"Aye," Hubert chimed in, "but that was before we knew he was a no-good Viking!"
"Aye," Harris aggreed, "if we had known he was hee haw mair than a boggin, clatty scoundrel we would hae told mum foremaist thing." Merida groaned as she rolled her eyes at her brothers' comment.
"He is not a scoundrel," Merida growled defensively.
"Seriously Merida," Harris replied, "do ye nae recall any o' th' lessons mum taught us about Vikings? They're pure evil, they lie, cheat, 'n' steal, they raid 'n' plunder villages, they kill wi'oot remorse! How can ye even consider bein' friends with th' likes o' him, knowin the trouble they caused in Dunbroch and especially knowin' what happened tae mum?" Merida's heart plummeted with her brothers' warnings.
"He's not like that," Merida replied firmly, "he's nothing like the Northern Invaders at all. He is the leader o' a peaceful clan."
"Then ye admit he is a Viking," Hubert questioned.
"Aye," Merida reluctantly admitted, "but I promise ye, he is nothin' like th' Vikings that invaded Dunbroch, "he is nothin' like any o' th' Vikings
mum taught us about!"
"How do ye know that," Harris questioned skeptically.
"I just know," Merida replied in annoyance.
"But how do ye know," Hubert questioned further, "how do ye know he isn't lying, o' just telling ye what ye want to hear?"
"Aye," Harris agreed, "who's tae say that he's not just trying to trick ye into liking him so that he can get what he wants, o' so he can get close to ye and then invade Dunbroch when ye least suspect it?"
"That's nae goin' to happen," Merida replied insistently, "he'd never do that! He has no interest in invading Dunbroch!"
"But ye've barely known him a little over a week," Hubert replied, "how do ye know he wouldn't?"
"Because," Merida huffed in annoyance.
"Because why," Harris questioned.
"Because," Merida groaned, "because I, because I…I know his heart!" The three brothers gazed at their sister with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Merida sighed as she slumped onto her bed and dropped her eyes to the floor in defeat. She dropped the bouquet upon the bed beside her and turned her eyes back to her brothers.
"I admit... when he first told me he was a Viking I was just as suspicious as the lot o' ye," Merida continued somberly, "but he's different I promise ye. He...he's kind, a-and honest, he'd never lie, cheat o' steal! He'd never hurt anyone except to defend himself o' his people. He…he's brave and honorable and the least selfish person I've ever met. And he...he cares about me, the real me, not just the crown I come with." Her brothers looked at each other for a moment as they considered Merida's admission. They turned back to her questioningly.
"If he's as honest as ye say," Harris questioned, "then why has he not come forward? Why is he keeping it a secret that he's here in Dunbroch?"
"Aye," Hubert chimed in, "what's he got to hide?" Merida sighed heavily as she pondered her brothers' questions. Her mind drifted to her and Hiccup's earlier conversation.
...
"Do you really think that my starting off with your parents with a lie is wise?"
"It's not lyin'," Merida replied defensively, "it…it's just... holdin' off on tellin' them everything until the time is right." Hiccup shook his head in disagreement.
"I...I don't know how I feel about that Merida," Hiccup replied, "I just want to be open and honest with your parents from the start. The last thing I want is for them to have any reason to doubt me or...or question my feelings for you."
...
Merida sighed heavily once more as the memory of she and Hiccup's disagreement ran through her mind.
"It's not his fault," Merida groaned as she stood from the bed and began to pace once more, "it's mine! He doesn't want to hide anything; he wants to come forward openly and honestly. I'm the one that wants to keep it a secret!"
"Why," Harris asked. He furrowed his brow as he looked up at her curiously.
"Because I'm afraid," Merida admitted. She paused in her pacing and sighed heavily, "especially after the argument I had with mum about Vikings the other day, a-and... then yesterday when she announced the coming of the suitors as well, I'm afraid of what mum will do when she finds out that he's a Viking. I'm afraid she'll take my choice from me and force me to wed one of the lord's sons."
"Mum wouldn't do that Merida," Hamish said assuredly as he stepped forth from behind his brothers. Merida paused and turned her eyes to Hamish. He gazed up at his sister with a reassuring expression on his face. "Mum just wants ye tae be happy," Hamish continued, "she said so herself. She said it dinnae matter who ye choose, so long as he's a good person and treats ye well." Merida remained silent for a long moment as she thought over Hamish's words.
Though this newest bit of information gave her some hope, she still remained reluctant about revealing the whole truth about Hiccup to her mother. It was one thing for her mother to say that she'd accept whoever Merida should choose, but accepting a Viking was quite another. In fact, she was certain that the very idea of her choosing a Viking was probably the last thought that would ever cross her mother's mind. She dropped her eyes from Hamish as the memory of her and her mother's argument in the archive played over in her mind.
...
