The monster of the Loch
Slowly and cautiously, Hiccup made his way toward the lake holding his dragon blade out before him at the ready. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he warily neared the water's edge, trying his best to stick to the shadows and avoid the open shoreline. The mist was definitely the thickest by the water and knowing that the creature more than likely could camouflage to its own toxic mist caused Hiccup to remain on edge. He still was not sure what type of creature this kelpie was, nor what exactly it might be capable of. With everything he knew thus far, and every theory he had come up with, he still could not irrefutably rule out that the monster was in fact some unknown species of dragon, but the possibility remained that it was a creature of supernatural origin. As he tentatively inched forward, he could hear Fishlegs still belting out his ballad to Ruffnut and the haunting hum of the alleged beast.
Though he remained ever vigilant, Hiccup began to ponder what his next move would be once he reached Fishlegs. Fish still seemed so completely oblivious to where he was and what he was doing, that Hiccup began to doubt that trying to reason with him was even possible at this point. There was no telling how long Fish had inhaled the toxic fumes, nor how heavily influenced his mind was by the mist. In hindsight, Hiccup wished he had brought an extra strip of cloth to cover Fish's nose and mouth as well. He silently cursed himself for his lack of forethought. Of course, having a mask on at this point would most likely not make a difference anyway as Fish's body would still need time to clear the toxins he'd already inhaled. Hiccup shook the thought from his head and tried to focus on the task at hand, get to Fish and try to talk to him without being seen. Whatever happened after that hinged on Fish's state of mind. Hiccup took a deep breath and pressed on.
When he reached the bank of the lake, Hiccup remained in the shadows and anxiously waited for Fish to come near. Hiccup squinted as he peered through the mist; he could just barely make out Fish heading in his direction as he danced about. He could hear Fish's off-key voice growing louder the closer he got. Hiccup cautiously stepped forward into Fishlegs path, holding his dragon blade out before him. As Fish approached, he continued to sing and dance to the creature's haunting tune, seemingly unaware of Hiccup at all.
...
"And love me for eternity My dearest one, my darling dear
Your mighty words astound me
But I've no need for mighty deeds
When I feel your arms around me"
...
His singing only paused when Hiccup grabbed him firmly by the shoulder, causing him to stumble forward.
"Fish," Hiccup called out as he tried to shake Fish from his stupor, "Fish I need you to snap out of it buddy." Fishlegs immediately pulled himself from Hiccup's grasp as he gazed back at him in aggravation.
"You can't stop me from being with her," Fishlegs declared. Hiccup furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Fish you need to listen to me," Hiccup said firmly, "nothing is what it seems… I need you to come with me now." Hiccup attempted to grab Fishlegs' by the arm, but Fish pulled it quickly away from him.
"No you listen to me," Fish yelled as he slurred his words., " Ruffnut is my one and only, my true love, she's everything to me… I will never stop fighting to be with her. Never…never…ever…never….ever….ev…er….ev…er, why does that word sound so weird," Fish trailed off as he spoke. Hiccup huffed as he gripped the bridge of his nose in frustration. 'Time to improvise', Hiccup thought to himself.
"No one is trying to keep you and Ruffnut apart," Hiccup insisted, "in fact I'm here to take you to Ruffnut, she's just over there." Hiccup motioned to the protective walls of Adag. "She sent me to find you," Hiccup continued, "but you need to come with me now." Fish shook his head reluctantly.
"No…no you're not," Fish replied, "Ruffnut wants me to go to the water." Hiccup's eyes widened with Fishleg's grim statement.
"No, Fish," Hiccup said firmly, "trust me, that is the last thing you wanna do." Fish continued to back away from Hiccup, shaking his head vigorously in denial.
"Fish, I know you're confused," Hiccup continued calmly, "if you come with me now, I promise this will all make sense okay, but I need you to trust me." Hiccup continued to cautiously step forward toward Fish.
"Please," Hiccup pleaded, "come with me now." As Hiccup stood holding his hand out to Fish, the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand on end. And the feeling that he wasn't alone began to creep into his heart once more. Fish turned his eyes past Hiccup and smiled nervously.
"She wants us all to come to the water," Fish said. Hiccup's heart nearly froze in his chest with Fish's ominous words. In that instant, Hiccup heard the water of the lake move and a deep growl rumbled from mere inches behind him. Hiccup stood as motionless as possible. He could feel goosebumps erupt across his skin. He felt the thud of the creature's feet as it stepped upon the shore and the warmth of its breath on the back of his neck. Hiccup gulped as he gripped the handle of his sword tightly in his hand until his knuckles turned white. He cautiously and slowly turned, unsure of what ghastly sight awaited him. Hiccup furrowed his brow as he stared in the direction that he knew the beast to be, but at first sight, he could see nothing but the mist. The more he stared he could just barely make out the outline of the creature's horse like head. There were no features that he could see, it was as if the mist itself had distorted into the faceless shape before him. If he didn't already know the kelpie existed, he might have chalked it up to a trick of the eye. Hiccup shuddered as he gazed upon the ghostly image. He could feel his breath catch in his throat and beads of sweat forming upon his brow. Slowly and cautiously, he brought his dragon blade in front of him causing the creature to snarl. He backed up a step or two, as he continued to stare down the beast.
"Fish get out of here now," Hiccup said in a low firm tone. But Fish was no longer listening, he began to dance about once more and resumed his song.
"Fish," Hiccup growled as he glanced briefly over his shoulder in his friends direction. At the sight of Fish singing and dancing carelessly once more, Hiccup cursed under his breath as he turned back to face the beast. As he continued to hold his sword up, he backed up a few more steps in an attempt to maintain his distance from the kelpie, while staying between the kelpie and Fish. Without a word he ignited his sword. If this was in fact a dragon, as he believed it might be, then surely it would find the flame a soothing distraction, as most feral dragons did. He gently waved the flame to and fro in front of the beast. At first is seemed to be working, Hiccup watched as the kelpie appeared to move its head in unison with the sword, seemingly following the flame and just when Hiccup thought that he might have found a way to effectively distract the kelpie, the creature's head paused and seemed to gaze straight at him. Hiccup gulped, he was certain that if he could see the creature's eyes that they would be staring him down, assessing him. He gulped once again under the weight of the creature's stare, as he tried to anticipate the kelpie's next move. In Hiccup's mind, this staring contest could go one of three ways, either it would see him as food, friend or foe. The odds of which scenario it would be certainly did not bode well for Hiccup considering he was in the creature's territory, and also the creatures history of luring men to their doom. Hiccup stood as still as possible, making no move that could be deemed threatening.
Without warning the beast lowered its head and seemed to take a defensive stance much like Toothless, all the while staring straight in Hiccup's direction. Hiccup held his breath for a moment, 'That's not good,' he thought to himself. But instead of striking, the beast let out a deep and ominous hum that practically caused the air around them to vibrate. The deep sound and vibration instantly caused Hiccup's head to pound and his vision to falter. He winced as he struggled to keep his focus on the beast. The hum continued, assaulting his senses to the point that he couldn't think straight and the pain in his head was the only thought he could focus on. Hiccup dropped to his knees clutching his head with his free hand as he struggled to keep his sword pointed at the beast.
Eret and Merida watched anxiously as Hiccup stood firm in place in front of Fishlegs. He held his sword up defensively, seemingly aimed at some unseen foe. Though he was a good distance from them and despite the thickness of the mist, Merida could clearly see the dread on Hiccup's face. Clearly there was something in the mist in front of Hiccup, though both Eret and Merida could see nothing. A few moments passed as they watched the apparent stand-off, unsure of what to expect. Merida held her breath, her heart frozen in fear. This wasn't right, something very bad was going to happen, she could feel it in her bones. Her patience gave way to her fear as she anticipated the worst.
"This is juist plain glaikit," Merida huffed as she stood from her place behind the wall and took a few steps in Hiccup's direction. Eret quickly stood and grabbed her hand, stopping her from going any further.
"Stop Merida," Eret said firmly. Merida gazed back at him in frustration as she pulled her hand forcefully from his.
"Hiccup said to stay here," Eret said firmly, "this is the plan. We stick to the plan."
"Aye, th' plan is rubbish," Merida growled, "we cannae just sit 'ere 'n' dae hee haw while th' kelpie mak's mince o' thaim! How exactly does he expect us to be his back up when we cannae even see what he's facin'?"
"Hiccup knows what he's doing," Eret replied, "if you march in there right now, you'll only make things worse." Merida crossed her arms over her chest and gazed back at Eret incredulously. But before she had time to object, the creature emitted an eerie low humming sound. Both Eret and Merida turned instantly back to Hiccup just as he fell to his knees and clutched his head while Fishlegs fell to the ground in a heap behind him. Merida's heart nearly stopped at the sight as she gazed ahead in panic.
"Hiccup," she cried out as she attempted to run to him again only to be stopped by Eret grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her back.
"Let go o' me," she yelled out as she fought against him.
"Stop," Eret replied as he held her firmly in place, "you won't help Hiccup by putting yourself in danger too! Just stop and think this through." Merida paused in her struggling and glared up at Eret. She knew he was right. Running straight toward the kelpie would only put herself in danger and that would not save Hiccup or Fish. But knowing Eret was right did not make her feel any better nor did it quell her frustration for him holding her back. Before she could respond, the humming stopped, and they both turned instantly back to Hiccup. He was kneeling upon the ground, his head nearly in his lap, clasping both sides of his head, and his extinguished dragon blade lay on the ground beside him. Hiccup let his arms drop to his sides as he slowly lifted his head. He slowly reached to his dragon blade, weakly clutching the hilt in his hand but seemed to not have the strength to lift it. Fish laid sprawled upon the ground behind him muttering incoherently. Eret and Merida gazed in their direction anxiously, unsure of what to expect. After a few moments of silent suspense, Eret released the breath he'd been holding.
"I think it's gone," Eret said, "I'll go get Hic and Fish. He turned and gazed at Merida with a serious expression on his face. "You stay here," Eret said firmly.
"Lik' hell ah wull," Merida nearly spat as she tried to walk past him.
"Please Merida," Eret pleaded, "I... I promised him." Merida paused with his words and gazed up at him in both annoyance and disbelief.
"Ye what," she questioned.
"I ...I promised Hic I'd keep you away from the kelpie," Eret admitted, "that I'd keep you safe if something should happen. Don't make me go back on my word." Merida could feel her anger rising up as Eret's words sunk into her brain.
"Yer word," she spat, "and what about my word? Do I not get a say in this? Wha urr ye tae say whit ah kin 'n' cannae dae, or Hiccup fur that matter?"
"That's beside the point Merida," Eret replied, "Hic just wants to protect you that's it. It has nothing to do with trying to control you or...or to tell you what you can and can't do." Merida huffed at his answer as she crossed her arms over her chest once more and glared up at him in annoyance. Eret sighed heavily.
"Look, everything is fine," Eret said as he motioned to Fish and Hiccup, "the kelpie probably just caused a distraction so it could get away...Please, just stay here for now. If I need help, I will signal you okay." Merida huffed in annoyance as she reluctantly nodded her head in agreement.
Eret drew his sword and headed in Hiccup and Fishlegs direction moving as quickly and stealthfully as possible. Though he was certain the kelpie had gone, he remained vigilant in case it were to suddenly decide to make a reappearance. He reached Fishlegs first. Fish lay flat on his back still uttering the words to the song under his breath, but he was completely out of it.
"Fish," Eret called out, "Fish you need to get up mate." Eret knelt beside Fish and gently tapped him on either side of the face, trying to arouse him from his stupor. Fish just continued to ramble as he lay upon his back. As Eret attempted to help Fish sit up, he looked up at Hiccup who was still kneeling upon the ground a few feet away, his back facing Eret.. He continued to sit on his knees, clutching the sword in his hand and just gazing ahead of him in the direction of the lake. He still looked very dazed and was breathing heavily, possibly still be recovering from whatever the beast had done to him.
"Hiccup," Eret called out, "are you okay?" Hiccup did not answer him. He remained silent and eerily still as he continued to stare into the mist.
"Hiccup," Eret called out again. Without turning around, Hiccup slowly raised his left arm and clenched his fingers into a tight fist. Eret's eyes widened as he immediately recognized the dragon rider's sign to freeze. It was then that Eret realized that the kelpie had not left at all; it was hidden in plain sight, camouflaged flawlessly by its own mist. Eret gulped as he stared ahead of Hiccup, frantically scanning the lake for any evidence of the creature. Then suddenly his eye caught a small glint of light as the raindrops struck the side of the beast. Eret furrowed his brow as he shuddered at the almost other-worldly sight. He held his breath as he turned and subtly glanced over his shoulder at Merida. She was still peering anxiously from behind the stone wall, her eyes wide with panic.
Merida's heart froze at the sight of Eret gazing back at her with an expression of fear on his face. Eret subtly raised a hand to her, bidding her to stay in her place. Merida nodded silently but internally she was cursing. Her eyes darted back to Hiccup. He remained unmoved from his kneeling position and seemed to be staring intently at the area in front of him. All at once it struck her, the kelpie had not gone as Eret had assumed, it was still hidden in the mist and now the three Vikings were easily within the kelpie's grasp. She audibly gulped as she dropped down behind the wall and leaned up against it, frantically trying to think of what to do. Hiccup had instructed Eret to keep her away from the Kelpie if things went wrong. Though she was annoyed by this, she had reluctantly agreed to stay behind. But how could she do so now while the three Vikings were at the complete mercy of the beast. She could not sit here and watch her new-found friends be picked off one by one. She had to do something, but what?
As she pondered their precarious predicament, she was distracted by a sound like thunder crashing and a splash of water, followed by an ear-piercing screech. She quickly pulled an arrow from her quiver and notched it in her bow. She then stood and peered over the wall in complete terror.
At that moment Hiccup ignited his dragon blade. He then jumped to his feet and began to wave the ignited sword wildly in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder at Eret and signaled him to go. Eret nodded and quickly lifted Fish to his feet, then dragged him off as quickly as possible. Hiccup then turned back to the lake in determination.
"Over here," he cried out boldly, "come and get me." He walked forward fearlessly continuing to wave his dragon blade to keep the kelpie's attention. Suddenly Eret was struck violently by an invisible force and thrown back upon the stony shore, dropping his sword and Fish at the same time. In his stupor, Fishlegs simply fell to the ground like a sack of stones. Hiccup turned instantly when he heard the blow. Eret was already getting up and frantically reaching for his sword. Hiccup quickly turned back and rushed in the direction where he assumed the beast to be, waving his dragon blade frantically to distract the kelpie from Eret once again. But he was knocked to the ground by a sharp blow from his right side. He yelled out in pain as he struck the stony shore with a thud.
"Hiccup," Merida screamed as she witnessed the attack. She quickly ducked down behind the wall once more with her bow in hand, arrow notched and ready.
"Glaikit jimmies and their glaikit plans," she huffed under her breath. With that she stood from her place, climbed atop the wall and began waving her arms around frantically to distract the beast. Eret managed to get to his feet, he quickly picked up his sword and in a moment of bravery he rushed toward the lake in an effort to reach Hiccup, but he was quickly knocked back by the creature. Merida watched in horror as Eret flew clear across the bank and crashed into the wall of Adag only a few yards ahead of her.
"C'moan oot ye glaikit kelpie, ower 'ere," Merida cried out, "how come dinnae ye shaw yersel' 'n' stoap hiding in th' shadows lik' th' feartie-cat ye are!" Hiccup's heart froze at the sound of her voice and he turned his eyes to her in both terror and awe. She stood upon the wall valiantly, every bit the shield maiden she reminded him of. But at the same time the fear of her being hurt flooded his heart. The only thought in his mind now was that he had to protect her.