"A've seen Vikings, Merida, real Vikings, nae this ridiculous romantic version o' thaim! They're brutal 'n' vicious fiends, they wid stop at nothin' tae git whit thay waant! There is na act tae violent, 'n' na line thay wouldn't cross!" Elinor continued to gaze at her daughter with an expression that was dead serious.
"The ideas that journal has put in yer head are dangerous and foolish and would only get ye into trouble if by fate ye should meet a Viking," Elenor continued, "the scandal of Mairead was nae that she fell in love but that her misplaced trust might have cost her the kingdom maybe even her life! For I am certain that this Viking boy from Berk knowingly took advantage of her naivety. I believe that it's more likely that he pursued her just to steal the throne out from under her."
Merida gazed at her mother in disbelief.
"No, I don't believe that," Merida replied, "Mairead loved Hiccup, and he loved her! He didn't care that she was a princess, he didn't care that she would be queen. He only wanted her heart and nothin' more! They were true soul mates, but it was people like ye that tore them apart!"
"People like me," Elinor replied, "people like me."
"Aye," Merida replied defiantly, "people like ye, who'd rather judge a whole population of people for what others have done!"
"Do nae ye dare imply that I'm intolerant Merida," Elinor replied, "people like me are nae the enemy. It's people like them that are the enemy! I've seen their brand of tolerance first hand! They kill, they torture, they brutalize! I pray ye ne'er see that first hand. I pray ye ne'er meet a Viking in yer life!"
...
Merida sighed heavily as the memory of she and her mother's regrettable argument weighed on her mind. Not only had she met a Viking, but she'd fallen for him too. If her mother felt so strongly about keeping her as far away from Vikings as possible, then she was sure to be appalled by the fact that Merida had fallen in love with one. She was certain that her mother would feel the same way about she and Hiccup as she did about Mairead and Hiccup the first. There was simply no telling how Elinor would react or what she would think upon learning the truth. Merida honestly did not know what to expect from her mother upon meeting Hiccup and understandably she feared the worst.
"Ye know as well as I mum's opinion o' Vikings," Merida replied, "I just don't know how I'll ever convince mum to see him any differently than any other Viking she's come across." She sank back down upon her mattress and huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. She tried her best to hold back the tears of frustration that had begun to form in her eyes.
The three brothers looked at each other in concern. It seemed Merida was set in her opinion that this Viking whom she had befriended was honorable. And though she hadn't said it outright, it was clear to them that she cared for him deeply. Just by the look of distress on her face over her precarious predicament, her feelings were blatantly obvious. The boys nodded to one another as they unanimously came to an unspoken agreement. They had come here to help Merida, and that's exactly what they were going to do. They turned their eyes back to their sister.
"Well, ye won't know unless ye try," Hamish replied assuredly.
"Aye," Hubert agreed, "if he is as good a person as ye say...mum is sure to see that."
"Maybe ye should at least try to talk to mum," Harris chimed in. Merida shook her head in uncertainty as she thought over her brothers' suggestions.
"I don't know," Merida replied.
"Mum is nae against ye Merida," Hamish insisted, "she just wants to be sure ye make the right choice. She said so herself. She does nae wish to force ye to make a choice that would make ye unhappy. She said yer still free to refuse the suitors if ye see fit." Merida silently pondered over her brothers' suggestions, which seemed to almost mirror Hiccup's previous words from their most recent conversation.
...
"Hey, I know that you are frustrated, and angry with her right now, but…she's still your mom, ya know," Hiccup replied, "by the way you talk about her…it's clear to me that she cares about you and she just wants you to be happy. Maybe she should be going about all of this some other way, but I really think she's only doing what she thinks is best. Even though it's not a choice you agree with, I'm sure her intentions are good."
"You even said, just this morning, that your mother would stand by your decision, whatever it is," Hiccup went on, "maybe that's true whether your choice is one of the suitors or someone else or…or maybe even to rule on your own."
"Maybe you should just try to give your mom the benefit of a doubt," Hiccup suggested, "attempt to see her point of view in the matter, and give her the chance to explain. If the two of you sit down and actually talk instead of just butting heads, you could figure all of this out."
...
With Hiccup's words in mind and now what she had learned from her brothers, Merida could not help but to think that maybe Hiccup's suggestion wasn't as far off as she previously thought. Maybe by agreeing to the suitors her mother truly was just trying to buy her some time to allow her to make her own decision. That being said, perhaps she and Hiccup stood a better chance than she previously thought. Of course, the one thing that still remained to be seen was whether or not Elinor would truly accept her daughter's choice if that choice also happened to be a Viking. Be that as it may, her brothers and Hiccup made a good point; if she didn't at least try to talk to her mother, then she would never know.
"She really said that," Merida questioned. The three boys nodded in unison.
"Aye," Hamish replied, "she's on yer side and so is dad. They said they wouldn't go back on their promise to ye."
Merida sighed heavily as she thought over what Hamish had told her. Perhaps Hiccup was right after all, perhaps in her anger she had not given her mother the chance to fully explain. Regardless, her worry over her mother's reaction to Hiccup still remained. Even though her mother vowed to keep her word, that didn't diminish Merida and Hiccup's complicated dilemma. He was still a Viking and there was simply no guarantee that her mother would accept him.
But Elinor was not her only concern. Even if Merida and Hiccup did manage to get through to her mother, they'd still have to deal with the Lord's eventually. Knowing now what her great, great grandfather had allegedly done to both Mairead and Hiccup the first in pursuit of the throne only magnified her worry. She would not underestimate the Lords or their sons. If her own grandfather was capable of such heartlessness in his quest for power, she could only imagine what the Lords were capable of.
Merida silently debated her actions. Now that her brothers knew the truth about Hiccup it was only a matter of time before her parents would too. After all, a secret spoken aloud is seldom kept. That in mind she supposed coming forward sooner rather than later was still she and Hiccup's best option regardless of her hesitation. She turned her eyes back to her brothers.
"Maybe ye should just talk to mum about the suitors," Hamish suggested, "let her tell ye herself how she feels about it, then ye can decide whether to tell her about yer friend o' not." Merida sighed heavily as she silently came to her decision. First Hiccup, and now her brothers all had the same suggestion; for her to talk to her mother. She supposed it couldn't hurt to at least try to speak civilly with her mother. Maybe if she gave her mother the chance to fully explain, she'd indeed find that the situation wasn't quite as bad as she had first thought, just as Hiccup had suggested. If all that her brothers had told her was indeed true, then Hiccup was right all along. She decided to at least talk to Elinor about the suitor situation and maybe feel her mother out in regards to Hiccup. If all went well, and that was a big if, then maybe she'd tell her mom about Hiccup before their planned confession.
"Okay," Merida groaned, "I'll talk to mum. But just about the suitors. I'm still not sure about the rest." Her three brothers smiled up at her reassuringly.
"Ye should tell her everything," Hamish insisted, "if yer just honest about how ye feel, mum's reaction might surprise ye." Merida shook her head as she listened. Though she supposed her brothers and Hiccup might very well be right about her mother not abandoning her promise that Merida could marry as she pleased; she was still concerned that her mother would never accept Hiccup. Regardless of her worry, the plan to come forward in a few days' time still remained. She sighed heavily once more as she silently weighed her concerns.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Merida replied as she crossed her arms over her chest, "he and I have already decided to come forward, probably in the next day o' so."
"Well, we will do everything we can to help ye get through to mum," Hamish replied assuredly.
"Aye," Harris agreed, "we are here for ye, whatever ye need. So long as ye dae nae have to marry one o' the Lords' glaikit sons. At least a Viking is far from boring." Despite her worry, Merida chuckled lightly at Harris' comment.
"I thought all Vikings were hee haw mair than a bunch o' no good scoundrels," Merida replied flatly as she raised an eyebrow questioningly at Harris. Harris shrugged in response.
"If ye truly trust him," Harris replied, "and he's as honorable as ye say, then we should give him a fair shot at least." Merida smiled at her brother's words.
"Of course, it'd be best if we met him face to face," Harris said with a raised eyebrow, "to judge for ourselves." Merida rolled her eyes.
"Not a chance," Merida replied flatly.
"What," Harris exclaimed indignantly, "why not...we just said we'd give him a fair shot!"
"Aye that may be so," Merida replied, "but the least ye know the better, for now anyway. There's a lot more at stake than ye know. If I take ye with me to his camp, then ye'll know where to find it and if mum should suspect ye, she may force ye to lead the guards right to him."
"What difference does that make if yer coming forward in a day or so like ye said, "Harris replied.
"The answer is no," Merida replied firmly as she walked forward past the three boys. She paused by the door and looked back at them.
"Ye'll meet him after we come forward and nae a moment before," Merida went on, "now let's get down to breakfast before mum suspects that we've been colluding all morn."
"Fine," Harris groaned. He dropped his head in disappointment and sulked past his sister followed by his two brothers. Merida rolled her eyes and shook her head as she followed after them, pulling the door shut behind her.
The riders en route to Eret's village.
Astrid breathed a sigh of relief when Eret's old village finally came into view. She was more than anxious to get to the bottom of whatever this was all about. Though she still didn't know exactly what she would find here, if anything, or whether or not whatever she found would connect to her findings in Berk. All she knew for certain was that the mystery of Eret's family history still haunted him to this day. Whether he admitted it or not, she knew he still questioned his past.