Without a second thought, Hiccup struggled to his feet clutching the right side of his abdomen. His sword was still in his hand as he scanned the area with a look of both determination and pain on his face. He glanced at the damaged area of the wall where Eret had landed. He could see Eret lying beside the wall upon his left side, still breathing but out cold. He turned to see Fish still sprawled out in the same spot he had fallen when Eret was struck before. He turned back to the lake looking for any evidence of the kelpie's presence. He didn't know which direction the beast had gone, but it was possible to see it if he looked hard enough. It wasn't completely invisible, just hidden well. If he could just see through this damn mist then he would be able to fight the creature off...or at the very least avoid its attacks. But in its camouflaged form the kelpie still had the upper hand. Merida sighed in relief at the sight of Hiccup once again on his feet.
"Are ye okay," she cried out from where she stood.
"I'm good," Hiccup called back without turning around, "I thought I told you to stay away from the lake."
"No, ye told me tae be yer back up," Merida quipped, "'n' it looks tae me like yer in desperate need of it." Hiccup smirked slightly at her comment.
"Touche," Hiccup replied flatly. At that moment Hiccup was struck once again by the invisible monster, knocking his feet out from under him, Hiccup landed on his back with a thud which caused a sharp pain to rip through his already injured abdomen. He groaned in pain.
"Hiccup," Merida cried out. She leapt from the wall quickly, inadvertently landing in a rather deep puddle of mud. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. She'd have a lot of explaining to do later when she came home a wet, muddy mess. Hiccup looked up at her quickly. Holding his hand up bidding her to stop.
"Don't move," he yelled out. Merida paused instantly. Hiccup let his arm fall at his side, his chest still heaving. He didn't make a move to get up yet, figuring the kelpie would let him be for a moment to catch his breath. But something about the kelpie's attacks made Hiccup think that motion was what triggered them. He still had the image of the creature's featureless shape fresh in his mind. He began to wonder if it was truly featureless, or it just appeared so under camouflage. He wasn't entirely sure that the kelpie could actually see them, or if it was in fact sensing their movement.
"Hiccup," Merida called out once more.
"Ya know, it would be really helpful if I could actually see this damn Kelpie, before I get hit," Hiccup cried out into the air. His words gave Merida instant relief, his sarcastic tone letting her know that he wasn't hurt as badly as it looked like he had been. She silently thought over his comment, pondering how to remedy the problem. He knew the kelpie was in his midst earlier, how had he detected it then?
"Hiccup," she questioned, "how did ye know the kelpie was there when ye were with Fishlegs?" Hiccup turned his eyes to her as he thought over her question.
"I felt it," Hiccup replied, "I got a weird feeling…like I wasn't alone, then I felt it breathing behind me." Merida nodded as she thought over his answer.
"But ye didn't see it," she questioned. He looked up at the foggy sky lifting his arm to shelter his face from the falling rain.
"Not at first," Hiccup called out, "but it was directly behind me, close enough that when I turned around, I could feel its breath on my face. I was staring directly at it but I couldn't see it. But then I caught the outline of it, it was like the mist was alive, I can't really explain in it, it was like a distortion in my vision," Merida furrowed her brow as she pondered his words.
"The rain," Eret's strained voice interrupted. Merida turned to Eret who lay a few feet behind her. He lifted his head slightly as he spoke. He groaned as he lifted himself from the ground. And leaned back up against the crumbling wall. As he moved a sharp pain ripped through the right side of his chest. He gripped it tightly as he adjusted his position.
"The rain gave it away," he said with a wince, "I saw a glint of light reflecting off the raindrops as they struck the kelpie, but I only saw it for a moment when it was still." Merida remained quiet as she continued to ponder the bits of information they had provided. What Hiccup described sounded almost like some sort of bodiless apparition, but Eret clearly had seen raindrops strike its body. It wasn't truly invisible. She began to wonder that if the kelpie only appeared so in the mist, maybe without the mist it wouldn't be able to hide. Unfortunately, there was no way to force the mist to dissipate. Eret had seen the creature briefly, when the raindrops struck it, but the problem with rain was that water was clear. Perhaps if they found something else to strike it with, something that would clearly stand out against the mist...like paint, or dye...or... she looked down at her feet at that moment that were currently ankle deep in the puddle she'd landed in.
"Mud," she muttered. She looked over at Hiccup with a determined grin on her face. "I have an idea," she called out. Hiccup slowly sat up clutching his right side for support.
"Don't do anything stupid Merida," Hiccup replied.
"Aye, do ye mean more glaikit than this plan o' yers," Merida replied flatly. As she spoke, she took the dagger from her belt and cut off another piece of cloth from the bottom of her cloak. She sighed heavily at the sight of the tattered cloak. There was no way she would explain that to her mother later. She ripped the fabric into a few strips, then tied each around the tip of an arrow.
"It was a good plan," Hiccup huffed, "and it would have worked if the Kelpie didn't do that weird sound blast thing."
"Please, yer plan was shoddy at best," Merida huffed back, "ye might as well have gone in blindfolded." She dipped the fabric into the puddle of mud until they were sopping wet. Once done she set the arrows atop the wall and then climbed up to the top once more. Once in position, she lifted her bow over her shoulder and notched a muddied arrow. She took her aim in the direction of the lake and waited patiently for the creature to come into view. Hiccup watched nervously in anticipation as she stood motionless atop the wall. He was reminded slightly of the night he shot down Toothless. The black dragon was nearly invisible in the night sky and he remembered waiting anxiously for the perfect moment to take his shot. As he gazed in her direction, he was absolutely certain that she looked far more impressive aiming her weapon at her invisible foe than he had.
Suddenly Merida caught a brief glimpse of light reflecting off a body in the mist. She turned her bow in the direction she had seen the flash of light.
"May my aim be true, and my arrow meet its fate," she whispered under her breath. With that, she let her arrow loose. She watched as the arrow flew off course and struck the ground yards away.
'Damn,' she thought to herself. The weight of the mud-soaked cloth had inadvertently affected the arrows trajectory. She quickly notched another arrow, this time taking a wider aim to compensate for the heavier arrow. The moment she saw another glimpse of light, she let the arrow loose. It flew straight and true, striking the beast dead on, causing it to wail in anger. Though the arrow itself had little effect, it accomplished Merida's goal. The mud from the arrow was now splattered on the body of the beast making it clearly visible. But her eyes went wide in panic as she realized that it was directly behind Hiccup and about to strike.
"Look out Hiccup," Merida cried out pointing in the direction of the beast. Hiccup quickly turned around to see the mud splattered monster. He rolled quickly out of the way just in time to avoid the strike. He inadvertently laughed out loud.
"Merida you're a genius," he yelled out. Merida grinned at his praise as she quickly notched anoher arrow and shot at the creature once again. Now that she was able to see the kelpie, it was much easier to aim at it.
"Go," she yelled out, "I'll distract it." Hiccup quickly grabbed his sword and made a run for it in Fishlegs direction. Merida quickly notched another arrow and let it loose, striking the beast again.
Hiccup knelt beside an unconscious Fishlegs, trying desperately to wake him.
"Come on Come on Come on Fish," Hiccup insisted, "she can only buy us so much time here." He huffed in frustration as he realized his efforts were for naught. He stood quickly tucking the blade in his belt and resorted to dragging Fishlegs away from the area, but Fish's dead weight was too great, and Hiccup's injured abdominal muscles screamed in pain as he tried.
"How the hell does Meatlug carry you around," Hiccup groaned.
"Meatlug,"Hiccup thought out loud. He paused in his efforts and quickly whistled for the dragons. Hopefully Meatlug would be able to help him get Fish to safety. At that moment he turned back to Merida to see how she was fairing against the kelpie. He watched as she quickly let loose several arrows in quick succession as she ran along the edge of the wall. Every arrow met its target but did little to no damage and seemed only to be angering the kelpie more than anything else. Hiccup watched in horror as the kelpie turned back, now setting its sights squarely on Merida. Hiccup let go of Fish and quickly ran back toward Merida, determined to draw the beast's attention away from her.