Eret was initially anxious to return to his home when they had visited his village previously. However, upon arrival, he simply could not bring himself to enter the house in which he once resided with his mother. There were simply too many painful memories associated with that place that made it difficult for him to be there. Though she was beyond curious about Eret's past, Astrid had not pushed him to go any further. But now she was absolutely determined to find any secrets that might still be waiting there.
"So, what is this place," Snotlout questioned as he directed Hookfang to fly up beside Stormfly. Astrid glanced over at him.
"It's called Eystribyggð," Astrid replied, "Eret lived there with his mother and father…well, when his father was around."
"So Eret has Daddy issues too," Tuffnut replied, "I can relate." Ruffnut visibly rolled her eyes at her brother's comment.
"What daddy issues do you have," she questioned flatly. Tuffnut shrugged.
"I don't know, boot night was always pretty traumatizing," Tuffnut responded. Ruffnut smirked at her brother.
"You're just upset because you always got dad's smellier boot," Ruffnut replied smugly.
"Exactly," Tuffnut replied, "you've always been his favorite, of course I have daddy issues!" Ruffnut just rolled her eyes.
"Alright, enough you two," Astrid replied in annoyance.
As the group of riders prepared to land, Astrid could see the villagers already beginning to congregate on the bluffs. She smiled at the site of the village children running about excitedly and waving to the riders. Amongst the crowd of onlookers, Astrid could see Chief Ivar the Good and his daughter Sigrid gazing up at them curiously. She could only assume that the Chief was questioning both her arrival and Eret's absence.
Slowly the group descended, landing only a few feet away from where the villagers had gathered. Astrid jumped down from Stormchaser's back and was immediately bombarded with the children of the village whom excitedly asked barrages of questions about Stormchaser and the other dragons and riders. She chuckled as she tried her best to decipher one from the other as they all talked at once. The adults of the village merely looked on in curiosity.
"Good to see you Astrid," The chief's deep voice silenced the children's inquiries. The crowd separated allowing the Chief to pass as he approached the new arrivals. Astrid looked up at the chief and smiled warmly.
"Chief Ivar," she replied, "how are you?"
"Fine, fine," Chief Ivar replied, "I see you brought some of your countrymen with you."
"Yes," Astrid replied, "these are the dragon riders of Berk. This is Tuffnut, Ruffnut and Snotlout." Each rider nodded as she introduced them, "guys this is Chief Ivar the Good."
"It's nice to meet you all," Chief Ivar replied as he glanced at each one of them, "Astrid and Eret both told us all about you and your adventures." The chief then motioned for his daughter to step forward. A girl of about 18 years of age stepped forth beside her father. She had long auburn hair and deep brown eyes and immediately caught the attention of both Snotlout and Tuffnut.
"This is my daughter Sigrid," the Chief said. Sigrid smiled brightly at Astrid.
"Nice to see you again Astrid," Sigrid said.
"You too, "Astrid started but she was quickly pushed aside as Tuff and Snotlout practically tripped over each other to introduce themselves.
Both Astrid and Ruff rolled their eyes at the sight.
"Hey," Snotlout said suavely, as Tuffnut discreetly elbowed him and then stepped in front of him.
"Ouch, hey," Snotlout groaned. Tuffnut quickly took Sigrid's hand and kissed the back of it.
"Sigrid huh, that's a really pretty name," Tuffnut said sauvely. "Name's Tuffnut," he continued, "but you can just call me Tuff for short." Sigrid chuckled lightly in spite of herself.
"So, what does a pretty girl such as yourself like to do for fun around here," Tuff asked.
"Uh...well," Sigrid began. But Snotlout purposely pushed Tuff to the side with his shoulder and then took his place in front of Sigrid.
"Don't mind him," Snotlout replied, "I'm Snotlout...it's really nice to meet you Sig... can I call you Sig... or may just Grid... how about beautiful?" He raised his eyebrows a few times as he smiled at her goofily.
"Um...just Sigrid is fine," she replied awkwardly. Both Astrid and Ruffnut gazed at the two men in annoyed amusement.
"No wonder the two of them don't have girlfriends," Ruff said, "they are way too pushy." Astrid raised an eyebrow at Ruffnut's comment.
"Sigrid why don't you take the riders to the dining hall," Chief Ivar interrupted, "I'm sure they're famished from their journey. Sigrid nodded with a smile.
"Follow me, "Sigrid replied. With that the group headed off to the dining hall. But Astrid hung back to speak to the chief. The chief turned his attention back to Astrid.
"So, Astrid, to what do we owe this unexpected visit," Chief Ivar asked curiously, "and where might Eret be? Everything is okay I hope?"
"Everything is fine," Astrid replied with a smile, "Eret's just away on a scouting mission with Chief Hiccup." The chief nodded as he gazed at her curiously. He couldn't help but to feel that her answer was purposely vague.