"Hey, you, over here," Hiccup yelled out. He waved his arms around wildly as he ran, trying desperately to distract the beast away from Merida. But to his dismay, the kelpie paid him no mind whatsoever; its focus solely on the arrow wielding princess.
"Merida," Hiccup cried out. Merida stopped and stood her ground; letting several more arrows loose, but the beast was barely affected at all, and continued in her direction.
"Fuck," Hiccup cursed aloud, "Merida run!" As she began to run, the creature once again let out the eerie hum causing her to stop and cover her ears. Hiccup was stopped in his tracks by the sound, as he covered his own ears in a vain attempt to stop the assault on his senses. His focus was on Merida, he needed to get to her now. Hiccup stumbled forward, trying his best to push through the pain that throbbed in his head. The thought of Merida in danger seemed to steele his resolve. He gradually increased his speed as he continued in her direction but the more he ran the more evident it became that he was too far away to reach her in time.
"Merida," Hiccup screamed. He could feel the gut-wrenching fear creeping into his heart once again, and a numb, sinking feeling washed over him as the creature headed straight for her. He continued to run as fast as he was able, despite his eyes beginning to tear from the throbbing pain in his head. He watched helplessly as she dropped to her knees clutching her head while the creature barreled toward her. Hiccup could feel his heart freeze in terror at what he feared was to come.
Just before the beast reached her, Toothless dropped down from above directly in front of Merida, intercepting the beast and causing it to stop in its tracks. Hiccup instantly dropped to his knees, the panic subsiding, he succumbed to his weakened state. His head still spinning, he leaned forward into his hands, breathing heavily from both running and the pain that throbbed in his wounded side, and disoriented head. In that instant the humming sound subsided, and the creature growled threateningly at Toothless. Toothless growled in return as he stared the creature down, baring his teeth and standing in a defensive position. For a long moment, Toothless and the kelpie seemed to be in a standoff, neither willing to back down.
Hiccup raised his head and looked up at the scene before him, squinting his eyes as his fuzzy vision slowly cleared. He watched as Toothless and the Kelpie began to circle each other, each firmly holding the other's gaze. It was a behavior Hiccup had witnessed many times before between dragons, whether it was a show of power between two head strong males, or when a lower member tried to threaten the reign of an alpha. Hiccup furrowed his brow at the sight, perhaps the kelpie was truly a dragon after all. Though relieved that the kelpie was now focused on Toothless instead of Merida, Hiccup knew that being in such close proximity to a potential dragon fight was still far from safe. He scanned the area, his eyes desperately searching for Merida, but she was nowhere to be seen. He could only assume that she was still hiding behind Toothless.
"Merida listen to me," Hiccup called out, "you need to get out of there. Toothless can hold the kelpie off. Just get as far away from them as possible." Merida was huddled behind Toothless still shuddering in fear, her head still slightly dizzy from the kelpie's sound blast. She raised her head slightly at the sound of Hiccup calling out to her. She put her focus on Hiccup's voice.
"Get out of there now, Merida," he continued to call out, "you do not want to get caught in the middle of a dragon fight!" She quickly stood and backed away from Toothless, her heart pounding at the terrifying sound of both creatures viciously growling at one another. She quickly turned, leaped down from the wall and ran in the opposite direction as quickly as possible.
Toothless grunted ferociously, warning the kelpie and clearly declaring his own alpha status. Clearly unimpressed and uninterested in submitting to Toothless, the kelpie lunged forward. Toothless moved quickly avoiding the attack, while shooting a medium sized plasma ball hurdling toward the monster. It struck the beast on the side of its head, sending it crashing to the ground. The kelpie quickly stood, shaking its head to regain its composure and glared at Toothless once again, snarling in anger. Toothless stood firm as he began to charge up his plasma for a larger blast. The kelpie lowered its head and growled in frustration. It then began chirping at Toothless as if it were a teenager talking back to its parent. Toothless stood up straight, as he looked down on the kelpie. Without warning the kelpie lunged once more but Toothless quickly released the larger plasma ball, striking the beast head-on. Instantly the beast let out an ear-piercing wail, and it quickly retreated to the lake with a huge splash. Toothless stood firm watching as the creature disappeared beneath the lake with a sound like thunder that rumbled through the atmosphere. With the kelpie's retreat the mist slowly began to dissipate.
Still kneeling upon the ground, Hiccup pulled the mask from his face and breathed in a deep sigh of relief, at the sight of the Kelpie vanishing beneath the water's surface. He covered his face with his hands as he silently thanked Odin for their protection. He dropped his hands at his sides as he looked over at Toothless and nodded in gratitude. The dragon seemed to smirk back at him as he nodded in return. He slowly and cautiously moved to rise but the pain in his abdomen prevented him from getting more than one knee up. He clutched his right side tightly as he prepared to stand. He turned his eyes back to the place where Merida had been. He had not seen her since Toothless arrived, nor had she answered him when he called out to her. He was beginning to worry that she might still be injured.
"Merida," he called out, "are you okay?" He waited, listening carefully for her reply, but only the sound of the rain reached his ears. A numb, sinking feeling filled his heart as he desperately scanned the area for any sign of her. Mustering all his strength, and clutching his right side for support, Hiccup managed to get to his feet and started to make his way toward the area of the wall here Merida had been. He breathed heavily as he tried to deal with the pain that still ripped through his body with the slightest movement.
"Merida, please answer me," Hiccup called out, with desperation in his voice. He gazed ahead as he continued on, the fear of finding her hurt or worse still gripping his heart. Suddenly his own words from earlier ran through his mind.
"I think something bad happened here," Hiccup muttered.
"Something bad," she questioned cautiously, "like what? Was it something to do with our grandparents?"
"I...I don't know," Hiccup said cryptically, "it just...it feels like...like something I can't remember; like DeJa'Vu in a way.
"What are ye sayin' exactly," Merida questioned.
"I can't explain it," Hiccup replied in a daze, "it...it's like before...it feels so personal...like it happened to me, but I know that doesn't make sense...It almost feels like…like I lost someone here. It... it's like how I felt when I lost my father."
Fear gripped his heart and soul as he replayed the memory in his head. Before he assumed that the strange feelings of loss were residual from some past tragedy that transpired in Adag, but now he feared that it had been a heart-breaking premonition.
"Merida," he called out desperately.
"I'm here," he heard her voice call out in the distance, "I'm here Hiccup!" He looked up instantly in the direction of her voice, to see her standing in the crumbling gateway to Adag and he nearly collapsed in relief at the sight of her. Merida quickly ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. Despite the pain it caused him, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly against him. He leaned forward kissing her upon the cheek and buried his face in her hair as he breathed in deeply. A wave of relief washed over him as he held her tightly in his arms. Words simply could not describe the emotions that flooded his heart and soul as he held her close. He pulled back slightly as he gazed at her with concern in his eyes.
"Are you okay," he questioned, "are you hurt anywhere?" Merida shook her head as she gazed back at him with tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"I'm okay," she replied, "not a scratch." Hiccup nodded as he gently took her face in his hands and pulled her to him. He leaned forward and kissed her upon the forehead. As he pulled back slightly, he continued to gaze thankfully into her pale blue eyes.
"Thank Odin, you're safe," Hiccup said emotionally. Merida pulled away from him as she continued to gaze up at him with tears still brimming in her eyes.
What about ye," she questioned as she anxiously looked him over, "yer the one that had yer arse handed to ye, are ye okay?" Hiccup nodded silently in confirmation as he continued to gaze back into her pale blue eyes, but the distress on his face told her otherwise.
"I…I'm okay," he replied, "my head is still spinning a bit and I'm a little sore, but other than that." He felt suddenly woozy as he spoke, and he stumbled forward. Merida quickly moved to support him, causing him to wince slightly as the fresh wound to his abdomen still throbbed. Merida pulled back quickly to avoid hurting him further.
"I'm sorry," she said in concern.
"Maybe I should sit down for a minute," he replied. Merida helped him carefully to sit back down. The movement caused him to groan in pain. As she pulled her arm from around his side, she found herself frozen in fear at the sight of the bright red blood that covered her hand. Her eyes fell upon Hiccup's shirt which was torn and stained with fresh blood. She looked up at him instantly with panic in her eyes.
"Hiccup yer bleeding," she exclaimed.
"I'm fine," Hiccup replied quickly.
"No, yer not fine," Merida replied frantically, "yer bleeding!" She instantly drooped to her knees in front of him and began to desperately fret over his wound. Hiccup quickly reached for her hand and squeezed it gently in reassurance.
"Merida, look at me," Hiccup said calmly. Merida paused as she turned her eyes back to his.
"I am a little banged up, but I am going to be fine," Hiccup repeated, "it's not a serious wound okay. We need to focus on getting out of here. I need you to just take a deep breath and focus on that." Merida nodded in understanding. She stood up quickly and then helped Hiccup to his feet once more. He winced once again over his bruised stomach. Upon standing, Hiccup felt extremely light-headed, and it took him a moment or two to recover. Merida swung his arm over her shoulder to help stabilize him.
"Do ye think ye can walk," Merida asked in concern. Hiccup nodded.
"I'm good," he replied, "just help me get over to Fish." Merida nodded and they both walked over a few yards to where Fish still lay upon the ground. The two of them crouched down on either side of Fishlegs. They each grabbed Fish by an arm and lifted him to a sitting position. They then slung his arms over their shoulders and helped him to stand. Fish was still completely out of it and babbling incoherently.
"Do ye think he'll be okay," Merida questioned.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Hiccup replied, "but the sooner we get outta here the better." Hiccup wrapped his arm firmly around Fishlegs' waist, taking the bulk of his weight from Merida.
"I got Fish," Hiccup said, "go check on Eret." Merida nodded and quickly headed over to Eret. She found him still sitting up against the stone wall of Adag, clutching his right side. He was breathing hard, and beads of sweat had formed upon his brow. She crouched down beside him and laid a hand gently upon his shoulder.
"Are ye okay," Merida questioned. Eret looked up at her with a pained expression on his face, but he nodded in reply. "Do ye think ye can walk," Merida questioned. Eret nodded once again. He reached up and pulled the mask from his face as he looked up at her.
"I think so," he replied sounding slightly out of breath. Merida took his opposite hand and pulled his arm gently around her shoulder as she tried her best to help him up. Slowly and cautiously, she led him in the direction in which Hiccup had gone with Fishlegs. By now the dragons had congregated in front of the front gate of Adag waiting to assist their riders.
Once Merida and Eret had reached the dragons, she found that Hiccup had already propped Fishlegs up against a tree and was attempting to get through to him. Merida helped to lower Eret to a sitting position against the village wall and then made her way over to Hiccup.
"How is he," Merida questioned. Hiccup looked up at her briefly then turned back to Fishlegs.
"Physically, he looks okay," Hiccup replied, "but he's still pretty out of it."
"What should we do." Merida questioned.
"Well, if the kelpie mist is anything like flightmare mist," Hiccup replied, "the effects should wear off in an hour or so."
"Flightmare," Merida repeated, "that's the dragon ye mentioned earlier, the one with the toxic mist." Hiccup nodded.
"Except the Flightmare's mist only paralyzes you," Hiccup replied, "I've never seen anything like this before." Merida furrowed her brow as she turned back to Fishlegs.
"What can we do fur 'em," Merida questioned.
"First things first," Hiccup replied firmly, "we need to get out of here and find some shelter from this rain, give Fish time to recover and mend our wounds. We can figure out what to do from there." Merida nodded in agreement.
"That's the best plan you've had all day mate," Eret said. Hiccup sighed as he turned to Eret.
"Are you okay," Hiccup questioned seriously, "you got hit pretty hard."
"I've been thru worse," Eret replied dismissively, "bruised my ribs pretty good though, and my head is still fuzzy, but I think I'll be alright."
"Well, I just need some help getting Fish on Toothless," Hiccup said, "then we can get out of here."
"Don't be ridiculous," Eret replied, "me and Skullcrusher will fare far better with Fish than the three of you would on Toothless. I'll take Fish and Merida should ride with you." Hiccup looked up at Eret questioningly.
"Are you sure you can manage with that injury," Hiccup questioned. Eret scoffed at Hiccup's concern.
"It's just a bruise, like I said mate," Eret replied dismissively, "I'll be fine."
"If you say so," Hiccup replied. With that both Hiccup and Eret helped to prop Fishlegs up onto Skull crushers saddle, then he and Merida climbed up onto Toothless.
"So, where to," Eret questioned.
"I saw a cave a little ways back on the way here," Hiccup replied, "I think we should go there. That way we can get out of this rain, and catch our breath. I think we all need a decent rest after getting our butts kicked. Both Merida and Eret nodded in agreement.
"Lead the way Chief," Eret replied.
When they had finally reached the cave, Hiccup and Merida quickly dismounted Toothless and headed over to Skull crusher to help Eret with Fishlegs. Once inside, they sat Fish upon the cave floor and propped him up against the wall. Eret followed after them and sat down across from Fish. He was slightly winded, and his ribs were throbbing each time he inhaled. He clutched his side tightly as he tried to get his bearings once again. He leaned his head back upon the stone wall with his eyes closed tightly as he tried to deal with the pain.
Across the way, Hiccup was trying his best to get through to Fishlegs, but to no avail.
"Come on Fish," Hiccup said as he gently tapped him upon the cheek, "snap outta of it buddy." But much to Hiccup's dismay Fish continued to babble incoherently. Merida crouched down beside Hiccup and gazed at Fish in concern.
"What can I do to help," Merida questioned. Hiccup glanced over at her for a moment.
"I have a first aid kit in my bag," Hiccup replied, "can you bring it to me." Merida nodded as she quickly stood and headed over to Toothless. She loosened the straps on the saddle bag and began rummaging through an array of items.
"Can ye tell me what exactly it is that I'm lookin' for," Merida called out.
"It's a small leather, haversack," Hiccup replied. Merida found the bag quickly and brought it over to Hiccup. Hiccup quickly opened the bag and pulled out a small glass vial that contained some sort of pink viscous liquid.
"What is that," Merida questioned.
"Simply put," Hiccup replied as he glanced up at her, "dragon drool...but not just any dragon drool. It's the drool from a specific dragon called a Sweet Death." Merida furrowed her brow at Hiccup's answer.
"A sweet death," Merida repeated in uncertainty. Hiccup nodded.
"The Sweet death is known for its sweet-smelling saliva," Hiccup explained, "it uses it to lure its prey. It has a very long tongue that looks like a pink sapling, it buries itself only leaving its tongue in view, then emits a sweet-smelling saliva that is almost irresistible. Its prey believing the tongue is some sort of fruit tree, wanders too close and the Sweet Death strikes." Merida furrowed her brow as she pondered Hiccup's answer.
"And how exactly is this Dragon gob supposed to help Fish," Merida questioned.
"We've found that in higher concentrated doses," Hiccup replied, "Sweet death saliva can work like a smelling salt, to revive someone that's passed out or, more often in Berk, hung over. I don't know that it will work for Fish in this instance, but it's worth a shot."
"I'm not even goin' tae begin tae ask how ye managed to collect dragon gob from that beast without bein' eaten," Merida replied. Hiccup chuckled at her comment.
"Yeah...it's probably best that you didn't," Hiccup replied. As he spoke Eret audibly groaned drawing both Hiccup and Merida's attention. Hiccup gazed at Eret in concern.
"Here," Hiccup said as he handed Merida the first aid kit, "go check on Eret...he's in worse shape than he says he is. I'm good here with Fish." Merida nodded as she took the bag and draped the strap over her shoulder. She quickly stood and headed over to Eret.