"I am here on his behalf," Astrid continued. Chief Ivar continued to gaze at Astrid curiously.
"Why do I feel like there is a lot more to that story," the chief replied knowingly. Astrid sighed as she looked up at him.
"Because there is," Astrid replied with a sigh, "a lot more...and it's all going to sound crazy and completely far-fetched, but it has to do with Eret's past...his family's past." The chief nodded at her answer as he gazed at her curiously.
"Alright...come," the chief replied as he waved her to follow, "let's get you and your people fed, we'll talk more in the dining hall." Astrid nodded in agreement.
Hiccup's camp
It was late morning and Hiccup sat by the fire reading through Mairead's journal for near the hundredth time. He was still trying to piece together what little clues it gave, hoping he might stumble upon some crucial detail he had missed somewhere. His eyes darted back and forth between the journal itself and his notebook as he compared his notes to the actual journal. Eret eyed him curiously as he approached his old friend and sat down beside him.
"So...no Merida this morning," Eret asked nonchalantly. Hiccup looked up from the journal and briefly glanced over at Eret with a slight smirk on his face.
"You know you ask about her a lot," Hiccup replied as he turned his eyes back to his work. Eret furrowed his brow at Hiccup's comment.
"What, "Eret scoffed, "no I don't." Hiccup looked up once more as he furrowed his brow at Eret disbelievingly.
"I don't," Eret repeated firmly as he stood from his place and began to stoke the fire. He turned back to Hiccup.
"I-I was just curious," he replied defensively, "usually you leave at dawn to meet her. I was just curious as to why today you didn't. I don't care either way." As Eret attempted to explain his curiosity, he began to pace, which did not go unnoticed by Hiccup.
"If you say so," Hiccup replied distractedly. He turned his eyes back to the book, but instead of continuing to read he inconspicuously kept an eye on Eret. He followed his friend with his eyes as he unwittingly paced back and forth with a look of deep thought on his face. Hiccup could not help but to wonder what exactly was weighing on Eret's mind and whether or not it had anything to do with Merida, as he assumed it might.
Ever since Merida had admitted her strange feelings upon meeting Eret, Hiccup was still very curious about whether or not Eret might have felt similarly to Merida. In addition to this possibly being the reason for Eret acting off, Hiccup began to wonder if this could also be the reason for his friend's continuous curiosity about Merida. If it were true, Hiccup wondered why Eret was continuing to keep quiet about it.
Eret sighed heavily as he plucked an apple from the food bag and then plopped down on the log across from Hiccup. Hiccup glanced up at him from behind his book.
"She'll be here later this afternoon," Hiccup said as he turned his eyes back to the book, "I'm hoping that she will at least attempt to talk to her mom this morning." Eret raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he turned his eyes back to Hiccup.
"Really," Eret questioned curiously, "you actually managed to talk her into it then?" Hiccup sighed as he closed the book and set it aside. He then leaned forward as he looked up at Eret.
"I don't know," Hiccup replied, "I hope so...I mean, I tried my best to convince her. I don't really think that she'll actually tell her mom anything about me just yet, but I'm hoping that she and her mother at least talk about this whole suitor business. I think that if they actually talk to each other instead of just butting heads, that maybe they could come to some sort of an understanding. Maybe then Merida wouldn't be so afraid to come forward." Eret nodded as he listened to Hiccup's explanation. He took a bite of his apple and then wiped the juice from his mouth with his sleeve.
"Do you think it will work," Eret questioned as he continued to chew his bite of apple. Hiccup shrugged at Eret's question.
"Like I said before, Merida is just so worked up about the suitors coming that she actually thinks her mom is totally against her," Hiccup continued, "maybe if the two of them just talk calmly, Merida will see that, that's not true at all. Maybe if she and her mom are at least on the same page about everything, Merida will be more willing to tell her about us."
"I see," Eret replied.
"I also sort of suggested that she ask her mom more about what happened with the Vikings that took her sister," Hiccup continued. Eret furrowed his brow at Hiccup's statement.
"So, you can figure out which clan invaded her village," Eret questioned. Hiccup nodded.
"That and I want to know exactly how she feels about Vikings," Hiccup replied, "maybe if we understand better why she hates Vikings so much we can figure out how best to get through to her about Berk." Eret nodded in understanding. He seemed to be silently mulling over all that Hiccup had said, though he remained somewhat skeptical of Hiccup's reasoning.
"I get your reasoning for wanting to find out which clan invaded Dunbroch," Eret replied, "but you already know how her mother feels about Vikings...and you already know exactly why. So, what difference would it make to know every detail?" Hiccup sighed as he thought over Eret's question.
"Well, if we actually manage to find out who the invaders were," Hiccup replied, "then it's possible that we could also find out what actually happened to her mom's sister. Who knows...maybe we could even find out where her sister might have been taken." Eret furrowed his brow at Hiccup's statement.