Eret was sitting up against the cave wall across the way still clutching his sore ribs. Merida crossed her arms over her chest as she stood before him.
"Aye, ye keek lik' something th' moggie dragged in," Merida said with a raised eyebrow. Eret smirked slightly at her comment.
"That bad, huh," Eret replied with a slight chuckle. Merida gazed at him in intrigue for a moment. Noticing her curious gaze, Eret gazed up at her questioningly.
"What," Eret questioned. Merida shook her head.
"I'm sure...no... positive, that Hiccup would not have understood a word I just said," Merida replied, "how is it that ye can?" Eret chuckled slightly but winced immediately after as a sharp pain ripped through his chest. He looked up at her once again with a slight smirk.
"It's not that hard," Eret replied with a shrug, "mostly I just guess... given the context of the conversation."
"Ye guess," Merida replied flatly as she put her hands on her hips.
"Mostly," Eret replied, "however, in this particular instance, you just so happened to choose a phrase my mother used to say quite often when I was a boy." Merida raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Is that so," she questioned in intrigue. Eret nodded.
"Usually when I came home a mess," Eret explained, "but I guess it could equally be applied to being on the losing end of a fight as well." Merida gazed at Eret for a long moment with an intrigued expression on her face as she pondered his admission.
"My mum always said it as well," Merida replied, "mostly when I'd ruin a perfectly good dress trainin' with my dad." She took the bag from her shoulder and knelt beside him. "I can only imagine what she'll say when I come today. She sighed heavily as she set the bag down at her side, then looked up at Eret curiously.
"Are ye entirely certain yer mum wasn't a Scot," Merida questioned with a slight smile. Eret furrowed his brow at her unexpected question.
"No... actually," Eret replied softly, "to be honest I... I have no idea." Merida continued to gaze at him curiously. The feelings of familiarity still flooded her heart as she gazed into his dark brown eyes. She felt almost as if she had looked into his eyes many times before, though it made no sense whatsoever. Regardless she kept the strange feelings to herself.
"I'm gonna need ye to take off that shirt so I can get a good look at yer wound," Merida said. Eret nodded as he proceeded to remove his tunic but raising his arms made his ribs throb. He groaned in pain as he struggled to lift the material over his head.
"Let me help," Merida replied. She took the tunic in her hands and, as gently as possible, she lifted the tunic over Eret's head the rest of the way.
"Thanks," Eret replied. Merida nodded.
As she looked upon him, she was taken aback by the multitude of old scars that covered his body; but one scar, in particular, drew her attention most of all. It was a brand that had been burned into his flesh on the left side of his chest. For some reason the symbol seemed so familiar to her. It felt as if she had seen it somewhere once before but could not quite recall where or when. The very sight of it filled her heart with an ominous feeling. She assumed it was because of the few stories Hiccup had told her about Eret's former clan. The ghastly sight of the dragon symbol burned into Eret's flesh only proved the true brutality of Eret's former chief. As she gazed upon the old scar, Hiccup's previous words regarding Eret ran through her mind.
"He was one of Drago's dragon trappers," Hiccup replied, "but Eret's more than redeemed himself since then. If anything, Eret was just as much a victim of Drago as anybody else."
Noticing her gaze, Eret cleared his throat causing Merida to quickly avert her eyes and focus on the nasty bruise on his ribs.
"I... I think yer bruise warrants a bandage," Merida said as she tried her best to avoid his gaze. She proceeded to rummage through the bag for some bandage materials. She glanced up at Eret briefly but quickly averted her eyes back to her work. Carefully she began to wrap the bandage around his ribs tightly. He winced slightly. Merida grimaced at Eret's reaction.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. Eret shrugged at her apology.
"I've been hurt worse than this before," Eret replied with a smirk. Once Merida had finished the bandage, her eyes once again fell upon the symbol burned into the skin of his chest. Eret gazed back at her knowingly.
"You can ask me about it if you want to," Eret replied. Realizing that Eret had taken notice of her inadvertent stare, Merida blushed slightly as she quickly averted her eyes from Eret.
"I... I'm sorry for starin'," Merida replied. Eret shook his head dismissively.
"It's a rather unsightly scar," Eret replied, "I'd be more surprised if you didn't stare."
"Is that from your old clan," Merida questioned as she gazed up at him once again, "is it from Drago?" Eret sighed heavily and dropped his eyes from hers as he contemplated her question. He hadn't anticipated that she would already know about his regrettable past with Drago. Of course, what did he expect, Hiccup was in love with her, of course he would have told her everything.
"Hiccup told you about that, did he," Eret replied. Merida nodded.
"A little," Merida replied, "but not much. He told me that ye were a part of Drago's clan once, that ye were a dragon trapper for Drago n' that ye n' Hiccup were enemies once." Eret nodded.
"Well, it's all true; but it's not exactly something I like to talk about." Eret replied in a serious tone, "it was a time in my life that I'd rather forget." Merida nodded as she dropped her eyes from Eret in remorse.
"I'm sorry," Merida replied solemnly, "I... I didnae mean tae drudge up yer past." Eret sighed heavily and averted his eyes from her as he debated what, if anything, to say to her. He had, after all, given her permission to ask. He turned his eyes back to her.
"It was my punishment," Eret replied in an emotionless tone. Merida's heart froze at his words; she turned back to him instantly.
"Punishment," Merida replied questioningly, "punishment for what exactly?"
"Not making my quota," Eret replied simply.
"He branded ye," Merida questioned, "just fur ye didn't bring back enough dragons?" Eret nodded as he gazed back at her with a serious expression on his face.
"So that I'd never forget the consequences of letting him down," Eret replied, "nor would anyone else in the crew who witnessed it." Merida gazed back at him wide eyed, both in shock and horror at Eret's admission. The harsh reality of the Vikings that her mother described came crashing down on her. She could almost hear her mother's words:
"I've seen their brand of tolerance firsthand! They kill, they torture, they brutalize! I pray ye ne'er see that firsthand. I pray ye ne'er meet a Viking in yer life!"
Perhaps Berk truly was the rare exception among Vikings. The thought of a chief punishing his clansmen so brutally for such a minor offense was a ghastly reminder that most Vikings could be as evil and heartless as the ones her mother described. Even so, it also proved that good Vikings did exist amongst evil ones. Eret was a good man that had become embroiled with an evil clan. She imagined he had been forced to do many things in his clan's service that he regretted now, in fear of his chief's wrath and appalling punishment. Her heart ached at the thought of Eret's traumatizing experience. Without thought she took his hand and held it tightly in hers. Eret looked up at her curiously.
"I'm sorry that happened to ye," she said softly, "ye didn't deserve that." Eret nodded as he gazed back at her wordlessly. He was taken aback slightly by her words and her actions, and he didn't know exactly how to respond but he truly appreciated the genuine sincerity of her words. As he gazed back into her pale blue eyes, he could tell that she was not just saying it to say it, she meant every word. Eret nodded in appreciation. As she held his hand, he couldn't help but to feel that they were connected in some way. Though he didn't know how or why, and though it seemed impossible and even illogical, he simply could not shake the strange reminiscent feelings that he seemed to have about her. His mind drifted to the words from Astrid's letter.
I wonder if Dunbroch might be the homeland that your father searched for all his life. If it's true, then you might be just as connected to Dunbroch as Hiccup is.
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.
Perhaps there was some distant family connection between him and Merida. Perhaps, she was a part of his father's family that his mother always told him about. He carefully leaned forward clutching his ribs in support as he continued to gaze at Merida. He smiled warmly at her as he reached out and gently covered the top of her hand with his opposite one.
"You're a really good person Merida," Eret said. Merida blushed slightly at his words, and she smiled warmly in return. "I thank you, for the bandage...and your words. Though, I'm not entirely sure I deserve the sympathy." Merida nodded.
"Of course, ye do," Merida replied simply, "ye are a good person too Eret, despite yer questionable past. Ye may have fallen in with the wrong people before, and done things ye might regret, but ye have a good heart and that's what matters most. Dae nae let anyone tell ye otherwise. "
Hiccup gently pulled the cork from the tiny vial of sweet death saliva, then waved it just beneath Fishlegs' nose.
"Come on Fish, snap out of it," Hiccup said, "I do not want to face the wrath of Ruffnut if I bring you home like this." Fishlegs began to make a strange face as Hiccup continued to wave the vial beneath his nose.
"That's it, that's it," Hiccup continued. Hiccup gently tapped him on the side of his face with his opposite hand. Fishlegs began to inhale and exhale deeply, he closed his glassy eyes and held them tightly shut for a moment, then suddenly began to sneeze. He opened his eyes once more and gazed at Hiccup in slight confusion.
"Hiccup," he said questioningly.
"Hey bud welcome back," Hiccup smiled.
"What happened," Fishlegs questioned.
"Basically, you inhaled a bunch of toxic mist and started hallucinating," Hiccup replied flatly.
"I did what," Fish questioned.
"What's the last thing you remember Fish," Hiccup questioned. Fishlegs furrowed his brow as he contemplated Hiccup's question. However, he was having a very hard time concentrating. He shrugged as he looked up at Hiccup once more.
"I... I don't know," Fish replied, "everything is all fuzzy... I remember me and Eret splitting up... I remember walking... then someone humming... it's kind of all over the place; it...it feels like a dream." Hiccup laid a hand on Fishlegs' shoulder as he gazed at him in concern.
"Don't push yourself too hard," Hiccup replied, "I'm sure it will come back to you soon enough. How are you otherwise? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Uh...I don't think so," Fish replied, "but I feel terrible. My head is spinning." Hiccup nodded at his answer. It was then that Fishlegs noticed the blood on Hiccup's tunic.
"You're bleeding," Fishlegs said in concern, "how did you get hurt...what exactly happened out there?" Hiccup nodded in response.
"We all basically got our butts handed to us," Hiccup replied, "I'm okay, just a little banged up. But Eret got hit pretty bad, maybe even a broken rib or two, Merida's bandaging him up as we speak." As he spoke, Hiccup inadvertently turned in the direction of Merida and Eret, but he was caught off guard by the unexpected sight, and his heart froze for a moment. Eret sat before Merida, shirtless with a fresh bandage around his middle, their hands were clasped, and Eret was leaning forward smiling. Hiccup furrowed his brow as he gazed at them in concern. He turned back to Fish with a serious expression on his face.
"Was it the kelpie," Fish asked. Hiccup didn't answer right away as his mind was completely on Merida." Hiccup... Hiccup?" Hiccup shook his head as he nodded in reply.
"I'm sorry, what was the question," Hiccup asked. Fishlegs furrowed his brow at Hiccup.
"Was it the Kelpie," Fish repeated.
"Yeah," Hiccup replied simply, "it was the Kelpie." Fishlegs' eyes lit up with Hiccup's confirmation.
"Did ya see it, "Fish questioned enthusiastically, "what did it look like? How big was it?"
"It was a decent size," Hiccup replied distractedly, "I didn't really get the best look at it, it all happened so fast. I'm not a hundred percent convinced that the kelpie isn't some form of a dragon though."
"Like a species we've never seen before," Fish questioned in intrigue. Hiccup nodded but he still seemed distracted.
"You okay Hic," Fish questioned.
"I'm fine," Hiccup replied dismissively, "I'm just feeling a bit off. I breathed in a bunch of that mist too, maybe it's getting to me now." Fish nodded in understanding.
"Maybe you should sit down too," Fish replied. Hiccup shook his head dismissively as he stood up once again.
"I'm fine," Hiccup said bluntly. He sighed as he stood up quickly. Fishlegs looked up at Hiccup in concern.
"Where are you going," Fish questioned.
"Uh... I need to get a fire started," Hiccup replied, "we are all cold and soaked through. It'd be pointless to have survived the kelpie just to die of pneumonia in a cave." Fish nodded in understanding, he supposed Hiccup made a good point, but he couldn't help but to notice the sudden change in Hiccup's demeanor. He seemed flustered and distracted at the moment, and Fish couldn't help but wonder why. Hiccup sighed heavily as he gazed back at Fishlegs.
"Look, it's gonna take a little while for your head to clear from the mist," Hiccup said, "so just stay here and take it easy for now, okay." Fish nodded as he laid his head back upon the wall of the cave. Hiccup turned and headed further into the cave collecting as many dry twigs as he could find. As he did so, he continued to anxiously glance in Merida and Eret's direction. Though he knew in his head that he was overreacting, and he was trying his best to not let it show, he couldn't quell his feelings of insecurity.
Once he had found enough twigs, he headed back to the others and began to arrange them neatly in a pile in the center of the cave. He then ignited his dragon blade and held it to the twigs until they began to smolder. As he did so, he glanced up briefly at Merida and Eret. Eret was now leaning back against the cave wall once again, with his shirt back on and Merida was stuffing the left-over bandage supplies back into the haversack. He watched as she stood and draped the strap of the haversack over her shoulder then turned and headed in his direction. He quickly averted his eyes and focused on stoking the newly built fire, as he tried his best to appear aloof.
"How's Fish," Merida asked as she approached him. Hiccup glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he continued to stoke the flames.
"He's okay," Hiccup replied, "he's still kinda out of it. He doesn't remember much of what happened." Merida nodded at his answer. Hiccup turned and gazed at her curiously.
"How's Eret," he asked flatly.
"He's fine," Merida replied, "it's a pretty bad bruise and it's really painful for him, but I think he'll be okay." Hiccup nodded at her answer. As Merida continued to gaze up at Hiccup in concern, her eyes once again fell upon his blood-stained tunic. Without a word she took his hand and pulled him away from the fire.
"What are you doing," Hiccup questioned.
"Ye've tended to Fish," Merida replied, "I've tended to Eret, and ye've built a fire for us all. Now it's my turn to tend to ye."
"You don't need to do that," Hiccup protested, "I told you, I'm fine."
"Bull jobby," Merida said firmly, "ye'll git an infection if I dinnae tend tae yer wound. Noo c'moan, sit doon 'n' stoap yer complaining." Merida led him to the far cave wall and motioned for him to sit down. Hiccup sighed heavily as he plopped down upon the dusty floor of the cave at her command. She lifted the haversack over her head. Hiccup looked up at her and smiled slightly. He watched as she peeled off her soaked and tattered cloak and lay it down beside the fire. She turned back to him.
"Ye need to take off yer shirt, so I can see what I'm dealin' with," Merida said firmly as she knelt before him and gazed at him expectantly.
"Is this really necessary," Hiccup replied, "it's just a scratch." Merida continued to gaze at him incredulously, causing Hiccup to feel suddenly self-conscious.
"Ah dinnae wantae hear it," Merida replied firmly, "I came this close tae losin' ye tae that evil water horse, I'll nae lose ye to a stagnant wound!"
"I think you're being just a tad overdramatic," Hiccup replied. Merida crossed her arms over her chest and huffed at his comment. Hiccup sighed heavily in resignation as he carefully unhooked his armored breastplate and removed it. He then lifted his torn and bloodied tunic over his head, then dropped it at his side. It was in that moment that the thought occurred to Merida that she had never seen Hiccup without a shirt before. She held her breath for a moment as she silently appreciated the sight of his slender, yet muscular physique. Though she tried her best to seem unfazed, she could feel a blush rising on her pale freckled cheeks and a swarm of butterflies swirling around in her gut as she gazed upon him. She was surprised to see an array of intricately designed tattoos that covered the left side of his chest and stretched down to his forearm like the sleeve of a shirt. Though she'd seen many tattoos before; none were so ornate as Hiccup's. One tattoo in particular caught her eye; it was a circular design upon his chest that looked very much like a compass, but where the cardinal points of direction would normally be there were instead strange symbols that she had never seen before. Suddenly realizing she had been staring, she discreetly cleared her throat and turned her focus to the wound that marred the right side of his abdomen. It was a long contusion that stretched from the right side of his upper abdomen to the left side of his lower chest, narrowly missing the circular tattoo. Though the scratch itself was not very deep, it was still oozing blood in some places, and the skin around it was becoming inflamed. She cringed slightly at the sight of it.