"She was taken over thirty years ago," Eret replied, "how exactly do you expect to do that?" Hiccup shrugged.
"I know it's probably a little far-fetched," Hiccup replied, "but it's possible."
"Just because it's possible doesn't mean you should do it," Eret replied, "do you really think drudging up the queen's painful past is going to somehow help your case for Berk?" Hiccup shrugged.
"I don't know...maybe," Hiccup replied, "it might be worth a shot anyway."
"Right," Eret replied skeptically, "and suppose the worst has already happened. Do you want to be responsible for raising the queen's hopes and then dashing them to bits with the unavoidable truth that her sister has most likely been dead at the hands of her captors for years."
"That's not necessarily true though," Hiccup replied, "it's possible that she escaped the Vikings, just like your mom did."
"Don't do that," Eret huffed, "don't use my mother's story as some kind of an example to...to go chasing after some false narrative."
"That's not what I'm doing," Hiccup replied defensively, "all I'm saying is that if your mom escaped that it's at least possible that the queen's sister did too. Not only did your mom escape...but she also went on to find love a-and have a life and a family. What if the same is true for the queen's sister too?" Eret sighed heavily at Hiccup's words, as he stood up from his place and began to pace once more.
"Some life," Eret replied, "secretly married to a man that was barely around and who probably didn't even love her really." Hiccup sighed as he thought over Eret's comment.
"If that were true," Hiccup replied, "then why would your father marry her to begin with? If he didn't truly care, why would he help her escape at all? Why not just turn a blind eye like the rest of the crew? Think about it Eret, your father went against his chief and captain by helping her escape. You know better than anyone the consequences of such action, especially in a barbaric tribe like that. Why would he risk his own life to save her if he didn't care at all?" Eret remained quiet for a long moment as he pondered Hiccup's words. Hiccup made a legitimate point, but his anger over his father's absence still haunted him and he could only see the situation through jaded eyes.
"My point is that your mom was taken from her home, just like Merida's aunt," Hiccup went on, "she still has a family out there somewhere that never got closure, just like Merida's mom. They will never know what happened to her, or where she is. They'll never know that she escaped and went on to have a new life and a family. They'll never stop hoping that she's out there, or that they'll find her one day. Don't you think that your mom's family would have at least liked to know about your mom and what became of her? Don't you think they'd want to know about you?"
Eret remained silent as he continued to ponder Hiccup's words. He had never quite thought about it from Hiccup's perspective before. He had never thought about any of it from his mother's family's perspective before. The idea that there might still be people looking for his mother somewhere, still wondering where she is and what became of her, left him feeling slightly heartbroken. All at once his mother's words from his most recent dream ran through his mind.
...
"Does that song make you sad," Eret asked. His mother nodded.
"Why," Eret asked.
"It reminds me o' the past," she replied, "my mum used tae sing it tae me when I was but a wee lass…and I used tae sing it tae my sister." Little Eret nodded as he thought over her answer.
"Where are they," Eret asked as he gazed up at her curiously.
"I lost them both a long time ago," his mother replied sadly. Eret thought about her reply for a long moment.
"Do you miss them mama," Eret asked.
"Aye, very much so," his mother replied with a sad far-off look in her eye. He lifted his head and looked up at her curiously.
"If they're only lost," Eret asked innocently, "why don't you just go and find them." His mother remained quiet for a long moment as she thought over his innocent question.
"Aye, maybe some day I will."
...
All these years, Eret never really thought about his mother's lost family. It had never occurred to him that maybe they had searched for her all that time, maybe they were searching still. His mother had missed her family every day that she lived. He began to wonder why she would ever give up her search for her home and why had she never tried to return? His father certainly never gave up the search for his own missing homeland, even at the expense of his own family. How fair was that? His father was always off searching for his long-lost home, while his mother was left alone pining for hers. The thought of it made him even angrier at his father for his abandonment and neglect. But his heart nearly broke for his mother and her missing family at the thought of the reunion that could never be. In addition to blaming his father, Eret also blamed himself. Had he not existed, she might very well have gone home. By her own admission, she had chosen him and his father over her own family. Eret couldn't help but to feel inadvertently guilty about keeping his mother from her grieving family.
"Why would they want to know about me," Eret questioned skeptically, "all I am is a reminder that she was taken."
"Because you are a part of her," Hiccup replied, "how could they not want to know you? Don't you think that her family would be happy to know that a part of your mom still lives on in you?" Eret dropped his eyes from Hiccup. He sighed heavily as he thought over Hiccup's words.
"Can you imagine if the same were true of the queen's sister," Hiccup questioned further, "what if after all these years she's just been living her life, separated from her family. Maybe she is just afraid to come home after all that she's been through. What if she has children of her own that have no idea about her family."