"Just a scratch mah bahookie," Merida said flatly. Hiccup snickered at her statement.
"Please," Hiccup scoffed, "this is practically nothing compared to some of the other injuries I've had before." Merida rolled her eyes at Hiccup's statement.
"Aye, wid ye prefer I just let it fester then," Merida said sarcastically, "sae it becomes just as ill as th' others."
"Alright, alright," Hiccup groaned, "you made your point." He leaned back upon the cave wall in resignation. Merida rummaged through the first aid bag for a few moments to find a fresh, clean cloth. She then took a canteen from her own satchel and used it to soak the cloth. Ever so gently, Merida began to dab the wound. This caused Hiccup to wince slightly and his body tensed up. Merida grimaced slightly at his reaction.
"I'm sorry," she said apologetically, "I'm bein' as gentle as I can be." Hiccup shook his head dismissively.
"It's okay," Hiccup replied. Merida nodded as she continued her work in silence. Hiccup gazed at her quietly. The light of the fire enveloped her in a warm orange glow, practically illuminating her bright red curls. Her hair was frizzier than normal, due to the moisture in the air, and it almost created the illusion of a halo surrounding her face. Despite her worried expression, he was taken aback by her beauty. As always, he could feel his heart beating frantically in his chest as he gazed upon her. Though she was focused on tending to his wound, he could clearly see the light crimson blush on her pale, freckled cheeks and she was gently biting her bottom lip as if trying her best to discourage a smile. Recognizing the wistful expression on her face, Hiccup grinned at her knowingly. He sighed slightly as she continued to dress his injury. Although the wound itself burned slightly as she cleansed it, every gentle touch of her soft hands upon his bare skin caused his breath to hitch and chills to run up and down his spine. He could feel goosebumps arise in every place that her nimble fingers grazed his flesh. How he longed to pull her into his arms, to hold her close and kiss her warm soft lips, but he didn't dare move a muscle to disturb her work. He took a deep breath, leaned his head back against the cave wall and closed his eyes tightly as he tried his best to distract his mind from his amorous desires. Merida gently patted his wound dry and then started to wrap a bandage tightly around his middle. He winced slightly as she pulled the fabric taught to help control the bleeding. She glanced up at him apologetically.
"Sorry," she said again. Hiccup shook his head dismissively.
As she continued to work in silence, she seemed to be overcome by her emotions. Her smile slowly faltering as the traumatic events they had just survived ran through her mind. It dawned on her how close they all had come to dying, how close she had come to losing Hiccup. She could feel the tears brimming up in her eyes once more and a lump beginning to form in her throat. Hiccup furrowed his brow at the feeling of her trembling hand and looked down at her in concern. Noticing the emotional expression on her face, Hiccup slowly reached forward, taking her trembling hands in his and squeezed them gently in reassurance. At the soothing touch of his hands, she could not hold her emotions back any longer and the tears she'd been holding back began to stream down her pale freckled cheeks. She pulled away from him slightly as she desperately tried to wipe her tears away.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed as she tried to regain control over her fraught emotions, "I just...I...I thought ye were done for, I...I thought we all were done for." Hiccup quickly leaned forward despite the pain it caused him and pulled her gently into his arms. She instantly laid her head upon his chest, as he held her close. She pressed herself against him taking comfort in the warmth of his arms and the steady beating of his heart. When Hiccup felt her soft quiet sobs, he tightened his arms around her a little more, and rested his face upon the top of her head.
"It's okay Merida," he whispered gently, "it's okay now." Merida nodded her head as she took comfort in his words.
"I don't know what I'd hav' done if I'd lost ye," Merida sobbed. Hiccup pulled back from her slowly.
"But you didn't" he said firmly, "you didn't lose me...and we are all safe, because of you." Merida nodded against his chest.
"Look at me Merida," he said softly. She leaned back and lifted her head from his chest as she raised her eyes to meet his gaze. Hiccup gently took her face in his hands and leaned his forehead against hers. He smiled at her warmly as he gazed deep into her watery blue eyes.
"If it wasn't for you," Hiccup continued, "it could have been a lot worse... you saved us all." She sighed heavily as she attempted to wipe the remainder of her tears from her face. Hiccup leaned back slightly as he dropped his hands from her face.
"I'm the one who should be sorry," Hiccup continued as he huffed slightly, "I'm the one that got us into this whole mess. I should have listened to you and stayed away from Adag until we knew more about the kelpie. I was just so determined to find something... anything to prove our theory." Merida sighed softly with his words.
"Aye, but like ye said" Merida replied, "Mairead showed ye that place for a reason. We had to at least try to find some proof there."
"Yeah, but we should have waited until we were better prepared to go," Hiccup replied, "Adag has been there for hundreds of years...it's not like it's going anywhere. You were right it wasn't worth the risk and besides, we didn't' find anything anyway." Hiccup huffed as he leaned back against the cave wall.
"Aye, tis unfortunate that our search proved fruitless" Merida sighed, "n' now I fear we're back where we started with this bloody mystery," Hiccup sighed as he silently pondered her words
"Well, maybe not quite where we started," Hiccup replied, "I mean we still know a lot more than we did then."
"Aye," Merida replied, "we practically know the whole truth, but hav' no proof whatsoever to account fur it." Hiccup nodded as he thought over her statement.
"True," he sighed, "I guess in that regard we are still very much where we started." He remained quiet as he thought over their predicament. While it was still rather disheartening that their brief search of Adag hadn't produced any physical proof whatsoever, it had added another layer to the spiritual aspect of their bond. Whether it was by fate, or magic, or even karma, he knew without doubt that the forces that be had led him to her and their fate was surely written in the stars. Maybe they were looking at this whole predicament from the wrong angle. As he pondered this, he thought back to his revelation in Adag.
...
"I didn't understand it either," Hiccup admitted, "I still don't exactly, but after what we discovered about the first dreams we shared, I can't help but to think that maybe this whole thing was never about Mairead and Hiccup the first to begin with." Merida furrowed her brow as she pondered his statement.
"Well, it is still...technically about them," Hiccup reiterated, "but not really."
"What exactly do ye mean," Merida questioned. Hiccup shrugged as he tried to find the words to explain, but he still found it difficult to make sense of it all himself.
"I don't know exactly," Hiccup replied, it just...it….it feels like it's all so much bigger than them. Maybe they were just the start of it, maybe all of this has always been about you and me Merida."
...
As their previous conversation played over in his mind, he suddenly remembered something he'd forgotten, a portion of Mairead's words from his dream.
...
"What has all this to do with Merida and I," he questioned fervently, "what is it that you want us to find out?"
"It's so much bigger than us Hiccup," she said, "we were only the start of it."
"The start of what," Hiccup questioned.
"The house of Adag will rise and the bond between the clans will be unbreakable. For the link that binds them was forged in love."
...
It couldn't be a coincidence that he had inadvertently uttered the same words that Mairead had said in his dream, and in the very same place in which she had said them. Perhaps the spirits truly had been leading him to that moment in Adag and not so much the place itself Perhaps this whole thing was less about finding irrefutable proof to substantiate their grandparents story, and more about he and Merida discovering their own true fate that they were destined to share. As they had discovered thus far, their shared dreams had been prophetic in nature. Their nightly visions were not messages from their grandparents as they had originally believed, but prescient glimpses of their future. Hiccup smiled slightly as he turned his eyes back to Merida, taking her hands in his and gently interlocking his fingers with hers.
"Maybe Adag wasn't as fruitless as we thought," Hiccup said, "maybe we've just been looking for the wrong thing."