"If she were truly alive," Eret huffed, I would think she would have come home by now, or at the very least attempted to contact her family. Don't you agree?" Hiccup shrugged.
"Not necessarily," Hiccup replied, "my mom didn't come back for nearly twenty years and honestly, if I hadn't accidentally found her, she'd probably still be out there and I'd be none the wiser. Maybe the same is true of the queen's sister too. Maybe she's just... waiting to be found. Or maybe she's just given up on the idea of coming home after so many years gone."
"Or maybe the worst has already happened," Eret spat, "and you bringing it up to the queen will do little more than open old and painful wounds that she'd rather forget."
"Or maybe at least knowing would give Merida's mom some form of closure," Hiccup replied.
"Right, and you think that would be enough for her," Eret replied, "just to know what happened one way or another? Do you think that knowing the worst has already happened is better than not knowing and hoping that her sister is still out there somewhere?" Hiccup shrugged at Eret's questions.
"I would want to know," Hiccup replied, "If there was even a question that my mom was alive and off living with dragons, instead of just believing all those years that she was dead. It'd be enough for me just to know that she was alive."
"Yes, but your mom actually is alive Hic," Eret replied, "would you still feel the same if instead of finding her, you found legitimate proof that she was actually dead?" Hiccup shrugged once again.
"I...I don't know," Hiccup replied. Eret sighed at his response.
"Look, I know you mean well Hic," Eret went on, "but maybe its best that you just leave this question about the queen's sister be. It's one thing to find out who the Northern invaders were, but it's quite another to go looking for a woman that's probably been dead for thirty years. Do you really want to raise her mother's hopes when the likelihood of her sister actually being alive is slim to none. From what you've said, it seems to me that the queen has already been traumatized from that event enough, so much so that she's literally lived in fear of Vikings her whole life. Because of it, she's taught her children that all Vikings are evil and can't be trusted." Hiccup nodded as he thought over Eret's concerns.
"Whatever happened in the past...it should be left in the past," Eret continued, "you should just focus on your grandfather's history here, and proving yourself so you can be with Merida. That's far more important than looking into the queen's past."
Hiccup sighed heavily as he dropped his eyes to the ground in contemplation of the situation. He leaned forward, resting his elbows upon his knees as he silently mulled over all that his friend had said. Hiccup supposed that Eret made a good point. There was far too much weighing on his mind right now. He had formed multiple theories about his grandfather's time here, the suitor debacle, decoding the cryptic messages from Mairead, Eret's mysterious past, and now the mystery of the queen's missing sister as well as the Vikings that took her. It seemed he was inadvertently distracting himself from his most important goal; gaining the king and queen's approval to be with Merida. Everything else could wait. There would be plenty of time to further investigate he and Merida's multiple conundrums after their main goal was achieved.
Not only should he be focused on gaining the royal family's approval, but he also should be preparing for the inevitable and impending fight with the coming suitors. The suitors were set to arrive in a matter of days and it was imperative that he and Merida have her family on their side before then.
"You're right," Hiccup sighed heavily. He leaned forward and ran his fingers through his messy brown hair as he thought everything over. After a few moments he picked up Mairead's journal and his notebook. He stood from his place and stuffed the notebook back into his pocket and then headed over to his travel bag and stuffed the journal back inside. Without a word he strapped on his armored chest plate, picked up his helmet and whistled for Toothless.
"Where are you going now," Eret questioned.
"I need to clear my head," Hiccup replied simply.
"I'm not sure that flying Toothless around Dunbroch in broad daylight is wise," Eret replied. Hiccup furrowed his brow at Eret's comment.
"Okay mom," Hiccup replied flatly. Eret crossed his arms over his chest and gave Hiccup a stern, unappreciative look. Hiccup sighed heavily as he rolled his eyes.
"Look, I have a lot on my mind," Hiccup said in slight frustration, "I have too much on my mind and I need to clear my head, so I'm going. Don't worry...I'll just... stay on the un-inhabited side of the island."
"And if someone sees you," Eret started.
"Then they see me," Hiccup replied in annoyance, "and then Merida and I will just have to come forward sooner than planned." Eret gazed at Hiccup with a smirk.
"I don't think Merida would be too happy with that," Eret said smugly. Hiccup rolled his eyes at Eret's comment.
"She'll get over it," Hiccup quipped. With that Hiccup put on his helmet and hopped onto Toothless' back and the two took off into the woods.
Eret shook his head as he watched the two of them disappear beyond the trees. He then turned his eyes back to the fire and sighed heavily as he thought over all that Hiccup had said during their conversation. He couldn't stop thinking about his mother's family and home. It frustrated him that his father would go off searching for a home he never actually knew, while his wife had literally been stolen from hers. It was true that his father had rescued her, but why did he never take her back home? Why had he kept her from her family? Why, after all that, would he then just abandon her and Eret? It frustrated him that all these questions that now swirled through his mind were unanswered and would remain so, as the only two people with the answers had long been dead.
Not a moment passed after Hiccup and Toothless were out of sight, that Eret heard the familiar shrill call of Hermóðr, Astrid's carrier dragon. He looked up to see the tiny dragon descending from the forest canopy. He smiled slightly as he held his forearm up for the dragon to land. The dragon happily made his perch.
"Hello old friend," Eret replied with a smile as he gently stroked the carrier dragon's scaly head, "what news do you bring me from Berk today?" He reached to the dragon's leg and gently removed the scroll. The dragon then flew over to greet Meatlug, Skullcrusher, and Fishlegs as Eret looked on with a slight grin. He turned his eyes back to the scroll and headed back over to the fire. He sat down and unrolled the scroll and began to read.
…
Dear Eret,
I did get your update on Hiccup. I am glad to hear that you found him so quickly and that he didn't get himself into any sort of trouble. I admit, I wasn't exactly on board with your decision to stay and help with his search, seeing as though this Dunbroch is still technically our enemy. I get that you feel like you need to prove yourself to Hic now that you both have turned a new leaf, but that doesn't mean you should needlessly put yourself in danger.
I spoke to Valka about everything in your letter and she seems to think that Hiccup is exactly where he needs to be right now. She convinced me that we should just allow Hiccup the time he needs to figure out whatever it is he needs to know. But you know me, I can't stand waiting, and I felt completely useless here. So, Valka suggested that we try to look into Berk's history with Dunbroch ourselves, to help you guys out. We started by looking further into Hiccup the first's things. I had hoped that we would find something that Hiccup might have missed or maybe unintentionally left behind. At first, we found little to nothing and we almost decided to give up entirely, but then Valka stumbled upon a collection of letters addressed to Hiccup the first from a woman in Dunbroch. We believe they are from the woman you mentioned before, the one that was involved with Hic's grandfather.
We read through all of the letters and I have to say, if these letters are truly authentic, then they reveal a whole other side to this mystery. However, they only reveal a portion of the story. We still don't know Hiccup the first's side. I imagine if he saved all the letters from her than she must have saved the letters he wrote in response. I was wondering if any of you have found anything similar on your end. If so, then Hiccup should have the other half of them to get the full story. If not, I suggest he finds them. Either way I need to get these letters to him as soon as possible.
But there is something else though, something even more intriguing. It's almost unbelievable and I'm not exactly sure what to make of it. Each of the letters were marked with a wax seal. The symbol that was pressed into the wax is nearly identical to the one on your pendant. I know you won't believe it without seeing it, so I did a rubbing of the symbol and enclosed it with my letter.
As unbelievable as it is, I wonder if Dunbroch might be the homeland that your father searched for all his life. If it's true than you might be just as connected to Dunbroch as Hiccup is. I know it sounds completely crazy and I know how you feel about looking into your past, but I also know that you are still haunted by it. I decided that this warrants further investigation and as you read this I am on my way to your old village. I want to ask the chief more about your father and look for clues in your old home. If I find out anything substantial, I will let you know. I know we both decided that I should stay in Berk, but everything is fine. I'm fine, the baby is fine. Besides, I didn't go alone, I took Ruff, Tuff, and Snotlout with me.
I'm not exactly sure yet how all of this is connected, or if there is any sort of link between your father and this woman from Dunbroch, or what it means if there is. All I know is that all of this means something and I'm going to find out what. Please let me know if you guys find anything else. Also, if you could send an accurate map of Dunbroch. After I head to your old village, I intend to head to Dunbroch to give Hiccup the letters. Do not try to talk me out of it, I've made up my mind and this is far too important. Hopefully by the time I get there I will know more about your father.
In the meantime, please be safe. Hopefully, I'll see you soon. Until then, I'll wait for your word.
Love you,
Astrid
...
After Eret finished reading, he quickly turned to the second page of the letter to see the rubbing Astrid had done of the wax seal. He stood there and gazed at it wide-eyed for a long moment. It was the exact symbol that was on both Merida's letter and his own pendant and as he gazed at it, he was completely dumbfounded. Astrid had found evidence, actual evidence. Though he had been certain that his own discovery was significant, he was reluctant to look into it any further. But now that Astrid had found more, he knew she would not let it go, and she certainly wouldn't allow him to either. Not only that, but Astrid intended to come to Dunbroch after her investigation. He looked up from the letter and briefly glanced back in the direction of Fishlegs and the dragons. He quickly folded the parchment and stuffed it in his pocket. He hadn't told Hiccup of his suspicions yet and honestly; he hadn't planned to any time soon. Hic had enough on his plate. But now it seemed he had no choice. Either he would tell him or Astrid would when she got here.